DISCLAIMER: The Star Trek characters are the property of Paramount Studios, Inc and Viacom. The story contents are the creation and property of Djinn and are copyright (c) 2002 by Djinn. This story is Rated G.
Just One
by Djinn
"Are they gone? Your...business
associates?"
Mestral turned away from his study of the night sky to look
at Maggie. "They are."
"Do you miss them?"
He considered her question,
knew that in the past, he would not have given it the least consideration. There would have been no reason to. To miss someone or something was an
emotion. An indication
of regret or perhaps loneliness.
He was a Vulcan. He did not allow
himself to feel those things. Did not
allow himself to feel anything.
Maggie settled down next to
him on the bench and smiled at him.
In the past, he had not
allowed himself to feel anything, he revised mentally
as he felt his own expression lighten somewhat in response to her. But this was a new world, a new future. A new life. So he considered again her question. His people had left him here as he
requested. In all probability, he would
never see a Vulcan again. Never see his homeworld again. Did
he miss them?
He realized her smile had
turned into a huge grin. "You are
amused?"
She nodded. "Anyone ever tell you that you think way
too hard."
"No."
"Hmmm." She regarded
him for a long moment. Then she reached
up, gently started to remove the stocking cap.
He stopped her. "Do not."
"I want to see."
"I do not believe that
you do."
Her hand dropped, ran along
his cheek. "Your
skin. The
color." She shook her head,
reached again for the hat. "I have
to know."
Again he stopped her. "You will not like what you see."
"How do you know?"
"I am nearly
certain."
"Nearly isn't good
enough." She dropped her hand
though. "Where did they go?"
"Away."
"Not
very specific."
"Far
away."
"Up north, I
believe."
He nodded slightly. "Yes.
North."
"North
as in
He turned to look at her,
tried not to let shock show in his expression, was
fairly certain he failed. "North as in
She nodded. "Whatever you
say." They sat in silence
for a few moments, then she turned to him. "Did you stay for me?"
He forced himself not to look
at her as he shook his head. "I
plan to visit the city."
She leaned back. "How long will that take?"
"I plan to visit more
than one city."
"How
many more?"
"I am not certain."
She stood up slowly. "So you want to see the world?"
He nodded.
She held out her hand. "Walk with me?"
He hesitated.
"I won't bite."
He finally took her
hand. She led him back behind the bar,
down a path that cut through the woods into a clearing.
She looked down at their
clasped hands. "Your skin is so
hot."
He tried to pull away but her
grip was surprisingly strong. He looked
at her in alarm.
"You are different, Mestral."
He tried to assess the best
response to her statement.
"Stop thinking so
hard!" She let him go. "Your skin is a strange color, you feel
like you have a fever, you talk funny, and you wear this stupid cap all the
time." Without warning, she
snatched the cap from his head and stared up at him. "That's it? That's what you were hiding? Elf ears."
"Elf
ears?"
"Pointed." She took a
step closer. "May I touch?"
He knew he should tell her
no. Vulcans did not touch one another
there except in the most intimate of situations. It would be most improper. And yet he nodded, did not stop her as her
hands moved slowly to his head. Did not try to stifle his gasp as her cool fingers touched the
points of his ears.
"You like that?"
He nodded, suddenly at a loss
for words.
"Better than you liked
the kiss?" She sounded amused as
she held a finger to his lips.
"Don't answer that. I think
I'd rather not know."
"As you wish," he
said, feeling strangely bereft when she dropped her hands.
"Where are you really
from?"
"I cannot tell
you."
"I'm not going to tell
anyone, Mestral.
Besides, who would believe me?
You're the town hero after what you did in the mine. Nobody will hear a bad word about you."
"It is not that
simple." He turned away from her,
walked a few feet before looking at the sky again.
"Oh. _That_ north." She laughed softly. "So I wasn't far wrong."
"I am not from
Mars."
"Where
then?"
"Vulcan."
She laughed again. He turned, raised his eyebrow.
At his look, she
shrugged. "Both
Roman gods. Both
in love with Venus." Then
she looked down at her dress.
"Hardly a Venus though, am I?"
"Is a Venus a desirable
thing to be?"
She smiled. "She was a very beautiful goddess." When he said nothing, Maggie seemed eager to
change the subject and looked up suddenly.
"Jack could tell you which planet is Venus. Would he be able to find your planet
too?"
Mestral shook his head.
"Are you really
leaving?"
He nodded.
"Why?"
"I wish to experience
your culture. I said I would keep
moving." He looked away. "I could contaminate too much if I
stayed here."
"Contaminate?"
"If my
true nature were discovered."
"So you think the city
will be better? What if you have an accident?"
"I will not."
She frowned. "You might. It wouldn't be an accident if you could plan
for it."
He didn't answer.
"Wouldn't it make more
sense, be more..." she trailed off, looked at him as if searching for the
word.
"More logical?" he
supplied.
"Yes. Wouldn't it be more logical to stay
here? Where people care about you? Where we keep our own
counsel. Where
your secret could be safe."
He did not answer.
She looked away, her laugh a
sad, bitter sound. "Of course,
maybe you don't want to stay? Maybe I'm
making an awfully big assumption? It's
not like you've been around much lately."
She turned to him. "And who
in their right mind would stay in Carbon Creek, anyway? What kind of culture are you going to get
here?"
She turned and walked down
the path, back toward the bar. "I'm
going to miss you, Mestral," she called over her
shoulder.
He let her go, sinking slowly
down to the meadow grass and staring up again at the stars. He tried not to think of the catch that had
been in her voice as she hurried away.
Or of the way it had felt to have her touch him. He tried to tell himself what he felt for her
was just curiosity.
"At least grow out your
hair."
He raised an eyebrow.
"If you look ridiculous
in that cap here, you'll only stand out like a sore thumb in it when you get to
the city. Grow your hair out and let it
cover your ears. Your friends did, you
can too. Okay, that's all I wanted to
say." She turned away again.
He got up. "They were not my friends."
She stopped but didn't turn
around. "No, your friends are all
here. In this town. Billy.
The boys at the mine. Jack."
"You." He moved
closer and she turned to look at him.
"Your face is wet and your eyes are red." As he watched, liquid welled from her eyes
and began to run slowly down her cheeks.
"I'm crying. Don't people from Vulcan cry?"
"We do not." He reached out to touch her skin, his finger
gently wiping the moisture away.
"Why do you cry?"
"I'm sad."
"You are sad because of
me?"
Another drop of moisture fell
and again he reached for it, but she pulled away. "You can't stop all my tears, Mestral. Not when
you're leaving."
"Will you cry when I am
gone?"
"For a
while. But not for long." She straightened, seemed to arm herself with
the strong resolve he had admired from the moment he met her. "I'll be okay. I'll be fine." Her expression was no-nonsense and for a
moment she reminded him of T'Mir. "You be careful in the city. They'll take you for all your worth, if you
let them. Not like Carbon Creek. People are harder there." She turned and walked away deliberately.
"I stayed for
you."
She froze.
"I did not think I could
be with you but you were the reason I stayed."
She didn't turn. "If you want to see my world, I can show
you."
He took a step toward
her. "Yes?"
She turned around. "If you want to see the city, we could
go together."
"An
excursion?"
"A day
trip or maybe a weekend trip." She blushed.
"Only..."
"Only
what?"
"People would talk. Two unmarried people taking
an overnight trip. Not really the
way it's done in Carbon Creek."
"But a
mated couple?" He noticed she blushed again at his choice of
adjectives. "That would be the way
it is done?"
She nodded. "But there are lots of women in the city
too, Mestral.
Younger than I am." She
looked down. "Prettier than I
am."
"I did not stay for
them." He realized as she looked up
at him and smiled happily that this time he had said the right thing. "There are many ways we are different,
Maggie. There are things that you will
have to know about Vulcans...about me."
She grinned. "Well, it's not as if we're getting
married tomorrow, mister. I expect you
to do some courting if you want to win me."
"Courting?"
"Wooing. Elaborate
gestures designed to make me select you for my mate."
He realized she was making
fun of the way he spoke. Decided that he didn't mind.
"I do not know how to woo."
"Ask your friend
Billy. He's got plenty of
experience." She touched his ears,
smiled as he shuddered. "So you'll
stay here? In Carbon
Creek?"
He nodded as he bent down to
kiss her gently.
When he pulled away, she
grinned. "Very pleasant."
He felt his mouth curl ever
so slightly upwards. "Only
pleasant?"
"You were hoping for
more?"
He nodded.
She grinned. "I did say very."
"I could try
again?"
She was already leaning in as
she said, "A little practice never hurt anyone."
FIN