Hello All! I am SO sorry for how long it has taken me to update. Read my profile for a description, but school work has taken over my life. However, I am back! I hope to be popping out more updates more frequently so I can finish up these stories and move onto other ideas that have been brewing in my head and in my lovely notebook. While I have not been updating, I have been keeping detailed notes on my stories, so the plot still grows, and I don't have writer's block. I just don't have time.

Side note: I'd like to apologize to the fans of Star Trek: The Original Series. I am aware that in the beginning chapters Spock may seem a bit out of character, but remember that Serena is his soul mate and he was quite young at the time of the events that are taking place. Not to mention this is an alternate universe (due to the destruction of Vulcan) and we're only seeing what is going on in Spock's mind. Vulcan's have very strong emotions, but what sets them apart is being able to control them. Spock does a very well job I think in the previous chapters of contemplating his emotions, but not acting on them. He is, after all, half human and half Vulcan. As the story progresses, he will become more and more Vulcan with his personality (much more so than in Illogical Choices). He will grow more into the character that was seen on the original TV show, so do not fret :-)

Translation for this chapter is: Recognition

As the story turns…

Chapter 5: Naglanshau

As Spock made his way back to his quarters, he was thankful that he ran into no one. He wasn't exactly sure if he had full control of his emotions, and if he wasn't in control, then it may very well reflect on his face.

She was as he remembered. Her voice, the way she smelled, her curiosity. While there were some notable changes, she was still very much the same girl he knew. He wondered how much he had changed from the young Vulcan she once knew. It wasn't as if he could ask her opinion on the matter. She didn't remember him, and he couldn't deny the fact that it slightly hurt him.

But she did seem to recognize you. His mind screamed at him, but he quickly dismissed the idea. It was more than likely a trick of the mind.

He finally reached his quarters and began his preparation of his nightly meditation. He lit the proper incense and dimmed the lights to the perfect setting. He then began to undress from his daily uniform. He folded his shirt and pants neatly and placed them in the appropriate basket. He slipped on his meditation robe, sat in his usual corner, and began to empty the contents of his mind.

He tried with difficulty to erase the memory of her walking towards him for the first time in seven years. It took all of his will power to try and not dwell on her, but he could not succeed in this. His mind delved even deeper into her and the memories that she stirred.

Serena quickly ran up the hill. She knew she would find him there. It was the only place where he felt it was okay to let his human side show, even if it was only slightly. It was their place.

When she reached the top of the hill beyond the caves, her eyes landed on him. He was standing there as stiff as a board. His hands were held strategically behind his back. His eyes were looking off into the distance.

She approached him slowly. Soon, she found herself standing beside him, gazing off at the same magnificent view. She didn't speak to him. She knew that he would speak when he was ready. Time seemed to stand still as they stood side-by-side. An eternity passed before Spock decided to articulate what was going through his mind.

"I relayed the information of joining Starfleet to my father." His voice was strong, hiding the emotion buried deep within.

"So I heard." Serena said softly.

"He has taken up the new position of not conversing with me…"

"Spock, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault." Serena pleaded, but Spock wouldn't allow her to finish.

"No, do not take the blame solely for yourself. While it's because of you I am slightly more comfortable with choosing Starfleet, it was not the deciding factor." Spock still had yet to look at her, but he was well aware of her presence and concern.

"Then what was the deciding factor?" She questioned hesitantly.

Spock was silent while he rationalized the proper response. "While I am well aware that the human genes that flow within me put me at a disadvantage in a number of areas, I do not see how they put me at one with regards to academia. While I might fall prey to my emotions from time-to-time, it never stood in the way of my pursuit of knowledge."

Spock paused and swallowed before he continued. "I do not quite understand why Vulcans hold such prejudices towards the human race, and why it is so necessary to voice that opinion."

"Did they make a comment about your human half?" Serena asked, trying to make a connection between the conversation they were having and recent events.

"If it were simply about me, I might have accepted the position at the Vulcan Science Academy. However, those were not the words of choice for the Council." Spock answered sharply.

"They insulted your mother." Serena reasoned.

"Precisely, and because I have struck back at the Council by not accepting my seat, I have offended my father."

"But was he not also offended by the comments they were making about your mother?" Serena would have hoped that Sarek would have stood up for his wife.

Spock's jaw clenched slightly at her question, but his voice remained steady. "No, if he were to speak out against the Council for such a comment, he would have been giving into an emotional response. This is exactly the reason why I have offended him so."

"Spock, I'm sure he'll come around. He probably was expecting you to take the seat. He is just shocked right now and doesn't know what to do. I'm sure he understands your response. After all, he loves your mother…"

"But he doesn't." Spock stated, interrupting her.

"What?" She questioned, not sure what he was referring to.

"My father doesn't love my mother." He responded.

"Spock, you don't know…"

"But I do." He interrupted her once again. "I once asked him why he married her." He explained. "It wasn't because of love, but because of logic."

Serena stared at his face before she moved closer and wrapped her arms around him. She knew he wouldn't return the embrace, but it didn't bother her. "He loves her Spock." She whispered to him. "I know he does."

He never did get to tell her how right she was on the matter.

As Spock continued to try and empty his mind, he couldn't help but question himself as to why he wasn't, for lack of a better word, happy that she was finally here. Granted she didn't remember him, but what was holding him back from forcing her to remember? He had spent so much of his time wishing he had told her how he felt, and when she finally shows up, he hides in his shell?

Spock contemplated the question for quite some time, but the answer was simple enough. It was logical for him to keep his distance. He remembered very clearly the pain that he felt the day she disappeared and the years that followed. He saw the pain his father was in after the loss of his mother.

He had a routine. He had a way of getting along without her. What would happen if he let her back into his life and something were to happen to her again? Would he be able to handle the emotions a second time around?

No. His mind answered for him without hesitation.

And he knew the answer was right. He would not be able to move on if past events were to repeat themselves.

Why do these emotions have to be so complicating? His mind questioned, but Spock couldn't offer a logical explanation. He had never been able to.

She tossed and turned in her sleep. Her mind disturbed once again by dreams, but the dream she now found herself in was not the same as the usual nightmares that plagued her. This dream was different.

It held an eerie atmosphere. It was peaceful and disturbing all at once. The feelings that surrounded the dream were ones of sorrow and confusion. One thing that sent her mind whirling was the fact that she couldn't rationalize why it all seemed so familiar.

Serenity glanced at her surroundings. She was in the middle of a desert, but she couldn't figure out why. She began to walk in one direction, hoping to find someone to explain what was going on. When she clearly was getting nowhere in the direction she was headed, she turned on her heels and ran straight into a brick wall. Or, she thought it was a brick wall. As her eyes gazed upwards, she quickly realized that she was staring at a man.

"Mr. Spock?" She questioned skeptically, wondering why he of all people would be there.

"Serena." He said plainly.

She stared at him. "I already explained to you, that is not my name. My name is Serenity." She told him slightly annoyed. Surely a Vulcan could remember that little bit of information.

"But it used to be your name." Spock said in response.

Serenity didn't know exactly what to say. He didn't make any sense. "Used to be?" She questioned. No other thought or reply could come to her mind.

He simply nodded and in an instant the scenery changed. They were on a hill with the most amazing view. They were still in a desert, but they were surrounded by boulders. As Serenity took in every detail, her eyes fell on two small children who were resting on a blanket, looking out at the rising stars. They were discussing various theories on the universe and its creation.

She studied the young blonde girl. She looked a great deal like herself. In fact, Serenity was convinced that this was her as a child, but her surroundings made no sense. Her eyes drifted to the boy that was next to her younger self. His hair was neatly cut, and his face held no emotion, though his eyes held a small sparkle. Serenity's eyes drifted to his ears and notice they were pointed.

Her eyes shot up to Spock who was standing right near the children. "Is that…" she began, but couldn't seem to finish the question.

Spock only nodded, knowing exactly what she was inquiring about. He slowly approached her and took her hand in his. A shot of recognition ran through her body as their skin made contact. She looked up into his face and could see his eyes pleading with her.

"Remember me." He told her, but this only served to confuse her more.

"I don't understand." She responded, not entirely sure where this was going.

"I'm not that strong." He stated. "The emotions, the pain, it is too much for me to handle. I will push you away, but I need you to remember so that I can be whole again. So that we can be whole again."

Something about his last sentence struck something deep within Serenity, but she couldn't remember what. Everything around her was fading so quickly. The land began to shake. She looked around and noticed the ground caving in as the world was being destroyed.

She looked to Spock, but he was vanishing right before her eyes. His voice echoing the words "please, remember me" as everything was consumed by darkness.

Serenity shot up in bed, crying out in agony at what she had just witnessed. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to make sense of the new dream. None of it seemed logical to her, but she couldn't help but feel that it was important.

She just couldn't understand why she would have a dream about Spock in that context. Why did she see them together as children? She remembered her peaceful childhood very vividly and there were no Vulcans in the picture.

Perhaps it was an effect of all the changes that were going on around her. Spock, after all, was the last person she saw before she went to sleep. Perhaps it was only natural for her to dream about him.

No matter how much she tried to reason it out, she simply knew that it was more than that. However, she didn't have time to contemplate on the matter for another moment. The very same Vulcan that was occupying her thoughts was due any moment. She had to get ready or else she would be late.

At 7:30am, there was a sharp knock on Serenity's door.

"Come in!" Serenity yelled, and Spock soon entered her room.

She looked at him through her mirror as she finished off the last bun on her head. She had to control the blush that threatened to spill over on her cheeks. She couldn't get over the fact that she had a dream about him, but she would have to push the dream aside for now. It would not do well to make their first real encounter exceedingly awkward.

"I'm almost ready." Serenity stated as she put in the last hairpin to hold up her hairstyle.

"I have an itinerary set for the tour today. Would you care to hear it so you may edit it to your liking?"

Serenity chuckled at his comment. "So long as it involves food and getting to know the ship a bit better, I'm fine with whatever you can dish out." She turned to face him and offered a sincere smile.

Spock nodded stiffly at her response. "Are you ready to begin?" He questioned.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Serenity already could tell that she was going to like this timeline. All you had to do was press a button and BAM, food was in front of you! How awesome was that? Then again, once she really thought about it, she realized it might not be such a good thing. She would probably gain weight like crazy. This thought lingered in her mind for all of five seconds before she dismissed it and didn't care; she had food at the push of a button.

She followed Spock throughout the mess hall until they finally reached a secluded table where McCoy and one other already sat.

Serenity gave a big smile to McCoy before she sat down beside him. McCoy blushed slightly at her forwardness, but returned the smile nonetheless. Spock sat down across from Serenity and kept a close eye on the two.

"I trust you slept well, Ms. Moon?" McCoy questioned politely.

"Please, call me Serenity. I slept as well as can be expected in such a new environment. I'm hoping that I will adjust better in the days to come." She answered. McCoy only nodded at her response, knowing that it would probably take some time for her body to become accustomed to her surroundings.

Serenity's eyes glanced over at the other figure who was sitting at the table. He looked quite young and appeared as if he were trying to hide from her curious gaze. Spock noticed her wandering eyes and decided to answer her curiosity. "This is Ensign Chekov. He works on the bridge."

Chekov glanced up nervously at Serenity and gave a small smile as his face lit up in flames. Serenity had to hold in the chuckle that dared to escape. He was just so cute the way he looked at her. She held out her hand, which he hesitantly took. "I'm Serenity. It's very nice to meet you Mr. Chekov."

"Ple…Pleasure is all mine." He stuttered out in a thick Russian accent as he shook her hand. Soon, others began to join the table. Serenity recognized one, whom she later learned to be Captain Kirk, as one of the men that was on the planet where she first arrived. She was properly introduced to everyone. She met the pilot, Sulu; the xenolinguist Uhura; and the engineer Scotty. They all welcomed her with a smile and genuine curiosity, but Uhura's aura wasn't quite as welcoming as the others. Serenity noticed that she kept passing glances between her and Spock before she finally sat down and kept her eyes fixated on her own plate.

"So," Kirk began, "you literally fell from heaven, didn't you?" He offered Serenity a wink and a slight smirk as he leered at her. Serenity could only roll her eyes at the Captain's advances. She remembered McCoy warning her about this very same thing, but she couldn't be offended by his openness. Something about it reminded her of Seiya.

"I don't know about heaven sir, but I fell from somewhere. The real question here is why?" She responded, ignoring the cheesy pickup line.

"And you have asked the million dollar question!" Kirk exclaimed, glad she was getting right down to the point. His eyes roamed over her frame for what seemed like the thousandth time. Each glance she proved to get more beautiful. He began to wonder if she was even human.

McCoy and Spock noticed the way the Captain was trying to hit on Serenity, and it was not appreciated. They each had to bite their tongues and clench their fists before they said or did something that ended with them getting fired and placed in prison.

While Kirk would never waste a moment to flirt with a beautiful woman, he still had second thoughts about this one in particular. Spock seemed to trust her, and normally he trusted Spock's opinion, but this was his ship and crew he was dealing with. He could never be too cautious.

"So, Serenity, who are you?" Kirk asked, deciding to raise the question that was on everyone's mind.

Serenity hesitated for a moment; an action that immediately had Spock's eyes glued on her. "I am simply a girl who apparently is from another time that is more than likely in your past. I'm not exactly sure how I got here."

"Where are you from?" Kirk asked, not letting up on the questions just yet.

"Japan." She answered quickly. After all, it was the truth. Before destiny took her life away, she was raised in Japan. Well, aside from being raised on the Moon, but that didn't count at this moment.

"You do not possess the physical attributes of someone of Japanese descent." Spock quickly responded. Serenity's eyes fell on him, and she felt like slapping him for bringing that up. She was well aware that she didn't, she just hoped people would assume she was adopted or something.

"My parents were Americans who lived in Japan." She lied. Last thing she needed was for these people to chuck her out into space because she wasn't trustworthy enough.

"Really, that's interesting." Kirk responded, not entirely satisfied, but before he could question her any further McCoy interrupted him.

"Leave the girl alone Jim; she just got here. Lord knows she's been through enough as it is. Besides, I couldn't even get an age out of her. What makes you think you'll get much more than that?" McCoy stated jokingly.

Serenity laughed along with him, thankful that he took some of the pressure off of her. "You should know that it's not polite to ask a woman's age, Leonard." Serenity responded back, hoping to continue the lighthearted conversation as opposed to the route Kirk wished to take.

McCoy smirked at the girl. "Come on, you couldn't be more than twenty-three." He gave her a small wink at the end of his comment.

Serenity chuckled at the age reference, but it was a very dark laugh. It caught everyone at the table off guard. "You'd be surprised" was all she could say in response before she allowed her eyes to focus on the food in front of her.

Silence fell upon the table. No one knew exactly how to follow up on Serenity's last comment, so they all went to the comfort of eating.

Serenity silently berated herself for having such a reaction, but it was almost out of instinct. She knew that Kirk and the others would want to know more about her. It was only natural. She was, after all, on their ship. They were taking a big risk in carting her around with them; trusting that she wouldn't try and overtake them. Not that she looked like that much of a threat, but she was sure that Kirk and everyone else knew that looks were deceiving. They were traveling out in space for goodness sake; of course they knew this tidbit of information.

Serenity's mind came to a screeching halt as she felt a pair of eyes boring into her. She looked up and her blue eyes quickly clashed with dark brown eyes. Spock was staring at her intensely. It was in this moment that flashes of her dream started playing across her mind. Once again, she was met with an overwhelming feeling of recognition with him. His eyes seemed so familiar to her. She had no idea how long they gaped at each other, but soon she noticed the others cleaning up their mess. She quickly broke the eye contact and followed suit.

As she deposited her waste properly, she couldn't help but inwardly sigh at the long day that awaited her with this Vulcan.

And there's another chapter! Again, apologies for taking so long to come out with it, but I hope to be updating more frequently in the future. A Different Kind of Hero is my next target for update, so be on the look out! As always, PLEASE REVIEW!

-Lizzy