Before the group left to go back to the village, T' Pela took Jim and Spock into her private meditation room. "You mentioned wanting to speak with me about a matter of concern. I am at your service."

"I have some questions about the side effects of the bonding," Jim said. "It seems to me that the emotional aspect isn't subsiding like I thought it would. Any information you can provide would be much appeciated."

"As I stated during the group meld, you lead with your heart as well as your intellect," T' Pela began. "I believe the Earth analogy is that you wear your heart on your sleeve. You are a man of deep feeling. It has always been so. This has made the emotional effects more pronounced. There is also the fact that you are Human. I know that you have been frustrated by this, but in truth it has helped you to integrate more strongly and deeply with your soul mate. There has been much that is completely foreign to you. Spock has experienced this as well. For a Vulcan, to be engulfed in emotion that is beyond one's control is distressing, to put it mildy. The fact that you are half Human, Spock, has made it just a bit easier, but it has been a challenge all the same.

Going forward, you will indeed see a return to control and calm in regard to your emotional balance. Have you not noticed, Jim, that you are looking at the Tal Fe'an Har slightly differently? Have you not recently begun to realize that you need not miss Spock, for he is always with you? Even if the two of you are not physically close to each other, the bond remains equally strong. This does not mean that you have no privacy. It does mean that no matter where you are or what you are doing, you are a part of each other's lives."

"I have noticed it. An example is Spock's relationship with Uhura. I'm in no way threatened by it. I love Spock and I want him to be happy. I'm glad he has Uhura in his life. She's a remarkable woman. I know that Spock's deepest, most enduring bond is with me, and finally, I feel like I can relax and just celebrate our relationship."

"This tells me that the two of you have fully integrated, which means that all the parts of your lives that have felt out of balance have righted themselves. All the pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place. You will still need to spend time together; mind melding, bonding, merging. It is necessary for soul mates to come together here and on the ethereal plane regularly."

"How often do you suggest we do this?" Spock asked.

"I would say that one day out of each Earth week will be sufficient. No less, and it should be the same day each week. You must come together, eat a meal, spend time in recreational activities, be they physical or not. You must mind meld, bond, merge, and spend a sleep period together. Then you may go about your lives until the same day in the next week. Will you be able to do this?"

"Definitely," Jim said. Spock nodded in agreement.

"There is something I would like to teach you that you will find enhances your bond. As you know, you do not remember your merges when you are in the physical world. Do you understand why this is the case?"

Both men nodded. "The memory would be too distracting," Jim said.

"Correct. However, I can teach you to do a smaller version of the merging which can be done on the physical plane. If I were to put it in Earth terms, I would call it a mini merge. Shorter, less intense, it will be something you can do any time you have a few moments alone. It will be pleasurable and will help to keep your bond strong. Would you like to learn this?"

"Yes," the soul mates said in unison.

"Very well. You will establish a light mind meld to bring your souls into close contact. Think of holding each other's ethereal hands. The energy will pass between you through the joining. You will experience a climax but it will be light, just enough to bring you a pleasant feeling of release. It takes only a few minutes to do. I will show you what to do and then move out of the meld and out of this room so that you may experience it unobserved. Are you ready?"

Jim and Spock looked at each other, then back at T' Pela. "Ready," Jim said. Spock merely nodded. The soul mates touched each other's faces and initiated the meld. T' Pela touched them both and joined in. They were melded, but still on the physical plane.

"Join hands," T' Pela said. The Human and the Vulcan did as she instructed.

"You must do this with intent. The intent is to bring each other a moment of pleasure and release. Try to do this now."

Jim reached out to Spock, and felt the Vulcan reach toward him. Their souls touched, and Jim gasped.

"I will leave now." Suddenly T' Pela was gone from the meld and was walking out the door, closing it behind her.

"I feel it. Do you?" Jim asked Spock.

"I feel it. It is pleasurable."

"Yeah it is. Let's try to get all the way through it. She said it wouldn't take long..." Jim reached out with his soul and touched Spock's center. Spock responded in kind. When their energies began to blend it set off a wave of pleasure that flowed from each of them into the other, and the climax came when their energies merged. It was just like T' Pela had described it; quick, easy and very satisfying. It left their souls resonating with contentment.

"That was nice," Jim said.

Spock took a deep breath and let it out. "Very nice, indeed."

back on Earth...

Jim heard his door chime. He smiled. He knew who it was at the door. He went and answered it.

"Why didn't you just come in?" he asked Spock.

"I felt that a bit of formality was called for since this is our first official soul mate date."

Jim laughed. He stepped aside to let Spock into the apartment. "Our first date, huh? I hope we aren't as nervous as we'd be if we were on a real first date."

Spock pulled Jim into a warm embrace. "I am not nervous at all." The soul mates did a quick mini merge. The sensation was really little more than that of a satisfying sneeze, but it was enough to leave them both feeling relaxed and happy. They rested their heads on each other's shoulders for a moment, savoring the pleasant sensation. They pulled apart and Spock followed Jim into the living room.

"Do you remember what you promised we'd do tonight?" Jim asked.

"Yes. I will play one of your antique video games with you."

"Yep. To be honest, I'm sure you'll get bored pretty quickly. They don't exactly require a lot brain cells to play."

"Why, then, do you find them so fascinating?"

"Because they're fun. You wanna eat first? Dinner is ready, so we can eat now or wait. It's up to you."

"Let us play a game, or part of one, first. I am curious to see which one you have chosen for me to try."

"OK. This one is what they call a hidden object game. There'll be a scene with a list of objects to find. I think the only thing you may have trouble with is the names of things. Ready to give it a shot?"

"I am ready."

Jim sat down at the desk and pulled up the game on his antique computer. It was amazing to him that he'd been able to find anyone who had, or could create the parts to keep it functioning. He only used it for these games. Luckily he had the accompanying disks in case the computer should ever crash. There were many games that could be played on a modern tablet, but these were fun because they were ancient, with graphics that couldn't be found on newer games. He skipped the opening credits, turned off the tutorial and got the first scene ready.

"OK. See the list on the left side of the screen? Those are the objects you have to find. Don't expect there to be any pattern or organization to it. The objects could be anywhere in the scene, blended into other things, the same color as something under them, etc."

He got up and Spock sat down in front of the monitor. Jim brought a chair from the kitchen and sat next to him. Jim had been lucky enough to find a guy who had the old-fashioned mouse pointers. Spock had seen him play these games before so he knew the basics. Jim watched him quickly scan the list of objects and then begin to study the scene. He expected Spock to complain about how looking for a piece of cake in a tree was not logical, but Spock didn't say a word. He just started finding objects.

"When I find an object, I am to click on it with the pointer, am I not?"

"Yes. Click on it and it will disappear from the scene and from the list." Spock found the objects fairly quickly, pausing a few times to ask Jim for a definition of something if he didn't understand the term.

"What is a safety pin?" he asked.

"An old fashioned fastening device for clothing or cloth. Look." On the desk, Jim traced the shape of a safety pin. Spock watched his finger move over the desk.

"Once more, if you please." Jim repeated the motion. Spock turned his attention back to the scene. After a moment of study, he clicked on the safety pin. It wasn't long before his soul mate had cleared the scene.

"See, I knew this would be too easy for you. Maybe we'll try a match 3 next. But right now, let's eat."

The two of them made their way to the kitchen. Jim pulled a casserole dish from the oven and set it on the cooktop. Spock pulled dishes and utensils from cupboards and drawers and set the table. Jim opened the refrigerator.

"You want iced tea?" he asked Spock.

"Do you have any beer?"

"Of course I have beer." He pulled two bottles out and handed one to Spock. "You sure you can handle that?" Jim winked at his soul mate.

Spock lifted an eyebrow. "I am certain that I can handle it. Probably better than you can."

"I wouldn't doubt it." Jim put a trivet on the table and set the casserole on it. He handed Spock a serving spoon. Spock dipped into the casserole and loaded his plate.

"What is this?"

"It's called Shepherd's Pie. It's basically a stew with mashed potatoes on top. It's got some fake meat in it, and it's vegan. No milk or butter in the potatoes."

"I would not have expected to find you eating vegetarian or vegan food. Humans are omnivores, but in my observation you have always leaned more towards being a carnivore."

"It never hurts to be adaptable. You never know what you might have to eat in order to survive. Besides, the meatless stuff is really not that bad as long as you don't expect it to taste like the real thing. What's important is to get enough protein."

"Speaking of taste, this is quite good. How did you prepare the mashed potatoes without using milk or butter?"

"Almond milk and margarine. I wasn't sure it would work, but they taste fine to me."

"We are in complete agreement. Thank you for making the effort. You could just as easily have ordered take out."

"On our first official soul mate date? No way. Silly human that I am, I wanted to make this night special."

Spock gave him a serious look. "Any time we spend together is special, Jim. Surely you know this by now."

Jim chuckled. "Just eat your dinner. Jeez."

After dinner, Jim showed Spock a match 3 game. As he expected, the concept was far too simplistic for his soul mate to really enjoy. Jim didn't mind; the important thing was that he'd finally talked Spock into playing the games with him, and it filled the requirement of recreational activity. When they'd shut down the ancient computer, they took their beers and went outside on the veranda to watch the lights of the city and enjoy the evening. It was a little too cool to be comfortable for Spock without some sort of jacket. He was wearing one that belonged to Jim, since he'd neglected to bring one of his own. Good thing we're the same height and build, Jim thought as he glanced at Spock. The Vulcan looked just slightly incongruous with his delicately pointed ears wearing a jacket that was red plaid on the outside. The thought made Jim smile. Spock noticed Jim's expression.

"If I may inquire, why are you smiling at me?"

"That jacket doesn't go with your ears."

Spock looked puzzled. "I beg your pardon?"

"A Vulcan wearing a red plaid jacket just looks incongruous. It's not something you'd normally wear, that's all. You wanna watch a movie?"

"Perhaps later. Right now..." They had been standing side by side at the railing of the veranda. Spock moved behind Jim and put his arms around his friend. Jim couldn't help but notice that Spock seemed a bit more affectionate than usual. Not that he minded. Their relationship wasn't sexual, but there was definitely a physical element to it. It felt good to be close to his soul mate. He loved feeling Spock's arms around him. The sensation always started in his heart and flowed from there, permeating his being with comfort, joy, and love. He pulled in a deep breath and let it out. Of all the sentient beings in the Universe, he had been chosen to be Spock's soul mate. Again, he wondered what he had done to deserve this incredible gift.

"I wonder what I have done to deserve you," Spock said, his voice low and resonant in Jim's ear.

"Were you reading my mind?"

"Not really. More like picking up your thoughts. It is easy when we are this close."

Jim put his hands over Spock's. "I didn't think it was possible to love someone the way I love you."

Spock didn't answer. At least, not in words. Instead, he tightened his embrace and then, to Jim's surprise, he kissed the side of his neck gently. He'd never done that before. That Spock would gift him with such an intimate gesture told him that his soul mate felt as he did. Jim felt a surge of emotion, but this time it was manageable, not causing him to break down weeping, only making him tear up ever so slightly. It passed and in it's wake was a profound feeling of joy and gratitude. Jim knew he was where he belonged. They stood together a few minutes longer, and then Spock turned Jim to face him.

"What movie did you have in mind?"

"Let's go look at what I have." Jim didn't want to have to explain the humor through a whole movie, so he chose an old action adventure film rather than a comedy. Something where they chased each other in vintage cars and shot each other with guns that fired lead projectiles was something that didn't require a lot of explaining. They'd done the same thing many times recently, just in modern vehicles with modern weapons. This movie had a lot of car chasing, shooting and blowing things up. They found themselves discussing the differences between the antique weapons and modern ones. Old style guns were much more dangerous than modern phasers, because they couldn't be set to not kill.

The movie ended and they sat quietly for a time. Finally Jim broke the silence.

"Are you ready for a mind meld?"

"I have been looking forward to it."

"We could have skipped the movie."

"No. I have enjoyed the anticipation."

Jim felt something do a flip inside him, right between his heart and his solar plexus. They used to call it 'butterflies in the stomach'. Maybe they still did. It made him realize he'd been anticipating their joining as well.

"Me too." He stood and offered Spock his hand. Spock took it and Jim pulled him to his feet. "Come on." He led his soul mate to the bedroom. They undressed and got into pajama pants and t-shirts. They sat on the bed in their now customary position; Spock sitting cross-legged, Jim facing him with his legs over Spock's. They each leaned forward until their foreheads touched. They clasped hands and started the mind meld. Jim had his usual flash of being startled, but it seemed as if it was not quite as much as usual. He forgot about it when he found himself standing beside Spock on the ethereal plane. He looked around at the featureless landscape, then looked at Spock. They both closed their eyes and when they opened them they were standing at Jim's airlock door, his entrance to their combined sanctuaries. He opened the door and they went inside. He turned and locked the door behind them. His room still had no features. He just hadn't had the opportunity to do anything with it yet. They went quickly through the merging chamber and into Spock's room. Having looked around and acknowledged it, so to speak, they went back to the merging chamber. They faced each other. Not in the physical body but still seeing themselves as if they were, they moved toward each other. Their souls overlapped and boundaries that were barely existent to begin with melted away. Jim felt a shiver go through him as their ethereal bodies began to merge. The energy of this merging was what brought them pleasure. The harmony of their joined souls intensified the sensation. Instead of one seducing the other, as Jim had done to Spock on one occasion, this time they moved into and around each other, playfully touching, teasing, caressing. It was like a dance, one with light steps and twirls and dips. Ever higher they climbed, sensations flowing, excitement building, until at last they could hold back no longer. The climax rocked through them, making them both cry out and then clutch each other as wave after wave of pleasure swept through them. Their souls locked together as they rode the tide of release, until finally the waves began to recede. Their souls unlocked but remained joined, and their ethereal bodies held each other in the afterglow of pure, unconditional love.

Jim was the first to speak. "Oh my God, that was incredible."

"It was indescribably satisfying," Spock replied. They held each other gently, tenderly, savoring the resonating hum of their joined souls. Finally it began to diminish and they knew it was time to go back to the physical realm.

"I bet we'll sleep well tonight," Jim said. "It's so weird though. We won't know why we feel so good."

"We will know that whatever made us feel so good was something we did together. That will be enough."

"Yeah, and there's always the mini merge."

"Which is more than adequate for the physical realm."

"OK, well, let's go back." They made the transition and found themselves sitting on the bed as they always did after a meld/bond/merge.

"I'm gonna sleep good tonight," Jim said.

"As will I. As always when I am with you."