Chapter 9

"Lee-ann, I must thank you for joining me for super again."

"It was my pleasure, Leonard." She smiled brightly. They were sitting alone in the mess hall, enjoying some down time together.

"How have you been?" Leonard asked.

"Oh fine. I mostly slept after shift, so I really can't complain." She shifted in her seat. "How about yourself? How are you holding up?" Bones sighed.

"All things considering, I've been great." He held her hand. "But, enough about work. Would you like to accompany me to my quarters after this?" He smiled at her.

"Oh, I would but I have plans tonight."

"Sure. Alright."He dropped her hand and picked up his silver ware. "That's fine."

"I'm sorry." They sat in awkward silence, eating.

After they finished and brought up their trays up, Bones bid her good night.

"You can join me if you want."

"No. I have work to finish." He answered shortly and turned to leave.

"Leonard." Lee-ann called. But, he was already gone. The door sliding shut with a hiss. Lee-ann looked at the door unable to believe what just happened.


"Good day, Father." Spock greeted the elderly Vulcan. He sat at his personal desk.

"Good day, my son. I have news for you." Spock raised an eyebrow. "T'pring survived." He nodded, unsure of how to take the news. It had been almost three years since Vulcan was destroyed and he was just learning of T'pring's condition.

"Why did it take so long for this to reach me?"

"I just learned of it myself."Serak said simply. Spock nodded. "Are you going to bond with her as promised?"

Spock took a moment to think. It was the logical choice and beneficial to the Vulcan race.

"If she will have me." He worded carefully. Serak nodded.

"I will contact her and inform her of your decision." Spock nodded, agreeing with his father's course of action.

"Live long and prosper, Father."

"Live long and prosper, my son." The screen returned to the Starfleet Emblem. This was his duty to his family, to T'pring and to all Vulcans. Yet, he felt a physical ache in his chest. He pursed his lips slightly.

He was over her, Malaya. She was and will always be a spy. Someone he could no longer trust or want, in any form. He was over her.


The Romulans were now a part of the alliance. They had all the information the Klingons did and that the D'tulians owned. The Myriad was on its way to D'tulian space when Malaya remembered about the strange message.

"Any word on the transmission?" Malaya asked.

"What transmission, Ma'am?"

"The one about helping us with the Federation." She said through gritted teeth.

"Oh. The Council has yet to give us any orders pertaining to it. But it seems that we were the only ship that received such message."

"The only ship?" She asked. The communications officer nodded. "Odd." Maybe it was a cryptic message from the Federation. She stopped herself, the chances of the message being from he Federation was slim to none. "Send a copy of the transmission to my private computer."

"Aye, ma'am."


Malaya sat at her computer staring hard at the message. All she wanted was one sign that she had been forgiven, but she knew, deep down, that would never happen. She could remember their faces when they found out.

She shook her head hard and switched her screen to her private messages. Nothing. Not from her mother or her sisters or anyone. She had yet to see her son since the Council Meeting, no one had sent her any information on his actions or anything. She felt cut off from the life she had.

When she was told she had been picked to be on the Enterprise for her 'special mission', she was ecstatic. Out of all the captains and other eligible officers, she had been chosen by the very council that now threatened her life. How blind she had been, how arrogant! She wished against all hope that her child survived. She would throw everything she had earned for this child.

She stopped…She couldn't do that. She had worked too hard to throw it all away over an infant. She had already done that once, giving Q'uim to his father. She could surely do it again.

She began crying. Who was she kidding? Her heart broke when they took her baby boy from her. 2 months old and he was no longer legally hers. How hard she had cried. She felt her stomach squeeze. No, she couldn't go through that again.


Spock was sleeping off a two double shifts. He was dreaming of a simple grocery store, following a woman with short reddish hair. He took note that every few minutes she would lean over her cart, laugh, than continue shopping. In his drem, he knew who it was and was happy. He knew what was making the woman laugh and it made his heart swell. Just as he caught up with the woman, he woke. In the back of his conscience, he felt a kick.


"Spock, you look like you didn't sleep a wink." McCoy said. It was true, he had bags under his eyes and he was exhausted.

"You are correct, doctor. I have not."

"Do you want me to tell Jim that you need another day off?" Spock shook his head.

"That will not be necessary. I came to ask if you had any of Malaya's information in your system?" Bones shook his head.

"Her goonies took every bit of it. Why do you ask?"

"I was curious." Spock left without another word.


A/N: Well, its been a productive day for the story...not so much my house ^/^ but, that's ok. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Its the last one for today. I will be updating again soon. R&R please. I love to hear from you all.