Title: A Woman's Touch

Author: Wildcat

Rating: PG-13

Series: TOS

Characters/pairings: S & U, Saavik

Summary: Although Saavik is thriving under Spock's care, Uhura points out that he has left certain gaps in the child's education and volunteers to help.

Disclaimer: Paramount owns Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and company. I have just borrowed them for a while and will not profit from any of this.

Many thanks to Carolyn Clowes for my very favorite ST novel 'The Pandora Principle,' which describes the year during which Spock took leave from Starfleet to raise and educate Saavik. Even though I used that novel as a basis for this story, however, note that I ignored the concept that Spock's friends did not know Saavik prior to her visit to the Enterprise as a cadet.

Also, many thanks to Jungle Kitty, who not only beta read for me but loaned me something or someone that belongs to her.

This story won 2nd place for "Best TOS Story" in the 1998 ASC Awards.

Feedback is desired.

A Woman's Touch, Chapter 1

"I hate my shoes. They are uncomfortable. And they are inconvenient! Why do I have to wear them? Those people outside are not wearing any."

Spock took a deep breath and opened the closet door. "Saavik, I have explained to you that humans do not wear shoes on the beach. They do, however, wear shoes to formal events." He closed the closet and glanced under the large stuffed chair in the corner of the room.

"That is a most illogical attitude. If one does not wish to wear shoes, one should not have to wear shoes! And I do not wish to wear shoes, especially not these shoes. The woman who sold them to us was not being truthful when she said that everyone was wearing them this year. I have not seen one other person wearing them."

"She was merely employing an expression of speech. She did not mean it literally." Brandishing the small shoe he held in his hand, he turned to Saavik and said, "Saavikam, please try to remember where you put the other one."

His young ward stood stubbornly by the window. "That little boy is throwing his bread in the air and the birds are eating it. He is very stupid to waste his food like that. The pigeons are much fatter than the seagulls and easier to catch, too."

Spock knelt and lifted the edge of the bedspread. "I assure you that he is merely watching them feed for his own entertainment. He is not hunting his next meal."

"Then he is even more stupid than I thought."

Spotting the elusive shoe far under the bed, he stretched out on the floor and blindly reached for it. He knew that he would come away with dust all over his sleeve, but there was nothing to be done for that now. Groping, he finally felt it against his fingertips. There! He stood and handed it to Saavik.

"Here. Do not take them off again. We cannot afford any more delays."

She sat on the bed. "Spock, tell me again who will be there today."

As he brushed the lint from his clothing, he turned away so that she could not see the amusement on his face. She might pretend to dislike their current activity, but he understood very well that she already knew the answer to her question and simply wished to hear his description of what the day would bring.

"While some humans choose to have a small ceremony that only the closest friends and family attend, similar to a Vulcan bonding, it is also quite common for a wedding to be a large event. It is my understanding that Mr. Sulu and his fiancée have chosen the latter. Therefore, we may expect to see many people. I have never met Susan Ling, so I know nothing of her family situation, but I assume that she will have a number of relatives in attendance. As for Mr. Sulu, I anticipate that you will meet both of his parents, as well as his three sisters, his grandparents, and several of his great-grandparents. Here, Saavikam, please brush your hair." He handed her the brush and continued.

"Of course, the senior bridge crew of the Enterprise will attend with their guests. When I spoke to Admiral Kirk three days ago, he stated that he would be escorting Captain Suzanne Brandt, and that Doctor McCoy intended to bring his daughter. I will be quite pleased for you to meet Joanna McCoy."

"Is it almost time to go?"

This time, he did turn to her. An affectionate almost-smile on his lips, he said, "Yes. It is time to go. Your appearance is quite acceptable, Saavikam. My friends will be most impressed to meet such a well-groomed and well-mannered young lady."

She beamed as he closed the hotel room door behind them.

...

Uhura sat on the padded wooden bench and couldn't help but smile to herself. What a joyous day! The church was beautiful, bright and spacious, and the yellow Hawaii sun shone brilliantly through the huge stained glass windows. She closed her eyes and inhaled, enjoying the scent of the flowers that were so abundantly draped over every flat surface around them.

Unable to resist, she leaned toward the person next to her and patted him on the arm to get his attention, and motioned discreetly to the pew in front of them.

"Doctor, look at Admiral Kirk and Captain Brandt," she whispered. "Aren't they a great couple? I'll bet they're next."

McCoy smiled. "Jim? Getting married? That's hard to imagine."

"Yes, well, mark my words. They'll be married before the year is out."

Joanna, on the other side of McCoy, spoke up. "Oh, that would be romantic. They're so much in love."

McCoy smiled indulgently. "Joanna introduced me to her boyfriend when I picked her up. She's only fifteen, but she's an expert on romance."

"Daddy! Be quiet!"

Their conversation was silenced when they saw Kirk glance up and smile. Thinking at first that he had overheard, Uhura realized when he said something to Captain Brandt and looked in their direction again that he was actually watching something in the back of the church. They all turned and looked over their shoulders.

McCoy, laughter in his voice, muttered, "Well, I'll be damned!"

Walking up the aisle of the church was Scotty, stiff and serious in his role as usher, with a young Vulcan girl on his arm. Uhura guessed that she must be about ten years old. Following them both, dark and dashing in his Vulcan robes, was Spock. Even though his expression was no less serious than Scotty's, she thought that she could detect a note of... something... in his eyes. Pride? Yes, that was it! She smiled in surprised delight. This must be the child that he'd taken under his wing almost seven months ago.

Everyone watched the new arrivals as they approached. When Scotty released her, the little girl slid over to sit directly next to Uhura, and Spock carefully settled his long frame into the last remaining spot on the pew. The child's brown eyes were huge as Spock whispered quick introductions, and Uhura's smile grew even wider when she realized that the child, Saavik, knew exactly who each of them was. Hardly able to sit still, she looked as if she might simply burst at the seams with excitement and unasked questions.

Abruptly, the subdued music became loud and the opening chords of the wedding march washed over them. Sound filled the church, and Uhura felt goosebumps ripple down her arms as everything—the floor, the pews, even the air itself—seemed to vibrate with the resonation from the massive pipe organ. They turned as one to the front of the church, and she had to blink away sudden tears at the sight of Sulu, handsome and radiant with happiness, striding out to stand before them with Chekov at his shoulder.

As they all came to their feet for the bride's entrance, she realized that Saavik could not see. Before she could react, she saw the child tug on Spock's sleeve. He bent close to her as she whispered in his ear, and then he moved her to stand in front of him so that she would have a direct view of the aisle. Uhura was touched at the simple exchange. Who would have thought it? Sulu getting married, Kirk all but married, and Spock acting like, well, a parent. It all seemed so right.

When the minister asked everyone to be seated, Uhura pulled out a hymnal and slipped it underneath Saavik so that she would be better able to view the ceremony. The little girl gave her a quick flash of a grateful expression before craning her neck to watch the events unfolding before her. She was so captivated that she hardly seemed even to breathe.

Uhura glanced at Spock. He met her eyes, clearly amused, and she smiled in response before they both looked back to the front of the church to watch the exchange of vows. Their attention was interrupted again only moments later, though, when Saavik kicked off her left shoe. Luckily, Spock saw it coming and snatched the shoe up before it could hit the floor with a clatter.

Uhura almost laughed out loud at his reaction. Instead of putting the shoe back on her foot, he removed its mate. The three of them sat like that, Spock and Uhura close to one another with the serious little girl squeezed between them, and Spock holding two small beige shoes in his lap, for the duration of the service.

...

Saavik slipped over to the long food-covered table and helped herself to another item. Spock called these 'canapés' but they just looked like crackers with radishes and cucumbers on them to her. Anyway, they were good. Torn between eating and listening, she took another, glanced up, grabbed two more, and hurried back to the conversation between Spock and Admiral Kirk.

"... anyway, we've missed you back at Starfleet, Spock, but it looks like someone else needs you more than we do right now."

Saavik scowled as she approached them. She didn't want them to talk about her, she wanted them to talk about the Enterprise or their missions together or something interesting. She swallowed quickly and decided to steer the discussion back to a better topic.

"Admiral Kirk! Tell me about the time you had to fight the Gorn. Spock said that he was big and strong and green and wanted to kill you, and that you made-"

"Saavik. You interrupted—"

"No! I did not interrupt. You stopped talking and it was my turn!" Belatedly, she realized that she had interrupted his last sentence, even if she hadn't interrupted the first time. She added a quick, "Excuse me."

"Nevertheless—"

"That's okay, Spock. I don't mind." Admiral Kirk smiled, obviously pleased. "I'll be glad to tell her anything she wants to know. Now, when we encountered the Gorn that time, we didn't know anything about them yet, and..."

She sneaked a triumphant little glance in Spock's direction as Kirk settled into his story. Spock frowned slightly and met her eyes, but she pretended that she didn't notice his displeasure. Anyway, it was worth it to get to hear this story from Admiral Kirk. Firsthand!

...

Uhura hugged Sulu and his new wife. "Goodbye, you two, and good luck!"

"Goodbye, Nyota. I love you!"

She grinned. Sulu loved everybody right now. "I know. I love you too, Hikaru. Best wishes, dear friend."

Backing away to make room for Chekov to kiss the bride, she spotted Spock and Saavik standing away from the excitement. She pushed her way through the crowd of well-wishers to join them. They each held a small ribbon-tied packet of rice, and she laughed when she drew close enough to overhear their words.

"Spock, why did they give us these grains? They are not cooked. I will eat more ca-na-pes, but I will not eat this rice."

"It is a human custom to throw rice upon a newly married couple when they leave. Gently, Saavikam. You do not hurl the rice, you merely toss it."

Uhura interjected when she saw Saavik balancing the little bundle in her hand as if to estimate its heft. "Saavik, you untie the little ribbon, like this, and take the rice out of the fabric. Quickly, they're leaving! Come with me!"

She grabbed Saavik by the hand and pulled her over to the door, and Spock tagged along behind them. With a quick flurry of activity, the bride and groom rushed out amidst a shower of rice and shouted good wishes. Everyone waved, and then they were gone.

The noise level in the room suddenly dropped to just a low murmur, and Uhura took a deep breath. She felt almost melancholy as she gazed at the now-empty doorway. She was definitely tired. When she turned back to the room, she found all her friends clustered around her and noticed that everyone's expressions seemed to mirror her mood.

Her piping voice cutting through the subdued noise surrounding them, Saavik nodded resolutely and announced, "They will go and have sex now. That is what humans do after they marry."

Uhura met Kirk's eyes and saw him choke down the urge to burst out laughing. From the corner of her eye she noticed McCoy move closer, and all three of them glanced at Spock to see his response.

Spock stood frozen. Saavik picked up on the mixed reactions to her comment and became slightly defiant. "Well, that is true, is it not? They will do mating tonight and try to make little humans."

Closing his eyes briefly, Spock said, "Saavik, that is considered a personal matter and is not to be discussed. I am quite certain that you remember our conversations about privacy."

"But it is so obvious! How can something so obvious—"

"Saavik, that is enough." Spock's voice was firm, and her eyes grew large before she clamped her lips together into a rebellious tight line.

McCoy clapped Spock on the shoulder and said, "Kids! Aren't they terrific? C'mon Scotty, let's go get another drink while the bar is still open. Joanna's over there talking to Sulu's cousin, and it looks like she's going to be a while, so this is my chance to enjoy a little more of that Kentucky sour mash."

Soon everyone drifted away, including Saavik who stomped off to the buffet table. Uhura was left alone with Spock.

He sighed and raised both eyebrows as he watched Saavik leave. "Nyota, sometimes I wonder which one of us truly possesses the stronger will."

She chuckled. "Oh, that's no contest. She has you beat, hands down."

"Do not confuse a strong will with a headstrong, opinionated, and stubborn manner."

"I'm not. If we're going to talk about who's the most headstrong, stubborn, and opinionated... hmmm. I'd have to think about that one for a little while. I think the race might be a little closer."

The corner of his mouth turned up. "Perhaps."

She thought again about Saavik's comments earlier on 'sex' and 'mating.' The child's attitude about the whole matter had seemed awfully, well, clinical. While Uhura didn't have much question in her mind about where Saavik would have picked up such a sterile approach, she was a little hesitant to say what was on her mind. She finally decided to be direct.

"Spock, when you've talked to Saavik about the, uh, facts of life, have you used any words like 'commitment,' 'love'..." At his raised eyebrow, she hastily amended, "Er, scratch that last one. How about 'tenderness' or 'sharing'? You know."

He gazed into the empty space ahead of him. "I have explained to her the biological mechanics of reproduction. I saw no need to embellish it."

"But she's a young girl. She can't go into adulthood with such a cold approach to sex."

"She is still many years away from the need for such knowledge."

"What about the changes that will happen to her body when she reaches puberty? Have you gone into that at all?"

"As I said, she will not reach sexual maturity for many years."

"But you can't wait until she gets older. Do you think it will be any easier to explain it when she's a teenager? You don't her want to hear about it from her college roommate or, worse, some boy, do you?"

When he finally faced her, she realized how uncomfortable he was, and she softened.

"Do you think," he said quietly, "that I am unaware of the fact that she needs to learn these things? Perhaps I am merely a coward, but all I can do is repeat the explanations that I, myself, received as a boy from my father. I do not wish for her to suffer because of my own discomfort, yet I fear that I can do no better."

Uhura thought about it for a moment. "What you need is a woman's touch."

He blinked. "I assure you, I do not—"

She laughed. "No, I mean that you need a woman to get involved in her life. Someone that she can trust, someone who will be willing to explain things to her, female to female. Someone like me."

"You would do this?"

"Yes I would, and I'd be thrilled to do it, too. The only problem is that I'd want to spend some time with her so we could get to know each other first, but I promised to do a two-week seminar at the Academy starting Monday."

"What about after your seminar?"

"Well, I have some leave due."

"Would you care to come and visit us on Dantria IV? We have a house with a spare room, in the forest. It is quite pleasant, actually, and we have no commitments on our time other than Saavik's daily lessons."

"That's a wonderful idea! I'd love to come visit you."

"Then it is decided."

End chapter 1