Mbaruku lay back, eyes closed, his mind quieted as he listened to the light, airy, ethereal notes of a Vulcan ka'athyra. A final calm, slow cascade of notes faded. Reclined in his favorite living room chair, Mbaruku listened a moment more, reluctant to leave this peaceful state as he opened his eyes.

Leaning against the back of his own chair, Spock embraced the instrument, curling his arms and chest around its body and high neck, making it a part of himself. His eyes remained closed, the non-expression on his face peaceful, though light from the window overlooking the garden sculpted shadows across his strong, angular features and brought out a certain severity.

"Lovely," Faizah sighed from the couch. "Absolutely lovely. And you play so beautifully. Thank you, Spock."

An hour before, as they talked about Nyota and Aisha's musical productions, the topic had turned to music in general, then to Spock's talents on the piano and ka'athyra. When Spock offered to show them the alien instrument, Faizah and Mbaruku eagerly accepted and went to the living room while the younger went to his room to retrieve it. He demonstrated basic techniques and Vulcan musical styles, which Mbaruku found interesting. Once Spock began playing various works, some extremely complex, Mbaruku added "artist" to Spock's long list of skills and occupations.

Spock's eyes opened and he lifted his head slowly from the instrument to acknowledge Faizah. "I am honored."

"We are the ones who are honored," she replied.

Mbaruku finally lifted his own head. "I second that. You are a gifted musician."

Spock said nothing as he returned his concentration to the ka'athyra and plucked the first few notes of another song, an upbeat familiar tune, a children's song that had been one of Nyota's favorites. It amazed Mbaruku how Spock's long fingers lightly, playfully skipped across the strings. Cheerful and lively, the notes lifted Mbaruku's spirit and he found himself smiling involuntarily. Based solely on the sound, he never would have guessed that the musician was Vulcan.

So much beneath that surface…

As Spock started into the next stanza, a voice rang out from the foyer

"Maua mazuri yapendeza
Maua mazuri yapendeza
Ukiyatazama yanameremeta…"

Nyota entered and joined them, still singing away as Faizah and Mbaruku now clapped their hands in time.

"…Maua mazuri yapendeza
Ukiyatazama yanameremeta
Maua mazuri yapendeza…"

Spock watched Nyota swing from side to side, the material of the caftan she wore following her movements, as she continued with the next verse.

"Maua mazuri yapendeza
Ukiyatazama utachekelea
Hakuna mmoja asiye yapenda
Maua mazuri yapendeza
Ukiyatazama utachekele
Hakuna mmoja asiye yapenda…"

Spock finished with a flourish and Nyota spun around once with her own flourish and delight before walking to Spock's side. Faizah and Mbaruku applauded their appreciation.

Mbaruku could not help commenting. "Had I your musical talents as a younger man, I would have won Faizah's heart long before I did."

"Oh, Mbaru!" Faizah laughed but raised her eyebrows.

Spock's eyes met Mbaruku's, and for once Mbaruku saw some joy in them. The younger returned his attention to Nyota as he plucked the introductory bars to another tune.

The artistic layers and depth here…more reasons Nyota had fallen in love with someone who obviously shared her interest and enjoyment of music.

One of Faizah's questions from the day before arose in his thoughts: "Are we really so different?…" In some ways, yes; in other ways, no. What mattered, Mbaruku decided as he watched his daughter and her beloved interact, was how one approached and handled the mix. Between them were a Vulcan instrument and a Tanzanian song, but they made it work. Like Ambassador Sarek and Lady Amanda, Nyota and Spock had found a balance. It still concerned Mbaruku how the trauma of Vulcan's destruction and the ensuing battles would affect them in the long run. For the moment, they were finding respite in their music.

As the second song ended, Nyota touched Spock's shoulder lightly. "I see that Mama and Baba have been treating you well."

Faizah waved one hand casually. "He has been treating us well with this lovely concert!"

"We have had the most interesting conversations all afternoon," Mbaruku added, digging at Nyota's curiosity, taking the opportunity of this light moment to tease her.

Spock's head tilted to one side, throwing Nyota a minor expression that Mbaruku was learning to recognize as feigned innocence. "Yes, most illuminating."

Their teasing worked. Nyota crossed her arms and gave Spock her own version of The Death Glare. "Oh? Most illuminating about what?" Nyota turned her head and zeroed in on her mother.

"Goodness, Nyota, what do you think we have been doing?" Faizah protested lightly, smiling as she joined in.

"Well…," Nyota's lips thinned and pressed together in a fake smile, "from the overly innocent tones of your voices—you, too, Spock—I think that you've been telling the embarrassing childhood stories that you tell everyone when I'm not here to stop you."

"I did not realize that Spock knew so much about Earth history," Mbaruku broke in, purposefully ignoring Nyota's assessment. Here he was not lying. The younger's knowledge had impressed him during the preceding hours. "We discussed Vulcan and Terran perspectives of First Contact."

"And he has helped me work through a water management issue I had with on my Garren IV home design," Faizah added.

Nyota frowned. "Uh-huh…what else?"

Faizah could not keep a straight face. She did not even try. "We may have told him about your interests, achievements, and how proud we are of you…things like that."

"And…?"

"Be happy that we did not force him to watch the holovids of your and Aisha's production of Romeo & Juliet," Mbaruku added helpfully. Nyota had been horrified at one family gathering when he, Faizah, and their siblings had reminisced about their children. Faizah had shown their tape of the production on the main viewscreen, and the adults had enjoyed watching their children's overly dramatic, but well-intended efforts. With the sophistication of six additional years of age since the production, Nyota and her cousins had cringed as they watched their younger selves play out the romance and death scenes.

Both Spock's eyebrows disappeared into his bangs, and he stared at Nyota inquisitively.

Nyota breathed out an exasperated sigh. "Oh, no, you don't get to see that!"

"It was an ambitious production!" Faizah crowed, going on despite Nyota's consternated eyeroll. "Nyota played Romeo and Aisha played Juliet. Nyota rewrote the play into Kiswahili because their younger cousins did not understand Shakespearean English, of course. Aisha wouldn't participate unless she could sing, so it became a musical!"

Nyota's hands went to her temples. "It was horrible!"

"It was not! It was creative," Faizah assured. "We were proud of you."

"You're my mother; you have to say nice things."

"Spock is…uh…special to you. He has to like it if we show it to him," Mbaruku parried back.

Now the Uhuras had a very confused Vulcan on their hands. "Indeed?"

"Indeed!" chorused Mbaruku and Faizah.

Eyebrows raised, Spock looked for clarification from Nyota, who finally broke out laughing.

Mbaruku simply grinned.

-o0o-

The cool, night breeze refreshed Mbaruku and Nyota. They relaxed on the patio, next to each other on a low bench, listening to the quiet buzzing and other activities of nocturnal insects and birds. Faizah remained inside, finishing up various odd household tasks. Spock had returned to his own room for more meditation after supper.

Nyota still wore her mother's caftan, but had taken off the headwrap, letting her long hair fall along her back, contained loosely by a simple wooden clasp. Her features had taken on a strength that Mbaruku had not noted before. Truly, she had become a woman. Even so, would Mbaruku ever be able to let go of his protectiveness completely? Probably not. He mentally gave into his own nature. The father-warrior would always be present.

"He is impressive," Mbaruku said, looking down at his daughter.

Nyota continued to look out at the flickering shadows cast against the palm tree trunks by the decorative torches placed throughout the garden. The warm, yellow flames brought out a glow in his skin and eyes, even more so when she smiled. "He is."

"May I ask a question?"

Nyota turned her attention from the garden to her father. "Always."

How should Mbaruku begin? "Your bond, the link, the telepathy between you and Spock…can you tell me more about it?"

"What do you want to know?"

"How strong is it? You said Vulcans shared many kinds of bonds…"

"Yes." She looked down at her hands. "Ours is not as strong as a marriage bond, but it's more than friendship. Spock says it's the equivalent of a betrothal."

"That would have been my guess," Mbaruku nodded, unsurprised. "How does it affect you?"

"Baba, if you are worried…"

"Nyota…," he stopped her gently. "I only want to understand. How many Terran fathers have daughters in relationships with Vulcan men, hmm? This is new." Mbaruku smiled to reassure her.

Nyota relaxed again and shrugged. "I guess it is." She turned her body to face Mbaruku more directly. "I always feel him, not just in my head, but everywhere. Sometimes I feel his moods, sometimes I feel his dreams. They are impressions, though. I don't pick up anything more direct."

"But I've seen you share thoughts."

"Only when we touch."

That was interesting. It explained much. Mbaruku probed deeper. "If you progress to a marriage bond, you will be able to speak to him through your mind?"

Nyota looked upward, searching her thoughts. "I don't know because I'm human. Spock says that Amanda had a full bond with Sarek, and she could. Spock is a very strong telepath, stronger than Sarek is, so it's likely I will, too."

Again, interesting. Mbaruku wondered if Spock's stronger telepathy had something to do with the inadvertent bonding. Had Spock somehow sensed Nyota's love and responded?

"Does he love you?" The question was abrupt, but Mbaruku could not help it.

"I'm sorry, you know Vulcan privacy does not let me answer that." Mbaruku and Nyota sat in silence for a moment before she went on. "Are you still worried?"

"I will always worry about you."

"Baba…what do you really want to know?"

What Mbaruku really wanted to know, he had asked. If he could not learn more about Spock's feelings—from observation, he now knew that Spock had them even if Vulcan propriety downplayed the fact—perhaps he could discover what he needed by exploring Nyota's.

"Why do you love him?"

Even in the low light, Mbaruku could see Nyota flush. She met his eyes and inquiry head-on, however, reaching, then clasping her two hands around his. "What I said yesterday, the more I learn about him, the more I want to know. He's intelligent, artistic, strong…perhaps the strongest person I have ever known."

Mbaruku noted his daughter's expression soften and warm. Oh, she had it bad…

Nyota breathed in deeply, then exhaled as she centered her thoughts. "Most people have no idea. They think that he's arrogant when, really, he's just being direct. If only they knew how much thought he puts into doing the right thing, making the best decision, trying to serve, living up to everyone else's standards and ideals. Sometimes I want to scream."

Mbaruku nodded. "People gravitate to the familiar where they are comfortable, Nyota, and they judge accordingly. It is human nature, I'm afraid."

"I know," she said. "I wish they could really see the true him. His mind and soul are beautiful, intricate, deep…." She rolled her eyes. "Now I sound like the besotted, smitten, infatuated, lovesick heroin from a bad romance novel."

Mbaruku recognized her humorous string of adjectives from the day before and chuckled.

A glimmer of embarrassment crossed her features, and she shrugged again laughing at herself. "There are no words, not the right ones. Anything I say sounds stupid and trite."

"It does not sound stupid at all." Mbaruku squeezed her hands to reassure her.

She shook her head, looking upward again. "There is a Vulcan phrase: k'hat'n'dlawa. Roughly translated, it means 'one who is half of my heart and soul.' That is who he is."

One of Mbaruku's eyebrows rose. Vulcans had a phrase like that? The bottled emotion behind such a phrase suggested much. Again, he had to wonder how Nyota and Spock dealt with the tumultuous emotions beneath Spock's calm surface.

"Half of one's heart, half of one's soul…," Mbaruku began. "It is symbiotic. One depends on the other, each affects the other…are the affects constant?"

Nyota sat up straighter. "I see where you're going with this," she stated simply.

"Only because I worry." He kept his voice gentle. "Your mother worries, too," he added. "Would it help you to know that we are also concerned for him?… Do not look so surprised, Nyota, your mother likes him."

Nyota eyed him. "And…?"

Mbaruku looked skyward. "Very well. I like him, too," he finally admitted.

Nyota laughed. "Baba!"

"So, tell me: Are you going to be all right with this bond?"

"I am now so used to him being with me that breaking the bond would be painful. It's easier to share Spock's emotional turmoil than be without him. It's not all one-sided. We draw from each other." Nyota tightened her grip around Mbaruku's hands. "Baba, we will get through this, I promise."

Somewhere deep down, Mbaruku believed her. "You tell your mother and me what we can do to help you. Do not deny us that. Promise me." He looked at her in the sternness backed by the love of a devoted father-warrior.

"Yes," she said. "I promise."

Mbaruku released his hands and circled them around his daugher's shoulders, drawing her close. She put her arms around his waist and leaned into his shoulder.

"Baba?" she said after a few moments.

"Yes, Baby Girl?"

"Thank you for not going crazy on us," came her muffled voice buried in his shirt. "I know this wasn't easy, and I'm sorry that we had to keep our relationship secret from you. I hated it, and—"

"Sh-sh-sh." Mbaruku simply wanted to enjoy this moment with this accomplished woman becoming his little girl again, even briefly. "Whatever you do, I am proud of you. Carry that with you wherever you go, hmmm?"

Author's Note January 16, 2012: Here is the song Spock and Nyota performed.

Beautiful Flowers

A children's song from Tanzania

Swahili
Maua mazuri yapendeza
Maua mazuri yapendeza
Ukiyatazama yanameremeta
Maua mazuri yapendeza
Ukiyatazama yanameremeta
Maua mazuri yapendeza

Maua mazuri yapendeza
Ukiyatazama utachekelea
Hakuna mmoja asiye yapenda
Maua mazuri yapendeza
Ukiyatazama utachekelea
Hakuna mmoja asiye yapenda

English
Beautiful flowers look so pretty
Beautiful flowers look so pretty
When you look at them they shimmer
Beautiful flowers look so pretty
When you look at them they shimmer
Beautiful flowers look so pretty.

Beautiful flowers look so pretty
When you look at them they will make you smile
There is no one who doesn't like them
Beautiful flowers look so pretty
When you look at them they will make you smile
There is no one who doesn't like them.

If you want to hear the song, see my profile for the URL.

Thanks, always, to T'Soy for her time and care in beta-ing these chapters before I post them.