This story started percolating in my brain
not long after I posted the previous hot chocolate story. I realized that
I wanted to give our favorite couple a happier ending than in the first
story.
I want to express a very special 'Thank you" to T'Sia for requesting a
follow-up story. That meant a lot to me, and I hope you like what I've
written.
I meant to have this story up on Christmas Day, but struggled with the final
sentence for over a week. I finally think it's fairly presentable.
Any reviews or suggestions as to how to improve the story would be much
appreciated.
Summary: Sarek and Amanda share a joyous evening at home during the
Christmas season.
Possibilities
By T’Lina
Sarek gazed at the front of his home as he exited his ground car. The
exterior lights glowed amber in the deep blackness of the Vulcan night, but the
interior was dark. Reaching out through their telepathic bond, he gauged
his bondmate's emotional state. Quiet contentment and love flowed to him
in gentle waves. Nodding in satisfaction, he entered his home.
From somewhere in the house came the soft strains of one of Amanda's favorite
Christmas carols, "What Child Is This?" After hanging his cloak
on its peg in the entry hall, he removed his boots and slid his feet into his
new house slippers, an early Christmas gift from his wife after his old ones
had literally disintegrated. "Amanda?" he called out softly.
"In here," came the response from the direction of the living
room. Depositing a small package on the kitchen counter, he entered their
living room. Multicolored lights glowed on the small artificial Christmas
tree they had set up on a low table. He found his bondmate sitting in her
antique oak rocking chair, their tiny baby nursing contentedly at her
breast. I-Chaya snored peacefully at her feet.
Moving to the side of the rocking chair, he knelt beside her as he gazed at
this tiny miracle that had so recently come into their lives. "My
wife."
"Hi, handsome," she replied, reaching her hand behind his neck to
draw his head down for a kiss.
"How was he today?" Sarek asked, reaching one finger to stroke his
son's soft cheek.
"The little rascal slept most of the day," she replied looking
lovingly up at him. "I actually had time to cook a real meal for
us. It's in the warmer in the kitchen. Unfortunately, he'll
probably have me up all night."
"I will speak to him about his inverted schedule," Sarek replied,
watching with fascination as the baby's fingers gripped his index finger with
surprising strength for one so small.
"Spock and I had follow-up visits at the
"Did Sorel perform the intelligence and psi potential evaluations I
requested?"
"He did, and he found that Spock's IQ appears to be quite high even for a
Vulcan infant. Early measurements of psi potential aren't as accurate as
the Vulcan Medical Association would like, but
Sarek nodded, gazing into his infant son's dark eyes, which were focused on him
with intense concentration. "He is obviously a superior child."
Amanda gazed up at her husband with a twinkle in her eyes. "Oh, yes,
obviously. He is, after all, your son."
"Is he due for his supplemental bottle?" Sarek asked. She knew
through their bond that he was searching for a logical reason to hold his new
son.
"Actually he is," she replied. "The bottle's in the
warmer," she continued, indicating a small warming unit on the table next
to her rocking chair.
"I will give him his bottle," her husband said as he reached for his
son, "if you have no objection?"
"Not at all. He's all yours," Amanda replied, lifting the
baby up to her husband's strong hands. She caught his quick glance at the
rocking chair. Rising, she said, "Why don't you sit in the rocking
chair to give him his bottle? I'll go check to make sure dinner's not
getting too dried out."
"A logical suggestion," Sarek commented as he sank into his wife's
rocking chair, his attention focused on his son. When she returned to the
living room a few minutes later, she found her husband rocking contentedly, his
son in his arms. The bottle, now upside down, rested in the warmer, and
an all too familiar smell permeated the living room.
"I think Spock has a little surprise for you in his diaper, Daddy,"
she said.
Sarek nodded. "I am not unaware of his surprise," he replied.
"I will change his diaper. Sit and relax; enjoy listening to your
Christmas music," he said, rising as he lifted his son to his
shoulder. Amanda watched as her husband gently patted their baby's back
until the sound of a resounding burp filled the room.
Sinking gracefully into her rocking chair, she leaned forward to stroke
I-Chaya's head. The sehlat stirred and yawned, gazing up at his mistress
with his dark brown eyes. "Want to go watch The Boss change Spock's
diaper?" she asked the sleepy sehlat.
He answered her query with a soft
"Yowp."
She smiled at their beloved family pet as she rose from the rocking
chair. They moved together to the nursery door. Leaning against the
doorway, she watched her husband interact with their son, her right hand
resting on the rough reddish-brown fur of I-Chaya's head.
In the soft glow of a night light, Sarek leaned over his son's small body as he
unfastened the dirty diaper. "Your mother tells me that you slept
most of the day and will most likely be awake a significant portion of the
night," he said softly as he cleaned his son's bottom with a damp
cleansing cloth and tossed the cloth and his son's soiled diaper into the
fresher. "It is not logical to follow such a schedule, my son,"
he continued as he slid a clean diaper under Spock's bottom. "In
future, you will maintain a normal schedule. You will remain awake during
the day and sleep during the night. That is the preferred schedule for a
Vulcan infant."
Amanda smiled tenderly as she watched the baby gaze up into his father's somber
gaze with wide eyes, arms and legs windmilling in gentle orchestrated
movements. From the moment of his birth, Spock had appeared to be most
fascinated with his father.
When her husband lifted their son in his arms, she scurried back to the living
room and sank into the rocking chair only seconds before her husband re-entered
the living room. "Did you find our father-son conversation
enlightening, my wife?"
"It was adorable," she replied, blue eyes twinkling. "You
ready to eat? I'll go get dinner on the table."
"That would be acceptable," he replied as he followed her into the
kitchen. He placed the baby in an infant seat she had left on the kitchen
counter earlier in the day and took his place at the table. She served
the food and they ate in silence, as is the
When they had finished eating and cleared the table, Sarek picked Spock up in
his infant seat and followed Amanda back into the living room. Removing
the baby from his seat, he handed him to his wife and said, "I have a
small surprise for you. I will bring it to you here."
"A surprise, eh? Couldn't be the same surprise you had for me last
year or the year before that, could it?"
The corners of Sarek's mouth quirked ever so slightly. "If I told
you, my wife, it would no longer be a surprise."
"Quite logical," she replied with a mischievous smile. Her
husband had bowed his head in acknowledgement and disappeared into the
kitchen. Amanda gazed down at her child where he lay in her arms.
"Whatever do you suppose Sa-Sa is up to in there, little one?" she
whispered, lowering her head to kiss his forehead and nose. The baby
gazed up at her in fascination. "You know something, sweet
pea? You're the best Christmas present ever. Sa-sa and I love you
very much, even if he'll never admit it."
I-Chaya whined and rested his massive head on Amanda's knees, his mournful
brown eyes moving significantly from his mistress to this new rival for the
attention of his master and mistress.
"Oh, I-Chaya, don't be jealous. We still love you. And I need
you to help me take care of him and watch over him. When he's a little
bigger, you and he will be best friends, just as you and Sarek were when he was
a little boy. Do you understand?"
I-Chaya, who had gazed earnestly up at his mistress while she spoke, uttered a
low moaning noise and lowered his head, nostrils flaring, to sniff the baby's
skin. Apparently satisfied with Spock's scent, he very delicately washed
the baby's silky black hair with his rough tongue. The baby startled when
the sehlat's tongue first touched his head, but then cooed and waved his arms
happily.
"Very good, I-Chaya," Amanda said, stroking the sehlat's head.
"I'm glad you like Spock. I think he likes you
too."
As she spoke, she noticed a delicious, and familiar, smell emanating from the
kitchen. Moments later Sarek walked into the living room bearing a tray
with a pot of hot chocolate and two Christmas mugs.
"Merry Christmas, Amanda," he said as he set the tray down on the
table beside her and poured her a cup of hot chocolate. After pouring
himself a cup, he sat down in his chair on the opposite side of the table.
Amanda took a sip of her hot chocolate. "Delicious," she
commented. After taking another sip, she put the cup on the table.
"Mom and Dad contacted me this afternoon to give me the itinerary for
their trip to Vulcan. They're scheduled to arrive at Shi'Kahr space port
at
"Are they well?" Sarek asked.
"They're both fine. They're really looking forward to meeting their
new grandson."
"It will be good to see them again."
"It will. I guess it took the birth of a grandson to finally
persuade them to come here to spend Christmas with us." She smiled
and reached her hand across the table. "Thank you for being so good
about having them stay with us, dear. I love you."
Sarek took her hand in his and squeezed it gently before releasing it.
"I cherish thee, my aduna."
They sat in companionable silence sipping hot chocolate and listening to the
heavenly strains of "Silent Night." Sarek stole a quick glance
at his wife. She was rocking their son and humming along with the music,
her eyes gazing fondly at the sleeping infant in her arms. Her quiet joy
on this night was a most pleasing contrast to her sadness of two years ago
following the loss of their unborn daughter. After years of heartbreak
and disappointment, their union was finally complete with the birth of this
child. Sometimes possibilities are realized and dreams come true.
"A new baby is like the beginning of all things - wonder, hope, a dream of
possibilities." Eda J. Le Shan
___________________________________
Dr.