~thanks for all who have read and reviewed, you really encourage me! :-)
~pla-savas: a sweet blue to black-colored fruit
~kasa: a type of fruit used in the making of a distilled juice that Humans find very potent
"Hey, Raquel, off to teach the un-teachable?" James Kirk fell into step along Nyota. She merely rolled her eyes and continued on her way to Spock's office.
"I am off to tutor students who have a desire to attain better grades. And you? Off to bother some unsuspecting cadet who wants to make it to class on time?" Nyota threw over her shoulder.
"I don't get it, why are you always so mean to me? I'm nice, charming, attractive…I've got it all, Uhura." He almost whined.
"I don't know, Kirk, I mean, with all your humility I'm surprised you aren't up for sainthood." She sniped. Shaking her head, she stopped and turned to face him. "Look, Kirk, I get it, you don't like to take no for an answer. But really, that's all you're ever going to get from me. So please, just give it a very long rest." With a roll of her eyes, she ascended the stairs to the linguistic department.
Kirk watched her climb the stairs and sighed.
"Ah, Kirk, grab a glove and catch a clue. The girl is just not interested." Gaila laughed as she past the blond cadet. He looked up and smiled.
"Well, I guess I just don't do well with rejection." Taking a breath, he sauntered up to the green-skinned girl. "How about you and me and a nice bottle of Andorian brandy?"
"A whole bottle?" She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes on the cadet. "You know don't need a whole bottle of brandy, Jim. Just one night and some stamina."
"Oh, baby, I got stamina to spare." He supplied with a grin.
"I've heard that before." She moved in closer to him. "As they say on Earth, actions speak louder than words, so maybe I'll give you a second chance. My roommate's out tonight. See you at 6." She said before she turned to go to her next class.
"Which dorm room?" He called after her.
Gaila stopped and smiled. "Oh, you're the clever one, Jim. Find out."
Jim Kirk smiled and made his way to physics with a large grin on his face. Hmm, he thought, what was the old adage, the one about slamming doors and open windows? Uhura may have slammed her door in his face, but that sweet Orion opened a window onto the universe as far as he was concerned. He hummed as he made his way to class.
It was the mid-June and Nyota was preparing to leave for Vulcan. Her sister was due to have her son soon and she wanted to be there. Gregory's ship had been assigned a last minute deep space maneuver and it was unsure he would be back in time to be with Nia. This was her last night with Spock before she left and she was feeling odd about being without him. Even if it was for just a week.
"Okay, so as soon as you finish up you'll be coming, right?" Nyota sighed and snuggled in a little deeper into her husband's embrace.
"K'diwa, do not overly concern yourself. I will transcribe and send off my year-end reports, submit my syllabus for the new semester and then the children and I along with Aunt Jenna and Uncle Kyle will be in Vulcan in time for the birth." He assured her.
"I know, I don't know why I'm so nervous. And Gai's going with me, so it's not like I'm flying alone." She almost mumbled to herself.
"As there is a delegation flying on the Vulcan diplomatic vessel along with the pilots, you would not be alone whether Gaila was going or not." He voiced.
"Oh, ha ha, very funny, husband." She sniped. "You know exactly what I mean. Hey, how about a quickie while the kids are asleep? I think it'll relax me."
"Hmm, very romantic, a'duna. How could I refuse?" He smiled at her.
"You are in fine form tonight, a'dun." She giggled as she shifted to straddle his waist.
"This is so exciting, Ny." Gaila was practically bouncing in her seat. "I've never flown on a diplomatic transport, it's really posh."
"Posh? Have you been watching old British films again?" Nyota chuckled.
"Yes. And it's really improved my Standard, people relate to me very well." She replied.
"Are you sure it isn't your pheromone output?" Ny looked over the rest of the passengers.
"Hey! You're snarky when your nervous, did you know that?" The Orion was a bit hurt.
"I'm sorry, Gai. Really. I'm just stressed about Nia. I wished she had come home for the birth." She apologized. "And I hate leaving Spock and the kids, I really miss them when we're apart."
"Nia wanted Greg to be there and if she came to Earth there was no way he could see his baby born. And she has your Amanda and Ambassador Sarek. She trusts them." Gai patted her hand. "As for your family, come on, Ny, just suck it up. You're way too attached."
"Well, just forgive me for loving my family, Gai. Remember, please, I'm bonded and I've got two babies. It's a little different for me." She sighed and looked out the window. "I should've brought the kids."
"I'm sorry, Ny. I know you love your family, but this is nice, just us girls. And Spock and the babies will be on Vulcan before you know it. Do you want something to drink?" Gai started to get out of her seat.
"That'll be nice. Thanks, Gai, just some water or juice." She looked up at her best friend with her most gracious smile. It wasn't Gaila's fault that she got cranky without Spock.
"I'll be right back." The green-skinned girl winked.
Gaila walked up to the replicator and looked over her options.
"May I be of assistance?" Gai looked up and blinked as she came face to face with the most beautiful Vulcan she had ever seen. Spock was gorgeous and she tended to judge all off-worlders by him. But this one, wow!
"Oh, thank you, I was just trying to decide on juice." Oh goddess, that was so lame. The Vulcan nodded.
"There is kasa juice..." He looked into her eyes.
She laughed. "Oh no, you most certainly do not want to see me after I've had kasa."
"Ah yes, it is quite potent to some off-worlders. Perhaps pla-savas?" He suggested.
"Yes, I've had that at Spock's house. I'll get two of those." She brightly smiled up at the Vulcan even though she knew it wouldn't matter to him, she could quite help herself.
"You are Orion and a member of Star Fleet." He motioned to her lapel pin as he entered her selection into the replicator.
"Yes, a cadet at the academy. I'll be starting my third year in September." She said breathlessly. This male was really effecting her…interesting she thought.
"I am…surprised. I thought Orion females were generally sold into slavery at a very early age." He stoically stated.
"Um hmm, usually. But my aunt smuggled me off Orion when I was four, just before I was to be auctioned to a training house." She shrugged. "She took me to a moon colony off of Ceti-Alpha 461 until she could get papers for us to immigrate to Terra."
"That was quite fortunate." He countered as he removed the two glasses and handed them to her. "Are you on Vulcan long?"
"For a few weeks." She took the drinks from him and gasped as her fingers grazed his and felt electricity shoot up through her arm. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…"
"There is no logic in an apology. It was an accident." He responded with a slight quirk to his head.
"Oh, well, okay then. Um, thanks for the drink suggestion." She nodded and turned to leave.
"Pardon, I did not ask your name." He called to her. Gaila turned back to him, a surprised look on her face.
"Gaila." She took a deep breath. "And I didn't ask yours."
"I am Suval." He nodded to her.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Suval." Gaila gave him a small smile.
"And you, Gaila." He bowed to the Orion and walked back to his seat.
"So, what was that all about?" Nyota took her drink.
"Absolutely no idea. But wasn't he hot? I mean, Spock is hot, but Suval, that's his name, he was soooo hot." Gaila shook her head. "Why am I attracted to either total non-committal jerks or total unattainable, unemotional off-worlders?"
Gaila rolled her eyes. "Okay, so James Kirk just doesn't count. As for the hot Vulcan? Gai, really? You spoke to him for less than 10 minutes."
Suval had recognized the woman traveling with the Orion as Ambassador Sarek's daughter-in-law, wife of his half-Terran son, Spock. He often wondered what it would be like to be involved with an off-worlder. Although he would never voice it, he admired the Ambassador for his rebellious act of bonding with the Terran woman, Amanda Grayson. Their issue, Spock, was quite an anomaly. He had attended school a few years behind the hybrid and was surprised to find that his marks were the ones to be attained and hopefully surpassed. In all his years at school, most of Spock's grades were never met. He knew the illogic of his curiosity, but never-the-less, he did not fight it.
He considered himself something of an anomaly. At a young age his parents had taken him to the healers as his emotions would constantly get the better of him. He was re-educated several times. After his last session, he was old enough to better control his outbursts and merely hid any feelings he had. He considered himself a man of conscience, a man that he felt Surak would admire. He had read all the writings and he considered that not all were meant to be taken so literally. At least not at the present time when Vulcan as a whole had overcome their barbaric tendencies.
Terra had the same impulses and had in their infancy, been warring in nature. But they still survived. He theorized that if they had taken the way of Terra their scientific advances may not have been as swift, but they may not have lost their heart. A romantic notion, he admitted to himself. Never the less, he was quite determined to examine his emotional reactions, his sensual nature, which was why he had become an intern at the Terran Embassy in San Francisco. And also why he had made the determination to educate himself in regards to interpersonal relationships with off-worlders.
An Orion. An Orion who was not a sex slave but a member of the Federation's peace keeping troops. A very interesting premise, he thought to himself.
"Oh my god, I cannot believe how fat I feel. And my feet, they look like balloons!" Nia lay back on the pillows on the head of her bed, raising her feet on her sister's lap.
"Oh, quit squawking. Ny carried the twins for almost 11 months and she looked like a friggin' house. You only have one in there and he only has to bake for nine months. You'll get no sympathy here." Gaila rolled her eyes at Nyota. "Am I right?"
"Just you wait, Gai." Nia shook her head. "You'll probably be asking for drugs your first trimester."
"Yeah, like I'll ever have to worry about that." She groused.
"I heard you met a 'hot Vulcan' on the transport over. You never know…" The younger girl teased.
"Okay, so he was totally hot. And he was also totally Vulcan. One cancels out the other, don't you think?" Gai sighed.
"I don't know, Spock is pretty…amorous." Nyota winked at her sister.
"Half Vulcan, Ny." The green-skinned girl rectified.
Nia frowned. "Just because he's full Vulcan doesn't mean he doesn't feel. You should see Sarek and Lady Amanda. He loves her. Really loves her." She smiled. "And you can tell he's just…oh, I don't know. He's just more than anyone would ever imagine."
"Oh, Nia has a crush!" Gai laughed. "Just remember, pregnant lady, you're married and so is he."
"Just stop that. He's too refined, too respected to be made fun of, Gai." Nia narrowed her eyes.
Nyota gave her sister a confused look. "Okay, explain please."
"What?" Nia struggled to sit up. "Look, they, the both of them, they're fabulous. Amanda, she's like the mother we've never had. And Sarek," she shrugged, "I guess I never knew what full-blooded Vulcans were like and he's just really great. I always assumed Spock got his humanity from his mother, but I can see what attributes he got from his father. We're friends, you know?"
Nyota nodded. She knew she would come to love Amanda as a mother, but she never expected to feel the same sort of affection for Sarek. She could see the love he had for Amanda, that was a no brainer, but she also could clearly see the love he had for Spock, for his grandchildren and even for her. So, yes, she could totally understand her sister's feelings for Spock's parents.
"I do know, Nia. They are both wonderful people. Well, they would have to be to have produced Spock." She giggled and put her hands out to help Nia up.
"Well, I don't get it. That Vulcan on the transport. He was pleasant and all, but he certainly didn't treat me the way every other species in the known universe does. It made me feel…insecure." Gaila pouted.
"Oh, poor baby. You didn't get a boyfriend on the flight over. Besides, the fact that he gave you any attention is unusual. Remember, Vulcans are immune to your pheromone charms." Nyota teased.
"I know that, and hey, I've been really good. Okay, so maybe I had meaningless sex with that Kirk, but over all, I've been good." She replied with a small frown. Gai realized she had an immediate reaction to Suval. Sure, she was physically attracted, but she felt even more drawn to his…mind? Weird, she thought.