Chapter 2

Belaar came. The heat of Vulcan's torrid summer descended upon the mountain, but Spock was no longer there. To counter at least one of Elizabeth Fielding's arguments, Spock had requested a position at the newly opened Baruk Temple School, where he now shared administrative and teaching duties with his uncle, Sparn.

The last scorching rays of Eridani struck Spock as he emerged from the temple. Alone, he paused just outside the door and gazed upon the thick-walled buildings that had overtaken his grandfather's orchard. The complex was well-constructed from thick stone and the bubbly red glass for which Vulcan was famous. A modern cooling system made it possible to conduct classes even on days like this, when the sand was hot enough to blister a Vulcan's feet. Here, Father Taguma enjoyed the comfort of his own small room, and there was plenty of space in Spock's quarters for his son.

Although James missed T'Naisa, he seemed to enjoy life at Baruk. The two of them communicated often, and she made it a point to stop by and visit him whenever her travels brought her to the area. The boy's continuing affection for T'Naisa did not bother Spock as deeply as before. He was coming to see that there was room in James' heart for both T'Naisa and his deceased mother. Giving in to his son's request, he had recently taught James the Vulcan language in a series of melds. Now James could attend class with the other students, but it was only a matter of time before he heard about the custody suit.

Spock went into the dining hall and found James already seated near Sparn and T'Prinka. James greeted him with a smile so joyous that it could only mean one thing.

"Guess what?" James burst out.

Spock scarcely needed to consider. "T'Naisa is coming?"

James laughed. "You knew!"

"I knew by the look on your face. You are always happiest when she is here."

oooo

T'Naisa arrived when Simon was in class. While her traveling companion toured the complex, she came to see Spock in the school office. He had just reviewed a disturbing message from his attorney, and T'Naisa noticed his preoccupation the moment she walked in.

"Custody issues?" she surmised with a woman's intuition.

Spock gave voice to his frustration. "My lawyer is advising me to marry. He believes it would greatly improve my position."

Her eyes widened and she sank into the chair nearest his desk. "Will you?"

Spock cast her an incredulous look. Had she no understanding? At times it seemed to him as if his wife had only just died. His need for Lauren was still sharp, the sense of loss very painful, but that was too personal a matter to discuss with anyone, least of all T'Naisa.

He simply said, "I have no desire to marry…and even if I so chose, there is no one who even remotely interests me."

"Well," T'Naisa informed him, "there are plenty of women interested in you. Haven't you noticed? On Seleya and when we traveled the circuit?"

"Indeed I have not," Spock replied with some asperity. "I suspect you only imagined it. You always were prone to dramatize."

She fell silent and appeared to be thinking. "Still," she said at last, "there's no reason you couldn't marry…for Jamie's sake."

He stared at her. "Have you heard nothing I said?"

"I didn't mean—" She broke off, blushing to the roots of her red hair. "I only meant some sort of civil marriage, just a legal certificate…"

"Without vows?"

"Oh, there are all kinds of vows. You could just make some vague pledge of fidelity…to the endeavor…to Jamie's welfare."

Spock found that he had actually been listening, as if T'Naisa's preposterous idea held some merit. "That sounds rather deceitful."

Her eyes sparkling, she leaned forward. "It sounds clever, you mean. Spock, it's not a sin to use your brain."

"Within moral boundaries."

"I don't see anything wrong with a friendly little agreement."

"Marriage," he declared, "is something more than a 'friendly little agreement'."

She sank back in her chair and laughed. "Listen to yourself. How grim you make it sound. Why, it could be fun!"

"Fun." Spock bit off the word. "And when the 'fun' ends, what then? A friendly little divorce?"

"Spock." T'Naisa looked into his eyes, and this time she did not blush. "An unconsummated marriage can be annulled."

Spock felt his own face warming in a most uncomfortable manner, and his gaze lowered to the desktop. Even his pulse was behaving strangely. Steepling his fingers, he considered T'Naisa's words in a silence so deep that he clearly heard her breathing. The proposition was distasteful to him. It seemed to border on the immoral. But if such a marriage…a marriage "in name only"…would help him retain custody of his son…

Somehow he sensed the answer to his question even before he framed it. "For the sake of argument, let us say that your idea has some merit. What woman would enter with me into such an unorthodox arrangement?"

Her lips stirred into a crooked smile. "I would be honored…for Jamie's sake…and for yours."

Though Spock had suspected as much, her suggestion still shocked him. A ready argument sprang into his mind. "Quite impossible. Have you forgotten your criminal record? Mrs. Fielding's detectives would uncover it in a minute and my situation would be even worse than before."

T'Naisa seemed undeterred by the fact. "But if…if it weren't for my record…would you consider it? For Jamie?"

Spock saw no harm in saying, "Perhaps then. For James. After all, he is quite fond of you."

T'Naisa grew very quiet. After a moment she sighed and spoke as if to herself. "Well, should I tell him or shouldn't I?" Then she shook off her indecision. Assuming a nonchalant attitude, she said, "As it so happens, I don't have a criminal record."

A rapping on the door diverted Spock's attention from the outlandish statement. "Come in," he called.

James cracked the door open, spied T'Naisa, and promptly rushed into her arms.

"Hey, what's this?" she said, pretending to be stern. "Are you playing hooky?"

James laughed. "No, they're having religion class, so I go on Independent Study until lunch."

Using her fingers, T'Naisa brushed the dark straight hair off his forehead in a gesture painfully reminiscent of his mother. "Well, mister," she said, "don't you get too independent."

As the boy laughed in delight, Spock gently interrupted. "James, please begin your studies. You may join us at lunch."

Reluctantly James left, saving his last parting glance for T'Naisa, who rewarded him with a conspiratorial wink.

The door closed.

"You never seem to grow weary of him," Spock observed.

T'Naisa turned his way. Her thick lashes were wet with unshed tears. "Weary of him?" she said softly. "Spock, you're so damn lucky. You see…I can never have children. It sometimes happens with hybrids. You know what a mule is?"

An upwelling of sympathy took Spock by surprise. In his youth he had been taunted by that word, and others. Suddenly his throat felt so tight that he was forced to clear it. Then firmly he asserted, "You are no mule."

"I may as well be," she replied. "Most men expect children when they marry. The sort of men who don't want to be bothered with children usually don't want to be bothered with marriage, either. I've found that out the hard way."

The mention of marriage returned Spock's thoughts to his legal difficulties. For a brief moment he had left his own pain behind, but now it returned in force. Collecting himself, he began, "You were saying…quite incredibly…that you have no criminal record."

T'Naisa seemed glad to move on. "That's right. While you were on Earth, I went through one of those Federation Fresh Start programs. I'd just finished when I came to visit you. My record has been expunged. It's as if it never happened. Even the media can't cover it, and if any lawyer dares mention my colorful past in court, it would create a mistrial." She paused. "I wanted to do what I could to fix things…for the good of my family…and for the Community. But maybe Yanash had something else in mind, too."

oooo

Slowly the Vulcan seasons turned, and the scorching winds began to subside. An occasional cloud appeared in the crimson sky. At Baruk, the gnarled limbs of the remaining orchard trees showed signs of fruiting.

On such a day Spock received word from his daughter T'Beth, back on Earth. Her baby had been born. He would be called by his father's middle name, Louis. Louis Pascal. James was thrilled to have a nephew and immediately wanted to know when they could go see him.

"Soon," Spock promised. "In May, Earth calendar." The month of the custody hearing, which could no longer be delayed.

As fate would have it, T'Naisa was present when he said it, and her eyes met his meaningfully.

Turning to James, she smiled and said, "A new baby! This calls for a party."

Rolling up her sleeves, she took James with her into the school kitchen and began making a cake. That she would include herself in a family celebration no longer seemed to strange—or offensive—to Spock. Deep in thought, he retreated into the cool, shadowy temple where peace always awaited him. There was much to consider. His lawyer had been, as Po put it, "building a respectable defense" for a decorated Starfleet hero with excellent character references. But Po was realistic. Elizabeth Fielding's high profile attorneys were skilled at "fighting dirty", making even the noblest motives appear selfish, twisting facts until even the truth was made to appear ugly.

Po continued to say it: "Remarry. Not some impassive Vulcan woman, but a woman with warmth, a woman who knows how to openly love a child. Marry her now. It's been a decent enough interval since Lauren's death. Marry her and it will knock some of the wind out of Mrs. Fielding's arguments."

And Po had also asked, "Is there anyone? Anyone at all?"

Yes, Spock's heart answered. There is someone, and she lies buried beside our daughter in Arizona.

A year. Had it almost been a year?

In recent weeks he had mentioned the possibility of a mock marriage to T'Beth, expecting outraged disapproval. He had spoken to Simon, to Jim Kirk, to Sorel. In every case the reaction had been the same—grim expressions and the solemn acknowledgment that, for the welfare of a child, one does whatever one feels is necessary.

Spock thought back to the day Lauren and Teresa were slain. If he had known in advance, he would have done everything in his power to protect them. Now, in the case of James, he clearly saw the danger coming. It was a matter of logic. Gazing at the flickering red sanctuary lamp, he knew that he must act.

oooo

The cake was rich and spicy, covered in white creamy icing. Fully aware of how refined sugar affected his system, Spock took a large slice. It would be as effective as a shot of hard liquor. He had no concerns about James eating it; though the boy looked Vulcan, he metabolized like a human.

Finishing, Spock watched T'Naisa attack a second wedge of cake with her usual gusto. "Is that wise?" he asked.

She gave him a blank look, then laughed. "Oh, that. Sugar doesn't bother me. It never has. I better keep an eye on you, though. You're looking mighty relaxed."

James glanced at his father and smiled, his mouth very full. Swallowing, he said to T'Naisa, "My sister T'Beth has the same trouble. I'm glad I don't. It sure will be nice seeing her and the new baby. I wish you could come, too."

Spock leaned back in his chair until it tipped. It was well past the dinner hour and they sat alone in a corner of the dining hall. T'Naisa was correct. The cake was having its effect. Despite what lay ahead, he felt pleasantly warm and unconcerned. In fact, the situation was beginning to take on a humorous aspect.

"Perhaps," he said in a quiet voice, "T'Naisa can come with us to Earth."

Suddenly they were both staring at him—James, wide-eyed with excitement, T'Naisa calm and questioning.

Drawing a deep breath, Spock told his son, "You see, we have a problem…but T'Naisa might be able to help us."

"What problem?" Simon asked.

All sense of amusement fled. Spock brought the chair's legs to the floor and sat up perfectly straight. "It seems that…since the funeral…your Grandmother Elizabeth has been lonely. Because of this, she wants you to come live with her."

James dropped his fork with a clatter. "Leave you? Leave here? But I don't want to live with her."

"It's not what I want, either, "Spock said plainly, and cast about for some way to reassure him without diluting the unpleasant facts. "I do not intend to give you up, and that means we will have to go into court, before a judge. Your grandmother has turned this into a legal matter."

James looked frightened. "A judge? A judge is going to decide?"

T'Naisa's pain-filled eyes settled on Spock expectantly. For a moment he did not know how to proceed, for he could not truthfully assure James that his grandmother would not gain custody. At last he said, "I wish this was not happening. I will try my best to convince the judge that you belong with me."

The celebration was spoiled. Looking forlorn, James came over to Spock and put an arm around his shoulders. Spock felt the boy's sorrow mingling with his own.

T'Naisa rose, and leaving them their privacy, walked over to a window. The simple act of discretion eased Spock's misgivings about her. Perhaps this idea of T'Naisa's would not be as distasteful as he anticipated. What did it matter how he felt? James loved her.

Taking a drink of water, he forced himself to speak. "James. You are fond of T'Naisa, aren't you?"

"Yes," the boy replied quietly.

Spock looked at T'Naisa, and seeing her back turned toward him, said, "Would you like her to be a member of our family?"

James withdrew his arm and met Spock's eyes. "What do you mean?"

"It might be advantageous," Spock said carefully, "if we brought T'Naisa with us to court…as my wife."

James had a quick mind and understood immediately. "So they'd see that I have a mother again?" He looked over at her. T'Naisa was just within earshot and turned around. She was openly watching them as he said, "But she's not Mom."

T'Naisa took the words without flinching, and Spock heard them with a profound sense of relief. No woman would ever replace Lauren in their lives.

Moving nearer, T'Naisa said, "Jamie, I love you, but I'd never pretend to be your mother. That's not what this is about."

James swung his attention back to Spock, his slanted brows drawn together in a frown. "Do you really want to marry her?"

Spock thought it best to evade the question. "Our arrangement would be solely one of legal convenience. You like T'Naisa. You would see her every day." With a stirring of embarrassment he added, "She would have her own room and you would continue to share mine."

The sleeping arrangements seemed to relieve some of James' concern, and Spock wondered if, after all, his son harbored some nascent romantic feeling toward her. The room was very silent as he awaited some word from the boy. Off in the distance came the mournful notes of a night flier.

Finally James said, very soberly, "So you think it would help…at court."

"Yes, it would likely help," Spock confirmed.

James looked at him with troubled eyes. "You're going to do it, aren't you? You're really going to marry her."

At this point Spock would have expected a more enthusiastic response. Was James truly jealous? It would have been so easy to step away from the whole matter and go on as they had before, but that was not a viable option. Spock had examined the situation at great length. Without T'Naisa, he would almost certainly lose James.

With an inner sentiment more in keeping with a funeral than a marriage proposal, Spock met T'Naisa's steady gaze. "Yes, James. For your sake I am marrying her."

oooo

Spock privately marked the first anniversary of Lauren and Teresa's murder. The Vulcan calendar kept James from noticing, and for that Spock was grateful. Fifteen days had passed since James learned about the custody suit, and the boy had assumed a hopeful attitude toward it. As for the upcoming marriage, T'Naisa was showering James with such attention that he was taking to heart her frequent assurances that their peculiar arrangement would be "fun". When the day of the event arrived, he actually seemed to be enjoying himself.

To Spock, this wedding was so unlike his tender, ritualistic joining to Lauren that it seemed a furtive, sordid affair. He felt deeply ashamed as he arrived with James and T'Naisa in the faded tourist district of ShanaiKahr. Once, years ago, he had come here and purchased a toy for T'Beth. Since then, the area had suffered economically due to the taut restrictions placed upon tourism by the government. Few businesses remained open, and the once bustling walkways held little foot traffic.

Though Spock had dressed inconspicuously and T'Naisa hid her beauty beneath a hood, he hurried them along, avoiding eye contact with the few pedestrians they encountered. They reached the "Chapel of Bliss" where, for a sum of money, one could purchase a wide variety of weddings, all perfectly legal in the Federation. There was a less than subtle odor of illicit tobacco and sweat. Behind a counter, a large flabby human rose from a chair and ogled T'Naisa, who had pulled back her hood, leaving her pointed ears and fiery hair in full view.

Spock felt like striking him. Controlling himself, he said, "We spoke to you regarding a wedding…"

The man turned his beady eyes on Spock and smirked in an annoying manner. "Yes. Of course. S'chn T'gai. You aren't by any chance related to Ambassador Sarek…?" Spock glared at him. "Never mind, we're most discreet…and I'm sure you'll be…fully satisfied." His gaze slid over to T'Naisa and the smirk deepened.

All necessary documents were examined and credits transferred. The proprietor escorted them to a small holo-chamber featuring an Earthlike park setting and an arch of red roses. There he shrugged his bulk into a formal jacket, then consulted a data feed built into a dais.

"Let's see," he mumbled, "number eighteen, that's what you lovebirds wanted." His chubby finger pointed to a paving stone in the false grass beneath the archway. "Stand right there. Don't be shy. This won't hurt a bit."

Avoiding T'Naisa's eyes, Spock positioned himself beside her. He wondered if she, too, felt humiliated. He was tempted to cancel the whole affair until he glanced in the direction of James and saw to his surprise that the boy was not in the least bit upset. James stood with a hand tightly clamped over his mouth, choking back laughter.

The ceremony was mercifully brief, with vague vows of fidelity and consideration. There was no ring, for that would have symbolized an eternal commitment. There was no mention of any timeframe whatsoever.

The "duly appointed minister" pronounced them husband and wife. Then, even though Spock had warned him in advance not to say it, he declared, "You may kiss the bride."

Spock felt ill. Turning stiffly, he looked down at T'Naisa. The apology in her eyes told him that she did not expect it, yet it seemed that he owed her some small token of gratitude. He glanced at James, and the boy seemed to be enjoying his father's discomfiture.

Leaning over, Spock touched his lips to the soft red hair near T'Naisa temple.

An Earth-traditional wedding march abruptly blasted from unseen speakers, making him jump.

James laughed out loud.

As they were leaving, T'Naisa drew her hood into place and said, "I told you it would be fun!"

oooo

Spock regretted the wedding immediately. While T'Naisa made light of their circumstances, levity was not part of his nature. Sorel had authorized the civil ceremony with the understanding that the union would never be consummated, yet Spock still felt as if he was sinning against the sanctity of marriage—and worse, betraying Lauren's memory.

T'Naisa moved to Baruk and they saw one another daily. Although she made no special claim on Spock's time or affections, and their status remained relatively private, living so near his "wife" made him uncomfortable.

James told Spock that he had confided in Father Taguma, who was his confessor. Whatever Taguma thought of the mock marriage, the priest kept silent and behaved in his usual friendly manner toward Spock and T'Naisa. Now Spock spoke openly to him about the custody hearing, and they decided that Taguma would travel with them to Earth and spend the interval with his fellow Benedictines.

The day of their departure drew near. James was becoming nervous about the court appearance, but T'Naisa always knew how to calm him. There was no denying that she was good for the boy. Spock clung to that thought as he began packing for the trip.

A week later they arrived in Scottsdale, Arizona. Despite past difficulties, T'Beth warmly welcomed T'Naisa. The outgoing halfling fit into the Pascal family with remarkable ease, scooping the new infant into her arms, splashing in the pool with James and Bethany, playing enthusiastically with Aaron's model train layout. To Spock, she seemed so free and childish that it embarrassed him. It was not long before T'Beth's perceptive eyes took note of the situation and she drew him aside for a private chat.

"Well," she said with a very innocent look, "how is your little bride working out?"

The question irked Spock, and it showed.

"Have I struck a nerve?" she asked, fully aware that she had struck it hard. "You don't like the poor thing, that's clear enough. Father, you shouldn't have married T'Naisa if you planned on treating her so coldly."

"We are not married," Spock insisted, but quickly realized that the statement was not fully accurate. "Of course, there was a sort of ceremony…and a legally binding certificate…but there is nothing beyond that."

"Except for the way she loves Jamie…and you."

He gave her a scathing look. "Please! She loves James. Don't read anything more into our arrangement. It is quite difficult enough."

She shook her head, as if in amazement. "Father, are you blind…or just in denial? T'Naisa has always loved you. Why do you think she loves Jamie so much?"

Spock left the room. T'Beth's assertion was intolerable. If T'Naisa still harbored any infatuation toward him, their celibate marriage would torment her, for she had a very ardent nature. No. T'Naisa showed no signs of torment. She had no more interest in consummating their union, than him. Still, she had entered this unconventional marriage expecting a degree of kindness. T'Beth's observation made Spock resolve to show T'Naisa more of the consideration he had vowed.

oooo

The custody ruling came on a humid day in June. Ignoring a fleet of intrusive reporters, Spock entered the New York City courtroom and seated James between T'Naisa and himself at the table where Yong Po waited. A month had passed since the initial hearing, during which the judge had taken testimony, depositions, and evidence.

Spock knew that T'Beth, Aaron, and Simon were seated somewhere behind him, along with a few friends, curiosity seekers, and selected members of the press. Across the aisle, Elizabeth Fielding sat surrounded by high-powered attorneys, her eyes hard and bitter, staring straight ahead.

Spock pitied her. For a time he, too, had sunk into bitterness after the murders. He had some idea of the pain she was experiencing and offered a silent prayer to the Shiav on her behalf. He doubted if she realized the agony she was causing her grandson.

James sat so close that Spock could sense his son's emotions even before James reached over and gripped his hand. At the edge of his vision, Spock saw T'Naisa holding the boy's other hand. Then T'Naisa leaned over, kissed James on the cheek, and whispered something in his ear.

Judge Emily Parker entered the chamber and everyone rose.

She called the courtroom to order and wasted no time getting to the point. Then she said, "Before I announce my ruling on this case, I am extending an invitation to the one party we have not yet publicly heard from. James Skon S'chn T'gai…is there anything you would like to add on your own behalf?"

James whirled in his seat and looked up at Spock, eyes wide open with fear. Spock gave his cold hand a squeeze.

From beside Spock, Yong Po quietly addressed the boy. "James, this is your chance to let everyone know how you feel. It's not too late. It could still sway the judge."

Breathing hard, James glanced across the aisle at the opposition. Slowly he stood.

"Y…yes, your honor," he said in a shaky voice. "There is something I want to say. It's a question, really. Is that okay?"

The judge nodded in an encouraging manner. "Yes, go ahead."

James turned his tear-filled eyes on Mrs. Fielding. "Grandmother, why are you doing this to me? I love my father and I love T'Naisa. Please don't take me away from them."

Mrs. Fielding refused to look at him.

James sank back into his seat and buried his face against Spock. As Spock put an arm around the boy, his thoughts went to Lauren and Teresa, torn from their family so cruelly. Now would he also lose James? He held perfectly still as the judge cleared her throat and began a lengthy preamble to her decision, which at times seemed favorable and at times not favorable.

At last she said, "…therefore I rule in favor of Spock S'chn T'gai, who will retain full parental rights, together with his wife T'Naisa."

James bolted upright in his chair. T'Naisa captured him in her arms and burst into tears. Joyous relief flooded Spock but then he sat, stunned, as the judges words repeated in his mind. "…full parental rights, together with his wife T'Naisa."

James belonged to him. And T'Naisa. They equally shared custody. It was an aspect of their arrangement that Spock had never properly considered. Rousing himself, he thanked his young lawyer and prepared to work his way past the press. One of the opposition's finely dressed attorneys approached him.

"Sir," the man said formally, and handed over an official looking printout. "You have in your possession a painting by Marc Chagall. 'The Expulsion from Paradise', loaned by Mrs. Fielding to her daughter. You have two weeks in which to return it or there will be legal action."

Spock sensed Elizabeth Fielding's eyes boring into him. He turned and found her standing a short distance away.

"Mrs. Fielding," he said, remembering the days when he called her Elizabeth.

She ignored him. Her lawyers encircled her as if she needed protection and escorted her out of the courtroom.

Simon and T'Beth had come forward and overheard the entire exchange.

"The nerve!" Simon flared. "Father, that painting is yours. It was a gift, not a loan."

"She knows that," T'Beth said softly.

"What painting?" T'Naisa asked. "I've never seen it, have I?"

"It's butt-ugly," James said. "Mom thought so, too, so Father sent it to a museum."

Spock made a mental note to reproach James about his use of language.

oooo

The day after they returned to Arizona, Spock announced that he was visiting the Phoenix Museum of Art on business. Reluctantly he agreed to take T'Naisa along, for she wanted to see for herself if the priceless Chagall was as unappealing as James asserted. With her along, there was bound to be trouble regarding his plans. If she chose to assert a legal claim to the painting, he would tell her in no uncertain terms that it was his and his alone.

They joined a tour of the exhibits, and though Spock had mentally prepared himself for the event, they came upon the Chagall so suddenly that it took him unawares. The painting had always held a special symbolism in his life with Lauren. Early in their marriage they had separated for a year. During those painful months they sometimes met beneath the Chagall in a museum much like this one. Later, it hung on the wall of their home in San Francisco and somehow survived the Big Quake. During their sojourn in the beach house, Lauren shunted the painting from room to room, threatening to sell it. All through the years, its anguished figures of Adam and Eve seemed to mirror Spock and Lauren in the various stages of their life together.

Overcome by memories, Spock sank down on a viewing bench and stared at it. The tour passed him by and T'Naisa was left standing.

In a flippant tone she said, "It's as ugly as sin—pun intended. To think that legally it's half mine, now…"

Like James, Spock thought with a spasm of grief. Lowering his head into his hands, he struggled to maintain his thin thread of control.

T'Naisa came to him. He sensed her hand hovering near his shoulder, but she withheld her touch.

Softly she said, "The painting. It reminds you of Lauren, doesn't it? How you must miss her."

Spock made no attempt to speak. Yes, he loved Lauren still and with bitter regret, for in many ways their marriage had fallen short. And now she was gone. It was T'Naisa who stood beside him at the Chagall—a woman who was his wife in name only. For the sake of James, he had entered into a marriage bereft of all caring and intimacy.

James. Yes, he must think of James.

Composing himself, Spock took his hands from his face and stood up. With one final look at the painting, he said, "May it bring Lauren's mother some comfort."

"You're giving it to her?" T'Naisa exclaimed.

Spock swung around, ready to battle. "I am—this very day. And yes, I know it is worth a great deal of money…and that…as my wife…you legally own half interest…" He stopped, for there were tears running down her face.

In an unsteady voice she said, "Oh, of course it's yours. I'd never take anything that belongs to you. If it were possible, I'd even give you the love that Jamie holds for me." She briefly glanced at the painting. "I only meant to say that you're very kind and generous to hand it over without a fight…seeing that it obviously holds such personal meaning."

They were not the words Spock had expected. Until now he had often looked upon T'Naisa as the petty, self-centered child of the past. In the space of a breath his view tilted and he saw her in a very different light. It was like examining a painting from an entirely new angle. Who was this mature, self-sacrificing woman?

"I am sorry," he said sincerely. "I did not mean to make you cry."

Her dark eyes warmed. "I know," she said, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand.

"I am going to the museum office to make arrangements," he informed her. "Continue the tour if you wish."

Her hands came together in a nervous gesture and she asked, "Do you mind…if I accompany you?"

He did not wish to upset her any further, and now that he knew her mind, saw no harm in her attending.

"Very well then, come along," he said. And they walked side by side to the office.

oooOOooo