A/N: First of all - how GREAT was that musical episode, right? Second, did the writers really need to introduce Dr. Korby NOW and break Spock's heart like that and turn Christine into such a b- all for the sake of TOS canon? That really p-ed me off. Especially since in the same episode, Kirk said Carol was pregnant (which he never knew about in TOS canon!). So, I had to fix it. If your heart is breaking like mine for Spock/Christine, please enjoy this fix-it fic that still honors canon in the end. Much love - please leave me a review - but again, no flames. I'm just borrowing the characters to play with them for a bit and - rant over!


"Pike to Medical."

"Medical – Chapel here. How can I help you, Captain?"

"Um, Nurse Chapel, is Doctor M'Benga there?"

"Yes, but he is currently engaged with a patient. Ensign Trivet broke her humerus-"

"How the hell did that happen?"

"Captain, have you ever heard of Enterprise Bingo?"

There was a slight pause before a sigh came heard over the intercom. "I don't want to know – can you check on Lt. Spock for me – I had to relieve him of duty – he was a bit – unsteady after his talks with the Klingons-"

Christine smiled. "Is that a diplomatic way of saying he was hung over?"

"I told him to go sleep it off – I mean, get some rest – and now he's not responding. He was supposed to be back on duty an hour ago."

She bit her lip. "Of course, Captain. I'll go see what's up and report back. Chapel out."

This news really changes everything – a distant dream becoming real.

Christine knew that Spock had taken the news of her fellowship hard – harder than she had expected him to. It was almost like he had reacted as a full-blooded human male, one to which she was in a fully committed relationship, which was also ridiculous. Spock had been exploring human emotions – but he was still inherently Vulcan. And the two of them weren't in a committed relationship – how could they be when he hadn't severed his bond with T'Pring? Christine didn't do commitments anyway – they were messy and complicated and too painful when they ended – which they always did. She and Spock had had their fun – and now she was moving on, leaving for a three-month fellowship with Dr. Korby – something that she had always dreamed of yet had never dared believe would happen to her.

So why was there this ache inside whenever she pictured Spock's face in the port galley when she had sung to him – when she said that if she had to leave him behind, she was ready to do it?

"Is something wrong with Mr. Spock?"

"Geez, Joseph!" Christine jumped as Dr. M'Benga appeared beside her. "The captain called down to say he can't reach Spock on comms – I said I'd go check on him."

"Do you want me to go?"

Christine finished loading a hypo and placed it into the pocket of her jumpsuit. "No, I'll go. I need to talk to him anyway."

"You sure he'll be in a state of mind to talk?"

She shrugged. "I can wait him out."

M'Benga hummed. "I better call someone to cover the rest of your shift."

She pecked his cheek. "Thanks, Joseph. You're a doll!"


The door to Spock's quarters was locked.

Christine blew out her breath. "Computer, open the door – medical emergency."

"Access denied."

"Computer, open the door, medical override, Chapel gamma alpha six eight nine two."

There was a series of beeps as the computer processed her request and then the doors of Spock's quarters slid open, and she slipped inside quickly before the computer changed its mind.

The only light came from the stars streaming outside the windows and she had to wait a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the darkness before she could step further into his personal space. She noticed that his bed was empty, so she moved into his sitting area, stopping as she saw a hunched form on the floor.

"Spock?" She called his name softly, running to him when he didn't respond.

He was sitting in his meditation pose on the floor, deep in a trance and completely unresponsive to her, unaware of his surroundings.

"Spock!" she cried, shaking his shoulder, yelling in his ear. She sank to her knees next to him, studying his blank face, his relaxed posture, and his deep, slow breathing.

She touched her communicator. "Chapel to Pike."

"Pike here – Nurse, did you find Spock? How is he?"

"I'm with him now – physically he's fine. He seems to be in a deep meditative state-" she pulled out her tricorder, scanning his life signs. "His readings are low – very low – by human standards, you and I would be in a coma – but for a Vulcan, it could just be a healing trance. I'd like permission to stay with him – monitor him further-"

"Of course. Take as long as you need and call M'Benga if you need support. I'll tell him what's happening and keep us posted. Pike out."

Christine lowered her tricorder and continued to study Spock's face.

"Spock? Can you hear me? It's Christine – I'm here." She pressed the hypo against his neck and administered a low dosage of medication she'd brought with her and waited to see if it would have any effect in bringing him to consciousness.

She thought she saw one of his facial muscles twitching, but then it smoothed out. She took one of his hands in both of hers, surprised at how cool it was. His hands were always warm, warmer than hers.

"Are you sick? Is this how Vulcans get over drinking too much blood wine? I warned you last time to pace yourself – but this time I had a feeling you would drown your sorrows in it because of my news." She swallowed as his fingers twitched in her hand. "Look, I was going to tell you – really! I had no intention of keeping it from you – I just – I needed time to find the words – and then we got stuck in a musical reality and the words-"

"Came out in song."

She gasped, looking up to see that Spock's eyes were open and focused on her face now as he withdrew his hand from hers.

"Are you all right?"

"I am fine." He got smoothly to his feet. "I required a deeper meditation to cleanse my system of the effects of the blood wine as well as the lingering emotions from the musical reality from the space fold. I am myself now."

She frowned at him. "Are you sure? You sound – different."

"You are no doubt referring to the fact that I have decided to stop my exploration into human emotions and therefore have suppressed-"

Her heart gave a painful twist. "But why?"

"I should have thought it obvious – there was a time when I thought, perhaps, you and I might share a common future, common interests, and goals. But in light of your news-"

Anger flared white and hot inside of Christine and she let it out, sparking the room with her emotion. "You're saying it's my fault you're giving up on humanity – suppressing your human side – this is because of me?"

"It was because of my feelings for you that I explored that part of me-"

"Don't give me that much power, Spock! Don't give anyone – any woman or man that much power over you - ever!" she fairly screamed the words in his face.

"I do not understand," he frowned.

A bit of the fire went out of her at his confusion. He was so new to all this emotional stuff – like a child – and he needed so much guidance. But she didn't want to be his teacher forever – she wanted to be more, someday.

"I know," she took his elbow and led him to the couch, sitting him down on it, pacing in front of him. "The point I'm trying to make is that you're half human and half Vulcan – I didn't make you that – your parents did. It's a result of your DNA. The sooner you stop trying to be one or the other and begin to find a balance – embrace both sides of yourself – only then will you be content."

"Contentment is a human emotion."

Christine silently counted to ten before she replied. "Only by embracing both sides of yourself will you find balance and harmony – is that Vulcan enough for you? But the contentment part is valid too."

Spock nodded thoughtfully, but was silent for several minutes, seeming to reflect on what she had said.

"Why didn't you tell me about your fellowship? Did you think I would not be happy for you?"

Christine sighed as she came and perched next to him on the couch. "I was coming to tell you when we got trapped in that stupid musical reality and you were too busy trying to get us out of it for me to get you alone. And then it came out all wrong-"

He frowned. "You do not wish to go?"

"I do! This is something I've always dreamed of – I mean, how I told you came out all wrong-"

"It seemed like you were ending our relationship-"

"I know."

"Were you?"

"Spock, I-" she licked her lips. "Do we have a relationship? No, listen. You are still bonded to T'Pring – and you know that I don't do committed relationships. I tend to run away before things get too serious. So perhaps, this is a sign that this, whatever this is, has run its course."

"Do you still wish for me to tell you what I want?"

"Of course. I told you once that I enjoy being friends with Vulcans because you are honest – I always want you tell me the truth."

He lifted her hand and joined their first two fingers together, rubbing her digits gently with his own, his eyes boring into hers as his emotions flowed into hers. She shivered under the intensity as she felt his love and desire, something that he never put into words, and yet it was something she never questioned when they were together like this, because she felt it way down deep inside of her.

I love you, Christine.

"Spock," she whispered.

"I have been waiting for the word from you to severe my bond with T'Pring. I am no longer conflicted in my emotions, and I know that my true bond lies with you. That is why it felt like such a betrayal when you sang to me in the port galley. I thought that I'd been wrong about everything-"

Christine pressed her mouth to his and kissed him, long and slow, eventually pulling back to caress his left ear.

"No, you're not wrong. I know you can feel how I feel about you through our link – which scares me more than anything! I've never had that kind of connection with anyone before, Spock. I don't know what to do about us – I'm leaving the ship for three months – and I don't know what will happen when the fellowship is over – let alone in the future when you're going to be this big, important person and I'm nothing-"

Spock frowned. "I am afraid that you've lost me. To what are you referring?"

She hung her head. "When Ensign Boimler was here – from the future? He said that you are this great, amazing historical person and I – I'm not even a footnote in your life."

Spock blinked slowly as he absorbed her words. "And this is what you have been worrying about all these weeks-"

She shrugged.

"Christine, do you have feelings for me?"

She rolled her eyes. "I should think that even a logical person such as yourself would have picked up on that by now."

"Are you ending our relationship in light of your fellowship with Dr. Korby?"

"No?"

"I sense that was a question and not a statement."

"It's just – it's three months – and long distance-"

He nodded. "Ninety days – and we will communicate by subspace – and perhaps I will take some shore leave-"

"You would visit me?"

"If you wish?"

She nodded. "You can visit – on one condition. I want you to keep exploring your human side. It's half of who you are – but don't do it for me or anyone else. Do it for you – so that you can be a real boy one day."

He quirked an eyebrow. "A real boy?" he repeated.

She grinned. "It's an ancient earth reference – about a wooden puppet named Pinocchio whose only wish was to be a real boy."

"Ah, I see – you are teasing me again."

She held her thumb and forefinger less than an inch apart. "Just a bit."

He nodded. "I will continue my explorations – if for no other reason than to one day be the x to your y."

She frowned at him. "What are you talking about?"

He smiled. "Perhaps one day, when I am a real boy, I will explain it to you."


Star base 223- Edge of Romulan Neutral Zone

35 Years Later

"I do not see why a reception is necessary."

"Of course, you don't." Christine bit her lip as she adjusted the collar of her husband's ceremonial robes. "Spock, this is a great day for the Federation, and they want to celebrate! Imagine, the first ambassador to the Romulans – and it's a Vulcan no less!"

"A half-Vulcan, my dear. I am under no illusion that it is precisely because of my hybrid heritage that the Romulans will discuss peace talks only with me."

"I always knew that embracing your human side would come in handy one day."

"Christine." Spock her name lovingly, allowing his emotions to show for just a moment, here in their private quarters. He touched her cheek, his fingers fanning into the mind melded position briefly and she leaned into his touch, feeling it on her skin as well as in her mind and body.

"Spock," she whispered. "I love you."

He responded in her mind, and she smiled, not insulted in the least that the words weren't spoken verbally. Vulcans felt emotions more deeply than humans and Spock's always had a way of knocking her off her feet. After so many years apart, his close-call marriage to T'Pring, her engagement to Dr. Korby and then his disappearance followed by his return as an android, it was nothing short of miraculous that they were here now. He gathered her in his arms, kissing her fiercely, breaking apart only when the door chimed.

"Enter," he called in his flat Vulcan tone, and Christine bit her lip to keep from laughing as she smoothed down the hair his caress had mussed up.

Sarek and Amanda entered the suite, dressed in formal attire. Spock greeted his parents, the formal hand salute for his father, but he kissed his mother on the cheek, a gesture that touched Amanda and made Sarek raise an eyebrow.

Amanda and Christine embraced as Spock and Sarek moved away to discuss business.

"I never thought my son would follow in Sarek's footsteps," Amanda sighed. "Is this truly what he wants?"

Christine nodded slowly. "We've talked about it at great lengths, believe me. I think that he is honored that the Romulans have chosen him to be their spokesperson."

"If they are sincere-"

"You think they are not?" Christine frowned.

"You know they are descended from Vulcans?"

Christine nodded.

"Well, Sarek has told me that they are more violent, more conniving, more deceitful – in short, they are what Vulcans were before they discovered logic. I don't think they are to be trusted-"

"My dear, having a closed mindset is no way to start a diplomatic mission," Sarek chastised his wife gently.

Amanda shrugged. "Then it's a good thing I'm not the ambassador."

Christine smiled. "Shall we go?"

Sarek and Amanda proceeded them out of the suite. Christine straightened Spock's robes one last time.

"You ready to go get famous?"

He frowned. "To seek fame from a mission of-"

"I know, I was teasing you, husband."

"And yet, perhaps this is the path of destiny Boimler was talking about all those years ago."

Christine grunted.

"Shall we go, Dr. Chapel?"

She smiled as Spock addressed her by her professional title, one that she had worked hard for until she had made quite a name for herself in archaeological medicine. Spock may well be the one that the history books remembered for his work as an ambassador with the Romulans, and she was fine with that. She was content to be his wife and make her own path as one of the finest archaeological doctors in Starfleet.

Christine joined in the wild applause as they entered the reception and Spock was instantly ripped from her side, surrounded by officers and other visiting delegates. She felt his mind brush briefly against hers, offering a silent apology and caress, which she returned as he was carried away by the crowd.

Amanda appeared by her side. "It's not easy, is it? Being a human that loves a Vulcan?"

"No, it's not." Christine agreed but then grinned as she felt Spock's mind touch hers again. "But it's so worth it if you find the right one."


A/N: I see no reason why Christine/Spock couldn't be together in the end - it's Star Trek - full of alternate realities and timelines - so many ways to make it work! Keep the faith.