Chapter 21 some things change some things stay the same

"Okay, I just want to say Jimmy I'm sorry, and I will try to listen to anything that you want or need to tell me before overreacting, but I have to state that this whole half a conversation thing …. creepy." Bones says. Jim gives a watery chuckle. "Bones that wasn't me mind reading, that was simple logic. If I had planned to have a regenerator heal it. I would've stopped at sick bay first. I didn't mean for it to take this long to get around to it, but I knew that you would need to see proof. Like you said you're all about the seeing of results."

Selek nods. "Yes… My Leonard said quite often something to the effective listen here you green blooded, walking computer. I don't give a tinker's dam about what you think you know with your mind voodoo. Seeing is believing, and I'm not going to believe anything until I see it with my own damn eyes.!"

Once again you could've heard a pin drop in the room. Spock and Sarek's eyebrows were up near their hairline probably having something to do with the almost perfect imitation southern accent coming from Selek's mouth. Everybody else was just waiting to see what I reaction McCoy would have, including the captain, although his eyes were dancing. McCoy's eyes flick back and forth between the two. Spock's for a moment and then all of a sudden, a slow grin starts to form.

"Well, I'll be Goddamned… You know, like I said before I couldn't understand this. How this—

McCoy indicated the captain and first officer.

"Work so well, you two seem so different. But that's just Bullshit... You do have personality in fact, you're just as big a sarcastic pain in the ass… My Leonard huh? While you're not my type, I take it I more than just annoying illogical human friend of your Captain's?"

Selek's eyes take on melancholy look and he dips his chin. Looking to Jim who just shrugs.

"At first we were at odds… And you were in fact, just an illogical human friend of Jim's. Who seem to be almost personally offended. By my adherence to the Vulcan way. Jim would often be caught in the middle. And become frustrated because he had a way of understanding that my choice to repress my humanity wasn't because I felt humans were inferior, which is what the doctor believed at first. Looking back on my life. I can see how he came to that.

The captain… Jim he had this way… He never got angry when I didn't react to humor or have an emotional outburst. Neither did he think me emotionless. There were times when. He would tell Leonard to leave me alone. Taking Leonard to the side. I was never privy to their conversations but… Eventually Leonard became less confrontational it and may have had something to do with how many times we risked our lives for each other. I may not have been weeping in the halls… I think the biggest turning point was when Leonard and Jim accompanied me back to Vulcan about two years and her our five-year mission

Koon-ut- kalifee after some drama as the human say. By the time we made it to Vulcan. I'm sure this'll make sense later but for now let's just say that it was almost too late by the time I made it to the koon-ut-kalifee the place of marriage and challenge. I was very weak very, very weak so Jim refused to let me go down to the surface by myself and of course where Jim goes. The doctor goes. Luckily for both of us. All three of us actually there was presidents for this. Normally, as has been spoken of outsiders not privy to such ceremonies, but when asked why I would bring outsiders to such a place. I told my grandmother. T'pau that as I had no one to stand with me. They were my family. My Jim and McCoy. They heard this, but of course they did not understand the significance in all honesty I wasn't myself. They couldn't have known. At the time that my father Sarek who should have been there had disowned me to a point he didn't have me declared varakasht outcast Publicly for my choice to join Starfleet. only because my mother. In one of the few times, she defied my father to stand up for me. Told him in no uncertain terms in front of my grandmother that if he truly declared me varakasht the first human in the house of Saurek. She would also be the first human to file for a broken bond.

What she actually said, I'm told is something to the effect of husband mine, I cherish thee now as I did on the day of our bonding. When I swore to honor thy blood and thy house.

Just as thee swore the same to me if thee dishonors the vow made to me. Our bonding day by tossing away that which carries my blood. Then, though it would pain me to do so, I would consider our vows meaningless. Therefore, see no dishonor in introducing the house of Saurek to the human concept of divorce. I believe he tried to disassemble and appeal to the Lady T'pau who I'm told, simply suggested that perhaps father would do well to meditate on the logic of coming between a mother and her offspring."

McCoy whistled. "Damn, she sounds like one hell of a woman. Wish I could have met her."

"Indeed, she who was my wife expressed similar sentiments to me over the same issue only she didn't have problems using more human colloquialisms and colorful metaphors. I probably should mention that this is one of those times that as you humans would say I became familiar with the canine domicile."

Everyone chuckled. And McCoy commented. "Well, I guess I shouldn't be so surprised you have to have brass balls to drop everything you've ever known and moved to a planet where you know you'll be outcast."

"Indeed. However, as I was saying, between the visit to Vulcan and a few weeks later. Being surprised when they met my parents whom they were introduced to as ambassadors Sarek and Lady Amanda… As you know, when diplomats come on the enterprise everyone's in dress uniform. As first officer I had no choice but to be there beside my Captain. Vulcans do not discuss family affairs. As you know, so I was in my naivety of youth. I suppose, hoping somehow this wouldn't come up. I knew that Jim would never understand… My parents were on board for a diplomatic conference. My father was supposed to be the lead negotiator. So were all there in the transporter room and my parents beam in. My Jim gives a perfect salute and greeting. At first, I think everything might be okay, that do to the diplomatic situation you know won't want to push things I should've known better this is Jim." Their laughs all around the table.

"My father returns the captain salute but not mine which I gave out of reflex. I noticed the frown on Jim's face. He hadn't missed it either. My mother of course is keeping her place and allowing my father to speak, and I think that everything's going to be okay after the introductions. And tell my Jim turns to me and says… Mr. Spock, I think Doctor McCoy and I can handle things from here on, why don't you beam down and visit your family while were in orbit. There was silence for .8 seconds. The look on my Jim's face. I knew right then, that there would be a problem with the turbo lift. at some point that day. Oh, he kept his charming smile on. But… At that point I said I said Captain, there is no logic in my beaming to the planet. As I have no one there to visit Ambassador Sarek and Lady Amanda are my mother and father. Now you must understand as of Vulcan diplomats' wife. For 20 some years my mother had almost perfect control over what she allowed to show her face. However, for some reason she did not feel the need to exercise this she was practically laughing behind my father which seemed to confuse Jim even further. So, being the consummate diplomat's wife. She steps down off the transporter pad and says Captain, as I understand it, it's common to give tours of the ship to visiting diplomats is it not?

Jim jumped at this… Which led to yet another moment of awkwardness, because Jim then turns to me and says Mr. Spock, why don't you take care of that. Give your parents a tour and take your time. Jim quickly became Flustered again as my father plainly states. "I would prefer someone else conduct the tour." "I was certain there was going to be a diplomatic incident. I could see the anger on Jim's face so could my mother because she wasn't finding things so amusing anymore. I scrambled quickly for a way out and said, captain, it may be better if you took the ambassador and Lady Amanda on the tour as I recall Mr. Scott needed my assistance in engineering with some calibrations so as to not delay the arrival at the conference. Which was technically true. Scotty had mentioned me helping them at some point in the day. Seeing Jim's hesitation. My mother linked her arm with his. Forcing Jim's automatic response to a pretty female."

Young Jim's face turned red. "Hey! It's not on purpose."

"I am getting way off track. Needless to say, after Doctor McCoy witnessed the awkward transporter situation along with a few other incidents where it was readily apparent that my father found me less than pleasing… Somehow that seemed to lessen Leonard's animosity towards me and somehow, we reached an understanding. After all, I wouldn't just give my Katra to any human. For safekeeping. You see in my universe. I was the one who realigned the warp core and Jim was stuck on the bridge. I was lucky that Doctor McCoy was already in engineering treating some injured I transfer my contra then nerve pinched him. And now it wasn't Khan's blood, but another set of events and factors and sacrifices by my friends nae family that ended up with my healed shell my Captain and bond mate by this point, and all of you. With the exception of Ms. Gala Mr. Riley and Doctor Manga. I knew Jeffrey my universe, but I did not meet Ms. Gala Mr. Riley transferred off the enterprise after an incident involving his and the captain's past. The rest of you. However, I won't go into details, but you took me Mt. Selaya. Where I underwent fal-tor-pan.

This earned a "fascinating." Doctor M'Banga—

from Sarek as shocked Sounding from a proper Vulcan. As you can get.

"You shared knowledge of our sacred ritual with humans?"

This earned Sarek his own raised eyebrow from ambassador Selek.

"No ambassador, I did not. You did. I was dead. As I understand it mother, ordered you to fetch my Katra from my bond mate. Who of course did not have it because he was on the bridge where the captain should be in a crisis. By the time Jim made to engineering we couldn't touch.—

No one misses how the captain in the first officer shuttered. Selek lays a comforting hand on Jim's shoulder. "Of course, my mate was distraught, so much so, that apparently, the Command crew was looking after him when you showed up, demanding to know why he hadn't returned my katra to the ark, as is proper. Of course, poor Jim. He knew about Katra's of course but he couldn't touch me. He didn't know at the time that I had given it Leonard. He tried to explain to you the circumstances. At which time you took it upon yourself to inform him that he failed in his duty as my bond mate. Among other things. He went so far as to allow you to meld with him to make sure that he the highly illogical human wasn't mistaken. After you impress upon him the importance of the katra transfer he went over the security video of my death repeatedly convinced that if it was that important. I would've found a way he was right of course he's the one that taught me not to just give into logic that there's. -Selek stopped speaking abruptly and swallows, it was Kirk that finished his sentence. Placing his free hand over Selek's. "That there is no such thing as a no-win scenario." Kirk finishes giving Selek's hand a squeeze.

McCoy draws attention away from whatever is going on between Selek and Sarek. Shaking his head. "Yep, I'll say it again. That's fucking creepy… However, I got ask fal-ter what?"

At this Selek flat out smiled with teeth. Which then became a full-on roar of laughter that was shared with the captain and more uncertainly of Doctor M'Banga who was looking at. Elder Selek worriedly. When Doctor McCoy looked fixedly at elder Selek. "No, I take that back. The tandem speaking thing, not half as creepy as a smiling

Vulcan." After, Elder Selek managed to calm himself. He flipped his gaze to M'Banga momentarily "do not worry Doctor I am not suffering Bandi- syndrome I am one of the few that as you could say or might say is exempt. No, it's not because I am a hybrid. Now I have no intension of elaborating." Bringing his attention back to Leonard.

As for Fal-tor-pan. After witnessing and participating. Leonard explained it thus, where the Vulcan where the Vulcan which doctors also known as priestesses GOL took my marbles out of Leonard's head and put them back where they belonged. So that I was no longer mostly dead." "Well hell Jimbo, if my counterpart can do all that least I can do is be open-minded enough to see what you want to show me and give it a chance."

Kirk smiles. And then it finally occurs them. That there's three people who have move to standing by his chair for a few minutes now.