First of all i love your stories! I feel that your stories portray Spock beautifully and are realistic in the half-human/half-vulcan side of his character. Some people take too many things for granted about him and have this belief that he's a machine that can never show emotions and can have a "normal" relationship.. which is absurd to say the least. He's just different. I guess that one of the reasons of why i appreciate JJ's movie is his attempt to develop Spock outside the stereotypes created by TOS that was, after all, melodrama, and couldn't do so much about character's layers. That said, i love this story and i find it to be a more believable and realistic explanation of why he chose to stay. I don't think that he could make this decision just because prime-Spock talked about a future non existent friendship with Kirk. It's illogical.

Enjoyed this. (And enjoyed seeing Sarek - as always).

Especially after she just had that despair poured into her from the empathic link! I don't think anyone would handle any of this well. They reacted like real people and that's the wonderful thing about your writing. They're not real, but you write them so REAL.

Manipulative? Sarek is a parent. Starfleet is dangerous, his race is practically extinct, and he's a parent. Its why I love it when he responds to Spock about being logical in the last chapter. I do love your Sarek though. No one writes him like you do.

The scene with Spock Prime was a whole lot of amazing. I also like that everyone was angry. I kept hearing OST Spock lecture Kirk about changing things in like, every episode. I know older in life Spock may be different but still. That was a very large change. Spock thinking elder self was mentally imbalanced was pretty amazing.

And their general relationship was wonderful as always. How he wouldn't touch her for a while and how she's trying to hold it all in. The stars or Spock. It was wonderful. And no one writes Spock like you do. Your pretty much canon to me. Alright, off to further catch myself up.

P.S. I want to know about the Vulcan kids now. Are their parents the ones Jabari found? Or am I being too optimistic?

I so agree with your interpretation of this scene. I loved the movie when I walked out, but once I started to think about it there are a lot of plot holes including this scene. Vulcan was gone, the survival of Earth and the Federation was in question. Even if Spock!Prime is a true believer in the destiny of Kirk and Spock there was no reason it had to start at that most precarious moment when the Enterprise would have benefited from Spock!Prime's knowledge of their enemy. Kirk!Prime and Spock!Prime met later in life and there was no logical reason for Spock!Prime to force it at that moment. And your point that both choices could feel right to Spock had never occured to me, but its very true ... personal gratification is warring with the public responsibility that both his parents raised him to believe in. Both feel right for different reasons.

I really adore Uhura at the endo f this chapter. She feels so real and authenic. She's reacting as a normal human which is an excellent counterpoint to Spock's alien nature.

Overall I adored this story. It's short (not a 60 chapter epic), but I think it really says a lot about human and Vulcan nature and their best reactions to tough choices. Tyback, Ashanti, Spock and Uhura are lucky that their personal desires align with the logical choices although it took a while to arrive at them. Sarek is really the odd man out in that his desire to keep Spock close cannot be met, but he was willing to sacrafice his personal desire for the logical choice and for the emotional benefit of his son. That's the loving Father I want to imagine him as.

:) I found this to be a bittersweet chapter. With the idea of the embassy is where Sarek and Amanda met and the reappearance of Josef and Toshi. It was sad and gentle and sweet and bittersweet. And I was amused by Spock's thoughts on the boredom of his father's work. Given he eventually becomes an Ambassador himself no doubt this opinion passes, but he is probably very much like Sarek in it'll take a while to see where he might obtain enjoy from a diplomatic career.

I just wanted to comment on how much I appreciate your idea that Spock would want to remain in a relationship with Nyota. I hadn't considered it before but fanon seem to have embraced the idea that more males survived than females. Given that assumption, its not logical to assume Spock is being called to New Vulcan to make babies which is another common fanon assumption. Any male with a potential non-Vulcan bond mate would be encouraged to remain with them to allow a greater number of male Vulcans to survive. Your idea also fits with the concept of bonding for life. A near-bonded (and S/U already attempted it) Vulcan would not be willing or even able to walk away from their mate. Vulcans with their emotional mastery would find it much easier to live apart from a "lover" without negative consequences. I could totally see Spock waiting for Nyota for years without his feelings for her changing. I though it an excellent albeit unusual plot idea. I read it and your logic just made total sense. :) I suppose I support the romantic ideal of waiting "forever" for the return of a love.

PS I don't see Uhura as OOC here. Even an unusally emotionally controlled human will be upset to find out her lover plans to leave her for five years. Unlike a Vulcan, a human cannot be expected not to react even with fair warning. Until confronted with his decision, she's holding out hope even if she expects the worst, and she can't help but react negatively to the bad news.

Great! Liked how you gave Kirk a a voice in this, and it makes a lot more sense that Sarek would be the one Spock would listen to. You should write something with Spock Prime and Sarek. That would be...interesting.

Yeah, I agree on the badly written part. Of course, in a movie like Star Trek 2009, you just don't have the time to do everything justice. One reason why TV series work better for character development. Even so, you'd think that Spock Prime would have been a little more upset over what happened. Of course, considering all the things he's done, maybe nothing really gets to him any more. But no...like you said...just baldly written.

I agree. What feels right is not always the best course. Thank you for a most wonderful story!

great ending. I like sarek's role in spock decision.

Loved this story. And the last paragraph of your A/N, I couldn't agree with you more.

I'm sending love your way! Beautiful! I absolutely adore your Sarek and the meeting of their minds there. Spock suddenly - yet finally - understanding more about his father and his parents relationship was beautiful. It makes me so happy because I do believe that Sarek has tried very hard (and fails) and Spock consistantly misinterprets Sareks disagreement never considering that maybe he'd prefer his son safe at home at the VSA because life in Starfleet is just plain riskier especially the way Kirk and Spock will do it. Perhaps Starfleet was untimately the most logical solution, but only Sarek was able argue/support the choice he least wanted. I think he did it out of love because that's the one most likely to make Spock happy. :) Loved this story. Thanks.

Gosh! I don't think I've read a story of yours that I didn't like! I think what I really enjoy about your writing is your characterizations. I love your Sarek and I really appreciate it how he was a catalyst and not Spock Prime in Spock's decision to stay in Star Fleet. Sarek was spot on when he said that Spock underestimated the power of symbols.

I also like that you had Nyota be a little selfish in this story. Yes, she loves Spock but she also wants her career. I think this also helped her not press her own desires for Spock to stay with her.

What I also appreciate is how you write the complexity of Spock's relationship with his father. Spock may not realize it but his father does love him and knows him better than he thinks. You captured that in this chapter.

Sorry to see this one go but look forward to where your muse takes you next...which hopefully might be picking up where Tapestry left off. That really was a great story and would love to see it continue. However, I respect your muse and your talents..so whatever you write I'll be reading. I truly do appreciate you as a writer!

:D A much fuller look at this decision than the movie had time to give! And your writing makes me squee every time anyway.