The First Delegates Arrive
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Star Trek or anything associated with it. *peeks over shoulder* yep, that cover's my backside. :D
Author's Note: First off, thank you very much to everyone who reviewed, and double thanks to those who also voted. So far, that's four of you who've voted. The poll closes on Saturday, so hurry over to my profile and vote! Second, there are a few cultural references in this chapter, the reference to the bow or a sifter is a traditional way that Cherokee inquire as to the gender of a new baby. Bow is a boy, sifter is a girl. The second reference is to the legend of the Cherokee rose, which sprang up along the Trail of Tears as a reminder to the mothers' to maintain their strength for their children. Third note, the actor portraying Auggie is Scott Cohen, who played the wolf in the Tenth Kingdom. Google him if you don't recognize him. On with the story!
The next few weeks of Dani's sentence seemed to pass in a blur. There were still near-constant visits from her friends, but he never came. Her depression seemed to get deeper with every day that passed; the only thing that got a smile out of her was thoughts of the new life inside her. Her playlist had started running strongly to sad country songs, the ones that played the loudest were fast-paced, "See what you lost, you stupid SOB" type songs. They were played loudest about the same time Uhura's moans would start to crescendo into screams.
Even being told that the Enterprise was going to be playing host to the talks between a delegation from the new United Tribal Council's homeworld, temporarily named Charis, and a delegation from Vulcan II didn't help. Dani took the news that the near-obligatory party would be a costume party very calmly.
"It's not like I don't have costumes around here, Tanya," she said, waving her hand at the walls. There was a full bra-belt-and-skirt belly dance set on one wall, and a turkey feather shawl with a tear dress on another. "I'm set for a costume. I've even got a couple of loaners. The tear dress and shawl is yours to use if you want it, or you can go through the box in the closet. I'm wearing my main performance set, if it's after I get out. If not, then I'm sure you'll tell everyone I said hello."
Two weeks later, the Enterprise was at Earth picking up Admiral Pike and the delegates from the Tribal Council. The Admiral stood beside a tall, dark-haired man in jeans and a sport coat. Behind the tall man, a shorter, similar-looking man wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and jeans had his arms crossed, very obviously a bodyguard. Immediately behind Pike stood a man in khaki pants, matching jacket, and icy blue button-down shirt. His hair was pulled in a neat ponytail that hung three inches below the back of his collar. The last man on the pad was dressed even more casually than any of them, blue jeans and a sapphire tee-shirt.
Admiral Pike introduced James and Spock, and the tallest man shook hands with both of them. "I'm Pete Spotted-Horse. My brothers, Mark," he motioned to the bodyguard, then to the man in khakis, "and Robert. And this is Augustine Holt, one of our holy men." He gestured to the man in jeans.
He offered his own hand to shake. "Call me Auggie."
"Where's our niece, Captain? Admiral Pike here assured us that we would be able to see her at the same time," Robert asked.
Half an hour later, after a little bit of maneuvering, the four guests were headed toward Dani's quarters. The condition Pike set for allowing them in at the same time was that it be supervised by Billy and Spock, both acting as security. Billy led the way, and as he rang the bell to get entrance to her quarters, he whispered to Bobbi, "This is not going to go over well with Dani."
She called for them to enter, but smiled in surprise to see all three of her uncles. She hugged each as he came through the door, including Auggie, but her expression chilled when she noticed the last man to come through her door. "Commander Spock, I admit I'm a little surprised to see you at this family reunion." To her credit, her voice and body language did not reveal the secret hope that he was there for her.
"It was the condition that the Captain set for allowing you to have more visitors than the original limit," he said with no inflection. It wasn't surprising, considering that he was culturally Vulcan despite his blood being half human, but it hurt Dani all the same. She stepped out of the doorway to let him in. "I will endeavor to be as unobtrusive as possible," he said, then went to inspect the collection of odds and ends decorating the walls of her quarters.
After an hour or so of chitchat, catching up, and general visiting, Pete finally tried to find a way bring up the possibility of Dani being pregnant. "So, is it a bow or…" his words trailed off at the sharp look from his niece.
"We'll discuss that another time. It's too early to tell what my current project will be, Uncle. I'm sure you're all very tired from your trip. Maybe Billy can show you where your quarters are?" Dani said, hinting strongly for her friend to take them out of there.
About that point, though, Spock spoke up from the corner, where he was studying her practice belt where it hung on the wall. "Excuse me, Lieutenant, but do you ever loan these belts to other members of the crew?"
Every other man in the room could tell by the look on her face that the shit had just hit the fan. Billy stood abruptly, dragging Bobbi up by the hand as well, and started for the door. Pete and Mark followed, but Auggie whispered that he would catch up later. "No, Commander," she replied icily, "I do not loan my dance belts out, nor do I think you have the hips to pull it off." She turned to her uncles, "If you'll excuse me," then stormed into her bedroom.
Auggie followed her into the bedroom so that they could talk freely as her uncles left. The second the door slid shut behind him, Dani turned to face her former husband, tears tracing glittery trails down her face. "Can you believe the nerve of that man? He like the belt so much when I wore it for him that he asks to borrow it to use with HER!" she sobbed, jabbing her finger angrily in the general direction of Nyota Uhura's quarters.
Auggie sighed. He didn't want to have to do this, but when she got like this there were only so many ways to get her to calm down. Yelling at her would probably bring Spock in running from the next room, and that would cause the situation to escalate. Shaking her would probably be risky to the baby he was fairly certain she was carrying. Auggie walked over, grabbed her by the shoulder to get her attention, and then slapped her across the face. He didn't slap her hard, just hard enough to get her attention.
She looked at him, startled, as he started in on her. "Danica, you are one of the strongest women I know, but right now you are acting like some damn little powder-puff instead of a Cherokee rose. The Dani I remember, the Dani I married, would not let anyone get away with any of this crap. You get out of here in a week, the same day as that costume party. Now, are you going to sit in here and piss away your one chance at real happiness, or are you going to pull up the big-girl panties and fight for your man?"
His words seemed to galvanize her nerve again. Her posture straightened, the fire in her eyes rekindled. "Thanks, Auggie, for reminding me that I'm made of stronger stuff than that." She gave him a wry smile, "It's been a rough couple of weeks. This is the first I've seen of him since the night I got pregnant." She blushed, something that didn't happen often. "Err…nights."
He smiled at her with all the kindness and gentleness a man of the cloth is supposed to possess. "Dani, darlin', your sex life hasn't been any of my business since our divorce. You don't have to explain or justify jack shit to me. As long as you're happy, the details of what causes that happiness," his smile shifted to a more mischievous one, "can remain up to my imagination. Want me to thump the headboard against the wall some, give him a taste of his own medicine?"
She laughed, full and rich. "Nah, I've got my own ideas for getting him back. I think it's going to be time to break out the sapphire set Saturday."
"I thought you just wanted him," he pointed his thumb at the door behind him, "not every unattached male on this ship?" The look on his face made it crystal clear he was teasing.
She answered it with an impish look of her own. "Yes, but it's time to pull out the big guns. I know that the sapphire set attracts a lot of attention, and I may not get another chance to wear it before I start showing." Her shoulders started to sag again at the thought of being alone still once the pregnancy started to show.
Auggie shot her a look. "Pour the steel back in your spine, Dani. Don't let this shake you. Now, I'm gonna get out of your hair, and get him out too, so's you can start getting your set ready." He opened the door, leaned over to kiss her cheek, and said, "I'll see you later, Dani-doll. Now, Commander, could you show me to those quarters now?" He shouldered his backpack, picked up his duffel bag, and followed the other man out. Just before the door closed, he winked at Dani, assuring his ex-wife that he was up to something.
Yay! Long chapter! Now everybody, REVIEW! Then vote in my profile. :D