Chapter 2: Reconciliation
Nyota stared at the couple. "Mama? Baba?" she asked incredulously.
Aminah and Omarr Uhura looked back at her- her mother had a weak, uncertain smile on her face. Nyota glanced over her shoulder, at Spock, who stood in the doorway to the bedroom. They couldn't see him. She noted that his face was even more blank than usual, and she felt his apprehension. She stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. "What are you doing here? How did you know where we are?" Nyota demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.
"This is how you treat your parents when we haven't seen or heard from you in months?" Omarr asked.
"Well, considering how our last conversation went..." Nyota trailed off and rose her eyebrows pointedly. "Just tell me why you are here and how you knew where to find me." she repeated.
"We wanted to see you." Omarr said. "We were at the shuttle port, waiting for you- it's been all over the news that the Enterprise was attacked by Klingons and that the entire crew was coming home for shore leave."
"The crowd was too thick and we didn't get to you in time." Aminah explained. "By the time we caught up to you, you were driving away. We followed you, and the concierge told us what room you were in."
"So you thought it would be okay to just show up out of nowhere?" Nyota asked rhetorically. "After you told me that I'm wrong for marrying a Vulcan?"
They both looked away, properly ashamed of themselves. Aminah met Omarr's gaze and sighed.
"Nyota, your father and I have discussed this. We tried and tried to call you so we could talk to you about it, try to understand why you-"
"What do you mean? I told you why I married him!" Nyota said impatiently. "This is just the same, circular conversation. Why did you bother coming?"
"We'd like to sit down and discuss this like adults." Aminah said. "Nyota, it's really hurt us that you wouldn't answer our calls. Come out to lunch with us so we can talk. I promise that we won't try to change your mind or come between you and Spock."
Nyota looked at them, chewing on her bottom lip, and finally sighed.
"I assume that this invitation is extended to Spock as well?" she asked.
"Of course. We want to meet him." Omarr said. Nyota knew this didn't mean that they approved, but it was an improvement. She sighed and rubbed her forehead, where a headache was forming.
"Fine. Just give me a minute to tell him." she said, and turned back to the door. She went into the hotel room and closed it behind her. Spock had not moved- he had probably heard everything that was said. Nyota stood there for a moment, then went over to him, sliding her arms around him. "They want to take us to lunch, but if you don't want to, we won't go." she murmured against his chest. His arms closed around her, squeezing her gently.
"We should go, Nyota." Spock said. "I have learned that it is not wise to allow one's relationship with a parent to be strained. You should resolve this, no matter what the outcome may be."
"My wise, logical Spock." she said with a sigh, and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Then she pulled away. "Well, let's change into civilian clothes first." she said. They had worn their uniforms off the ship.
They stripped off their uniforms, and as Nyota watched Spock look through a duffel bag wearing only his dark gray boxers, she thought about the fact that if her parents hadn't interrupted, he could be half-naked for an entirely different reason.
She turned to her own duffel bag and found a pair of stretchy black pants, and a dark red off-the-shoulder blouse. She changed and turned to Spock, who wore a dark gray button-down and black pants. It reminded her of his instructor's uniform, which brought forth fond memories of his tutoring sessions with her, when they would sit next to each other as he explained complicated Physics theories.
"I think I like the button-down better, though." she said, knowing that he had heard her thoughts. She went over to him and fixed his collar. He raised a hand, and stroked her bare shoulder.
"This top is...stimulating." he said. She smiled.
"We'll pick up where we left off at later." she said, and gave him a quick kiss before turning back to the door. "Just...be prepared for my parents, okay?" she said. She was worried about what they may do or say.
"Your worries are illogical. If they do or say anything that could be interpreted as rude, I will not be insulted." Spock said.
She reached out to squeeze his arm before opening the door and leading him outside to her waiting parents. Their eyes immediately went to Spock, looking him up and down, lingering on the ears. They were careful not to betray what they were thinking.
"Mama, baba, this is Spock." Nyota said, touching his arm lightly. She was nervous as they continued to look at him for a moment.
"Spock." Omarr said, and nodded his head once. Aminah gave a very small, half-hearted smile. Spock said nothing. Nyota was relieved that neither tried to shake his hand- but that may have been more out of reluctance to touch him, rather than respect for his comfort.
"Shall we go?" Aminah said, gesturing down the hallway.
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All around them, people were talking and laughing, silverware clinking against plates. Their table was silent.
Aminah and Omarr were both looking at Nyota, who was determinedly keeping her eyes on her hands, which rested on the table. Spock was studying her parents like they were two organisms under a microscope that he found to be interesting.
"So...is everything alright on the Enterprise?" Aminah ventured to ask.
"Just fine, mama. Boring, even." Nyota replied.
"No excitement at all, and you've been in space for over a year? Does the word 'Klingon' ring a bell?" Omarr asked disbelievingly. Nyota thought about Scorpius and Kathosia.
"Well, I wouldn't say that there hasn't been any danger." Nyota said.
"Have you been in danger?" Aminah asked, eyes widening. Nyota finally looked up at her.
"It's a starship, mama. Everyone's in danger at some time or another." she neatly avoided the question. "I work in Communications, I rarely get to go on away missions- which is where most of the danger lies."
"What about you? Been in any danger?" Omarr asked, speaking to Spock directly for the first time since they'd met.
"As science officer, I am required for most landing parties." he replied.
Nyota pressed her lips together at that. She hated it when he went on away missions. She worried about him every time- and with good reason. He had been injured more than once. Not as often as the captain, but still too often for her liking. It scared her to think of the fact that there may be a time when he didn't return alive.
"Starfleet is supposed to be a peacekeeping organization." Omarr scoffed. "But I've seen the numbers of personnel who die on those missions. Most of them are in security- I feel sorry for families with loved ones who are in security on a starship. Odds are three to one that they don't come back. Peacekeeping- ha!"
"There are times when keeping peace requires defense. Yet there are instances when defense is not enough." Spock replied.
"The fact is, starships are dangerous." Aminah spoke up. "We never wanted Nyota to join Starfleet because we've read reports of what can happen up there. It's no place for someone in such a career path as Communications. She could easily get a job as a translator here on Earth."
"Yet she has chosen Starfleet." Spock said before Nyota could respond. His eyes were trained evenly on Aminah's. "Nyota is an ambitious, hard-working, and dedicated officer. She would not be content working as a mere translator. Her skills far surpass those of ordinary linguists. I assure you, she chose her career wisely. As her parents, I would have expected you to be proud of her accomplishments."
Aminah stared at Spock for a moment, a strange look on her face. Nyota couldn't place it- but she herself was grateful for his input, and his words filled her with affection.
"Of course we're proud of her." Omarr said. "But that doesn't change the fact that she's in danger up there. We don't want to get a message from Starfleet saying that our only child, who works in the least dangerous of careers, died in some encounter with a Klingon warbird."
"As long as I am nearby, Nyota will suffer no such fate." Spock said. His gaze was hard as he looked at Omarr. "Your concerns, while valid, are unnecessary as long as she is my wife."
Nyota was struggling not to smile, and struggling even harder not to kiss him right then and there. She had been worried that her parents would try to insult or belittle him- but he was handling himself very, very well.
The table was silent until the waiter came with their lunch. When he had left again, Omarr cleared his throat and looked up at his daughter and the Vulcan seated next to her.
"So how did you two meet?" he asked. "And how long have you been together?"
Nyota groaned and placed her forehead on her hand. Her headache intensified.
"Baba, don't start this." Nyota begged. Spock looked at her, eyebrows risen.
"I see no reason not to answer his inquiries." he said.
"You don't understand." Nyota said, removing her forehead from her hand and looking at him. "He grilled my prom date like this, too. And every other boyfriend I ever brought home. He's going to ask you about fifty questions- and always starts with those two. He's going to want to know everything about you, from who your parents are to what you ate for breakfast this morning."
"Why would he be interested in what I consumed for breakfast?" Spock asked. Nyota grinned, and even her mother smiled a little. Omarr was just as serious as ever.
"You married a Vulcan without letting us know that you were even dating him and I'm not allowed to ask questions?" he asked.
"Half-Vulcan." Nyota corrected. Both of her parents were surprised at this.
"You're only half Vulcan? I didn't realize Vulcans married into other races." Aminah said. Nyota rolled her eyes at Spock.
"My mother was human." Spock replied.
"Well, who's she? What does she do?" Omarr pressed. Spock leaned back slightly in his chair, his eyes on Nyota's father.
"She was on Vulcan when it was destroyed." he replied. There was a deeply uncomfortable silence following this statement. When anyone dared speak again, the subject was changed to a safer arena- they talked about the business that Aminah and Omarr ran from Nairobi that sold parts for computers all over the galaxy.
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"I think that was as successful as possible with my parents." Nyota said as they entered their hotel room. She slipped off her ballet flats and plopped onto the sofa, one leg thrown over the arm rest. "Come here, adun." she said, patting the place next to her. Spock sat, and she leaned her back against him. His arms circled around her waist, and he leaned forward to place a kiss on one bare shoulder.
"You are experiencing pain." he said, and positioned his fingers on her temples. He began to massage in small circular motions, and soon the headache was receding. She sighed in contentment, smiling lazily.
"Thank you." she whispered.
"I sense that you are not only thanking me for taking your pain away." Spock said, lowering his hands to rest them on her stomach. He began to dust kisses on her shoulder, moving up her neck. He moved her ponytail to the opposite shoulder and repeated his actions on the other one.
"Thank you for everything you said to my parents." she said, taking one of his hands into hers and interlacing their fingers. "Thank you for standing up for me. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for everything."
"It is illogical to thank me for those things, when I was only speaking the truth." Spock said against her ear. She laughed softly.
"I love you." she said, and brought his hand up to her mouth to place a kiss on his palm. "This shore leave is going to be so relaxing. Despite the fact that my parents are staying at a hotel just down the street and apparently think they should accompany us everywhere we go." she added, slightly bitter. "I think you won Mama over, but Baba is going to be tougher."
"I am curious about this tradition of fifty questions. How many males as he done this to?" he asked.
Nyota smiled, knowing that he was only trying to find out how many men- or actually, boys- she had been with before him.
"Not many, to tell the truth. I was saving the best for last." she said. They were quiet for a while, simply holding each other. "Spock?" she asked eventually.
"Yes, ashayam?" he asked, brushing his cheek against hers.
"There are better ways to thank you for what you did today." she said. "And we still need to pick up where we left off from earlier. We haven't properly christened the hotel room."
"You are insinuating that we retire to the bedroom for the afternoon." Spock clarified. She rolled her eyes and pressed her head against his shoulder in reproof.
"There's no need to verbalize my intentions with more clarity when they're obvious." she said. Without warning, his arms tightened around her, and suddenly she was being lifted into the air, thrown over his shoulder. She laughed the whole way as he carried her into the bedroom.
A/N: Warm, gushy fluffiness! Figured I'd might as well give them some happy time before I introduce a smidgen of angst.
And of course it was her parents! I thought it would be fairly obvious, so kudos to those of you who figured it out.