Spock was drawn from his meditation by the soft sound of the wind chimes fluttering in the unexpected afternoon breeze. It was a hot day, even by New Vulcan standards and the triple suns beat down without mercy on the garnet red sand of their new home. It had been exactly eight terran months since their arrival here on New Vulcan.

It had been an uncertain start in this new world. There were some among the colonists, a small but vocal minority, who made no effort to hide their displeasure at the marriage of a direct descendant of Surak to a human wife. Qomi, no one had the courage to say the word to his face but he was well aware that there had been whispers. Despite Surek's teachings and stated commitment to the principles of IDIC, there were still those less evolved among his people who stopped short of the truly infinite diversity of mixing Vulcan DNA with that of outworlders. He had experienced that same intolerance as the child of a human mother growing up on Vulcan, and faced it yet again when he'd flown in the face of tradition and married Christine Chapel. But in both cases his family's power and connections had forced the bigots to hold their thoughts to themselves. As T'Pau's grandson Sarek was not a man whose family could be slighted with impunity in either universe.

But on this new Vulcan homeworld Christine's presence had raised a maelstrom of philosophical and moral debate. Was the purpose of a new homeworld to preserve Vulcan teaching, culture and heritage, or to preserve the pure bloodlines of the Vulcan race? It would not be a question answered easily or soon. But Vulcans were, in the end, both pragmatic and logical to a fault, and the supplies she brought, coupled with her expertise with Vulcan genetics had made his new wife welcome by the vast majority of the colonists of New ShiKahr.

He had just finished reading the new message from James Kirk when he saw Sarek approaching the house. He shut down the computer then donned a light gauzy robe suitable to the heat of midafternoon. After programming the environmental controls for the cooler temperature of the evening he joined Sarek on his late afternoon walk into town as was becoming their custom. It was a strange, yet surprisingly comfortable relationship that was developing between the two men. The roles of father and son had reversed with the elder Spock often providing counsel and guidance for Sarek as they tried to forge a new Vulcan social order. He was coming to know his father in a way that had eluded them in the other timeline.

The pair headed toward the steel and glass prefab structure that housed The Amanda Grayson Obstetrics Clinic. The recently completed facility was one of the many changes that New ShiKhar has seen in eight months. There was now a healing center, several learning centers, a library, a government center and the almost completed Vulcan Heritage Center

As they entered the clinic, the young Vulcan receptionist, herself heavy with child, rose and led them to the ubiquitous terra cotta tray which held a pitcher of cool water and cups, the traditional Vulcan symbol of hospitality and welcome. Spock poured a cup for each of them and they drank it in silence, a sign of respect for the precious life sustaining liquid

Through the window he could see Christine seated on the floor with her back to them, deep in conversation with a young couple who had come for fertility counseling. While some posited that the repopulation effort should be handled in a more logical and impersonal manner, using artificial insemination of willing females; Christine was committed to helping couples develop relationships of trust and commitment and building more traditional family units. Her approach was seeing excellent results, with more than two dozen confirmed pregnancies in the six months since she'd opened the facility.

"The tests show everything in order Stonn, strictly from a genetic standpoint you two are an excellent match. Your profiles from Healer T'Roth indicate that you areboth intellectually and mentally ready so no problems on that front." her voice drifted out into the hallway where Spock and Sarek waited.

Stonn? Spock felt his body tense. Could it possibly be him?

"And T'Pring, you are responding very well to the hormone treatments. I see that you are planning to bond with one another in a month. I would like to see you again, perhaps a few days before the bonding if that is convenient for both of you."

The tightening of Spock's jaw didn't go unnoticed by Sarek.

"You knew Stonn and T'Pring in your universe?"

"Yes," he responded curtly.

"T'Pring was to have been bonded to Spock."

"They were not bonded?"

"No they were not."

This was the one thing that still puzzled Spock, how the Spock of this universe had been free of T'Pring and been able to pursue a relationship with Nyota Uhura.

"Why were they not bonded?"

"Star Trek." Sarek sighed.

"Star Trek?"

"Star Trek was the book Wynonna Kirk wrote about her life with her husband and his death on the Kelvin. Amanda read it the week before Spock's bonding with T'Pring and was so moved by the woman's devotion to her husband that she refused to allow the bonding."

"Mother refused the bonding?"

"Amanda had been opposed to the bonding with T'Pring from the beginning. T'Pau desired it and it was an advantageous match for T'Pring's family, but they made no secret of their feelings about Spock's human genetics. There was hardness in T'Pring, even at that young age; she accepted the bonding for the social status and lands that would be hers in joining herself with our clan.

"Amanda wished for Spock to have a mate of his own choosing, one who would choose him freely for himself. She was intractable and no amount of logic would persuade her to reconsider. It caused something of a scandal at the time. T'Pau was furious, and I had to give T'Pring's father a quarter of our lands at Keldeen to break the bonding contract.

"Were you bonded to T'Pring in your universe?"

"Yes."

"But you did not marry her?"

"No, she chose to challenge the bonding by invoking the koon-ut-kallifee in order to marry Stonn. It also caused something of a scandal, and T'Pau was also most furious."

T'Pring and Stonn walked out into the corridor nodding a quiet greeting to Spock and Sarek as they passed.

"A little help in here would be appreciated." Christine called to the two men.

Spock suppressed a bemused smile as his very pregnant wife struggled to get up from the plush floor pillows.

"I'm not sure I'll make it five more weeks." She groaned as Sarek and her husband helped her to her office.

"Spock, Christine, I have duties at the Council office, so I will take my leave."

"Will you join us for endmeal tomorrow father?"

"Of course my daughter, that would be most pleasing."

He bowed slightly, a gesture that Spock and Christine both reciprocated then he took his leave.

"That last couple was quite promising." Christine remarked as she got settled at the desk. They've decided to complete their formal bonding next month and we'll start her on a combination of drugs to generate ovulation." Christine looked up from the terminal and saw the strange look on her husband's face.

"You knew them…before?"

"It is of no consequence. Shall we head for home my wife."

"I just need to get everything shut down."

The evening was growing quickly cooler as the pair headed back along the path to their small home. Two of the three suns had set and the lone moon was rising from the east bathing the red desert in a magical glow. Certain they were completely unobserved Spock wrapped a protective arm around his young wife.

"I had a comm from Kirk today."

"Was there any news?"

"Everyone is well. They will be here to drop off Dr. McCoy before your delivery…and Nyota will be coming with him to be with you as well."

"That is most pleasing news my husband," she responded, her formal Vulcan phrasing at odds with the all too human pleasure in her voice.

"There is news of…"he stopped walking and pulled her close to him. "There is news of Dr. Korby."

"Oh."

"The Federation Tribunal found him guilty on all charges. He is to serve twenty years in the Federation Prison on Centauri Prime."

"And Andrea?"

"She testified against him and was given probation."

"Andrea testified against him?"

"It appears that there were other…" he cleared his throat, "there were other women. When Andrea found out she turned against him."

They walked again for several minutes in silence.

"You are troubled by the news?"

"No. I just thought I'd feel happy knowing he was going to jail, I don't know, vindicated in some way. But I don't feel anything…it's like hearing news about a stranger. He was such a brilliant man Spock, it's just all such a terrible waste. I know it's not logical, but I feel sorry for him."

Spock reached out a hand to Christine and as they touched the link between them opened effortlessly.

"He must live with the consequence of his choices T'hy'la, it is illogical to feel sorrow for what he had done to himself. Let us consign Dr. Korby to the past, and move on to our future together."

Christine embraced her husband capturing his lips in a ravenous kiss and sending her husband most explicit images of how she would like them to move in the near future.

"Indeed?" he responded, a trace of amusement lightening his dark eyes. "Let us go home my wife."