III: Adjustment

When I awoke the next morning, I discovered that my wonderful husband had indeed followed through. He was watching me while I slept. I opened my eyes to find his lovely ones on me. He was a beautiful man.

"How do you feel, k'diwa?"

"Better."

"No headache?"

"No. Other than my breasts, I feel—"

Spoken too soon. I got up and fled to the bathroom. When I was done puking my guts out, he helped me up, gave me water to rinse my mouth, and carried me back to bed. I had tears in my eyes.

"Nyota, why are you crying?"

"I hate this! I've got to report to duty in an hour and I can't—"

"No. I have already completed your schedule change. You will work beta shift until after the baby is born. Your mornings are just too volatile for you to be on alpha shift."

I relaxed into the bed, grateful for this man. I never had to worry anymore.

"The captain was quite agreeable to my requests, and he told me to inform you that your position on the bridge is secure."

"Oh, good." I said. "That worried me. Why aren't you on duty?"

"I also told the captain that I was adjusting my schedule by one hour so that I could care for you in the mornings. Unless I am needed, I will be here when you wake up. Now, I shall fix you some tea. I will also make you some broth."

"I can't eat anything, Spock. My stomach is unstable."

"Nevertheless, you must have something. The tea and the broth will settle your stomach."

As he went about his preparations, I went over to my vanity and sat down. My hair was a limp, tangled mess. I tried brushing it and got frustrated again. When he brought me my tea, he saw me fighting with my hair. I wanted to cry. It felt like everything made me want to cry.

"I'm cutting my hair," I said. He raised an eyebrow.

"I don't care what you say, Spock. I'm cutting my hair. I can't fight with it every morning. How am I going to take the time to flatiron all my hair when the baby comes?"

"Come back to bed, Nyota. Let us deal with one situation at a time."

I meekly followed him back to bed. He gave me the tea. I sipped it. My stomach stopped rolling. I finished the tea and lay back in bed. He took my hand and caressed my fingers. "You should deal with your hair later. You have the next eight hours to get yourself together. You always feel better in the afternoons."

I nodded. I couldn't argue with a man who knew me inside and out. "Okay."

"I will stay with you until you go back to sleep." He had not yet dressed for the day and got back in bed with me. He spooned behind me and slid one hand around to cup one of my throbbing breasts. He moved his fingers gently over the nipple, which felt like it was ten inches long. I winced, but I didn't want him to stop.

"Am I hurting you?"

"No," I said. Quite the opposite. I turned over on my back and looked at him. He continued to stroke my breast. "I don't get this at all, Spock. My hormones are out of control. Look at me, I'm getting horny. How is that possible when I was sick ten minutes ago and screaming at my hair five minutes ago? Is there anything Dr. McCoy can give me to get my emotions and hormones to settle down?"

"He will not give you any more hypo treatments unrelated to your prenatal care, Nyota. He will not risk the child. I fear that we will have to adjust to your hormonal fluctuations. In regards to your state of arousal, which is intoxicating, there is something I can do about it and I will gladly do it."

He took one of my tender nipples into his mouth. The sensation was indescribable. I couldn't keep my pleasure inside and he didn't want me to. Spock's treatment of my condition was better than anything McCoy could have prescribed. When I finally let him go, he had fifteen minutes to get dressed and report to the bridge.

***

Everything after that was easier to deal with, except for morning sickness, which had me on my knees every day. My hormones still fluctuated and little things frustrated me, but I could handle it. My hair became too much to maintain and I cut it to my shoulders. My husband was not pleased with my action and he let me know it when he touched me. I knew Spock was quite fond of my hair; he told me once that it was as much as an organ of pleasure as my hands or my mouth. It'll grow back. He understood why I did it.

I maintained my duty on beta shift and the only thing that bothered me during that time was the fact that Spock worked alpha shift, so we could only spend quality time at night. He was waiting for me when I came in from the bridge and we had a late dinner. He would run a bath for me or we would take a shower together. Then we went to bed. I tried to make sure I did not go to sleep until it was time for him to leave. I didn't always succeed. As the baby grew, so did my fatigue. I slept as much as I could. He took care of me, the way a good man is supposed to.

When I first began to show, it was amusing to see my fellow officers falling all over themselves to assist me in any way they could. Spock always helped me in and out of my chair. If he wasn't available, either the captain, Sulu or Chekov would do it. Chekov always blushed whenever he helped me. Captain Kirk didn't even try to hide his approval of my rotund appearance and he openly commented on it in front of my husband. I wondered if he complimented me because it annoyed Spock. I wasn't bothered by it, as Kirk meant about as much to me as a junebug in July. Outside of his position as captain, that was.

"You're really, really hot pregnant, Lieutenant," he said. Spock was nearby and I saw the barest flicker of irritation cross his face. "If you weren't a married woman, I'd—" He was smiling. I knew he was doing it to irritate my husband.

I held up my hand. "Captain, if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to antagonize the commander."

Spock said, "Captain, I would like to bring your attention to a matter of sincere importance."

I hoped that the matter wasn't a nerve pinch. Spock did not like it when the captain was overly helpful or appreciative of me. He never showed it and he didn't have to tell me, but I knew it. He had nothing to worry about, because even though Kirk was a brilliant commanding officer, he appealed to me about as much as a case of Andorian shingles and I found his attention nothing more than cute.

Crew members, especially females, complemented me on my hair and skin. The wife of a crew member, who was also pregnant, became a good companion during those times when Spock and I were apart because of duty. It was because of her that I fully embraced the notion of motherhood, and it gave me a lot to think about. There were some major considerations and sacrifices.

As promised, my husband stroked and kissed my belly every single night. I found it interesting that we were intimate more often. We have always had a healthy sex life, but things curtailed right before the Enterprise left space dock, as our schedules did not mesh and we did not see each other as much as we wanted. But it seemed that once I got pregnant, that changed. Spock's desire for me did not diminish as I got bigger and rounder. In fact, it felt as if he wanted me more than ever, and our coupling increased in frequency and intensity. My hormones were off the charts, and as long as I felt up to it, he was up for it. My belly did not get in the way, as he was quite creative in finding positions that were not only comfortable but also pleasurable. It made me love him that much more and I'm sure my happiness showed.

One night, we'd just finished making love and he lay spooned behind me, one hand on my breast as usual. The baby and I were feeling good.

"Ashayam?"

"Yes?"

"How are you feeling?"

I smiled. "Fantastic. Up for more, if you're asking." Spock had turned me into a slut. I didn't mind.

"I have a query."

"Anything, adun."

"Have you given much thought as to how we shall raise our child?"

I sighed, covering his hand with mine. I thought about it a lot. "I have."

"What do you wish to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"What have you decided?"

"Well, nothing. It is a decision we should make, Spock."

"I would like it if we could raise our child on New Vulcan."

I closed my eyes, then lifted his hand and kissed his fingers. I knew he wanted that, even though he never said it. For him to mention it now let me know how important it was to him to ensure the survival of the Vulcan race.

"K'diwa, are you opposed to the concept?"

"Of course not," I said. I wasn't. I just wasn't sure if I wanted to leave Starfleet just yet. Was it possible to have a career and a family on a starship? I did not know.

"You do not want to give up your career."

"I don't want you to think me selfish, Spock. I will do whatever is best for my family."

"I do not think you are self-centered, Nyota. I know what your career means to you."

"I know what it would mean to you for us to raise our child in the Vulcan tradition."

"I would also embrace your human traditions. I will do what you want, Nyota. I will do what I must to ensure your continued satisfaction with me. I do not want you to leave me."

"Do you really think I would? Who would I leave you for?"

He didn't respond, but kissed the side of my neck and linked fingers with me.

"Spock, we have time to decide what we shall do. Let's not deal with it right now."

"The child will be here in three months, k'diwa, if all goes as expected."

"So we'll talk about it in two months."

"Nyota, we should—"

I turned in the bed, pushing myself up so that my back rested against the headboard. The sheet fell down, revealing my six-month bump. He merely propped his head up on one arm and stared at my breasts, running his hand over my belly.

"We'll discuss it in two months, Spock. Maybe by then I'll have a more definite opinion of what I want for our baby. The options are limited: a future on Vulcan or on board this starship. Could we provide a good life for our little one if we continue to serve aboard the Enterprise? I don't know. In two months, we can decide. All right?"

Spock leaned over and caught my nipple in his teeth. He knew how to do it in a way that didn't hurt, but was still very erotic. His eyes were closed and he moved over to take the entire areola in his mouth. Almost immediately, I was wet, but I wanted him to answer me. "Oh…oh…Spock…all right…?" I closed my eyes and cradled his head. He growled and sucked harder. I moaned and knotted my fingers in his hair. He knew how to turn me into goo in seconds. His other hand found my other breast and pretty soon I could think of nothing except how much I wanted him. My desire was incessant, insane. I did not understand how I could be so horny so often. I didn't understand why my Vulcan husband found me so irresistible while I was pregnant. I kept meaning to ask him, but I never thought about it until… "Spock…!"

"I need your essence, k'diwa, I need to have you in my mouth…the taste of you right now is indescribable…I must have it…"

He lifted my leg and I found myself with it over his head as he burrowed it between my thighs. He caressed my thigh as he took his pleasure. His need was so insistent, so desperate, that our current position was not enough to sate him. My belly just got in the way.

"Come up on your knees, ashayam. Get on your knees for me."

I could never deny him, not when he was like that. Soon, I was contorted in pleasure, nearly screaming in my lust. I wanted to touch him, but my bump was blocking and I couldn't reach. It didn't matter; my climax was a tidal wave and for my husband, it still wasn't enough. He wanted me to ride him. I knew he could bear my weight. Feeling him inside me like that was so erotic, so stimulating. He twined my fingers with his own and I rode him. As always when we made love, I experienced everything that he felt, and as intensely as he felt it. He met me, came with me and trembled with me in the aftermath. After some time, I could speak.

"I hope you weren't trying to distract me, Spock." It was a pleasant diversion, however.

"I assure you that I was not. I heard what you said and I agree with your decision. We shall discuss it in two months."

"You're insatiable," I said. "It's like you can't stay away from me. Not that I'm complaining, but since I got pregnant, you have been…"

"Ah," he said, curling against my back. I once again lay on my side. "Your pregnancy makes you more tempting to me than ever before. You are sweeter, you are softer, you are more sensitive and you are radiant. The curve of your belly is an aphrodisiac. It stimulates me to see you naked while you carry my child."

"I don't know why," I said. "I look like a beached whale and most of the time I feel like one."

"That is an illogical and inaccurate statement, k'diwa. You look like a human female who is twenty-four weeks and three days into her pregnancy. I find you pleasurable in such a state. I will not apologize for my desire for you."

"I didn't ask you to. It's just that human males tend to be the opposite." My friend complained that her husband was scared to touch her while she was pregnant.

"Would you like for me to curtail my attention?"

"I would leave you if you did. But, will you want me the same way when I'm not pregnant?"

His hand slid around to my belly. "Of course. Your biochemistry will never be the same as it was, ashayam. But it matters not because I want no other but you. Just you. Only you, adun'a,"

That was enough for me.

TBC...