Thaya, chapter 8

"Thaya, would you please join me for a moment? I have something to tell you."

As Thaya skipped across the room and sat on the sofa next to her, Saavik noticed that the sounds from the kitchen had ceased. She looked up to see Michael standing in the doorway with a dishtowel in his hand. He smiled and nodded encouragement, so she turned back to Thaya.

"Thaya," she said gently, "do you understand that Mr. Jenkins has been trying very hard to locate any relatives you might have?"

Thaya nodded seriously, so Saavik continued.

"He has talked to many, many people on Andor. He hoped he would find your family so you could live with them. I fear that he has not succeeded." Thaya did not appear to comprehend, so Saavik amended, "He has not found your family." Thaya still did not react. "He and I believe that you have no living relatives."

Thaya picked up her stuffed toy, which had been lying neglected on the floor near the sofa, and looked down at her feet. Saavik knew that she had not handled this well. She met Michael's eyes helplessly, and he made discreet circling motions with his hand to indicate that she should keep going. She scooted closer to Thaya.

"However," she said, "a relation by blood does not always define a family. Sometimes, one can choose one's family. Did you know that I have no known blood relatives, either?"

Her chin was still close to her chest, but Thaya peered up at Saavik and shook her head slightly.

"It is true. I was alone when I was your age. A very good man found me, and he raised me as his own. We defined what it meant to be a family. It was an accident that we met, but it was not an accident that we chose one another." Saavik put her elbows on her knees so that their faces would be on the same level. "Thaya, I choose you. I would be very pleased if you would also choose me."

Thaya's eyes grew wide. Saavik waited for her to nod or shake her head, or to give some other indication of her feelings, but she did nothing.

Saavik tried again. "Will you live with me, Thaya? I will take care of you. I will be your family. I really want to do this, more than I want anything in the universe."

Finally, Thaya smiled. It was a tiny smile, almost fearful, and Saavik thought that perhaps she was afraid to believe that the offer was genuine. It was the only answer Saavik needed, however.

"I think that we should live on Vulcan," she said. "We will make a home there, and you will go to school. Michael lives there, and so does my family, the chosen family that I told you about. We will have a good life. Together."

Thaya's small smile became a large one, and she began to bounce up and down on the sofa with excitement. Saavik motioned Michael over, and he sat down with them. Soon, he and she were both talking rapidly at the same time about everything they would find on Vulcan.

...

Seated at the computer terminal in Michael's father's office, Saavik picked up her padd and checked her list to see what she needed to do next.

She had contacted Mr. Jenkins, and as she had expected, he had been very pleased to learn of her decision.

She had completed the form he sent and returned it to him, and he was in the process of adding his own comments before forwarding it to Andor.

She had contacted Starfleet and applied for extended leave. She would have preferred to tell Captain Moore about it herself, but the Curie was currently out of communications range. She had recorded a message for him instead. Starfleet would give him the official notice, but she wished to at least provide a personal explanation.

She had scheduled a doctor's appointment per Mr. Jenkins' instructions so that Thaya could receive another check-up prior to going to Vulcan. He had stated that this was not strictly required, but it might speed the process. Saavik was wholeheartedly in favor of anything that might speed the process.

She had located a distributor of Vulcan clothing in Bombay, contacted him, and ordered five complete outfits for Thaya. They were to be delivered tomorrow. She knew that she could wait until they were actually on Vulcan to do this, but Thaya would be much more comfortable if appropriately attired as soon as they arrived. Saavik could not predict how she might react to the heat, and clothing designed for Vulcan's climate would be preferable to the clothing they had purchased in San Francisco.

She had reserved three seats on the 0800 shuttle from Terra Station to Vulcan on Tuesday, since Mr. Jenkins had indicated that she might receive permission to proceed as early as then. If it took somewhat longer, however, that would not be a problem, for she had ensured that her tickets were transferable.

Now. She must take care of the next item on her list.

"Computer. Contact Vulcan, comm address ShiKahr 99403371."

Waiting for her call to go through, she picked up a stylus, tapped it three times against the desk, looked at it, and put it down. Then, she started to reach for a paperweight, but caught herself and instead slid her hands under her thighs. This wasn't anything, really, just a call to two people who were always supportive, two people who would accept her decision, two people who had no idea that this was more than a routine assignment, who knew she'd gone to Earth but did not know where she was staying, whom she'd meant to call a few days ago but just hadn't gotten around to calling, who would think that this was an incredibly drastic thing to do—

The screen brightened to show Nyota's face. "Saavik! What a surprise. Hang on a moment while I call Spock. Spock!" she yelled. "It's Saavik!" She faced the screen again. "So, tell me how everything is going. You're still on Earth?"

Saavik knew that Nyota would have checked the origin of the call prior to answering. However, this was Saavik's prompt to participate in 'small talk,' so she complied.

"Yes. I am actually in South Carolina, at Michael's father's home."

"Really?" Nyota tapped a key, and the display widened to show Spock finding a seat next to her. "Spock, Saavik just said that she's visiting Michael. In his father's home." The emphasis on the word 'father' was very evident.

"Nyota, I assure you that my sense of hearing is quite undiminished despite the fact that you nearly deafened me when you called my name. Greetings, Saavik."

Nyota acknowledged his teasing comment with a sideways look, and returned her attention to Saavik. "That's great! It's always a big step when a young man takes you home to meet his family."

"Actually, he did not bring me here to meet his family. His family is off-planet."

"Oh? So it's just the two of you?"

Surprise was evident in Nyota's voice, and Saavik wondered what that meant. Did Nyota disapprove? She would be willing to wager that Nyota, herself, had spent a number of vacations alone with a partner by the time she was Saavik's age. Perhaps that was the nature of the "mother/daughter" relationship, however. True, they were technically not a mother and daughter, but that did not seem to matter. How would she, Saavik, react when Thaya began to engage in physical relations? The idea was disquieting, but she would make every effort to respect Thaya's choices.

Or perhaps she was merely reading something into Nyota's response that was not actually there. Nyota had always been open-minded, and she was certainly not judgmental. It was a fascinating concept. Was it possible that her own budding relationship with Thaya had colored her perception? Nyota liked Michael, and it was possible that her reaction actually indicated approval of Saavik's increasingly serious relationship with him.

Of course, Saavik did not dare look closely at Spock, for she had no doubt about his opinion on the matter.

Her train of thought dissipated when she realized that Spock and Nyota were watching her. She cast back in her memory, and she realized that they were waiting for her to confirm that she and Michael were indeed alone.

"We are not alone. I am certain you recall that I came to Earth with the survivor of a shuttle crash. I am here with her."

"I see," said Nyota. "Are you having a good visit?"

"It has been very agreeable."

Spock, who had often mentioned that he could never get in a word when Saavik and Nyota were talking, quickly said, "What is the child's status?"

"She is progressing. Her emotional wounds are far from healed, but she no longer dwells on her trauma, either."

"Has her family been located?"

"No. Actually, this is why I am calling." She looked at their expectant faces, took a deep breath, and stated, "I have decided to raise her myself." When they did not reply immediately, she lifted her chin defiantly and added, "It is only logical."

Both of Spock's eyebrows had shot up, but except for that, neither of them displayed any sort of overt reaction to her news. Saavik had to force herself not to shift in her seat as they continued to gaze at her. After a very long moment, though, they finally turned to each other, and a huge, silly grin spread across Nyota's face. "Well. I don't know about you, Spock, but I'm much too young to be a grandparent."

"I would not dare to contradict you, Nyota," he replied.

Saavik felt a great pressure ease within her chest, and suddenly she could not stop the words from tumbling out. "She depends on me. She needs me! She is so small, yet she is very strong, too. Her hair is so white and fine that it feels like silk, and you should see her run. I will take extended leave, and I will come to live on Vulcan with her. And Michael is so good with her. I never thought that she would be happy again, but she is happy with us." She finally paused to catch her breath. "With me."

"I am certain that she is, Saavikam," said Spock. "She has endured a great deal of misfortune, and it is time for her life to improve. Are you certain, though, that you comprehend the ramifications of your decision? You are undertaking quite a commitment. Raising a child is a tremendous responsibility, and your career-"

"Oh, Spock, shush," said Nyota good-naturedly. "You don't fool me. Of course she's thought about that, and you're just as pleased about this as I am. Just think, they'll be right here on Vulcan! I can't wait to meet her, uh, I'm sorry, I've forgotten her name."

"Thaya," supplied Saavik.

"Oh, yes. Thaya. That's it. Will you tell her about us? I want her to already know us when we meet her."

"I will. I will tell her all about you. In the meantime, could you begin looking for a place for us to live? I would be very content to find a small home in your area."

"Of course we will," said Nyota. "I'll get right on it. Oh, there's a little place just down the street, and the owners told me that they might be moving to ShanaiKahr. It would be perfect! The yard is a bit small, but there's a big sunroom on the side that would be a great place for a child to play. She probably won't want to be out in the heat that much, anyway. I'll talk to them to see if they might be putting it up on the market soon. The trim on the exterior is a horrid shade of pea green, but it wouldn't take much to change it. Maybe a soft greyish blue, or darker green. Oh, and—"

"We will provide you with a list of potential sites, Saavik," interrupted Spock. "Since I am relatively confident that you do not need to make a choice today, perhaps this discussion can wait until you have considered your alternatives."

Nyota laughed. "Okay, okay. I get the hint. We can talk about this later."

"That would be agreeable." Saavik looked from one kind face to another. "I must go now. Thank you. For everything."

"It's our pleasure, Saavik," replied Nyota. "Keep us posted!"

"I will. Saavik out."

Nyota had already turned to Spock and begun speaking excitedly when the screen grew dark, and Saavik leaned back in her chair for a moment. It was actually going to happen! She was going to take Thaya to Vulcan, she was going to find a home near Spock and Nyota, and Michael too, and they were all going to make a life together. Suddenly, it seemed that it could not happen quickly enough to suit her.

...

Saavik stirred and pulled the covers over her shoulders, vaguely aware of the green brightness filtering through her eyelids and the warmth of the sun falling across her pillow. She could feel the solidity of a small body next to her, and she knew that Thaya was also in the bed. Thaya had wanted to sleep with Saavik again last night after several nights of independence, but Saavik hadn't minded. Indeed, it seemed appropriate to mark the beginning of their new life together with the reassurance of physical closeness.

She nestled her head back into the pillow, and sleep had just begun to overtake her again when she heard a sound. A beautiful, lilting sound, and it came from inside the house. She sat up, suddenly wide awake.

Placing her hand on Thaya's shoulder, she said, "Thaya, wake up!"

Thaya sat up groggily and rubbed her face, but at the sound of another colorful outburst, she was immediately alert. The two of them threw the covers back and hurried from the room. They jogged barefoot down the hall, and Saavik grasped Thaya's arm to remind her not to burst into Ronnie's studio. They eased into the doorway, and Saavik thought that she might simply melt with relief when she saw the source of the beautiful song: There was Harry, hopping from perch to perch in his open cage. Saavik was never one to ascribe humanoid traits to animals, but she could not deny that he seemed very happy indeed.

Thaya looked up at her with shining eyes, and Saavik nodded with satisfaction. "I do not think that Harry wants any more pancakes," she said, "but they sound very appealing to me right now. What about you?"

Thaya nodded eagerly, so Saavik crept across the room to close Harry's cage, and they headed downstairs.

End chapter 8