I do not own Star Trek, any of the canon characters, nor do I make any profit from my writings. I need to say this to take care of my own hide!

Taking Care Of Our Own

The DNA sequencing equipment in the Constellation's med lab quickly cleared up the little question of their identities. Captain Decker apologized to them all profusely and led them to the marvelous feast that had been prepared.

Kirk also made his own apologies.

"You've got to understand, though. Bones gave us these "modifications" over a week ago. We've gotten used to seeing ourselves this way and so has my crew."

Kirk went on to give Pike and Decker a mission briefing, detailing all of the events and the conditions that the Hellguard refugees had endured.

Admiral Pike was very impressed with the fact that there had been only one crewman lost. Obviously Kirk had planned the mission well. There were a few of Starfleet's top brass who had opposed the young man's promotion to captain, fresh out of the Academy and having cheated on a "fitness for command" test. However, Kirk was proving himself an able commanding officer and an adept strategist.

The Admiral ordered the captains of the Constellation, Ride, and Armstrong to give the Enterprise and her crew every assistance possible. They received supplies, refugee clothing and personal item packages, and most importantly, an extra power coupling for Main Engineering. They welcomed off-duty Enterprise crew members aboard for hot water showers and laundry service. All three ships loaned medical personnel to the Enterprise so that Bones and his staff could get a good rest.

However, there were two jobs Bones refused to turn over to strangers. He wanted his own people to perform the DNA tests on the refugees, not really trusting others with that information. Bones also refused to allow anyone else to perform surgery on Jim's ears. The captain was allergic to so many things that it was faster to just do the job himself than try to explain all the necessary precautions to someone else.

Admiral Pike came to Sickbay to visit with Gaila in person. He assured her that Starfleet would honor the somewhat "premature" posthumous degree she had been conferred by the Academy. She could apply for a posting and training update as soon as she was ready. Gaila would also be receiving a commendation for her assistance with the Hellguard children in Sickbay. She was entitled to over three years back pay.

When Pike had gone, Starfleet Intelligence agents came to interview Gaila. She told them everything she could remember about the pirates who had picked up her escape pod. This lead to their eventual capture and arrest for the murder of Lt. Angelli and trafficking in sentient beings. Starfleet Intelligence also uncovered some promising clues as to the whereabouts of the other two women who had been in the pod with Gaila.

Jim relaxed in the officer's lounge, reading reports on piles of PADDs. His ears were still a little sore, but at least they wouldn't be getting him in trouble anymore. Spock and McCoy had prepared the final tally on the Hellguard refugees.

There were thirteen adult females, 6 Vulcans, 3 Humans, 2 Orions, and 2 Romulans. They had rescued seven children from the "nursery", 4 Vulcan-Romulan hybrids, 1 Human-Romulan, and 2 fully Romulan. When Senar, baby Separ and little Nyota were added in, that made for a total of ten children under age five. Seventy souls had been rescued from the mines, and twelve more from the woods. The oldest of the miners was a Rigelian girl of nineteen. Life on Hellguard had been harsh and brief. The Enterprise had rescued one hundred and five people in all, sixty-three of whom had some Vulcan heritage.

Bones was glad that he had not waited to process those DNA samples. Nella Joynes, one of the women rescued from the "brothel", had a younger sister stationed aboard USS Ride. Nella and her husband had been traders who strayed a little too close to the Neutral Zone, though they were technically inside it when the Romulans captured them. Nella's husband died trying to defend her. However, her sorrows were temporarily forgotten in her sister's embrace.

The USS Armstrong was already planning to visit the Rigel system for diplomatic purposes. Captain Singh was delighted to be able to escort nine Rigelian youngsters home to grateful families. All of the kids had been orphaned, but Rigelians had large, extended families. There would be aunts, uncles, and grandparents waiting to love them.

When the Enterprise was in top form again, her three sister vessels bid her farewell and resumed their missions. Kirk and his crew made for Starbase 7.

Elder Tauril had been trying to convince T'Pau to bond with him since the founding of New Shi'Kahr. He even had his cottage built next to hers. He brought her plants from his garden and designed complex lace-knitting patterns for her, always finding a reason to pay her a visit.

Tauril's wife had died the year before the Genocide. He was nearly one hundred and ninety years old, a retired solicitor who had re-opened his legal practice to help protect his people against those who sought to take economic advantage of the colony's vulnerabilities.

T'Pau saw no logic in a union with Tauril, though she did have a certain fondness for him. He was most likely past the age of Pon Farr and fathering children. While some females her age were carrying healthy children, T'Pau's healer had advised against it because of the medication she took for a degenerative joint condition. There could be no offspring for them, so the bonding would be pointless.

Tauril had a different view.

"Where is the logic in a life without companionship? Bondmates support and assist one other. There is much we might do together."

However, T'Pau thought herself content with her life as it was.

Yet, Tauril was quite spry for his age. He still ran two kilometers every day and walked five more. He gardened and maintained his own cottage. And then rather surprisingly, he experienced Pon Farr.

T'Pau felt she had no choice but to bond with him. They spent a delightful three days together in his cottage, in a bedroom stripped of all the breakable objects.

Then Tauril returned to his former calmness and T'Pau went back to her cottage, hoping her life would resume its peaceful state. However, two days later, she got a message from the Vulcan Ministry of Immigration. A descendant of her third cousin T'Nar had been rescued from Hellguard, a ten-year-old girl named Saavik. The child had some serious emotional issues.

Saavik! Selek had told her that his wife from the alternate universe had been named Saavik, a Vulcan-Romulan hybrid rescued from a place called Hellguard. Surely he and T'Mardis could not be expected to raise the child in this universe. That would be asking too much.

T'Pau considered the available options. Her son Sarek and his wife T'Sela were days away from the birth of their first child together. As a diplomat, Sarek was frequently called off-planet. Sending Saavik to this household was in no one's best interests.

Her grandson Sybok and his wife T'Veri had two daughters, one an infant. They were both university instructors. T'Veri had recently recovered from her own mental health issues. This would also not be a good situation for Saavik.

Spock and Nyota were young newlyweds, living in tiny quarters on a starship and expecting a child soon. This would not work for Saavik. Also, the child would most likely need counseling.

Her grandson Sirin and his wife Rachel had three children already. They lived in San Francisco. Rachel was a Starfleet physician, who was sometimes assigned to a ship. Saavik needed a mother at home.

T'Pau realized that there was only one logical solution. She would raise Saavik herself.

Lewis couldn't sleep, so he got out of bed to fix himself some warm milk. He decided to check his messages on the kitchen terminal while drinking it. There was one from the Vulcan Ministry of Immigration. Lewis read the message over three times before he went to wake up Jack.

"Jack! Jack! Wake up, we've gotta go back to New Vulcan!"

Jack looked at Lewis like he had lost his mind. He tried to shield his eyes from the light, pulling the covers over his head.

"Lewis, whatever it is you left there, I'll buy you a new one. Now turn off the lamp and come back to bed....."

"Jack. I'm serious here. New Vulcan Immigration has a three-year-old girl who is related to Sonrisa and Karl."

Suddenly Jack was wide awake.

Bones had finally let Gaila and her baby girl out of Sickbay. They received a guided tour of the Enterprise from Spock and Nyota, all from the comfort of a wheelchair. Gaila could walk, but Bones didn't want her to overtire herself.

After the tour, they ate lunch in the main Rec Room. Hamed had baked a cake in baby Nyota's honor, white with strawberry mousse filling, pink icing, and deeper pink rosebuds. The Enterprise crew surprised Gaila with a basket full of cards, most containing credit vouchers or gift certificates. Starfleet took care of its own.

When lunch was over, Nyota asked to make a stop at the quarters she shared with Spock. While Gaila got comfortable and "Uncle Spock" held the baby named after his wife, Nyota grabbed a pair of faded, patched jeans from the top shelf of the bedroom closet. She brought them to her friend.

"When I packed up your things to send them to your mom, I kept these. I couldn't let them go, remembering all the fun times we had together. They were a comfort to me, but I think you should have them now. I don't need them anymore, now that you're back."

Gaila couldn't speak, so she just hugged her friend and allowed the tears to flow. She'd experienced a lot of pain in her young life, but also a lot of joy and love. She had hopes that everything would balance out, that there would be a happy future for her and her baby.

Starbase 7 was the site of several happy reunions. Family members who were able came to meet the refugees and escort them home. Tyla, the other Orion woman rescued from Hellguard was met by her brother, Kel, who owned an import-export business headquartered on the base. Kel dealt mostly in children's toys, so he sent several large crates of them to the Enterprise to be given to the rescued children. He also sent the command crew an assortment of very expensive, intoxicating beverages.

Gaila's mother was also waiting at Starbase 7, where she now lived and managed a lingerie shop. Nua had worked hard and saved her money. She hoped to buy the franchise within a year, one of the chain's most successful locations. The name The Orion Woman's Secret was so much more believable when one made purchases from an actual Orion woman.

Nua was delighted to finally meet Nyota and Spock. Gaila had often spoken about the two of them in letters and calls home, hoping they would eventually get together. They all had a meal together in a nice Orion restaurant. Before they parted, Nua gave Nyota her business card.

"Take it to the shop, honey. They'll give you the employee discount. We've got new maternity wear, not just undies anymore, plus a few new sexy things for the menfolk."

Spock's ears turned a bit green at the mention of such things, but Nyota smiled broadly. They still had some of those gift cards left from their wedding....

Jim gave his crew a two-day layover with liberal shoreleave. They had earned it. There would finally be time for shopping. It would also give the orphanage on New Vulcan a chance to prepare for the arrival of so many youngsters. The Immigration Ministry was still trying to track down relatives for some. Others had no DNA matches at all, so they would need adoptive parents. The children who were entirely Romulan would also be up for adoption.

Spock ate a good breakfast that morning, knowing he would require all of his strength, both physical and mental. He and Nyota would spend the day shopping, first at Nebula Galactic for baby furniture, and then at The Orion Woman's Secret.

The rest of the crew could shop till they dropped for all Bones cared. Likely some would come back needing his services, paying the price for overindulgences of one kind or another. He would catch up on his reports, sign requisitions for supplies, and maybe even take a nap. However, all of that could wait until after he had a chat with T'Ameela.

His call found her studying peptide chains in her quarters. Organic chemistry was her most difficult subject. Bones listened to her frustrations, glad just to hear her voice again. He remembered the molecule modeling program he had used when he was a student and suggested it to her. Being able to visualize the compounds in three dimensions sometimes helped.

She thanked him for his assistance and nearly smiled when he told her he would see her in a few days. This was so much better than fighting the crowds in Nebula Galactic.

One baby crib, a rocking chair, and a combination dresser/changing table had been purchased and sent up to their storage locker on the ship. Spock would have to assemble them later. He had no idea how Nyota planned to fit all these items in their quarters. They would qualify for a family suite once their child was born and one became available. Jim Kirk had made his command policies as family-friendly as possible, so those with children were in no hurry to transfer elsewhere.

Spock stalled Nyota in every way he could, first wanting to stop for ice cream, and then even suggesting a trip to the shoe store. Nyota did fall for that one, getting herself a comfy new pair of sneakers. However, when he suggested they look at stuffed animals, she was on to him. Their unborn child already owned more than two dozen.

"Come on, Commander. Time to shop for undies!"

Nyota nearly dragged him into The Orion Woman's Secret.

Saavik had been much easier to handle since T'Vedna had given her a job. The child seemed to absolutely adore little Senar, who was rapidly adjusting to his new eyesight. T'Vedna began to become concerned that the children might be growing too close. It was likely that they would be split up, each going to a different family. They had already suffered much trauma in their young lives.

Jack and Lewis sat in the living room, waiting for the family to settle down. The couple were still adjusting to the all changes that occurred in their lives recently. A year ago, there had been just the two of them in a two bedroom condo. Then they had spent six months on New Vulcan working with refugees in various clinics. They came to have a great respect for the Vulcan people and their culture, also an appreciation for how difficult their rebuilding process would be.

Jack and Lewis had been together for several years and greatly desired a family. They also believed it was more important to provide a home for a child who already existed than to waste resources on an attempt to have a child who was genetically linked to them They applied to the orphanage in New Shannai'Kahr, specifically asking to adopt a child of mixed heritage. Sonrisa was selected for them and they had loved her immediately. They sold the condo and bought a five bedroom house.

A few short months later, they learned of Karl, Sonrisa's brother, and the children's great grandmother Chernal. Jack's mom Corazon went with them to pick up the new family members and then moved in to help care for the kids. Jack's brother Rob was also staying with them now, recovering from spinal surgery. A recently developed technique had greatly enhanced his mobility, which had deteriorated over the course of the years due to a congenital condition. However, it would be months before Rob could live on his own again.

At last, they were all together and quiet. Lewis took a breath and began.

"Family, we've got great news. Jack and I are going to New Vulcan to get us a new family member. I know you all want to go, too, but it's just too much of a production, and frankly too expensive. Besides, Rob can't travel right now and Sonrisa has school. We're leaving tonight and we'll come home as soon as possible."

Sonrisa started to cry a bit, but Lewis picked her up and cuddled her.

"Look on the bright side, Princess. You're gonna get a little sister."

"What's her name, Papa?"

"Her name is Krysta."

Krysta Logan was a teenager when pirates killed her parents and took her and her brother Karl captive. The pretty, blond girl fetched a high price from the lonesome trader who bought her. He treated her as kindly as he knew how and Krysta slowly grew to like him.

Then one day the trader's ship developed an issue with its engines. He landed on a small planetoid near the Neutral Zone to make repairs. An engine somehow became detached while he worked underneath it, crushing him to death. Krysta was alone and near starvation when the Romulans found her.

They thought her too exotic to work in the mines on Hellguard, so she was taken to the brothel instead. She lived there several years, becoming pregnant with the child of one of her captors. Krysta survived her daughter's birth, but died shortly afterward. She had lost a lot of blood and T'Vedna had none to give her. T'Vedna named the child for her mother, so that at least some memory of Krysta would survive.

Rysha smiled at the young couple who had just entered the shop. A pregnant, dark-skinned Human female with a pale Vulcan male. These must be the ones Nua had told her about, the Starfleet couple who had helped save her manager's daughter.

Rysha had had a few Vulcan males in her shop before, and remembered how embarrassed they seemed to be there. She would make Commander Spock's life a little easier. She introduced herself and welcomed them.

"Commander, Lieutenant, come this way, please. You've earned VIP treatment."

She lead them to a large, comfortable dressing room with a table and a couple of overstuffed chairs. After they were seated, Rysha served them tea and recorded Nyota's list of desired items and sizes on a PADD.

"Sit tight and I will bring it all to you."

Rysha selected several sets of adjustable bikini panties with matching maternity/nursing bras, three comfy but sexy nursing gowns, and some tops and leggings. Nyota had not requested any dresses, but Rysha saw a pale green one that looked just made for her. There was a matching blush on Spock's ears when his wife modeled the dress for him. They would purchase all that Rysha had selected for them.

Spock felt certain that they were ready to leave, but Nyota disagreed.

"Nua said you had items for gentlemen."

"Indeed we do. The new men's line has silk boxers, sleep pants and the new, form-fitting silk T-shirts. Those have been very popular with Vulcan gents, as they add a nice, warm layer without bulk."

"Oh, those all sound nice. Let's see them."

Rysha brought an assortment of each, accurately guessing Spock's sizes. Though he blushed the entire time, he modeled a pair of pants and a t-shirt for Nyota. They were very comfortable.

Nyota selected several of each type of garment for him.

I'll make it worth your trouble later, Commander.

I will hold you to that promise, Lieutenant.

Nyota had indeed made it all worth his trouble. Content and thoroughly satisfied, they cuddled in bed until they were interrupted by the comm unit. It was Jim, back from a day spent playing paintball with Pavel, Hikaru, and Cupcake.

"Hey, guys. I was thinking about having a little get together in the Officer's Lounge and opening up the crate Tyla's brother gave us. We haven't had a little party like that in a long time. What do you say?"

Spock looked at his wife.

He will persist until we accept.

I could do with a little party, especially one where I don't get thrown in the brig.

"We would not be adverse to the idea, Jim."

"Great. See you two in about an hour. Kirk out."

"An hour, he says. A lot can happen in an hour, Spock."

Nyota rubbed one of Spock's sensitive ears with his new silk t-shirt.

"Indeed."

Nyota and Spock were the last to arrive at Jim's little soiree.

"You two seem nice and relaxed." snorted Bones.

"Shoreleave and shopping, you know." said Nyota with a wide grin.

"With a side order of horny hobgoblin, no doubt."

"Really, Doctor, our peronal life is none of your...."

Jim cut Spock off.

"Okay, stop already. Let's open this crate and see what we've got. Lt. Uhura, will you record the inventory?"

"I will."

"Good. Scotty, pry it open."

Scotty did so with some difficulty, but eventually the lid came off. He and Sulu lifted out the bottles of "liquid refreshment" one by one, setting them on the table while Bones read the labels.

"We've got Andorian ale.... Stoli.... Tequila.... Schnapps.... Saurian brandy..... Romulan ale.... Johnnie Walker....and two things written in Vulcan that I can't read."

Jim laughed.

"Right, Bones, like I'd really fall for that. Vulcans don't get drunk on alcohol."

"True enough, Jim boy, but they do get a bit loaded on other things. Isn't that right, Spock?"

"I would prefer not to discuss the topic, Doctor. However, I will interpret the labels for you."

Spock went to the table and picked up a dusty black bottle with a gray label.

"This is k'vass. It is non-alcoholic, but my mother once compared its flavor to that of buttered rum. She found it somewhat disagreeable. It has a very high sucrose content. The other is t'mara omi, the only beverage exported from Vulcan, having both high alcoholic and sugar contents. Neither are currently being manufactured."

Spock' s little lecture on Vulcan beverages was interrupted by a page from the bridge.

"Commander Spock, we have an incoming transmission for you from Ambassador Sarek on New Vulcan."

"I will acept."

Nyota walked over to Spock and took his hand. They had been expecting a call from Sarek.

"Greetings, my children."

"Greetings, Father. We trust that you and Mother T'Sela are well."

"Quite well. I wish to inform you of the birth of your sister, T'Shana. Mother and daughter are in robust health."

"We are most gratified to hear of this, Father."

"Also, your grandmother T'Pau has bonded with Elder Tauril."

"That is indeed a surprise."

"Spock, would it be possible for you to pick up T'Sela's order from Nebula Galactic and bring it with you? I have purchased a new vehicle, but the infant seat arrived damaged. There are also several other items."

"I will be glad to do so, Father."

"Thank you, my children. Live long and prosper."

"Peace and long life, Father."

Spock shared his good news with his friends and they drank a toast to baby T'Shana with the t'mara omi.

Jim nearly choked on his portion of the odd, green liquid.

"Spock, no offense, but this stuff is nasty. I don't know how they ever sold it off-planet."

"None taken, Jim. I happen to agree."

Pavel drained his glass and refilled it.

"Eet ees not so bad. However, I haf a good idea. Ve should send the other bottle to Meester Spock's family to congratulate them."

"Aye, I'll second that, laddie."

Scotty also refilled his glass with t'mara omi.

Jim liked that idea.

"All in favor, say "Aye."

It was unanimous, though Spock abstained. He knew that a bottle of k'vass now cost more than a Starfleet Commander's yearly income!

A little later when everyone but Spock and Nyota were a bit tipsy, Jim approached his Vulcan friend with a bit of an evil grin.

"Hey buddy, you know what we should have done?"

"No, Jim, but I am certain that you will tell me."

"We should have had a holopicture done for your dad while I still had my Vulcan ears. He would have gotten a kick out of it."

"Somehow I doubt that very much."

TBC