Chapter XX - But you'll always come back to me
Kirk was ready to take off when he was surprised by an unexpected presence.
"Admiral, permission to come aboard." said Spock. It wasn't as good as calling him Jim, but it was good enough.
He nearly jumped out of his chair to reach him, as he had done when he returned to the Enterprise for the first time after the five year mission. "Spock!" he cried almost without believing it "I thought Sarek had said that your training would still take long, and that you wouldn't be able to come say goodbye.".
"I am not here to say goodbye. I will return to Earth with you."
This surprised him even more, but he was afraid to question him and push him away. If Spock wanted to go with them, Kirk would be the last person to complain. It was a wish coming true.
"Well, this is unexpected." Bones said in a sarcastic tone while rolling his eyes.
Finally, because the curiosity was greater than common sense, Kirk decided to ask "Why?".
Spock paused for a long moment before responding thoughtfully. "I was asked a question I could not answer, and I do not think you can find the answer on Vulcan." he said thinking about the enigmatic way in which his mother kept asking how he felt. It was the second time he came to the conclusion that his answers laid elsewhere, he was again tracing the same path of discovery.
Kirk smiled. He didn't know exactly what the question was, but it didn't matter. He could feel that it was something related to Spock's humanity and rejoiced to hear it. This might not be his Spock, but he was becoming him. And of one thing he could be sure, in the midst of all the doubts of the universe: Spock would always return to him. And not even death could keep them apart.