SIX MONTHS LATER

Standing on the surface of the Vulcan colony, on a high cliff overlooking the capital city, McCoy could see why this planet had been chosen as their new home. The climate was just as unbearable as it had been on their original world.

He sighed, shifting his feet slightly and trying not to fidget as he felt sweat begin to run down his back under the oppressive heat of the sun. The dress uniforms weren't helping matters.

Kirk gave his friend a small sideways grin. "Something the matter, Bones?" he quietly asked.

"Keep your mouth shut or I'll update all your immunizations at once when we get back to the ship," he shot back. Jim's smile grew, but he wisely stopped talking, deciding not to call the doctor's bluff. "God, I wish they would get on with this already," McCoy complained to the rest of their little group, which consisted of the Enterprise's senior officers. "They all have the nerve to be standing there like the sun isn't bothering them one bit." With a tip of his head, he indicated that the 'they' he was referring to was a group of Vulcans gathered just a few feet away.

"It probably isn't," Sulu blurted out before realizing that he didn't need to replace Kirk as the victim of the doctor's frustrations.

McCoy sniffed. "Pointy-eared bastards…" he grumbled to himself.

"I am still confused by the meaning of this ceremony," Chekov sheepishly spoke up. "They will not be married today, no?"

Kirk shook his head. "Not yet. The best explanation I was able to piece together from Spock is that this is more like a proposal with an audience…although more significant in Vulcan culture."

"It's just coming a bit late," McCoy piped up, the conversation having taken his mind off the heat for a few minutes. Off of Chekov's confused look, he added, "Normally the happy couple in these ceremonies is a pair of seven-year-old children."

Pavel's eyes widened, but before he could say anything in response, Spock and Sarek entered the ceremonial clearing. All of the guests in attendance – both Starfleet and Vulcan – quickly quieted as they came to attention.

Spock stepped up onto the platform in the center area, freed a somewhat-large mallet from its holder, and struck a large gong. The instrument's deep boom echoed through the clearing and rumbled out beyond. A moment later, the tinkling of small bells could be heard approaching, and everyone looked to watch. The gong boomed once more, answered by the bells which grew louder as they grew closer. Two large guards entered, each carrying one of the bell instruments. Behind them…behind them was a vision that made the men from the Enterprise stare in awe.

"Good God," Scotty muttered under his breath; he seemed to be the only one capable of speech. Kirk might have been tempted to whistle – if he'd been able to pick his jaw up off of the floor.

Saavik glided into the clearing, dressed in a long blue-silver dress that skimmed the ground like flowing waters and made her seem like some Goddess of the Seas. Her brown hair hung freely down her back, elegantly adorned with silver fasteners. Such graceful beauty…well, it definitely wasn't something that they had expected from Vulcans.

Her eyes had been focused on the floor as she entered, but she glanced up to take in the audience as she was led to where Spock waited. He murmured something in her ear, and a tiny smile played at the corner of her mouth. Kirk decided he would have given a week's leave to find out what his friend had said.

More guards appeared; two of them held weapons that were a cross between an axe and a bludgeon, and the others carried a sedan chair into the clearing. Sitting tall and proud in that chair was one of the High Council members that Spock had saved four years earlier – the great T'Pau. Her chair was placed down at the front of the ceremonial space and Spock dropped to one knee beside her. The wise old Vulcan raised her hand to place it on his temple, and he seemingly fell into a trance an instant later. T'Pau motioned with her free hand for Saavik to come to her as well and repeated her actions.

Facing each other, Spock and Saavik reached to touch each other's temples. "My mind to your mind," Spock softly began.

"My thoughts to your thoughts," Saavik answered.

"Parted from me and never parted…"

"Never and always touching and touched."

T'Pau used her hands to cover their fingers, the seal on their vows. "Now thee are one," she told them. "Spock – son of Sarek, son of Skon, son of Solkar – and Saavik, Vulcan's Daughter."

That's a wonderfully tactful way of putting it, Kirk thought. The heat might have been making him imagine things, but he thought he saw Saavik blush slightly at the title. Maybe she doesn't have parents to claim her – and that's probably an upside, at least as far as half of her heritage goes – but she's an asset to this planet. And it's nice to see that they know it.

"At the appointed time," T'Pau continued, "Thee shall be drawn together."

Spock was the first to stand, and rather gallantly helped Saavik return to her feet as well. They each studied the other for a moment, as if testing to see if anything was different. Saavik's slight smile returned, and – to his human friends' amazement – Spock mirrored the expression. An instant later, however, both of their faces were once again expressionless masks. If you had blinked, you would have missed it.

They each bowed their heads to Sarek, who nodded his approval. And then, that was that.


As the Enterprise's senior officers joined the line of guests waiting to pay their respects to the couple and Sarek, their earlier conversation was resumed. "Why are they not being truly married today?" Chekov inquired.

Kirk shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe Vulcans have a required waiting period." None of the others had a better suggestion.

"Wasn't exactly much romance in that little show, now was there?" Scotty piped up. No one verbally responded to his observation, but they were all thinking the same thing. Apparently Vulcan emotional control really did have to take the fun out of everything.

They finally made their way to the front of the line. Kirk bowed to Saavik. "Congratulations, Lieutenant," he told her. "It seems you've had a string of ceremonies recently." Her graduation from the Academy – followed by an assignment to the Enterprise – had occurred only two weeks before.

She nodded slightly. "That is true, Captain. Thank you for attending."

"Wouldn't dream of missing it. Spock," he offered his friend a Vulcan salute, "Congratulations."

"Thank you, Jim."

The others each congratulated the couple in turn, going down the line in rank order. Chekov, of course, was last, and couldn't help but voice the question that they'd all been discussing. "It was said at the end of the ceremony that you would be brought together at the appointed time," he pointed out. "When will that be?"

The couple shared a look that spoke volumes before Saavik finally turned to the Ensign – who, incredibly, was still a year younger than she. "It is difficult to calculate," she told him, "But most likely in three to five years." Looks of confusion crossed all of the officers' faces, but she did not elaborate.


The line was finally nearing its end when Spock noticed a figure standing off to the side of the clearing, alone. "I will return in a moment," he told Saavik before stepping away from her.

Nyota offered him a small smile as he approached. "Congratulations," she quietly said. "I…I wasn't sure if you'd me want to…you know." She gestured toward the receiving line.

He nodded in understanding. "Whatever you were most comfortable with. I was unsure if you would wish to attend. Jim implied that the invitation might be considered an insult, but I believed that not extending it would be a greater offense."

She laughed softly, sardonically. "Yeah, there aren't exactly strict etiquette rules for this…Are you happy? I mean…you know what I mean."

And he did. "I am."

Her smile returned. "Good. Then so am I – with one condition."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "Should I be concerned?"

"Promise me that we won't ever shut each other out."

He nodded. "You have my word."


As Nyota went to rejoin the rest of their crewmates a few minutes later, Spock realized that Saavik was no longer in the ceremonial clearing. He followed a sixth sense that he now possessed and found her outside, standing on a cliff that overlooked the city. It wasn't Mount Seleya, overlooking the Vulcan Forge, but it was beautiful. It was home.

For a moment, he could picture his mother standing beside Saavik, talking with her about the ceremony and tidying her hairstyle after its exposure to the hot wind that blew across the landscape. Amanda would have thoroughly enjoyed this day.

"I believe that she was here, in a way," Saavik spoke up, startling him slightly.

Was I projecting my thoughts? Spock wondered. He hadn't intended to; their new connection would require an adjustment period.

"I cannot explain how," she continued as he stood behind her. "But…it felt as though she was nearby."

Spock slowly nodded as their fingers met. "Yes, it does."

They remained in amicable silence for several minutes, looking out over the city. Someone would come get them once their presence was required at the reception. "I have attempted to form a more accurate estimate of the date on which our wedding could take place," Saavik quietly spoke up.

"Have you been successful?" he asked.

"There have been…complications. Namely relativity and your genetics."

He nodded. "I expected as much."

"To account for the effects of relativity, I would need to know precisely how much time you have spent at faster-than-light speeds – and what speeds – as well as estimate the same numbers for the future. It is a very complex problem, but I believe a computer program could be created."

He shrugged. "It is possible, if one had enough unoccupied time available."

She nodded her agreement. "However, such a model would assume a normal seven year cycle. It is safe to hypothesize that yours would be longer, given that you are half-human."

"That is true. I made a similar assessment of the factors involved in such a computation after my first pon farr. I decided that it was an inefficient pursuit."

Saavik shrugged slightly as she turned back to look at the landscape. "I suppose," she replied. However, Spock knew her well enough to know that she was still thinking about it.

"Your impatience is illogical, t'hy'la," he quietly told her. "We have the rest of our lives."


FIN.

A/N: The bonding ceremony was inspired by the TOS episode "Amok Time" and the book "Vulcan's Heart." And yes, I know, relativity doesn't cover faster than light speeds, but I figure someone will come up with new physics by the 23rd century.

A/N2: Hope you all enjoyed the story, and thanks very much to everyone who sent feedback. :-)