A Pearl of Great Price

Chapter One - Introductions

Vulcan Embassy, San Francisco, Earth

June 2263

Selek

He stood back against the wall and watched his younger self and young Nyota kneeling there before T'Pau, her hands on their faces, bliss etched on theirs. He and his Nyota had never had a public ceremony to celebrate their bond. He did regret that, she had deserved it. They had kept themselves secret too long, and then pain and tragedy had split them apart for almost three years. It had taken them a long time to rebuild, to get that deep trust back. The love had always been there, would always be there, but their relationship had been troubled for a long time. He did regret that, immensely. And much of it had been his fault. He did acknowledge that. It had taken him a long time to realize. Much too long.

He shook his head slightly, trying to clear his thoughts. This was a happy time, he would not be melancholy. But his thoughts kept turning to the past. He sighed. He had a problem, one which he must solve, and his time to do so was running out. The colleague who had assisted him last time was not even in this universe - and besides, that had only been a stopgap, a decision made because his grief over Nyota's death was still too new, too raw, to consider anything else. But that event was ten years in the past now, long enough that he had developed some distance from it. The hole in his mind that she had occupied would never completely go away, but it was smaller now, not the awful ragged monster that it had been at first.

People were moving now, from the ritual room down the hall to the ballroom, where food was set out and a reception line was forming. He must go and be sociable. He moved away from the wall and joined the procession, stopping now and then to speak to someone he recognized. He roamed around the ballroom, sampling the food, joining in conversations when approached, trying to feel at least not unhappy. It was a relief when people began to leave.

He walked the silent corridors to the room he had been assigned, and went inside, lighting the firepot in the corner of the room and settling down on the floor pillow to meditate.

***

In the morning, he packed a small duffle with what he would need in Africa, and joined the others at the shuttle landing area. When people started to mount the stairs, he held out his hand to assist T'Pau and she nodded her head at him, not censoring in any way. This T'Pau seemed more accepting than the one he had grown up with. When Nyota passed around the box of finger foods, he took a biscuit and a small block of cheese and a piece of fruit, in place of the breakfast he had not eaten. The fruit was crisp and juicy, the tang lighting up his taste buds. Perhaps he needed to awaken his whole self. Perhaps he had been hibernating too long. It felt very strange to be sitting in the passenger section of this shuttle. It had been too long since he had been in the pilot's seat.

***

When they arrived in Africa, he could smell the difference in the air immediately. Heat, dust, vegetation. He straightened up, breathing deeply. This place felt - better - than San Francisco. More like home. He moved away from the shuttle, out of the area where dust would be kicked up, moving the baggage up to the porch for people to pick up and carry inside. A bright young woman came up to him, introducing herself as Nyota's sister, and said she would show him his room. He followed along behind her, thinking that she looked much like this Nyota, but less like his Nyota. He must stop making these comparisons, they did not serve him well. He thanked the young woman for her help and unpacked the few things that needed hanging before leaving the room. He wandered back outside, to the shaded porch, and found a seat there, to watch as more people arrived. He saw young Spock, with Nyota's father, bringing people from the transit station. And there was young Kirk, and McCoy as well. He would speak to them later, after they were settled in. He found that he was looking forward to that. He would have to caution Kirk immediately about his name. He must not forget that.

As the sun was setting, a group of men began to carry tables around from the side of the house and arrange them in the yard, putting benches on each side. He rose and went to assist them, some exercise would help prevent him from getting stiff. When the tables were all set up, he found himself carrying bowls and platters of food to set on them. There was a woman in the kitchen that caught his eye. He stopped in mid-step. No, it was not her, but there was a likeness there. It felt - comforting. He took the platters she had prepared and she smiled at him, showing the dimple beside her mouth. He nodded, then turned and carried the platters out. When he returned to the kitchen, there she was again, holding up a large bowl for him to take. As though by accident, his fingers brushed against hers as he took the bowl, and a shock shot up his arm. This was something he had not felt in far too long. As he walked back outside, he found himself thinking thoughts that he had not thought in many years. Was this a possibility? Should he try to find out? He could not make up his mind.

When next he returned to the kitchen, there was only one platter left. The attractive woman handed it to him with a smile and removed her apron. Before he quite knew what she intended, she had tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and was walking beside him, asking him questions in quite passable Vulcan. He was astounded. He set the platter down where she directed him and then she steered him to a table on the edge of the crowd. "It will be much less noisy here. I'm sure your ears will be happier."

They settled down and began to talk. She introduced herself as Durra, Nyota's aunt. And she was a linguist as well, teaching at the University. He found himself interested. When she looked over the table and sighed, he found himself asking what she was looking for, and then rising to go to another table and bring her what she wanted. He had not performed this type of favor since, since, since Nyota's death. Too many things he had not done in that time span. Surely it was time to change that.

He found himself telling her of some of the things he had seen and done in his long lifetime. She asked many questions, quite intelligent questions. Their conversation became easier as the evening wore on. He felt liberated, lightened. His life was beginning to change, grief finally receding. He found himself almost smiling, full of sensation, feeling. His self expanded, from the contracted mass that he had been for the last ten years, and began to fill up the empty corners again. It was amazing. He was glad that Sarek had insisted that he must come here. The laughter, the bright clothing, the appetizing food, the friendly people - yes, this was very good for him.

Too soon the evening came to a close and she was rising, saying good-night, going to join a group of people going to another house nearby to sleep. But she would be there tomorrow, of course. He watched until she was inside the vehicle and it was departing. It had been a fascinating experience. And he was much the better for it.

***

He sat crosslegged on the bed in his room, thinking. Not meditation, just thinking. Was he attracted because of the faint resemblance to his lost Nyota? If so, he must purge this thing from his mind immediately. On the other hand, if that was not the reason, then what was? He had felt the attraction before even speaking to her. Could it be that this was simply the type of woman to whom he was attracted? He carefully thought back. There had been many women attracted to him, but that did not count. No, it was only the women to whom he, himself, had been attracted that he must consider. And he then realized that there had actually only been one woman who had so held his attention that in the end he must act on it. There had been some brief dalliances before that, explorations of how his body worked, of what lust felt like. But there had not been real, true interest until Nyota. Nor at any time since. So. What did that mean? That he was attracted to brown-skinned, black-haired women with a full body, who were a head shorter than he was? That this was the type that appealed to his base functions? Perhaps he was analyzing things too much. Or perhaps he was not. Perhaps that was exactly the point. As Kirk would say, perhaps this was the type that 'turned him on'.

He sighed. He could not solve this tonight. Perhaps in the morning light things would look differently.

***

In the morning he dressed and walked down the stairs. There was much commotion in the house, so he walked out onto the porch and discovered Sarek, sitting there on a bench. He settled down beside him, watching all the activity. Where did these people get their energy? Had he felt this way when he was younger? As he watched, he saw young Spock set down a large bowl of fruit and go to the assistance of two men who appeared to be putting up an awning. He rose at the same time as Sarek and they went to add their hands to the job. And then he joined the line of men, carrying out the food the women were preparing. And there she was, in the kitchen again, pulling bread from the oven and piling it on platters, using padded cloth mitts. She straightened up, and seeing him there, broke into a wide smile, handing him the platter of hot bread as she took another empty one and began to fill it up. Was this just friendliness, or was there more there? He found that he wanted to know.

***

When all the food was on the tables, he watched for her to come out of the door. He moved to her side, bending his head down. "Would you be willing to sit with me again? I found our conversation last night very stimulating."

She smiled again, her dimple flashing, and nodded, plainly happy with his suggestion. She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow again and he led her to almost the same place where they had been sitting the night before. And found that the pattern for the day had been set. They were never far from one another, and she hastened to explain each part of the day's activities to him, whispering sometimes, when she felt the explanation was a bit risque. He was delighted and intrigued. She accepted him entirely for who he was, asking for no explanations, expecting nothing different that what he was willing to provide. The more time he spent with her, the more pleased he became. This began to seem entirely possible. Of course, it was far too early to even make any suggestions. But, if he could become better acquainted with her...surely there was a way. This would require thought.

***

When she again left with the same group of people, he found it very difficult to say good-night. He found he wanted to touch her. That would never do. He thanked her for all her insights, for her company. He told her how much he had enjoyed it. Her eyes twinkled and sparkled at him and she said she hoped she would see him again before he left. His tongue froze to the roof of his mouth. He could not speak at all. He could only nod and give her his small smile and watch her walk away. Surely Nyota knew her com address?