"Captain's personal log, stardate 2287.265. It is very fortunate that today was a slow day, after the excitement of last week. We're currently en-route to Birika to to help our sister vessels in the relief efforts. I hope that the Romulans will uphold the treaty between the Federation and the Romulan Empire signed almost five years ago. I only hope for the best in this type of situation. I'll have to remember to ask my parents for their advice. For now, I'll mediate. We still have 94.356 hours before we arrive at our destination. Kirk out."
Mandy turned away from the computer, unconsciously pulling a strand of black hair behind her right ear, exposing the point of it to the warm air in the captain's quarters. She had gotten most of her work done, with the remaining work easy enough to finish before her shift tomorrow. She looked at her husband, who was ready for their nightly ritual. Suran sat cross-legged on their mat, arms relaxed on either side of his body. Once Mandy had removed the black elbow-length gloves from her hands, he held out his own to her. Once accepted, the Vulcan pulled the hybrid to his chest, holding her in his lap. Once they were back to chest, Mandy rolled her head to the side until her nose was pressed against Suran's cheek. "And hello to you too, husband," she murmured against the skin of this jaw.
"Good evening, ashaya," Suran replied, allowing the corner of his mouth to tilt up in a small smile.
Mandy didn't have to see his face to know he was grinning, feeling his contentment not only though their mating bond, but through the buzz under their skin. "Ready?"
Suran hummed, wrapping one arm securely around her waist while the other reaches her face, finding the familiar psi-points. Mandy mirrored him, hand finding his face while the other laced their fingers together on her waist. "My mind to your mind," they said together, "my thoughts to your thoughts. Etek nam-tor veh." They sank into their shared mindspace, helping the other relax after such a long day.
-K/S-
Amanda barely managed to hold back a sigh of boredom. With no paperwork to keep her occupied, there was nothing of any importance to do on the bridge of the Kelvin . "Do you think I can get away with visiting the daycare for a little bit? " she asked Suran.
A moment's pause. "I would advise for no more than an hour."
"Love you." Amanda stood from her chair, catching the attention of her XO. "Sulu, you have the―" She was cut off as the ship was rocked by an unknown source. "Lieutenant Tigan, what's our status?" Kirk yelled once she got her bearings back, grip so tight on her chair that she accidentally left indentations on the armrests.
Science officer Tigan was no better off, having been thrown from her chair a good five feet. "It appears we have come across a black hole," she reported once the Trill was able to return to her station.
Kirk blanched. "Lieutenant Li, get us away from here!"
It was dead silent for a few moments as the navigator tried his hardest. "It's no use, Captain. The gravitational field has a steady grip on us," the Andorian replied.
"Suran, open ship-wide communications," Kirk ordered, dragging herself into her chair and initializing the emergency seatbelt. She sensed when Suran had opened the channel, engaging the red-alert before beginning. "This is your Captain speaking. We are currently experiencing turbulence from an undetermined location. I have initiated red-alert, so everyone to your stations. All families must remain where they are, in battle-ready positions. Kirk out." Once the communication ended, the Captain ordered that everyone engage their belts. "We must be prepared in case this black hole brings us somewhere unfriendly. Brace for impact!" Kirk ordered, watching as their ship was engulfed into the unknown that was before them.
-K/S-
It felt as though barely a second had passed before the Kelvin was dropped into another part of the galaxy... or an unknown star system... or another world entirely.
-K/S-
Mandy blinked. She recognized this area of space. It appeared that the black hole deposited them a few days from the former Federation-Klingon border. "Li, check that we are indeed near the Neutral Zone. Everyone else, check the statuses of your departments. Suran, check the Federation frequencies to determine whether or not we are still in our world."
There were a chorus of "aye, captain!"s (and Suran nodding his head) before the Kelvin 's bridge fell quiet once more. Mandy ran through different scenarios that could occur if they were in an alternate reality. There were most likely many variations of the world she knew, so she was unsure of which would be the most likely they could be in. She remembered stories from Serik (or her father's older counterpart) about how his Joan once travelled to a 'mirror universe' where the Terrans were an empire instead of a federation. She recoiled at the thought immediately. " I only hope we are in Serik's original timeline and not in a mirror one ," she told Suran. "Status report," she said out loud.
"Reports of minor injuries and damage to the hull, Captain," Lieutenant Commander Amihl stated. "Engineering reports of damage to the warp core. Without assistance, they estimate that it will take a week to full repairs."
Mandy cursed under her breath. "Thank you. I want you to delegate resources and men, Amihl."
"Yes, sir!" In that instant, the Klingon stood from his post and hurried off the bridge.
"Tigan, report to engineering with at least three of your people to see if you can assist. Contact the bridge when you have news."
"Of course, Captain."
Just as Tigan was about to rise, the ship's red-alert, which had been switched to silent mode once they had exited the black hole, rang out once more. "Li, please tell me that's a good ringing in my ears," Kirk said, causing a few of the Alpha shift to chuckle. Their captain always knew how to find something funny even in a bad situation.
"It appears to be a Federation ship," Li informed them before gasping in surprise, turning to Kirk. "It's the Enterprise , sir."
"Impossible," Mandy said, "the Enterprise was en-route to the Shinar conferences with my grandparents. Their journey places them nowhere near here."
"I'm only telling you what's on the monitor, sir," Li said.
Mandy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. " Breathe ," Suran said, sending a wave of serenity to his wife. Mandy nodded, opening her eyes a few seconds later. "On screen."
A moment later, Mandy's childhood home appeared on the screen. " Impossible ," Mandy thought. "Captain," Suran called out, managing to pull her out of her own head, "we are being hailed."
"Onscreen," Mandy immediately replied, unconsciously straightening up in her chair.
While the appearance of the Enterprise was a shock, nothing could have prepared her for what appeared on the screen. Instead of her mother, a man who could have passed as her twin brother was before her. His hair was slightly darker than hers, and he appeared to be younger as well, most likely 25 or 26 years old. As his eyes were the same blue hue, Mandy took a guess that a Nero had also affected this timeline. "This is Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise . You are an unregistered ship in neutral space. State your business."
Mandy's lips quirked. Different gender, yet still the same person at the core of it all. "Would you believe me when I tell you that my ship was pulled into a black hole, deposited here, and that we are from another reality?" Pause. "Also, I'm your daughter from a world where you were born Joan instead of James?"
James' expression morphed into that of shock, eyes wider than a constitution-class saucer. "Bullshit," he breathed out.
Mandy shrugged, grinning like the cat that got the cream. "I have no way of proving it without your First telling you that 'she could have looked it up in the database' or 'they could have hacked our systems with their technology' or whatever," she said, mimicking her father.
James laughed. "Sounds about right." He stared at his supposed progeny. Mandy calmly stared back. Her mother had many secrets that only Father, her grandparents and herself knew. She was curious to see if he would use any similar ones to determine if she was telling the truth about her origins. "Tell me something she-I-your mother did," he said.
Mandy pursed her lips. What to choose? The choice was made for her when she saw Uncle Bones move in the corner of the video, standing next to Father. She smirked. "I have a little brother that Mom named Leonard in order to spite Uncle Bones for all the years of stabbing her with a hypospray too harshly."
Dead silence. Then James began laughing uncontrollably, soon falling off his chair and out of sight. Mandy smirked at his reaction, as well as the others on the Enterprise's bridge who were trying (and failing) to hold back their own mirth. "Knew you would like that," she said to the empty chair, "but I can also come over and have Uncle Bones do a DNA test in order to confirm what I'm saying. What time should I head over?"
It took 4.675 minutes for James to get his breathing under control, hauling himself back into command chair. "Be here within the hour," he wheezed out.
"Aye aye, mon capitan," Mandy said, "Kirk out." They were still smiling at each other when Suran cut the feed. The Kelvin 's captain huffed out a laugh. "Figures. Sulu," she said as she stood, "you have the conn. Suran, I'm assuming that you're with me." Her best friend and her husband nodded, Ronnie taking the command chair while Mandy and Suran entered the turbolift. "Deck 11," Mandy said. It was silent physically, but in their bond, it was the complete opposite. " Don't worry. I promise I won't say anything too revealing," Mandy told her bondmate.
"I am only worried for your well-being. It did not appear that your parents are yet together in this reality, " Suran told her, allowing himself to brush his fingertips against her cheek.
Mandy smiled sadly. "I had noticed that as well. A world without me. A world where you know peace. "
"I only knew of peace when I met you ."
"You flatterer, you ."
They separated before they reached their destination, but remained close as they entered the transporter room. "I hope these are still in working order," she joked to the attending transporter tech.
The young woman smiled at her Captain. "Barely a nick to 'em, sir," she said.
"Good." Mandy and Suran stood on the platform. "How does my hair look ?" Mandy asked.
"You look as lovely as you always do ," Suran replied, subtly brushing their fingers together. Though she was wearing her gloves, Mandy could feel the warmth of his affection anyway. "Ensign, prepare for two to beam over. Standby in case of emergency beam-back," Captain Kirk ordered.
"Ready, sir," Ensign Darcy said, initiating transporter sequences. The room before them changed from the Kelvin-A to the Enterprise , a ship that Mandy had not seen since it was decommissioned in 2273 for the wave of upgrades. The Enterprise-A was home, of course, but it didn't have the same feeling as the original did. It was the place of her birth, where Mother and Father fell in love and accidentally created one of the best things that happened to either of them. It was where Leo was born, where all their best memories were made. Her Vulcan logic told her that it was only a finite object, that the memories were infinite, but this ship and all its incarnations will always have a special place in her heart.
Once they had finished materializing, Mandy scanned the room quickly. It seemed Uncle Scotty was the one to guarantee their safe arrival. Made sense. It would have either been him, Uncle Pavel or Aunt Jaylah. James, Father and Uncle Bones stood before them. Mandy continued to scan the room before her eyes landed on a spot just to the left of her. Suran had already stepped down from the platform, waiting for his Captain to follow. When she didn't, he gave her a questioning look. They had not met until after the Enterprise -A was already in use, so he had never gotten a chance to see the original. "Sorry," Mandy said to the room in general, feeling Suran's curiosity, "I'm used to there being a dent there."
James chuckled, stepping forward. "Do I wanna know why?"
Mandy smiled, finally joining her husband. "Let's just say child genius plus fire plus an ability to crawl through the ship undetected is a natural recipe for disaster." She held a hand out towards her... mother-like person. "Amanda Christine Kirk, captain of the USS Kelvin-A . Nice to meet you!"
James took her hand, taking a passing glance at his "distant" relative. "Nice uniform," he noted, taking stock of the Starfleet's upgraded outfit. Her's was a deep yellow, almost gold, uniform shirt with a black collar. She also wore a black belt, and gray slacks with the same gold running down the sides of the pant legs. Her companion's outfit was similar, with the exception that his was maroon.
Mandy looked down. "Yeah, they're pretty comfy. I still like the classics though," she said, letting go of his hand.
James could not help but continue to smile. "Welcome aboard the Enterprise Captain Kirk and..."
"Suran, sir," the Vulcan introduced himself, greeting him with a ta'al.
James struggled for a moment to try and reciprocate the hand gesture before Mandy took pity on him. She manipulated his hand until his muscles were strained in the proper position. It was only just now that James noticed that Amanda was wearing black gloves. "Ow," he complained once she let go. Amanda rolled her eyes, raising her hand in a ta'al as easily as any Vulcan. James huffed, letting his cramping hand drop. "You're teaching me how to do that before you leave."
"Ok," Mandy acquiesced with a shrug. "So, do I get stabbed now or later?"
The other Kirk hummed. "How about a walk-around, then the torture?" he proposed.
Mandy clapped her hands together. "Perfect!"
The two Captains exited the transporter room first (after Mandy smiled and waved to her Uncle Scotty), with Suran, Father and Uncle Bones trailing silently behind them. "How old are you?" James asked as they leisurely strolled through the Enterprise 's halls.
"I just turned 27 a few months ago, just before celebrating my first year as captain," Amanda said, unconsciously mimicking her father and walking with her hands clasped behind her back. It didn't go unnoticed by any of the men, but they decided not to comment on it. All but her own assumed that this was due to growing up around the half-Vulcan. "How old are you?"
"26," James answered.
Amanda nodded. "Thought so. You still hold the record of being the youngest captain promoted in the 'Fleet, yes?"
"Mhmm," James hummed. "Did I manage to keep my record where you are?"
"Yup," Amanda confirmed, popping the 'p'. "Mom is still the youngest, while I hold the record of being the second youngest. I'm happy with it that way, though. Like I assume happened to you, I was often compared with my parents. No skin off my back, though. I never wanted to be exactly like my parents, and they pushed me to do what I wanted to do."
James mulled over that. They walked in silence for a few moments, Amanda taking in the sights of a familiar place in an unfamiliar time. "So, the Kelvin ?" James asked.
Amanda huffed out a breath. "I was wondering how long it would take you," she said, nodding her head towards the door of the lift. "How about I do the DNA thing, and then we can talk about that over dinner? If my memory and my calculations are right, word about my existence will be fully spread around the ship within the half hour. If we eat in the mess hall, people can look and gossip, and we can compare different things that are in my power to say."
James nodded, stopping in front of the turbolift. "So it's safe to assume you aren't gonna tell me who your dad is?" He looked slightly dejected.
Amanda sighed. "We'll talk about it later, ok? Your shift should finish by the time Uncle Bones is done keeling over."
The Enterprise 's captain laughed, the mood brightening immediately. "I'll hold you to that." He stepped aside, allowing Bones, Suran and Amanda to enter the turbolift while Spock stood at his side. "See you," he murmured,
"See you soon," Amanda respond as the doors closed. "Deck five," she instructed the computer.
It was silent as the lift took them to the right floor. Amanda and Suran allowed Bones to exit the lift first, trailing behind the CMO. Uncle Bones made a beeline to his office, raising an eyebrow at the two as if daring them to defy his unspoken order like Kirk and Spock constantly do. Amanda smiled but complied, Suran following right behind her. Uncle Bones turned on the privacy protocol for his office, securing the door behind him before taking a seat. Before he could speak, Amanda interrupted him. "Before you do anything, I need to tell you something very important, and you're gonna want to get a drink prepared before I tell you."
Her uncle gave her a hard look. "I think I can handle it, dear," he spoke softly, that tone of voice reminding Amanda off all the scrapes and bruises Uncle Bones fixed over the years, never angry at all the creative ways she managed to hurt herself. Sighing, she lifted her hair with one hand, revealing her pointed ears. Bones' eyes bulged in shock for a moment. "I may need that drink if you're about to tell me that Spock isn't your dad."
Amanda smiled, letting her hair drop. "Sorry, uncle, but looks like you're going sober tonight."
"At least he's happy in one universe," Uncle Bones mumbled under his breath, forgetting that the other occupants of the room both had excellent hearing.
"James is in love with Spock, isn't he?" Suran asked, reaching for Amanda's gloved hand and enveloping it in a comforting hold.
The doctor nodded. "It's been driving me crazy for months that he won't say anything, now that―" He cut himself off. "Maybe you could talk to him?"
Amanda sighed at this dilemma. "I will need to think on it. It will at least be two days before we can recreate the black hole to travel home."
"That's all I'm asking, darlin'," Uncle Bones said, standing up to grab a tricorder. "Calibrate this for me, will you?"
The young woman smiled, taking the device from her uncle's hand and letting go of Suran's in order to fulfill her uncle's request. "Here," she said 5.134 minutes later.
Uncle Bones grunted his thanks, running the tricorder over Amanda. The hybrid sat perfectly still, knowing that was how the doctor preferred his patients when running tests. It took less than ten minutes for the PADD to beep once Bones had input the information gathered by the tricorder. "It's confirmed: you are related to Jim Kirk on the offspring level."
"Told ya," Amanda said smugly, leaning back in her chair. She had returned her hand to Suran's once the tests were over, rubbing the back of his hand unconsciously.
Bones rolled his eyes. "Walks like a Kirk, sounds like a Kirk, bound to be a menace like a Kirk."
"Of course. How else can you tell us apart except for our levels of menace, as shown in the movie Lilo and Stitch ?"
"Don't tempt me," Uncle Bones said, pointing a finger at her.
Amanda gave him an innocent-looking smile that would only fool those who did not know of the intelligence behind that expression.
-K/S-
Amanda and Suran spent the rest of the time in the CMO's office while Uncle Bones went to check on some patients. "I wish Serik were here. I could ask him for advice," Amanda confessed, playing with Suran's fingers. They had moved to the couch next to McCoy's desk, the hybrid leaning heavily against the Vulcan.
"Perhaps your uncle could contact the one that lives here. As you stated earlier, Nero most likely affected this timeline just like he did ours. If there is a Nero, there is a Spock Prime," Suran told her.
She sighed. "Possibly. I don't want anything to be traced by James, though. If he really is another version of my mother, he will no doubt try to hack into the medical files in order to find out as much as he can about me. He's probably doing it right now."
The two continued to silently contemplate their options when Uncle Bones returned to his office, huffing at the pair. "Alpha shift just finished," he told them.
"I know," Amanda stated, "we were just waiting for you to finish with your patients so we could all walk together."
"Gimme a minute then we can head over," the doctor said, needed to finish a few things up before dinner. Amanda nodded, resting her head on her husband's shoulder. Her hazel eyes closed, deciding now would be a good time to reach out to the ship's inhabitants and let their emotions flow within her. Her mind immediately sought out James, the closest proxy to the woman who raised her. He seemed melancholy, longing for something that he didn't think he could have. It took everything in her not to reach out for her father's double. He might sense an intruder, and Amanda did not wish to risk him finding out before determining her influence in this timeline. She did some cursory glances through familiar-enough people: Aunt Nyota, Uncle Hikaru, Uncle Pavel, Uncle Scotty... she continued this until she touched a mind she had not felt for years. Not since his passing eleven years ago.
Amanda sat up with a gasp, startling Uncle Bones. Suran placed a comforting hand on the skin of her neck, giving her the grounding she so desperately needed. "Serik," she breathed. Amanda turned to her uncle's shocked form. "Spock Prime is here," she clarified, stating it as fact more so than asking.
Uncle Bones nodded. "He and a few other diplomats are on board to join the Babel conference. Sarek is on board too."
Amanda nodded. "This may change things. I don't know how, but it will."
-K/S-
Twenty minutes later, Amanda had calmed enough to enter the crowded dining hall. As soon as she and Suran entered with Uncle Bones, it fell dead silent. At least two hundred pairs of eyes were staring at her in fascination, confusion and a small amount of fear. Amanda sighed internally, immediately heading to the table James was seated. " I'm not hungry ," she told Suran.
"I will get you some plomeek soup ," Suran replied, his tone brokering no argument.
Amanda arrived at the table, a small smile gracing her lips at all the familiar faces seated there. James, Father and Aunt Nyota sat on one side, with Uncle Scotty at one head of the table, with Uncles Hikaru and Pavel sitting directly opposite of Father and Aunt Nyota. They looked like something straight out of a holo-image of her childhood. Amanda hesitated a moment before sitting across from James, leaving the other head spot for Suran.
The moment she sat, conversation returned slowly but surely to the mess. Amanda sat quietly, staring at the table as she processed the different shift of emotions. To the untrained eyes, it looked like she was uncomfortable with all the attention, and that was, in a way, true. Once Suran had returned with two bowls of plomeek soup, Amanda allowed her head to rise, smiling in greeting to him. He nodded, sitting after setting out Amanda's serving. "Thanks, Suran," she said, stirring the hot soup to help accelerate the cooling process.
"What's that?" James asked, swallowing a bit of his burger.
"Plomeek soup," Spock said, his voice soft as he looked at the liquid.
Amanda gulped. She had forgotten that Uncle Bones mentioned Vulcan's total destruction. "Yeah, it helps when I have an upset stomach. About the only thing I can handle."
"I have heard that it iz wery bland," Uncle Pavel piped up.
The young woman smiled. "It is, but that's what makes it appealing. There is also a spicy variation that helps during the longer shifts."
"There are very few humans who can appreciate the dish," Spock said, staring intently at Amanda.
She looked down very quickly, hoping that her face wouldn't give away anything. "I guess I'm like my namesake. Willing to try anything at least once."
"Who are you named after?" James innocently asked.
Amanda bit her lip, looking at Spock. "Amanda Grayson," she said, watching his reaction. His face was characteristically blank, but Amanda could feel his barely-controlled grief.
"Who?" Uncle Pavel also innocently queried.
"My mother."
Silence fell across the table after Spock spoke. Amanda tried to salvage this. "I'm also named after Christopher Pike. Chris. Christine. Get it?"
James chuckled. "Bet the old man got a kick out of that."
Amanda took a deep breath, her own grief threatening to spill over. "He did. Thought it was hilarious that he was given the honor of being my grandfather-figure."
"Figures," James mumbles, finishing his hamburger. "So, do I have to wait to hear about the Kelvin naming or what?"
Amanda stirred her soup for a moment longer, taking a few sips. "I've been told that a Nero also attacked this time. It makes you wonder if there are compassionate versions of him somewhere out in the multiverse," she mused. "Anyway, after the tenth anniversary of that day, the Federation unveiled a new fleet of ships named after the ones lost to the Narada 's wrath. Many higher-ups in Starfleet already knew of my interest to join Starfleet since I was a child, so they decided to wait in order to construct the Kelvin once I was given my own commission. I'm not worried about telling you this, since it will most likely happen here as well."
"How old are ya?" Uncle Scotty asked.
"27," Amanda and James responded, laughing when they noticed the other saying the same thing.
"You are older than most everyone here!" Uncle Pavel said.
"Except a few of you, yup. It's weird being older than your family that lives in an alternate reality."
"What else can you tell us?" Aunt Nyota asked, eyes alight with her signature curiosity.
Amanda thought about it for a minute. "I could share a few stories without disrupting the natural flow of things. Suran?" He nodded, the memories that first came to mind getting the ok. "You asked me earlier why there was a dent in the transporter room. Well..." She regaled them with a few choice stories of growing up on a constitution-class vessel. The aforementioned Transporter Room Incident, The Archer Affair (where a 2 year old Mandy continuously made faces at Admiral Archer while he was speaking with her mother, much to the delight of the admiral), and the Engineering Escapade (when Mandy had to go through the bowels of the Enterprise in order to help Keenser with critical repairs). "Mom was none too pleased when I got out of that conduit, but I fortunately got away with a three-month grounding and a quite literal grounding with a... family friend," Amanda concluded. She couldn't mention that this was the event that sparked her stay on Vulcan with her grandparents, leading her to the discovery of many of her capabilities.
"How old were you?!" Uncle Hikaru sounded scandalized.
Oh, if only he knew , Amanda thought. "I was nine. Again, kid genius with way too much time on her hands normally ends in disaster."
"If you were my kid, I would have done much worse than a literal grounding," Aunt Nyota mentioned.
"Oh, I don't doubt that. Auntie is one of the few people in the universe I'm actually terrified of pissing off. Gods help the poor fool that faces the combined wrath of Kirk and Uhura. You think I was a menace? Mom and Aunt Nyota practically burned down the Academy back then."
Aunt Nyota's eyes narrowed at that. "What do you mean?"
Amanda's eyes widened at that slip, hazel eyes darting to the other woman. " It wouldn't hurt too much to mention this, right ?"
"That is part of a past they cannot alter, ashaya. You are fine, " Suran assured her, studying a data pad he had picked up from Gods knows where after he retrieved two glasses of water for Amanda.
The hybrid bit her lower lip. "Mom and Aunt Nyota were roommates at the Academy."
"What?!" Aunt Nyota shrieked, drawing the attention of everyone left in the mess hall. She cleared her throat. "Playboy Kirk, my roommate?!"
Amanda shrugged. "So? There's nothing wrong with exploring your sexuality as long as you're safe. I had that policy with my XO when we were roommates the first year at the Academy. Being labeled a 'playboy', no matter the context, seems a bit outdated in a post-World War III era. It was always something Mom was never afraid to talk about with me. As long as it isn't done during states of questionable consent, and also while wearing proper protection, sex is a biological funhouse." Everyone except Uncle Bones and Suran were staring at her. "You also have to understand my point of view on this. My mother was labeled a slut simply because she enjoyed having sex, and it still lingers to this day. I remember when Mom was pregnant with Leo, there were so many rumors that the baby was from an affair she had. It didn't strain her relationship with my father, but it did impact me. When I went to the Academy, rumors flew before I even took my first steps on the campus as an official Cadet. It will most likely follow my marriage as well."
"You are married?" Uncle Pavel asked. Amanda nodded. "To who?"
"Suran."
Amanda couldn't have timed it more perfectly even if she'd tried. James was taking a drink of water when she said this, the unexpectedness of it causing him to choke and spit out the water in his mouth. He leaned to the side, coughing violently. Amanda covered her smile, trying to hold in her laughter. "Uncle Bones?" she managed to get out around the giggles. The doctor finally looked up from his feast to see his best friend choking. He huffed, standing up and walking behind the man, hitting his back to help clear out his airways. Once the coughing died down did James sit up straight again, both hands covering his mouth and nose. Amanda handed him a napkin, allowing herself to laugh quietly now what he was able to breathe again. "Come again?" James asked once he found his voice.
"I am bonded to Suran," Amanda confirmed. "We've been together since our first year at the Academy. Granted, he did propose after only a week of knowing me, but other than that, it's been smooth sailing ever since."
"Didn't you have any troubles with the elders?" Spock asked, Nyota tilting his head in agreement with her question.
"Not really, no." She couldn't explain that her family history of marrying others of different species was explanation in and of itself. "His family... didn't particularly like me. Let's just say Mom embarrassed them and leave it at that. They tried to argue that the relationship was illogical, and they didn't approve, yada yada yada. I let them get it out of their systems before I tore them apart."
At that, Suran snorted, turning everyone's heads in his direction. "That is an understatement if I have ever heard one."
"Bite me," Amanda replied.
"I believe your mother described it as the worst verbal slaughter she had ever had the pleasure of witnessing," Suran added.
"How many times do I have to say it: go big or go home," Amanda said with an exasperatedly fond smile.
"You will undoubtedly say it for the rest of our lives, as you have already repeated that exact quote 8,739 times."
A pause.
"Only that many times? Gods, I'm losing my touch."
Suran finally looked up from the PADD to stare at his wife. Amanda calmly stared back. They stared at each other for several long moments before Suran cracked a barely-there smile, returning his focus to his readings. "How did you get him to do that?" Nyota asked, amazed at the display that had just occurred.
Amanda turned back. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I've never seen anything like that. Even when I was dating Spock, I never―"
Nyota was interrupted by Amanda, who choked on her own tongue at that. She quickly covered her mouth, trying to regain her composure. "What?"
"Spock and I dated," Nyota cautiously repeated. Amanda continued to stare at her as if she had spontaneously begun to spit fire. A silence. "...did that not happen there?" Nyota asked.
Amanda shook her head in the negative, unable to fathom Father and Aunt Nyota together. "I think I would have remembered that," she said. She felt slightly hysterical.
Suran, picking up on his wife's change of mood, decided now was the time to intervene. "Captain." No response. " Amanda ." That got her attention, her eyes wide with panic. "I believe it best we rest for the night. Captain Kirk will need to be functional in order to help with repairs. I apologize for not noticing the time sooner."
"It's fine, Suran. You were letting me have fun," Amanda automatically responded, mind still on other things.
"Still," Suran replied. He set the PADD down, standing up. "Shall we?" he asked, holding out an arm to her like he always did for their walks. That got his ashayam to crack a smile, latching on to his arm immediately. Once she stood, Suran led her from the room. "We will return by 1700 tomorrow. Have a good evening," Suran said before making their final exit. He waited until they were far enough away before speaking. "Amanda?" he asked softly. He didn't get a response.
Suran decided to wait until they were able to mediate before trying to bring Amanda out of her stupor. He managed to avoid most of the crew until they got to the turbolift. When it opened, Ambassador Spock stood before them. "I was wondering if I would be able to catch you before you left," he remarked, moving over to allow them to enter. "Deck 8."
"Would it be possible to talk tomorrow? She is not feeling well at the current moment," Suran asked.
Serik took stock of the woman whose mind had touched his 4.019 hours ago. She looked sickeningly pale, as if she had been punched in the gut. He nodded. "Would you be amenable to visiting by quarters at 1530?" Suran nodded. "Miss Kirk will let you know where my quarters are. That is where she felt my presence earlier."
"Thank you, Ambassador." The lift doors opened. "Peace to you," Suran said.
"Live long and prosper," Serik replied. He watched as the young couple retreated. The protectiveness Suran had for the hybrid reminded him fondly of his own captain's defensive nature. "Peace to you, youngling," he murmured as the door closed on him.
