11 May 1999



Author: Laura Jacquez Valentine (laurav@stones.com)

Title: Memories of Green

Series: TOS

Rating: PG-13

Codes: Spock, T'Pring, Kirk

Parts: 1/1

Summary: Spock has to explain some things to his captain.

Disclaimer: Star Trek and associated characters belong to

Paramount/Viacom.  The title for this story comes from the soundtrack of 

_Blade Runner_.  That movie was also the inspiration for the series

name, "Tears In Rain".



This is a followup to the "Tears In Rain" series. You can read "A Moment

In Time" and "Moments Between Us" at

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/~jacquez/fanfic.html --and if you don't, this

story will probably make very little sense.





----

Memories of Green





My mother and father would be on this ship again--and how different the

situation!  And...my wife would be with them.  I knew I had to explain

the situation to Jim.  He would not react well to her presence in any

case, but what he might do, unwarned...



I found him in his quarters the night before we reached Vulcan.  "I must 

speak to you, Jim, on a personal matter."



He frowned.  "Is something wrong?"



"Not with me.  But...I need to talk to you about tomorrow."



"About your parents?"



"No.  About one who will travel with them."



I have rarely seen him look so puzzled.  "Who?"



"T'Pring."



His face froze.  "What the hell--"



"Jim.  Please.  Listen to me."



He leaned back in his chair, his eyes dark.  "I'm listening."



"T'Pring and I were childhood friends.  We were very close.  Shortly

before what was to be our wedding, I...did something I should not have

done.  What is worse, I failed to explain my actions to her.  What she

did, she did because of a betrayal of the worst kind, and she was well

within her rights to do so.  I did not expect her to do it, but I took

no action that would have prevented her."



He spoke through clenched teeth.  "What could you have done?"



I shrugged.  "If I had contacted her, either through our linked minds or 

through conventional means, if I had simply explained--but I did not.

She took that...cutting off of contact as a sign that I did not want or

need her as wife or as friend."  I bowed my head.  "I am ashamed, Jim.

My arrogance and presumption nearly resulted in your death."



I could feel the anger rolling from him in waves, waves that felt like

the plak tow, clouding my vision with green.  I knew if I unclenched my

hands that they would be shaking.



He stood and began to pace the room.  "So why is she coming here, Spock?"



"She is my wife, Jim.  She wished to come.  She wanted to see you again, 

and make sure that you were...not permanently damaged."



"Your wife?"  He spun and glared at me.  "You said--"



"I did not marry her then, Jim.  The emergency leave I took a year

ago--I married her during that leave."



"Why?"  He had folded his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes.

The anger flowed over me, memory-laden anger, rich with blood and

madness. 



"That, I cannot tell you."



"Is it something no outworlder may know?  Some obscure Vulcan secret?"



"No.  It is...a private matter between my wife and I.  Surely, even

humans have such things."  My voice was trembling, and I reminded myself 

that this was for her, and that it was for him, and so that there would

be no surprises.  I met his eyes, and saw the softening of his gaze on

me.



"Yes, humans have such things, Spock.  All right, she can come aboard.

I'll even be polite."



I stood and offered him my hand, remembering it was the touch of his

hand on mine that began this matter, determined that another such touch

would end it.



He shook it, surprised--and pleased, through his anger.



The memories of blood, green behind my eyes, faded as he smiled at me.



---



The End