It's been less than twenty-four hours since Spock and I returned from our mission down on a desolate wasteland of a planet. It was a planet of permafrost and snow, possessing animal-like aliens from the prehistoric ice age era on Earth. I figured the planet went along with the season back on my home planet. Back on Earth, it's December and very close to Christmas, though, the winter weather of the planet was far colder. While on the planet below, there was a blizzard that struck and Spock and I took shelter in a cave . . .

We built a fire and I revealed parts of my past to Spock, memories that had been long-forgotten. Now . . . Spock knows more about me than anyone on the Enterprise. I asked him not to tell anyone - not even Jim - and he promised he wouldn't. After Spock and I got talking, he - a Vulcan, an alien with a stoic front with suppressed emotions - smiled to me.

After that, Spock revealed to me memories of his own past that haunted him in his childhood days and I knew I was not alone. I was so lonely during my childhood. Despite the wealth I came from, I tried to live a normal life but that was taken from me by events of trauma. Spock told me that he considered his life near-complete of loneliness for he did not have any who truly accepted him. His mother, yes, but no real friends. I put my hand on Spock's shoulder and told him that I thought of him as a friend. Spock looked to me with those deep brown eyes of his and I thought to myself how the warm smile he gave me was genuine, and that everything about him invited me in.

Once we returned to the ship, Spock and I brought our findings to Captain Kirk and I've been in my quarters ever since. I'm off-duty now and I won't be on-duty again for another two days. This is my 'weekend,' you could call it.

I stood before my dresser and mirror and brushed my long red hair, thinking to myself how Spock was perfect in my eyes, that he could do no wrong. As I think about it, there is nothing I wouldn't do for that Vulcan-human hybrid. I'd risk my life for him . . . and I'd die for him if the situation arose. Even if Spock and I could never be together, just being near him makes me happy.

There came a buzzing as my cabin door sounded. I looked myself over quickly and let out a blush. I was not expecting visitors and I was dressed in a black tunic gown that clung to my slender figure. "Come in," I said, and the doors opened to reveal Spock.

Spock came into my quarters and the doors shut behind him. The Vulcan looked me over and I let out an even redder blush. "I've . . ." Spock seemed to me as if he was at a loss for words. "I've never actually seen you not wearing your science officer uniform."

"Would you like me to change and style my hair?" Spock had never seen my hair long and without any specific style before. My hair had always been in some sort of braid - a French braid, a fishtail braid, et cetera.

Spock's face had a green-tinted blush to it and he shook his head no. "I came to talk to you."

I grew nervous now, thinking to myself that Spock may have realized I was in love with him. "I'm listening," I said quietly. Spock turned from me and let out a sigh. I could tell that he was experiencing feelings he'd never had before, and from that, he was left confused with his warring emotions.

"Down on the planet . . ." Spock did not turn to look at me.

I moved towards him and felt his body radiate heat. I placed a gentle hand on Spock's shoulder again and he reached out a hand and touched mine.

"The cold must have affected me more than I realized. Please pay no attention to the memory. I was not myself." Spock stepped away from me and the heat left me. All I wanted was for Spock to say the words I thought I would never hear from him. Spock looked to his hands and let out a sigh. "I'm behaving disgracefully." How he was, I did not see. "I have been in your company and I have enjoyed it. I have begun to feel . . . feel for you. What is wrong with me?"

Nothing! Nothing, I felt, was wrong with Spock! To tell him so would reveal clearly to him that I was desperately in love with him.

"I now tell you you're beautiful." Spock looked to me and my breath hitched, my deep blue eyes widening. I had never heard those words from anyone before. Members of my family had always called me beautiful but no man who ever meant anything to me ever said it. I didn't know then what to think or what to say. Spock came close to me again. Standing before me, he looked me over. "But you are beautiful. Is it so wrong to tell you so?"

"I have longed to hear you say it." I admitted.

I wanted to feel fear, fear for this love, but I felt nothing but joy. Spock's hands traveled to my hands and then up my arms to my face. Touching my cheeks, Spock bent down slightly to kiss me on the lips. The second our lips made contact, electricity shot through me and fire coursed through my veins. Spock's lips left mine and I longed to feel his touch again. My blue eyes closed and Spock looked me over, wondering still what could be for us in the future, whether it be beauty or a tale of star-crossed lovers journeying through the stars. Spock touched my face again and moved in to kiss me once more.

Spock's arms wrapped around me, one going around my neck and the other moving to the small of my back. He pulled me closer to him and I felt myself molding against him as he began to spiral me around slowly, taking me in his arms like a groom holds his beautiful new bride. My arms snaked around his neck and we kissed deeper this time, longer, too.

Upon our second long-overdue kiss parting, my eyes opened again and I looked to the Vulcan I was helplessly in live with, who now had a broad smile appear on his face. We kissed once more and Spock spun me around, the smile not leaving his face. "You are beautiful. More beautiful than any dream of beauty I've ever known." I let out a smile as a free hand touched his cheek, then moving up to touch his perfectly pointed ears.

Spock moved to lay me on my bed and placed himself above me on his hands and knees, careful not to hurt me beneath his muscled weight or inhuman strength. Moving one hand up my side, his hand grazed over my breast, which sent another electric pulse through me. Spock's hand was strong but gentle and he tucked my side-parted bangs behind my ear and kissed me again. My hands traveled up his chest and wrapped around his neck, pulling him down atop me further.

The kiss broke and I looked up at Spock with nothing but love in my eyes, thinking he could never be seen as anything but a God to me. "Is this even real?" I asked Spock.

"I promise this is real." Spock smiled again and kissed me once more, his hands moving down my body again. As his hands traveled down my body to touch my smooth legs, my hands went to his waist to pull the hem of his blue tunic from his pants. The second my hands touched his bare skin, Spock moved his hands to move my legs to wrap around his waist, his lips descending upon my own. I now felt a growing bulge within the confines of Spock's pants which pressed into my stomach. Spock hesitated for a moment and looked to me with concerned eyes. "If this is what you really want-"

"Spock, all I've ever wanted is you. Believe that." My voice was a low whisper as my hand went to Spock's cheek and he placed his hand over my own.

"-Then I propose we partake in a mind meld."

"I want that." I nodded.

I knew what a mind meld was. I'd seen it done before, Spock melding with a Horta on Janus VI. Spock later told Jim, Doctor McCoy, and myself - when we were back on the Enterprise - that the Horta found his pointed ears a most attractive quality, and that he had not the heart to tell the Horta that only he had pointed ears. In that sense, I agreed with the Horta. Spock's pointed ears were quite striking.

"For the first time, a mind meld may give you a shock."

"Spock, it's a shock enough for me knowing that you love me." I smiled and Spock returned it. My Vulcan lover looked me over and placed a hand on my face gently.

"My mind to your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts." Spock said aloud, his voice husky. I felt a shock strike me though my head and, at first, there was a degree of pain. I pushed through it because all I was thinking of was Spock and how much I loved him, how much I wanted him.

I could see myself through Spock's eyes and I knew it was the same for Spock. A quick sigh escaped my lips and I could see in my mind visions of Spock's memories, his whole life.

I could see Spock's birth, his father calling him 'Human,' and looking at him with displeasure. Spock felt it a curse, at times, to be called Human. I may not be an alien hybrid, but I do know what it is like to be the cursed child. I was abused physically - hit - and verbally - called the worst of any name - by my father throughout my life. The last time he did so was when I told him I was leaving Earth for Starfleet. My father slammed me into the kitchen counter and cut both my head and my hand. It was none other than Doctor McCoy himself who used the bone knitter to patch up my hand.

I could see Spock's early childhood, his schoolmates insulting his parents, his own name, and telling him that he belonged nowhere but dead. In my childhood, I was thought of just as much a freak. I tried to get others to like me but I would not change myself for others. I yearned for friends but I was called a freak and far worse. My money and power meant nothing to my classmates and few truly believed what I could do. There were several who tormented me and urged me to kill myself because there was no one who loved me, no one who would miss me if I was dead.

I saw now - in Spock's mind - how he looked at me upon first meeting me. He sensed I was different from others and was intrigued by me, and I to him. Spock saw within me a strength, a resilience, a gift I had for living through the worst of times. With the worst of times came the best of times, and I could see in Spock's mind how quickly he fell for me - only a year. Spock couldn't say anything to me about it because T'Pring, his betrothed, held himself back from doing so. Spock sensed my immediate jealousy of T'Pring and I felt his sense of amusement. Because I was jealous, he could see I cared. That I cared for him greatly.

Spock knew what true loneliness was and I knew it, too. We were both two lost halves that would create a whole upon meeting. And meet we did.

When the mind meld ended, I gazed up at Spock and looked to him with adoring eyes. Spock looked at me and our gazes met and locked.

"Spock, I love you beyond all measure. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you. I swear to you you'll never have to be alone again." My hand went to Spock's cheek.

"You are the sun and the stars of my life. I will never love any other. Only you. For the rest of our days together . . . and our nights." I let out a smile as Spock leaned down to kiss me again, his hands now traveling to my legs again to lift up the skirt of my gown. I was ready and awaiting his touch and everything that went with it. Spock's heated hands touched my precious womanly parts and I gasped in, Spock's tongue now entering my mouth.

How does he know how to French kiss?I thought in my mind.

I have read works of erotic literature before, Thy'la.

I was left completely stunned. Spock, are you reading my mind?

I have a degree of contact with your mind, Thy'la. It is a thing that happens between Vulcans after a mind meld. . . And now apparently Humans as well.

I let out a mental laugh and I could sense Spock's happiness and the surrender to his Human emotions. It took me a moment to realize Spock called me his Thy'la, which I knew was a word in Spock's native tongue. It was Vulcan for 'loved one,' or 'one most treasured.'

I don't know how it was done, but within a matter of seconds - maybe ten seconds or so - Spock and I were completely unclothed and lying on my bed, Spock above me again, with the bed sheets covering us. Spock's lips pressed against mine as I felt his heated member enter me, the world around us disappearing. With every synapse firing away in my body - and Spock's, too - we felt as one that we were flying higher than any shooting star. Spock pushed within me and then pulled out slightly, not leaving my feminine walls, and never had I felt more alive. My heart raced and I felt Spock's strong hands all over me as we made love.

Minutes passed into hours and time felt too perfect to check my quarter's chronometer. Almost completely spent, Spock and I lay on my bed, his arm wrapped protectively around me. My head rested against his shoulder and my hand touched his chest. It didn't even alarm me when I felt Spock's heart beat against my stomach as I lay next to him, not feeling his heart beat into my hand.

"Spock, now you know. No one has ever loved anyone as much as I love you."

Spock took my hand in his and pulled me gently atop him. For a split second, I wanted to cover my breasts in embarrassment but then knew that I didn't have to. Spock loved me for who I was as a whole. There was nothing I could do that would sway his love for me, and we both knew that. "If I ruled the universe, I would give it all to you." Spock said to me. I looked into my Vulcan lover's deep brown eyes and let out a beaming smile. Spock's hands wrapped around the small of my back and he pulled me closer to him again, our lips touching once more. Just as our kiss deepened, we heard Lieutenant Uhura's voice come on the loudspeaker.

"Bridge to Mister Spock."

Our kiss broke and I let out a laugh as Spock smiled up at me.

"I do not wish to move from your quarters." Spock said honestly. I let out another laugh and stood from my bed, pulling Spock's uniform tunic over my head. It covered most of my body but continued to reveal my athletic-muscled legs. As Spock propped himself up against the pillows on my bed, I went to the intercom system next to my dresser and punched a button.

"Spock here." Spock spoke from across the room but was heard easily enough.

"Spock, it's Jim."

Jim is speaking with a half-smile. I know by the tone of his voice.I thought to Spock.

Indeed. Spock thought back.

"Where are you? We need you on the bridge in twenty minutes."

"I was. . . I was preoccupied, Captain . . . I will come to the bridge shortly." Spock cleared his throat, and I covered my mouth to keep from laughing.

"Alright." Captain Kirk was the first to end the communication link and I smiled as I pressed the button again, ending my half of the conversation. I continued to smile as I came to Spock's side and our hands touched, our fingers intertwining.

"I will need my uniform back." Spock said to me with a smile on his face.

"Yeah?" I said with a hint of amusement in my voice. "Try and take it from me." I dared my lover. Spock looked me over and got up from the bed.

He dressed quickly in everything but his uniform tunic and looked to me again. Quirking an eyebrow, Spock looked me over. "I willneed my uniform back now." I smiled and shook my head no. Spock took a step closer to me and I took a step back, acting playfully. Spock took hold of my arms and pushed me to the bed again, acting along with me. "You do realize once I return from the bridge, we can 'be naughty,' as you Humans say, and save 'Santa' the trip."

I wanted to pout but let out a laugh instead. "Promise?"

"I swear to it." I smiled and pulled Spock down to kiss me once more.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, I finally felt whole, complete, happy. I never wanted to lose that feeling ever again.