Exploring a scenario in which NuSpock considers trying to convince Sadara to do more in honoring her Vulcan heritage.

The rope in a game of tug of war.

That's what the Vulcan/Human hybrid Spock felt like pretty much all of the time, his two halves yanking the rope. Torn between Vulcan and Human principles and with an ability to see situations from the perspectives of both halves often left the young man of two minds. And reconciling such polarizing worldviews constantly felt like swimming upstream.

Since encountering his older counterpart from the alternate reality, the younger Spock frequently recalled the wiser and more relaxed man's advice.

Do what feels right.

It was advice that young Spock had desperately needed after the unspeakable, unfathomable horror that was losing his mother and entire homeworld. And it would have been needed advice even had those tragedies not occurred. To hear from an older Vulcan that it was acceptable for him to do what he wanted rather than what was expected of him had been a relief of monumental proportions. A heavy weight that he had carried for so long no longer felt so burdensome and pressing.

Sometimes though, like today, what felt right also inspired internal conflict. The raven haired hybrid's relationship with Lieutenant Nyota Uhura had been strained of late. He cared deeply for her; loved her even if he could bring himself to admit to such an emotion. He admitted to anger after his mother's death at the hands of Nero so perhaps an admission of love wasn't so far fetched.

The recent disagreements and arguments were picking up in frequency and irrationality to an extreme that only females seemed capable of. It was wearing on Spock to the point where he was starting to prefer silent meditation over spending time with his significant other just to have the evening disintegrate in another fruitless argument.

Spock made his way to the transporter room, still trying to order his thoughts. He had requested leave time and was being dropped off at New Vulcan on the way to the Enterprise's next mission. Hope swelled up in him that the leave time would help bring much needed and wanted clarity regarding his relationship.

It wasn't just his relationship weighing on his mind. Admiral Pike's widow, Sadara and her infant son never strayed too far from his thoughts either. Spock didn't know the woman well enough to experience any significant attraction to her and he would likely fight such as inappropriate had that been the case. She was a fairly recent widow and it seemed awfully early for her to even consider a new relationship. Still, he was concerned for the quarter Vulcan boy she was raising alone now.

Disquiet settled over Spock like a heavy net that he struggled to throw off. It concerned him that Sadara was so… unaware or uninterested in her Vulcan half. Given that Vulcans were considered an endangered species fighting to preserve their culture and way of life, it almost angered Spock that Sadara intended to raise her son in the Human tradition. In his eyes, he thought she should consider marriage to a Vulcan male, of which more survived the destruction of Vulcan than females of fertile age. She had a duty to Vulcan. Why couldn't she see that?!

Immediately his own logic chastised him. He hadn't bothered to seriously consider a Vulcan wife and have children either. Not given his involvement with Uhura. On top of that, wasn't he just noting how recently Sadara had been made a widow. Still… he wished for her to embrace her Vulcan heritage for the sake of their species. Regardless of how much she cherished her humanity, Sadara was half Vulcan and the Vulcans needed every last Vulcan gene possible to expand the savagely curtailed gene pool.

Materializing in the center of the ever expanding colony of New Vulcan, Spock noted members of many species milling about, engaged in their various tasks. The majority of the population was comprised of the surviving Vulcans, but members of other species had come to New Vulcan to assist in whatever ways they could at restoring Vulcan civilization.

Spock decided to pay a visit to his older and wiser self. Perhaps his insight would help Spock achieve some sort of resolution and peace with the maelstrom of thoughts unleashed in his keen mind.

W^^^W^^^W

The elder Spock listened patiently and attentively as his younger version described his dilemma. His apartment was lit only by the flickering light of the many candles that he preferred to artificial lights.

Setting a mug of hot tea in front of young Spock, the aging man gently lowered himself into the comfortable chair across from the younger man, cradling his own mug in his large hands.

"I completely understand your loyalty to Admiral Pike. I also, felt immense loyalty to the man in my own timeline to the point that I risked my career to assist him. Sadara is here on New Vulcan at this very moment, visiting her mother."

Spock raised a surprised eyebrow. "One can only hope she'll discover some… emotional connection to the plight of the Vulcan people and experience a shift in her perspective."

Amusement brightened elder Spock's rich, brown eyes. "She was rather stubborn in my timeline, I fear. However, there are always… possibilities."

"You speak as if you know something I don't?"

"I spoke with her yesterday. The challenges facing the Vulcan people aren't as far from her thoughts as you fear. I have no wish to interfere with your relationship with Lt. Uhura. I had much respect for the one I knew. That being said, you must decide how important it is for you to see young Christopher Pike raised with Vulcan influence. I cannot say how you and Sadara would fare together. As a man not much older than you are now, I cannot say I saw eye to eye with her. She and I would not develop greater understanding and acceptance of each other until years later."

Young Spock pondered that. "But that doesn't have to be the case in this timeline. She and I are two of a kind. If we can't turn to each other for acceptance, who can we turn to?"

"If only she and I had been so wise in our younger years as you appear to be," Elder Spock noted with some regret tinged amusement.

"You once suggested I "do what feels right." What feels right is doing something to further the rebuilding of our race. We need every Vulcan gene. Even only half Vulcan, Sadara is vital to this. With so few females left, she's even more important. Even the most stubborn bigot could see that."

"Then I suggest you seek her out and discuss the matter with her. I anticipate you will be… pleasantly surprised."

"I hope that to be the case," Spock set his now empty tea mug on the coffee table in front of him and stood. "Peace and long life."