I hope you enjoy this chapter. I know the story isn't much of a page turner, thank you if you have stuck with it this far!br /

Any suggestions on ways to improve/edits please let me know :-)


Chapter 47 - Journey to Britain

The dark grey cruiser which would take Sordd, Mimi, Avarak and T'Shahel to Britain was currently parked on a landing pad in the Embassy grounds. It was of similar design to those used on Vulcan, featuring a more streamlined design than a standard city cruiser. It was somewhat larger, capable of holding several passengers and could achieve faster speeds, up to 3500 km/h.

Earlier in the evening Sordd had loaded the vehicle with the families luggage, and of course Mimi's.

*'*

Mimi and T'Shahel followed closely behind Sordd as he carried Avarak, who was sleeping, out of the Embassy building towards the cruiser. On Sordd's approach the cruiser door opened and elegantly folded down to form a ramp.

As soon as they were all on board the entrance closed behind them, without making a sound. Mimi stood beside the door waiting for Sordd to return. Towards the back of the cruiser there was a stairway that led to a smaller upper level. Sordd carried Avarak up the stairs and laid him down on one of the beds. T'Shahel followed and settled down on another of the beds so she could get some more sleep.

Opposite to where Mimi was standing there were a number of recliners and a table. One of the recliners had a number of computer consoles situated beside it, which could be used to pilot the cruiser if required. To her left there was a narrow, well lit, walkway leading up to the flight deck where the main consoles were located. At this end of the cruiser a wide window took up the expanse of the hull.

Sordd returned. "You can put your bag here if you would like." he pressed a button on one of the consoles and a drawer opened. Mimi placed her bag in the drawer then followed Sordd up to the flight deck.

Sordd moved to sit in front of the main console, which curved to follow the lines of the cruiser. Mimi sat down on the right hand seat. Sordd started the safety protocols, his hands flying over the controls. Holographic images were displayed on the window in front, all written in Vulcan. Occasionally the computer would speak, again in Vulcan. Mimi sat quietly, not wanting to interrupt him.

Sordd spoke to the computer, "Computer, set a course for Britain."

"Destination Britain. Set to launch." the computer replied in Vulcan.

Sordd turned to Mimi, "Are you ready for take off?" he asked.

Mimi smiled back, "Yes." She replied with a tinge of excitement in her voice. She had never flown in a Vulcan cruiser, in fact she had hardly flown in any cruiser, and was more than looking forward to the journey.

"Very well," he said, "Engage!" he commanded the computer.

The cruiser slowly and smoothly began to take off; Mimi could hardly feel it beneath her. She looked out the large window, the Embassy buildings were getting smaller and smaller. When they were clear of the Embassy grounds she was able to see the San Francisco skyline more clearly, even though it was so late at night the city was still bustling. City cruisers were weaving in and out as fast as they were allowed to go with the city speed restrictions. Within a few minutes they had left the city limits. Up above was an inky black sky that twinkled with thousands of stars, dominated by the harvest moon. Down below there wasn't much to see due to some cloud cover, when it did part an occasional settlement could be observed.

They were following the age old route. Passing up the western sea board, cutting across North America then touching the edge of the Arctic Circle until they reached British airspace; where they would fly south over the Western Isles, Fort William, Glencoe, Loch Lomond, the outskirts of Glasgow and then east across the Border regions to Mimi's parents house on the Northumberland coast.

Sordd pressed a few more buttons on the control panels, "Auto pilot engage," he said.

"Auto pilot engaged," the computer replied.

Sordd swivelled the chair he was sitting on so that he was facing Mimi. His face remained neutral but she did detected a twinkle in his eyes, which she had come to associate with him being content and happy, although he would have denied such a human emotion. He stood up to take her hand, then he led her down to the main section of the cruiser for a more comfortable seat.

*'*

"Will I require a sword for the wedding ceremony?" Sordd asked without a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"A sword! What do you need a sword for?" Mimi replied.

"I read in the 'Galactic Cultural Exchange Database' that the bride stands on the left hand side of the groom, so his sword hand is free in order to defend the bride from other suitors who may try to whisk her away at the last minute," he said neutrally. It had concerned him that there may be a challenge during a Terran wedding.

Mimi burst out laughing, "That kind of thing happened hundreds of years ago. We've moved on a bit since then!" she replied, tears of laughter streaming down her face.

Sordd raised an eyebrow. "So there in no possibility of there being a challenge?" he asked quite seriously.

"No sweetie." Mimi wiped the tears away from her eyes as she reached over to touch his hand. "The only thing we need to worry about is if there is any lawful impediment for us not to be married..."

"We have submitted all the required legal documentation to the appropriate authorities on Earth and on Vulcan," he said neutrally.

"Well we will be ok then," Mimi replied with a smile on her face.

Sordd was inwardly relieved yet also embarrassed. On Vulcan a wedding ceremony could still end up being a fight to the death for a bond mate. Many Vulcans perceived Humans as being barbaric; maybe it was the other way around!

*'*

Avarak began to stir, the first thing he noticed was a tingle of excitement in his stomach, he had never been to Britain before and he was really looking forward to all the adventures he was planning. He endeavoured to control the emotional response. The next thing he noticed was that he was not in his own bed. He opened his eyes and realised he was in his fathers cruiser. The feeling of excitement returned, they must be well on their way.

He got out of the bed. Noting that T'Shahel was still sleeping he quietly walked down the stairs. He continued to walk quietly when he noticed Mimi sleeping on a recliner. His father was currently sitting at the front of the cruiser, he decided he would go and talk to him.

"Good morning sa-mekh," Avarak said quietly.

Sordd swivelled his chair around to look at his son.

Avarak raised a ta'al, "Dif-tor heh smusma," he said.

Sordd raised a ta'al in reply. "And you Avarak. Good morning."

Avarak sat down in the co-pilot seat. It was 1206 local time and the cruiser was currently flying low over the Wester Isles. It was raining! As they were in the clouds there was not much to see (which was a shame because on a sunny day the views are stunning.) They continued to travel down the west coast and the weather began to clear. Avarak typed into the console in front of him, a small screen lit up on the window and a hologram began to relay information concerning the surrounding area. They flew past the North Face of Ben Nevis, at 1345m this is the highest mountain in Britain. Not as high as some of the mountains on Vulcan, but impressive enough. Even though it was only September there was a dusting of snow on the summit, not something that you would get on Vulcan. Avarak wondered for a moment what it was like to be out in the snow... The cruiser veered slightly west again, following the pre-programmed route, yet still travelling south. They passed near Glencoe, then Rannoch Moor. By now the rain had totally cleared and Avarak could see a vast stretch of land. As soon as he spotted something of interest he touched the screen in front of him and the computer told him what the thing was; blanket bogs, lochans, rivers, rocky outcrops, mountains, flora and fauna. He identified a rowan tree, grouse, roe deer, red deer stag, heather, hen harrier, ferns and a kestrel. The landscape was bursting into a riot of fabulous colours of red, orange, yellow, purple, bronze and crimson.

"Samekh!" Avarak exclaimed, "A Golden eagle!"

Sordd turned to where Avarak was pointing and raised an eyebrow. "Fascinating," he replied.

Continuing south they flew over Loch Lomond. The scenery moved from mountainous with lots of lochs and glens to urban. They passed through the outskirts of Glasgow, a sprawling metropolis, the buildings were similar in design to those found in San Fransisco; modern and sleek. However, there were also some very old looking buildings that had survived the Third World War.

The scenery changed again to rolling hills and valleys as they began to fly east across the Scottish borderlands. They followed along the course of the River Tweed, which traditionally marked the border between England and Scotland, to where it eventually flowed into the North Sea. The cruiser then turned south again, there was some breathtaking coastal scenery.

"How long until we are there?" Avarak asked with a neutral expression on his face. He was getting better at hiding his excitment.

"We are scheduled to arrive in 4.81 minutes," Sordd replied. "Can you change into your excursion uniform?"

"Ha! Samekh!" Avarak jumped of the co-pilot seat and ran along the passageway and up the stairs...

(As I said he was getting better at not showing his emotions, I didn't say that he had achieved the discipline.)

*'*

Sordd landed the cruiser on the landing pad which was situated to the side of the cottage they would be staying in over the next few days. As soon as Sordd landed the cruiser the main door opened and the ramp extended until it was touching the ground. Mimi left first followed closely by Avarak, T'Shahel and Sordd.

Avarak took in the scene. It was so very different to San Francisco. The sky was vast and a light blue colour, with the gentle hue of Autumnal golden light. To the west, as far as his eye could see there were golden fields of wheat, a gentle breeze moving the stalks to make it look as though they were dancing. The automated harvesting machines were out bringing in the crops; still the traditional round and rectangular bails. To the south there was a rugged coastline, the white horses breaking upon the cliffs. To the east, as far as his eye could see was the deep blue North sea, which merged with the blue sky. To the north there were more fields, some of them brown where they had been recently ploughed and others were various shaded of green. It looked like a patchwork quilt. To the north there were also more cliffs and sea.

"The door should be opened," Mimi said to Avarak as he ran into the house.

"You do not lock the doors?" Sordd replied.

"No need to, its safe," Mimi smiled at him.

"Fascinating!" Sordd said.

Mimi and Sordd began to unload the luggage as Avarak and T'Shahel explored the house.

*'*

Avarak passed through the gate at the front of the house which had a sign on it saying 'Rose Cottage'. The gravel path led up to the red front door. There were two flower beds, one to the left of the path and one to the right, filled with cottage garden flowers. The whole of the front garden was surrounded by a stone wall, a drystone dyke, which was waist high on an adult. A beautiful peach coloured rose was growing up the wall to the left of the red door, it had a very heady scent.

Avarak carefully opened the front door, he had never stayed in a cottage before so he was inwardly quite excited. There was a small reception area, an antique table was to the right and to the left there was a grand father clock ticking away. The first door on the left led to a sitting room, this was rectangular in shape. The beige coloured carpet was thick and plush. There were two dark grey single seaters, one of them had a tartan rug thrown over the back of it. There were two three seater cream coloured couches with lots of cushions; one was situated under the window the other was on the opposite wall. At the far end, the wall was back to the original stone and there was an open fire place, currently unlit. There were a number of wooden shelves around the room with various ornaments and books. The walls were coloured cream and wooden beams could be seen on the ceiling.

He came out of the living room and dashed across the hallway. The next room, a double bedroom with an ensuite was of a similar size to the living room. The carpet was a duck egg blue colour, again it was thick and plush. The walls were painted plain white. The double bed had a white metal frame and the bed linen was predominantly white with a floral design. The room was light and airy.

At the end of the hall there was a staircase, which doubled back on itself, leading to the second floor landing. Up here there were a further three bedrooms; three single rooms, one of them ensuite, and a bathroom.

Mimi followed up the stairs behind Avarak and T'Shahel.

"Are you ok to stay in this room T'Shahel?" Mimi asked, showing her the single room with the ensuite. This room had wooden flooring with a large deep pink rug, a bed with a black metal frame and bed linen similar to that found in the double room down stairs. The view out the window was over the front garden. T'Shahel nodded her head and put down her luggage, the room was more than satisfactory.

"So Avarak, which bedroom would you like to sleep in?" Mimi asked. Avarak quickly looked around the two remaining rooms.

"This one!" he replied. He opted for the one that had a view of the back garden. The floorboards had been painted white, as had the wooden paneling which reached up to the windowsill. Above the panelling the walls had been painted a dark blue colour, there was a matching dark blue rug on the floor. The bed linen was blue with white stripes. As well as the view of the back garden, which he still had to explore, this room had the advantage of a large window in the roof. Things could not be better, he would be able to look at the stars, something which he missed while living in San Fransisco.

The children quickly unpacked their luggage then went back downstairs to the kitchen to have lunch.

*'*

The kitchen was about the same size as the living room. The floor and walls were both made from stone. There was a large oak table in the centre of the room, with six wooden chairs round about. The table had already been set for lunch. Each setting had a glass tumbler, a large bowl for some soup, a side plate, knife, soup spoon, and a cup and saucer for tea. In the centre of the table there was a large pitcher of water. Beside it there was a wooden board with freshly sliced bread. Beside the loaf of bread there was a platter with various local cheeses and some butter which had been made on the farm. There were a couple of jars of homemade jam; raspberry, and rhubarb and ginger. There was also a large bowl of fruit and a couple of plates with fresh home baking; scones, empire biscuits and Victoria sponge.

Mimi was standing at the stove heating the vegetable broth, which her mother had left for them in the fridge. Sordd was making some tea.

"T'Shahel, can you pour some water into the glasses?" Sordd asked while brining over the pot of tea.

"Ha, Sa-mekh," she replied.

While T'Shahel was doing this Avarak looked out of the large window into the back garden, which was an orchard, enclosed inside a stone wall. There was lots of space to explore. Mimi pointed out her parents house, which was only a five minute walk away.

"Sa-mekh, can I go into the garden?" He asked his father.

"You can explore after mid-meal. Please take a seat at the table," he replied.

Satisfied that he would be able to explore the garden after mid-meal, Avarak duly sat up at the table ready to tuck into the food.

*'*

As they approached Mimi's parents dwelling there was a sudden commotion. Two dogs came scooting out the back door and started to head towards the small group, barking and wagging their tails excitedly. Mimi crouched down on the ground and they nearly pushed her off her feet. Avarak stood still taking it all in, slightly apprehensive because of their exuberance. The smaller dog, a Jack Russel, jumped into Mimi's arms and started to lick her face, the larger of the two dogs, a Springer Spaniel, thinking it was a Border Collie, began to run in circles herding the small group up. Sordd and his family waited patiently until things had calmed down. Mimi stood up again and turned to them.

"This is Madra," she said while petting the dog in her arms, "and this is Dug," pointing to the Springer Spaniel. "Would you like to pet them?" she asked while putting Madra on the ground and giving Dug some attention.

Both dogs duly rolled on their backs, wanting their tummies to be rubbed. Sordd approached first, followed by Avarak and then T'Shahel. After a good few minutes of tummy rubbing Mimi stood up again and ripped open a bag of balls that she had been carrying. She gave one to T'Shahel and one to Avarak.

"They will be your best friends forever if you give them these," she said.

Avarak thought this was quite fascinating. His fathers sehlat, I-chle, also liked playing with balls (although they were a bit more substantial than the ones Mimi just handed out.) Avarak threw the ball as far as he could, as did T'Shahel. The dogs scooted off to retrieve them and quickly came back, dropping the balls at Avarak's and T'Sheal's feet they looked up expectantly, much to the children's delight although you could not tell this by looking at them. So the process went on for a number of minutes, sometimes Dug managed to retrieve both balls at once. On those occasions, not to be outdone, Madra managed to find a stick, or two.

"Mimi!"

The family all looked up. Mimi's mum and dad were both standing at the back door of the house...

*'*

Notes

Sa-mekh – father

Dif-tor heh smusma – live long and prosper

Madra (Irish Gaelic) – dog

Dug (scots) - dog