Dear Readers, sorry I have not update in such a long time. There were many factors that contributed to reasons why I have not updated. Here's a high light of what I have been up to: graduated with my associates, went home for a week, went to Japan for three weeks, went to Europe for four months, went to school again for my bachelors, finished one semester, and now I am in a new semester. All this time I have had extreme writers block.

Tl;dr: I've done a lot.

But I could have done more, so I will be trying to update a lot more frequently. The plot I made for this fic keeps haunting my thoughts. Only writing to the parts that do will get it out of my head.

Chapter Eleven

The Encounter

It was exactly fifteen days after the Enterprise returned to Terra that Spock crossed paths with himself in a shuttle launching bay.

Spock had been working to organize the remaining population of vulcans all hours that he had not set aside to mediation and only the necessary amount of sleep forced upon him by his mother. He was not alone, as both his father and his mother had been doing the same.

He had run into them on occasion in these past thirteen days and even once worked with his mother to allocate living spaces for stranded vulcans among temporary housing units allocated to Starfleet members with leave on Terra.

Spock was unaccustomed to being in such close proximity to his parents, after years of no contact after he spurred the offer from the Vulcan Science Academy and chose to pursue a career in Starfleet instead. The first time he saw his parents since his departure of Vulcan for the Starfleet Academy had been in the planet's final minutes.

The destruction of Vulcan left him, and every other vulcan, unbalanced. His meditation was shaky and shallow, his thoughts return to that day and the events that occurred. He considered the possibility that he would only find peace in devotion to restoring vulcan society, but thus far the pursuit has not given him any relief.

He was conflicted. Spock was not fully fulfilling his Starfleet duties. Additionally, he was failing as Captain Pike's First Officer. He had done little more than check in with Pike to assure his health. Pike had undergone a serious spinal surgery upon his return to Terra. It was a taxing procedure and, as First Officer, Spock should have overseen his recovering and helped Starfleet in Pike's wake, in addition to what his own duties would require. Instead he had done the bare minimum and focused his attention on Vulcan.

Starfleet has yet to condemn Spock's failure as a Starfleet officer. Spock surmises the factors of his vulcan heritage and the heavy workload of Starfleet at the current moment to be the reasons. Their delay in judgment will not be indefinite.

Spock had to make a decision.

This decision had only one logical option.

The number of remaining vulcans was low, yet sustainable. To preserve their culture and rebuild, logically all vulcans should devote themselves to this cause. Spock should be no exception. He had turned his back on Vulcan once before. How could he do it again?

His decision had almost been final. He had, in fact, been on his way to turn in his pin and uniform when he had the most peculiar phenomenon of running into himself.

"I am not our father," the elder had said.

What he had thought was his father at a distance turned out to one of the unknown factors to the events of the Narada. Spock recognized instantly that it was himself, putting the logic of the older vulcan's matching, yet aged, facial features, and Nero's desire to single out Spock when he had seen the Enterprise warp into Vulcan's orbit.

Spock's mind processed many conversational possibilities in the surreal reality of meeting his aged counterpart, yet all he could immediately express was a simple yet accurate, "… Fascinating."

Spock Elder nodded and smiled, instantly sending Spcok into a state of puzzlement. "There are so few Vulcans left. We cannot afford to ignore each other."

His current logic was sound, but his previous logic was not. Spock almost felt anger has he deduced some of James Kirk's mysteries. "Why did you send Kirk aboard when you could have come aboard and explained the truth?"

"Jim Kirk has a greatness him that this life had until then deprived him of proving. I knew him in my past. Together, He and I made a great team. Opposing yet complimentary opposites. It was that balance between us – now the balance between you – that often made the impossible, possible."

Spock was baffled. "It was a test?"

"I would not call it a test or an experiment, but a belief... My actions have robbed you of much. I could not also deprive you the revelation of all you can accomplish together… of a friendship that will define you both in ways you cannot yet even realize."

Spock was surprised at the vulnerability in Elder Spock's voice. He did not know what he had meant, but Elder Spock had obviously a close association with the Kirk of his universe, but Spock was wary, a he had only just encounter his own universe's Kirk and, despite their understanding on the bridge of the Enterprise, there was much Spock now wondered and doubted about the man. Would his counterpart's predictions come true? The thought of which made Spock feel uncomfortable. A feeling he was not unaccustomed with.

"Why did Kirk keep your secret?" Spock asked.

The Elder Spock smiled again. "I inferred universe-ending paradoxes would ensue should he break his promise."

Spock felt yet another surge of surprise. "You lied."

"I implied."

"A gamble…"

"An act of faith. One I hope you'll repeat in the future." Elder Spock said earnestly. Spock instantly felt like a Vulcan child caught misbehaving when he realized the Elder Spock believed Spock was to remain in Starfleet.

"The future is not what it used to be. In the face of extinction, it is only logical I resign my Starfleet commission and help rebuild our race." Spock said stoically.

"And yet, you are in the unique position in which you can be two places at once." Elder Spock replied. "I urge you to remain in Starfleet. I have already located a suitable planet on which to establish a Vulcan colony, and I intend to assist in the foundation of a new science academy."

Spock took this all in, feeling relief at the knowledge of a suitable colony planet, yet a sense of displacement.

"My future cannot be determined by the past. We are one, but yet not the same." He said resolutely.

"Then I ask you to do yourself a favor. Put away logic. Do what feels right. The world you inherited lives right in the shadow of incalculable devastation… but there is no reason you must face it alone."

Elder Spock began to move away but Spock stopped him with a final question. "You wish is for me to remain in Starfleet and to be with Kirk, but he is currently not even a member. How can you be sure that he will join Starfleet?"

Elder Spock smile wryly. "A gamble. As my customary farewell would appear oddly self-serving, I will simply say... good luck." He held up his hand in the Vulcan salute, and Spock returned it and watched him go, his mind a jumble of thoughts.

End of Chapter

Short and Sweet. Finally updated. May contain errors.

"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light."

– Helen Keller