Chapter 7
"And that is the unpleasant story of my cousin's unfortunate bond," T'Sefora finished.
McCoy leaned back on the bench they shared, frowning. Vulcans, it seemed, followed an ancient tradition of engaging children around the age of seven so that they would have "mates" for "when the males' time come." He was skillful enough to understand the euphemism; rumours about the Vulcan seven-year itch were as casually bandied about Starfleet Medical Center's residents' lounges as the latest drug to keep one alert for 36 hours. He just hadn't bought into it.
This T'Pring, Spock's assigned mate, sounded like a real piece of work. She'd made it clear that she had little interest in Spock, and had resisted sharing her mind with him like betrothed Vulcans were expected to. T'Sefora, for example, had already had a few silent moments with Styroben, her own mate, apologizing to him each time.
Styroben, it seemed, was a little miffed that he hadn't been invited for dinner upon her return home. He was fond of Amanda, too, T'Sefora explained, not adding that she was now wondering if he was beginning the descent into his own time. Styroben was normally quiet and easygoing, and always kind. It was why she was, frankly, eager to finalize their bond.
"Why in the world wasn't this so-called engagement broken when Spock left for Starfleet?" McCoy wondered aloud.
"Because T'Pring desired to keep it," T'Sefora answered, helpfully breaking his thinking process. "Our clan is rich, Dr. McCoy. As you have seen, we must take great care to not attract attention from outsiders, our own media, and now it seems, outworlders.
"Finally, as Ezyet Amanda says, gold-diggers are as plentiful on Vulcan as anywhere else. You must remember this."
McCoy laughed. "I guess they're the more logical ones than those who marry for love," he said. "And by the way, let's drop the formality. My friends call me Bones. Or worse," he added.
"Vucans rarely marry for love, Doctor Bones," T'Sefora answered. "Love logically comes after the bond has been…finalized."
"You mean after the couple has had sex." Dr. Bones. He liked that name.
She nodded. "So I have been told."
"So Spock is stuck with a bond-mate he doesn't like, who only wants him for his money, and he loves Nyota," McCoy mused.
"Do you know her?" T'Sefora asked.
"Sure," McCoy answered. "She's a good friend. I've suspected that there's been something between her and Spock but I've never asked and they've certainly never brought it up."
"She's lovely," T'Sefora breathed. "I do not believe I have seen a Human woman who is so…beautiful."
And Ezyet Amanda was a very pretty girl when Dap-lan-pa Sarek had married her. She'd seen the holos. She wasn't breathtaking like this Nyota, but rather cute, in a mischievous kind of way. Her ezyet was her favorite relative. As a child, she had received several volumes of classic Terran children's books on her birthdays from Ezyet Amanda, who insisted on noting birth anniversaries. They awoke her imagination and sparked her interest in learning more about Terra and Terrans. Early on, T'Sefora decided that her aunt was a mix between Louisa May Alcott's Jo and Jane Austen's Emma—both of whom she would have welcomed as friends had they been real.
"Yes, she is," McCoy said, softly.
"Do you love, her too?" T'Sefora asked him. McCoy looked away.
"I like her, plenty. But I'm damaged goods, T'Sefora, and anyway I'm too old for Nyota. By the time we met, it was obvious to me that she had other interests. It just took me a while to realize who held those interests."
"Damaged goods? Are you unwell, Dr. Bones?"
"No. Just divorced and bitter."
"Was your mate…a poor match?"
"I can only blame myself," he answered. "We weren't matched like Vulcans. Ours was a so-called love marriage except we confused lust with love."
T'Sefora looked away. She had heard a lot about Human lust. She hoped Spock's love for Nyota wasn't lust. She had no idea about if he'd even had his Time as yet, and wondered if Human women could even handle it given that Vulcans were a much stronger race.
But then, Ezyet Amanda had been married to Dap-lan-pa Sarek for...far more than seven years! She looked pretty well although there were times when she looked, well, exhausted. And these weren't necessarily in seven-year intervals. Living with Sarek probably was tiring; keeping up with the Ambassador wore her out and that was just being an assistant and not a mate. Reflecting upon this, her admiration for her ezyet increased even more.
"Penny for your thoughts?" McCoy teased.
T'Sefora raised an eyebrow at him. "Why would I collect an obscure amount of discontinued credit for thinking about my aunt and uncle?" she asked.
McCoy sighed. "It's an expression." Vulcans, he thought. He had a summer full of them ahead.
"I am certain," T'Sefora began, "that my cousin intends to divorce his mate."
"Is that allowed?"
"It is not all that unusual. Many children grow up and move off-planet during adolescence. By the time they are grown and ready for the final bond, they find little compatibility with their childhood mates."
"Well Spock's certainly past adolescence," McCoy commented.
T'Sefora turned to him. "He is not, Doctor Bones. He has only reached 30 Terran years."
"And that isn't grown-up enough?" McCoy asked in that teasing voice again.
"Certainly not. Adolescence usually ends between ages 45 and 50."
McCoy sat up and faced her for the first time since this conversation began nearly a half hour earlier. "Are you kidding me?"
T'Sefora was confused. "How could I possibly offer you a Human child, bonded as I am?"
Well this will be a long, hot, and confusing summer!
Amanda gazed at Sarek. "Husband," she began, "I never doubt your abilities."
That got both of their attention. Sarek raised an eyebrow at her. Spock just stared.
"Oh come on! You know that when it's really important, I trust you implicitly!"
Spock allowed a momentary smile and glanced at his father, who was looking at his mother, his eyes soft and…loving. Like how Nyota looked at him.
"How," Amanda asked, her voice low and respectful, "do you plan to extricate Spock from T'Pring and her family?"
"There is the adultery situation," Spock began.
"No!" Amanda and Sarek spoke together, surprising one another. "I will not allow my son, my half-Human son, to be looked upon as a…cuckold," Amanda said angrily. "The way some Vulcans are, they will see it as a weakness on your part and not hers. I won't have any more insults to our heritage, Spock."
Sarek silently transmitted his agreement. "I will not allow that girl's indiscretion to sully our clan, any part of our clan."
"Although," Amanda said slowly, "those holos of Spock and Wing Commander Uhura-"
"Cadet Wing Command Chief Uhura," Spock interrupted.
My son, please be silent, Sarek transmitted to him. Allow your mother to speak out loud.
Amanda thanked him with her eyes.
"Those holos with your girlfriend," she continued, "will certainly remove any suggestion that you are…incapable…or wanting…" her voice trailed off, mindful of her husband's, if not her son's, sensitivity where sexuality was concerned. She had tried to discuss Human sexuality with Spock when he was entering his teens, before one of his summer visits to his Terran cousins. He'd completely shut her out. Sarek had been similarly uncommunicative when she'd ask him to talk about Human girls with him. She'd assumed he had, as Spock had returned home with no visible trouble and her sister hadn't mentioned anything to her.
No doubt, four years at the Academy filled in any holes. But oh, those holo posters of him that circulated when he was still just a kid there…those had troubled both of them although her family told them they were overreacting.
She was stuck in her thoughts, so Sarek spoke up. "My wife, please do not trouble yourself," he said. "Trust in my abilities, my diplomatic skills, to handle this."
"I do not have much time here," Spock reminded him.
"And this will not take much time," Sarek assured him. "I have given this some thought, and for some time, since we first met your Nyota last year."
Amanda shot him a look. Didn't I say something was going on?
"My wife, your conclusions were, as always…logical. And logically, I planned for any and all circumstances regarding our son."
I am still here! Spock reminded both of them.
