Snippet 4b

Spock nodded, glancing down briefly. "The child will be quite relieved."

"I believe he will be more than that," Lesh'ar said, nodding slightly. "I heard him. He is...happy. Do you feel it?"

Spock nodded, a brief hint of a smile coming to his lips at the thought of it. "Yes. I believe he missed you greatly."

Lesh'ar returned the small smile. "Indeed," he said, folding his hands behind his back. "We shall have to think of a name for him, soon. You are due in seven days, correct?"

Spock nodded. "His name is Schaven."

Lesh'ar frowned slightly. "You remember?"

"He does." Spock said, smiling briefly. "I do not believe he was affected at all."

Understanding came to Lesh'ar's face, and, again, he returned the small smile. "I hadn't considered that as a possibility," he said. "...Schaven is a fitting name for him. It is fortunate that it was able to be recalled."

"Uh - 'scuse me?" A new voice suddenly interrupted them, and both Vulcans glanced over to see Kirk poking his head into the room. "Doc - can I talk to Spock real quick?"

"Of course, Captain," Lesh'ar said, nodding to Kirk. He turned to Spock, giving him a respectful nod of his own before turning to leave the room.

Kirk glanced after him as he left, then quickly entered the room and approached Spock when they were alone, looking both intrigued and bewildered. "What were you guys chatting about?"

"He is my mate." Spock replied, his blunt answer catching Kirk momentarily off guard. "We had matters to discuss."

"Whoa," Kirk put his hands up, his eyes going very wide. "...he's your...seriously?" He dropped his hands, staring at Spock with a mixture of surprise and awe on his face. "...you just...found that out? How? Did you find some records?"

Spock raised an eyebrow. "We melded."

Both Kirk's eyebrows raised slowly. Something on his face made Spock feel like he was making the wrong assumption about something. "...you what'd?"

Spock's eyebrow leveled. "We performed a Vulcan Mind Meld, Jim."

"Oh!" Kirk perked up immediately, a look of half-realization, half-relief came over his face. He grinned easily after that. "Right. That sounds better. So...uh...that's how you found out? That he was your - mate?"

"Yes, Jim. That is correct."

"Well, shit, I wish I could do that," Kirk grumbled, glancing away as though he were put-out by this news. He brightened, though, when he seemed to remember something. He looked quickly back at Spock. "But, hey! I found something out while I was on that trade ship! You wanna know what it was?"

Spock raised a nonchalant eyebrow. "If you wish."

"Okay - so, I found this little device thing," Kirk launched right into explaining, moving his hands to go along with the story. "And it had this little rod thing coming out of it, that the guy said you can stick your ring on - if you have that kind - and it'll show all kinds of images and memories that were downloaded into it. He said that I've got that kind of ring!"

Spock stood still as if waiting for more of the story.

Kirk waited a beat, and then continued. "SO, he told me that each ring has their own special little device-thingy for it, and that means that mine is probably somewhere here on the ship! All I have to do is find it, and I could have my answer!"

Spock continued to listen.

Kirk returned his stare this time. "...well? Isn't that great?"

Spock raised an eyebrow. "Quite joyful."

Kirk gave him a deadpan look, then rolled his eyes and reached down to the bag he had at his side. "Right. Well, I got you something," he said, pulling out the bar of chocolate he'd bought for the Vulcan, and handing it to him. "I thought I remembered you liking chocolate, so I got you that. It's supposed to be the best stuff - from Godiva II."

Spock raised an eyebrow at it, taking it from Kirk slowly as though something was warning him against it. "My thanks."