Disclaimer: Star Trek is owned by Paramount. I own T'Ama, a one-eyed lizard, who tried to become member of the S'chn T'gai clan through illegal means.
Other than Vulcan words, letters in Italics represent people's inner thoughts.
English is not my native language, so I am grateful to SpockLikesCats who edited this chapter and saved me from a few embarrassing Greeklish booboos.
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An intrinsical gift
Chapter 1: Pride / Hurt
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Shi'Kahr, 2066
The powerful presence of the healer inside T'Rama's mind was gentle yet sweeping. The elder woman left no corners of her consciousness untouched. She even found a few places T'Rama had not known existed.
Then again she was only seven. It was only logical that she didn't know her true self.
Once the healer finished, she delicately retreated from T'Rama's mind. Without saying a word, the elder woman observed the little girl and then looked at the seven-year-old boy sitting next to her, as if measuring them with her judging eyes.
The children looked uncertainly at each other. The healer had examined them both… so now what? Was there something else they should do?
It was her father who spoke next. "T'Rama, why don't you take Skon to your room, while we and his parents talk?"
"Yes, father," the little girl nodded.
Both children rose from the couch, but before they left the living-room, Skon stopped.
"T'sai. Osu," he bowed courteously to T'Rama's parents. Nobody would ever say that that little boy hadn't been raised in the finest way.
The two children left the small living room, where their parents and the healer sat, and went to T'Rama's bedroom. Although it was considerably smaller in size than his, because of his good manners, Skon did not comment it.
But again, the entire house was small; there was no garden either. At first Skon was disappointed. Then he noticed that the lack of garden was balanced by a small balcony outside the living-room. It was filled with flowerpots and desert rocks of various sizes that created an appealing and most pleasant corner. Skon observed a second, smaller balcony outside T'Rama's bedroom, also covered with a variety of rocks and plants.
"This is where I sleep," T'Rama said, showing to their guest her bed and desk, "and this is where I read. Would you like to meet my lizard?"
"Certainly," Skon replied. The yellow reptile sat completely still on a long, thick branch near the desk. "What is his name?"
"Her name is T'Ama. Can't you tell she is a girl?"
The young boy observed the reptile closely. His eyes narrowed. "Hmmm… No," he shook his head.
T'Rama rolled her eyes. "How did you survive at the Forge without telling a lizard's sex?"
"If I was bitten by a lizard, it wouldn't matter if it was a boy or a girl."
"Of course it would matter. Females are more dangerous. They protect their eggs. A female would never abandon her nest. The possibility of being attacked by a female lizard is always higher."
"Well, I avoided all lizards."
Her eyes flashed with excitement. "And lematyas? Did you see a lematya?"
"No, I only heard them… But I saw wild sehlats that hunted during the night. And to answer your question, yes, I can tell a sehlat's sex."
She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
"Of course. Females are-" Realizing the question's underlying purpose, Skon stopped. "You are teasing me."
T'Rama gave him an innocent look. "Am I?"
"Yes, you are."
"Are you sure?"
"Why, yes. You-" He stopped again. "Hmmm…" Skon eyed her carefully. He had never been challenged by a female before. It was… odd.
"I am not sure who is more dangerous," he concluded. "You or the lizard."
"Well, at least you can tell my sex."
Oh, she was definitely teasing him. Skon was… unfamiliar with that behavior. Nobody had ever dared to tease him before; he was an heir to Vulcan's most prominent clan!
Obviously that fact mattered little to T'Rama. Not only did she dare to challenge him, but in ten seconds she had won two out of two! And something told Skon to quickly change the subject, or he would risk further humiliation.
"How come and your parents bought you a lizard? Most families have a sehlat."
"We didn't buy her. There was an accident…" T'Rama lowered her head. "Three years ago. I didn't mean it. But I hit her… and she lost an eye. It would be dangerous for her to live in the wild. So, we took her in and now I am responsible for her. But I didn't mean it."
Seeing her frown ignited something in him. It was strange but, despite the fact that she had challenged him, he didn't want to see her frown. She should never frown.
"Certainly not," he said in an attempt to revive her spirits. "Besides, it turned out well. Now she has a home and a family who cares for her. And she still has one eye."
"That is true," her mouth quirked up. "Also… keeping a sehlat is expensive and requires space. I always wanted one, but it would be unfair to keep such a large animal here. It wouldn't have space to run or play. Our house is small."
"But I presume it heats very fast."
"That is also true," her mouth twitched again. "Do you have a sehlat?"
Now it was his turn to frown. His eyes fell to his feet. "No… He died two years ago. A genetic defect in his blood."
Seeing his eyes losing their shine caused something in her… something she hadn't felt since T'Ama's accident. "I grieve with thee."
Skon knew that grieving for something that happened years ago was illogical. He studied her face. They had met only one point two five hours ago. His parents had brought him, along with a healer, to visit T'Rama's home to evaluate the children and determine their compatibility.
He carefully observed her facial characteristics. Were her eyelashes so long and so black before? Were her eyes so deep and beautiful?
"I no longer grieve. But… thank you," Skon said, illogical as it was.
His intense gaze made T'Rama lower her eyes. She blushed and cleared her throat.
"This," she pointed at the book on her desk, "is what I am currently reading. Paleoethnobotany. When I grow up I want to be an archeologist. Fascinating area. What do you want to be, when you grow up?"
Skon shook his head. "I am not sure yet."
"Well, what are your interests?"
"I like reading."
"Reading what?"
He lifted a shoulder. "Everything."
"Then obviously you are a mathematician," T'Rama said a bit teasingly, before realizing that Skon was serious.
The little girl's eyes widened in surprise. "Surely there must be something that you prefer above everything else."
"Nothing I have discovered yet." He looked around the room. "May I tell you something?"
"Of course."
Skon leaned toward her. "Right now my interest is what the healer says to our parents."
T'Rama gazed longingly at the door and sighed. "Indeed."
"I wish I could hear what she is telling them."
"Listening to others without their permission is not ethical," T'Rama reminded him.
"But what they discuss interests us," Skon contradicted.
She twisted her lips, thinking about it. There was logic in his statement.
"True... You know, there is a way." Her eyes flashed with a cunning sparkle. T'Rama picked up the glass of water that was on her desk. She drank the water, and offered the empty glass to Skon.
"I do not understand," he said.
T'Rama rolled her eyes. "Haven't you studied Physics?"
"Yes."
"I can not understand how you survived at the Forge," she sighed, placing the open end of the glass on the door and her ear on the other end.
"There are no doors in the Forge," Skon murmured in an attempt to save his shattered pride, "or water glasses. What are they saying?" he whispered.
"Shhh, be quiet." She listened for a few seconds. "They are… talking about your house."
"Our house?"
"Your mother mentions how many rooms it has. It must be very big."
"Which house are they talking about?"
T'Rama looked at him, surprised. "You have more than one?"
Skon was embarrassed to tell her they had four. "Perhaps we shouldn't eavesdrop. It isn't polite."
But T'Rama placed the glass on the door again. "Maybe it isn't polite, but it is informative."
Unfortunately at that moment the room's door opened.
Startled, T'Rama lowered the glass, but she wasn't quick enough. Her movement didn't escape her mother's gaze.
"T'Rama? What are you doing?" T'Ella asked austerely.
"I…" Her breath was caught in her throat and T'Rama swallowed hard. What could she say? How could she defend herself? She had never been at such a loss for words.
The little girl began calculating the possibilities of spending the remainder of her extremely short life restricted to her bedroom, when suddenly she felt Skon's arm around her shoulders.
"My ko-kugalsu and I were speaking about our studies," he replied in a calm voice. "She offered me the glass but I refused. T'Rama drank the water."
T'Rama watched him, astounded. Skon hadn't even told a single lie.
"So," he continued casually, "I presume the healer confirmed our suspicions. When is the kan-telan, T'sai?"
His father appeared behind T'Rama's mother.
"We were thinking one week from now. If you two agree," Solkar said, watching them amused. Skon had his arm around T'Rama's shoulders in a protective – not to mention highly improper – embrace. So, his little son had found a female to defend…
"Very well," Skon replied and turned to T'Rama. "Now, if I may borrow your Paleoethnobotany book today, I will read it and return it to you on the day of our bonding. Is this acceptable?"
Uncertain about making a response, T'Rama nodded numbly.
"Excellent," Skon replied. "You need not be concerned, T'Rama. I read very quickly." He gave her a conspiratorial look that made her swallow hard.
T'Rama recalled a legend that dated back thousand of years; that every male from Surak's bloodline, the S'chn T'gai clan, succeeded in his first effort in the kahs'wan ritual. No one had ever failed.
She and S'chn T'gai Skon would be bonded in a week. And T'Rama began to think that maybe she shouldn't tease him about the Forge…
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Shi'Kahr, 2122
A series of complex caves are located deep inside the Vulcan desert. Inside one of them, an ancient ritual takes place.
The stone bed is large and covered with a pile of blankets. In the dim light of the cave, a young man and woman are coupling.
It is pon farr, the time of mating and the ritual's purpose is to save the male's life.
For when the male is saved, then the female – and the Vulcan race – is saved as well. Their minds and their lives have been linked for fifty-six years now. They are one.
T'Rama's breath was irregular and labored from the force of their mating and Skon's weight on her body.
Her adun groaned as he violently bit her shoulder and T'Rama moaned with pleasure. With a final thrust, Skon emptied himself inside her one last time. Then panting and exhausted, he withdrew from her.
The deep cry that left T'Rama's lips echoed throughout the entire cave. A combination of pain and lust hindered her vision and shook her body with intense spasms.
For several seconds T'Rama's brain stopped. And the hormones in her body took over. It is pon farr, the time of mating. Let the ovulation begin.
Like those of all Vulcan males in plak'tow, Skon's lok was covered with a band of backwards-pointing, cartilaginous spines. These penile spines only grew while the Vulcan male was under the influence of the blood fever, shrinking afterward.
The spines themselves weren't very long, approximately one millimeter. But every time Skon withdrew, his barbed lok raked the walls of T'Rama's vagina. This induced ovulation, increasing the chances of her impregnation.
All this… according to the healers.
And every bonded female knew that they served another purpose; to increase sexual pleasure and cause quicker orgasms. Which also increased the possibility of conception.
Letting out a small moan, T'Rama sat up slowly. At this point, she was always a little disoriented. Lying with Skon for two days, serving his feverish need, never ceased to be an ordeal, despite the multiple orgasms.
However, as always during the plak'tow, Skon was ignorant of T'Rama's responses. He had already rolled onto his back and succumbed to a deep sleep.
Sitting on the large stone bed, T'Rama grimaced with pain. Yet at this moment her sore body was the last thing she cared about. She placed her fingers on Skon's psi-points and checked him mentally.
It was over. The plak'tow was breaking rapidly and Skon, exhausted as he'd been every other time, had fallen asleep. He was even snoring, something she always found amusing. T'Rama let out a sigh of relief. Her beloved adun was alive.
Next, she checked his lok. The spines had already begun to recede. More evidence that the fever was dropping. Good.
The only good thing about the mating fever, T'Rama thought, was that it wouldn't happen again for seven years. Skon's cycle was steady; for the next seven years he would have no need for her.
And for the first time in more than a week, Skon looked… peaceful and serene.
Finally, it is over.
Watching his tranquil countenance, a memory came back. The confident countenance of an eleven-year-old boy presenting her with a certificate which served to adopt T'Ama, her pet lizard, into the S'chn T'gai clan. The certificate was fake of course, but it could almost pass for valid.
In fact the forgery was so successful that, when Solkar discovered it, he punished Skon only by making him work in their garden for two weeks.
The garden was large, but Skon had gladly accepted the punishment. He had got what he wanted; his first kiss. He and T'Rama had joined fingers in the ozh'esta for the first time. And rumours of Solkar keeping the certificate were never verified.
In the face of the man lying next to her, T'Rama saw again that little innocent boy who had exchanged two-weeks' hard labour for a single kiss.
A small smile played over her lips but it disappeared quickly. She placed an affectionate kiss on Skon's sweaty forehead and rose from the bed. She had many things to do before her adun's awakening.
But first things first. She smoothed her hair back from her face and pulled it up in a temporary bun. Her hair was long and only got in her way. Why T'Ella and T'Yann, Skon's mother, insisted she should keep it long, she never understood. But family traditions must be honored and honor them she would.
T'Rama walked to a small pool that was carved close to the cave's wall. She never particularly enjoyed bathing in water, yet now every inch of her sore body welcomed the hot mineral-rich water, tapped from a volcanic spring deep underground.
The water felt so pure… so cleansing. T'Rama sighed with relief. From head to toes, her body had been covered with sweat, saliva, semen, and everything else Skon had done with and to her for the last two days.
The heat and minerals in the water soothed every muscle in her overly used body. Skon was young and virile; his grip was violent and his bites were rough.
Alone in the pool, T'Rama risked another small smile. She had very good hopes from this Time.
She emerged from the pool, clean and refreshed. Skon was still snoring and T'Rama knew that he would sleep for a few more hours. She ate an energy bar, drank some water, laid out her small mat, lit a candle and engaged in a much-needed meditation.
As he had every other Time, Skon awoke after approximately five hours. T'Rama had already finished her meditation; she was dressed, had packed their bag and had prepared for him a small meal consisting of plomeek soup and some bread.
As he had every other Time, Skon refused the food. He sat on the bed, too weak and shaken from the fever. And just as she had every other Time T'Rama insisted, until he ate at least two energy bars and drank some water.
Then she helped him rise to his feet, but Skon's steps were shaky. The fever had lasted two days and had taken a toll on him.
T'Rama bathed him, helped him dress, and combed his hair. She knew that Skon was proud. He disliked being weak and helpless, but it would take him almost a week to fully regain his strength. Her adun was young and strong. Unfortunately, at his age the fever reached the highest level, leaving the male utterly exhausted and vulnerable.
When Skon felt better, after an hour, they left the caves. As they departed, the couple knew they would return after seven years, although T'Rama hoped that she would be back sooner… If she was with child, then she would come here after eleven months to give birth in the traditional way.
Skon caught her thoughts. As they walked out of the cave, he took her hand and squeezed it softly. This marked their fourth Time together and their fertility was at its peak. The statistical probability that T'Rama was pregnant was higher than 83 percent. A child would arrive at the proper time. Most of their friends and relatives of the same age already had at least one offspring.
T'Rama helped Skon sit in the co-driver's seat and she took the driver's seat. Skon always took a small nap until they reached home.
In the middle of their drive, Skon woke suddenly, his face ashen, and asked T'Rama to stop the hovercar. He quickly got out, rushed to the side of the road and threw up the food and water; his stomach was too upset to hold anything.
T'Rama helped Skon return to the car and gave him some water. Looking ashamed, he washed out his mouth, and then she drove them home.
It took Skon five days to fully recover from the fever and regain his strength. The day after, T'Rama arranged an appointment with a healer.
But once again the couple's hopes were crushed.
Another Time had passed and T'Rama had not conceived.
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To be continued...
Vulcan words (from VLD)
Ko-kugalsu: fiancée
Kan-telan: ceremony of child bonding
T'sai: lady
Osu: lord
kahs'wan: training - to adulthood
plak'tow: blood fever, the final part of Pon Farr
Adun: husband
ozh'esta: finger embrace
Author's note: Skon's wife is named T'Rama in the short story "A Girl for Every Star" written by John Takis.
Please note that, from chapter 3 on, the story's rating will change to M. Vulcan mating is inspired by felines and that information comes from Wikipedia.
This is a story about a couple trying to have a baby. As for whether they'll succeed or not, I wouldn't like to reveal much, but baby Sarek will appear in the final chapter :-)