Disclaimer: I'm still broke.I still own nothing .All profits and stuff belong to paramount and not me.
The planet possessed a huge golden moon reflecting off the dark ocean. The water a deep purple –black lapped at the pearlescent black grains of sand.
Desert born Spock watches the waves fascinated by the even rhythm of the waves climbing the shore. The rest of the crew members were scattered about the shore, a bonfire blazing nearby. Loud Human music played punctuated with drunken laughter. It was apparently someone's birthday. Whose he did not know?
He pushes away the noisy distractions of his human companions as he absorbs this planets beauty. He exists in a bubble of Vulcan calm. Christine sitting nearby watches the crew with the same fascination as he watches the ocean. She is unobtrusive, at the periphery of his vision, a drink mostly forgotten in her hand.
He was struck suddenly by their similarities .She was often solitary much as he was, choosing to maintain a small circle of close friends much as he did.
In a blur of motion, red and blue, Uhura pulls a protesting Christine towards the group of people dancing nearby.
He turns and watches as she begins to dance, still solitary she dances by herself .Alone within the group of others. The moons light glowing on her pale skin has drawn his eyes away from the water.
She moves with joy and grace in time with the music. Her blue eyes meet his and suddenly it seems as if she dances for him.
"Damn that's pretty "McCoy drawls next to him.
"Indeed." he replies absently. Only after realizing he did not know what McCoy was admiring, the view or her.
McCoy laughs. "Why don't you ask her to dance?"
He does not answer as a memory comes whole and unbidden.
"Mother?"
"Yes Spock?" she asks her voice one of a parent patiently attempting to keep a small child occupied.
"Why do humans dance? "he inquires. She had taken him to a concert in the park earlier and he had been fascinated by a group of people dancing in the crowd.
"Oh for many reasons Spock." she replies. "For fun .To express emotion." He makes a face at this. "To feel the joy in the movement of your body."
He considers this carefully. Her child of dual nature constantly compared the two halves of himself.
"Why do Vulcans dance?' comes then inevitable question.
Her expression is momentarily lost in memory .She seems younger somehow remembering.
"Because there is music playing!" she laughs.
He gets up and moves across the sand .one song has ended and there is a lull till the next begins. She looks up at him, confusion clear on her face, as he takes her hand.
"Spock."she starts as he pulls her close to him.
The lyrics begin and they are strangely appropriate to the situation. She is hesitant at first as he slowly begins to move with her. The tempo builds and he can feel her relax becoming lost in the music. The tempo slows and they move closer together.
The dance is not measured .It is simply two people moving together. The tempo builds again and she is laughing as she throws her arms around him. He is drawn to her crystalline eyes reflecting her joy and the moons light to him. Then he is abruptly aware of the many eyes watching them as his lips almost meet hers. He pulls carefully away from her as the song ends.
They are walking along the beach and he allows himself to hold her hand. He can feel her contentment as it radiates thru her.
Why do Vulcans dance? Because there is music playing. Why does this Vulcan dance? He does not know.
He finds a secluded place where they can be unobserved. She kneels down and runs her hands thru the piles of tiny shells that have collected here. They are opalescent pinks and purples, an occasional touch of blue. Iridescent and sparkling as they spill out of her hand. Beautiful as they are he barely notices them. He is entranced by her dark hair and lashes brushing her pale cheek.
"You're staring at me." she whispers self-consciously.
"Your new hair changes your appearance significantly. "he observes.
She shrugs. "It's my real color. "She had suddenly grown tired of the blond. Recently something inside her had begun to change. She did not understand it but she welcomed was as if she was returning to a younger stronger part of herself. The her before Roger, before him. A lost part of herself tempered by all she had been through.
"It is appealing." he says surprising her. She pushes back a burst of laughter. Of course now he would show interest.
"I'm leaving." she tells him. "I'm going back to school to get my M.D. "
He says nothing at first processing this new information. He thought he would have more time.
She smiles at the compliment; she has always treasured his regard.
"You will make an excellent physician .You are already a fine healer. "
She can feel him pulling away and she shivers in the night air, loneliness creeping over her.
He pulls her against him and he sinks into his warmth. She sighs as his arms wrap around him. Even now she can feel the distance between them.
"Why is it always like this between us? This dance?" They orbited around each other both unsure, both wary. "So I once told you I loved you? Under the influence of an alien virus no less. "She takes herself out of the circle of his embrace it is too lonely there. "All I have ever wanted is a chance. It's not like I expect you to act like the captain. I love you Spock. Not the Human you, not the Vulcan you. I love them both. "
She sighs at his answering silence. Consider walking away. Unsure if she should walk away from the others or towards them. She's tired suddenly.
"I'm sorry." he says softly as he takes her hand again. "My logic is flawed where you are concerned. "
He kisses her gently experimentally. She relaxes against him her fingertips lightly brushing the soft velvet fabric of his uniform top. "I can't stay .i won't stay even for you. I can't promise you more than right now.'
"Understood ." he whispers. He wanted her, he had always wanted her. He would take what he could get.
He caresses the side of her face as she looks up at him eyes shining again.
Why do Vulcans dance? Why does he dance? Perhaps to fall in love?
"I think we should go back to the ship." she whispers against his mouth.
"Agreed." he says "Enterprise .Two to beam up."
They disappear in the coalescing beams of energy leaving only the dark water pulsing gently across the shore.
This story was inspired by the song Hanging by a moment by Lifehouse one of my past song obsessions of the week. It is the song they dance to. They song she dances to is up to you but for me it's The Lucky One by Allison Krause because those two songs lived together on my playlist at the time