Sarek, though discomfited by the attempt to stab Jim, welcomed the Enterprise crew graciously. Several of his manor house staff revealed previously unknown skills in combat and security as they solemnly promised to keep the house and its inhabitants secure. Nyota knew of the wrestler background of Sarek's large, taciturn valet, but she was surprised to learn that the petite cook dabbled in sword fighting and archery, and that the shy teenaged Vulcan training as a household accountant studied martial arts. Toughness didn't always reveal itself in obvious ways.

Sarek looked fatigued, but there was discernible warmth in his voice and expression as he attempted to put his new houseguests at ease. "Please, do not consider yourselves prisoners of this house. If you must go out to attend to Federation business or to escape boredom, I recommend that you have one of my security staff accompany you. Diplomatic meetings will conclude within three days; the day after tomorrow, we will vote on whether or not to postpone the vote for Coridian membership."

"Sir, thank you for your kindness and concern for our safety," Jim said. "Sir, is there anything we can do to assist you while we're here? We've got a night and a day of unstructured time."

"Interesting; an egalitarian approach. I suppose that Starfleet members are accustomed to assisting local populations wherever they land. Your visit will provide an agreeable distraction. All of you may do whatever you like; you have full access to the small library and communications systems here, as well as the courtyard and rooftop gardens." Sarek nodded at Sulu, remembering his interest in botany.

As the others began to explore the common rooms of the house, Sarek spoke softly to Nyota. "If you desire female company to balance the preponderance of masculine energy in this house, please speak with my staff about inviting Lady T'voria to visit you here. I understand that she has made an effort to befriend you, and her attempt to defend Captain Kirk is commendable."

Little went unnoticed in the social world of New Vulcan, apparently. "Thank you, Sarek, I appreciate that and I will ask her to come tomorrow. Believe me, I am fond of my crewmates, but I may crave a woman's perspective on life if we are here very long." She smiled at him affectionately. "I hope that all will be well with your health. I am anxious to hear Leonard's diagnosis; please let me know how I can help."

"Thank you, ko-fu Nyota." Sarek actually patted the back of her hand, an indication of the depth of his emotions.

Dr. McCoy thought it wise to leave early for a nearby Federation-affiliated medical clinic where he could attend to Jim's wound and examine Sarek, as planned. Nyota found Spock sitting in front of his unlit firepot in their suite; he was not meditating. She offered to go along to the medical clinic, planning to work on her padd while she waited for the examination to end, but Spock gently declined.

"I have avoided spending much time alone with my father; I think that it would be good for us to speak privately this afternoon. Please do not take this personally," he added as a disappointed expression shadowed her face; "it is only a matter of the private nature of the exam. I know that you care for him. We will all spend social time together this evening." He stroked the soft skin of Nyota's face with fingertips that felt hot and dry.

Poor darling, he's worried and agitated, she thought, and hugged Spock to comfort him. His heart pounded against her forearm as she slid her arms around him. He pressed a kiss to her temple, then a more intense kiss to her mouth.

Leonard's voice sounded from the foot of the stairs. "Hey, excuse me, y'all. Spock, we're ready to leave for the clinic."

Spock released Nyota, frowning.

"Easy, sweetheart. Stay safe and I'll see you soon. It's not like I'm going anywhere," she said, trying to lighten his mood. Spock gave her an unreadable look and left.

Hmm. They hadn't been truly intimate for a while; he probably couldn't help it. Barring an attack on the house that evening, maybe both of them could relax enough to find the comfort they both hungered after.

...

Sarek's manor house was comfortable; its thick walls, extensive ventilation system, and high ceilings kept the rooms cool during the worst heat of the day. As promised, the small library contained texts in several languages and formats, as well as a surprisingly large collection of board and digital games. The gardens were indeed full of unusual and beautiful plants, many of them edible. Despite this, Nyota suspected that the nimble minds and active libidos of the Enterprise crew might not keep them on the premises for very long. Jim might get fidgety. Sulu and Scotty handled their private lives more discreetly, but she doubted that either would deny opportunities for companionship, however temporary.

Scotty, Sulu, and Nyota ate a beautifully prepared vegetarian meal, keeping their conversation light until they gave in to the inevitable desire to analyze the day's events. Nyota tried to pay attention but she couldn't help reaching across the bond to Spock, who seemed somber, but calm. He was sitting in the waiting room and talking with Jim, giving his father some privacy and waiting for McCoy to call him into the examination room. She sensed his appreciation for Jim's kindness and closed the bond so that they could speak alone.

While the others talked, Nyota sent a message inviting T'voria to chat - either by the planetary comm. System or, should she feel safe traveling, in person at Sarek's home. She would welcome advice on the care of an unusually moody Vulcan male. Perhaps T'voria would be comfortable providing some insight.

Nyota excused herself and went back to the suite. Alone, she returned to the question lingering in her mind since the night of the party and the attack on Gav. Nyota kept several types of linguistic and communications software on her padd. She stripped down to her underwear in the slightly warm upper story room, sat down at a table with her padd, and opened a language emulator program.

The application was one that she favored for its versatility as well as the fact that her Auntie 'Chelle had worked as a coder and consultant on an early version of the program. Nyota began to test and review sets of possible pronunciations of common Andorian vocabulary words, adjusted for regional accent and age. The computer voice spoke variations into the cool air of the room.

An - dor

Ahn - dor

And - or

Ahndo - rr

She listened to the possible native Andorian language pronunciations, testing them against her memory of Thelev's speech pattern and the words he had said to her. None matched, so Nyota changed the emulator settings to reproduce possible Andorian word pronunciations by non-native speakers. She tested possibilities from solar systems near Andoria, then common Earth accents. This time her efforts returned a few close matches. Nyota adjusted the settings and listened again. The results pointed towards an odd conclusion.

Who was Thelev, anyway?

You are not a pink skin, but all human?

Yes, all human, with brown skin. There are many like me on Earth, and elsewhere in the galaxy. Black skin, golden skin, brown skin, reddish skin, pink skin, skin like honey, skin like clouds, skin like flower petals, skin like tree leaves in autumn, skin like the dark night sky. Quite a nice variety.

Nyota tried to push the uncomfortable memory of Thelev's comment away from her consciousness so that she could continue her work. Historically, Andorians had been unfriendly with humans, but political progress had eased tensions. Oddly, it seemed that Thelev hadn't learned much about human progress. Nyota supposed that her own background had been somewhat privileged. The Uhura family traveled and lived abroad, had friends of different nationalities and she was accustomed to seeing people with different skin colors and facial features not only in her home town, but on family trips to New Nairobi and its satellite towns. However, even though many of Earth's people of various social classes undertook intergalactic travel, she knew that her own life experience wasn't typical.

She sighed and listened carefully to the emulators results one more time. It was clear that she needed to make a call off planet.

...

McCoy's expression was sympathetic as he looked at Sarek. "I'm sorry to tell you this, sir, but the diagnosis is not good. Gettin' right to the point, it's a cardiac problem. You've managed to get this far in life with an undiagnosed heart defect."

"I understand." Sarek sighed. "What are my options?"

"Surgery could heal you. However, as I understand it, the reason you asked me to diagnose you instead of a Vulcan doctor is that none were available. As you know, I have extensive experience in xenobiology, but I am reluctant to perform surgery on you if someone more skilled is available. To complicate the matter, you're possessed of a rare blood type and a transfusion is required. Soon after you first contacted me, I ran a database search of potential blood donor matches, just as a matter of standard practice. The most obvious blood donor is Spock. In order for you to have this surgery at all, you'll need the help of your son."

Silence fell over the room; Sarek gazed straight ahead, unseeing.

"This isn't an emergency situation but I recommend that you make a decision very soon, perhaps within the next forty-eight Standard hours," Leonard concluded, trying to keep his tone of voice neutral. He felt sorry for the man. "Sir, this must be terribly difficult for you hear right now. You've already been accused of murder, the fashionable set of New Vulcan are snubbing your son and daughter-in-law for being human, and somebody tried to stab one of your diplomatic Starfleet guests, who happens to be your son's friend. Personally, I'd call that one hell of a tough week."

Sarek raised an eyebrow; the corner of his mouth lifted in a hint of a sardonic grin. "Things could be worse. At least my son and I are speaking to one another now."

Uncertain as to how to respond, McCoy cleared his throat. "Shall I send Spock in now?"

"Please, doctor."

...

Early evening

New Vulcan - Sarek's Diplomatic Manor

Leonard leaned against the parlor windowsill, the better to catch evening breezes wafting in from the courtyard. Sarek and the rest of the crew were socializing in the large room. Maybe he'd go to bed early tonight to escape the heat and recover after a long, strange day. This diplomatic visit felt more like a mission involving battle, or perhaps rescue was more appropriate. Rescuing Sarek depended upon his decision, which he had not yet announced. Sarek was in his private quarters meditating; he had asked Leonard to avoid discussing his health and the surgery with the Enterprise crew and allow him to make the announcement himself.

Jim, his wound treated and neatly patched, paced back and forth nearby. Occasionally he glanced at his communicator as though awaiting a message.

Leonard interrupted Jim's reverie. "Expectin' to hear from the ship, Jim?"

"No, Bones, I gave them a full report earlier in the day. I was...okay, I'll be honest. Yeah, somebody tried to slice me up today, but I feel like going out. I met a woman last night."

"Uhm-hm. I know. Sarek told me."

"How the hell did he know?"

"The man told us earlier about his security staff, didn't he? Come on, Jim. This ain't your first day on a mission. You know darn well that a bunch of guys in Starfleet dress uniforms cain't go nowhere on a planet without folks talkin' about it. Only thang that surprises me is that nobody took pictures. Sarek said he heard you flirted with a Vulcan woman at that Lullaby joint last night, then she went outside and you followed soon after."

Jim groaned. "I didn't want to make this kind of impression on him. I just wanted some company, is all."

"Oh, he ain't mad at you; he was young himself once, and you're not the first youngish man in a military organization that he's ever seen. You might want to keep your activities a bit more quiet if we ever get out of this house, though. Sarek knew a little bit about who you were with. There ain't no polite way of saying this, Jim, but...that woman you lay down with last night does not fall under that category of a 'nice Vulcan girl'."

"Woman," Jim corrected McCoy, his expression suddenly dreamy. "She had really strong thighs...that was 'nice' enough for me."

McCoy sighed. "My Great-Uncle Cleophus Boatwright used to say that the good Lord gave men brains and he gave them tallywhackers, but he didn't give them enough blood to operate both at the same time."

"Tallywhackers? Len, I've obviously been taking my shore leave in the wrong places. Next time I'm going to Mississippi to hang out with these wise and eloquent relatives of yours."

"Why not? You might like Jackson. Just keep your heartbreakin' self away from my single cousins and everything oughta be just fine."

"Anyway, I don't care about this 'nice girl' stuff," Jim said with a shrug. "Hell, people think I'm the biggest slut known across three galactic systems and nobody shuns me. I'm not too concerned about somebody's reputation as long as they aren't a wanted criminal or an enemy of the Federation."

"How can you know if you're meeting people in bars? Be careful. The lady - if it really was a lady - who tried to stab you today was veiled."

"No, that wasn't the woman I made out with last night. She said some gossipy, mean things about a few people - some T'ober person, specifically - but she wasn't aggressive. Just didn't seem the type." Kirk sighed. "Now I won't get to know her a little better. Maybe we can join Sulu on this garden tour while we're waiting for Sarek to talk to us."

Nyota welcomed the conversational buzz and occasional bursts of masculine, human laughter. She sat on a large cushion beside Spock; Scotty half-reclined opposite, studying a game board between them. In the courtyard, Sulu discussed Vulcan plants with one of the house staff. McCoy and Jim stood near a table laden with fruit and drinks. It reminded Nyota of convivial evenings with family and friends at home. She opened her hand fan and stirred the warm air as her mind wandered back to the Andorian pronunciations.

Ushaan

U-shaan

Ush-aan

Spock brushed her elbow, and she turned to see him holding up a glass. Nyota sighed and gratefully accepted Spock's offer of more cold fruit juice.

Uu-sh-aan...

Ush-aa-nn

Spock set his own glass aside, watching her. The back of Nyota's neck and the tops of her shoulders were partially bared by the way the wide neckline of her dress draped when she sat down. Her skin looked so soft; he had to touch it. She was cool beneath his warm fingertips. His lips hovered a millimeter above her neck. Spock halted when she spoke to him through their bond.

Sweetheart, wait. Our crewmates are still in the room with us. Are you feeling a bit frisky?

Instead of responding verbally, Spock communicated a glimpse of his thoughts: his hands, lips and tongue moving over her breasts and the roundest part of her belly, pausing for a gentle bite on her inner thigh.

Nyota dropped her fan onto the cushions, then quickly retrieved it and rapidly waved it in front of herself.

Scotty looked up from the game board. Spock sat perfectly still beside Nyota, a small distance between their bodies. However, Nyota was wide-eyed and distracted, and the modestly draped fabric of her dress bodice did not conceal her rapid breathing.

"Aye, it's pure dead hot in here, ain't it, lass?" Scotty said innocently.

"Er, no, I just felt a warm breeze." Nyota glanced sideways at an expressionless Spock.

"Mr. Scott, this residence is climate controlled," said Spock. "However, as an engineer you know that no system is perfect. Nyota, I can adjust the system to increase the coolness of the room if you so desire."

Was it her imagination, or did Spock place a subtle stress on that last word, desire? Another image flowed across the bond, this one of the two of them lying naked in a dimly lit room with the cooling system on a high setting. Spock used his mouth to warm her nipples, which stood out hard and firm in the cold air.

Nyota inhaled loudly and gulped down her drink. "I think I need to cool off." She stood and walked into the courtyard, her face hot.

"Pardon me, Mr. Scott." Spock rose and followed her.

"That telepathy must be a powerful thing," murmured Scotty.

Moonlight - New Vulcan had a lovely moon - washed across the stone flooring of the courtyard and threw the plants into dramatic silhouette. "Spock, how dare you tease me like that with the crew so close?" Nyota whispered.

"It is not the first time we have done this. You often tempt me just as strongly. Indeed, you have occasionally teased me while both of us are in public by communicating images of yourself stroking my body, licking and biting me, or binding me to shipboard equipment with restraints and dominating me. You know very well how appealing I find such thoughts."

Nyota cocked an eyebrow at him. "Okay, yeah, but I do that during shift changes on the Enterprise or at parties, not during times of major political crisis. What's gotten into you?"

"You, yourself, tal-kam. I could say that I desire to get into you, but such humor is vulgar."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please."

"Is that an invitation?"

"Slow down, big boy. I think that I understand. It's been a while since we were...together, and you're feeling deprived. Thus, this giddy mood of yours."

"As a Vulcan, I am not controlled by changing moods."

To the contrary, she had observed that Spock had his moody times, but Nyota decided to let that rest. "Ashayam, you know how my illogical moods affect me. I'm sorry if I've been distant. First we had that argument, and then there was the attack on Gav, and you told me that Sarek is sick, and now that veiled woman trying to stab Jim...it's overwhelming. I need your comfort, but I hope you understand why I haven't been in the mood. Honestly, I'm surprised that you are."

"Being touched and held by you calms me and helps me to focus my thoughts. However, I also find it calming and restorative when we do more." Spock opened his hand, the palm turned up: Nyota held her own hand over it with her palm facing his. She felt a steady, reassuring energy between them.

"Come to me when you are ready," Spock said. "I desire you, but just as during our courtship, I want you when you are willing, not when you feel an obligation to me."

"Thank you, sweetheart. I love you."

Spock did not answer, but he cradled her head between his hands and pressed his forehead to hers; what he revealed to her through their bond echoed her words.

"Excuse me." Sulu's deep voice interrupted politely. "Sarek's here, and he wants to speak to us now, as a group."