A/N: Last chapter for this fic. This one kinda goes off script making it a bit AU. Canon, what's that? This is fan fiction - and Star Trek! It's going to be a LONG hiatus. Think of this as my wish for Spock/Christine. Hope you enjoy.
It had been a stupid, emotional argument – even by human standards.
Vulcans did not argue – they had logical, rational debates in which each party presented their own point of view and if after both sides had presented their case an agreement couldn't be reached, a third party was called in to be a mediator. However, this situation wasn't used in personal matters because the Vulcan female ruled the marriage and the male submitted to her will.
Spock had observed that human interpersonal relationships were very, very different. Both the human male and female expressed their opinions loudly and vocally during a disagreement – and with some degree of violence on occasion, it would seem. If an agreement couldn't be reached, the couple spent some time apart, only to either come back together with something called 'make-up sex' or they moved on to other partners.
When Captain Batel asked for Christine's help with the Cayuga's priority one mission – and in exchange they agreed to drop her off at Star Base 11 to join Dr. Korby's fellowship a few days early – Christine had been eager to go. She hadn't wanted a long-drawn-out process of saying good-bye to her friends on Enterprise, or him.
"It's better this way, trust me. We can have drinks with everyone in the port galley and then I'll beam on board the Cayuga at 0700."
Spock frowned at her from his bed, watching in silence as she pulled on her boots, and then zipped up her white jumpsuit. "But Captain Pike was planning a special dinner for you- he has been working on several dishes-"
She leaned down and kissed him softly. "Look, I don't want a big fuss made, all right? I'm only going away for a few months – and then I'll be back."
"I thought you did not know your plans once the fellowship ended?"
"Well, that was before we talked – I thought you and I –" she fidgeted from one foot to the other. "Was I wrong?"
He stood and came to her side, wrapping his arms around her waist. "No, Christine, you were not wrong. I am counting the days until you return to the Enterprise – and me." He lowered his head to kiss her but was interrupted by the chime of his comm unit, signaling the incoming arrival of a private call.
A pained look crossed his face.
"Aren't you going to answer that?"
"They will call back."
She frowned at him. "Spock? Who –" she slipped out of his arms. "Oh, it's your girlfriend."
"You are my girlfriend, Christine."
She held up her hand. "Excuse me, your fiancée. I'm glad to see you won't be lonely while I'm gone-"
The pained look grew more intense. "I am not – I do not know why she is calling. I did not initiate this contact."
The chime sounded again.
"Well, you better see what she wants – I don't think she is just going to hang up and call back later."
"Hang up?"
Christine swore under her breath as she stormed across the room and pushed a button on Spock's console. T'Pring appeared on the small screen and though it was very slight, a look of surprise crossed her face.
"I was attempting to reach Lt. Spock."
"Oh, he's here, T'Pring, hold onto your hair. He's getting dressed – I was just giving him his physical – making sure he was fit for duty." She moved away from the desk, heading for the door.
Spock grabbed her wrist. "Wait – I do not wish to leave things with you like this," he spoke softly, not wanting his voice to carry.
She shook her head. "I have packing to do – and your fiancée is waiting to speak to you."
Spock's eyes fluttered shut in pain as the doors closed behind Christine and he heard T'Pring's voice calling his name.
"I am here, T'Pring," he stated, moving to sit at his desk in front of the viewscreen.
Her lips were pressed tightly together. "It would seem that I am disturbing you. I will make this brief. It has been two months since we agreed to take time apart. My mother has become increasingly anxious to see that we either renew our bond or terminate it completely so that I may – pursue other interests. What are your thoughts on the subject?"
"I would ask that you share your thoughts and desires with me first."
T'Pring's eyebrows rose. "I – I confess that this time apart has given me much space for personal reflection. I do not believe that you will terminate your employment with Star Fleet any time in the near future. Is this a correct deduction on my part?"
Spock nodded. "I am quite – content with my career and do not wish to end it at this time. I do not see this mindset changing in the foreseeable future."
"It keeps you far from Vulcan – and from me. I desire a husband who would put me first – I suppose you think that illogical of me-"
"No, I do not," Spock interrupted softly. "It is how you feel, and feelings are never illogical."
T'Pring frowned. "I think that your time among humans has – severely colored your logic, Spock."
"Perhaps. I prefer to think that it has helped me to understand them better – as well as myself."
"I fear we are at an impasse where our relationship is concerned." T'Pring paused before adding, "I would ask that you now share your thoughts and desires about renewing or severing our bond."
"I find that I must be honest and tell you that I have feelings for another-"
"Nurse Chapel."
"Yes."
"It would seem we have had this conversation before – were you lying to me back then or to yourself?"
Spock remained silent but she read the truth in his eyes.
"You have bonded with her."
"No - but we have shared a mind meld, and I will not conceal from you that there is a strong link between us – one that is unique, and I have never experienced its like with anyone else."
T'Pring flinched at his words but said nothing for a full minute, before holding up the first two fingers of her right hand. "The time has come to terminate our mating bond."
He held up his own two fingers in reply. "I understand and I agree. T'Pring, parted from me and never parted-"
"Never and always touching and untouched-"
"I severe what was-"
"With these words, Spock, you are freed of our bond."
"I hold it broken, T'Pring."
Christine awoke to pain – everything hurt. She hadn't felt pain like this since the war and as she looked around her, she saw carnage that she also hadn't seen since the war ended. Dead bodies were strewn all around her, lining the corridors of the Cayuga, and she didn't see anyone moving or breathing.
"Warning! Life support systems failing!"
The automated voice repeated every five seconds and as she sat up and got her first good look around, she understood why.
"No shit, life support is failing," she muttered. "Half the saucer is gone!"
She stared at the end of the hallway – at the empty space beyond. There was no ship – just the flickering of emergency force fields trying to keep what little remained from exploding into even smaller bits of space debris. What the hell happened? The last thing she remembered was beaming up from the planet, leaving Captain Batel and the rest of the landing party on the surface distributing supplies. A shuttle was supposed to pick her up in a couple hours – wait, had it already come and been destroyed by whatever the hell had blown up the Cayuga?
She pushed the large metal piece of something off her body and slowly stood up, giving herself extra time as the floor tilted under her feet and she grew dizzy from the change in altitude. She did a quick medical assessment: nothing broken, nothing sprained, though her left hand felt a bit funny. Possibly she had landed on it wrong – maybe it just needed to get the blood flowing and would be fine.
Sickbay, she needed to get to sickbay. From there maybe she could reroute life support – buy herself some time. Surely Captain Batel would have had time to send out a distress call and Enterprise was the closest ship within hailing distance to respond to the message.
They would come for her.
Spock would come.
"Lt. Spock? Do you have a minute?"
Spock looked up to see Ensign Uhura in the doorway, a worried look on her face. "Not really – I need to go before the Gorn-"
"Please, just one minute."
He nodded to Ensign Davies, who was manning the airlock. "Leave us." Davies nodded and left; the door swooshing shut behind him. "What is it, Ensign?"
"Christine told me that the two of you are connected – that you mind melded-"
Spock looked at her in astonishment – he didn't think that Christine would share such an intimate thing about their relationship with another. "I am surprised-"
Uhura waved his words away as she stepped closer. "I didn't tell anyone – and I won't. Listen, I just need to know – can you sense her – you know, out there? Is she alive?"
Spock inhaled and exhaled through his nose, trying to find his center of calm. The truth was he had tried little else since he had first heard the distress call from Captain Batel. At first, Enterprise was too far away, and then when they dropped out of warp and saw the destruction of the Cayuga and he learned that she had been on board, his own emotions interfered for a time. When he was more centered and tried again, he received only silence back from their link – which he hoped meant that she was simply unconscious.
"I have tried many times to contact her through our link, Uhura, without success. I am hopeful however, that it only means she is unconscious. I – have not allowed myself the time to grieve – because I will not believe she is dead."
Uhura stepped closer, lowering her voice. "You would feel it, if she was dead?"
"I believe so."
"Then bring her back to us, please. I mean, do your job over there and everything – but look for her too – I know she's going to be looking for you."
Spock nodded. "That is my plan."
"I knew you'd come."
It was later – much, much later.
Captain Marie Batel lay on a bio bed in sickbay in a medically induced coma, her life signs dangerously low as her body temp was kept as cold as was safely possible for a human to endure in order to retard the growth of the Gorn hatchlings. Now that the immediate threat and danger had passed, Captain Pike was by her side, holding her hand, refusing all entreaties to leave and get some rest himself.
The rest of the survivors and the Enterprise bridge crew had been rescued from the Gorn battleship – but not without casualties. Enterprise had lost another five crew in this recent fight against the Gorn, and their bodies were being stored in stasis until they arrived at Star Base 11, where Captain Pike would be facing serious charges for defying direct orders to stand down and not engage the Gorn.
Enterprise herself had sustained serious damage in the firefight and was now limping along at maximum impulse speed, which was all the engines could manage even with Pelia and the new brainchild Scotty working around the clock. Spock had been helping them in engineering until ordered to get some rest by the captain and he stumbled wearily into his quarters only to find Christine sitting on the edge of his bed.
"I knew you'd come," she repeated the words softly, coming to her feet as he crossed the room and crushed her to his chest.
"Christine-"
"Spock-"
"I love you-" they uttered the words together, words that so far had remained unspoken, but now, tonight needed to be said – just in case.
He leaned his forehead against hers. "I need you to know-"
She shook her head. "Later."
"What?"
"Spock, shut up."
He fused their mouths together with a low growl that sent a shiver all the way down to her toes. His hands slid under her thighs, and she felt herself being lifted as she wrapped her long legs around his hips. Spock carried her weight easily, navigating blindly back to his bed, lowering them onto it.
They made love, coming together frantically at first, the adrenaline still coursing through them but then the second time, they slowed things down until both of them dropped to the wrecked bed, panting softly, wrapped in each other's arms. He waited until she was curled into his side, her fingers tracing circles on his chest before he found the words to tell her he was no longer bound to T'Pring.
Christine sat up, staring down at him in disbelief. "What?"
"That was the purpose of her call – she wanted to know if our bond was to be renewed or terminated."
"Wow – it's so black and white with you Vulcans, isn't it? What happened?"
"I expressed my wish for her to speak first – I wanted to know her feelings on the subject. She expressed her desire for a mate who puts her first and is more geographically available."
"Hmm," Christine sighed, lying back down, winding her arms around his middle. "In other words, she wants you to resign from Star Fleet, move back to Vulcan, and be a house husband."
"I am unfamiliar with this term," he frowned as he pulled her into his body.
"It means, she wants to wear the pants and have the career while you stay home and raise the kids."
He arched an eyebrow. "That is the way it is done in most traditional Vulcan households."
She smothered a laugh on his shoulder. "Oh my gosh, really? Would you wear the apron too?"
"Apron?"
"Never mind. So, after she described this picture of domestic bliss, what did you say?"
"I said that I had feelings for another and though we hadn't bonded, I was uniquely linked to you-"
"Oh Spock," she shook her head. "Why didn't you just come right out and tell her we are sleeping together?"
"That was implied in my answer."
She swallowed another laugh. "I see. Well, what happens now that your bond is severed, and you are a free man?"
He lifted his hand and linked their fingers together, and she gasped as his emotions flowed into her. "I am not free, Christine – I am yours, if you will have me."
"Spock-"
He covered her mouth with his, and his hands began to ignite the fire under her skin again, but she captured his hands and held them tight. He lifted his head and stared into her eyes, a question in them.
"Spock – wait. Just because you and T'Pring ended your engagement – I don't want to jump into something here - I'm still leaving the Enterprise for three months."
"I see. You no longer wish to be my girlfriend-"
"No!" The word burst out of her, and he smiled. "I – I do want to. But I'm scared – of this – I've never felt anything like this before – with anyone and it scares the crap out of me. I want to go slow – you just got dis-engaged – and I'm a commitment-phobe – it's a word!" she laughed and hit his shoulder at his look of disbelief. "Is it okay that I don't want us to jump right into a serious relationship – that we don't do our own relationship bond thingy quite yet?"
Spock nodded and cupped her face, a tender gesture he had discovered early on that had the ability to both calm as well as arouse her. "I would never force you to do something you were uncomfortable with or not ready for. But - why do I still sense hesitation?"
She drew a deep breath into her lungs. "While part of me knew you'd come, another part of me thought I was dead tonight – especially when I saw that adult Gorn on the ship – and I didn't know how to reach you. And then suddenly – there you were, and we were fighting together, and we survived. Somehow, we always survive. I suppose part of me is worried that all this is simply a result of facing death again – and that tomorrow or the next day, your Vulcan logic will kick in and you'll realize that I'm too messed up and you're too logical and we'll never work as a couple-"
"Christine." He ran his thumbs across her smooth cheeks, slowly shaking his head. "When I saw the Cayuga, and learned you were on board, and not on the planet's surface, all I could think about was how we left things. I did not want those words to be the last ones I said to you. I was afraid that you would not be alive to hear how I truly felt about you – that it is you I love. My blood burns for you and no other."
She shivered at the passion in his voice as she pecked his lips. "It's forgotten – it was a stupid fight. I'm sure we'll have many more in the future." She curled herself into his side. "My head and my heart may be in conflict about long term commitment, but I know how I feel about you – and I've always wanted you, Spock."
"The Vulcan physique is hard to resist."
She threw her head back and laughed. "There's that wit I'm so fond of – other people may think you don't have a sense of humor but that's just because they don't know you like I do."
He trailed a finger from her chin down to her navel, watching as she shivered in desire. "And no one else ever will, my t'hy'la."
"Spock," she breathed heavily. "That word –"
His eyes locked with hers. "T'hy'la-" it rolled off his tongue like a caress.
She gulped. "Yeah, that one. Doesn't it mean-"
"Lover." He pressed a kiss to her navel, then the inside of her knee, and finally her ankle bone.
"You're trying to kill me," she moaned as she ran her hands through his short hair.
"I assure you, I am most definitely not trying to do that. I am only trying to give you – what are the words – something to remember me by?"
She giggled. "You think I will forget you – this – in three months? I don't think so mister. Come here." She tugged on his shoulders until he was once again lying next to her on top of the bed, face to face. "I don't know how I'm going to survive the next three months without this," she whispered into his ear.
"I will visit."
"Every night?"
"That would be illogical – and not at all possible with my duties on the Enterprise."
"I know – I just never dreamed it would be so hard to leave – and now I want to stay and help find a cure for Captain Batel as well."
He ran his fingers through her short locks. "It will take us a week to reach Star Base 11 – you will be two days late for your fellowship. Have you sent a message to Dr. Korby informing him of your delay?"
"Yes, but he hasn't responded yet. I suppose he might find a replacement and tell me to reapply next year-"
"That would be his loss then."
She kissed his cheek. "Thank you – I know you don't want me to go – so I know it wasn't easy for you to say that."
"Christine, you are a brilliant scientist – Dr. Korby would be the one 'kicking himself' if he let you 'get away'."
"Wow! Two human expressions in one sentence – I'm rubbing off on you!" She glanced at the hourglass next to his bedside table and groaned, having learned long ago how to tell time from them. "I only have five hours before I need to get back to sickbay and relieve Dr. M'Benga."
Spock caressed her bare shoulder. "Do you wish to return to your quarters?"
"Not really – I'd like to stay here with you, if that's all right?"
"I sleep better when you share my bed, Christine."
"Aw, I think that's the nicest thing you've said to me yet, Spock. My pheromones don't bother you?"
He sniffed her hair, inhaling deeply of her scent. "On the contrary, you smell like home."
She reared up in surprise to stare down at him. "I smell like Vulcan?"
He shook his head. "No– your scent – it calms me. I miss it when you haven't been in my quarters for days. It makes me feel safe and content – something that I have not felt in a long time – not since I was a little boy, back at home with my mother."
She lifted her hands and cupped his face, rubbing the tips of his ears, watching as his pupils dilated in response to the caress. "I never really had a place to call home when I was growing up – hazards of being raised by two scientists. They were always dragging us kids from one project to the next – don't get me wrong, I loved it! But it never let me get settled in one place long enough to make friends – to call any one place home. Being on the Enterprise, working with Dr. M'Benga, hanging out with the girls in the port galley after shift, meeting and falling in love with you-" she swallowed and brushed her lips across his, soft and slow. "When I looked out the little window of the Cayuga and saw you float by in your space suit, I knew that whatever mission you were on, you had also come to find me. I didn't know what the hell had happened to the ship, or the rest of the crew, but I felt your emotions through our bond – I felt you reaching out for me. I knew that you had come to take me home."
He gave her a tight nod. "I will always bring you back home, Christine."
A/N: Someone over on Archiveofourown gave me an idea for a prequel to this story - so stay tuned!
