Thank you for sticking this out with me. This is the last chapter of this particular story and I know it wasn't dark or angsty or any of the usual grime and grit that I include, but I wanted to portray that this family isn't a heap of sorrow and struggle. They're also loving and supportive. They have so many good days, even if it can be hard and it is not perfect. For reading, I am eternally grateful to you. The next story in the chronology is Mind Rape, and is already written. I hope you enjoyed this journey.

Where the Heart Is

Sanaa was in her walker, observing all of the big ones around her. There was a great deal of traffic in their home. People moving carts and remote control droids gathering and emptying the place. Where are they going with my things? There were red shirts everywhere and she couldn't figure out where her family was, but it made her panic, to the point of crying. Suddenly, her mother appeared and collected her from the walker. "Grab that walker for us, please Ensign," she said to someone. She began to buckle Sanaa into the baby harness that she had on her, to secure the girl to herself as they moved around.

Nyota explained, "Your father and I are going to be bringing you to a new home, Sanaa. Our real home. The Enterprise. I know that you probably have heard us mention it before, but nothing that I can say could prepare your mind for what it will be like to actually live there." Sanaa stared at her mouth. She could understand many of the words, but not all of them. And the Enterprise was familiar, but she had nothing to reference the word to, just like all of the other times it was mentioned. But when she felt her mother grow excited and point out of the window of the observatory, she turned and saw the starship. "Do you remember when they came to visit? I think that you probably weren't old enough yet to gather that. There she is, though. Mommy's first love. The Starship Enterprise." Sanaa's eyes were wide as she reached forward and put her hand on the glass, staring at the ship coming in. "Same, Sanaa." Nyota kissed her on the side of the face.

.

Spock and the man that she had seen before… The man that her godfather called "Jim," but her father called "Captain," were speaking to each other as others moved around them. Kirk had come a little bit early to collect, meaning that Spock and Uhura had to hustle and rush to get things ready to leave, as the Enterprise might have to go without them and be late, instead. There was room for them to stay longer, but she was eager and he was whatever the Vulcan acceptable version of that was - to get back on the ship. To go home.

Spock had once called Earth the only home that he had left, but they knew now that was not true. Maybe, it was when he said it, but since then, the ship had definitely become that. It was where some of the most important things in his life had occurred - both good and bad. He had no real connection to Earth, aside from meeting his wife. Though, when he looked at her and their children - they were enough to make any place his home. As long as they were there, he was there… home.

They went to the transporter room and Nyota put Sanaa down for a moment to pass around some goodbye hugs to her Earth team. Sanaa hated to be caught up in hugs and stuff. She would rather sit on the floor. Styik collected Sytar and stepped onto the transporter pad, ready to get back to his friends and the rest of his family, hyping up Sytar about it too, even though he was sure that Sytar didn't vividly remember the people by name. Sanaa noticed them get up there and heard Styik cheering about it taking them to the Enterprise, and she tried to rush over to them. She crawled away, with Nyota rushing to catch her, but paused when she reached the transporter pad, climbed up, then stood and walked to her older brother. Nyota paused the Ensign from earlier and said, "You know what… Send that to donations," in reference to the walker. She stepped aboard the transporter pad, rubbed her children's arms and said, "Energize."

.

It was hours before they actually left. Everything was boarded, Spock immediately went to the bridge with Kirk. Nyota walked the halls with the children, taking them on the tour of the place, ending at last at their family quarters and their new rooms. Styik rushed to go see everyone that he missed and Nyota took the two toddlers to get food. Sytar kept pointing to people and insisting that he knew them, even though he didn't know their names. Sanaa just looked around and sulked a little bit. Where was Father? Surely, he is coming on this Enterprise with us?

After a while, they were back in their quarters, the ship was leaving Starfleet Academy, and Sanaa still had not seen Spock. She began to fuss, "FAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFA!" until she was red in the face. Nyota summoned Spock to their quarters and the child immediately stopped upon seeing him and rushed to hug him. Spock picked her up, the mystery of what happened lost on him. "It is not like you to become so emotionally engaged," he said.

"Don't insult her, Spock," Nyota teased.

He raised an eyebrow and kissed the top of Sanaa's head before trying to put her down. She resisted letting go and he kept her. "Sanaa, it is illogical for you to wish to hold on to me when you have no needs that I may meet."

"I think this is the need, Spock. She is a small child and even though she is not always affectionate, I think she missed you."

"I can tell, however. She sees me, now. The emotion should be diluted."

Nyota moved closer to them, placed a hand on his cheek and told him, "When I miss you, seeing you doesn't dilute my emotion. It just makes me crave more of your time." She kissed him on the nose and left the room.

Spock held out Sanaa to investigate her, and make sure that it was not some reaction to a physical disturbance, relieved that Nyota was not in the room to bother him about overreacting. He sat down, placed Sanaa on his lap and explained to her, "I have a very important job on this starship. It is even more important than the occupation that I have been filling while stationed on Earth with our family. My position in this place is second in command of the ship and the chief science officer of the bridge. I am explaining these things to you, as I believe that you can understand the basis of what I am saying. You will not see me as much as you did on Earth. You will not see your mother, as much. We will be certain that you are cared for in our absence and there are others you will be in the company of when neither of us is present. You will grow up used to these ways and when you are old enough, you will know that whether or not we were visible to you for extended periods of time, we always look after you or entrust others to do are an intelligent lifeform and equipped with poise and logic. I know that after the initial shock of this life change to you human emotions, you will be comfortable and know that you are safe." He looked down at her and her head was nodding over. Spock collected her into his arms and held her closely… "Or, you were simply sleepy and fought it until were were certain that I was indeed on the ship." She fell to sleep on him and he went to place her into her crib. He checked and rechecked that the weighted blanket, gravity levels, and emergency force fields were working, in the event that the ship ran into a problem and was shaken up. He made sure that Sytar's was functional, as well. Styik insisted that he had gone over everything himself, but knew that Spock was simply doing his best not to show worry by confirming that there were no visible mistakes to the children's safety and security measures.

Sytar was not ready to go to bed when Spock was checking everything. But, Nyota was still putting him down and singing to try to help him calm down. He was excited about being back on this ship. He remembered it, even though he couldn't recall things clearly or by name. It was confusing and exhilarating to him to relive a place that he couldn't formulate terminology for. Spock tried to calm him down, as well, then said that he would be back after collecting Styik.

.

Styik was looking at the Earth as they departed when Spock found him, exactly where the computer said that he was. "Father, since you and Mother have been together, Earth has been threatened multiple times and attacked, as well. My biological parents' planets have either been destroyed or will be, in Romulus' case. I have no hereditary ties to Earth, and New Vulcan will always carry a portion bad memories for me. I can get used to it, but it will never be my home, and I don't believe that Earth could either. Father, do you think it illogical? That I would consider a starship, of all of the places in the galaxy that I have been… to be my only home?" Styik asked.

Spock tilted his head, slightly. It was a loaded question, but he replied, "No." Relief washed over Styik, as Spock continued to respond, "For the very reasons that you stated, I know that it is logical. The very purpose of a home, aside from the romanticized notions of emotional connection and fond memories, is a place of origin, but also a place which someone is built, grown, and can return to even the most private or serious of situations. Home is a place that someone develops and a place where that someone can go to be laid to rest. There is no other logical option for a home for you than this ship."

"What about you, Father? Is New Vulcan your home? Or is Earth?" Styik wanted to look at him and see if his demeanor changed, but resisted that urge.

Spock put his hands behind his back and explained, "When I was a child, my father spoke to me about my genetic condition. He described me as a child of two worlds, those being of course Vulcan, which has since been destroyed, and Earth. New Vulcan, is not the place that I knew as Vulcan. The situation has called for changes and those changes has made it difficult for New Vulcan to be a home to me. Perhaps, in time with more of my own development, if in fact I evolve more while on the planet, I will consider it home. Earth, while familiar in many ways, is also not a place that I openly consider home. My remaining Vulcan family members being there is not a reason for it to be called home. The fact that my mother was born on Earth, or even the fact that I lived as a citizen there throughout years at Starfleet Academy does not make it my home, either. Therefore, the Enterprise is my home, as well. For logical reasons, as well as the fact that it…" He cleared his throat, "Feels right." Styik gave him a tight hug, unable to resist, then quickly caught himself, pulled away and straightened himself out. "In that case, Father," he said, casually. "It is really good to be home."

They watched Earth vanish outside of the window, as they left.

Nyota found them and threw her hands in the air, "Hey! There you are. The babies are asleep and we have a mission in a matter of hours. Come on. Let's go home," she said and reached for each of their hands. She meant to their quarters, of course. She loved to visit Tanzania and she missed the place where she grew up, but for her, there was no place like the Enterprise, like home. And they were back. The door of their quarters swooshed open and for the first time in a year, they were settled in the place that they knew best. The place where they built. The place where they grew. Their family's home. The Starship Enterprise.