Come to the Chapel

McCoy shook his head. "He's out of immediate danger, but something will have to be done within the next few hours."

Jim's face set in a way that McCoy knew so well. "I'm going in there."

McCoy grabbed his arm. "Don't bother. It won't do any good. Apparently Vulcans don't copulate outside of legal marriage; it just isn't done. And apparently Vulcans have some pretty antediluvian ideas about what does and doesn't constitute a legal marriage. Well, I don't guess I have to tell you that; you saw all that hokey ritual and sexist talk in the arena."

Jim balked. "I won't accept that. You said a few hours. We don't have time to make it back to Vulcan, and I won't let Spock die over some outdated traditions."

"Relax, Jim; told you, he's cooperating. Ancient drives and customs or not, he's still that same irritatingly logical pointy-eared calculator he's always been and he knows that too. He says that Chapel'll do fine. Christine was there with us; he told her what he needed and you know her; she was more than happy to help. She's getting ready as we speak.

I thought we'd get Lt. Kavolous to perform the ceremony; he's an ordained minister. I know the captain ordinarily would, but under the circumstances--" His voice trailed off uncomfortably.

Jim squared himself. "Quite right, Bones. It's Spock's life, his business, not mine apparently. But are you sure he said Chapel? It--seems so unlike him."

"Positive; I was there. I know, it's not how I think of him either, but I guess you never know. He even asked Christine to bring two rings and flowers. The whole shebang. Who would have guessed that he's a romantic?"

The door whooshed and Chapel walked in her dress uniform carrying an enormous bouquet of Triffidian orchids and two velvet boxes.

"Nurse Chapel, you look lovely," said Kirk. Any bitterness he might have felt stopped well before it made it into his voice. After all, they were both his friends, his people, and as long as Spock lived it would stay that way. Anything else he might have thought or hoped fell by the wayside compared to that. After all, Starfleet may have promised him the moons, but it never promised him love or personal happiness. A captain had to rise above such things.

Chapel beamed. "Thank you, Captain. But you'd better go change yourself. Ten minutes." She pushed the bouquet toward him and set the boxes down before him on the desk. "Will these do?"

Kirk looked. Two identical plain bands--his and his.

Kirk's face twisted. "Bones, I thought you said he was marrying Chapel?"

"IN the chapel, you lunkhead, not to her! Congratulations, Jim, you're getting married!"

~Lyra
August 2004

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