Vulcan Shadows.

By Estellio

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Spock goes missing and all evidence points to McCoy while he is following cryptic clues to find him. However, after discovering one of Spock's most shocking secrets will McCoy still be able to help or will he condemn his friend to death and commit professional suicide? First, do not harm.

A/N: This chapter kinda deals more with V'au and Spock's relation ship and develops V'au's character more than anything else but don't worry, it is necessary to further the plot and I'll get back to the main plot line in the next chapter. In fact things are going to start moving fairly quickly. Chapter 5 will set it in motion and Chapter 6 will be chaos. Mwahahahahaha And don't worry, V'au isn't going to be one of those Mary-Sues, more like a guest star or one of many red shirts (Except maybe without the immediate dying or possession by alien entity.)!

Reniefuwa: As for whether the plot line is copied or modified then I don't think so. I've read so much that I probably have incorporated an idea from a book you've read which makes it familiar but I didn't do it on purpose. Or you really have read so many novels they're all starting to merge Lol I don't think I have anyway, if I have I apologise, no plagiarism intended.

Carolyn: The Flash backs are only so as you get an idea of what happened before and why she feels the way she does and so that when I launch the big shocker on you in a future chapter you'll go, oh yeah, I get it now, it's so glaringly obvious and not, WTF Where did that idea spring from?

Anyway, onto the story, enjoy and review!

IOIOI

Chapter Four: Vulcan Tears.

Enterprise: Present Day.

Lt. Kyle resisted the natural instinct to run once the security team had assembled.

Three very nervous security guards, an incredibly annoyed Captain, a very, for lack of better words, anxious First Officer and an uncharacteristically serene McCoy as well as a now very uneasy Kyle made up the complement of the transporter room as they waited for V'au to materialise. The silence was almost deafening and as the seconds stretched out, Kyle felt like his head would explode.

"Who died?" They all spun instantly to face V'au who was standing by the door, looking at them expectantly. The security officers had their phasers raised in an instant and she threw up her hands.

"WOAH! HOLD IT RIGHT THERE! WHAT DID I DO?"

At first, Kirk didn't recognise her. The girl he had seen on the view screen was a scruffy, boyish looking, dirty little rouge but the woman standing before him was almost a different person.

On the view screen she looked about seventeen, pale with dirt smudge cheeks, military short hair that made her look more like a boy than a girl and grubby overalls.

In real life she was much taller and looked to be in her early twenties. Though the short hair gave her a boyish look, the now clean face was definitely feminine and as fragile looking as porcelain. Her face consisted of high cheekbones, skin of alabaster, two full, olive lips, a strong but slender nose and the two largest, brightest, sapphire blue eyes Jim had ever seen under two dark, upswept brows. Her two, long slender ears gave her an elvish look and betrayed her heritage; she was tall but not gangly as she had appeared in the large overalls. Jim could see, beneath the tight white shirt she wore, tightly wrung muscles on her lean frame and as his eyes were dragged down her body he fully appreciated the ample bosom and wide hips of her gender, that gave way to two, long, slender, leather-clad legs. If this wasn't the same woman who had tried to kill Spock only hours earlier then Kirk would have been at her feet.

"Lower your phasers, men." Kirk commanded, much to V'au's relief and as soon as they were down she took a step forward, extending her hand. The phasers shot up again.
"HOLY MOTHER OF…! Do I have to ask permission to move? Geese, I was only going to introduce myself, please, lower the phasers, I'm not here to hurt anyone."

"Phasers down." Kirk said, slightly angry but with a little bit of pride at this men's reaction time. V'au offered her hand again and Kirk took it, shaking it firmly. He was shocked at her steely grip and squeezed back, his own grip hard.

"My name is V'au, I'm a Protector and I work for Sariel Anoi. I think you can guess what a Protector is…we run a kind of…bodyguard service. Now the contract I signed means I must answer to you in all things except when it comes to the safety of my wards, who would be Leonard McCoy and Spock…" She made a very guttural sound that made Kirk doubt his own hearing.

"Sorry, could you repeat that last one?"

"That was my family name, Captain, it is unpronounceable by Tehran standards." Spock offered, giving V'au a pointed stare.
"…I see…" V'au continued as if she hadn't been interrupted.

"I have brought no equipment with me as all equipment must be cleared by you under the terms of our agreement."

"The terms…"
"You did read it…didn't you?"

"Yes, but it just referred to the prepared Federation Contract."

"And you didn't read that!"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I've never heard of it before."

"It should be on your ships records…" She sighed. "Okay, the basic gist of it is, all Protectors are subject to Federation law while under Federation contract, since you are a Federation Captain this is a Federation contract…" She paused, rolled her eyes and muttered to herself. "How many times can you say Federation in one sentence…" She turned back to Kirk. "Anyhow…under the stipulated terms of the Federation council, all contracts being carried out on a United Starship are subject to the guidelines of the Captain or, if he or she is the ward, then the most senior officer aboard the ship, unless he or she, in the opinion of the Protector, interferes directly with the safety of the charges of the said Protector. All equipment and additional items, including personnel, must be cleared by the Captain or…senior officer…yady yady yada." She shrugged her shoulders and finally let go of Kirk's hand. "Firm grip…but sweaty palms." She turned to McCoy and Spock, her eyes narrowing as if she was evaluating them. She turned back to Kirk in an instant and handed him a tiny, circular Padd.

"My list. I would also like to speak with your Security officer and Chief Engineer but I'll have to speak with Mister Spock and Mister McCoy first…I'll try not to interfere with your work, Captain, but their safety is paramount." Kirk grinned suddenly.

"All that and not even a breath." He joked. She smiled, a face so serious moments ago lit up and she seemed to relax. "We'll do what we can to accommodate you…we have quarters arranged on the Officers Deck, right next to mine and Spock's and just across from Bones…"

"Who?"

"Bones…Uh…I mean Doctor McCoy."

"You call him Bones?" She looked over at McCoy then back at Kirk. "Isn't that kind of cruel." There was a round of chuckles before Kirk spoke.

"It's a nickname…a name used…"

"I know what a nickname is, but just because he's scrawny doesn't mean you should call him Bones, I mean really, it's like me calling you goldilocks because of your hair." The security officers let out a nervous laugh, unsure what Kirk would reply.

"Well…that's not why we call him Bones…but…I …would you like to see your quarters?"

"Of course, Captain." Kirk motioned for two of the Security officer to take her but Spock stepped forward.

"I will show her, Captain." V'au instantly looked distrustful but nodded.

"I would be honoured, Mister Spock." The two Vulcan's left the transporter room, the tension crackling between them.

"Bones…What's with those two?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you…Jim…why do you call me Bones?"

"…I have no idea."

IOIO

Enterprise: 2252

V'au was sitting in the mess hall, Yeoman Henley sitting across from her with several members of the 'Alpha Engineers' gathered around the table. They were all smiling at V'au and then Spock realised why, he could hear her small, tremulous voice singing, much to their approval. When she finished they all began clapping and praising her. A tall Engineer with foxy hair produced a few brightly wrapped sweets and handed them to an eager V'au. The moment she saw Spock she smiled and shot off the chair to leap at him, giving him something similar to a full body tackle.

Spock reached down and gripped her beneath the armpits and hoisted her into his arms.

"Mister Spock, I thought you'd be working in the labs for at least another hour." The Engineers began to disperse, a few of them spewing nonsense words to V'au as they passed.

"I finished early, thank you for taking care of her Yeoman."

"Oh it was no problem, Mister Spock. I went over the language tapes with her but she had no mind for them today. She has a very pretty voice but I don't know what she was singing. Did you teach her a Vulcan song, Mister Spock?"

"I did not."

"Then it must have been her home language, whatever that is…Oh, how sweet." Spock looked down to see that she was proffering one of the golden wrapped sweets.

"No thank you." She offered the pink wrapped one.

"Want? Sweet?" He shook his head.

"No."

"Okay." She quickly put them into her pock. "I not want, I no hungry…you sure?"

"I am sure." She nodded and indicated she wanted to be put down by wriggling in his arms. She hugged Yeoman Henley's legs.
"Tanku, Mary." The young yeoman crouched down and hugged her.

"No problemo kid, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye!" She turned back to Spock and reached out her hand. Spock hesitated for only a moment before he took it and led her out of the mess, half way to the lift she began to skip instead of walking, finding it easier to keep up with Spock's long strides. A few of the crewmembers they passed smiled good-naturedly at her as they passed but she was concentrating on her skipping. When they reached the lift she began to hop in place.

Spock turned to look at her to find her grinning madly and staring at him, still jumping in place.

"What are you doing?" She jumped again and began to giggle madly. "What are you doing?" He asked again but she just laughed again.

"Tall." She said and pulled on Spock's hand to try and jump higher. "I small."

"Yes…I am tall but you have yet to grow." She continued jumping, causing a few nearby crewman to laugh. It must have been a strange sight, a Vulcan with a leaping child.

"You tall…I tall." She said, crouching slightly to leap even higher.

"No, you are jumping, that doesn't make you taller it just takes you higher giving you the illusion of…tallness." She bounced there looking at him blankly for a few moments before grinning and saying.

"Ya!" The Turbolift doors opened and she bounced around to see who was in it. Captain Pike and Lt. Commander Jordan. She screamed and leaped into the nearby Jeffries tube. Spock was after her in a shot, seizing her by the ankle.

"NO V'AU! WE TALKED ABOUT THE TUBES! YOU CANNOT GO IN THERE!" He shouted up to her. "I think you better move on, Sir." Pike and Jordan walked on, red faced, as two nearby Nurses began to speak in hushed tones.

"They are gone, V'au, come down." She began to babble in her own language and Spock grabbed her other ankle. "I promise you they are gone, you are safe, come down!" She stopped struggling and slipped down into his arms. "See, gone." She cuddled into him.

"Home." She said and he entered the Turbolift. She reached down and put her hand on the control. "DECK FIVE!"

"Very good, Va'u. Where is Sickbay?"

"…Deck Eight?" The turbolift stopped momentarily and began to move in the opposite direction.

"Very good, V'au. You are learning well." She beamed with pride and wriggled in his arms for him to put her down. Still gripping the control. The turbolift stopped suddenly and the doors opened to let Nurse Niara in.

"Hi Liya."

"Good evening, V'au. How are you today?"

"I am…well?…today?…" She looked to see if this was right ad at Liya smile she sighed in relief. "…How are you?"

"I'm fine, V'au. Are ye heading to sickbay?" Spock nodded so Liya didn't bother engaging the controls, just waited for the lift to take her there.

"Any news?" She looked down at V'au who was grinning at her.

"Um…no…not really. You?" V'au looked perplexed…she paused a moment then said.

"Um…no…not really…you?" Nurse Niara laughed; realising V'au had just repeated her answer and had not really understood at all.

"So not that far in the language tapes then?"

"She has only been studying them for a week, she has made excellent progress considering we had to teach her from scratch." Liya smiled at Mister Spock.

"No need to be so defensive, Dad."

"I assure you, I am not you father." Niara laughed, putting her hand against the wall and the other against her side.

"Whew, and they say Vulcan's don't have a sense of humour. You're a funny guy, Mister Spock." Spock's eyebrow raised but he didn't have time to comment as the doors opened and V'au ran out, her hands either side as if she was imitating a plane.

"NIIIIIIIARRRRRRRR!" She flew ahead of them into Sickbay.

"…Okay, that was interesting…you haven't let her near the Engineering crew have you?"

"I believe I saw her singing to the earlier…why?"

"Oh, Lt. Rogers is an Aviator, he's probably been messing around with her head." They walked into sickbay to find V'au already standing with Dr. Piper, his medical scanner running over her.

"Well, you check out fit as a fiddle. Now where'd that Vulcan of yours get to?"

"That Vulcan of hers is here, Doctor." Spock said from the doorway, leaving a smirking Nurse Niara to go on about her duties.

"Well Spock, I'm all done. I think I'll keep her on the course of Vitamin's and Minerals for a while longer and she still needs a lot of calcium for them bones of hers but I'm concerned about her sugar intake. You haven't been spoiling her, have you?"

"I have found many of the crew giving her candy if she sings for them." Dr. Piper smiled.

"You sing? Well, aren't you full of surprises, aren't you, aren't you." He began o tickle her causing her to fall back and giggle furiously, kicking out at the Doctor between gasps.
"NAI! NAI!" She shouted, still laughing and Dr. Piper stopped, straightening and turning to Spock.

"Also, the results from her allergy test have come back, she's allergic to coconut and Thorpine, so no Tropical T'sae for her, okay? I can't find any other major allergies except an intolerance to Penicillin. I'll give her a medical bracelet." Spock nodded and Piper produced the silver band from his pocket.

"V'au, I have a present for you. You can't take this off, understand?" She shook her head but readily offered her wrist when he produced the bracelet. Snapping it on he turned away.
"She's all yours, Spocko. How's she coming along with the tapes?"

"She has grasped the more basic attributes, such as greetings and simple questions as well as discovered how to ask for food and to tell me 'take a hike' when I try and wake her but I presume she picked them up from less reliable sources than the tapes." Piper chuckled and handed Spock a small red card.

"Her dietary card. Keep at the tapes, we'll start her basic maths once she reaches the second one. Don't want to overload that little head of hers." He ruffled her short, coppery hair.

"Hey, watch the hair." She said, pulling a face.

"I think she has been learning her English from a less than reliable source. Go on then, off with you." Piper gave her a little shove towards the door and went back to work. Spock took her hand and led her back to the Turbolift.

"Spock?" He looked back to V'au who was trailing behind him.

"Yes?" She looked confused a moment trying to figure out how to phrase it but just shook her head and they road in silence together. When he tried to exit the lift she remained.

"V'au, come." She was staring at the small boots she was wearing, refusing to look at Spock.
"Is something bothering you…" She began to shift from foot to foot so Spock simplified the question. "Is something wrong?" She looked up and he realised her eyes were filled with tears. "V'au?" He asked quietly, crouching down next to her. "Are you alright?" She reached up to her ear and then indicated his. He let his shields lower, tried to get an impression of what she was feeling and a word echoed across his mind.

Different.

"Yes, V'au. We are different." She made a round motion near the point of her ear. "They are human, their ears are different to ours. There is nothing wrong with that, no need to be ashamed. Come we will speak of it again, soon. There is much I must tell you about your past…but it is time for your bath then dinner." She nodded and followed him out of the lift and to his quarters, she clung to his hand the whole way there.

There is a lot for me to tell you…but when your older and can understand… IOIO

Enterprise: Present Day.

As the Turbolift doors opened V'au made to speak but upon seeing some inside she stopped.

"Mister Spock." A pretty woman with blonde hair stood in the lift said, saluting Spock. Spock didn't reply.

"Nurse." V'au saluted the woman, recognising the red-cross insignia. She smiled and nodded in return though her gaze flickered to Spock who stood in stony silence, his hand on the control.

"Are you going to order it somewhere or just stand there looking at it!?" V'au snapped after the seconds drew out too long for her liking. "And that woman saluted you, aren't you going to salute her back!"

"Hello Miss. Chapel." He growled out, his teeth gritted together. "Deck Five." Chapel looked from V'au who was glaring at Spock to Spock who was glaring at the door. She swallowed and looked down at her boots.

"V'au." V'au reached her hand across Spock to Nurse Chapel. "I'm new here." She said, smiling. Chapel looked at it surprised for a moment, glancing up at the woman dressed in a dark leather jacket with boyishly short, blonde hair and Vulcan eyebrows and ears. She smiled back warmly after the initial shock wore off and took it.

"Chapel, Christine Chapel."

"Christine, there's a nice name." She said, staring daggers at Spock and showing up the fact he didn't use it. "Much nicer than calling someone Miss. Chapel all the time."

"Are you trying to prove a point, V'au?" Spock snapped at her, spinning to face her.

"As a matter of fact I am but I wouldn't expect it to penetrate your stalwart hide. Nothing I ever say does."

"Nothing you ever say ever makes sense! Nothing you ever DO makes sense!"

"IT MAKES A HELL OF A LOT OF SENSE BUT MAYBE YOUR LOGIC CAN'T EXPLAIN IT BECAUSE IT TAKES EMOTION TO UNDERSTAND IT!" The doors opened and Christine hurried out, as soon as the doors closed Spock hissed.

"Emotion? How can emotion explain what you did?"

"If emotion can't explain it then maybe lack of it can! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR ME THERE! NO ONE EVER SMILED OR LAUGHED OR CRIED! THEY WERE ALL ROBOTS!"

"THEY WERE VULCAN!"

"ALMOST AS BAD!" The two of them stood, nose to nose, staring at each other. V'au was breathing heavily with anger, Spock was as closed as ever. "You left me there for nine years, Spock. Nine years…after that…I just couldn't take it anymore." She said, a pathetic tone entering her voice, her eyes tearing up but none falling. "You have no idea what it was like being seen as something less than them, constantly taunted and teased. I hated it but I stuck it out as long as I could…I tried so hard to be Vulcan but I'm not, Spock, I'm not Vulcan and I never will be…I'll never be what you wanted me to be."

"I never wanted anything of you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes." The doors opened and she turned away, marching out past Riley and Uhura who were standing looking slightly shocked.

"V'au…V'au!" Spock called, marching past them. "You have walked past your quarters." She turned to face him and looked at the door he gestured to. "They are in here."

"Fine. I know where they are…you can go now." Spock grabbed her arm tightly.

"We haven't finished this conversation."

"Yes, Spock, we have." He palmed in his code and gave her an unceremonious shove inside. "WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY! DO YOU WANT ME TO APOLOGISE! TELL YOU HOW SORRY I AM AND HOW MUCH I REGRET IT! WELL YOU WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING! I BOOKED THE FIRST SHUTTLE OUT OF SHI-KAHR AND I'VE NEVER LOOKED BACK!"

"But why? I thought you liked being on Vulcan."

"I liked being on Vulcan with you. But you didn't come back…you left me there and you didn't come back Nine years I waited…nine long, torturous years I waited…but I'm not waiting for you anymore, Spock. I've a life and I'm going places."

"A life, you're an assassin!"

"I'M NOT!" Spock shook his head.

"Why did you go?"

"How many years was it before you came back…how many years?"

"I did not return until the end of the mission…"

"How long…how long?"

"I returned as soon as I learned of your disappearance."

"In all the nine years you only ever visited twice. At three year intervals, I left before the next because I knew I'd lose my resolve. Everything was more important than me. I was your daughter…how could you?"

"I believed you were happy, when I saw you, you seemed content."

"I was happy when I saw you, when I got to stay in your Mom's house. She was the only person on the planet who understood what I went through. I wouldn't have stood it half as long, if it weren't for her…why didn't you come back? You said you would…a weekend when I was eight and for five days when I was eleven? That wasn't enough! You never even sent me a Comm. on my birthdays…I hate you…." She turned away. "I have nothing more to say to you."

"If you hate me…then why are you here?"

"You saved my life once…I'm simply returning the favour…and doing my job." She paused as if considering saying something else but she just took a breath and barked at him. "Plus, this isn't about just you. This is about Doctor McCoy as well. He is in danger too…"

"Speaking of whom…he expects you to report for a physical in approximately one hour." Spock snapped back at her and she nodded tersely, keeping her back to him.

"Thank you Commander, you may go now."

"V'au…" Spock half raised his hand…paused as if about to say something then turned stiffly and walked away. She opened her mouth to speak as he left but the doors closed behind him and still no words came.

'I should tell him…maybe he'd understand…' She shook her head. 'No, he's Vulcan, he'd never understand. If he found out he'd hate me even more than he does now. I can't risk it.' V'au sank to her knees and cried into her hands until she was called for her physical.

A/N: Thanks to every one who's reviewed so far, appreciate it! And the rest of you, don't forget to review and tell me what ye think!