Merged

Chapter 17

When Jontek awoke the next morning, he found several messages waiting for him. One was from Admiral Gardner. He had contacted him prior to leaving Vulcan and let him know when he'd be arriving. Gardner was asking to meet with him the next morning. As the wedding was still three days hence, he readily agreed.

The other was from Malcolm. Jon was a little surprised to see the message since he'd been with him the night before and he could have talked with him then. The message indicated that he wanted Jon to meet him later that afternoon at a little Italian place down by the wharf. He sent a message indicating he would do so.

The third message was from a researcher from S'Bont's previous lab assignment. It was a laboratory that dealt with Inorganic Bio research and the researcher, T'Nar indicated that she had learned of something that she wanted to discuss with him. She'd heard he was someone that could be trusted. He sent her back a communiqué letting her know he would be back on Vulcan in two weeks and he would contact her then.

He quickly fixed a breakfast of oatmeal and tea. Jon had learned during their previous time on Earth that Sontek really liked oatmeal. He found the flavor exquisite. Jon had to admit, Vulcan taste buds could appreciate the subtle flavor better then Human ones. Besides, he hadn't been to the store yet and they didn't have much in the way of fresh food. Pantry staples were adequate.

Coming out of the shower, Jontek heard the phone and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Jontek?"

"Hi, T'Pol. What's going on?"

"I just wanted to let you know. Hoshi wants to take a shuttle down to Brazil today. She has some flowers to bring back for her wedding. She said she wants to make it a 'girl's day out.'"

He smiled. "That sounds like fun." Jontek recalled back to the day when Jon had rushed down to Brazil to convince Hoshi to leave her job early and come back with him for Enterprise's first mission. He knew Hoshi loved Brazil with its varied flora and fauna. He wasn't surprised that she'd like flowers from there at her wedding. "You both have fun. And T'Pol? If she tries to get you to drink a Cachaça, turn her down. You'll get a headache for sure."

"Vulcans don't usually get headaches."

"Trust me on this one."

They talked for a few minutes longer and then signed off. Jontek spent the rest of the morning shopping and getting other correspondence taken care of. He arrived at the Italian place, Giovanni's, at two o'clock to meet Malcolm. It was a bit run down and looked as if it had seen better days. Maybe it was just a nice hole-in-the-wall.

He noted that the door was on the side of the building and was hidden from the street. He was about to enter when he felt two men grab him, one pressing a hypospray into his neck. It must have been a Vulcan tranquilizer because almost immediately he became limp in their arms. He felt himself being pulled to a waiting shuttle that had been parked in a loading dock. He tried to keep his eyes open but the drug took it's full effect and he lost consciousness.

He awoke in a small room, lying on a cot. As he looked up, he saw Malcolm standing by the door.

Jontek looked at him, surprise and anger in his gaze. "What the hell's going on, Malcolm?"

Malcolm pulled himself up to his full height. "Sorry, sir. I couldn't tell you more and we couldn't meet at Giovani's. Too many ears."

"That place didn't look like there would be many ears at all."

"For something of this magnitude, I had to be certain."

Again, the surprise in Jontek's voice was evident. "You did this?"

"As I said. I'm sorry. But it was necessary. You know the conversation we had at dinner last night?" Malcolm was leading this conversation so Jontek decided to follow along and see where it lead.

"There were several things discussed," answered the Jontek, non-committedly.

"The part about the Andorian Epidemic."

Jontek nodded. "Yeah."

Here it came. Jontek knew by the way Malcolm slightly relaxed. It was as if when the point was reached the man followed a dictum of 'damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.' "Well, Section 31 is worried this is a work of bioterrorism. They are afraid this is being done to disrupt Federation activities, rekindle old feuds."

Jontek was surprised. He thought that Malcolm had left that group years before. "You're still a member of Section 31?"

"Not exactly. But in my role as Head of Starfleet Security, we sometimes work together."

Now it was time to find out why Malcolm would resort to kidnapping him. "Why did you bring me into this?"

"There are several potential groups that would utilize these tactics."

Again the build up. Jontek just wanted Malcolm to cut to the chase. "And…"

"One of them might be a faction on Vulcan." There was that release of tension again.

Sontek's thoughts came to the fore. "Vulcan's wouldn't resort to bioterrorism. At least not anymore."

Malcolm looked at the Jontek again, sadly disagreeing with him. "Not all Vulcan's accept the Kir'Shara. The numbers are fewer, but there are still some that wish to return to what they saw as their 'glory days.'"

Jon answered. "That is true. Not all Vulcans support the current government. Bioterrorism, though, is against the precepts that Vulcans have always stood for. I can't see anyone doing this."

Malcolm argued, "Would that be any worse than putting a listening post in a monastery? Or trying to start a war with rumors about a preemptive strike from the other side? We saw both of those years ago."

"That's the point. It was years ago. A lot of things have changed since then."

Malcolm persisted and offered a compromise. "There are still many that would benefit by a return to those values. Listen. All we're asking is that you keep an open mind and an open eye to things happening. If you feel there is something there, let me know and I'll make sure that it gets looked at. If there isn't, no harm in asking you to keep an eye out."

Jontek nodded. "I can accept that. Still, I don't understand why the cloak and dagger about this. You could have talked to us about this without knocking us out and dragging us here."

Malcolm shook his head. "Think about it, Jontek. If there is something to it and that information got into the wrong hands before it could be dealt with, the Federation could come apart at the seams. Do you want that?"

"No. Of course not."

"Then you understand why I had to be sure it was a secure location."

"Okay. You're right." Jontek stopped and looked to him, "Does Hoshi know you do this kind of thing?"

"Yeah. Well, sort of. She's been brought in a few times as a communications expert." Malcolm smiled. "Now. Let me get you home. We can stop by somewhere on the way back for an early dinner. My treat."

Jontek nodded. "After the stunt you just pulled, you better believe it."

Malcolm took Jontek out for some incredibly good Japanese food. The tempura vegetables were excellent and the California rolls delicious.

"What is the green vegetable?"

"That's avocado."

"It has a unique flavor. I rather like it."

"There's this place in New Mexico that does an Avacado pie…"

"What is pie?"

"Hmmm. I keep forgetting. You haven't spent a great deal of time following Human activities on Earth. We'll have to remedy that soon."

"I suppose. I'm not sure I feel up to now though. I'm feeling a bit disoriented. I'm not exactly sure why. Perhaps the concept that Vulcans might resort to bioterrorism is bothering me."

"I can see how it might."

After the meal, Jon was taken back to where he'd left his car over by Giovanni's. He went back to the apartment. The day had worn him out more than he thought. They meditated awhile but then turned in early to a rather restless sleep.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo

The next morning, Jontek got up and ready. The last time he'd seen Admiral Gardner, he was still reeling from the results of the accident and the need to face the reality of the aftermath. Now things were much different. Still, he was facing this meeting with some trepidation. He'd always felt that things had only been left the way they were to provide time and time had passed. He knew how Starfleet operated and the status quo was not likely to remain static forever.

Arriving at Starfleet Headquarters, he went through the procedures that had caused him such difficulties when he'd last been on Earth. His actions then had been grossly illogical. Now, the entire situation made sense. He was given his badge and he headed up on the elevator. Walking into Admiral Gardner's outer office, the Ensign at the desk was obviously expecting him since Jontek was shown right in.

Jontek walked into the inner office, noting that nothing much had changed even while everything had. "Good morning, Admiral. It is agreeable to see you."

"Good morning, Jontek. You're looking well. Life on Vulcan must suit you."

"We are both doing things which we enjoy."

Gardner asked, "You're teaching at the Academy?"

Jontek recognized the smalltalk. Gardner had something to say and was taking his time to get there. "Yes, in the Federation Studies Department. And working in an Astrophysics lab. Between the two, we have fairly busy week."

"I'm glad to hear that." Gardner cleared his throat, a sure sign that the pleasantries had been dispensed with and it was time to get down to brass tacks. "I received a phone call last night that changed the direction of this meeting."

Jontek was surprised. "Care to elaborate?"

"Well, Starfleet was wondering about discharging you due to medical reasons rather than having you on indefinite medical leave. I wanted to discuss that possibility with you today. However, I received a call from Starfleet Security asking me to hold off on that action. This isn't due to your friendship with Captain Reed is it?"

"No. Not due to friendship. He's asked us to look into something. I suppose he figures if I still hold the rank, even if I'm on medical leave, it would be better."

It was Gardner's turn to be surprised. "I see. Do you care to elaborate?"

"No. It's strictly on a need to know basis. I'm sorry."

Gardner wasn't happy but he did understand. It was about seven months before when he'd offered Jontek a way to stay active in Starfleet and the man had turned him down. He figured this must be something important if he was working with Security on a clandestine mission. He nodded. "Should we reactivate your status?"

"No. I'm still on medical leave. That won't ever change."

Gardner looked at the man before him. He had changed in the intervening months. On the one hand, he seemed calmer, more…dare he say it, more Vulcan? But there was more. He could still hear Jon's speech pattern, see his expressions, and feel his presence. It wasn't there all the time, but enough. He reached out to his friend. "Are you happy, Jon?"

"We are content."

"Yes. Well, I hope that things continue to go well for you."

"Thank you. And don't worry. Time does have a way of making things acceptable." Jontek spread his fingers into the Vulcan 'V.' "Live long and prosper, Admiral."

"And to you as well, Jontek."

They turned and walked out of the room. Yes, that status quo was changing. He just had a little more time before it was final.

The rest of the day, Jontek was spending with T'Pol. They had both been invited to the Starfleet Academy for Political Science departmental dinner. T'Pol had been asked to report on her department's recent activities at the Vulcan Science Academy. Starfleet Academy had made a suggestion that the two departments should develop a parallel curriculum to better serve Federation needs. This was a first step in developing such a program.

Jontek asked her how she had liked Brazil and she indicated that she had enjoyed seeing what Hoshi had shown her. She thanked Jontek for his suggestion about the drink. She had stuck to bottled water.

The evening went well. Jontek was pleased to see how well T'Pol still was able to fit human protocols. She was an amazing woman. It was something that both halves of him agreed on.

Jontek was still feeling somewhat unsettled. He wondered if the last two days events were to blame. After all, to some extents he had agreed to be a type of spy and now he knew for certain what his eventual status would be in Starfleet. It was certainly enough to provide issues to meditate on. After the dinner, they had returned to his apartment and they and T'Pol had meditated together, something the three of them had started a month before on Vulcan. It had somewhat bothered him that T'Pol's closeness was more distracting than usual. Jontek figured that as this was Jon's apartment that might provide a clue to his agitation. After T'Pol left to go back to Hoshi's he found he had another restless night, dreams of T'Pol being a central theme.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo

The wedding day for Malcolm and Hoshi had arrived. They were to be married in the Starfleet Academy Interfaith Chapel. The inside of the chapel had bouquets of tropical flowers on the inside aisle, filling the air with fragrance.

The wedding itself was small. The families of the bride and groom were present and a few friends, many who they had served with in their military careers. Dr. Phlox had arrived the previous night. Malcolm stood at the front of the chapel, obviously a bit nervous. He stopped any evidence of his nervousness, though, when Hoshi entered the room. It was as if only the two of them were there as he watched her stroll down the center aisle.

Jontek was stunned by Hoshi. She had a simple white dress and had the same type of tropical flowers in her hair and in the flowers she carried. She looked exotic, she looked ecstatic. As she reached Malcolm, the groom took her hand and they looked into each other's eyes. The service was brief but moving, with Hoshi and Malcolm reading the vows they had written in lieu of a more traditional ceremony.

"This is how Humans bond?"

"It's one way that we marry."

"And to marry is to bond?"

"Many would consider that a true statement."

The presiding official, a non-denominational chaplain, pronounced the two officers husband and wife. Jontek smiled as Malcolm swept Hoshi into his arms, kissing her with more passion then he'd ever seen the man show before. After being introduced as a married couple to the persons present, Malcolm and Hoshi left the chapel, the rest of the people following after. The reception festivities, held in the upper room of Madame Wong's went long into the night.

Jontek had enjoyed speaking to Phlox again. Phlox had indicated that for the next week, he was planning on attending a conference on Mars regarding desert climates and the similarity of pathogens on arid planets.

Malcolm and Hoshi were going to a very private beach in Mexico for their Honeymoon but due to weather issues had put the trip off a few days. They expected to be leaving in the afternoon three days hence. In the meantime, they were heading up to Napa Valley to stay a quiet, out of the way bed and breakfast.

Jon noticed that Sontek had pulled back behind shields no more than an hour into the reception. He figured that perhaps the overwhelming emotional response of the Humans was the cause. He had a wonderful time and was surprised to find Hoshi's garter in his hands after Malcolm shot the thing into the air. He smiled. Not likely to fulfill that tradition anytime soon.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo

The next morning, Jon woke up with Sontek still behind shields. He couldn't recall a single time since the accident that this had occurred. He softly touched the barrier. "Sontek?"

There was a urgency to the answer. "Jon. I need to be alone."

"Is something wrong?" Jon was concerned.

Sontek hesitated. "I don't know. I must work through this on my own."

"You sure you don't want to talk?"

With a vehemence that shocked Jon a bit, Sontek answered with finality. "No! I've told you. This is something I have to handle myself. Now leave me alone." With that, the shields had gone up again.

Jon wondered if the discussion they had had with Malcolm was still bothering Sontek. He knew that the man took pride in his Vulcan heritage, in following Surak's teachings. Perhaps the idea that other Vulcan's would decide to harm others to further their own agenda's was causing him pain. He decided to give Sontek some space. He'd come around in his own time.

He called T'Pol. She had just received a summons to the Vulcan Compound. The Vanasian Ambassador was in negotiations with the Federation Council regarding membership. He had requested her presence at the talks. She'd asked if Jontek would be helpful to be there as well and Ambassador had stated he would rather deal for now with pure Humans to better understand their positions. She figured it might be two to three days before she was free.

Left alone to his own devices, Jon decided to spend the next couple of days catching up on Water Polo Matches. He hadn't really watched many while on Vulcan, not wanting to subject Sontek to them as his Vulcan half simply did not understand the water based sport. He fixed some popcorn and sat on the couch. Time for a little immersion in a purely Human pastime.