A/N: Chapter dedicated to sesshomaru's fluff is mine, for general awesomeness and a new story idea… :D
Also, I just launched my website, which is utter nerd-dom with avatars, photomanips, fanfic, etc. The link is on my author page, or: http gisela-tinuelena (dot) webs (dot) com. I have a poll up to ask what I should write next… ;)
On to the replies for you lovely reviewers:
Kurai-Hime: Thank you! No matter how many times I hear it, it still makes me feel wonderful, and I appreciate it. Amarantine = total love. I adore Enya. "Drifting" is my favorite from that album, and I actually wrote a scene in First Contact (the first story in this series) to that song. :)
Proserpine: Thanks!
Secret Thought: lol. I've been in such a ridiculous fluff mode lately. Obviously showing through in my writing.
sexy-jess: Much love for your massive reviews! :D I actually did get cupcakes for my birthday… lol… And I can't wait for opening night of the second Star Trek movie, because I'm totally going to wear my Starfleet shirt, and once my camera comes back from Best Buy, I am going to take a picture of myself wearing it and put it up on my website. lol. Yeah, Synok… if this was a crackfic, he'd be throwing a full-on temper tantrum by now. Kicking and screaming in the Unicomplex. HA! Yes, Uhura = very illogical… but I suspect that even Spock would respect her reasoning. I love Sulu and he needs more time in the spotlight. Thanks, I love when I can get readers to feel what the characters do! It warms my writer's heart :) lol. Yup, what an ego on that Queen. Good thing Synok takes her down a notch. Or several notches. I'm worried about Safiya, too, and she's my own character! ha :)
Schubita: aww, thank you! :D
Mars-Eclipse: Yup. A kunat-so'lik is a marriage proposal. :P
Stormcloud22: Well, I think it's only fair—you spend time reviewing, I should respond! Thanks for your comments! :)
Hikaru: lol, I loved the video. Brilliant. And aww! Thank you! I even smiled at Spock's smile. I just keep thinking of the all-out grin in "Amok Time." I love happy Spock. lol. I'm glad you've been enjoying—I always look forward to your reviews! Thank you!
Naunet Elvina Amunet: Thanks! Smiles are always great :)
Ai-Sarang: I think he's too happy to freak out… or is he? Haha. No, he's thrilled. :)
grace1237: There's a few chapters left. Yeah, Kirk settling down is quite the stretch, isn't it? But if he's got Antonia in Generations, why not let him have Spock in our world? ;)
hpets: Absolutely! Weird bell shaking and all! ;)
my renji-kun: aww! lol :D
DizzyBaby: Thanks! Yup, he's made his recovery :)
OritPetra: Thank you for the birthday wishes and comments! Yes, the two Spocks are very different characters; their worlds and timelines have shaped them into two markedly separate individuals. What a compliment, by the way! I'll have to remember to swing by and check out your story. :) I'm glad that First Contact didn't send you running for the hills, and I'm so happy that you've stuck with me the whole way! I do agree with you about the simplistic nature of the solution; however, like you said, I couldn't think of another way to do it without copying Nemesis. And, let it be known that the Borg have not been defeated; just paralyzed. For now. :)
SnowKissYuki: thanks :)
sesshomaru's fluff is mine: lol, fainting Kirk. Crackfic is good though. Laughing = awesome. lmao… of course Spock tamed him to ride him ;) Your idea is a good one: side-story about Safiya & etc. I'll add it to my project list. lol, Spock Prime could just mind meld with you and he would know that your only intent was to comfort him, and he'd overlook the towel-cape… hahaha YES, I love the speculation that cliffhangers bring!! My theory is that Kirk's shirt is ugly so whoever he's trying to seduce will just want to pull it off. If you ever do watch Heroes… seriously, message me. I will give you a rundown of moments to watch for. And ones you'll need to pause and squeal over. Season 3 gets better. :D Sylar is definitely evil and that's just hot to me. lol
MirrorFlower and DarkWind: It was Bones. Maybe I should have been more clear. And thank you! Glad it made you happy :D
tilly-tally-tease: :D Yes, I needed my fluffy sickbay proposal :) Remembering Spock Prime's advice to his counterpart in XI—"Do what feels right"—I think Spock Prime really embraced his human side after being marooned on Delta Vega. Obviously his logical side helped to keep him alive but, especially after meeting the alternate Kirk, I think some long-buried emotions really came to the surface.
Catri Howlman-Carthaki spy: yay, I'm glad. :) I explained Spock's resistance to the technology in this chapter. Kunat-so'lik is a Vulcan marriage proposal. Hooray for good sleep and normal blood pressure. No hard feelings. :D And yes, it is true indeed that a large number of the people who write slash are female. Academic studies (crazy, right) show that a major reason for this is that it allows females to live out fantasies of their favorite male characters without becoming jealous of another female character. I would say there's probably a measure of truth to that. I'm just incredibly enamored with the idea of Spock and Kirk together because of their friendship and, of course, because Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are ridiculously hot. ;)
lovefan81:
no problem! We'll get to more of Uhura's mother later—perhaps
much more, as sesshomaru's fluff is mine has suggested that
I do a side story about their family and what they've gone through.
Ceremony—of course!
Yana5: thanks!
Andrina Sparda: Good to know I'm taking away the trauma!! :)
xx
"It's a shame." Sulu stared at Synok, who was being attended to by one of McCoy's assistants. They sat in the good doctor's office, waiting for the Vulcan to regain consciousness.
"A shame? The guy almost annihilated an entire goddamn race of people!" spat McCoy.
"And thanks to him, what's left of two endangered races were saved from complete assimilation!"
"One of those races wouldn't have been endangered in the first place if—"
"Look," Kirk interrupted, his voice firm. "It's not like he's going to get away with anything. Okay? He's still an asshole, he's just an asshole who happened to do the right thing today." He paused, looking from the navigator to the doctor. "Now, can you please not kill each other? After we're finished here, we're going up to the observation deck. We have some good news to celebrate."
Synok flickered into consciousness, and his attending physician scanned him with a tricorder. Satisfied with his vital signs, she helped him to sit up. After asking him a couple questions, the physician nodded in the direction of the office.
One by one, the crew filed out to speak with Synok.
"I feel as though I am about to be congratulated or condemned," he said calmly, staring up at the solemn faces.
"Maybe both," Kirk said regretfully. "Synok, what you did today—it saved thousands of lives. For that deed, you deserve to be lauded as a hero. But there's still the matter of what you did to the Chenari."
Synok lowered his gaze.
"We must bring you back to the Federation," Kirk said. "I'm sorry."
To everyone's surprise, the Vulcan nodded. "It is your duty to bring me back, Captain. I understand. I also understand that I must face the reality that I committed a horrible crime, and I must take responsibility for what I have done. I am prepared to face my punishment. I consider my actions today only a small bit of the debt I must repay to the universe. I know this does not redeem me; hopefully it will be only the beginning of a new life with a new purpose."
Not knowing what to say, Kirk simply nodded. "I won't lock you up, Synok. You can spend the rest of your time on the Enterprise in sickbay. We'll post guards, though. You understand."
"I do," he said.
"A moment, please," Kirk said.
After the crew had filed out, Kirk perched on the edge of the Vulcan's bed. "Thank you," he said earnestly.
"As I said, Captain. It does not make up for my actions on Chenar. But I appreciate your gratitude."
"No, you don't understand. My—my first officer had been assimilated. You saved him before any more cybernetics could grow, and I'm in your debt. When we get back to Starfleet, I'll have a word with Admiral Pike. I'm sure they can figure out a sentence that doesn't involve you rotting away in a cell for the rest of your life."
"I would appreciate that, Captain."
xx
McCoy, on Kirk's orders, had hunted down two bottles of champagne and seven glasses and brought them to the observation deck. As the doctor filled the flutes, Kirk stared out the window into space. At warp speed, the stars were like diamond bullets. Watching them fly by made him feel invincible; the Enterprise-A dodged every bullet, every star, every time. It gave him a rush.
"Well?"
Scotty said brightly. "What's the big news, Cap'n?"
Kirk
turned from the window and glanced at Spock. "I'm not good at
speeches," he said.
"Very well," came his first officer's reply. "The news is that I have extended a kunat-so'lik to the Captain."
Scotty
raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What's that?"
Uhura
uttered a soft syllable of surprise, and a grin lit her face. "It's
a marriage proposal."
"A—what?" Scotty gaped. "Are you serious?"
Nodding, Kirk smiled.
Uhura laughed. "Let me be the first to say that I have no idea what you see in him, Spock, but I am beyond happy for the two of you. I—well, there are just no words. Congratulations." She raised her glass.
"Hell of a toast, Lieutenant," Kirk said sarcastically, but he was smiling.
"Let me second that," laughed McCoy. "Mr. Spock, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into."
In a very uncharacteristic gesture, Spock allowed himself a small smile and let his fingertips gently brush those of his t'hy'la. "Yes, Doctor, I do—and it is the most logical decision I have made to date."
Kirk tried hard not to blush, but he wasn't sure he was successful.
Finally, the spotlight shifted, and they began to break into their own conversations. Uhura, a smile playing on her face, sauntered over to Spock.
"Kind of a rash decision for a logical Vulcan, don't you think?"
The corner of his mouth quirked upward. "It was not 'rash,' Lieutenant. I have been aware of my desire to call him my lifelong mate since the day of his promotion."
"That was over six months ago," she whispered.
Spock inclined his head. "Precisely. Since that day, I have meditated on possible outcomes, and the logical conclusion—" He paused.
"Was?" prompted Uhura.
"To follow the advice of my alternate self." Fondly, he looked over at Kirk. "To do what feels right. Furthermore," he added, "we have proven compatible in all significant ways."
"Well, I'm happy for you, Spock."
"Thank you." He paused. "How is your mother?"
Uhura stared down into her glass. "She keeps asking how Erevu and Anisa died."
"Have you told her?"
She shrugged. "No. But I know I'll have to tell her soon enough," she whispered. "Is it wrong to want to protect her from it?"
"I do not believe so. It shows that you care for her."
Uhura nodded, fighting tears. "I don't think she'll ever be the woman I remembered."
"Life changes us all," Spock told her. "She may not have retained all of her personality traits, and she may have adopted the Borg philosophy. But at her core, Nyota, she still is your mother, and she cares for you."
"I'm so glad we've stayed friends," came Uhura's response.
"I understand that it is not the usual human behavior to remain good friends with past lovers."
"I'm not a usual human," Uhura said with a smile. "That's why we got along so well in the first place. I was always the 'practical' one in my group of friends. The logical one. When it came down to it, we were both able to see that we weren't compatible. A friendship can exist when a romantic relationship can not."
"Indeed." His mouth twitched. "I have been fortunate enough to find one who can be both friend and lover."
Kirk, meanwhile, was bent in conversation with McCoy.
"I still don't believe it," the doctor said, tipping his flute back.
Kirk ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah," he agreed. "Me neither."
"Is that a good or a bad thing?"
With a chuckle, he shrugged "It's good. It's amazing. I'm just—this came out of nowhere. A year ago, I was nailing two girls a week at the Academy. And now—I know it's totally weird of me, Bones, but he was exactly what I needed. Is exactly what I need."
"Christ, Jim—he's so different than anyone else you've been with. And I'm not just pointing out the obvious anatomical difference."
Suppressing a chuckle, Kirk nodded. "A bunker and a bomb. You'd think we'd clash."
"You did clash. He marooned you on an ice world, in case you've forgotten."
"Water under the bridge," said Kirk with a wave of his hand. "We didn't understand each other back then. It's different now."
"Different."
"Yeah," Kirk said, a smirk appearing on his lips. "We've gotten more acquainted with each other's… what was your phrase? Anatomical differences."
"Good God, Jim, I don't want to hear about it—"
Kirk was laughing too hard to pay attention.
xx
After the celebration ended, Kirk and Spock retreated to the Captain's quarters, shed their uniforms, and crawled into bed together.
"It's going to be normal soon," Kirk realized. "This."
"It has been our usual pattern for approximately two weeks."
Which Kirk was well aware of, and quite happy about. They always slept in Kirk's quarters, which meant it was always just a little too cold for Spock, which in turn meant that the Vulcan spent most of the night clinging to his Captain's side.
"So," Kirk said, rolling over on his side. "How are we going to do this?"
"Clarify."
"The—the wedding." It was the first time he'd used the word in referring to them, and he felt a rush of adrenaline. Saying it made it real.
"If you do not object, I would prefer a traditional Vulcan ceremony."
Immediately, Kirk tensed. "Is someone going to challenge me for the right to you?"
"Only you or I can call for the kal-if-fee," Spock reassured him, with a twitch of his lips.
Underneath the sheets, Kirk extended his hand until he found Spock's fingers. He let them dance with those of his first officer, kissing him, relishing the soft tingle that buzzed through their skin.
"We'll wait," Kirk whispered, "until your father is better. Then we'll go to the surface."
Spock raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Jim, I am not in pon farr. It is not imperative that we have a ceremony at once. I realize that humans have engagement periods which generally last from six months to one year. I do not wish to make you feel rushed."
In response, Kirk pressed his lips to Spock's warm ones. "Waiting," he breathed into Spock's ear, "would be… illogical."
Spock's lips twitched and he pulled Kirk in for another kiss. On impulse, the Captain let his eyes flutter open; dark, intent Vulcan eyes watched him from millimeters away. He was quite sure it was a shock he'd never overcome, the fact that those eyes were his now, for the rest of his life…
The rest of my life. Kirk almost laughed out loud. If someone had told me a year ago that I'd be getting married before I was thirty—to a Vulcan—a Vulcan male—I'd have asked how many drugs Bones had shot them up with.
Gently, Kirk traced Spock's fingers with his own, letting his thoughts wander to uncharacteristic places for him. The knowledge that no one could read his mind comforted him. Except for Spock—and he didn't think he'd mind if Spock saw these thoughts.
Knocking out the wall between Kirk's quarters and Spock's quarters, making it their quarters. Did Starfleet regulation allow for that? …Fuck regulation. It's my ship. Chess and really good conversation, followed by hot sex where the winner got to top. Having two homes to go to. Bringing Spock home to meet his mother—God, would that be priceless. Did Vulcans wear wedding rings? Being thankful that Synok had stopped the Borg—at least temporarily—before Spock grew any more cybernetics—
"Hey, Spock."
"Yes?"
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course." He ran his fingers through Kirk's hair.
"How's it possible you only grew one little piece of Borg technology?"
His eyes softened. "Similar to Synok's resistance to complete connection to the hive mind, I was able to concentrate and focus on resisting the nanoprobes, much like I focused on healing aboard the bird-of-prey on which we were held captive." He paused. "I was aware of your fixation for my eyes. I did not wish to see them damaged." His cheeks filled with color. "I admit to a small fraction of fear on my part—"
Instantly, Kirk knew what he was about to say, and cut him off. "Spock, if you were covered from head to toe in scars from Borg cybernetics, that still wouldn't be enough to get me to stay away from you." He smiled. "Again. Completely illogical."
"Logic," Spock sighed. His smooth baritone fell quiet on Kirk's ear. "Our relationship has no root in logic. No full-blooded Vulcan will ever understand the choice I have made to take you as my mate. But I am lost to you now, Jim; no amount of reason could save me." He dropped a soft kiss on his t'hy'la's temple. "Nor do I wish to be saved."
"You talk too much," Kirk whispered hoarsely.
Spock considered this. He knew that Jim's flippant remarks always translated into something much more heartfelt. "Yes," he finally said, "I know." And he covered his Captain's mouth in a kiss.
xx
A/N: "I am lost to you now; there's no amount of reason to save me." –Jewel, "Break Me"
