Chapter 4

Spock noticed the change in Kate's mood when she came out of the entertainment room and Cal had stormed off the other way. Something must have happened between them. He had seen how volatile human relationships could be at the Academy -- many of them barely lasted one semester. He had to admire their resilience though, bouncing back with vigor and hope as they pursued someone new. Humans tend to rank their emotions higher than logic when selecting a mate.

"Spock, shall we?"

Kate was looking at him and waiting for his response. He nodded and promptly followed her.

The trip back to the Watson's country estate was fraught with raw tension. Kate sat quietly for the whole of the journey, staring out the hover car window in brooding silence. Spock welcomed the silence as he closed his eyes and kept his own counsel.

"Have you ever regretted doing something you wished you hadn't?" she suddenly put a question to him as she exited the hover car.

"No… it would be pointless to dwell on past actions," Spock replied.

Kate hesitated for a moment, shrugged as if she had a thought she didn't want to share, then headed up the stairs. She was trudging a bit and Spock sensed it. "He has hurt you…" he said.

She shook her head. "Please. We don't need to talk about Cal…"

"I'm sorry." Spock apologized for bringing up the subject but Kate waved it off.

"That's okay."

"What's okay?" Spock inquired.

"Just a manner of speaking… Never mind, I'm tired. I'm going to bed," she said and left him standing at the foot of the stairs.

*****

Kate pulled on her silk pajamas and brushed her long hair. Her heart felt heavy as she sighed. Her phone beeped by her bedside and on seeing Cal's number flashing on the view screen, she switched it off angrily. Finding him in bed with another woman had hurt her more than she cared to admit. Tonight, she had almost given in to Cal but something held her back, something about Cal that didn't seem quite right.

She knew that Cal had had many lovers – it should not have distressed her. In fact, Cal had angrily reminded her that it was HER choice to end their relationship. Kate was torn between her love for dancing and being with Cal. He would never permit her to pursue a career she had always wanted and Kate could not imagine being a trophy wife, being kept in a gilded cage forever. She dreamed of dancing on all the famous stages where legends like Isadora Duncan, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Margot Fonteyn, Rudolph Nureyev, Martha Graham and contemporary dancers like Marie Okada and Tom Ayling danced. Perhaps she would never find the kind of happiness that her mother had found with her father. Slowly, her thoughts drifted to her beloved mother. Her kind face always showed compassion and understanding.

"What should I do?" she whispered sadly and hugged her pillow close. "Will I ever find someone who loves me for who I am?"

The house was quiet in the mid-morning when she finally came out of her room. Stuart was pruning the indoor plants with a pair of garden scissors.

"Stuart, where is my father?" she asked the android.

"The Professor has gone to town to visit an old friend."

"Thank you. Stuart. You may return to your work," Kate said.

"Yes, Miss Kate."

While on the way to the kitchen, she glanced in the direction of her father's study and wondered if Spock was in there. She knew her father had kept a lot of books and reference materials in his study so it was no surprise where Spock chose to spend his time. She walked up to the door and tapped it softly. There was no answer so she decided to let herself in, curious to find out what he had been doing all this time.

It's so strange in here, she thought. In the middle of her father's desk were coils, wires and something which looked like an antique radio – an early twentieth century invention. Her knowledge of science was somewhat perfunctory, but she recognized the apparatus that had been in the family for generations and that it had been broken.

What is it doing in Spock's hands? She wondered.

Then, she heard the door slide open. "Miss Kate."

She felt her pulse quicken as she recognized Spock's voice. She turned around and smiled, carefully avoiding eye contact.

"Hello, Spock," she said brightly.

He was standing at the doorway with his hands behind his back. "Did you want to see me?"

She noted a hint of pique in his voice, feeling like the little girl who was caught with her hand in a cookie jar.

"N…No, err… I … was…" she stammered, looking for a reason or excuse for her presence. "…looking for my dad."

"Your father is not here," Spock stated the obvious.

"Apparently, so… I should leave you to your work now," she said hastily and retreated to the door.

"My hobby, actually," he corrected her.

Kate turned around in surprise.

"I found this antique 20th century receiver device in the back of your father's study. He had graciously allowed me to fix it in my spare time. I studied Earth's Engineering History in my first year at the Academy and I am familiar with the workings of the thermionic valve," Spock explained. "Stuart has rendered valuable assistance in procuring the parts for me."

"Then I won't disturb you further," said Kate as Spock's explanation seemed beyond her comprehension.

"Kate," he suddenly called to her. "Would you be interested in an excursion to the New York Metropolis?"

She was speechless – the taciturn Spock had approached her of his own accord. "I… I would be glad to show you around," she managed to say.

His reaction was a slight upturn of his lips. "Is fifteen minutes sufficient time for you to be ready? I shall wait for you in the foyer."

Kate changed into a light cotton dress and comfortable walking shoes. She brushed her long hair and stared at the mirror. Should I let my hair down or up? she frowned as she let it down. Why am I so concerned about how I look to Spock? He probably won't notice.

But Spock did notice – for a brief moment, she could see the admiration in his eyes. However, it disappeared as soon as he turned to enter the hover car. Thinking it was an illusion, she shrugged it off.

They visited some of the sights in New York Metropolis, a new city built after the ice caps had melted because of the greenhouse gases, and the oceans had risen to drown so many cities along all the shorelines of the world – old Amsterdam. Venice. New York. Forever lost.

Kate tried to answer Spock's questions regarding the places they had visited. She was pleasantly surprised that Spock showed a keen interest in Earth's music and art as he studied each work/piece carefully -- he was particularly interested in a desert painting by one of the contemporary artists.

"Does Vulcan have music and poetry?" she inquired.

"Yes. Vulcan has a rich history of music and poetry. The earliest recorded work is ten thousand years old," he told her.

Kate was impressed by his knowledge of the Vulcan arts as he told her of the times when his ancestors were fierce warriors and how from the ashes of war, music and poetry were born; works exalting the brave, celebrating the victory and remembering the fallen...

Surely there must be some romantic works – works that celebrated beauty, love, joy and sorrow? she mused.

He had neglected to explain that part to her, as if he had consciously edited it out but Kate didn't press further.

"Do you play any musical instruments?" she asked.

"I play the Vulcan lyre. It's a string instrument," came the reply.

"I've never heard the sound of a Vulcan lyre before," she said whimsically.

Spock turned to her; his eyes seemed to pierce her soul. "Some day you will..."

He uttered those words with a conviction that made her pulse quicken and a warm feeling coursed through her. Flustered, she looked away and stammered, "Shall we check out the Pottery section?"

As they were about to exit an art museum, she overheard someone call out to Spock. "My husband, isn't that Spock, Sarek's son?"

A Vulcan couple came forward holding up their hands in a Vulcan salute. "Greetings, Spock."

Spock stiffened – he seemed to recognize them as his fingers parted in a similar salute. "Greetings, Soran… T'Len. This is Miss Kate Watson, a friend."

Kate smiled and held out her hand. Soran and T'Len chose to ignore it and nodded slightly to her before turning to speak with Spock.

"What are you doing here?" Soran inquired. "Your father was with us on the starship, Seleya when we docked at San Francisco. Did he not inform you of his arrival?"

Spock raised a bushy eyebrow. "No, he did not."

"Why is that?" T'Len asked.

In a strained voice, Spock replied, "My father and I have not spoken in 4.5 years."

"It is most unfortunate," Soran said smugly. "None of his sons have decided to follow in his footsteps."

Kate sensed the tension between Spock and the Vulcan couple. What had caused Spock to sever all ties with his father? She wondered.

"How is your son, Stonn?" Spock finally asked and changing the subject. He did not wish to dwell on his father.

"Stonn is doing well -- he was offered a place in the coveted Astrophysics Department on the Vulcan Science Council," T'Len replied, nodding proudly to her husband. "It is an honor for our house to serve Vulcan."

"Indeed. After all, Stonn had come in second in all the pre-qualification examinations set by the Science Academy in my year."

Soran's eyes blazed. "If you hadn't turned down a place at the Science Academy, you too would be serving Vulcan instead of wasting your time here."

Kate could see that Spock was struggling to maintain his cool demeanor and that he resented his predicament, and was not above being sarcastic. "I am exploring my options at this moment," he said icily.

"Indeed," Soran said as he threw Kate a disdainful glance.

Kate bit back a protest – she didn't like the way Soran was insinuating that they might be involved. But Spock would not confirm nor deny this.

"So you decided to join Starfleet to be a subordinate to humans?" T'Len sneered.

"I will report to whoever is my commanding officer," Spock replied with barely concealed restraint.

Sensing Spock's anger, Soran turned to his wife. "We have another engagement… am I right, T'Len?"

"Yes, my husband," T'Len responded by crossing her fingers with Soran. "It is time to leave. Live long and prosper, Spock… in whatever you do."

Spock did not bother to reciprocate as they turned and walked away. Kate noticed that he had gripped the banister so tightly that the metal bar had twisted out of shape. "Spock, are you all right?" she became concerned.

After a long moment of silence, he turned to her and said, "I must apologize -- my people do not greet each other by touching hands."

"That's okay, Spock. I'm more concerned about you," she said. "My father will understand if you wish to return to San Francisco to meet your father…"

"That won't be necessary," he cut in harshly as he exited the museum in long strides.

After that, Spock did not seem interested in any exhibits or sights of the metropolis. She could see that his thoughts were far away.

As she passed a boutique in a shopping mall, a sleeveless deep red gown on display distracted Kate – it had delicate sequins cum lace sewn around the bodice and layers of light material flowed from the waist. She did not have anything special to wear for her father's party and she would love to try on that dress on display.

"Spock, could we step inside for a while?" she asked.

He nodded automatically.

Kate immediately requested for the gown. The salesperson nodded and promptly brought it out for her. "This just arrived yesterday. Would you like to try it on?" she asked.

"Yes."

Kate liked the way the gown fitted her snugly and the layers of soft had accentuated her curves. She felt like a princess as she smoothed out the layers of her gown in front of the dressing room mirror. After she had paid for her purchase, she found Spock standing by the display window, deep in thought.

We all have our own demons, she sighed.

She suddenly wondered about Vulcan females – are they as cold as Spock? How do the Vulcan males treat them? Obviously, there must be some kind of attraction for procreation to happen. Does Spock have a mate waiting for him in Vulcan?

Spock was such a private person that it would take a lot to earn his trust and confidence, she mused. Her father seemed able to penetrate that wall of silence with limited success and it took him many years to do that. If she could somehow cheer him up, then an idea came to her.

Kate brought him to see the magnificent sunset on top of a cliff; a sheer rock wall that rose high above the sea level located just a few kilometers from the metropolis. Here, the ocean views were incomparable as the very last rays of the sun was setting over the wide expanse of ocean, the light catching Kate and Spock as they stood at the precipice, and the melodic percussion of waves tapping the rocks was calming. "It's lovely out here, isn't it?" she said, taking a deep breath. "Welcome to Liberty Bay."

"Indeed," he replied, contemplating the view.

"My mother used to bring me here a lot when I was young. She said that the sound of waves crashing on the side of the cliffs calmed and inspired her," said Kate with a wistful smile. "She would dance around me, like this…"

Suddenly, Kate took off her shoes and started dancing for him. There was no need for costumes or a stage. There were no rules; her movements relaxed, flowing like the rolling waves, carefree like the wind and the music playing in her mind.

"This is my dance routine for my entrance application to the National Conservatory in Cologne," she said breathlessly. "They will be coming to New York next week and I want them to notice me."

"It would be impossible for them not to notice you… your talent," Spock quickly corrected himself.

Kate almost stumbled -- his meaning not lost to her. "I believe you just gave me a compliment," she teased.

When he remained impassive, she stepped closer to him. Kate guessed how she could have looked to him: cheeks flushed, breasts heaving from the physical exertion and her mouth parted ever so slightly. Spock turned his eyes to hers. Kate's heart skipped a beat as she could have sworn there was something more in those enigmatic eyes than he would care to admit.

"Thank you, Spock," she whispered, taking a deep breath.

Spock quickly looked down and she thought his awkwardness quite endearing. "We have to go now," she said, looking to him for an indication of what to do next.

But neither of them moved.

"Don't we?"

Her question made Spock almost involuntarily, smile. Kate took the opportunity to step back from him and walk to the hover car. Her heart was beating wildly and her head feeling light – this was not what she had expected being with someone like Spock!

Leave it unsaid, she thought.