The nine of them beamed down to the courtyard of Spock's Parent's house and Sarek and Amanda were there to meet them: Sarek looking as relaxed as Kirk knew the man would allow himself to be and Amanda looking very pleased to see them.

"Thank you for inviting us to dine with you, Lady Amanda." Uhura smiled and held out a framed image she had of Sarek, Amanda, and Spock she had taken last time they had all been here and she saw them sharing an obviously happy moment together.

"Oh, that is beautiful. Thank you so much."

Chekov nodded to both Sarek and Amanda, "I can see how true that old Russian saying is and how right Mister Spock is to speak of this as a special place. The Russian saying is 'The further from the heart the closer to the heart.' It is so right for this place and you two."

"It is pleasing to know our son refers of this as a special place. You are all most welcome to be here any time you are on Vulcan." Sarek nodded

.

Sulu held out some flowers, "I have grown these in the lab for a special occasion and this is most decidedly one."

"Oh, it is so long since I have seen flowers from Earth. Thank you. Carnations, roses, lilacs, dahlias, lavender, daffodils, and just look at that sunflower, Sarek." Spock saw the surprise and joy on this mother's face and saw that special smile his father rarely displayed in public when he looked at his mother.

"It is magnificent, my wife."

Scotty held out to Amanda an old Gaelic to English dictionary, "I know ye are a teacher and ye may find this gives ye a wee bit of fun with the young ones if you were ta give them a wee item written in Gaelic to translate. I know at times Mister Spock nae understands me."

"From what we hear, Mister Scott, that is largely due to the emotionalism that you use when you are speaking with Gaelic words. I would imagine you were exposed to it as a child and found it useful to release emotional stress when talking to my son. I may just do as you suggest and test my students with some of the words and I know I will find it of great interest. Thank you."

McCoy looked from Sarek to Amanda then back at Sarek and held out a large bottle, "I recall you expressed, while a patient in my Sickbay, an great liking for this and know it is some-thing you had said was difficult to get on Vulcan."

"Ahh," Sarek nodded as he took the bottle from McCoy and looked right at him, "Most kind of you, Doctor McCoy. I did enjoy the taste, the intermingling of the four citrus fruits that were common on Earth with just a little of your special brew."

Kirk shook his head as he knew and knew the others knew what McCoy's special brew was and knowing that Vulcan metabolism did not deal well with too much of that brew. No doubt McCoy would have taken that into account.

Kirk then slowly held out a book to Sarek, "I saw this and thought you might like to see how in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century great mistakes or faux pas were made in the translation of diplomatic papers and the major faux passes made in the different diplomatic services on Earth and the early exploration into space."

"I am sure I will find it most enlightening, Captain."

They were all sitting down and enjoying a festive meal along with friendly conversation while relaxing the cocoon for friendship when a messenger came in and said there was a short and rather cryptic message from the Council of Elders for Healer Rai.

Spock was not sure if the others noticed how Healer Rai quickly glanced at Hanley before she said, "Will you kindly tell me the message?"

"It as that they are all in agreement with your request and know it is the right thing for you and for Vulcan."

"Thank you, for that." She looked around at those at the table and longest at Officer Hanley. "I was not about to lose you again. I was not going to lose you and what you not only mean to me but how I feel around and with you as well as, as illogical as it is, when I think of you, Colin Glenn Hanley. I proposed to the Elders that, if you are willing, I deeply desire to marry you. I will spend half my time here on Vulcan and half my time at Star Fleet Headquarters teaching as well as working."

She looked at Kirk, "Forgive me, Captain Kirk, but I did send a message to them to tell them what I proposed and they said it was within the regulations as Officer Hanley would remain on active service."

There was a stillness about the table as what had just happened seemed to hang in the silence. As he looked at his Captain and friend Spock could see confusion plainly on his face, "Captain, Healer Rai and Officer Hanley have a history, a friendship, that is none of our business apart from acknowledging it exists and has for many years."

Slowly Hanley stood and walked over to where Healer Rai stood and gave her a tight hug and kiss before he held up right hand with his index and middle finger straight and together and rubbed her two similar fingers, "I never thought I would ask this and I apologize that I cannot pronounce your full Vulcan name but, Rai, I would be honored if you would be my wife."

Sarek called for the messenger, "Contact T'Pau and tell her there is to be a small ceremony here tonight and to please come."

At the mention of T'Pau the others looked around and Sarek said, "She will officiate on behalf of Vulcan."

"And, if I may, I will officiate not only for the Enterprise but also on behalf of Star Fleet."

"Now wait just a moment, all of you!" McCoy looked around the room and there was a sudden stillness. "Nobody sees anything wrong with this? Nobody sees any difficulty with this?"

"Should we, Doctor? My parents are proof that such a marriage can last because despite their many and varied differences they do, in fact, have a deep bond. It is obvious that Healer Rai and Officer Hanley have a deep bond that has stood the tests of time." Spock looked at McCoy for a moment before he saw a twinkle in his eyes and realized he had reacted just the way McCoy knew he would react.

"My point exactly, Spock. The only two beings this really matters to are Healer Rai and Officer Hanley. I just wanted to make sure you all felt like I do. We here are the witnesses and this is the wedding dinner." He raised his glass and looked at Healer Rai and Officer Hanley. "All the best of the best to you two. Although I have only known Healer Rai for a short time I am sure she and Officer Hanley will have a great adventure together for the rest of their lives together. I salute you two."

The others all stood then and raised their glasses, "To the couple."

When T'Pau arrived she looked at those present before looking at Sarek, "Why have I been summoned?"

"Forgive the urgency, T'Pau, but this is a matter of vital importance and this is the man to whom Vulcan owes so much but whose identity must not be known to those not present."

T'Pau looked at Officer Hanley, "Thee are the true officer who retrieved to book?"

"Yes. Mister Spock found it but I retrieved it. Any credit goes to Captain Kirk and Mister Spock, I do not wish to be known for it."

All there saw the way she looked at him, "As ye wish, your name will not be mentioned. I believe ye have helped Vulcan before but I accept your silence." She looked around at the others then at Healer Rai, "For Sarek to summon me it must be to officiate at a ceremony and that is your marriage to Officer Hanley, is it not?"

"Yes, T'Pau, it is my marriage to him. As you know my bondsmate committed suicide after killing our child. I know that there is the basis of a bond with Officer Hanley that is very different to what I had with my bondsmate as this bond was by my own choice and selection and not one made for me."

T'Pau nodded and then looked at Kirk, "Captain Kirk, am I to believe that you will perform a ceremony as directed by Star Fleet to make this union a recognized one?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"Then perhaps it is best if I perform the Vulcan ceremony that I am most familiar with for such a marriage. You will have to understand it will all be in Vulcan."

"It will be an honor to be present. The fact that it is done in Vulcan only adds to the importance and significance of the ceremony."

For eighty-seven point four one standard minutes the officers from the Enterprise were transfixed as first T'Pau performed her part of the ceremony, performing what Spock and his family recognized as an affirmation and strengthening of an existing bond, and Kirk did his.

Amanda had seen how T'Pau had looked at the flowers and, as she was about to leave, took her over to the vase, "I would be honored if you would care to take some with you. I am certain Officer Sulu would not mind as he grew them on the ship."

"Indeed." T'Pau said as she examined the flowers and picked out three. "Most kind of you."

"Thank you for your great hospitality, Sarek and Amanda. We will go back to the ship and Spock can stay and have some time with you. We have twenty-three more hours on here. It has been a most unusual evening."

"Thank you all for coming. I only wish you could come more often."

"I agree with my wife, Captain Kirk, on both accounts. Thank you all for coming. It has been an honor."

"I will return to the ship shortly, Captain."

On the ship as they are leaving the Transporter room Kirk looked at Healer Rai and Officer Hanley, "It is good that you two have found each other."

Healer Rai looked from Officer Hanley to Kirk, "Captain, we will be with one another for the next twenty-three hours and then I shall stay on Vulcan to finalize a logical system where I will spend time at Star Fleet and time on Vulcan."

"I have heard that many who try to make such a marriage,"

"Captain, we have known one another for years, years when there was silence yet a sense of the other. We met up again perhaps by chance or what some Humans call Divine Intervention. There is a saying at the bonding where you both acknowledge that you may be parted but you are never really parted. We were apart from each other all those years but were, and now always will be, a part of each other."

"If you will excuse me, Captain, I would like to take my wife to my quarters as we have much to discuss before we ship out tomorrow and she writes up a report on toitak for both Vulcan and Star Fleet."

As they started to walk away Healer Rai turned and looked at Kirk and he felt that she was looking deep into him, "I would like to think that you and Mister Spock find the same as we have found, Captain Kirk, for you and Spock are a part of each other even when you are apart."

After they had gone and he stood alone in the Transporter Room Kirk found he understood what Healer Rai had said and wondered if Spock was, as he was, aware of how true it was, of how, whether they were parted by a chess board or galaxies, they had become a part of one another. He knew that he was thankful every day that Spock was a part of his life.

FIN

A/N Uppppps, sorrry - thought I had posted this mid-week and complete, Had a few problems with the southerly storm we are still enjoying - just something so special about walking a dog in hurrying hard horizontal hail. Well, that is that one done. Thanks for reading and reviewing.