The BLTS Archive - Unnamed series:
Tea for Three
by Isla (islaofhope@aol.com)
and
T'Aaneli (t_aaneli@excite.com)

---

Dr. Tomas Everett and his nephew walked down the hallway of the
Michael Robinson Lecture Theatre, the heels of their shoes clicking
sharply against the hard flooring. Tomas smiled. Some things never
changed about a university. One of them was the impossibility of
walking anywhere quietly. He wondered whether it was a design spec for
colleges and universities that hallways and lecture rooms had to be as
noisy as possible.  Nearing the auditorium, Tomas slowed down and
turned to look at his nephew. When he had teased him about meeting
Tomi's new father-in-law, an unusual quiet had settled over Tomi. He
hesitated for a moment. How far should he pry? Tomi was the first to
break the silence.

"Selek and I aren't married. Yet. So, you won't hear me calling him
'father-in-law.' Actually, I can't see myself ever doing it. You know,
I'd never realized how truly intimidating a Vulcan can be. Although
that suggestion you made about the fresh oranges and coffee: that
helped to break the ice between Spock and me. How'd you know that the
admiral would enjoy fresh coffee so much?"

Tomas' smile widened. He recalled a morning debate between a younger
version of himself and Jim Kirk--in the midst of down-filled pillows
and comforters almost twenty-five years ago--about the merits of
freshly roasted versus merely freshly ground coffee beans. But now was
not the time to let that particular cat out of the bag. "I've met the
admiral before. In fact, we've had dinner on a few occasions."

His nephew's head spun towards him. "You didn't tell me you knew
Admiral Kirk." Tomi's eyes were fixed on him intently and there was
definitely a hint of "what else don't I know about you" shading his
voice.

"It's been years since we last met, Tomi. I didn't think you'd be
interested. Besides, I have no pull with Selek's father, and he's the
one you're want to win over." Tomas was grateful that further
questions were stalled by the swoosh of the lecture room doors sliding
open. Seconds later, the two men were standing at the rear of a
cavernous lecture chamber, which vibrated with the hum of a hundred
conversations. Looking around, Tomas noted that nearly every chair was
occupied by students, faculty, and press. Spock was certainly a draw.
But were they here to see the retired Starfleet hero or the Dean of
the Vulcan Science Academy?

Tomi's hand rested lightly on his shoulder, directing him down the
stairs towards the first row of seats nearest the podium. His eyebrow
rose upwards in appreciation. Front row seats. And then he saw who
else was seated in the same row. Looking up at his nephew, he saw a
sparkle in the dark eyes.

"Hey, when you've got the right connections, the seats are better. And
I thought you'd enjoy sitting in the VIP section with some of your
former colleagues from the genetics department." Tomi leaned in
closer. "And I threw in a few history guys for fun. " There was a
wicked sparkle in Tomi's eyes.

"Thank you, dear nephew. I'll be sure to remember your generosity when
the opportunity arises."

Tomi grinned and gave him another push towards his seat. "Come on. A
little bit of schmoozing never hurt anybody. Save me a seat. I have to
introduce Spock, but I'll be back in a few minutes."

Tomas nodded. As his nephew walked behind the stage, Tomas selected
one of the two empty seats and draped his coat along the backrest.

"Tomas. It's great to see you again. Where've you been hiding out for
the last few months?" His neighbor to his left held out his hand for a
shake, which Tomas knew would leave his fingers bruised. What was it
with religious= social historians? They were all seven feet tall and
built like former defensive linesmen.

He sighed. Time to invoke the Everett charm. "George. Great to see
you. How's that beautiful granddaughter of yours doing?"

Minutes later, a hush fell over the audience. Tomas looked up at his
nephew--his sister's son--standing at the podium. Tomas MacIssac,
Co-Chair of the Bio-Genetics Department of UC - Berkeley. His nephew
had done well.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Today we are most honored to
have with us...."

As Tomas listened to his nephew's introduction, his eyes were drawn to
the figure standing at the rear of the stage. Robed in Vulcan academic
black, Spock stood still, his posture speaking of years of military
service. Even in repose, he radiated controlled strength.

After Tomi nephew finished the introduction, Spock approached the
podium. He moved with a gracefulness that Tomas found compelling to
watch. Was it a Vulcan gift? T'James had the same sparse elegance to
her movements.

Upon reaching the podium, Spock stood quietly for almost a minute,
allowing the applause to die down. His eyes scanned the room, as
though observing every detail of every individual in attendance. For a
fraction of a second, Tomas could have sworn that he had felt Spock's
eyes pass over his, then return, and catch his for a moment.

He shook his head. It was a self-indulgent thought. He was nobody to
this Vulcan. But this Vulcan was special to Jim Kirk. This was the
Vulcan who had captured and held the heart of a starship captain for
more than thirty years. Why? And how?

It was something that Jim and he had never spoken about. They had
mutually agreed after their one night together, that they couldn't
continue as lovers. But they had both wanted the friendship. And so,
certain topics of conversation had never been raised again.

Oddly--or perhaps not so, when one considered the careers of all three
men--although Jim and Tomas continued to meet on numerous occasions,
Tomas had never met Spock. Tomas suspected there had been a desire on
Jim's part to keep their friendship private.

When Spock began to speak, Tomas realized the first level of
attraction. The Vulcan had a soothing, almost hypnotic voice. Although
deep, it didn't echo through the lecture hall. It was an intimate
voice. It felt as though Spock was speaking to Tomas alone. This was
not the same Spock Tomas had watched on holovids during the early
years of the Enterprise's missions. This was an accomplished speaker;
someone at ease with himself.

Within moments, the seductiveness of the voice had been superseded by
the lecture and the brilliance of the mind revealed by the words of
that lecture. Tomas marveled at the elegance of Spock's logic. He took
a commonly accepted theory, turned it on its head, and suddenly, in
the course of half an hour, Spock had created the potential for a huge
new debate and area of research.

At the conclusion of Spock's lecture, Tomas joined in with wave after
wave of applause from a standing audience.

After the applause died down, the audience began to disperse. Spock
was swarmed by more than a dozen students and an equal number of
faculty members. Tomas' nephew touched his forearm. "Care to join
Spock and me for some tea after he escapes from his adoring fans? "

"No need to ask twice. You don't turn down the opportunity to meet a
living legend." Tomas chuckled. "Had I known there would be so many
advantages to your relationship with Selek, I would have had a serious
chat with you years ago when you first broke up."

Tomi smiled back at him, but there was a darkness in his eyes. "I wish
somebody had. Had that chat with me, I mean." His eyes brightened.
"But, enough of that. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to help Spock to
make his escape. Why don't we all meet at my office, say in...twenty
minutes?"

"Sounds good." Tomas waved his nephew off in the direction of the
stage and gathered his coat, chatting idly with his neighbors, making
vague promises of lunches and dinners and guest speaking arrangements,
all the while working his way out of the lecture theatre.

Five minutes later, Tomas reached his nephew's office. After a few
words about the weather with Tomi's secretary, Tomas casually walked
around the office, noticing a few new holophotos. One in particular
caught his attention. He lifted the frame from Tomi's desk. It
couldn't have been more than a few months old based on the shortness
of Tomi's hair. Tomi and Selek and T'James--in a casual group photo.
It looked like it had been taken on the deck of Tomi's boat at the
marina.

The photo was still in his hands when he heard the muffled sound of
Tomi's voice approaching down the corridor. Carefully replacing the
photo, he turned towards the door, straightening his shoulders and
tugging down on the edges of his black blazer.

The doors slid open and seconds later the Vulcan who had been the
object of his curiosity for more than twenty-five years was a mere
meter away from him. Their eyes locked. Tomas felt a shiver ripple
down his back as he realized they were the same height. For some
reason he had always thought Spock was taller than him.

Tomas could feel the quiet power and strength radiating from Spock.
Jim had always radiated charisma and charm. But Spock . . . No wonder
Jim would never leave.

"Uncle Tomas. May I have the pleasure of introducing Spock? Spock, my
uncle, Dr. Tomas Everett." Tomi's voice broke the silence. Had there
been a silence? Snap out of it, Tomas!

"Spock, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've followed your career over
the years. I've been particularly interested in your research on
hybrid genetic engineering."

"The honor is mine, Dr. Everett. I too have followed your research
over the years and have found your insights on recombinant DNA as it
applies to hybrid cloning most fascinating. Additionally, it appears
as though we are...family."

Tomas almost laughed at the tone of obvious amusement in Spock's
voice. So much for that legendary Vulcan coldness. Although Tomas
should have know better. This was Jim's Spock. Family indeed. It
didn't seem as though anybody on any side of this multi-part family,
knew what a typical family tree was.

"I'm honored," said Tomas.

"Gentlemen. If you don't mind, we really should be going." Tomi looked
pointedly towards the door, raising both eyebrows at his uncle's look.
No talk about families today was the only way that look could be
interpreted. Fair enough. For now.

"Shall we, Spock?" Tomas inclined his head towards the door.

"Indeed, Doctor."

All three men walked towards the doorway and as the doors slid open,
Tomas heard the opening to his favorite topic of conversation:
"Doctor, I found the paper you published in the last edition of the
Berkeley Science Journal quite fascinating. Your results...."

The compliment of Dr. Everett's work was not mere flattery. He was
impressed by the man's work, but Jim would accuse him of
"exaggerating" if he had overheard Spock telling the man that he had
followed his work "over the years." However, it was quite true. He had
read all of the man's research. There was no need to tell Everettt
that he had read it all in one night with his head comfortably
pillowed against Jim's thigh as his beloved slept.

The man bore a remarkable resemblance to his nephew. Both had fine
minds and a kind of dark beauty that Spock could appreciate
aesthetically while preferring that of his own golden beloved. He
nearly smiled at the thought. Jim's hair was more silver and bronze
than golden now, but Spock still pictured him as he had been when they
were first lovers.

He had asked once whether Jim saw Spock as he had been as a young man,
but Jim, with his customary diplomatic charm, said, "Of course not,
Spock. You just get better-looking every year." But there was truth in
Jim's words. He had never thought of himself as handsome, but the
years had given him an air of dignity. He felt little pleasure in
seeing holovids of the awkward man he had been.

"Your tea, sir." He felt momentarily dismayed when the waiter
interrupted his reverie. But glancing at his table companions, he saw
they had been so engrossed in their own conversation that they had not
noticed his silence. Or they had been too polite to give any sign of
it. Many years ago, Jim had teased him that his silence was so
daunting that no one but Jim would ever guess that Spock was actually
having sexual fantasies about his captain rather than silently
reviewing the landing parties' findings while the conversation of the
department heads swirled around him. Spock had not bothered to deny
Jim's accusation.

Tomas ran a finger along the edge of his cup. "Did you and the admiral
have plans for tonight, sir?"

Spock put down his teacup. "I am certain that Jim will wish to spend
the evening with his family."

"Uncle Tomas, why don't you join us? I'm sure that the admiral would
be pleased to see you."

"Thanks, Tomi, I will. If it won't be an intrusion."

Spock noticed that Everett had flushed slightly. At the mention of
Jim? Perhaps another unknown member of the "James T. Kirk Fan Club."
However, this man appeared too intelligent to have developed a crush
on a holovid idol. Jealousy was illogical, and neither Jim nor he had
been unfaithful since the first pon farr they had shared. Of course,
this man could easily be an old friend that Jim had never mentioned.

Or the uncle's reaction could be due to discomfort at his nephew
entering into a rather unusual arrangement with Selek and T'James.
Although Spock would never have said such words out loud, he wondered
that Selek could enter into such a close relationship with two
persons. Spock occasionally found being bonded to one person
emotionally draining, as much as he treasured that one person. He had
briefly considered--and thankfully decided against--taking a Vulcan
female as a wife to produce an heir and to protect Jim from the
imagined dangers of pon farr. No, the relationship between Selek and
T'James was not that of a dutiful Vulcan and his unloved consort. Jim
would not have had the same warm relationship with that unknown female
that Tomas had with T'James.

Because Spock had always been talented at multi-tasking, he was able
to participate in Everett's and Tomas' conversation about recombinant
DNA while engaging in his musings about Everett's possible
relationship with Jim as well as his son's unconventional
relationship.

Everett said, "But you were ahead of your time when you used the
technology for a practical application."

Spock lifted an eyebrow. "I do not know to what you refer." But after
he responded, he noticed that Tomas' eyes had widened with alarm, and
he realized precisely what Everett meant.

"Selek, of course," said Everett before he took a sip of his tea.

Spock steepled his fingers in front of him. "Jim contributed no
genetic material to Selek. Although it would be most intriguing to
produce a child using our combined DNA, given the career choices that
we have made, it would have been irresponsible for us to have a child
together. Selek was a . . . most happy . . . miscalculation."

"Really? Selek is the image of Jim Kirk. That smile is unmistakable,"
said Everett, leaning forward in his chair.

"I am pleased, of course, that nurture has outweighed nature in
Selek's case. He does indeed resemble his adoptive father." Only
someone who knew Spock well would have caught the smile that lit his
face briefly. "I assure you, I would not deny it if it were true."

When Everett blushed and started to apologize, Spock held up his hand.
"Do not be concerned, Doctor. I do not find your error offensive in
the least. You are hardly the first person to make the same
assumption." He held out his teacup for the waiter to refill. "Because
Vulcans and Terrans cannot produce offspring naturally, his mother
found it necessary to . . . "

An hour passed unnoticed as Spock shared what he knew about Leila
Kalomi's efforts to conceive and carry their child.

Tomas glanced at his chronometer. "I'm really enjoying this
discussion, but I wanted to ask Spock his opinion on the research that
I'm planning to start later this year. How about if we order lunch? I
have an hour before I need to get back. How about you two?"

Everett said, "Lunch would be fine with me. I'm semi-retired,
remember?"

Spock considered for a moment. "I have an engagement with the admiral.
I am certain, however, that he will not object if I am delayed by our
discussion. He understands my desire to increase my knowledge of your
field, and he has stressed the importance of spending time with family
members."

"I'm sure that he'll find something to do while you're here in
Berkeley." Tomas accepted a menu from the waiter.

"He mentioned that he would visit the Admiralty later in the week, but
his only plan for this morning was a fifteen-kilometer run." Spock
took a sip of his tea, then placed the cup back down on the table.

Tomas said, "Too bad it looked like rain this morning. Hope it didn't
spoil the admiral's plans for a run."

Spock studied the menu. "No, I am sure that it did not. He would enjoy
the rain after the last several months in Vulcan's heat."

---

- to be continued -