10 — New Life

I woke up next to Sutak and stretched lazily. We'd been together for two weeks now, and I'd never been happier in my life. "Good morning," I said to my husband.

"Good morning," he replied solemnly, extending his fingers.

I brushed them with mine, then levered myself out of the bed. "Coffee?" I asked.

"Please," he replied.

I wandered out into the kitchen and mulled over the events of the last couple of weeks. When I thought back to that time, much of it was hazy. I remembered anger, passion and laughter, both mine and Sutak's. As he'd predicted, the fires of plak-tow had made any notion of nerves a moot point, and I'd been more than ready when we came together just a week after my collapse at the temple of Gol.

The madness had not lasted long — once we were truly bonded, we both felt the beginnings of sanity less than three days later — and were able to pick up the pieces of our interrupted lives. After all, we weren't animals. Most of the time, anyway.

I felt a consciousness tugging at me. I looked around, puzzled. I'd learned how to recognize Sutak's consciousness, although I wasn't truly telepathic, and this wasn't it. This consciousness seemed barely formed, as if that of a baby.

A baby! I clattered the heating unit, startled. Was I pregnant? Could a human even conceive with a Vulcan without extensive medical intervention? I switched on the heating unit, then put my hand on my stomach and reached out with my empathic senses. I felt the consciousness touching me more strongly; I was pregnant.

And now I was scared. My mother had miscarried four times before having me, and then she'd died shortly after my birth. I wanted this child, and I wanted him or her to grow up with a mother and a father. She or he deserved nothing less than the best.

But would a half human be accepted here? Or a half Vulcan on Earth? During the time since first contact, relations between Vulcans and humans had not progressed very well. The Vulcans were understandably cautious about giving humans technology that we simply weren't ready for, but that didn't save some of those Vulcans — especially Soval — from being something of a bigot. And, unfortunately, some of my people were proving the Vulcans right — they weren't ready to go out into the galaxy.

I yelped as Sutak appeared in front of me. "Are you well, Charlotte?" he asked.

"Sorry," I gabbled nervously, switching the heating unit on. "Coffee's coming up." I looked into his beautiful dark eyes and smiled slightly. I felt his love and deep concern, and knew I could keep nothing from him. "Oh, I'm well," I said. "More than well. Fantastic, even. But I'm scared too."

"Charlotte."

That firm tone cut through my rambling and I sighed. "I think we need to see your healer, Sutak," I said. "I'm pregnant."

His eyebrow arched. "It would appear humans and Vulcans are more compatible than was originally believed," he said.

"I guess even Vulcans can make mistakes," I retorted mildly, then was hit by a wave of dizziness. "Whoa; trippy," I muttered as the room spun wildly. I sat down on the nearest surface and put my hand to Sutak's face. "I want this baby, Sutak," I said firmly. "I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that happens."

"Then we are of like mind, my wife," he replied calmly. "I am very pleased at this news."

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T'Sera, Sutak's healer, ran a tricorder over me. Her eyebrow tilted. "You are indeed with child, Charlotte," she said solemnly. "I offer you my felicitations," she added.

"Thanks," I said, conscious of Sutak standing next to me. Even now, after the fires of pon farr had been slaked, I still wanted to be with him. "But I thought humans and Vulcans couldn't conceive without help?"

"That is what was believed, based on the differences in physiology," she said. "There was a minor genetic drift that has given you your empathic abilities; perhaps that drift has enabled you to conceive naturally."

"Perhaps?" I teased gently. Speculating without hard evidence tended to leave the Vulcan decidedly cranky.

"We have insufficient facts to enable a working hypothesis to be drawn up," she said flatly. "Would you permit a full genetic scan of both you and your child? It will not be dangerous, but it is not comfortable."

"Okay; now you've got me curious," I admitted. "Knock yourself out."

T'Sera had known me for nearly six months now; she was accustomed to my odd North-Am expressions and therefore did not query me.

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Several hours later, T'Sera finished her tests and I sighed with relief. Although they hadn't hurt exactly, she'd been right when she'd said they weren't comfortable. Every muscle ached and I felt exhausted.

"How unexpected," she said, her face buried in a science reader. The blue light from the reader gave her slightly green skin an odd glow. "Very interesting." Her tolerance for teasing was high, but I suspected I'd reached my limit in one respect — lately, she tended to avoid the word 'fascinating'.

I could almost hear the eyebrow going upward. "What's so interesting? You've taken scans of me before."

"Not to this level," she replied, turning to face me. "I wish to speak with both you and Sutak," she added.

Now I was worried. Although her unflappable Vulcan face showed no emotion, there was something about those words that warned me bad news was on the way. I got up from the bed and pattered over to the door. "Sutak," I said.

He came into the examination room. "You have finished?" he inquired.

"Indeed," T'Sera replied. "And I have found something … most intriguing. I believed it was best for me to tell you together."

"Well, tell us already," I said. "Ignorance is not bliss."

"I have detected Vulcan genetic markers in your cells," T'Sera said.

I stared at her stupidly. "Say what?" I blurted out. "I'm not human?" Maybe ignorance was bliss, after all.

"Not entirely," she said, no apology in her voice. "Our tests indicate you are third generation human; that your second forefather was Vulcan."

Vulcan relationships weren't exactly the same as human; second forefather was the closest they could come to describing great grandfather. I flopped back down on the bed. I'd never met my great grand-father; he'd died shortly before I was born. "But I remember my grandparents," I protested. "Wouldn't I have known if they were part Vulcan?" I sighed. "No, of course I wouldn't. I didn't know Vulcans existed back then."

"And it is likely they did not know of their heritage," Sutak said smoothly. "But I am curious as to how a human and a Vulcan could have produced a child in your 20th century without extensive medical intervention."

"Genetic alterations?" I said, already detached from the shocking news. "After all, your people have been observing humans for years. It wouldn't have taken a lot of work to get past the medical knowledge of a hundred years ago. And Mestral would have had to alter his blood too; one cut and it'd be all over for him."

Now two eyebrows arched. "Your second forefather's name was Mestral?" T'Sera asked.

"Yep," I said. "You've heard of him?"

"Mestral is a popular name on Vulcan," Sutak replied, "but an individual named Mestral served on a Vulcan ship that was observing Earth approximately one hundred years ago. The ship crashed, killing most of the crew. We understood that three of the crew took refuge in a small town called Carbon Creek for several of your months, but Mestral died in the intervening time of a pernicious human infection against which Vulcans had no protection."

"If it's the same Mestral, someone's been lying their ass off," I said. "But I guess we'll never know for sure."

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I lay on the bed, my thoughts whirling. Maybe this was why I'd never really felt like I belonged on Earth? I wasn't human. And my part Vulcan blood would explain why I'd felt the plak-tow so severely — according to T'Sera, I shouldn't have experienced the collapse Vulcans experienced if I was fully human.

Sutak had been just as shocked by T'Sera's findings as I'd been but, typically, had not shown it in any way. I wished I had his stoicism; now the first shock was over, I had no idea what to think … or do.

I'd never known my great grandfather, but I was remembering more and more about my grandmother, Sarah (a corruption of T'Sera, perhaps?). She'd never seemed other-worldly, although children are the most adaptable of creatures; their reality a fluid and constantly changing environment. But with the hindsight of this knowledge and the distance of adulthood, it occurred to me that she'd been preternaturally calm, especially in contrast with my big jovial grandfather.

The door opened and Sutak walked in, followed closely by T'Mir. "I'm not in the mood for company right now, Sutak," I said.

"You need to hear this, Charlotte," Sutak declared. "T'Mir," he added with a nod to the other Vulcan.

She came over to me and looked at me closely. "Yes," she said. "Now I know of the kinship, I can detect something of Mestral in your features."

"You knew my great grandfather?" I asked. I sat up, the lethargy fading rapidly away.

"I … was one of the crew who lived in Carbon Creek during your 20th century," she said. "Mestral became enamored of humanity, and chose to stay behind. We could not have forced him to come with us, so we concocted a cover story." She tilted an eyebrow. "Is he still alive?"

"No," I said. "He died shortly before I was born, but at least he didn't have to go through the war. Even a Vulcan … enamored of humanity would have been appalled by those years." I shook my head. "Senseless waste."

"Indeed," T'Mir said. "It is … ironic that I should have become friends with Mestral's human kin — I did not understand his desire to remain on Earth."

"Life's full of ironies," I said, "but I value our friendship, even if I do stink at Kal'to."

Her eyebrow arched. "I value our association also, Charlotte Logan," she said. "You should really have a Vulcan name, as one who is bonded."

Puzzled at this non sequitur, I shook my head. "I may be part Vulcan and married to a Vulcan, but I'm not ready to give up my humanity," I said. "I still think my people and yours can do good things together."

What approximated to a smile ghosted over her mouth. "Mestral believed the same of humans more than a hundred years ago; he saw the potential for your species."

I shook my head once more as the room spun wildly around me. "Dizzy," I muttered.

"You need to rest now, my wife," Sutak said gently yet firmly. He touched his two fingers to mine "You have had two disturbing revelations today; you must allow yourself time to deal with the ramifications."

I shrugged. "That's isn't the way human minds work, Sutak," I said. "We tend to block out the shock until we're able to cope with it. If we try to deal with it beforehand, we achieve nothing." I smiled, but with no happiness. "But I'm not human, am I? Or not entirely."

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I woke up several hours later, surprised at how rested I felt. I rolled off the bed and headed to the sonic shower, musing on what had happened. I put my hand on my stomach, although logically I knew there were no physical signs of my pregnancy. It was the age old instinct of women to want to touch the new life.

I pulled a soft umber robe out of the closet and yanked it over my head, wondering what I was letting myself in for. I'd delivered a few babies in the past, and was fully aware of the facts of life. But that was for human childbirth. I was part Vulcan and for all I knew the gestation period for Vulcans could be two years. Yet I couldn't bring myself to feel regret. I loved Sutak, he loved me, we'd gotten married and now we were having a baby. All other considerations were irrelevant. And I certainly didn't want my developing baby to feel unwanted.

I put my hand on my stomach again. You are wanted, little one, I sent to him or her. I thought you would be half Vulcan, but it turns out you're a little more Vulcan than that. But that makes no difference to how Sutak and I feel about you. We will always love you. Even if he and you never say it, I'll know it.

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Sutak looked at me as I made my way through breakfast. "I thought you did not like ginger tea," he said.

"I don't," I said, pouring myself another cup of the scalding brew. "But Junior wants it." I grinned slightly. "I don't know about Vulcan pregnancies, but human ones lead to … odd cravings. It's usually our body's way of seeking vital nutrients."

He dipped his head. "Vulcan females experience similar … cravings," he said. "How are you dealing with what has occurred?" Vulcan for 'Are you going to wig out on me?'

"I'm doing okay," I mumbled around a forkful of pancakes. I'd managed to find a flour-analog in Shir'Kahr and was enjoying pancakes for the first time in months. They were fluffier than Earth-style pancakes, and the taste was … nuttier, but they were delicious nonetheless. I chewed and swallowed. "In the end, you either cope or you go nuts. I don't plan on losing my mind anytime soon, so I'll get used to it."

"I am sure you will adapt quickly," Sutak said. "You have shown a great ability to adapt to new and sudden changes in your life — I am sure you will deal with this event with your usual stoicism."

I smiled at my husband, touched at the sentiment, even if it wasn't very accurate — I was nowhere close to my usual stoicism. "I admire your confidence even if it is misplaced," I said, taking another sip of the tea and grimacing at the bitter taste. I'd always been something of a sweet-tooth, but it appeared Junior was taking after Sutak.

Sutak patted his lips with a napkin, then got up. "I must go," he said. "My shuttle leaves for the T'Plana-Hath in three hours."

I smiled at him, glad they'd managed to get the ship back. The Rihannsu had left it on Rigel Four and a skeleton crew from the Intrepid was bringing it back to Vulcan. "I'm glad you've got the ship back — let's just hope they haven't left any little booby traps in there."

"Indeed," he responded.

"What did they want the T'Plana-Hath for, anyway?" I asked. "You never told me."

Sutak arched an eyebrow. "I was not present at the negotiations," he said. "And even had I been, it is unlikely I could have ascertained the Rihannsu's motivations. We may share a common ancestry, but culturally they are far more alien to me than you are."

I grinned slightly. "Wait till my hormones kick in," I teased. "Then you won't think I'm not alien."

He touched two gentle fingers to my temple. "You are my wife, and we share a bond that transcends species," he said. "Do you not feel that?"

A tear leaked out at this declaration. "Yes, I do," I admitted. I covered his hand with mine, then sniffled and coughed. "Damn; you Vulcans have a way with words," I added, dabbing furiously at my eyes.

"If you wish to cry, Charlotte, then do so," Sutak said. "I have no desire for you to suppress your emotions."

Grabbing a napkin, I wiped my eyes, then stared at him. "You don't?"

"Indeed not." He appeared faintly scandalized at the suggestion. "I treasure the diversity between our species that you represent — it would be illogical for you to deny who you are."

I smiled at him. "I love logic," I said, then stretched. "Anyway, you have a shuttle to catch, and I've got to go to work, so you'd better shove off."

A ghost of a smile flickered over his face. "In that case, I will leave," he said.

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Five months later:

I sighed as I got up from my desk, wondering where the hell my waistline had gone. If anyone had told me a month could make such a difference, I would have told that idiot to take a running leap.

Someone knocked on the door. "Come in," I called out, heading to the water cooler I'd had installed. Between the Vulcan summer and my pregnancy, my thermostat was completely screwed up.

In walked the last person I'd expected to see. "Live long and prosper," he said.

"Peace and long life, Soval," I said. "What brings you here?" I added.

"I have someone with me who wishes to meet you," he said.

"Okay — show them in," I said, ignoring the lift of his eyebrow as his gaze reached my stomach — my pregnancy was now quite apparent.

Soval stood to one side and a human woman walked in. No; not human, I corrected, seeing the markings dappling the sides of her head. Her species looked familiar to me, but I couldn't place it. "Welcome to Vulcan," I said, filling a glass with icy cold water. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Please," the woman said. "My people don't cope very well with the heat. My name is Lela Dax."

I clicked my fingers as I handed the glass to her. "You're Trill," I said, pouring myself a glass. I turned to Soval. "Would you care for a drink, Ambassador?" I asked politely.

He dipped his head. "That would be most … welcome," he said just as politely. "After several months away, I have become acclimatized to other temperatures." He arched an eyebrow. "Even Vulcans find our summers difficult to cope with," he admitted.

Progress! The guy was actually admitting he had a weakness. I handed him my glass, then turned back to the water cooler. "Won't you have a seat?" I asked, sighing as Junior delivered a healthy kick to my midsection. My dad had once told me I'd beaten seven kinds of shite out of my mother when she was expecting me. It seemed my little monster was taking after me in that respect — bless his pointy little ears.

"Thank you," Lela Dax said. "Forgive me if I seem … awkward, but I'm not used to dealing with aliens."

"Tell me about it!" I rejoined. At her quizzical look, I explained. "The Vulcans made contact with my people less than a year ago." Official contact, anyway. "Since then, I've met the Rihannsu and now your people. But there are likely thousands more to meet."

Lela nodded her head. "When T'Pau told me of the contact with your people, she did not mention any of you would have left your planet already."

"That's a long story, Lela," I said, liking her, "and I'd be happy to tell you more. Would you like to come to dinner tonight — both of you?" I figured I might as well start mending some fences.

Soval appeared startled. "Thank you, but I am unable to attend — I have a prior engagement," he said. "Council-woman Dax?"

The Trill smiled at me — those age-old eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief. "I'd like to have dinner," she said.

"Good," I replied. "Oh, and don't worry — my home is a lot cooler than here. Sutak installed air conditioning a few months ago." I felt rather than saw the muscles work in Soval's jaw, and realized he still disapproved of a primitive like me marrying a Vulcan. I was tempted to tell him I was actually one eighth Vulcan, but resisted. Maybe another time.

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"Hello," Lela Dax said, her discomfiture evident — hell, it would have been obvious even to a non-empath!

"Hi," I said, wishing I could speak Trill — Lela's Vulcan was pretty good, but was still at the basics. After nearly a year here, my Vulcan was nearly flawless. "Come on in," I added.

She came in and sighed with relief as the delicious coolness of the air conditioning hit her. It was a good job Sutak was offworld — he'd have frozen to death. "It's hot out there!" she commented.

"Hotter than hell," I agreed. "When I first came here, I thought I was going to die, but I adapted quickly."

"Are you … pregnant?" Lela asked as my abdomen gave a peculiar bulge.

"Yes," I sighed. "Although sometimes I feel like some alien life form is playing havoc with my insides. You have no idea."

Lela smiled again. "I wouldn't be too sure of that, if I were you," she said mischievously.

"Now you've got me curious," I admitted, tucking my hand through her arm and drawing her into the living room. The spare elegance of the room had altered somewhat during my tenure, and now reflected my tastes as well as Sutak's. A picture of Mount Seleya graced the largest wall, and several large cushions dotted the polished floorboards.

I blinked as I sensed something from the Trill — a duality, maybe? Then I dismissed it. She was a stranger in a strange land talking to someone with a dual nature — that was bound to mess up my empathic impressions.

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Three months later:

I sighed as I waddled down the corridor, and wondered what I'd done to deserve this. I was now a week overdue — by human standards, anyway — yet my little Vulcan showed no interest in making an appearance.

At least the Vulcan summer had ended, I mused — it had been almost unbearable at times, and I'd been sorely tempted to stow away on the next transport to any ice planet.

I shook my head as my vision swam, and stumbled into Sutak. He put a hand on my arm — for a Vulcan, he was very touchy-feely. "You are well, my wife?" he inquired.

"Oh, just peachy," I grumbled, his solicitous concern annoying me. The rational part of me was glad for his reassuring presence, but the rest of me just wanted to be left alone. The poor guy was probably wishing he'd married a Vulcan woman instead — they wouldn't be as mean as I was. I sighed and brushed his fingers with mine.

"Sorry to be such a pain," I added. "I warned you my hormones would be all over the place, didn't I?"

"Indeed," he acknowledged, a small twinkle in his eyes. "Are you sure you wish to attend this reception? They will understand if you need to go home."

"Sutak …," I growled. "I love you, but you're driving me crazy. Stop smothering me." We entered the reception hall of the Academy and I nodded to my various friends and colleagues.

"Charlie?"

No-one on Vulcan called me Charlie. I turned round and saw … Zefram Cochrane. For some odd reason, I was delighted to see him again. "Hi, Zee!" I said in English. Outside of my occasional tutorials with the language students, I hadn't spoken English in public for over a year. "Great Bird, Zee, you haven't changed a bit."

"Can't say the same for you, Charlie," Zee said. He nudged me. "So, who's the daddy?" he added with a wink.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Zee," Lily Sloane said, smiling at me. She and Zee seemed much more at peace than the last time I saw them. Evidently, the relationship between humans and Vulcans had done them good. "Can't you see she's gotten married?"

I put my hand up to my ear-ring with a small smile. "That's right," I said. "About a year ago." I indicated Sutak, who was standing quietly beside me. "I believe you've already met," I added mischievously.

Zee's eyes widened. "But he's an ali ..!" He stopped short and sighed. "En. He's an alien," he finished.

"Actually, Zee, we're the aliens here," Lily said, although she couldn't hide her embarrassment from me.

Zee went red. "Yeah," he said. "Sorry, Sutak," he added.

Sutak dipped his head. "It's quite understandable," he said. "A number of Vulcans were … surprised that I chose to bond with an offworlder."

Zee grunted. "Namin' no names, huh?" he said. He stuck out his hand, then thought better of it. "Live long and prosper," he said in basic but good Vulcan. "Now, d'you mind if we steal Charlie for a while — we got a lot of catching up to do."

"You go and talk to T'Pau," I said, seeing the female move through the reception room. "You know you want to."

"Indeed." His eyebrow lifted and he brushed his fingers against mine.

I watched him go, then turned to Zee and Lily, my mental shields firmly in place. "Let's sit down," I said. "I'm a bit tired."

"No wonder," Lily said, her beautiful large eyes searching me intently. "You look like you're … I dunno … ten years pregnant."

I chuckled. "Right now, I feel like it," I admitted, shifting my bulk. "I'm about a week overdue, so I feel like I'm going to burst."

"You know, Charlie; I always thought you and Sutak had something going on, but I didn't think you'd marry him," Zee said.

I was startled at his perspicacity. "Were we that obvious?" I said.

"Only to the ones who knew you best," Lily said. "Tell us the truth here, Charlie — are you happy?"

"I am," I replied without hesitation. "But I do miss being able to listen to the Beatles."

"Well, looky here," Zee said, digging in his pocket. He produced a music disk. "I had this recorded on our way here."

"Great Bird!" I blurted out, clutching the disk. "A little bit of Earth!" Tears lurked, but I refused to give in to them. I touched Zee's cheek gently. "Thank you," I added gravely.

Zee went pink and cleared his throat. "Yeah … well," he said. "You're a good kid, Charlie," he offered. "You deserve to be happy. And … well … if happiness is baking your brains on some planet in another part of the galaxy, then good luck to you."

"Uh-huh," I mumbled, distracted by Junior's gyrations. I took a deep breath and smiled at Zee and Lily, glad the aching had subsided for the time being. The hell with what T'Sera said — if this kid didn't show up soon, then I was getting the little bugger induced.

I looked at Zee, puzzled. Something had changed — not just the fact that he'd shaved. I let my shields down slightly and gasped. "You're sober!" I blurted out.

Zee grinned sheepishly, going pink once more. "Six months now," he said.

"That's great," I said enthusiastically. Ever since Sutak's declaration that he enjoyed me just as I was, I'd stopped trying to suppress my emotions. Sure, I got on a few Vulcans' nerves, but the hell with them. Although I was still more sedate than most of the humans I knew, that was just who I was — maybe a little Vulcan discipline had gotten imprinted onto my DNA.

My thoughts were choked off as a new pain gripped my middle — nothing like the grumblings that had been going on for the last few days. "Whoa," I muttered.

"Whoa what?" Lily said. Then she touched my hand. "Are you in labor?" she asked.

"I … don't know. Maybe," I said, maneuvering unsteadily to my feet. "It feels better now I'm not sitting," I added with a sheepish grin. "Sorry; must have just been a stitch."

Zee ran a hand through his hair. "Geez, Charlie, you scared the hell outta me!" he said.

"I wasn't too thrilled myself, Zee," I snapped. "You know; not everything in the galaxy's about you."

He ran his hand through his hair again. "Huh?"

"Forget it," I muttered irritably as another pain hit me. Maybe not a stitch, after all.

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"Find my happy place, find my happy place, find my happy place," I muttered as the contractions built up to a resounding crescendo.

By my side, Sutak watched the proceedings with what appeared to be typical Vulcan passivity. But I knew better. He wasn't a typical Vulcan and this wasn't a typical Vulcan birthing.

"The infant has turned," T'Sera announced calmly. "It will not be much longer, Charlotte — are you ready?"

I shook my head, fighting back tears. I'd been in labor for God knows how many hours, and I was worn out. "I can't do it," I said, leaning closer to Sutak. Although I knew he wouldn't hold my hand in public, at least he was there.

"She is exhausted," Sutak said, his voice betraying his concern. "Is there nothing you can do for her?"

T'Sera and T'Para looked at each other. "This is not a typical Vulcan birth, High Priestess," T'Sera said. "This infant is one of the first Vulcan hybrids to come successfully to term."

"And when the hell were you going to share that with me?" I said fretfully. "And don't say it was for my own good. It's my body; I have the right to know!"

Sutak knelt next to my bed. "Neither of them speaks English, Charlotte," he said.

"Huh," I grunted. "You're lucky I'm speaking anything coherently, let alone Vulcan!"

T'Sera nodded to one of the nurses, who gave her a hypo of something. She tripped the plunger into my bare leg and I felt a strange tingling sensation. "That should ease some of your pain," she said.

"Whoa," I mumbled as the tingling sensation was replaced by something new. My head felt fuzzy and pretty lights floated all around me. But at least the pain was gone. "Oh, thank you really a lot," I said.

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"The head has emerged," T'Sera said. "Push one more time, Charlotte."

I fell back against the pillows, completely used up. "Guess again," I muttered over the indignant shriek of my baby. T'Sera and T'Para regarded me calmly, and Sutak wiped my face with a wet cloth. I sighed. "Fine," I grumbled, hitching myself back up.

Sutak sat on the bed, prompting a raised eyebrow from each of the other Vulcans, and angled his body toward mine. "You may lean on me," he said in English. "You can do this."

I looked into his eyes and nodded, then leaned against him. Vulcans were much stronger than they looked and I knew he would be able to support me — physically at least. Emotionally, I wasn't so sure. Then his hands appeared on my shoulders, working their Vulcan magic into my knotted muscles, and I sighed. "Oh, that's better."

Gathering up my resolve, I sank my teeth into my lower lip and began to push again. I was so wiped out by this point I barely even noticed when my little Vulcan shot free, to the accompaniment of more squawks.

"He appears healthy," T'Sera said, doing … whatever Vulcans did after childbirth.

"Uh-huh," I mumbled, my eyes closing.

"You are to be congratulated, Charlotte," T'Para added. "This is a special time in Vulcan history."

I mustered my weary head to speak in Vulcan. "Thank you," I said around a mighty yawn. "Where's the baby?"

T'Sera's nurse came over to me, bearing the baby. Wrapped in a fuzzy blanket, and now quiet, I couldn't credit that it was the same baby who had been shrieking infant profanities only minutes earlier. I stretched my arms up and the nurse laid the baby in my arms. A tear lurked out as I looked at him. "He's definitely Vulcan," I said, tracing the delicately pointed little ears and eyebrows.

"Indeed," Sutak agreed. "But that was to be expected — Vulcan genes are very strong, and he is more than half Vulcan."

"Oh, geez," I grumbled with a grin, "how am I going to handle living with two Vulcans in the house? You'll drive me crazy."

The baby snuffled, then opened his eyes. "Hi," I said softly. "So you're the one that's been kicking me these last few months."

He gave me a placid stare in return; one that seemed to be saying "Well, you're the one who kept eating all that spicy food."