Two Words: Spock and Tumultuous

A/N: This chapter is short compared to my last one, maybe I’m updating too soon but I’m still keeping to my average. I hope you still enjoy this one. And REVIEW PLEASE! I want to hear what you all think! I even if you think (or know) that it’s really, really bad!
Chapter Two: Traditions
3rd Person POV:
As usual, McCoy was inconveniencing Spock. He didn’t know it, but he was.
Spock needed the Captain’s advice, and the Captain was in sick bay for his physical. So Spock had to take that much more of his off-duty time going to sick bay and getting the Captain. Spock was not irritated with McCoy for once, that would be illogical. But he would prefer a different situation.
He entered Sick bay to find McCoy checking the Captain’s heart beat.
“What is it, Spock?” McCoy asked gruffly, obviously annoyed at the intrusion.
“I need to see the Captain and get his counsel on some matters, Dr. McCoy.” Spock replied evenly.
“Trouble with the Missus?” McCoy asked, smirking, then looking heavenward. “She make you listen to that chime again? Because I will tell you, after five minutes of that ‘ding! ding!’ I was ready to lunge at it and break the damn thing in half!”
“While I did find the chime inconvenient at dinner, I have not heard it since and doubt I will permit it to be played during a meal I have again. While I respect the traditions of Amelia’s race, I find it interrupts conversation and can grow grating to the ears.” Spock said. “There is, however, a Betazoid tradition I am struggling with.”
“Yeah, and which one is that, Spock?” Kirk asked as he put his feet up to the wall pedals.
“As per the agreement set by my father with the Third House, the wedding is to be a combination Vulcan and Betazoid ceremony. A tradition I am bound to adhere to dictates that the groom and his family must present the bride with a chest of gifts. I am unfamiliar with what sort of gifts a groom gives a Betazoid woman. As Betazoids are closer to humans in their manner and attitude and as you, Captain, have had many successes with women, my logical conclusion was that you would be the best person to ask for advice on this matter.”
Captain Kirk smirked as he pushed against the pedals. “Well, Mr. Spock, she’s a classy type of girl, isn’t she? A blue blood.”
“I believe that Betazoid blood is red, Captain.”
“It’s an expression, Spock,” Bones said, rolling his eyes, “It means she’s an aristocrat.”
“Yes, she is a daughter of the third house, holder of the-“
“We’ve heard it, Spock.” Kirk said. “We know all her titles. You don’t have to remind us.”
“As annoying as that damn chime.” McCoy grumbled. He looked at the Captain. “Okay Jim, feet down. Your readings are normal.”
Kirk jumped up and nodded to McCoy. “Thanks, Bones.” He walked towards the door and gestured to Mr. Spock. “Shall we?”
Spock nodded and walked with the Captain out of sick bay towards the Commerce room.
“Now, as I said, she’s a real blue blood, so perhaps you should get her something classy, like some jewelry.”
“I have already included my parents’ engagement rings in the chest, Captain. My mother requested that I observe that Earth custom.”
“How does your mother feel about this? Your getting married?”
“She is extremely pleased,” Spock said, looking straight ahead. “She has been hoping that I would marry soon, and I believe my father might have arranged this match to please her. I consented due to a similar motive.”
Kirk looked at Spock in amazement. “That’s… Wow. Very… touching, in a warped sort of fashion, Mr. Spock.”
All he got were quirked eyebrows and a reply of, “Warped to you, perhaps, Captain.”
They entered the commerce room and went up to one of the shopping pads. Kirk pressed a few buttons and a picture of a gold and ruby bracelet popped up. “Something to go with that necklace, perhaps?”
“I do not see why I should give her such a frivolous gift. It has no practical use and she already has a great amount of jewelry.”
Kirk sighed. “Ah, Spock, where’s your sense of romance?”
“Romance, Captain?”
“Yes, romance! Women like to feel cared about, they like to be given beautiful things, even if they are a bit frivolous. Here, how about this?”
He pressed another button and a picture of the gold-stemmed, color changing rose floating on the screen. “A Chameleon rose, they change color to match the mood of the holder.”
“Fascinating.” Spock said, eyeing the rose quizzically. “It could be useful for me to know her moods, as she already has the power to read my mind. And this is the sort of gift that is considered romantic?”
“Yes, Mr. Spock, very romantic. Just get one, it emphasizes the gesture.” Kirk said, smiling at his best friend’s comment.
“Very well.” Spock pressed the “buy” button and looked at the captain. “What else would you advise?”
“Well, some nice garment, perhaps. I should probably get Uhura to help you pick that out though.”
“I see, and do you have any other suggestions?”
“Well…”
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Amelia’s POV:
The next afternoon Spock showed up at my door again with my marriage chest wearing a simpler uniform. Despite my feelings about the wedding itself, I was interested in seeing what I was getting. I invited Spock in, thanked him, and asked him if he had time.
“The Captain has relieved me of duty today and any other time I would need to spend with you until the wedding.”
“And then you’ll be on duty during the ceremony?” I joked.
He looked confused. “Why would I be on duty at the Kun-ut-kal-if-fee?”
“I was making a little joke, Spock.”
“A very little one.” He commented.
“Coming from a Master of humor such as you, that means a lot.”
He shrugged. “I am to give you a tour of the ship and brief you on regulations. I would also like to make two requests of you.”
“Oh, what are they?”
“First, that you do not address Captain Kirk or any of the Officers on this ship by their first names unless you have become intimate friends with them and never address the Captain that way. I address everyone by their last name or rank. For you to do otherwise is inappropriate, especially since you are going to be my wife and it is disrespectful as well, no matter what the Captain says.”
“What about Mr. Scott? He specifically told me to call him Scotty.” I reminded him.
“Then you may call him that. But otherwise, do not do it unless one of the crew members goes out of their way to tell you that you may call them that.”
“I think it’s far too formal, and I already like the Captain very much, and you know he is very attracted to me.”
Spock’s eyes narrowed. “Is the feeling mutual?”
“Might be.”
“Do you plan on having him challenge me for the rights to you?”
“No, I’m sticking with my agreement.”
“And you are going to be faithful to me?”
“I hadn’t thought of being otherwise. Just because an attraction exists it does not mean I would act on it.”
“Very well. And for the record, I don’t care whether or not you think it’s too formal, I still wish for you to abide by Starfleet protocol.”
I sighed. “All right, so what is your second request?”
“Are you going to do as I ask?”
“I’ll try.”
“Very well. My second request is that you wear this ring on the third finger on your left hand.” He took a small box out of his pocket and handed it to me. I opened it and admired how the Earth diamond sparkled in its platinum setting. “My mother is human. It is an Earth custom for engaged couples to wear rings symbolizing their upcoming union on the third finger of their left hand. My parents gave me the rings that came from my mother’s family.”
“It is lovely.” I said. “Do you have a ring as well?”
Spock held up his left hand. It was like mine, only the diamond was inlaid rather than mounted. I put mine on as he directed.
“It is an interesting Earth custom,” I observed. “Why wear a symbol prior to the actual union?”
“I do not know. I consulted with the Captain as to what to fill your union chest with, many of his suggestions seemed quite impractical, so I included many texts regarding your lines of study.”
“That is very thoughtful of you, I daresay, I was not expecting that.” I admitted. “Oh! And a Chameleon Rose! I love these!” I picked the rose out of the chest and placed it in my hair. “What do you think?”
He looked at me with a stony face. “I have no opinion on the aesthetics. I am, however, satisfied at having found a way to read your emotions as you read my thoughts.”
I suddenly lost all my good humor. “Mr. Spock, I have kept out of your mind as per our agreement. I don’t know why you even bother talking if you thought I was reading your mind!” I was hurt that he saw this as a competition and was trying to use a gift to gain the “upper hand” so to speak. And that he thought I was not doing as he asked. That hurt too. “You managed to give me gifts and doubt my honesty all in one swoop. Congratulations.”
He stood up quickly. “If I have offended you, I apologize.”
I sighed. “No matter,” I plucked the rose from my hair. “Does sort of sour the rose though, but you made an excellent selection. I had been meaning to read Chemical Processes of the Subconscious of Psychic Species. It was on my reading list. Now, why don’t you be a gentleman and give me a tour of the ship?”
“That is a fine suggestion, Amelia,” He said. “It would do you well to know the layout of our ship, as you will be living on it for the next two and a half years.”
I stood up and followed him out the door, and he proceeded to give me the most thorough, boring, and exhausting tour I had ever been on. I was glad when we approached the door to my quarters again, but I decided to pay him back for the rose incident.
“Mr. Spock?”
“Yes.”
“Since I have agreed to your two requests, then I think it’s only fair to make a request of my own.”
“And what is that, Amelia?”
“I want to see if you can smile.”
His face was stony for a second and then his mouth split into a toothy, false smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Disappointed, I nodded to him. “I’m a bit tired, so I think I will be turning in early tonight.”
“Very well. Oh, and I was asked today by Dr. McCoy that you come to sickbay at 1500 hours for a physical.”
“Alright,” I said with my first ever false smile. “I will go to sickbay tomorrow and see Dr. McCoy.”
“Good night then, Amelia.” He said. I nodded.
“Good night.” I turned into the room and headed for my bed, feeling very very alone. It was true, he was just a robotic alien. No heart, no emotion, no feeling. Just… Words and logic and practicality. The books were thoughtful in a bad way. How was that possible? He never tried to venture any opinion on me or our wedding or anything to do with the two of us. I had only seen three sincere facial expressions adorn his face: reserved calmed, quizzical, and focused. Did he care at all about what was going to happen? Or was I just some new duty for him? Probably. That was probably what it was. Just something new to see too. Fulfill his obligation to his father, to Vulcan, to Star Fleet and to Betazed. I would spend the rest of my life being part of his routine and nothing more. I never felt more objectified. I would now spend the rest of my life with the utter opposite of everything I had known and loved. There would be no joy, no passion, no excitement, no anger, no fear. Just… This. This repression, this illusion of logical control, this denial.
And worst of all? I had done this to myself.