I'm not doing Author Notes or an Intro this time, so this little blurb is your first and only warning. If you haven't read Complexity, go read that first.
Eternity: Rated M with the occasional NC-17 bits.
Disclaimer: I don't own J.J. Abrams characters or anything to do with Star Trek. I make no money. If you don't recognize a name, it's because it's an OC I created.
WARNING: Contains Kirk/Spock slash, including lemony tidbits. Either bail out now or prepare to skim through those parts.
That being said, on with the story!!!

Prologue

The sun beamed down on the small planetoid called New Vulcan. The last of the Vulcan race that resided there had recovered quickly with the help of Starfleet and had finally reached a point where they could thrive on their own. The forests around them provided them with vast amounts of suitable food for them while they cultivated their own crops, which now had a bountiful enough yield for them to feed themselves with. Though their lush environment was a drastic change from the dry and arid planet they used to call home, Spock Prime had done a remarkable job in picking a planet that would sustain them almost as well as Vulcan had.

A large ship momentarily blocked out the sun as it descended from the sky onto the planet's surface. It hovered over the clearing of land that had been designated specifically for it and carefully landed. The remainder of the Vulcan High Council waited patiently as the ship's door opened and its ramp extended outward. From the ship emerged Ambassador Sarek, who had just returned from a meeting with Starfleet on Earth.

He raised his right hand high and formed the traditional Vulcan salute, which the High Council returned. Carefully walking down the ramp, Sarek picked up his pace once he reached the High Council and continued on into the building before them. The High Council followed in pursuit of the now fast walking Sarek, struggling to keep up with him. Despite the fact that he was not a young Vulcan, Sarek always walked with a purpose and did not care to slow his steps to allow others to keep pace with him. This was one of the traits the High Council disliked the most about Sarek and shed even more light on the headstrong personality of his son.

In the back of the great hall Sarek entered sat T'Pau in a high sitting throne. Sarek stopped feet away from her, the rest of the High Council finally catching up with him, slightly out of breath. In a bold voice, Sarek spoke to T'Pau, "I have left my meeting with Starfleet early and returned here as you requested. What was it that was so urgent it could not wait?"

T'Pau raised an eyebrow at Sarek's boisterous entrance. Though he held full control of his emotions, he had made it abundantly clear that he was very displeased with cutting his visit with Starfleet short. In a tone that held just as much irritation as Sarek's, T'Pau said, "I assure you that what I have to say is far more important that your matters with Starfleet. I have brought you here to discuss your son, Spock. With New Vulcan's establishment complete, we have taken an official census of the remaining Vulcans who now reside here. In reviewing the census, it has come to my attention that T'Pring, Spock's intended, was among those who perished in the destruction of Vulcan."

Sarek's eyebrows rose on his forehead, but otherwise he showed no emotion. Seeing that she had Sarek's full attention, T'Pau continued, "The death of T'Pring means that Spock will need to choose a new mate. Given our race's current predicament, I am certain that you will agree that his new mate will need to be a female as well."

"I understand the gravity of our situation T'Pau," Sarek said, the irritation in his voice now less subtle. "However, I do not see how this merits my early arrival from Starfleet."

"You know full well that your son is currently on a five year exploration mission aboard the Enterprise," T'Pau retorted. "As such, it is impossible for him to come and pick a mate of his own. In addition, his father has not exactly set a good example of how to choose a mate of his own race, and therefore it is likely he will not be capable of choosing a suitable mate on his own. His rebellious nature is not one we wish to deal with when it comes to Vulcan re-population."

Sarek's eyes shot daggers at the elderly Vulcan who sat before him. He didn't appreciate her definition of an "urgent" matter; while it was of the utmost importance that they focused on rebuilding their race, it was not a matter that was worth rushing away from his duties as an ambassador. T'Pau looked back at Sarek, obviously challenging him to shoot a nasty response back at him.

The High Council saw the tension between the two and decided it would be best to try to reason with Sarek. One of the members stepped forward and placed a hand on Sarek's shoulder. In a calm, patient tone, he said, "Sarek, T'Pau is correct in her assessment of the matter. Our race is a mere ten thousand strong; though we have been able to successfully reestablish ourselves on a new planet in the past six months, any further blows to our current population will only endanger us further. It is of the essence that we turn our focus to repopulating the Vulcan race as soon as possible."

Another member stepped forward and added, "With Spock enrolled in Starfleet, there is no guarantee of when he will return to New Vulcan. The longer he is away from New Vulcan without choosing a new mate, the more likely it is that he will choose his mate elsewhere and the less likely his mate will be Vulcan."

Without turning around to face those who spoke, Sarek shot back impatiently, "Spock does not know that T'Pring perished in the destruction of New Vulcan. Do not assume that he will choose another mate so easily simply because of his enrollment in Starfleet."

"As I recall, you were already engaged when you chose your human mate on Earth, so do not presume that your son would choose to remain loyal to his life mate if he took an interest in another," T'Pau said, her eyes narrowed and still riveted on Sarek's. She countered the smoldering gaze he gave her with her own. "And in case you have already forgotten what it is like to lose a mate, the mental link they shared would have alerted Spock to her death, so it would be unnecessary for someone to tell him something he would have already felt. Surely when your wife perished, you felt the link you shared with her severe as well."

"I did," Sarek said with a deadly tone. He didn't appreciate T'Pau's ruthless reminder of the wife he lost, regardless of whether it was relevant to her argument or not. The conversation had gone on far enough. T'Pau had made her point and he was beginning to feel an overwhelming need to meditate.

Calming himself as much as he could, Sarek said, "I will review the census of surviving Vulcans in my quarters. From there I will choose a suitable mate for Spock. I will then make arrangements for Spock to come to New Vulcan and complete the engagement ritual. If you will excuse me…"

The High Council and T'Pau watched as Sarek turned on his heels and left the hall. The High Council exchanged apprehensive glances with one another while T'Pau simply stared at Sarek's back. In a low voice, she said, "Now I understand where Spock truly inherits his ill-tempered behavior…"

Sarek held his head in his hands as the screen in front of him scrolled through the names of available female Vulcans. There were more than enough women for him to choose a suitable mate for Spock, but he didn't want to do it. He had been free to choose his own mate and Spock should be free to do so as well. Yes, circumstances were completely different when he chose Amanda for his wife, but it didn't change the fairness of the situation. He didn't feel right forcing his son to marry someone he didn't love simply for the preservation of his own race, but he had to set an example. If Spock were allowed to choose his mate freely, other Vulcans would follow the same trend, and then what would happen? Of course, Spock was one of only a handful of Vulcans that were in Starfleet, but as the son of an ambassador of an endangered race, choosing to mate with a non-Vulcan would speak volumes against both him and Sarek.

Rising from his seat, he moved to the telecom and sent a transmission to the Enterprise. After a brief pause, he was connected with Spock's personal telecom in his room. Seeing his son's face filled his heart with happiness as it usually did and he had found himself missing him dearly during their time apart. As he gazed at his son's face though, he noticed something very different about him. Something about his aura seemed lighter than it had before they parted. Even his voice had a bright tone to it as he spoke.

"Hello father," he said, the corners of his mouth barely curving upward in a smile. "It pleases me to see you are doing well. To what do I owe this sudden communication?"

It had taken every bit of Sarek's control to not smile openly at his son when he first saw him; now it was all he could do not to give any hint of the news he had to share with him. "Spock," he began. "I wish I were simply checking on the status of your mission. I have just received news from T'Pau that your mate, T'Pring, perished when Vulcan was destroyed."

Spock's demeanor darkened, but only slightly to Sarek's surprise. Quietly, he said, "Yes, I am aware. I felt our link terminate when the planet collapsed in on itself. It is most unfortunate, but I have not been able to find it within myself to mourn her death anymore than I have mourned the death of any other Vulcan whose life was lost."

"An understandable reaction," Sarek stated. "You were bonded at a young age and never formed any true personal relationship with each other. Still, it is a most tragic development, as I am now forced by both the High Council and T'Pau to find you a new Vulcan mate."

Spock's eyes widened at the news. "You mean they wish to have me be arranged to mate with another Vulcan?" Sarek nodded slowly. "Father, you cannot be serious? I am an adult; I should be allowed to choose my mate freely. Why would they ask you to choose a mate for me?"

"Because you are enrolled in Starfleet," Sarek explained. "They are under the impression that you will follow in my footsteps and find a non-Vulcan mate. This goes against their plans to repopulate the Vulcan race, and therefore they have entrusted me with the task of choosing a mate for you. They have also asked me to inform you that as soon as I have made my choice, you are to make arrangements to travel to New Vulcan and initiate the engagement ceremony with your betrothed."

"Surely you jest," Spock said, staring at his father in disbelief. "I am in the middle of a five year exploration mission. I do not have the time to travel to New Vulcan and bind myself to some unknown woman I know nothing about. Besides that, unless it is a matter of life or death, I do not have the desire to ask an entire ship to make such a detour on my account. The needs of the many…"

"...outweigh those of the few, or the one," Sarek said, cutting his son off. "Yes, I know. But by that logic, the needs of your people outweigh the needs of those on your ship. I am certain they understand the situation that we are in and would be willing to put their mission on hold briefly for our benefit. I do not agree with the council's methods Spock, but I do agree that there is a great importance in keeping our culture alive. If we do not focus on re-population, the Vulcan race will disappear and become nothing more than a memory in the history of the universe."

"I understand the implications, Father, but that does not change the fact that my duty to Starfleet comes first and foremost. I can do more for our race on this ship than I will on New Vulcan. Besides, aren't there a large amount of Vulcan children who are currently orphaned because of Vulcan's destruction?"

Sarek sighed heavily. "Yes, there are, and sadly not enough Vulcan parents willing to take them in. This creates a different problem all together, but it is a problem that we have found a solution for. The greater problem lays with our re-population, hence T'Pau's insistence that you marry a Vulcan."

"I have yet to find a mate for you yet, Spock, so there is still time for you to find a mate of your own. Since you are only a half-Vulcan, it is possible that they may retract their insistence on your marrying a full blooded Vulcan, given the fact that any children you have would still not be full Vulcan." Sarek's voice lowered, "And I am certain they would not desire the birth of yet another Vulcan child with mixed heritage…"

Another time, Spock would have shown a great deal of sadness on his face from his father's words, but he had come to terms with his human heritage and embraced it completely now. No longer was he ashamed to be half-Vulcan; on the contrary, he was proud to be the child of two worlds, especially with a mother as wonderful and caring as the one he had.

Spock said to his father, "Do what you can. If in the event the council finds that I will need to be bonded to a full Vulcan regardless of my heritage, see if you can find a Vulcan woman that would not be adverse to falsifying a bond with me simply to pacify the council temporarily. If you are able to do that then we will have an effective back up plan."

Sarek nodded at his son. "If it were not for the fact that your cunning reminds me so much of your mother, I would reprimand you on thinking in such an illogical sort of way. I will excuse your madness and do what I can on my end. In the meantime, alert Captain Kirk of your situation so that he is prepared for anything."

"Understood. I will inform the captain of my situation immediately." He raised his hand in the traditional Vulcan salute and waited until his father mirrored him to end the transmission. Sarek placed a hand on his head and rubbed his brows. This wasn't exactly how he had imagined the conversation with his son panning out. The plan was doable, but it was not going to be easy. There were too many potential things that could go wrong and he had to find a Vulcan woman willing to lie to T'Pau and the High Council about bonding with Spock.

He lifted his head and almost smiled. There was one woman he could think of that would not only be willing to go along with their plan, but would jump at the chance to pull the wool over the High Council's eyes. He immediately pulled her up on the telecom. Moments later, her face appeared on the screen.

"Greetings Sarek. How can I help you?"

"T'Maire," Sarek said. "I have something important I need to talk to you about…"

"You wanted to talk to me about something?"

Spock opened his eyes and looked up at the blue-eyed captain who stood in his doorway. After the discussion with his father, he felt a desperate need to meditate. Before he did so, he asked Kirk to meet him in his room in half an hour. He had lost all track of time as he focused on negating his emotions and hadn't even heard Kirk enter his room.

He nodded at Kirk and rose from the floor as the captain walked further into the room, letting the door close behind him. Kirk shrugged and asked, "What's up?"

"I just received a transmission from my father," Spock said. "Apparently the Vulcan High Council is rather insistent on the re-population of the Vulcan race. They have asked my father to pick a mate for me and are demanding that as soon as he has done so that we make our way to New Vulcan so that we can perform the bonding ceremony."

Kirk's jaw dropped when he heard Spock speak. He didn't believe he had heard what he did, but he couldn't deny that he heard it. "Your father is picking a mate for you? So what, you're saying that he's setting up an arranged marriage?"

"Indeed. That is in fact exactly what I am saying."

"That's bullshit!"

"I assure you," Spock said, clasping his hands behind his back, "that I am as displeased about the news are you are. Luckily, my father believes that I should be allowed to choose my own mate."

Kirk shook his head. "Why is the Vulcan High Council requesting that you be arranged to marry another Vulcan? You're the child of an interracial family. If little Vulcan babies is what they're after then why not focus on getting the full blooded Vulcans to mate and leave you be?"

"It is likely that the direness of our race's situation is clouding their judgment. They are so desperate to keep our race from becoming extinct, that they will accept any variation of a Vulcan that they can get."

"If that's the case then why bother forcing you to mate with a Vulcan?" Kirk asked, anger heavy in his voice. "If they're willing to accept a Vulcan child that isn't a full blooded Vulcan then why not allow you to choose whoever you want to be with? And why are they in such a rush all of a sudden?"

Spock grew silent and lowered his head. "Because they have just been made aware of my fiancée's death."

Disbelief furrowed Kirk brow. "Fiancée?" he breathed. Spock's eyes closed. He couldn't bring himself to look Kirk in the eyes. Kirk took Spock's chin in his hand and lifted it up. The dark chocolate eyes of his love stared sadly back at him. It became harder to breath the longer Kirk looked into his eyes. Whispering through his pain, he said, "You were engaged?"

"Yes," Spock said, his voice barely louder than Kirk's. "Vulcan children are arranged to be married at a young age. My fiancée was named T'Pring. We were bonded by a special mind link during the engagement ceremony so that we would always know how the other felt. When Vulcan was destroyed, I felt our link terminate."

Kirk's crystal-blue eyes clouded over at the news. His heart felt as though a dagger had been firmly lodged into it. His voice still low, he asked a question he wasn't sure he really wanted an answer to. "Were you…" he swallowed hard. A lump had formed in his throat, making it hard for him to speak. "Did you two love each other?"

Warm hands touched the sides of Kirk's face. Spock leaned forward and pressed his lips against Kirk's mouth. It wasn't something he did very often without provocation, but when he did it, it erased any and all doubts from Kirk's mind. Kirk lowered his hands and placed them on the small of Spock's back, pulling him closer to him. There they stood in the middle of the room, time stopping completely for them as they kissed tenderly.

Spock finally pulled back from Kirk and broke the kiss. He smiled lightly at Kirk's half-closed eyes and slack jaw. He loved making Kirk look like that and did so every time he got the chance. "You should already know by now," he said, his voice velvety smooth, "that you are my first and only love. T'Pring and I shared a bond, there is no denying that. But it was cold and emotionless, just like the rest of my life as a Vulcan has been. There was absolutely no love in the bond we shared."

Smiling, Kirk nodded in understanding. "So Vulcans create a link with their minds when they choose their spouse, huh? Did your father have a link like that with your mother? You know, even though she wasn't a Vulcan?"

"Yes, he did," Spock answered. "Obviously when she passed, he felt the link they shared break as well." Spock looked deep into Kirk's eyes and saw compassion. Those blue eyes of his were hypnotizing; the longer Spock looked, the more entranced he became. He could spend the rest of his life looking only into those eyes…

"Jim," he breathed, "There may be a way for me to avoid a trip to New Vulcan. If I were to find a mate and link myself with them before my father is able to report his choice to the Vulcan High Council, I may be able to fore go an actual engagement ceremony. As we speak, my father is attempting to find a woman who would be willing to falsify a union with me to allow me to choose my own mate while still satisfying the High Council's wishes." Spock brushed his thumb against the side of Kirk's face and smiled. "Luck would have it that the man I have chosen for my mate is standing right in front of me."

Kirk's eyes grew wide as he realized what it was that Spock was implying. They had only been together for six months; was Spock really serious about spending the rest of his life with him? It was true that Vulcans were a monogamous race, but surely they didn't marry the first person they got serious with…right?

"Spock, are you sure?" Kirk asked. "I'm not saying that I disagree or that I'm not flattered or anything, but we haven't been together for that long, and Vulcans live a lot longer than humans. Are you absolutely certain that you want to spend the rest of your life with me? Do you…do you really think I'm worth living the rest of your life with as your spouse?"

Warm, moist lips pressed against his forehead. A bright smile that shined like sunshine spread on Spock's face, startlingly white teeth shimmering like pearls in his mouth. Kirk's heart did flips at the extremely rare sight of a full blown smile on Spock's face. Even though the Vulcan was much more emotive when they were in private, he was only graced with a full smile under the most special of occasions. Apparently, this was one of them.

"I find it amusing that one with as much confidence as you loses all faith in himself when it comes to matters pertaining to me." Spock accentuated his statement with a laugh, a phenomena that was more common than the smile, but coupled with it drove Kirk mad. He resisted the urge to cram his tongue down Spock's throat so that he could continue speaking, but the longer he gazed upon him, the harder it became to control himself. "I would not suggest spending the rest of my life with you without full certainty that it is what I want. My question to you is this: Do you feel the same?"

The question was enough to push him over the edge. Kirk lunged forward and mashed his lips hungrily against Spock's. The kiss was the embodiment of the pure unadulterated passion that coursed through Kirk's vein. Considering this, the kiss that Kirk planted on Spock's lips was full of love and devotion, feelings that Spock picked up on loud and clear and mirrored perfectly. The passion turned in tenderness and then finally broke, the two men gasping for air.

His lips ever so slightly touching Spock's, Kirk whispered, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Spock moved his hand from the side of Kirk's face and lovingly stroked his hair. Closing his eyes, Kirk leaned into Spock's caress, much like a dog being petted by his master. Laughing again, he pulled Kirk into an embrace and held him tightly. Kirk buried his face in the man's neck, nuzzling him.

It was strange. Spock had known in his heart that Kirk was the man he would spend the rest of his life with months ago, but somehow actually telling him and having the feeling reciprocated filled him with an unfamiliar bliss. This feeling, this simple feeling, was beyond anything he had ever experienced. There were no words that could truly describe what he felt at that moment. All the poetry in the universe could never come close to explaining the love he felt in his heart for this man.

As he held Kirk close, he could feel his heart racing. He felt Kirk shaking gently in his arms like a leaf caught in a spring breeze. He heard what sounded like a mixture of sobbing and laughter. When he pulled away from Kirk and looked at his face, he saw something he knew he would never forget: tears poured down Kirk's face, but his lips pulled back in one of the biggest smiles he had ever seen. Confused, he asked quietly, "Jim, what is wrong? You are crying, but you are smiling at the same time. How is this possible?"

Kirk laughed and wiped his tears away. Spock held onto his arms, afraid to let him go. It was funny seeing Spock fuss over him like that. "I'm sorry," he said with a shaky voice. "I forgot you're still not very familiar with human emotions. We don't just cry when we're sad. Sometimes we cry because we're so happy, the tears just fall."

Spock's brow furrowed. Kirk's explanation of his feelings did nothing to make sense of his reaction. The Vulcan still had much to learn about human emotions, and that was fine. Kirk was willing to spend the rest of his life teaching him. Laughing again at the Vulcan's utter confusion, he placed his hands on his chest and rested his forehead against Spock's. "Don't worry about it Spock. I'm fine. It's just for the longest time I thought I'd never find someone that loves me like you do. You make me happy. You really do."

"As do you," Spock said, smiling, but in a more subdued way. "If it is okay with you, I would like to perform the engagement ritual now. I do have to warn you; I will need to perform a mind meld in order to create the link between us. I know how you feel about mind melds, considering your first experiences with them have been rather negative." Spock's smile disappeared as he blushed and turned his head away. "I regret that both of your negative experiences were in one way or another caused by me."

Kirk fidgeted uncomfortably. It was true that the melds performed by both Prime and Spock had left a bad taste in his mouth when it came to mind melds, but seeing the sadness in Spock's eyes made him somehow feel as though it were really his fault and not theirs. The ceremony meant a lot to Spock for obvious reasons, and he couldn't let his fear of mind melds get in the way of such a happy union. He only hoped that when they decided to get married, there wouldn't be anything involving mind melds again.

Taking a deep breath, Kirk said, "Its okay. We can do the ceremony." Spock looked at Kirk with wide eyes. Smiling softly, he added, "I'm not entirely comfortable with mind melds, but if it brings us closer together, I'm willing to do it."

Another dazzling smile appeared on Spock's face, sending Kirk for a loop. Two amazing smiles from Spock in one day? he thought. This is really is a special occasion! Spock nodded happily at Kirk and said, "Alright. If you are truly willing to perform the ceremony now, then we shall." He placed a hand on Kirk's chest and pushed him back gently. "Sit down."

Obediently, Kirk lowered himself to the floor and sat down. Spock lowered himself as well and sat cross-legged on the floor. Kirk followed his lead and folded his legs into position. His heart thudded loudly in his chest. He couldn't help but be nervous. If he understood what this ceremony entailed, he and Spock would forever be bonded, not just by heart, soul, and body, but by mind too. What he knew and felt would be shared with Spock and vice versa. This ceremony was beginning to sound less like an engagement ceremony and more like marriage. I don't think I would ever have been this nervous if I was planning on marrying a human woman, Kirk thought. Something about picking a ring and getting down on one knee seems a lot less stressful than creating a mind link...

Settling himself, Spock said in a soft, soothing voice, "I will now join our minds together. Are you ready?" Kirk nodded and tried to relax. Spock lifted his hands slowly and placed them on Kirk's face. Though he hadn't initiated the meld yet, he felt the fear that dwelled within Kirk. He smiled reassuringly and said, "It is alright. It will not hurt. Just relax."

Nodding again, Kirk took a few slow deep breaths to try and steady his nerves. In a still shaky voice, he said, "I'm ready."

"Then close your eyes."

Kirk closed his eyes, seeing only the darkness behind his eyelids. Spock also closed his and concentrated. "My mind…to your mind. My thoughts…to your thoughts. Our minds together…our minds are one."

Kirk expected to feel his world torn asunder, but he was pleasantly surprised by what he saw. The world around him swirled blue and yellow. When he looked down at himself, he saw that he was naked. Looking up, he saw Spock, also naked. While it wasn't exactly displeasing to see Spock naked, but it certainly didn't make any sense.

Spock smiled at Kirk ever so slightly. "This is a much nicer experience than the other mind melds you experienced, is it not?"

Laughing, Kirk said, "Yeah, by far." He looked around him and took in the swirling environment around him. "So, where exactly are we?"

"This is the meeting ground of our minds," Spock explained. "It is different for each person. For us, this is how it appears. It is here that we will join together, and here we will meet in the future."

"O-kaaay…" Kirk said, not too certain he understood. "So then, what happens when we join?"

"We will be able to talk to each other through our minds. Distance is no longer an issue with communication; all we will need to do is focus on each other and we will be able to speak to each other. We will also be able to sense each other's thoughts and feelings as easily as if they were our own. Our intimacy will reach a new level, one beyond what we experience now."

Kirk smirked. "You mean things are going to be even more intense when we're in the bedroom? My God, I don't know if I'll be able to stand it, I might go insane!"

Spock couldn't help but laugh. He shook his head and smirked back at Kirk, marveling at the twinkle in his eyes. "I am certain that will not be the case. Your pleasure will now also be my pleasure, and vice versa. All you need to do is come to me."

Spock opened his arms wide and waited for Kirk to approach him. Slowly, Kirk walked over to where Spock stood and embraced him. He felt and saw a warm glowing light between them. He looked at Spock, who looked back at him, love shining in his dark brown eyes. Their lips locked in a kiss, and in that instant, Kirk felt all that was Spock flowing into him, and all that was him flowing into Spock. The light that glowed between them engulfed their bodies entirely until all that could be seen was white.

Both Kirk's and Spock's eyes flew open simultaneously. Their breath was ragged and in time with each other. Spock removed his shaky hands from Kirk's face and lowered them onto his lap. Kirk decided to test their new bond by trying to speak to Spock with his mind. He felt himself reach out to Spock mentally and say, Can you hear me?

With a grin, Spock nodded and responded. Yes, I can hear you as clearly as if you were actually speaking to me. It seems the link has been established. From this point on you and I are one.

Kirk grinned in return and said out loud, "Cool."

McCoy sat in his office, idly filling out forms for his last patient. Ensign Valerie Robinson was having marked discomfort in her right hand. When he examined her, he noticed that the joints in her hand were swollen. It seemed as though Valerie had a premature case of arthritis. He gave her the first of many treatments that would eventually cure the arthritis, but in the meantime she would have to wear a brace whenever she worked. Sadly, a procedure as simple as the treatment of arthritis resulted in a great deal of paperwork to fill out. Still, being a doctor in Starfleet was infinitely less of a headache than being a doctor back in Georgia.

Behind his door, he heard the familiar voice of his friend. Seconds later Kirk came flying into his office, screaming his name like a madman.

"BONES! BONES, BONES, BOOOOOOONES!"

"What, what, whaaaat?" McCoy replied, slamming his stylus down irritably on his data pad. "I'm trying to finish up some paperwork for a patient Jim. Can't your annoying little outburst wait?"

"Bones!" Kirk screamed, his hands waving in the air crazily. He could care less that McCoy was busy actually doing his job; his news was much more important. "Bones, Spock and I are engaged!"

McCoy's jaw dropped. He stared at Kirk incredulously as he stood up out of his seat. "No way! Are you pulling my leg?"

"Of course not!" Kirk shouted. "Why would I joke about something like this?!?"

McCoy took a moment to just stare at Kirk. His eyes sparkled like a child who had gotten just what they had asked for on Christmas Day. He fidgeted like a giddy school girl and threatened to start giggling like one as well. "My God," he said. "You're dead serious. You and Spock are engaged?"

"YEEEESSSSS!" Kirk screamed, flinging his arms around McCoy, who hugged him simply because it was the thing to do. He was still completely shocked, but he knew being a killjoy at that moment wasn't the best idea. Right now Kirk needed someone to gush to, and as his best friend, he was obligated to listen and be supportive.

Kirk pulled away and beamed at his friend, who smiled back. "Well, well, who would have thought that the great womanizer would settle down and get serious? Congratulations Jim; I'm very happy for you."

Beaming, Kirk said, "Thanks Bones! I can't stay and talk though; I still gotta send a transmission to my mom and tell her! We'll talk later!"

Just as quickly as he had rushed in, Kirk ran back out of the office, nearly bowling Chapel over in the process. She looked at McCoy with a look of confusion on her face and asked, "What in the world has gotten into him?"

Sitting back in his seat, McCoy simply sighed and said, "Mr. Spock and Captain Kirk are now officially engaged to be married." Chapel's face lit up as she clutched her hands together and smiled. "Oh my, that's wonderful news! I'm glad to hear that!"

Grumbling, McCoy said, "Yeah, that's real great."

"T'Maire? Of all Vulcan women you had to choose from, you chose T'Maire?"

Spock had absolutely no desire or ability to hide the shock and appall in his voice as he spoke to his father over the telecom. His father had responded quickly with the woman he chose to falsify an engagement with, which had served as a great comfort. At least, it had before he found out who his father had picked.

Sarek stared back at his son, barely able to contain his irritation with him. It was not easy to find someone who would be willing to lie to the Vulcan High Council about who they were engaged to. As it was, Sarek was rather reluctant to even propose the idea to anyone, but it was his love for his son that drove him to such lengths. Spock deserved more than an appointed wife that he may or may not love. His mother would never allow something like that if she had lived, and he was going to honor her wishes regardless of the risks.

Because of this, Spock's reaction to his choice both disappointed him and upset him. "I chose T'Maire," he said in a slow, dangerous tone, "because she was the one you were closest to during your childhood. Not only is she also in Starfleet, but she is stationed on a star base, and thus well beyond the High Council's supervision. They approved this union happily, not only because you both are in Starfleet, but because T'Maire also lost her mate in Vulcan's destruction. That coupled with her…unique personality…made the two of you the most logical pairing."

"Father…surely you cannot be serious," Spock pleaded. "T'Maire may have been closest to me during childhood, but it clearly is no longer the case. I cannot possibly…"

"…you can and you will," Sarek said, cutting Spock off. "You are not in a position to tell me what can and cannot be done. If you wish to have the freedom to choose your own mate, T'Maire is your only hope. Whatever displeasure you derive from her presence will only be short lived, and you will not need to halt your mission immediately to travel to New Vulcan. She has agreed to meet with you and arrange a time when it is most convenient for you both to travel to New Vulcan."

Spock's eyes widened to unnatural proportions when he realized what it was that his father was implying. "Do you mean to tell me that she is going to come aboard the Enterprise?"

"No. I mean to tell you that you will meet her at Star Base 215. She expects to see you sometime within the next two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Spock now stood and held on to his telecom. "Father, have you lost all sense of reason? I cannot possibly go to visit her! Surely there must be some other alternative?"

"There is none!" Sarek's voice had risen louder than it ever had, at least in Spock's lifetime. Granted, the volume of his voice was still nowhere near the volume of any other enraged race, but it was loud enough to silence Spock's protests. He swallowed hard and stared at the anger on his father's face. Not once in his life had his father let any anger show on his face, not even when he had gotten into a fight in the middle of the Vulcan Academy as a boy. This severe change in his facial features instilled a fear in Spock he hadn't felt since he faced Gabriel.

Sarek lowered his voice until it was merely a rumble. "You disappoint me, Spock. Your mother's one wish was for you to be able to live your life happily. I knew that allowing the Vulcan High Council to have their way and force you to be with someone for the sole reason of birthing a Vulcan child would go against her wishes, as well as yours. I chose the one person who understood you and would be willing to risk it all for your sake. Instead of showing gratitude, you question my actions."

"If you wish it so, I can pick another woman and force you to live your life out with her, regardless of whether you desire it or not. You can live your life knowing that you had a choice to control your destiny and turned it down because you could not accept the one person who cares more for you than she should. And you will die knowing that you never had a chance to know what love truly is."

Spock closed his eyes. His father was right. He was left with few options at this point, especially since he had already chosen Kirk as his life mate, a detail he had not yet been brave enough to mention to his father. If he was really going to fulfill his mother's last wish, he would have to go through with this. T'Maire was one of the last people he would ever want to be engaged to, even if in jest, but it was the only way he could live his life the way he wanted.

In a small voice, Spock said, "I will inform the captain. We will meet with her immediately."

Sarek nodded. "I knew you would see things my way. I have sent the coordinates for Star Base 215 to your telecom. I am sure she looks forward to seeing you."

The transmission ended promptly after Spock received the co-ordinates for Star Base 215. He stared at the numbers on his screen and sighed. Well, I guess I will have to tell the captain…

"SPOCKIEEEE!"

Spock barely had time to brace himself for the running hug he received from T'Maire. Kirk, who had joined him to meet his childhood friend while the rest of the crew explored the base, stifled a laugh rather unsuccessfully. T'Maire squeezed Spock tightly, her eyes shut and a dreamy smile on her face. She couldn't see the look of utter horror on Spock's face, but surely she felt how stiff and rigid his body was. Then again, maybe she was used to it...or didn't care.

"Oh Spockie, I missed you so much!" she looked up with shimmering eyes, completely oblivious to the disgusted look on Spock's face. "I thought you were going to write me after you entered Starfleet?"

Spock cleared his throat, desperately trying to maintain control of his emotions. T'Maire may have been his childhood friend, but that was no excuse for him to be lax with his behavior, at least while they were in public. "T'Maire. It is good to see that you are doing well. I have come with the captain of the Enterprise, Captain James T. Kirk."

T'Maire grinned wildly when she looked at Kirk, making him blush unexpectedly. "Soooo, this is the James T. Kirk I've heard so much about!" She walked up to him and stared at him relentlessly.

He laughed nervously and waved, "Uh, hi, nice to meet you…" She took the hand he waved with in both of her hands and brought it closer to her face. She drew in a deep breath and then kissed his palm. With wide eyes, he retracted his hand and examined the lipstick mark on his palm. Lipstick? I didn't think Vulcan women even wore makeup!

Her eyes twinkled as he made eye contact with him and smirked. "I know your secret now…" With a wink, she turned and motioned for the two men to follow her. Kirk looked at Spock, then at T'Maire, and then back at Spock again. Spock's eyes were closed and he shook his head as he followed T'Maire down the hall. Shrugging, Kirk followed as well.

Catching up with Spock, he spoke to Spock through their mind link. Hey Spock, what's up with T'Maire? She's a Vulcan, but she's showing emotions like it's going out of style. Is she a half-Vulcan as well?

Stone faced, Spock replied. No, she is a full Vulcan. It may be hard to believe based on her behavior, but T'Maire is probably the most brilliant Vulcan alive. Unfortunately her vast amount of knowledge and incredible genius keeps her from wanting to control her emotions. For her it is a waste of time and brain power to try and maintain a certain appearance for those that don't really matter to her. In addition, she finds her emotions to be an invaluable asset to her work. A Vulcan with her amount of intelligence is not born very often, but when they are, they are always rather…erratic.

She's kinda cute, in a bizarre sort of way. As your childhood friend, I figured you two would have…

Spock cut a look at Kirk that would have burned straight through his skull if it were a laser before Kirk could finish his thought. Their link conveyed Spock's emotions without him even needing to say a word. Kirk wisely chose to keep his thoughts and opinions to himself as much as he could.

They followed T'Maire to her quarters and sat with her at a rather decorative table she had in the back. Had they not been escorted in by her, they never would have guessed that they had stepped into a Vulcan's room. The walls were painted a soft pink, decorated with paintings that were centuries old. Her window had red velvet curtains around them and her bed was reminiscent of a Renaissance queen's.

T'Maire clasped her hands together and rested her chin on it, her elbows sitting on the table. She smiled and said, "So, you two are life mates I see." Kirk looked at her in surprise, but Spock looked at her knowingly. Kirk realized that just by holding his hand and kissing his palm, she had extracted the information from his mind. It seemed she was not only highly intelligent, but also a powerful telepath. "That explains why Uncle Sarek asked me to help you falsify a life bond with me. I doubt the Vulcan High Council would approve of another interracial relationship involving a Vulcan, especially with our race in its current situation."

"Actually, Father is not aware of my life bond with Captain Kirk. I have yet to tell him." Spock added, "And do not refer to him as 'Uncle'. That infers that there is some sort of blood relation between us. The High Council already thinks poorly of me as it is; it would only worsen my position if they thought we were related."

T'Maire tittered and slapped Spock on the shoulder, must to his irritation. "Oh Spockie, you haven't changed a bit! Still the same old stick in the mud! How in the world did you get a looker like Kirk to fall for someone like you?" She paused for a moment then smirked. "Oh, never mind, I already know!"

As she giggled madly, Spock's eye began to twitch. "T'Maire," he said, his patience wearing thin. "Would you mind explaining why I had to come and see you just to arrange a time for us to visit New Vulcan?"

"Oh, you didn't have to come!" T'Maire said, grinning. "We could have easily done this over telecommunication! But it had been so long since we had seen each other, I figured if I made it seem like a necessity when I spoke to Unc-" she quickly corrected herself when she saw the look on Spock's face, "er, Sarek, then I'd get a chance to visit with you for a little bit! And it's a good thing too, because now I really understand your situation!"

She winked at Kirk, who blushed again. Spock's eye twitched again as he realized that this was all a ploy just to get him to see her. He took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself, but it had no effect. T'Maire was the only person who didn't expect him to be so stiff and emotionless, but in turn managed to frustrate him more than any normal Vulcan had.

"So," she continued. "As for when we can go to New Vulcan and 'perform the life bond'," she put two fingers on each of her hands up in the air and motioned quotations. "Unfortunately I'm developing a brand new ship for the Federation, which is barely in its beginning stages, so I'm going to be busy for the next year. I doubt the High Council will be pleased with the news, but their word isn't absolute, whether our race is on the brink of extinction or not. But tell you what, when it's done, I'll send you a telecom and come pick you up." She grinned at Spock, who merely raised an eyebrow at her. "Sound good?"

Spock nodded. "Indeed. That would be an agreeable arrangement. That will prevent the crew from being interrupted from their mission simply for my own personal needs. If that is all…" Spock moved to stand but was immediately held back by Kirk.

"Aw come on Spock," Kirk said. "We just got here and you haven't seen your friend in a long time. It's obvious she wants to spend some time with you, so why not indulge her for a few hours? Besides, I wanna hear stories about when you were little!" Spock gave Kirk another look that would have killed him if it could, but this time Kirk countered with a pleading look that he knew Spock wouldn't back down from.

Sure enough, the Vulcan sighed and sat back down in his seat. T'Maire smirked at Kirk and said, "You, I like."

The crew of the Enterprise all returned to their ship after several hours visiting Star Base 215. Kirk entered the bridge with a huge smile on his face while Spock solemnly walked behind him, a green tint to his face and ears. Sitting down in his chair, he turned to Sulu and said, "Mr. Sulu, take us out." Sulu gave a nod and began maneuvering the Enterprise away from the ship dock. After they had cleared the star base, Sulu set a course for their next destination and relaxed.

Kirk looked up at Spock and laughed at his overly rigid pose. Mentally, he spoke to him, Come on Spock, it wasn't that bad…

On the contrary, it was that bad. I have never been so humiliated in my entire life.

Kirk laughed inwardly. Ah, the joy of childhood friends. The moment they find out you have a significant other, they pull out every embarrassing story they can think of. They're not as bad as family members though. I'm dreading the day you meet my mother. Oh God, the stories she has to tell about me…

Spock remained silent, both outwardly and inwardly. Kirk continued, Look at it this way, at least you won't have to see her again for about a year or so.

Breaking his silence, Spock responded, I have a feeling that a year will pass far sooner than I would like it to.