Saavik smiled at her son's
enthusiasm. The tour of the USS Alleya had been a great success. Taavi
had loved every minute of the four-hour tour, and his only complaint
was that it had been much too short. Dinner at his favorite restaurant
promised similar results.
Suddenly Saavik stiffened. Taavi stopped talking and gave her a concerned look. "Mother? Are you all right?" he asked, touching her arm. She shook him off and turned toward the door, standing. "Mother?"
"Sit down, Taavikam," Amanda said. "Your mother will be fine. Let her be." Taavi sat, confused. "Trust me, Taavi. Just watch."
Spock entered the room and spotted his parents. With them was a young boy of about ten and a young woman who could only be the boy's mother. As he drew closer, Spock identified the woman as Lieutenant Saavik. He greeted his parents automatically, his eyes never leaving Saavik, who watched him intently.
Saavik watched as Spock slowly made his way to their table, waiting impatiently for him to greet his parents. He turned his full attention on her, and she could wait no longer. She ran the three steps separating them and flung her arms around his neck, forgetting they were in public, not caring if he remembered her or not. She held him tightly, burying her face in his neck.
Spock returned the unexpected embrace, putting his arms around her waist and his face in her hair. It felt so right, even though he knew this was neither the time nor the place. He whispered her name, whispered gentle nonsense in her ear, and was rewarded with another squeeze.
{{You remembered!}}
{{Only that I need you, Saavikam.}}
{{I will show you the rest, ashaya. Soon, I promise.}}
Taavi pulled Saavik away, concerned and a little hurt. "Mother, you know you're not supposed to touch Vulcans!" he admonished, clinging to her arm.
Saavik enfolded him in a hug. "Sometimes exceptions are made for very close friends, Taavi. I haven't seen Spock since before you were born, and I have missed him." She smiled down at her son. "Would you mind if I invited him to join us?"
Taavi thought about it. "Mr. Spock, will you join us for dinner?" Saavik hugged her son again, beaming.
"I believe I will, Taavi," Spock said thoughtfully. "May I ask the occasion?"
"It's my tenth birthday today, Mr. Spock."
Spock slid into the seat next to Saavik, pressing close. "Ten years old, today? Among humans, that is an important birthday. How has your day been?"
"I had lots of fun! This morning I did my homework, but all I had was my science project, so it was fun. After lunch mom and grandma took me to see the USS Alleya. I got a tour of the ship. I even got to pilot it! And the science labs were awesome. I got to run some tests using their equipment, and I got the same results as they had!" The boy's enthusiasm was infectious, and Spock soon found himself smiling.
After dinner, they piled into the car. Sarek drove, and Amanda sat next to him. Saavik sat in back, her arm around Taavi. Spock sat on her other side, his arm around her shoulders. He liked the boy well enough, but saw him as a rival for Saavik's affection. Taavi, in turn, did not like the way Spock looked possessively at Saavik. Saavik appeared oblivious to the growing tension between her son and her lover, cuddling them both on the short drive home.
Saavik led Spock to his bedroom, the same room where she had been staying. He looked startled at the minute changes she had made. "Amanda thought that perhaps being close to your things would help calm me down when I first arrived. It didn't work, but we never really saw a need for me to move out. You hardly ever stay here, even when you do come visit. Or so I'm told." She hovered anxiously at his side, and he took her hand.
"I don't mind, Saavikam. You may stay here. I will sleep in the spare bedroom."
"It's Taavi's room now. And I was hoping you would stay with me."
Spock looked at her for a long moment. She was pleading him to stay, and she had never begged or pleaded with him before in her life. "I will stay, Saavikam." She smiled, and her whole face lit up. Spock wondered why she had never smiled like that as a child, then dismissed the thought as irrelevant.
They got ready for bed, then sat facing each other on the bed, unsure what would happen next. They sat like that for several minutes, until Saavik said, "You are not whole, Spock. The Adepts, the Healers, they cannot sense you as I can." She brushed his face with her fingertips. "I have always sensed you, Spock." She dropped her hand, looking deep into his eyes. "I can help you remember, Spock. Please, let me help."
Spock considered for a moment. "As you wish, Saavikam." He touched her hands, gently, hesitantly, then drew back and waited for her to make the next move.
Saavik slowly reached out and touched Spock's face, her fingers resting lightly on his katra-points. Their eyes met again, and she was falling, falling through his eyes into his mind.
It was the same neatly ordered rooms she remembered from before, though they were more chaotic now. There was more pain, and confusion. Much of the pain came from not being able to remember. She soothed the pain, comforted the confusion, probing ever deeper, searching for something only she could find. Sometimes he resisted, tried to hold her back. But she was stronger than he was, now, and she loved him, and that was enough to let down his shields. She found the place where he became two, and felt his pain. She called first to her teacher, bringing him close to her, showing him the love she had never expressed for him before. Then she called the boy, called him with love, showing him the vast knowledge she had hidden from him on Genesis. The boy and the teacher merged, became one, blending, sharing, defining edges blurring. She smoothed out the rough places, bringing them together until he was whole, unified, seamless. She touched his core, opening herself to him, becoming one with him. He held her love, examined it, and returned it, wrapping her in love and acceptance and friendship. They were one, together, always parted and never apart, never and always touching and touched.
Spock woke feeling better than he had since his fal-tor-pan. Saavik was nestled in his arms, fast asleep. His memories of the night before were hazy, indistinct. His last clear memory was of Saavik's fingers touching his face. After that, everything was a blur of thoughts and memories not his own, some which could not possibly be Saavik's. He searched his mind for clarification, finding it in memories of Genesis. Saavik had saved his life on that planet, saved him from the fires of Pon Farr, bonding with him in the process. Last night they had rebuilt that bond, disturbed as it had been by his fal-tor-pan.
Saavik lay basking in the warmth of her ashalik. He loved her as she loved him, and he had accepted her as his mate. Soon, in a month or so, he would burn with pon farr, but for now he was hers. His arms tightened around her and she smiled. {{I'm not going anywhere, ashaya.}} He kissed the top of her head, laughing silently at her. She snuggled closer to him and closed her eyes, truly happy for the first time in her life.
Suddenly Saavik stiffened. Taavi stopped talking and gave her a concerned look. "Mother? Are you all right?" he asked, touching her arm. She shook him off and turned toward the door, standing. "Mother?"
"Sit down, Taavikam," Amanda said. "Your mother will be fine. Let her be." Taavi sat, confused. "Trust me, Taavi. Just watch."
Spock entered the room and spotted his parents. With them was a young boy of about ten and a young woman who could only be the boy's mother. As he drew closer, Spock identified the woman as Lieutenant Saavik. He greeted his parents automatically, his eyes never leaving Saavik, who watched him intently.
Saavik watched as Spock slowly made his way to their table, waiting impatiently for him to greet his parents. He turned his full attention on her, and she could wait no longer. She ran the three steps separating them and flung her arms around his neck, forgetting they were in public, not caring if he remembered her or not. She held him tightly, burying her face in his neck.
Spock returned the unexpected embrace, putting his arms around her waist and his face in her hair. It felt so right, even though he knew this was neither the time nor the place. He whispered her name, whispered gentle nonsense in her ear, and was rewarded with another squeeze.
{{You remembered!}}
{{Only that I need you, Saavikam.}}
{{I will show you the rest, ashaya. Soon, I promise.}}
Taavi pulled Saavik away, concerned and a little hurt. "Mother, you know you're not supposed to touch Vulcans!" he admonished, clinging to her arm.
Saavik enfolded him in a hug. "Sometimes exceptions are made for very close friends, Taavi. I haven't seen Spock since before you were born, and I have missed him." She smiled down at her son. "Would you mind if I invited him to join us?"
Taavi thought about it. "Mr. Spock, will you join us for dinner?" Saavik hugged her son again, beaming.
"I believe I will, Taavi," Spock said thoughtfully. "May I ask the occasion?"
"It's my tenth birthday today, Mr. Spock."
Spock slid into the seat next to Saavik, pressing close. "Ten years old, today? Among humans, that is an important birthday. How has your day been?"
"I had lots of fun! This morning I did my homework, but all I had was my science project, so it was fun. After lunch mom and grandma took me to see the USS Alleya. I got a tour of the ship. I even got to pilot it! And the science labs were awesome. I got to run some tests using their equipment, and I got the same results as they had!" The boy's enthusiasm was infectious, and Spock soon found himself smiling.
After dinner, they piled into the car. Sarek drove, and Amanda sat next to him. Saavik sat in back, her arm around Taavi. Spock sat on her other side, his arm around her shoulders. He liked the boy well enough, but saw him as a rival for Saavik's affection. Taavi, in turn, did not like the way Spock looked possessively at Saavik. Saavik appeared oblivious to the growing tension between her son and her lover, cuddling them both on the short drive home.
Saavik led Spock to his bedroom, the same room where she had been staying. He looked startled at the minute changes she had made. "Amanda thought that perhaps being close to your things would help calm me down when I first arrived. It didn't work, but we never really saw a need for me to move out. You hardly ever stay here, even when you do come visit. Or so I'm told." She hovered anxiously at his side, and he took her hand.
"I don't mind, Saavikam. You may stay here. I will sleep in the spare bedroom."
"It's Taavi's room now. And I was hoping you would stay with me."
Spock looked at her for a long moment. She was pleading him to stay, and she had never begged or pleaded with him before in her life. "I will stay, Saavikam." She smiled, and her whole face lit up. Spock wondered why she had never smiled like that as a child, then dismissed the thought as irrelevant.
They got ready for bed, then sat facing each other on the bed, unsure what would happen next. They sat like that for several minutes, until Saavik said, "You are not whole, Spock. The Adepts, the Healers, they cannot sense you as I can." She brushed his face with her fingertips. "I have always sensed you, Spock." She dropped her hand, looking deep into his eyes. "I can help you remember, Spock. Please, let me help."
Spock considered for a moment. "As you wish, Saavikam." He touched her hands, gently, hesitantly, then drew back and waited for her to make the next move.
Saavik slowly reached out and touched Spock's face, her fingers resting lightly on his katra-points. Their eyes met again, and she was falling, falling through his eyes into his mind.
It was the same neatly ordered rooms she remembered from before, though they were more chaotic now. There was more pain, and confusion. Much of the pain came from not being able to remember. She soothed the pain, comforted the confusion, probing ever deeper, searching for something only she could find. Sometimes he resisted, tried to hold her back. But she was stronger than he was, now, and she loved him, and that was enough to let down his shields. She found the place where he became two, and felt his pain. She called first to her teacher, bringing him close to her, showing him the love she had never expressed for him before. Then she called the boy, called him with love, showing him the vast knowledge she had hidden from him on Genesis. The boy and the teacher merged, became one, blending, sharing, defining edges blurring. She smoothed out the rough places, bringing them together until he was whole, unified, seamless. She touched his core, opening herself to him, becoming one with him. He held her love, examined it, and returned it, wrapping her in love and acceptance and friendship. They were one, together, always parted and never apart, never and always touching and touched.
Spock woke feeling better than he had since his fal-tor-pan. Saavik was nestled in his arms, fast asleep. His memories of the night before were hazy, indistinct. His last clear memory was of Saavik's fingers touching his face. After that, everything was a blur of thoughts and memories not his own, some which could not possibly be Saavik's. He searched his mind for clarification, finding it in memories of Genesis. Saavik had saved his life on that planet, saved him from the fires of Pon Farr, bonding with him in the process. Last night they had rebuilt that bond, disturbed as it had been by his fal-tor-pan.
Saavik lay basking in the warmth of her ashalik. He loved her as she loved him, and he had accepted her as his mate. Soon, in a month or so, he would burn with pon farr, but for now he was hers. His arms tightened around her and she smiled. {{I'm not going anywhere, ashaya.}} He kissed the top of her head, laughing silently at her. She snuggled closer to him and closed her eyes, truly happy for the first time in her life.
