Maat S'chn T'gai Vol 2

Chapter Thirty-seven - Surprise

New Vulcan

May 2273

Elinor

Sarek was hiding something from her. She knew him too well not to know when he was trying very hard to conceal something. His attempts not to think about the thing he was hiding were very apparent to her. Amused, she did nothing to let him know that she was on to him. Although she could not tell exactly what it was that he was concealing, she could tell that it was something that he was looking forward to with a great deal of anticipation, and that he expected her to enjoy it. And so she just waited to see what it was.

Almost a whole week went by, and then one afternoon she knew that whatever it was, it was going to happen soon. Sarek was practically glowing when he arrived home from Government House, and he was suppressing the bond more than ever. When he made seemingly off-hand remarks about what she had planned for the end-week days, she prattled on about cleaning the house and repotting some plants until he fidgeted and began to glower. "Why, Sarek? Did you have something special that you wanted to do? I can always wait until next week to repot those plants."

Her husband took a deep breath and tried visibly to calm himself. "I thought perhaps we might make a picnic lunch and see some of the country side."

"Oh, the children would love that! Such a good idea." She smiled at him, and reached out to caress the side of his face as she watched how he reacted.

With great reserve, he avoided a grimace at great cost. "I did not intend to take the children with us. It has been far too long since the two of us had some private time together away from home and family. I did not think that one afternoon would be too much."

"Oh, then I will see who will be available to care for them while we are gone. Perhaps T'Olla will come and do her studying here while we are gone." She felt the tenseness leave him in a rush, although his body stance did not reveal anything. This was what he wanted then. She began to plan what foods she would make to take with them, noting that she must not make the basket too heavy to carry very far.

.

The next morning she bustled about in the kitchen, preparing a casserole for the children's dinner, which she left in the stasis unit for T'Olla to heat. She also left fruit salad and sandwiches for their lunch. And then she carefully packed the foods that she had prepared for the picnic, using light-weight containers, lining the basket with a special cooling unit to keep everything fresh in the heat of the late spring afternoon. T'Olla arrived just as she was finished, and she gave her instructions on heating the casserole, and turned her young daughter over to her when she awoke from her early nap. Both boys were already outside, playing with their cousins, and would only come in when noon-time hunger struck. And then Sarek was there, asking if she were ready.

"Just let me run to the bathing room quickly, for we will be gone a long time. Here's the food basket." And she dashed off to empty her bladder, knowing that the long walk would fill it up again. But when she returned, Sarek was not waiting for her in the kitchen. T'Olla was standing in the living room doorway, holding T'Elia, looking out at something in the front yard. Elinor walked over and looked out, and her eyes grew large and her mouth opened in astonishment. Through the bond, she felt Sarek's delight that he had surprised her. She walked out the door, and up to the hoverbike waiting there.

Sarek took two helmets off the hooks at the back of the hoverbike and handed one to her. "We should check the communications. The circuits have not been used in far too long." Although his voice was level, the bond was alight with his pleasure.

"How? I thought the bike was on Earth?"

"Indeed it was, and we got little use out of it there. I thought that we might find more chances to use it here, and so I had it brought on the cargo shuttle, when there was room. I was not sure when it would come." He hesitated, then spoke again, more quietly. "You are not adverse to riding it here?"

She raised her sparkling eyes to his. "Oh, I am looking forward to it most eagerly. Is the blanket still in the cargo pod?" Her husband's green flush across his cheekbones and eartips told her that it was, and what intentions he had for this 'picnic'. Giggling at him, she climbed onto the back seat of the hoverbike and fastened the helmet upon her head.

Sarek mounted the front seat of the hoverbike and fastened his own helmet in place, then spoke to her to assure himself that the communications circuits were working correctly. And then he engaged the controls, and lifted the bike into the air, while T'Olla stood in the doorway and watched, fascinated. He headed toward the low hills in the distance, covering the flat plain between much more swiftly than they could have traveled it on foot. Very soon they were flying low over the rocks and scrub trees of the gently sloping ground of the foothills. He followed the curves of the land, listening to his wife's happy cries from behind him, thoroughly enjoying the sensation of flying through the calm air, which they had not experienced since their last trip to Earth.

Eventually, he came to a place where a small stream wandered down the hillside, creating a path of increased vegetation. He found a small flat place to land the bike, and set it down carefully away from the tender grasses, where it would do no damage. Elinor slid off the bike, taking off her helmet and leaving it on the seat behind her as she wandered around, exclaiming over the tiny wild flowers that she found hidden under the shade of the larger plants. This was a place they could never have walked to, and was just as lovely as the meadow they had visited in California. He retrieved the blanket and picnic basket from the cargo pod of the bike and carried them over to the shade of the trees, where she helped him to spread the blanket out, and took the basket and unpacked it. He settled down beside her and let her feed him special tidbits, indulging her tremendously, knowing what surely awaited him when the basket's contents were depleted.

When all the containers had been packed away in the basket, she set it aside, off the blanket, and leaned over him, pressing gently on his shoulders until he lay back, his hands under his head, waiting to see what she would do next. She settled down beside him, curled against him, with one hand resting on his chest, humming softly, perfectly content. And then she fell asleep.

He was astounded. She was sleeping? This was not what he had planned at all! At first, he thought to wake her, and then decided against it, and simply lay there quietly, waiting for her to waken. He was not even aware that he had slipped into slumber as well until he awakened to the feel of her soft fingers on his body and the gentle breeze against his bare skin, where she had opened the seals of his tunic without his even being aware of it. He ran his hands over her body, and she sighed and moved against him, and his blood began to heat. And when she began to nibble on his skin, he growled softly at her, and began to pull and tug at her clothing, removing it as swiftly as possible. He rolled them over, so that he hung over her, and kissed her softly everywhere, moving from her face down her neck, over her breasts, and down to her belly, while she continued to touch and taste him as well, sending both of them further and further into the heat of arousal, until he could wait no longer. His fingers probed gently into her, finding her wet and swollen, ready to receive him. He lifted his fingers to his mouth, and tasted her, spreading her wonderful scent over his cheekbones before shifting his body and seating his lok firmly within her body. She moaned and moved beneath him, winding her legs about him, her heels pushing against his buttocks, pulling him even closer against her, her hands pulling and tugging at him. He thrust against her, and she arched up beneath him, crying out, and the flames mounted higher. Everywhere she touched him, his blood burned for her. He began the long, slow strokes that always made her frantic for completion, and was not disappointed in the least. Her fingernails dug into the flesh of his back, urging him on, and her cries pushed him even further towards the ecstasy that was coming. When he felt her muscles begin to spasm about him, he growled loudly at her, thrusting hard once more, feeling the upwelling heat surge through him into her, and then all was white light and heat and wonder and joy and love.

For some time, they lay there, wound about each other, their hearts pounding, their breath gasping, as they made the slow recovery from their mutual ecstasy. And then he carefully lifted her, and laid her against his side, with her head pillowed on his shoulder, and caressed her gently while they spoke softly to each other, simply enjoying being together in such a lovely place. When the sun began to sink behind the crest of the hills, they reluctantly sat up and began to dress. It was difficult to leave this haven they had found, but they folded up the blanket and placed it back in the cargo pod, and put the picnic basket back on top of it, and mounted up again. He took them straight back toward their home, and landed in the back yard, beside the kitchen door. And immediately, all the children who had been playing in the clan's enclosed yard ran towards them, eager to see this new thing.

For some time, Sarek amused the children by giving them very short rides around the compound, after Elinor securely strapped them in. He did not lift the bike more than a few inches off the ground, but it was enough to make the children squeal in delight. The other adults gathered to watch, several of them having very difficult times in subduing the smiles that wanted to appear on their faces. Only when all the children had been given a ride was he able to park the bike and cut the engine. When he had dismounted, Selek and Varun appeared by his side to ask whether he would need help in constructing a garage to store the bike in. He was quick to accept their offer, knowing that the blowing sands would soon destroy the finish on the bike and damage the engine. A protective building was imperative. Plans were quickly set in motion for the following day, with Varun promising to have the needed supplies delivered shortly after breakfast.

It was some time before he was able to follow Elinor into the house, herding his sons before him. "The sun has set and it is time for baths, and a story before bedtime."

"Will you tell us about riding the bike, sa'mekh? Please."

"I shall indeed. I will tell you about riding it in California, over the great ocean." With that statement, his sons ran into the house quickly, heading straight for the bathing room, while Elinor looked on with astonishment, never having seen them quite that eager for a bath.

Much later, when their sons and daughter were sleeping soundly, they had their own bath, lingering long over it, before slipping into their own bed extremely content with the day's activities.