The reason behind that expressively raised eyebrow: "I sometimes think that left eyebrow of his has a will of its own."
- quoted from A NECESSARY EVIL


"Wakey, wake, love!" came Bodie's excited whisper into my left ear. "Today's the day!" he added, gleefully.

"'M not deaf," I mumbled in mock exasperation. Truth is, I'd actually been awake for hours, barely able to contain the anticipation running rampant through me own being.

Today was indeed special and one I had long wished for since I'd first met Bodie. Shrouded in mystery, he was. 'S what drew me to him. I was determined to open as many doors as I could. And I have, too. In these ten years since we first became partners, then took that big step and accepted our relationship for what it truly was (settled in right nicely, we are, and most content), I've learned much about my lifemate. Yet--there's always a 'yet'--the one door I could truly never breach was that of his family. Elusive as a moray eel, he was, on that subject. Loved to either whet me appetite, dropping just enough to get me really going, or give me a look that brooked no further questions; whatever suited his fancy. Began to think he had no family, until the day The Letter arrived. Though it looked very official, it bore those definite marks of 'family'. (Although it sported a raised crest, the address was hand-written. We ex-coppers notice things like that.)

The next 30 days after its arrival were very busy ones; no last minute lick-and-a-promise dusting for us when family was coming. Every nook and cranny of our flat--a sort of 'wedding present' from Cowley: one of the best flats CIS owned--was cleaned from top to bottom, employing our legendary teamwork. ('S what a relationship is all about, innit?) In no time at all, Queen E. herself could've given us the white glove treatment.

I turned over to face him now, letting my excitement come through in the smile I gave him. "Can't wait, Bodie." My reply, though sincere, held just a hint of patience. "What time do they arrive?"

Doesn't miss a thing, does my Bodie. He sneered lovingly--only Bodie can sneer lovingly--down at me. "Whatsa matter, Ray? Nervous?"

Gave him me best injured-pride look. "Who, me? Nah. Cool as a cucumber, I am. Just asking, wasn't I?"

I expected a session of unmerciful teasing. Liked better what I got instead. His perfect features softened and his large, capable hands took my skull in a gentle grasp, while long, skilled fingers played though me curls. His midnight blue eyes regarded me with such love...always keep a permanent lump in me throat, they do.

"'S okay, love," he murmured. "Not to worry. They know all about us and are very pleased that I'm finally content."

While the calmness in his voice reassured me, that last statement got to me. Curious as the perverbial cat, I am...and you know the rest of that. "Bodie?"

"Hmmm?" he answered dreamily, his lips busy doing the sweetest things to my face, neck, eyes...

Determined to finally get at least my foot in this particular door, I swallowed hard, clamped down on me concentration and continued. "If they're so pleased and all, why haven't they come to visit before? I mean, letters are fine, but, well..."

Suddenly, his touch was gone and I panicked, fearful that to satisfy one moment of curiosity, I'd gone and mucked it up right royally. Not one to be pushed, is Bodie. I waited, eyes lowered, not daring to breathe, for the explosion I knew would come. When it didn't, I stole a tentative glance his way. Those sapphire eyes were fixed on me with loving amusement, obviously having anticipated my reactions.

"Bastard!" I hissed, suddenly weak with relief. "If you ever...!" I raised my fist threateningly to demonstrate my intent.

He took my fist in his hands, setting his lips to each knuckle. "'M a lover, not a fighter," he whispered, then all thought fled as he proved just that, taking with a gentle hunger, driving us over the pleasure barrier time and time again.

By the time the real world intruded once more, we had only 90 minutes before "beam in," as Bodie affectionately called their arrival. At the time, I laughed at him. Make a cute alien, he would, what with those exotic features, so flawless, those soul-piercing eyes and that haircut...

I stifled a threat of giggles as the images flooded my mind while I showered. When I had done, he was just coming from making a final check of downstairs. Our eyes met and I fell in love all over again, but before we could get up to anything, I ducked into the bedroom to finish dressing and did not come out until I heard the water running in the shower and his voice raised in gurgly song. Quickly, I retreated to the safety of the kitchen to make a final check on lunch. Bodie had set their arrival time at noon: 'They're very punctual, Ray, and so's me stomach. Okay, love?' I smiled at the memory. Was good to know I'd fallen in love with more than a bottomless pit attached to hollow legs. For a while, I'd wondered. It never occurred to me at the time to ask my meat-and-potatoes man why we were suddenly all vegetarian.

I had just taken the Ambrosia from the fridge when I thought I heard the phone buzzer. Lovely security invention, that. It's saved us from many an embarrassing situation. Then, there were voices: one was Bodie's. I hadn't heard him come downstairs.

"Ray, they're here!"

I grinned. 'Tact' wasn't always Bodie's middle name. Therefore, remember¬ing the significance of this occasion, I placed the salad on the counter, took a deep breath, entered the parlour and stopped dead in me tracks as I beheld our guests. What bloody game was Bodie up to now?!

Before I could find me voice, he chose that moment to speak. Coming forward from the group, he extended the first and second fingers of his right hand to me. Of their own will, the corresponding fingers of my right hand matched his gesture, overlapping Bodie's. He smiled, then, love and pride clearly reflected in his beautiful face, then turned to address our visitors.

"Father, mother, my brothers," he intoned formally, "permit me to present my bondmate, Raymond Doyle."

The three men and one woman nodded to me.

Then, he turned to address me. "Ray, may I present my father, Sarek of Vulcan; she-who-is-his-wife, my mother, Amanda; and they who are my brothers, Spock, son of Sarek and Amanda, and his bondmate, James T. Kirk."

Right, Bodie. And I'm George Cowley/ I conveyed my thoughts in my ex¬pression--a proper Doyle frown. What did he take me for? I knew Star Trek fen when I see 'em. Had to admit, those costumes were really great, though. Made a note to ask them where they'd had them done. And the participants had the char¬acters to perfection. Thus, because I loved the big kid, I decided to humour

Bodie and dutifully raised my left hand, forminga sort of 'V' with the third and fourth fingers.

Remaining at Bodie's side, I addressed the one he had called Sarek. "Peace and long life to you, father of my bondmate," I said solemnly, matching the formality. "I welcome you and your family," I added, including the others in a nod, "to our home."

It was Sarek who answered for his companions, which seemed right as he def¬initely had that aura of supreme authority.

"Live long and prosper, bondmate of my son," he intoned, copying my gesture perfectly, then asked, "Might I touch thee?", seemingly as a polite afterthought. Puzzled, I nodded assent.

He then approached me, hands stretched out before him. He stopped within an inch of me and laid those hands on either side of my head. For a split second, an electric shock of surprising magnitude rippled through my mind. Then, I felt it...a gentle probing of great mental power. Realisation hit like a phaser blast. The only race I knew of that could do that were the Romulans and the Vulcans--and Sarek was no Romulan! Christ, these were no fen, they were real!

I looked from Bodie to Spock to Sarek to Kirk to Amanda, then back to Bodie again, knowing my utter amazement and still mild-disbelief must be registering all over my face.

"Fascinating!" was all I could mutter, not trusting myself to say more.

Immediately, three left eyebrows rose in perfect unison and I couldn't re¬sist laughing in delight. Family traits, the mystery of the expressive left eyebrow was solved, time for explanations later. I went forward, with my bondmate--like the sound of that--to embrace our family.

-- THE END --

Originally published in Chalk and Cheese 2, Whatever You Do, Don't Press!, 1988