Hey guys! Sorry for not answering your reviews/posting anything!

I got swept up in university-stuff, I had my first exams, blablablaaaah...

Haha, so, I'm back and I present to you... Chapter two! [Did that rhyme? Fuck, did that just... dammit.]

Uhm, so... I hope you'll like it! It's unbetaed, you're free to point out my errors!

Enjoy!

Between two Worlds

Chapter 2: Pretender

The palace was quiet. Sunlight streamed in through the large, tall windows. The soft notes of a lyre rang out crisply in the spacious room. Spock plucked the strings thoughtlessly, letting the music wash over him as he stared out of the window. His left eye twitched mildly when he hit a wrong note and he placed the instrument away with a suppressed sigh.

The chronometer on the opposite wall read 3.56 pm.

Spock stood from the bed and walked towards the glass-door to the balcony. A soft breeze caused the thin fabric of the curtain to flutter. Spock brushed it to the side and stepped outside, eyes raking across the large garden opening up underneath him.

The hiss of the door behind him alerted him to Leonard's presence. "I see you are back."

"Yeah, sorry it took so long; Joanna's been a little clingy today," Leonard leaned his elbows onto the balustrade beside Spock. "Did anythin' happen while I was gone?"

"No," Spock said then furrowed his brows. "My Father has once again requested to talk to me about completing my bond with T'Pring in the near future."

"Damn," Leonard sighed. "Of all the pretty girls you had to get stuck with a stuck-up bitch."

"Leonard."

"Well, it's true!" Leonard huffed and ran a hand through his brown hair, tousling it further. "You Vulcans are a crazy bunch of space-elves."

"I am not an elf, Leonard."

"You're right. You're a hobgoblin and a green-blooded one at that."

"It is truly fascinating to know that you have no qualms of calling the one who gave you shelter depreciating names. Is it something humans do, or is this one of your personal 'quirks'?"

"Shut up, you know I'm grateful for that. Ya don't have to be a dick about it."

Leonard had come to live in the palace after his wife had left him. She had taken everything they had, leaving him with a six month old child to be with a stranger whose name he never came to know. Destitute and hopeless, Leonard had tried to find a way to survive in a world where money meant everything. Finally, Spock had found the man in a small alley, pressed against the dirty wall tiredly as he tried to shush his crying daughter. Upon noticing Spock, he had become defensive and Spock was confronted with words he never intended to hear again. After promising him that he would not extradite him, Leonard had reluctantly agreed to follow Spock.

There had been a short argument about Spock not telling Leonard that he was the 'fucking prince!' but it was quickly resolved, when Spock offered Leonard work and a place to sleep.

His Father had not been pleased at first, but Mother was rather adamant on keeping Leonard with them.

4.5 years later, Leonard was still living in the palace, working as the servants' doctor.

"How is Joanna?" Spock asked, tilting his head to look at Leonard.

The older man shrugged. "She's fine. Unwilling to take her nap, like always, but I've put a movie on for her."

"That is fortunate," Spock said quietly and inclined his head.

"She's got ya wrapped 'round her little finger, that's what," Leonard tilted his head to the side and gazed down into the garden. "Did yer Mom get a new bunch of dbalillies?"

"Yes."

"She's gonna drive yer Dad crazy one day,"

Spock shook his head mildly. "They do not possess any intoxicating qualities, Leonard. They only smell like chocolate."

"I know that," Leonard snorted and straightened up. "You wanna go outside? I need some fresh air."

Spock nodded once and followed his friend out of the room. The palace seemed almost deserted, even most of the guards had retreated to somewhere else. Leonard raised an inquiring eyebrow, Spock answered by lifting a shoulder and letting it drop back in a poor imitation of a shrug.

"Do you believe we could take Joanna with us?" Spock asked innocently.

"If she's still awake, sure, why not?"

Joanna was sitting on her bed in Leonard's quarters, her eyes trained on the screen on the wall, where she watched an old, animated movie. Spock tilted his head to the side when the little girl started to giggle, her curly, dark hair bouncing with every rude snort that escaped her throat. She was raptly watching a small lion prancing around vividly coloured plants. Spock lifted an eyebrow when the animal started to sing. He would never understand Joanna's fascination with those illogical movies created by a man called Walt Disney.

"Jo-Jo?" Leonard's voice had softened and Spock marvelled once more at the tender expression that always overtook the Doctor's usual scowl whenever the young girl was present.

Joanna turned around, a bright smile lightening up her round face. "Daddy! Spock!"

She scrambled off the bed, almost falling in her eagerness to reach her Father. Leonard laughed softly and scooped her up into his arms, settling her on his hip. "Why won't you sleep, darlin'?"

"'m not sleepy, Daddy," Joanna pouted, furrowing her brows marginally and crossing her arms. "You don't have to sleep, why do I have to? 's not fair!"

Leonard sighed. "Because you're still growing, Jo-Jo, if ya don't sleep enough, ya won't grow. Do ya want that?"

"Yes! I wanna stay small forever, like Peter Pan!" she giggled and pressed a clumsy kiss to Leonard's nose, before she turned her attention to Spock. "You didn't come to see me yesterday, 'm mad at you!"

"I was not able to, Joanna. I apologise," Spock said solemnly, pressing his forefinger against her cheek in an innocent gesture of affection.

"Why?" she asked petulantly, grabbing his finger and holding it tightly in her small hand.

It was a gesture that reminded Spock of when she was still an infant. He thought of the first time she had reached her stubby arms up to signal that she wanted to be held, her toothless smile and the tiny, clumsy fingers wrapping around his own. She had been so trusting, even thought she did not know him, even though she was unfamiliar with his face, his voice and the way he smelled. But somehow she had known that he meant her no harm, somehow she had, even though she lacked any kind of telepathy, managed to read his intentions and concluded that he was worthy of her trust.

Spock's eyes softened. "My Father and I had to discuss my future wife."

Joanna gasped. "Did you tell him you're going to marry me?"

Leonard snorted and bit his lip. Spock felt his lips quirk up. "No, Joanna. I did not."

"But why?" she whined, tugging on his hand.

"Jo-Jo, Spock needs to marry a princess," Leonard said quietly, kissing Joanna's hair.

Joanna's pout became a little more pronounced and her lower lip started to wobble. "B-but... I wanna be a princess, too..."

Leonard threw Spock a helpless glance, before grasping Joanna's chin with one hand. "Jo-Jo, Spock's too old for ya. I mean, look at him! By the time you're a beautiful Princess, he's going to be old and ugly!"

Joanna blinked, a tear spilling down her stunned face. She looked at Spock, her hazel eyes wide as she studied his face intently. "Oh..."

Spock lifted an eyebrow at Leonard. Joanna gave a soft huff and shook her head. "I still wanna be Spock's princess!"

Spock saw Leonard rolling his eyes. "Darlin' have you ever thought about what Spock wants?"

Joanna fell quiet immediately. Spock watched her face darken as she drew her brows together, clearly thinking about what had been said. Finally, she stuck her thumb into her mouth and buried her face in Leonard's shoulder, sucking idly on the digit vanishing behind her tiny lips. Leonard pulled her hand away in a practised gesture. "Don't do that, Jo-Jo, you're a big girl. Big girls don't suck their thumbs."

A small sigh fell from her mouth and she lifted her gaze to look at Spock, suddenly seeming shy and subdued. "You don't wanna be my prince, Spock?"

"I would be honoured to your prince, Joanna. However, I believe you want to spend your life with someone you are... in love with."

Joanna scrunched up her nose. "But you aren't in love with T'Pring!"

Spock averted his gaze. It was true. He felt nothing for the woman he was supposed to marry. The one time he truly had contact with her had been 13.7 years ago on the day, their link had been created. Their connection had never been a strong one, but Lady T'Pau had voiced the assumption, that it was due to Spock's mixed heritage. The Elder was one of the few that were aware of the fact, that Queen T'Pala's true identity was that of Amanda Grayson, a human, whom had once been a servant in the palace. Father introduced Mother to the public by telling the press that she was from the Southern Hemisphere and of royal blood. Spock had never been told the exact story of what had occurred back then, but it had been an intricate enough plan to convince the entire Vulcan kingdom.

"No," Spock finally said. "No, I am not."

The small girl seemed stricken by this, her eyes filling with tears. "But you can't marry her if you don't love her!"

Leonard shook his head, casting a quick, unreadable glance at Spock, before sitting down on the bed's edge to soothe his distraught daughter. Spock shifted marginally only barely keeping himself from fidgeting. That was certainly not how he imagined this visit to proceed.

"Jo-Jo... it's okay, come on, baby. Spock's not sad about marrying T'Pring-"

"No! Spock's supposed to marry his One True Love! That's how the story goes!"

"Darlin', life's not a fairy tale," Leonard whispered, kissing her wet cheeks. "Not everyone gets a 'happily ever after'."

"B-but... but... I want Spock to have a 'happily ever after'...," Joanna was crying by now, large tears dripping down her reddened cheeks as she wiped her runny nose into the sleeve of her shirt.

Spock felt his heart clench painfully and he stepped closer to the bed, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to dab the tears and nasal mucus from Joanna's face. "It is alright, Joanna. I appreciate your concern for me, but it is unnecessary."

Joanna sniffled, nodding softly. Spock brushed a wayward lock of hair out of her puffy face. Joanna yawned, not even trying to suppress it. Leonard chuckled softly. "Ya tired, darlin'?"

A tiny, high-pitched sound answered him and Joanna nuzzled her face into her Father's shirt. "Yeah..."

Leonard mouthed a relieved 'finally' in Spock's direction. Spock observed Leonard as he tucked his daughter in, watched him kiss her forehead and pat her curly hair, before standing up and requesting the blinds to close. They left the room quietly, letting the door shut behind them.

Leonard smirked. "Well, looks like we gotta get some fresh air without Princess Jo-Jo."

"Indeed," Spock said. "It was not my intention to upset her, Leonard."

"I know, it's alright. She's too good a person, that's all. She wants everyone to be happy," Leonard sighed. "She's four. She doesn't know that the universe doesn't work like in her fairy tales and I loathe the day when she truly understands what a messed up world we're livin' in."

Spock inclined his head. He was perfectly aware of Leonard's wish to preserve Joanna's innocence as long as he was able to. Leonard tried hard to keep the harsh reality from contaminating his daughter's mind, which was not very difficult, considering that they lived in a palace, surrounded by isolating walls and protected by loyal guards.

Spock and Leonard descended the broad staircase, turning left to reach the double doors leading to the terrace. The sun had warmed the stone tiles, the indukah trees swayed heavily in the afternoon breeze, their crimson leaves glowing in the sunlight. The Orion shrub roses bloomed almost obscenely bright, their heavy, golden blossoms hanging towards the grassy ground. A lonely xirahnah sat underneath a waneti bush, its silvery feathers glinting with every movement. The xirahnah was long believed to be extinct until King Skon, Spock's late grandfather, had discovered a small colony of them near the Osana caverns. He brought them back to the palace to help their dwindling population to grow again.

Since then, the xirahnah were once again featured in the various encyclopaedias of the universe and were no longer considered a mere legend.

Mother was very fond of them, even if she repeatedly stated that their distinctive cries were 'ghostly'. Spock was not entirely sure what she meant by this, but he agreed that the sorrowful tone of their wailing added an unnerving note to the bird's call. Joanna called them the 'ghost birds' and when Spock inquired as to why, she had shrugged and told him, that on Earth, it is said that sometimes the souls of the dead came back to haunt the living. Of course, she had not phrased it like that. Spock had spent hours of research to reach the conclusion that Humans were a very strange species and had a very morbid kind of imagination.

"So, when are ya going to complete the bond with T'Pring?" Leonard asked as he seated himself on one of the chairs standing at the edge of the terrace.

"My Father wanted the ceremony to be held in three weeks, but I was able to convince him to give both T'Pring and myself more time to prepare for the bonding," Spock answered.

The lonely xirahnah spread its wings and took flight.

Leonard nodded slowly. "It sucks that you're linked to such a bigoted brat. If I were to bond with her, I'd probably kill myself to keep that from happening."

Spock lifted an eyebrow. "It is a necessity. You are aware of this, Leonard."

"Oh, yes," Leonard nodded enthusiastically. "That awkward conversation about The Time will forever be branded into my brain. Seriously, I've seen Orions that were less green than ya by the time ya finished your little speech."

The tips of Spock's ears heated and he was sure that they had turned green. "I do not appreciate your amusement. It is a very serious matter."

"Yeah, yeah, don't get yer panties in a bunch," Leonard chuckled. "It was refreshing that, for once, you were the one being embarrassed. It's usually the other way around."

Spock straightened a little. "I was not embarrassed; merely uncomfortable with the situation at hand."

"Sure, Spock, whatever makes ya sleep at night."

Spock was close to indulge in the very Human urge to roll one's eyes in exasperation, but suppressed the impulse immediately. Leonard sighed and slumped a little further into the chair. "Are you tired, Leonard?"

"Nah, 'm fine," Leonard mumbled, yawning into his elbow.

Spock turned his gaze towards the sky for a moment. "You are clearly exhausted, Leonard."

"Yeah, sorry. I've been awake since three in the mornin' because Hikaru's wound got infected again. Damn le-matya bite."

"Were you able to save his leg?"

"Yeah, no big deal, he's going to be fine in a week. Some moron just forgot to disinfect their hands before placing the healing-pad onto the wound and it rekindled the remnants of the poison that overgrown cat injected. When I find out who that grubby urchin was, I'm gonna stitch their hands to their ass, I swear."

Spock found himself mildly concerned for the unfortunate person whom had dared to make a mistake in Leonard's medical bay.

Leonard yawned widely once more, eyes half-lidded. "Hey, Spock."

"Yes, Leonard?"

The older man shifted to get more comfortable. "Do ya think you're going to be able to scrap that damn regulation about enslaving 'lesser species' one day? I mean... you're aware that you'd have the Romulan Empire and the Klingons against ya, right? Yer father knew that, that's why he didn't try to change the law. But... at least he's trying to make life easier for the less lucky slaves out there."

"I am aware, yes," Spock sat down on the chair standing only 4.5 feet away from Leonard's seat. "But I cannot accept that we are enslaving other species purely due to the fact that they are not wealthy, physically weaker or simply do not share our opinions. It is wrong and I refuse to understand the logic behind it, for there is no logic. It astounds me that an entire race build upon logic fails to understand the wrongness of their thinking; that they refused to reconsider their attitude towards slavery. It is because of their stoic confidence in laws that have been written hundreds of years ago, that Joanna and you are unable to leave the palace without-"

Leonard placed a warm hand onto his forearm and only now Spock noticed that he clenched his hands into fists. "Heh, calm down, Spock, you're getting emotional there, you've forgotten to calculate how long ago exactly those laws have been written. I really appreciate that you're so... passionate about yer believes, really, but it's no reason to put yerself in the line of fire. Ya may have conquered the galaxy, but you're surrounded by sharks. One wrong move and they're gonna shred ya to bits. I don't want ya to cause a war just because ya wanted to give Jo-Jo and me a chance to walk around freely on Vulcan. You've made our life better already, immensely so. Now take a deep breath and relax. Ya can plan yer grand revolution later."

Spock deflated slightly, his tense muscles relaxing as he sunk further into the cushioned chair. "I apologise for my outburst."

"'s alright," Leonard smirked and closed his eyes, withdrawing his hand from Spock's arm. "You're gonna be a good king one day, Spock."

"Thank you, Leonard."

The doctor nodded sleepily, before his head rolled to the side and his entire body lost its tension. Spock watched the slow rise and fall of his friend's chest for 2.4 minutes, before turning his gaze back towards the vegetation stretching itself out before him.

He would change the law. He could not keep pretending to be a follower of this disgusting practice. He did not know how his Father was able to witness all this without even trying to appeal to the other Houses and urging them to see reason. Nor did he understand how his Mother was able to perceive the suffering of her own people while staying so composed.

He would abolish slavery once and for all, and if he truly had to start a revolution so be it.

Spock closed his eyes and turned his face towards the sun.

The high-pitched chirping of laras echoed across the garden and Spock opened his eyes to watch a flock of the bright blue birds fly over him, just outside the doming glass that protected them from the heat of Vulcan's unforgiving sun. Leonard had started to snore softly, the sound strangely soothing and Spock felt the edges of his mouth twitch upwards.

Do you have ANY idea how hard it was to write this chapter? I don't even care if I fucked Spock up. *goes off to cuddle with Jo-Jo*