Disclaimer: The rights to Star Trek belong to Gene Roddenberry, and NuTrek belongs to J.J. Abrams, Orci, and Kurtzman.

A/N: Now that Chance Encounter is finished, I worked at warp speed to get the prologue of the third story in the T'hy'la Chronicles series posted! This is the "three-quel" to Teach Me and Mission to Gamus, both that can be found on my profile page.

A/N2: The changes on the ship have been directly inspired by The Next Generation, which I've been watching lately. I'm up to the middle of the fourth season, and I'm hooked. Still don't like it as much as classic TOS with Kirk and Spock, but it's a really good show.

A/N3: I'm hoping to get a chance to write a few chapters of this next week. I've got the story outlined, so my updating should be faster than usual. Cross your fingers! And now, here is the third and final installment of the T'hy'la Chronicles. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

And Saavik Makes Three

.~.

Prologue

The bonding of S'Chn T'gai Spock and James Tiberius Kirk was one of the most celebrated events of the decade. Starfleet had used this momentous occasion to symbolize the solidified alliance between humans and the remaining Vulcans. As First Officer and Captain of the Starship Enterprise, their voyages were legendary to all the citizens in the Federation. The story of their courtship was a unexpected one, with Kirk befriending the staid Vulcan over several years before eventually confessing his feelings for him. To Kirk's surprise, Spock returned his feelings. Spock's father Sarek was opposed to their imminent bonding, but with the help of the elder Spock, they were able to convince him that indeed they belonged together.

Directly after their bonding (and pon farr), Kirk was given the Enterprise to captain on a five year mission in deep space. With Spock at his side, he was able to complete many successful first contacts and diplomatic missions. Starfleet was relieved that the Federation had gained new allies, as the loss of Vulcan had hit them hard, financially and emotionally. However, not all of their missions were a success. Security members often dropped like flies on uncharted planets, and the guilt hit Kirk hard. Thankfully, Spock was able to convince his bondmate via meld that he was still a capable captain, and that deaths of crewmembers was a part of the job description.

While many of the Enterprise's missions stuck out in Kirk's mind, there was one that had left him especially scarred. The mission to the utopian world of Gamus was the final one of the five year mission, but it was one of the most difficult that Kirk and Spock had ever faced. Those in power on the planet were homophobic and prejudiced. The landing party was horrified to find out that the government was secretly taking gay and lesbian (lamori) Gamosians and 'cleansing' them. After their stay in the 'Rejuvenator' – Kirk still shuddered to think about that experience – they were sent to live in isolation the rest of their lives as the secret labor force for the planet. When Kirk and Spock discovered the truth behind the faux paradise, they were understandably furious. Kirk was determined to stop the injustice on the planet, and so revealed to the leaders that he was bonded to Spock. Surely if they knew that two men in Starfleet were married they would change their homophobic minds. Wrong! To the young captain's horror, the chancellor ordered that he be cleansed, violating the law that protected Starfleet members. Kirk barely escaped the torture chamber, with Spock's mental assistance. In the end, the Starfleet officers were able to make things right on the planet, but the mission still left Kirk shaken.

Thanks to the 'Rejuvenator', his memories of Tarsus IV had been exposed to Spock, something Kirk hadn't wanted at the time. He had promised to show those memories to his bondmate once they arrived on earth, but the evil Gamosians had other plans. Spock assured his mate that he didn't think less of him now that he'd seen his time on Tarsus during the famine, but it took Kirk a few weeks until he felt secure enough to meld with Spock again. But once he did, he was astonished to find that Spock's love for him had actually increased. Kirk felt silly for doubting his t'hy'la, but Spock was just glad that they had passed this particular obstacle in their relationship.

Now that their five year mission was complete, the Enterprise was docked above the San Francisco base in preparation for their next assignment. Admiral Barnett, head of Starfleet, authorized another five year mission, but not in deep space this time. Among other varied duties, they were to be a liaison to New Vulcan, as the colony wasn't developing as quickly and smoothly as Starfleet had expected. Also, the flagship was to be used for more diplomatic purposes, which was something Kirk really enjoyed.

And as if that challenge wasn't enough, Kirk and Spock also had plans to adopt a young orphaned Vulcan girl. Kirk had picked Saavik right out of the Vulcan orphan database, as she was the only one scowling in her picture. Spock attributed this peculiar behavior to her Romulan heritage, as she was a hybrid, the same as him. Kirk deemed that Spock would be the perfect father for her, as he had experience facing his duality. Although he didn't show it, Kirk knew that his mate was just as excited as he was to have a daughter to care for. However, Spock was also somewhat apprehensive about the enormous responsibility of raising a child. After all, traipsing around the stars was child's play compared to the trials of parenthood!

Saavik's entrance into their lives wasn't the only major change the duo would be facing. During their extended shore leave on Earth, the Enterprise was being refitted. Not only was the ship given a 'tune-up', but it was being upgraded to Galaxy Class. A restaurant-bar was being added, which would be the ship's central location for socialization. Kirk was really excited about this addition, as he believed that fun and relaxation was the key to a happy and healthy crew. Also, the newest holographic technology allowed for Scotty to supervise the installation of a holodeck. If a crewmember wanted to escape the pressures of Starfleet life, they could simply enter the parameters of a program into the holodeck computer, and it would generate an atmosphere in which the creator could enjoy themselves. The holodeck could even provide other characters for the crewmember to interact with. But the most important change on the ship was that, in the event of an emergency, the saucer section would be able to separate from the engine and nacelles. If the ship was being attacked, the saucer section could warp out to safety, leaving the bridge crew behind on the other section to continue battle. This was a new safety feature that, although costly, allowed for Kirk and Spock to bring young Saavik on board.

Saavik's presence on the ship was to be a test – the admiralty was interested in knowing if a child could have a normal life and education while on board a starship. She would have teachers, a curriculum, and boundaries during her trial stay on the ship. Her parents would be primarily responsible for her, but when they were on duty, she would be in the care of her teachers. To Kirk's delight, several of his crewmembers had stepped up to teach their young Vulcan charge.

Chekov had immediately volunteered to teach Saavik physics and computer science. Sulu would be instructing her in self-defense. Uhura suggested that she be the one to teach the child several languages. Scotty said that he would be happy to teach her mathematics, as long as Saavik was given time to learn about the engineering section as well. Spock would make sure she was given an adequate Vulcan education, with emphasis on cultural studies in light of the recent disaster. And Kirk would be in charge of making sure that Saavik was having fun and feeling safe on their ship. (Of course, Kirk thought that his job was the best.)

The weeks flew by and soon there was only one more day left before Kirk and Spock would meet their new daughter. As much as Kirk had enjoyed some alone time with his bondmate, he had felt that something was missing. He hoped that having a child of his own would help fill this empty hole. While Kirk was afraid he wouldn't be a good father – since his own had died, he hadn't had the best male role models – Spock reassured him that Saavik would learn to love him, probably even better than Spock himself. Kirk doubted that, but he was gratified that Spock believed in him.

That night before he went to sleep, he wished that he could be the best father he be, and that Saavik would learn to trust him and Spock. Little did he know how difficult earning that trust would be…

End Prologue

A/N: So what did you guys think? You wanna read more? What about? Tell me what you want in your reviews and I will take your suggestions into consideration!