Title: Blood Oath
Author: Ster Julie
Contact: sterjulie@yahoo.com; http://sterjulie.bravehost.com
Series: TOS
Part: 1 of 1
Rating: G
Codes: Sa, Am, Sp
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nothing, nothing, NOTHING!
Permissions: Trekiverse and Sarek and Amanda
Archive. All others, please ask!!!
Summary: Young Spock had his first taste of diplomacy at a very young
age!
--ooOoo--
Sarek heard the sounds of retching coming from the necessary room. "Amanda?" he called. "Aduna?" Sarek eased into the room and found
his wife bowed over the commode, moaning.
"I'm sick," Amanda announced unnecessarily.
I shall summon a healer," Sarek said as he pulled out his communicator.
"Have him check the baby, too," Amanda instructed weakly.
"If it is a virus, he could be sick with it as well. I just finished
nursing him an hour ago."
"If it is a virus?" Sarek repeated.
"Do you suspect that it could be something else?"
Amanda moaned, "It could be food poisoning," just before she was hit
with several rounds of dry heaves.
"You were poisoned!" Sarek said with alarm.
Amanda waved a hand at her husband. "A figure of speech,
Sarek," she assured. "It could just be my body rejecting alien
cuisine."
"I told you to be careful," Sarek admonished, alarmed that a simple
reception could prove so dangerous to his human wife.
Just then, the healer arrived and examined Amanda. She was helped back to
bed and given fluids. The healer then moved on to young Spock, but found
him to be in an acceptable state of health.
"Your wife needs rest, Sarek," the healer reported. "Your
son is unaffected. Who can care for him today while you are in
negotiations?"
Sarek was taken aback. "My wife and I care for our son
ourselves," he replied. "Due to Spock's special needs, no one
else can care for him."
"Then you will have to reschedule your meeting with Ambassador Isi-ak."
"No," Sarek stated emphatically. "I can both care for
Spock and negotiate."
"But, how, Sarek?" the healer asked.
In response, Sarek picked up Amanda's ruana and tied
it over one shoulder, forming a sling in which to carry his young son.
Sarek picked up Spock and placed him in the folds of the soft cloth, holding
him lose to his left side. Sarek murmured to his son, reassuring Spock as
the baby settled into the new position.
*~~*
Sarek walked into his meeting with all the dignity a father carrying his
sleeping son could muster. When Spock fussed, Sarek gave the baby his own
knuckle on which he could suck.
Ambassador Isi-ak did not comment on the presence of
the infant at these proceedings. Isi-ak had not
realized that Vulcans were so family-minded, so dedicated to their
children. He watched as Sarek quietly doted on his small son without
missing a beat of the discussion. This behavior
made such an impression on Isi-ak that he quickly
made his decision.
Documents were prepared for singing, and Isi-ak held
out a stylus to Sarek.
Sarek disengaged his hand from Spock's mouth and reached for the writing
implement. At that moment, a single emerald drop fell on the document to
be signed.
Sarek gazed at his knuckles, only then noticing that Spock had broken his
father's skin. Sarek opened his mouth to apologize, but Isi-ak interrupted.
"A solemn covenant?" he breathed. "You wish to join with
us in a solemn covenant?" Isi-ak bit into
his own knuckles until a chocolate-colored stain
appeared next to Sarek's green one on the document.
"Now, your people are kin to my people," Isi-ak
intoned. "Any attack against you is an attack against us. We
stand together as brothers."
Sarek was stunned to silence. What had started out as a simple economic
negotiation had ended up an allegiance in the style of Ancient Vulcan warriors. Sarek would have to make discrete inquires
as to the extent of this "solemn covenant."
Isi-ak called for basins of warm water. Sarek washed
the garish green stains from his son's mouth and chin then washed his own
hand. He slipped a bottle from his robe, gave it to his hungry son and
walked back to his accommodations.
*~~*
Amanda met her husband and her son at the door of their suite. She was
still pale and weak, but much better than earlier. She reached a hand to
her baby and asked, "Were you a good boy, Spock?"
Spock smiled around the nipple of his bottle at the sound of his mother's
voice.
"Spock was a very good boy, Amanda," Sarek announced. "He
was given the title 'Junior Ambassador' by Ambassador Isi-ak.
Amanda was amazed. "What happened?" she asked as she took Spock
from Sarek.
Sarek replied with a twinkle and displayed his well-gnawed hand, "Spock
helped me to 'seal the deal' with no less than a 'blood oath.'"
END