Touching and Touched
Standard Disclaimers Apply- I own nothing of the Trek universe, but T'Pyra and the Vulcan Brady Bunch sprang from my fevered imagination.
Thanks to all those who have read, reviewed and enjoyed the previous stories- also a big shout out to those who can write smut and write it well- I'm having a heck of a time trying not to make my one smutty prequel sound stupid.
For those who are looking for Rin and Skerret, stay tuned!
My Beta, broadwaybound, is on vacation, so any mistakes are mine and mine alone.
**
Uhura woke to the sounds of someone playing the lyre. It was a lovely way to wake up on any morning, but this was her wedding day...
WEDDING DAY! "Holy mother … I'm supposed to get married in a few hours!" Thoughts ran wildly through her head- she needed to get up, do her hair, her makeup, call to the ship and see if someone could beam down that dress she wanted... she vaulted out of bed and was just about to leap in the shower when she heard a knock on her door.
"Daughter?" T'Pyra called from the other side of the door. The two had slipped into the habit of addressing each other as if they were already family.
"Come in, Mother." Nyota called out to her soon-to-be stepmother-in-law. She was still rushing around the room, taking inventory of what she had and didn't have, what she needed- would she have time to run to the shopping district and get some things?- when T'Pyra enterd the room with tea.
"Good morning, Nyota- I see you are preparing for the ceremony?" She put the tray down as her future daughter-in law ran around the room in a most un-Vulcan manner.
"Good morning, Mother- yes, I am realizing that I do not have the dress I wanted, the hairstyling products I use, or anything else." She turned around, flustered.
"Perhaps I can help- first, sit down and drink your tea. The ceremony is not for several hours yet- let us drink tea, and talk, and then we will address your wardrobe concerns." She handed Uhura the cup. Poised in mid-panic, Uhura stopped, realized how ridiculous she must have looked to the older woman, and took the cup. She sat down on the edge of the bed, and drank the spicy tea.
"Thank you, Mother- I am acting decidedly illogical, I know, but I've never been married before."
T'Pyra looked at her with understanding eyes. "You must not apologize for your true self. Your way is not that of logic- it is of emotions. And you are only acting outwardly the way most brides, including myself, feel internally, the morning of our weddings."
Nyota was surprised to hear this admission of feelings from a very proper Vulcan woman. "Were you nervous, Mother?"
"The first time, I was not. I was bonded when I was a child, but Stavvin and I grew up near each other and saw each other with some frequency. We were very comfortable with each other's company and in each other's minds. The day we entered our marriage bond, there was very little surprise."
"And the second time?" The second time, with Sarek, had happened so soon after the destruction of Vulcan that Uhura would have been surprised if she could have remembered much of anything.
"The second time, I was still grieving the loss of my husband and children. Sarek had helped me through my pain, and we found that we were compatible- but I had not lived with him in my mind, as I has with Stavvin." She paused, with a very tiny Vulcan smile. "I will admit, if not to nervousness, then to...apprehension."
"If it helps, you were the model of decorum." Uhura remembered that day, her first trip to the colony. The survivors were still in shock, everyone trying to figure out how to adjust to this new place, and their new lives. Bondings, which had previously been small, family-and-close-friends-only affairs, had become community-wide events, as each new marriage represented the continuation of Vulcan society. Several hundred people were present to witness the ceremony and wish the new couple well. She had no idea how many people would be there today, but as long as the family and Enterprise crew were there, she's be happy.
"Before the ceremony my mind was...not calm. Sarek helped me settle my mind, and our bonding was without incident." She paused, then continued. "T'Pau explained to you the ways of our people."
Nyota nodded, understanding that this a reference to ponn farr. "She did, Mother."
"I was many years a wife to Stavvin. Humans might say we grew up together. I knew his mind. Sarek was different. I had known him only as a school mate of my husband, and through his work as a diplomat. Also, he had been married for many years, and had his own catalog of experiences. I was... concerned for myself." She then inclined her head. "As it turns out, my apprehension was unwarranted."
"I am glad of it, Mother." She took another sip of her tea.
"Spock pleases you as a lover?" T'Pyra asked. Nyota choked on her tea.
"What?" She coughed, wiping tears from her eyes. And then she looked down and realized that she was wearing her favorite nightshirt- Spock's old tunic. She kicked herself for being so stupid as to not put on her robe before T'Pyra entered the room.
"Forgive me, Nyota- I was under the impression that humans women often spoke of such intimate matters." She seemed genuinely concerned that her surprise question may actually have injured the young woman.
"No, no, I was just surprised because Vulcans don't speak of them. And, to be honest, parents seldom discuss such things with their children. But I will answer your question- yes, Spock pleases me." She did not add, "regularly, tenderly, passionately, and with a variety of positions and techniques," but something of her satisfaction must have escaped and shone through on her face.
T'Pyra put down her own cup of tea. "It will get even better."
Now Nyota's eyes widened. "Better?"
T'Pyra allowed a tiny bit of a smile to play around her own lips. "Nyota, I was married to Stavvin for 55 Earth years. I had two sons who grew to manhood- but I never had a daughter. This is what I would have told my own daughter, and what I whispered to my son's wives in the weeks before their own weddings. It will get better."
She continued. "It is hard to be the wife of a Vulcan, even if you are yourself a Vulcan. Our own...needs...can be strong, but they pale in consideration to those of our husbands. Every seven years, they ask much. And we anchor them- sometimes at great peril to ourselves. But it is because of this that they treasure us in the years between. It is..."and she spoke a Vulcan word Uhura had not heard before. Her professional interest shown on her face, and T'Pyra explained. "The word is seldom used outside of the conversation of women. It encompasses much- it is gratitude, but more that gratitude, possessiveness, but more than possessiveness, respect and honor and many other things besides. They honor our willingness and our sacrifice by endeavoring to satisfy our desires. And they can be very creative in doing so." There was a smile in T'Pyra's eyes that needed no further explanation.
T'Pyra continued to speak, tea all but forgotten. "You, my human daughter, will be even more treasured because you have taken on this responsibility as an outsider. I can feel something of the bond Sarek had with Amanda, and know that he cared for her even more because she gave up so much and endured him when he was ...not himself. You are so like her, and I believe her son will only cherish you more."
Uhura took a moment to take in the information she had just been given.
"So... no matter how good things are now, they'll get better? And after the first instance-" she adopted the Vulcan's habit of obfuscation when talking about the pon farr, "-it'll get even better after that?"
T'Pyra nodded her head ever so slightly to indicate that this was the case. Uhura closed her eyes, and shivered involuntarily.
No wonder Lady Amanda always looked so content.
"And now, Nyota, you had best begin your preparations for the day. The sooner you're bonded, the sooner you'll be able to tell me whether or not I was correct. If you will tell me what items you need, I shall convey the request to Spock, and make sure he has everything you need transported from the ship."
"Thank you so much, Mother," she said, smiling.
"You are welcome, my daughter." She turned to gather the tea things, and then turned back to Uhura once again. "Nyota, I understand that among many human cultures, the bride sometimes wears the same dress her mother wore on her wedding day. Would you wear my dress today?"
"Your dress, Mother?" T'Pyra was full of all kinds of surprises today. "I would be proud to wear your dress- but will there be time to have it altered?" T'Pyra was several inches taller and more buxom than Uhura.
"I am an architect by training and became a seamstress out of necessity after the Xenocide. When you have finished your shower, we will make the necessary alterations. I also believe the girls would like to help you with your hair."
Nyota was just about to jump into the shower, when she turned and asked, "How is it that no matter how logical the culture, women always end up spending more time getting ready for something than men?"
T'Pyra gave a Vulcan shrug. "We look better when we're done."
Uhura laughed and went to get her shower.
**
Several hours later, a small crowd stood at the colony's central amphitheater. Vulcans still continued to be extremely private about their ceremonies, and requested that Spock and Uhura limit their human guests to only the Captain and the Doctor. They were present at Spock's side, standing on a raised platform, when the ceremony began. Spock, wearing the ceremonial robes that he had worn when he presented Uhura to T'Pau, looked as noble and inscrutable as ever. Only Sarek, standing near his son, could detect how anxious the young groom was. The three male foster siblings also stood on the platform, and were as stoic as their father and brother.
"Do Vulcans get cold feet?" Kirk whispered to McCoy.
"Would you, if you were marrying her? Besides, any being stupid enough to leave your communications officer at the altar would need to be able to run to the furthest portions of known space to avoid her wrath." He added, "Boy has no idea what he's getting himself into." McCoy, gruff as ever, still tried to convince everyone that he was over women, over love, over it all- no one believed it in the slightest.
Suddenly, a ringing sound pealed out across the area, a thousand bells being rung simultaneously. They saw T'Pau enter the amphitheater, carried on a litter by several attendants. This much of the old ceremony they could maintain.
And then they saw Uhura across the amphitheater. A women and three girls, Spock's stepmother and his foster sisters, accompanied her. She was wearing a Vulcan-style gown, silvery-white, which covered every inch of skin, but did so in a manner that showed off every alluring curve of her body. Her hair was covered, Vulcan-style, but her earrings were her favorites from Africa. Even the Vulcans who did not approve of humans found themselves admiring her. She maintained perfect Vulcan decorum until she saw the two men- and flashed them a dazzling smile.
Kirk leaned over and whispered to McCoy, "He realizes that he is the luckiest bastard alive, right?"
Spock whispered back, surprising his captain and his doctor "Yes, he does." And moved down the platform to meet his bride.
T'Pau met them the couple at the bottom of the steps. She spoke in High Vulcan, the language of ceremony, and McCoy and Kirk could both hear Uhura's perfect responses to the vows. Here again, the Vulcan crowd was taken aback (as taken aback as Vulcans would allow themselves to be) at Uhura's perfect High Vulcan. Many humans spoke Standard Vulcan, or some approximation of it, as it had become a common language in math and the sciences, but almost none knew the High Language, and few had ever heard a human speak it (not just mimic it) and speak it flawlessly. Uhura rose again in their estimation.
The Vulcan elder reached out her hand to place Spock's fingers on Uhura's face, and hers on his. Their eyes were closed, and they repeated some words (more vows?) in unison. And then, their eyes snapped open simultaneously. Kirk and McCoy both saw the absolute wonder in both their eyes, and Sarek leaned in to them and whispered, "So you see the power of their bond."
Both men were dumbstruck. They had certainly seen the two offers look at each other with both love and lust, but the gaze they shared now was something else entirely. It was a gaze that indicated that they saw only each other- had become subsumed in the other.
To McCoy and Kirk, it bordered on frightening- the look the possessed were said to have when another spirit took over their body.
But as soon as it had begun, it was over. Their faces resumed their usual expressions, ones the human officers could recognize as belonging to their friends. However, neither Kirk or McCoy ever forgot that look that crossed their faces in the moments after the couple bonded.
T'Pau pronounced some additional words, which the two men assumed were the equivalent of introducing the couple as "Mr. And Mrs." and then the ceremony was over. People came forward to greet the couple (and, Kirk correctly assumed, to test to see if Uhura's Vulcan was actually as good as it had appeared during the ceremony). He and the Doctor were among the last to greet them right after the whole family had assembled for a photograph. The two youngest children had been especially insistent that a photo be taken (especially the little girl), and the oldest boy ("Who knew there were red-headed Vulcans?" Bones asked, incredulously) had also expressed enthusiasm for the photograph. But they eventually did get to greet their First Officer and Communications Officer.
"Should I address you as Mrs. Spock from now on?" Jim asked, only half- joking. While he normally would have hugged and kissed the bride, he knew by now that any attempt to touch Uhura, no matter how innocent, would result in a broken arm. If he was lucky enough to keep said limb.
Uhura smiled at him, with that radiant smile that all happy brides have. "My name is still Nyota Uhura, Captain. I do have a Vulcan name now that indicates that I am the bondmate of Spock, but you wouldn't want to try to pronounce it." Then, turning to her new husband, she asked "Should they be calling you Mr. Uhura now? If my Vulcan name signifies membership in your Family, shouldn't your human name signify membership in mine?" She was teasing him, and he knew it.
"I had not thought of the situation in those terms, but there is logic to it. However, my mother retained her surname throughout her marriage, and my father was addressed only by his title- I believe that to be the most reasonable solution."
"Whatever you two- congratulations. You look lovely, Uhura." McCoy resumed his Southern courtly manners. "When are you coming back to the ship? There's a party going on just waiting for the guests of honor."
"We will return to the ship tomorrow. I am sure the crew will be finished with their celebrations."
" Fat chance- the ones partying now will just go rest and get their second wind and trust that the second and third shift will keep it going while they're resting. Trust me- they will be a party when you get back." Jim smirked. "After all, it is my ship."
"Indeed- will you transmit the required information to Starfleet verifying our new marital status?"
"Paperwork is all filled out, just needs your signatures as soon as we get back on ship. I have never been as proud to be a witness." Jim smiled, this time a genuine smile.
"Gentleman, if you would excuse us- we need to return to my parent's home to pack and prepare for our return to the ship."
"No reception?" Mccoy seemed surprised.
"No, Vulcans don't have wedding receptions. Everyone will just return to their homes and carry on as normal." Uhura answered. "We're having one when we get leave on Earth at some point, but we're not sure when that'll happen. Still, it sounds as if the party you have waiting for us back on the ship will be more than enough for us."
"Ok you two- get going. We'll see you back tomorrow. Congratulations once again." McCoy repeated his best wishes, and both of them made their way back to the coordinates where they had beamed down before. McCoy and Kirk had barely noticed that the couple had remained in physical contact with each other the whole time they were speaking- the couple had spent the whole time having their own private conversation.
**
That night, Sarek had arranged for the young couple to stay in an unused, secluded suite at the new Vulcan embassy. They planned on returning to the family home on the morning to say goodbye to everyone, but were very eager to be alone for the night.
As soon as they closed the door, the two fell on each other like feral dogs. The bond they shared was something few people could comprehend. Indeed, they wouldn't have been able to have comprehended it if they had been told just a few hours ago. Spock was even more surprised than Nyota had been- he had lived for so many years bonded to T'Pring and had felt almost nothing during the entire time. At one point, he had thought that he was defective or short in some way, because he had felt so little. Now he knew it was because she had been so wrong for him, and because Nyota was so right.
Every time they touched, they were sharing each other's senses, knowing each other's thoughts. There were no secrets anymore- they knew all of each other's insecurities, felt each other's pain- but they complemented each other. Her pluses became his minuses, and vice versa- they balanced. And the physical sensations were multiplied by the mental connection.
During a pause in their lovemaking (they never completely stopped, but they each needed to catch their breath), she said, aloud, "Lady Amanda would have been happy for us, Spock."
"I know, amira. I regret that she did not get to know you. Regret is illogical, but is is nonetheless the case."
She kissed him. "I will insist that you be illogical with me in private at least twice a day, Cuddlebug."
He looked up at her, and raised his eyebrow. "Is that what the kids are calling it nowadays?"
Uhura threw back her head and laughed. "Was that an actual joke, my emir? "
He answered by kissing her slowly and sweetly. "Possibly- but that is a question for another time. I think I would enjoy being illogical with you for the next few hours."
"Agreed." He bit her neck, enjoying the gasps she made.
In what was a very small, and unimportant part of her mind, Uhura remembered to write T'Pyra a thank you note when she got back to the ship. Spock, who was otherwise occupied at the time, caught the thought, and assumed it was a reference to the dress.