Erin was in meditation. She and Fern had recently parted ways over a disagreement she viewed was major and very important for her future. She identified herself as a Vulcan rather than a human. She felt Vulcan more than human. She was in her dark robe. Her legs criss-crossed. Sitting on the mat in the middle of the room awaiting to be dropped off to Vulcan. She had resigned recently from her duty as a science officer on the USS Surak. The Enterprise E was heading to Vulcan to pick up Ambassador Picard for a treaty between two races that were very similar and unique in their own ways. She was taken out of her meditation by the faint sound of three distinctive beeps.

Erin's eyes opened then she stood up.

Who could her visitor be?

"Enter." Erin said.

Spock and McCoy entered the quarters. She hadn't seen her father in months. And he was not in standard Vulcan attire. But instead, he was in a purple shirt with long dark gray comfortable flannel pants that had pocket to the sides. McCoy was in a short sleeved gray shirt and blue pants that ended above the ankles. Around McCoy's neck was a pendent that had a green center to it that faintly resembled Vokaya. Vokaya was normally found on Vulcan but not on Aura. They came near to a counter in the room feet away from the door.

"Father," Erin said,showing the faint signs of alarm on her face. "You should not be here."

"Is it true that you are in the middle of divorcing your wife?" Spock asked. "The woman who helped you more than I could? She seems like the type who would attempt to care for you despite being different." McCoy put a hand on the Vulcan's shoulder. "One of the reasons why I am here is to inform you. . ." He gestured toward McCoy. "My partner will be my katra keeper."

"Father," Erin started in a calm, methodical tone. "You could have informed me this--"

Spock held his hand up, stopping her from going any further.

"My partner is Doctor McCoy, and your brother was half human." Spock said, as he watched her raise the eyebrow. "You didn't send most of your Vulcan into your brother. You never split apart. You were two eggs. Your mother meddled with your genetics."

"When did we become partners?" McCoy asked.

Erin was unable to speak staring at the two.

"That is what I originally thought we were here for," Spock said. "Logically, meeting a member of the family is a large step for our relationship. Only people who are in a relationship introduce their 'friends' to their family. Most commonly seen in Earth Culture,statistically."

"Should I wait outside then?" McCoy asked.

"Why?" Spock asked.

"It is a private family thin' for you." McCoy said.

"This is not private." Spock said.

"Your daughter is engagin' in Kolinahr." McCoy said.

Spock's face changed to white as he turned his head in the direction of his daughter. There was horror seen on his face, clear as day. It was replaced by shock and disbelief. She could experience sadness in the family bond. Why was he sad that she was engaging into Kolinahr? Spock turned his head away feeling a headache then had another look at her noticing her attire was familiar.

"Do you honestly want to be walking around dead?" Spock finally said, as he regained composure.

"I rather be alive as a Vulcan than a human." Erin said.

"Erin, you are my daughter and my blood," Spock said. "You were of both worlds."

"You were not the one who will likely degrade worse than anyone?" Erin said.

"Oh good god." McCoy grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Did I not tell you what I have?" Spock asked.

"I trusted the doctors knowing what they were doing and how your care would be." Erin said.

"You judged over how caring people would take care of you," Spock said. "Not me. I have dementia. Not just Bendii's." He walked away from the table then put the family photograph face down. "Do you care about anyone? Not about yourself?" He was facing toward her with a hurt expression on his face. "Answer me, Erin."

"That is a trick question." Erin said.

"I have forgotten what has happened over the recent twenty-four-hours and this will not happen to you," Spock said. "I came here to help you. To spare of you walking around barely alive. To convince you not to go. But I should have known better. I should have paid more attention to the signs. Your mother told me about your. . . tendencies. You killed several bunnies in your childhood. And a infant sehlat! A SEHLAT, ERIN!" His voice raised at the last part. "Your mother covered it up so you wouldn't have to face the ancient way of execution." McCoy appeared to be horrified as Spock held up a hand with his index finger and thumb close together. "I was this close to agreeing with her. Imagine my horror when I returned from my time on the endeavor to relax and sit back with my family to find a horror scene in the den! Shawk was crying. It was I-ChinChin's only cub."

"It was being noisy." Erin said.

"Noisy?" Spock repeated, his eyebrows twitching. "She was a cub! It's a crime to kill domestic Sehlats!" He lowered his hand down. "The only reason I did not come forward to the community is because you were my child! Killing infant sehlats indicated you were on the path to killing. I thought you would get better."

"If you actually cared you would have sent I-ChinChin away." Erin said

"She was a family pet." Spock said, his hand resting onto the back rest of a chair.

"'A pest." Erin said. "Why do you think she died in my room?"

Spock's fingers dug into the back rest leaving dents.

"Did you know she didn't have one but five?" Erin said. "They didn't get lost. They died."

The backrest broke in half with the back rest landing on the seat.

"If no one cared about you, you will die alone, and nothing will good out of it." He was trembling but his face was calm as the eye of a hurricane. "I never wished upon to this anyone in my two lifetimes but you have recently changed that. You are not my daughter. You never were. You are someone else. You do not have feelings so don't attempt Kolinahr. You achieved it when you were born."

Spock walked out of the room, but McCoy was quick to follow leaving her alone. Our scene followed them to the outside in the hallway. It stung Spock. The daughter he helped raise with his wife had turned out horrible. God knows how his wife must have felt when she lived with it. No wonder she conferred with Amanda so often. Spock came to a stop then turned toward McCoy.

"Can we go home now?" Spock asked, looking about as exhausted.

McCoy smiled.

"Yes, Spock." McCoy replied, putting a hand on the side of the Vulcan's shoulder. "I grieve with thee."

Spock sighed.

"Thank you." Spock said.

"That wasn't easy to do for you." McCoy acknowledged, rubbing the Vulcan's shoulder as they headed down the hall. "Let's. . . .We must inform someone of this . . . monstrosity." For some reason McCoy could experience how disturbed Spock was. "The body was buried in a box in our backyard."

"Don't be hard on yourself," McCoy said. "You were being her father."

"I should have made her take responsibility,Leonard," Spock said. "I was a terrible father for her."

"You were not a terrible father,Spock," McCoy said. "In fact you did your damn best to raise a sociopath and that is what should matter. The past is in the past. And besides, you need evidence to prove your daughter is a sociopath. And a pet killer. Where would you get it anyhow?" McCoy and Spock went past a group of men. "Not like buried her tools of the trade in the box too."

"Actually, Leonard," Spock said, his face turned to a amused but tired elderly Vulcan. "Now that you mention of it . . ."

McCoy pressed a button on the side of the ring as they vanished into thin air listening to Spock and their dialogue could not be heard from then on.