Lioness

Finally Sarek and his family were in their quarters at the Vulcan Embassy. Though considerably smaller and more modest than their home on Vulcan, it seemed huge compared to the small space they had occupied on the USS Cochrane. Sarek was glad to get out of the chilly San Francisco wind. He removed his heavy jacket, set it on a chair, and helped his three-year-old son out his parka. Amanda took off her own coat, and everything was hung up in the hall closet. Amanda appreciated being able to do such little things for herself. She was surprised that T'Rysa was not already here, waiting on them.

Slowly, they began to smell the pleasant aroma of Vulcan home cooking. T'Rysa was in the kitchen. Amanda realized that she had been making a savory vegetable stew, one of Sarek's favorites. It would be a most welcome lunch after their exposure to the brisk air.

T'Rysa had been employed as a domestic assistant by the Embassy for over thirty years, since the time when Sarek first became attached to the Embassy. She and her husband Stohl, who coordinated Embassy transportation and sometimes chauffeured, had previously served as domestic staff for Sarek's parents. T'Rysa was childless, so she had channeled much of her maternal inclination into helping her employers raise Sarek and his siblings. She was fiercely loyal to the family that she served.

When Sarek wed Amanda and brought her to live here in the Embassy's main residence, T'Rysa did not attempt to hide her disapproval of the young Human bride. Oh, she served Amanda, and did all that was requested of her and more. However, T'Rysa's general attitude made it clear she believed Sarek had married beneath his station. Amanda felt like an outsider in her own home, and was sometimes reduced to private tears. It finally fell to Sarek to reprimand T'Rysa, threatening her with dismissal. An uneasy truce existed between the two women now, even after many years acquaintance.

This was Spock's first visit to Terra, and of course his first time living at the Embassy. Amanda was concerned about how the relationship T'Rysa and little Spock would be. No longer the timid bride, but a devoted mother, she would defend her child to the death if necessary. "That old goat had better not get uppity with my baby!" Amanda's thoughts were interrupted by T'Rysa's entry into the hallway.

"Welcome back, Ambassador, My Lady Amanda."

"Greetings, T'Rysa. You have not yet met our son Spock. Spock, this is T'Rysa, who has served our family faithfully for many years."

"I give you greetings" said young Spock politely.

"I greet you as well, Spock. If you are all hungry, lunch has been prepared. I will serve it for you in the dining room."

"Thank you, T'Rysa. It smells delicious. We will wash up and be there directly." Amanda took Spock to wash his hands.

As she made her way to the kitchen, T'Rysa had to admit to herself that Amanda had done a fine job with Spock so far. Perhaps she had underestimated the young Human woman. The child was undoubtedly aesthetically pleasing, just as his father had been.

Lunch was in fact, delicious! Spock ate two helpings of T'Rysa's stew, and a few pieces of the accompanying Vulcan flat bread. The bread was eaten with a tong-like utensil, as it was not polite to eat with one's hands. T'Rysa seemed pleased with the boy's appetite. Amanda smiled to herself. Spock was scoring points with "the old goat" already.

After lunch, Amanda took Spock to his room and allowed him to color while she unpacked his clothes and put them away. Satisfied that her son was amusing himself, she went to the master bedroom and started unpacking her own things and Sarek's. Her husband had gone to his office to meet with his staff. The family would remain on Terra for three months, and then return to Vulcan. At that time, Spock would begin his formal schooling.

It had been many years since she had a child in her care, but T'Rysa still remembered everything. She especially remembered how fond three-year-old Sarek had been of his afternoon snack. Perhaps Spock would care for one. T'Rysa sliced an assortment of fruit into a bowl and placed it on a tray, along with a glass of soy milk. She carried these to the young boy's room.

Spock was sitting on the floor, the contents of his backpack spread out before him. When he saw T'Rysa he attempted to hide something behind himself.

"What do you have there, little one? I trust it is not something dangerous."

Spock decided it was best to confess. He held out his secret treasure for T'Rysa to inspect, several peanut butter cookies wrapped in napkins. "The food on the starship was not always good" he explained. "I learned to use the replicator to get cookies, but this displeased father. I hid these away because I did not know if the food would be any better here at the Embassy. My concern was unnecessary. Your bread and stew were excellent."

"Thank you, Spock. What are these called?"

"They are peanut butter cookies. Would you like to try one?" He handed T'Rysa a napkin-wrapped cookie and showed her how to eat it, pushing it up through the napkin as he went.

T'Rysa was at once reminded of Sarek, who used to sneak honey cakes out of her kitchen when he was Spock's age. He never suspected that she knew and had made them just for him.

"They are quite good, a Terran delicacy I have never had before. I shall place the rest in the freezer for you, and they shall be our secret. You should also eat your fruit and drink your soy milk, so your mother will not become suspicious. "

Amanda had heard all this from the doorway, but ducked around the corner as to not be seen. "That little devil!" She had not known her son could be so sneaky. And now the two of them were in it together. However, she also realized something else. T'Rysa would give her son the same devotion she had given Sarek. T'Rysa was not an "old goat" after all. She was a lioness looking after her cubs.

A/NThose darn cookies keep popping up everywhere!