Into the Wild Black Yonder
Chapter Fifty-two - Telling the Parents
On the Enterprise
Early April 2259
Spock
He finished reading his messages and turned to Nyota, who was curled up on the couch with the PADD that contained her daily log. "Have you re-routed your comm messages to this address yet?"
"Oh, no, I haven't! Thanks for reminding me. I better do that now, if you've finished?"
"Yes, I am done." He got up from the chair so that she could sit at the com link. "I will meditate while you attend to that. And then...do you wish to call your parents?" He was a bit nervous about asking that.
She grinned back at him. "We could do that. And call your father as well?"
He nodded, yes, that was also necessary. He settled down on the floor pillow, facing in her direction. Either he would meditate, or he would just watch her, either would be acceptable.
She logged in and began to enter commands, muttering to herself occasionally. Then she sat back and started reading messages from the screen, once in a while either typing or dictating an answer. He just sat there relaxed, enjoying this. Being together, working casually, relaxed. Much better. When she finished with her messages and looked up to see whether he was meditating, he was sitting there with his elbows on his knees, his chin on his fists, watching her. "Like what you see, mister?" she teased him.
"Very much." He wasn't going to deny it. "Are you ready to make the calls?"
"Let me freshen up first. Don't want to give them the wrong idea." At the slight look of puzzlement on his face, she grinned. "I don't want them to think that we just rolled out of bed, Spock."
"That would probably be best." His eartips tingled just a bit. He was sure they had turned green. He did not want Nyota's parents to think that they would call them immediately after coitus. That would not be proper at all!
She went into the bathroom and moved around, doing things. He could hear her humming to herself. She came back out and went to the closet, shuffling through the clothing, and pulled out a sweater, looking at it. Apparently she decided it would do, because she pulled it off the hanger and slipped it on over the tank she was wearing. He looked down at himself. He was wearing a black tee and sweatpants. Was this sufficient? He looked back at her. Apparently not, for she now had one of his pullover shirts in her hand and was coming in this direction.
After he had the shirt on, she brushed at his hair with her hand, settling it back into place. Then she leaned over and kissed the end of his nose. "Wish my hair was as easy to take care of as yours is. Are you ready?"
He nodded and stood up, bringing one of the chairs from the table over to the desk, setting it beside the desk chair, in front of the com link pickup. They settled down, side by side, and she activated the com link again, pulling up her parents' address from her address book. It only took a few moments for the call to go through. When her father answered, he looked back over his shoulder and called for her mother to come quickly, then turned back with a smile.
"Hello, hello! Nyota, your Mama will be here in just a minute. She has to dry her hands. How are the two of you?" He had a big grin on his face. "Do you have some news for us?"
Nyota laughed and squeezed his hand, below the edge of the desk, where it was not on the pickup. "Wait for Mama, Baba! You know she will be mad at you if you don't."
Her father laughed back. Spock tilted his head. So that was where that small dimple beside her mouth came from. When they laughed, the two of them looked much alike. Here came her mother, hurrying in, settling down beside her father and smiling. "Hello, hello. It's so nice to see you. Do you have some news for us?"
Odd that they had both asked exactly the same question! Did human bondmates acquire telepathy after being together for many years? This was something he had never considered before. He shook his head a tiny bit. Concentrate. This was not the time for speculation.
Nyota squeezed his hand again, causing little sparkles of sensation. "Mama, Baba, I have something very exciting to tell you." She was smiling so broadly, her happiness making the link between them shine brightly. "Spock has asked me to bond with him - that's the Vulcan term for marriage - and I have agreed."
Her parents' smiles broadened even more. Her mother turned to her father and whispered in his ear. Spock could plainly hear what she said. "I told you, Alhamisi. I just knew it." Her father just smiled and nodded. Now her mother turned back to Nyota. "When and where will the ceremony be, Ny? Can we come?"
Nyota was practically bouncing in her chair now. "Oh, Mama, of course you can. We are going to have a Vulcan bonding ceremony and an African wedding both. And probably a civil wedding here on the ship, too. I don't think we can wait four years to get back to Earth for our wedding!"
"Wait, wait, slow down. Did you say three weddings? Did I hear that right?"
"Yes, mama, yes! A civil wedding here on the ship, for StarFleet, then a Vulcan bonding - on New Vulcan if the Enterprise goes past there, or at the Embassy in San Francisco if it doesn't - and then a big wedding at home at the end of our mission. The Enterprise won't be back to Earth for another four years, so you have lots and lots of time to prepare. I want to invite some of our friends from the ship to come, so you need to think about where people might stay."
"But what about your wedding dress, Ny? And flowers? And all the other things?"
"Mama, you and my sisters are just going to have to make all the arrangements. I want us to have the wedding as soon after we get to Earth as we can, so everything will have to be ready. I will send you measurements and you can send me fabric samples and then we can talk about them after I get them, okay? And send big enough pieces that I can really feel them, not tiny little scraps."
Spock was not sure he understood everything that the women were talking about, but Nyota was so happy that he didn't really care. Her father was shaking his head at the two of them, with a resigned look on his face. Alhamisi looked at Spock. "You better get used to this, Spock. There's going to be a lot of it. You won't believe how much preparation goes into a wedding. I'm not really sure that four years is enough time!"
Nyota's mother turned to him and stuck her tongue out. "Hush, you! We'll get everything done just fine. Don't make Spock nervous."
It was very interesting to see how they interacted with one another. Knowing how her parents treated each other would be very helpful to him. This was the type of interplay that Nyota would expect from him.
The conversation between mother and daughter continued for several minutes. Spock heard them talking about flowers and cake and veils and all sorts of other things. Who knew so many different things went into human weddings? It was all very confusing and he was glad that he did not have to do the planning. Nyota's father just smiled and nodded and threw him a wink every once in a while. And then he leaned forward and told Spock that he had been through this several times already, as all of Nyota's older sisters were already married. Spock couldn't imagine going through all this several times. He almost shuddered.
Then Nyota's mother asked her if they had called Spock's father yet. "No, Mama, that's next on our list."
"Well, we better let you go then, so that you can call him. It's just wonderful, Ny, we're so happy for you. And you look so happy! Even Spock looks happy." She smiled in his direction. "Bye, baby, I'll get your sisters and we'll go looking for fabrics this week. I'll send you out samples right away."
Nyota's father kissed his hand and waved it at the camera and then they closed down the connection. Spock sat there for a minute and then turned to Nyota. "What did your father do at the end? Why did he do that?"
"He was sending me a kiss. Because it's kind of hard to hug a camera." She was grinning at him, watching as he processed this. It was interesting.
Now it was time to call Sarek. For some reason, this was more daunting than calling Nyota's parents had been. And he was even expecting this call - or one very like it. Or else fearing that it would not come. He keyed in the address and waited for the call to connect. To his surprise, it was not his father who answered. Beside him, he felt Nyota's curiosity.
The weathered visage on the other end of the call nodded in greeting. "Spock. I will inform your father that this call is from you. Please excuse me for a moment." He rose from the chair and disappeared from the screen. Footsteps were heard receding and then returning, a double set this time. Sarek seated himself before the viewscreen and then made a motion with his hand, drawing the other back into the pickup area. "Spock...and Nyota. I am glad to see you. If you do not mind, I will ask ...our kinsman to join us."
Nyota was definitely confused now. But she maintained her equilibrium quite well. "I have no objection if Spock does not."
There was certainly no way that he could object. After all, he had received much help from the other. He turned to Nyota. "This is the....kinsman who spoke with Dr McCoy."
She turned back to the screen. "I would like to thank you for your help. Spock has told me of this. It is much appreciated." She paused, looking from one Vulcan visage to another. "I am sorry, but I do not know how to address you."
"You may call me Selek, Nyota."
She still looked confused. "You speak as if that is not truly your name. Is there some reason you are hiding your identity?"
All three men were startled. This human woman was very perceptive. Of course, two of them already knew that. They looked from one to another. Should they tell her? Perhaps it was inevitable. The elder Spock nodded slightly to his younger self.
Spock was not sure exactly how to begin. He cleared his throat. Nyota turned and looked at him, her eyes questioning. "There is a reason that he has concealed his identity. The name he has given you is one that he has used before when there was a reason to conceal his true identity. But perhaps it is time that we shared this with you." He waited to be sure she was listening, that she had understood what had been said so far. She looked back at him, waiting. "You remember the small ship I stole from the Narada? The one that contained the red matter."
She nodded. "Yes, but what does that have to do with this?" She had not made the connection yet.
"Here you see the original pilot of that vessel."
Her eyes opened wide. She turned her face back to the viewscreen. She stared. She spoke on a breath. "Yes. Yes, I see now. Oh, my." She turned back to him, one hand raised to touch his cheek gently. "Oh, my."
The others remained quiet, waiting for her to assimilate this.
"That's why it was so easy for you to fly that ship."
He nodded, affirming her thought. "It did recognize me. It was very strange."
She turned back to the viewscreen. "But where were you then? If Nero had your ship, why were you not on his?"
"He had marooned me on Delta Vega...to watch. It was his desire to make me suffer, as he thought I had made him suffer. He refused to believe that I had not deliberately destroyed his home world."
"Delta Vega...that was where Jim was. And Scotty."
"Yes. They did all come together there." Spock spoke to her, trying to help her understand.
"This is...is very...strange. Is it not strange to you as well?" She looked from one to the next, and then to Sarek. "How have you adjusted to this?"
"I am not truly sure that we have entirely adjusted to it. It is a very strange occurrence. But we have accepted it. And we are coming to an acceptance of each other, as we get to know each other, slowly." Sarek watched her, waiting to see how she would handle this.
She clasped her hands together, looked down at them, trying to process this strange thing. She had many questions, but this did not really seem to be the time to ask them. She lifted her head again. "I am glad that you have trusted me with this information. I promise not to disclose it to anyone that you do not wish to know about it. This is...it is a family matter."
All three men looked at her. This was entirely amazing. Sarek was most pleased. His son had indeed chosen well.
She looked around at them all. "But we have forgotten the reason for the call, Spock." She looked at him now, expectantly. Under the edge of the desk, she slipped her hand back into his and squeezed softly.
He straightened up and looked directly at his father. "Sa-mekh, Nyota and I have had many conversations and she now understands the nature of the bond between us." His father nodded and his expression soothed, just subtly. Spock continued. "She has consented to a formal bonding. She has also requested a human style wedding in Africa when the Enterprise returns to Earth at the conclusion of our five-year mission. And there will be a civil wedding here on the Enterprise before that, so that StarFleet regulations are satisfied."
Both of the older men were looking at him now, with expressions that were the Vulcan equivalent of astonishment. "Three weddings? Surely that is more than is necessary." His father spoke, with more expression in his voice than was surely acceptable.
"It is what she wishes. That is reason enough."
Now his father looked thoughtful. "Yes, reason enough. It is not wise to cross a woman, especially a human woman, about such things. When and where do you wish to hold the bonding ceremony?"
"If the Enterprise comes near New Vulcan at any time, we could have it there. Otherwise, it could be at the Embassy in San Francisco near the time of the wedding in Africa."
Sarek was thoughtful. "I believe the second option might be better. To properly plan such an event will take time. There are dignitaries that should be invited. And the Embassy has much better facilities than any which are currently present on New Vulcan. Perhaps there is someone in your family with whom I could coordinate?" This last he asked of Nyota, looking politely at her.
"I will send you my parents' contact information immediately after this call is closed. I am sure they will be glad to assist you in any way possible." She wondered about those dignitaries. That sounded almost ominous.
Sarek looked back at his son, and then again at the lovely young woman beside him. They sat so close together, so obviously at ease with each other. They would do well together, he had no doubts. "I offer my best wishes to you, my son, and to you, Nyota. It seems you will do well together. Live long and Prosper."
Beside him, his elder son echoed his sentiment. He wondered, had there been another Nyota Uhura? Had this son had such a relationship? But he did not feel comfortable asking those questions.
