Title: Father Prime

Author: ToughSpirit

Rating: PG-13 (K+)

Genre: Family/Comfort

Summary: Spock Prime spends some fatherly time with Spock and Nyota's toddler, Nadya. He reflects on his affections for the child and his situation of living in a different time. *This story is along the lines of my other story "The Nerve!"*

Note: Not many post Star Trek movie fanfics explore the fact that Spock Prime is now in their lives. And I sympathize with Spock Prime because he's not living in his own timeline anymore, so now he must find a new place to fit himself in the background, so that Spock could still fulfill his own destiny. So I was curious how things would play out if Spock and Nyota had a child, what role Spock Prime would play.

And whoever hasn't read "The Nerve!" might want to, so that the character of Nadya is clearer to you, although reading it is not required for the reading of this fanfic. But it would be nice *wink*

Disclaimer: Don't own Star Trek or any of its characters. Only Nadya belongs to me because, well I created her. LOL.

Father Prime

Spock Prime had been aboard the Enterprise for a week now. They had invited him to stay for a few weeks away from the Vulcan colony, a vacation of sorts to spend time with them. Over the years Spock Prime had become a father figure of sorts for the crew, calling him for advice in the direst of times and even the emotional ones.

Spock often kept in contact with his Prime-self even if it wasn't for pressing matters. It was a strange but fulfilling friendship they formed with one another. Spock saw himself as fortunate to have someone he could often go to for advice, and what better person to go to for advice for yourself than… well yourself.

Spock and Prime were in the living room, of Spock and Nyota quarters, both concentrating on the chessboard in front of them. Spock always enjoyed playing chess against Prime because he was fascinated by the swift skill in which Prime always beat him. It only made sense that Prime mastered the game of chess, but Spock still wanted to see if he could defeat his respective self.

"So Nadya actually succeeded in nerve pinching, Jim?" Prime asked, moving his queen.

Prime adored Spock and Nyota's three-year-old toddler, Nadya. He remembered how they invited him to stay aboard the Enterprise the last couple of weeks of Nyota's pregnancy, so that he could be there for Nadya's birth.

Prime had expressed his concerns on imposing in their personal lives, for it was not truly his own child he fathered, but rather his younger counterpart. Prime didn't want to overstep his boundaries, but both Spock and Nyota insisted that he must be present and that he was no imposition at all.

Since Nadya's birth, Spock and Nyota continued to insist that Prime be a part of little Nadya's life, and that when she was old enough they would go into details of who Prime really was. They explained it to her when she was two-years-old.

"Indeed she did," Spock answered Prime's question, moving one of his rooks. "I was impressed, because the likelihood of her being successful on her first try at the nerve pinch was slim."

"I can only imagine Jim's response when he awakened." Prime had a slight smile on his lips.

"He did converse with me in colorful language on the matter, afterwards." Spock said, with an even slighter smile of his own lips.

"Checkmate." Prime announced.

Spock looked carefully at the chessboard then spoke. "You beguiled me. I was almost certain that I would defeat you this time because you showed a lack of strategy."

"What you perceived as lack of strategy was quite the opposite," Prime answered. "And what you call 'beguiled' was also simply strategy." Prime chuckled very lightly.

Spock raised an amused brow at Prime. What Spock had immediately observed about his Prime-self years ago was that he showed more emotion than he did himself, however minuet it was. Spock became bold one day and asked Prime's permission to mind-meld with him, not to necessarily look into the past life he lived but to feel all his emotions from those past years, so that Spock could better understand Prime as an entity.

When Spock explained it to Prime like that, he understood, and allowed the mind-meld to happen. After that, the two had a greater understanding of each other and their relationship grew closer. Truly they were always the same one soul simply living in different time frames and sharing two bodies.

Just then the door swooshed opened, Nyota and Nadya walked in hand and hand.

"Father!" Nadya ran towards Spock, who was already on the ground on his knees waiting to receive his daughter.

"You just saw me this morning, child. Have you missed me already?" Spock asked holding Nadya warmly.

"Of course I have," Nadya answered brightly. "I have not seen you all day."

Little Nadya softly pulled away from Spock and hurriedly walked over to Prime, crawling on his lap to give him a hug. "I have missed you too. I have not seen you since yesterday, Father Prime."

Father Prime. That was the name Nadya gave him, when Spock and Nyota explained to her who Spock Prime was. She had said, "So he is my father… yet, not. Then I will call him, Father Prime."

Spock Prime was truly touched when the child first called him by that name, the fact that she acknowledge him as one of her father figures, specifically a prime mirror of her own father was enough to make him cry in joy.

"I am exceedingly pleased to see you as well, Nadya." Prime warmly returned the toddler's embrace.

"How are you today, Prime?" Nyota asked, as she walked towards them.

"I am very well today, my dear," Prime answered. "Thank you for your inquiry, Nyota."

Prime was bobbing his legs up and down mimicking a galloping movement as Nadya giggled and pretended he was horse. Spock and Nyota watched in quiet amusement, they truly enjoyed having Spock Prime around. He added a strange but comforting dynamic to the family. He was almost like a grandfather, although Nadya's actual Vulcan grandfather, Sarek, was much younger.

"We will be taking our leave for dinner now," Spock announced, Nyota's hand comfortably in his own. "We shall return shortly."

"And Nadya, behave." Nyota said to her daughter, feigning sternness.

"I will Mama," Nadya answered cheerily. "I promise."

"Alright, we'll see you two later." Nyota said, as Spock and her made their way out.

"Bye Mama! Bye Father!" Nadya called after them.

"Have a lovely dinner." Prime said to the couple.

When they were in the hallway Nyota spoke. "I'm glad he's in our lives." She told Spock, tightening her hold on his hand.

"As am I." Spock said leaving a warm kiss on Nyota's forehead before entering the turbo lift.

***

"Father Prime, would you play Crazy Eights with me?" Nadya asked.

A small smile came across his lips. He remembered when Jim (of his own time) first asked him to join in on playing the old Terran card game, Crazy Eights.

"I would not mind at all playing with you," Prime answered. "Who taught you Crazy Eights, Nadya?"

The toddler smiled brightly and answered, "Uncle Jim." She went to retrieve the deck of cards off a shelf.

Of course it would be Jim to teach the child such a game as, Crazy Eights. Jim was always fond of Terran card games especially, Poker.

"Would you like me to shuffle and deal the cards?" Prime asked.

"You should shuffle and I will deal." Nadya answered as she climbed the chair across the table from Prime.

"Very Well." Prime said and took the deck Nadya handed him to begin the shuffle.

"Father Prime, may I ask a personal query?" Nadya asked.

Prime raised a curious brow. "Yes, of course."

"Do you miss my mother of your own time?" The child asked in unhesitant confidence.

Prime stilled his movements briefly at the question, but quickly regained composure and passed little Nadya the deck of cards so that she could deal them. Prime saw Nadya was still patiently waiting for his answer, he knew she asked the question in innocent curiosity, how could she know the ache of his heart.

"Yes, I miss her very deeply." Prime answered.

"From what I know, you were never with my mother in your own time, why? Were you not in love with her?" Nadya asked.

Nadya never ceased to amaze Prime. Her eloquence of mouth and sharpness of mind was slightly daunting coming from a three-year-old child, that asked such mature questions. But Prime would oblige in answering her knowing that she had a right to know, however young she might be.

"It was not that, Little One," Prime began. Putting down a queen of hearts, he hadn't even realized that they began playing the game. "I was very much in love with her, but I did not truly realize that fact until it was too late. Our circumstances in my time were quite different from the circumstances of your parents. And I suppose because of that fact, because of us meeting so much later in life that I did not have the… courage to explore a relationship with Nyota."

Spock Prime had a few romantic encounters in his lifetime, but none of true substance for him. He remembered when he briefly exchanged affections with Christine Chapel, for he knew how she had longed for him over the years, and although he cared for blonde nurse he did not care for her nearly as much as she did for him. And there were other brief encounters with other women, but none held his heart and attraction the way Nyota Uhura did, and she was the one he never got a chance to show what she meant to him, romantically.

Nadya looked a little sad now listening to Prime's answer, and he knew his eyes must have mirrored the same sadness because Nadya spoke again. "Do you believe she loved you too?"

Prime began to slowly nod his head in response. "Yes. I believe so."

Nadya seemed cheered up in that answer and quickly asked, "How do you know, Father Prime?"

"I do not know, Little One. Her and I never exchanged words of our affections," Prime paused and a shadow of a smile crossed his lips. "But I could feel her love, in every fiber of my being," then the smile slowly left again. "I was just being too Vulcan to notice."

In Prime's own time when the android named Data questioned him on embracing his Vulcan heritage more so than his Humanity, Data implied that he might have missed out on things because of that. Strange coming from an android that wasn't supposed to feel emotions but was doing the reverse in trying to become more human.

Spock Prime confidently answered the android, "I have no regrets." For having regrets was illogical because you cannot change what was already done. But that was the Vulcan in him saying those words, although the expression of, "no regrets" was a human one. But now… living in an alternate time where he can actual witness what could have been, and staring straight into the eyes of the product that could have been his and his Nyota's… he regretted it now.

A little smile was on Nadya face, even though her eyes still held a sadness, she seemed older than she was because Prime could read the understanding, in the toddler's face. Nadya left her seat and rounded the table to go to Prime. He automatically lifted her up into his lap and Nadya embraced him in a surprisingly strong hold.

"I am sorry for your lost, Father Prime," Nadya said, still holding Prime tightly. "At least life gave you two another chance to be together, in this time," she pulled away and looked up into Prime's eyes. "That must mean you two were always suppose to be together."

Prime could feel tears beginning to sting his eyes but he would not allow them to fall. He looked at Nadya's little face with her deep brown eyes that were a copy of his own, and thick black hair that cradled her face, with little Vulcan ears peeking through her mane. He embraced her again "Indeed," Prime inhaled deep. "We were always suppose to be together."

THE END

AN: I hope you all enjoyed this, this one is a little shorter than what I usually write. Please leve me your thoughts guys, PLEASE!