Three Years Later

"Where is A'nihri?" asked the small, three year old boy seated on the bed. "Why did he go?" Saavik picked up her son and walked around the room with him. She stopped at the window and looked out at the starry sky.

"He had to go back to work, little one," she said softly, stroking his jet black hair. "He works on the best ship in the universe. And he is the first mate. He couldn't stay away forever." The little Vulcan looked at her with dark, serious eyes. She took him back over to his bed and laid him down on it, pulling the covers up and over his small body.

"He never told me that." Saavik looked at him. She really didn't want to discuss this now.

"He cared for you, sweet one. That's why he never mentioned having to leave again," she said gently, brushing her hand against his cheek. She blew out the oil lamps that the Vulcans used and was about to walk out the door. "He'll be back, though, Eridani. Don't worry. He'll be back."

"Ko-mekh?" he asked and she walked back over to him. He looked a little uncertain as to ask or not. "Who's the girl in the center?" She smiled.

"Which girl, little angel? There are a lot of girls on Vulcan." Eridani shook his head.

"The statue. The one of the girl with the axe holding the hand of the other boy?" Saavik closed her eyes and released her breath slowly. She had known this day would come, but she hadn't known it would come so soon. "I didn't mean to upset you, ko-mekh. I'm sorry."

"No little one..." she whispered. "It's time you knew." She opened her eyes and looked at her son. "I'm going to tell you a story tonight before you go to bed, okay? It's the story of that girl."

"Okay. Her name was – was – Sil – Sileina?" said Eridani uncertainly.

"Sileia, sweetheart. Her name was Sileia. And she was your sister," said Saavik unsteadily.

"Really?" he asked. "Where is she? Why is she so famous?" Saavik felt tears come up in her eyes and she blinked them away. "Can I see her?" Saavik shook her head.

"Eridani. Have you ever thought why you were named for our planet's sun?" she asked. Eridani cocked his head to the side and answered honestly.

"No. Why?" Saavik took a deep breath.

"You'll have to listen to the story to find out. Your sister, Sileia, was a gift. She was smart, beautiful, and kind. Your father didn't know that he had a daughter, so he hadn't met her. I decided that she should go on the Enterprise and meet up with him there. Go on a voyage with him." She shook her head sadly. "But then, there was a bad man, named Admiral Cartwright. He wanted your sister for a government experiment. He turned her into a human, messed around with her brain, and destroyed her. She never was completely right afterwards." Eridani pulled his knees up to his chin and shivered. "Are you sure you want to hear this? It can always wait until you are older."

"I want to hear it," he said softly.

"But your sister wasn't the only one taken. Several other children and her bond-mate were taken as well. That is who the boy is: Tirang, her bond-mate. The rest of the Vulcans were killed except your sister and Tirang. They escaped to another planet, but the bad man's men followed them. He had monsters at his disposal. He sent them to the planet and they killed almost everyone. Including Tirang. Your father's image was used to draw them out...and they killed Tirang. Then, your sister learned what she was capable of. She suddenly forgot everything that happened and when she 'woke up,' she was alone, holding two axes like the one in the statue and everyone was dead.'

"She killed the bad men?" he asked, hushed. Saavik nodded.

"But only a few of them. She got to the communications room and sent up a distress call. Your father's ship picked it up and Spock found her. They didn't know who each other were, and your sister didn't remember who she was or what her name was. Only her Terran name: Aislinn. So, Spock took her onboard, but Sileia was convinced he had killed the colony. So she tried to kill your father and nearly succeeded." The story went on and Eridani's eyes got wider and there was a sort of awe in them. She reached the part where her daughter had killed Cartwright and was in charge of the ship.

"But where is she now?" he asked as Saavik stopped. "She saved the Enterprise and Vulcan." Saavik shook her head and looked at him seriously.

"Not yet, Eridani. She had rigged the ship to start exploding when the magnetic grapple was launched. Cartwright launched it and held the Excalibur, my ship, imprisoned. I nearly died, but the Enterprise saved me just in time. But your sister had to get the ship away from the Enterprise. It was going to explode and the Enterprise couldn't move. So, she plotted a course for the sun. And sailed forward. No fear in her voice as she told us what she was doing. No fear in her as she sailed to her never found her body. Just scraps of material, locks of hair. And this." She opened her hand to reveal Sileia's emblem. It was still scorched and in the same condition of four years back. "This was your sister's." Eridani held it as gently as a baby bird and looked at it.

"She saved Vulcan. That's why she's a hero. And that's why you are named Eridani. After our sun, which shines down on us with the brightness of Sileia's good soul. She's always there for you, Eridani." She smoothed her son's hair down, and he handed the emblem back to her.

"She was really brave. I would have been really scared," he said softly, looking out to the sky.

"Yes, she was really brave. I love you, so-fu."

"I love you, too, ko-mekh." He held out his hand in the Vulcan embrace, and Saavik put her paired fingers against his. As she walked out the door, she heard her little son say the words that broke her heart. "Goodnight, Sileia. I wish I knew you." She turned back to see him holding his paired fingers out towards the window to the sky where Sileia's ashes were scattered. For that was all she would be by now. Then, he lowered his hand and fell asleep.

Saavik wiped her tears and made a call to the Enterprise. Uhura gave her a channel to Spock.

"Spock," she said, softly.

"Are you okay? Is Eridani okay?" came his urgent voice. She swallowed and looked at her husband's face on the screen. He had noticed the tears. "He asked...didn't he." She nodded.

"He knows her story now. I just thought I should notify you." Spock nodded.

"Will you be all right?" Saavik nodded. "Okay, T'hyla. Contact me if anything else occurs. I will send a message to you at a later time."

"Okay, T'hyla," she whispered and the transmission ended. She sat back in her chair and stared out the window at the sky.

In his dreams, Eridani was talking to a girl who looked remarkably like the girl statue.

"Sileia?" he asked, puzzled. She nodded and reached out to him. He shivered as he felt the sorrow in the distant gesture.

"You are so precious, Eridani," she whispered. He looked and he could see every detail. The scar on the side of her head, the look in her eyes that set her apart from normal people. He ran to her and hugged her.

"Are you really here? Or is this a dream?" he asked. She smiled, held him tightly, and tilted her head to the side.

"Mother told you my story tonight. I thought it was the right time to make my presence known to you. I will always be here for you, brother." She backed away and looked at him. "You look a lot like father."

"No. I look a lot like you. Mother always said so. Said that I looked like her. But she never told me who." Sileia smiled at her little brother and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"If you ever need me, you need only go to sleep. I'll always be here for you." She began backing away to stand beside Sulvok and Tirang.

"But are you really here? Or is this a dream?" he called again.

"The Enterprise will be your home. Seek out the Enterprise bridge crew. They will be your family and friends forever and ever."

"Is this real? Or are you a figment of my imagination?!" he repeated, frustrated.

As she started to fade, she continued talking.

"Of course this is a dream. But why does that mean I'm not real?" He decided that his sister could be aggravatingly ambiguous at times. Then, he jolted awake and found himself staring up at the ceiling of his room.

Three Years Later...Star Base 6

"You sure that you have everything?" asked Saavik for the millionth time.

"Yes mother, I'm sure," he said patiently. Then, his Romulan and Human sides won out. "But can you stop with the nagging!" Saavik smirked and placed a hand on his head.

"Well, your father will come into port in five minutes. Give this to him. I promised him that I'd tell him everything that has happened since we saw him last." Eridani looked up at her. He had never told her about his dream three years ago. Then again, he had never seen her again. He shook the thought away and looked up at Saavik.

He knew how much this meant to his mother. Star Base 6 had been the base she had left Sileia at and the base she had been kidnapped at. And she was going to send her second child off on a voyage with the Enterprise.

"Don't worry, mother. It is highly unlikely that we will run into any trouble. It has been six years," he said softly. Saavik looked down at him and smiled. Eridani had a talent for cutting to the heart of matters. Something he got from her. But when he desired, he could go through a long winded argument and usually win. That, he got from his father.

"I know, so-fu. But it's the Enterprise. They always run into trouble."

They looked up as they watched the Enterprise come into port. She was in one piece and there seemed nothing wrong with her for once. They docked and the crew came off, chattering and overall happy, to load and unload cargo and receive their next assignment. Eridani looked up at his mother and she nodded him over to the ship.

"Go on. That's Riley right there. Just go to him and say that you are here to board the Enterprise." Eridani smiled and gave his mother a quick hug. Then, he ran over to Riley.

"Good evening little chap," he said, squatting down to his level. "What can I do for...great Charles-Wallace-of-Scotland!" He looked past the young Vulcan and saw Saavik wave slightly. He stood up and pulled out a communicator.

"Two to beam up, Enterprise. The angel has returned, repeat the angel has returned." He put a hand on Eridani's shoulder and the little Vulcan waved farewell to his mother as he and Mr. Riley vanished in a transporter beam.

When the transporter beam placed them on the transporter pad, he looked around in wonder. The interior of the ship was better than he had ever imagined.

"Welcome aboard, lad," came the Scottish voice. Eridani looked at the transporter control panel and saw Scotty walking over to him. He knelt before him. "What's yer name?"

"Eridani. After the sun." Scotty nodded in sorrow and happiness, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Welcome aboard, Eridani," came another voice. This one was deeper and Eridani knew it from birth. He looked over to the door and saw Spock standing there.

"A'nihri!" he shouted and ran over to him, Spock grabbed his son and pulled him up to rest on his hip as the boy hugged him tightly. He gave Scotty and Riley the don't start look before walking from the transporter room. Right into the waiting bridge crew. Scotty slipped past them, beaming.

"Oh. My. Lord. Spock is holding a child," came the southern drawl of Doctor McCoy. "What is this world coming to?" McCoy smiled and Spock raised an eyebrow at his friend. Eridani dropped to his feet and held out the slightly crumpled envelope to Spock.

"Ko-mekh said to give this to you." He seemed to be looking for anything to do than be stared at. Everyone seemed nice, but being stared at constantly wasn't fun either.

"Thank you, so-fu," he said softly, taking the letter, letting his hand rest on his son's head.

"He's so like his sister," said Chekov from the back and everyone looked to him. "Vhat? It is zhe truth."

"Ko-mekh thinks so, too," said Eridani softly. An awkward silence filled the room.

"What are we doing, dwelling on those gone?" said Uhura sharply. "Come on Eridani. I'll show you the ship." Uhura began walking with Eridani and the rest of the bridge crew followed her except Kirk. He stayed beside Spock and watched them depart down the hall.

"It's been six years, Spock. And she still haunts us all," he commented. Spock nodded.

"It is hard to forget one who did so much, Jim. She did save our lives and your ship." Spock opened the letter and began reading. It was written in Vulcan, so he felt no issue reading it before Jim.

"Everything okay?" he asked, noting the raised eyebrow.

"Quite. She just threatened that she was going to kill me if I let any thing happen to our child this time." Kirk nodded sagely.

"Yep. Mothers and wives tend to do that sort of thing." Together the two old friends walked down the halls to catch up with the others. "Your son will fit in here. So long as he isn't called Sileia."

"He apparently had a dream the night he found out about her. Sileia came to him and told him to trust the Enterprise crew. To make them his family and friends forever."

"How do you know that?" Spock looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"He rewired the program for the computer and sent me a message right after without notifying his mother." Kirk's eyes widened and he nodded. At age three and already a genius.

"Yep. Definitely yours and Saavik's son. And Sileia's brother." Spock nodded.

"Most definitely." He looked at Kirk. "Will you take him in?" he asked, quietly.

"Spock are you kidding?" he said incredulous. "Of course we'll take him in. Just like we took in you, Saavik and Sileia. Whatever Sileia said, about us being her family and for him to trust us and make us family was correct. We'll take him in and we'll raise him as one of our own."

"As long as he isn't exactly like his father, I may grow to like the kid," muttered McCoy as the two men walked into the briefing room. Kirk gave him a look and McCoy shrugged in a "what?" way.

"Now, lad. Can ye tell me what this here does?" asked Scotty's voice from the desk. "An' why it isn' workin'?" The engineer turned it on and all he got was a bunch of white noise and numbers and words. The little Vulcan boy's eyebrows seemed to come together almost fractionally.

Eridani reached up and brushed his fingers against the communications screen. Wordlessly, he laid down on his back, and pried open the access panel. He looked at the mess of wires and seemingly illogical pattern and began talking.

"It's a screen used for showing data, and inter vessel communications." He looked once at the others around him before continuing.

"Your main viewing wire has been placed with the auditory and data downloading outlet..."He reached up and unplugged it, not even wincing when sparks flew at his face. Uhura gasped.

"Are you okay?" Eridani nodded but not before Scotty went on his ramble.

"Oi, lad! Watch it! If ye're going to fix it, do it with the proper tools, at least!" Eridani ignored him and continued with what he was doing.

"And your main auditory and data downloading line has been placed in the..." he unplugged that one, "main viewing line outlet." He plugged the wires back where they belonged and flipped a switch. The power shut of and he waited exactly five point four seconds before flipping it again. The power came back on and the screen was working again. The bridge crew looked at him in awe.

"Well, lad. Thank ye for doin' my work for me. How old are ye, exactly?"

"Five years and two days old, sir." Scotty looked at Spock and Kirk standing in the doorway and raised his eyebrows in surprise. It was the famous Vulcan preciseness.

"You have an engineering genius here, Mr. Spock." McCoy raised his eyes to heaven.

"Great. Now I have another walking, talking computer on this ship..." Chekov snickered and Sulu hit him up the side of the head.

"Well, Mr. Eridani, do you have any interest in fencing?" Sulu began walking him down the hall again, taking the boy's bag for him. Scotty was still staring dumbfounded at the computer.

"Yes, Mr. Spock," said Kirk softly as they watched them all walk down the hall, Uhura making sure that the sparks hadn't burned him. "We've already taken him. And we will raise him as one of our own family members." What happened next made McCoy miss the chair he was going to lean on and crash to the floor in a highly undignified manner.

For once, Spock smiled.

Outside, the sun of Vulcan was shining brightly, almost as if it was shining more brightly than usual in its happiness for the new stage of her brother's life. The Enterprise warped away, and the sun still shone brilliantly, but seemed to dim to a bright glow after several solar flares went off. Almost as if it had sighed in contentment.

~'*'~ Shahtau ~'*'~

Ha'su: angel

T'nash-veh: my

whl'q'n: Vulcan

A'nihri: father

so-fu: brother

ko-fu: sister

Sa'mekh'al: grandfather

Kho'mekh-il: grandmother

ko-mekh: mother

Bath'paik vu so-fu t'ron-tu: damn you you son of a dog

'el luSpet 'ej Hegh: crawl in a hole and die.

t'ahm t'Surak: in the name of Surak

Na' ma'toi temep-sharu, ko-mekh: Before death's gateway, mother

Bolau tu shom: you must rest.

Ra t'du ahm: what is your name. (JUST TO PROVE IT IS POSSIBLE THIS ISN'T USED IN THE STORY!)

Dif-tor heh smusma: live long and prosper.

Fa-wak shroi ri nash-veh nemut zhitlar: I will not listen to the words of my enemy.

Pi'sa-fu, ni'droi'ik nar-tor na'ri nenikaya vu eh Sileia. Kuv Sileia lam-tor be'vu...do'pra ni'droi'ik nar-tor: little son I am sorry for not supporting you and Sileia. If Sileia is with you...announce that I am sorry.

Po'vu, ko-mekh? Vu kwon-sum vesh'tra n'i. tor pakik: why you mother? You always have been here and now I am so lost.

ti'amah: farewell.

S'ti th'laktra: I grieve with thee. (term used for a bereaved family member)

t'hai'la: friend

T'hyla: lover, bond-mate

Chowtl': murderer