Sho'on
Chapter Nine
Sho'on was concerned that the evening air might be too cool for Michele and requested to borrow a jacket or sweater for her use. Nyota complied.
All of the visitors departed at the same time. With his unerring sense of direction Sho'on directed Michele to the left as they left Spock and Nyota's home.
"Was your time with the bondmates productive?"
"Yes, they were quite informative. One of the things I noticed was they were so very happy and satisfied with their lives. It appears that they all had found their perfect match in their Vulcan mates."
Sho'on was silent for two minutes, thirty-five seconds. He then inquired,
"Michele, my t''hy'la, my friend, how do you foresee your future?"
"For the longest time I have never thought past the end of our first semester, then our first term."
Sho'on's hearbeat dropped a bit and he remained silent for two minutes, five seconds in order to center himself and then he continued,
"That was my mindset also, until I met my chess and study partner"
Michele verbal response was,
"Oh!"
"Does that thought displease you Michele?"
"No, Sho'on, it does not."
As they approached her dormitory Sho'on said,
"We will speak of this later."
Michele nodded and said,
"I will like that."
Sho'on embolden by her response cupped her covered elbow and turned her to face him, then Michele rose on her tip toes and planted a kiss on his cheek, turned around and ran up the steps leaving Sho'on attempting to calculate the relative degree of contrast between the softness of her lips against his less soft cheek.
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As he slowly walked towards his dormitory Sho'on reviewed the social status of the cadets around him; there were six engaged couples enrolled in his classes and two married couples in the graduating class. From what he heard of the times previous to Va Pak, this freedom was unheard of. Based on those figures he felt assured that their enrollment would not be threatened if they were engaged or married. He would have to speak to Michele about what a Vulcan bonding would entail. Based on his observation of his fellow Vulcan's Terran bondmates he was certain her Terran mind could grasp the scope of that reality. As a second thought he suddenly felt his best move would be allowing Nyota to have a serious talk with Michele.
Entering his room Sho'on realized there was still a few minutes before Spock com shut down so he entered his cousin's contact number and after a few contact signals Spock face'''' appeared on the view screen.
"I thought that you would want to speak with me again. Was the time spent together with Michele productive?"
Spock noticed the green tint of his cousin's ears as he said,
"She placed her lips on my check and then departed in haste."
Spock informed him that that was a typical Terran female's action upon departing from a friend.
Sho'on then stated,
"She understands that I have formed an attachment to her. Exactly what that implies is still unknown to her."
Sho'on heard Nyota's voice in the background,
"Tell Sho'on to invite Michele to the Academy's 'Welcome' festivities this coming Saturday evening. He will have to pick her up here at our house."
Spock was able to anticipate that 'Bondmates' Mischief' was afoot.
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What Spock could attest to was one of the positive effects of Sho'on and Michele's association was a now animated student in his Computer Science class. She sparkled in her verbal participation and her submitted work continued to trump every other student in his class. It was almost 'Nyota Revisited'.
A another positive was she never presumed upon their association outside of the classroom to appear overly familiar with Spock. She addressed him with the deepest of respect. Spock did notice that she and Sho'on enjoyed Second Meal together at least three times a week, apparently those days their meal break coincided with each other's.
When Spock returned home on Wednesday he noticed several delivered boxes at his front door and as he entered carrying them Nyota was overjoyed. She animatedly asked Spock if he had ever read the Hans Christian Anderson tale about The Ugly Duckling. He replied, he had not, so she gave him a short synopsis of the story and said he would see the realization of that theme on Saturday when she, Rachel and Christine dressed Michele for the gathering to be held at The Academy. Nyota remember fondly an episode in her earlier years at home, when her young niece had found her in her bed with her hair unbound and unkempt and while brandishing a comb and brush said,
"I am going to comb your hair and you will never have to be ugly anymore."
The hairdressing 'appointment' and several other 'make over' activities to be taken up by her fellow female bondmates would cause the realization of that sentiment in regards to Sho'on's Michele.
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Nyota was chosen to manicure Michele's nails so she could remain seated. She knew she would not have to help Christine with Michele's hair, because she had styled Nyota's hair many times while they were at The Academy.
When Nyota contacted Michele she excitedly informed her that Sho'on had invited her to 'The Academy Welcome'. Michele bemoaned the fact she had nothing special to wear and almost had told him 'No'. Nyota let her know she had nothing to worry about and advised her that she and Spock would pick her up at her dormitory at twelve noon, Saturday. She was instructed to pack as if she would be spending the night, and to bring any cosmetics she might have. Nyota doubted that last request could be complied with for she doubted that Michele had ever purchase such items in her life. Fortunately, she and Michele were the same skin color, so she would be able to use what sample supplies she had. Nyota smiled as she thought of how Sho'on would respond to the transformation of his 'Plain Jane'. As a matter of fact, she wondered how Michele would manage under so great a change.
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Saturday noon as the Spock and Nyota arrived at Michele's dormitory, they spied what would prove to be the bondmate's 'empty canvas' waiting patiently at the foot of the stairs with a backpack clutched in her hands, as she entered the vehicle, smiling shy she voiced her thanks for the ride and the offered help.
Nyota smiled back and first asked,
"Have you eaten?"
"Yes."
Nyota then said,
"Get settled into your coach Cinderella, you have to prepare for The Ball. Three fairy godmothers will perform magic on you."
Concerned that Nyota could become overwrought Spock sent,
"Nyota, do not get yourself too tired or excited."
He then directed his eyes to her swollen abdomen and nodded. She sent,
'I will be Michele's manicurist, so I will remain seated. Please advise Sho'on he should come and get Michele at six o'clock and give him a tip that he should buy her a corsage, you might have to explain what that is and will have to explain to him that it is not a waste of credits to please a Terran female.'
Christine took Michele upstairs and settled her in one of the bedrooms with an adjoining bathroom and told her she could shower and wash her hair, everything she would need was already provided. After just putting on her undergarments she should come downstairs, where the older women were already conspiratorially planning the grand makeover with unbridled glee.
