Amanda S'chn T'gai Greyson was startled from her doze by the bleeping of her computer. With the heady alertness of one woken unexpectedly she squinted at the screen and smiled at the name on the monitor. Melanie Greyson-Stewart, her elder sister by two years, hadn't commed in months.
"Do you have any idea what time it is on Vulcan?" she demanded playfully.
"And you're still up anyway" Mel retorted "you on your lonesome?"
"Sarek's at a conference until tomorrow and Spock's asleep so yes. How are you and the girls?"
"Great" Mel replied unconvincingly.
"Oh, no; I know that look. Something's wrong and you wanna talk is that right?" Amanda had the uncanny ability to read people like a book. A useful quality in a Vulcan ambassador's wife.
"I need some advice. Its about Harry. He got the research grant."
"But that's great! Tell him congratulations."
"Thanks but the planet he's been assigned is Xenac VI. We can't go. It's Alex." Mel said dejectedly.
"What's wrong with her?" Amanda asked, immediately concerned about her younger niece.
"Nothing. But the planet's environment is completely wrong for her. Permanent cloud cover. And they don't have the facilities to deal with Tellman's."
Ah. Alexandra suffered from a rare condition known as Tellman's Syndrome. Patients required abnormally high levels of Vitamin D and exposure to UV light as well as having various sensitivities to food and low temperatures resulting in asthma-like symptoms. Amanda thought that it was sad that in this day and age with such advancements in technology there were still conditions that were incurable. Still, with therapies available on Earth, Alex barely felt the effects of her disease. But now the whole family were having to move to a place without those therapies.
"Harry and I have no idea what to do. He's thinking of leaving the project so we can all stay here."
"But, Mel, that's his life's work! That agricultural research will benefit the entire Federation. And it will take years to train another person."
"We don't have any choice. It's either split up the family or leave. And I can't leave Alex here on her own for six months!"
"And it can't be done on any other planet?" Mel shook her head, raking a hand through dark hair.
Amanda made a decision. "You know, Tellman's is a specialty of the VSA and we get an awful lot of sun here. Alex can stay here on Vulcan while Harry does his work. We're closer to Xenac than Earth is so you guys can visit. "
"Oh, Mandy would you? And Sarek. You sure he won't mind?" Mel's relief was almost tangible over the comm link.
"Of course not! Besides, it would be great for Spock to have a kid near his own age around. Especially his cousin. It will be great for them to get to know each other."
It was Mel's turn to feel concern. Amanda often talked of Spock's lack of compatibility with other Vulcan children. Their attitude to him ranged from indifference to downright hostility and that wasn't just the kids. Mel remembered her shock when Amanda had told her the words of one of his teachers; "His grading in my class is slightly below average but that is only to be expected given the mean aptitude levels in humans". Apparently racism was logical. Mel had never understood her brother-in-law's culture as her sister had and comments like that were not exactly an incentive to learn. The kid was barely nine for Godsake!
"When you dropping her off then? I can't wait to see her! It's been, what, a year? She grown much?"
"You wouldn't believe it! You'll get along like a house on fire! We're due to leave in a month if everything goes ahead."
"See you then, Sis" Amanda smiled.
"I don't know, Mandy, it's a lot to ask of you…"
"Would you stop?! For one thing you didn't ask, I offered and for another your my sister and I'd do anything for you so shut up and get packing!"
The next month saw Spock and his family waiting on a nearby landing platform for his cousin's arrival. It was not in Spock's nature to make prejudgements but when he had been told of the reason for his cousin's visit and about her illness he had been expecting a slightly sickly, more quiet, studious child than she had once been. A most suitable companion. The dark haired girl who tumbled into his life, however, was a very different being. She fell rather than disembarked from the shuttle, almost knocking the Vulcan who had operated the door over "Woops! Sorry about that!" she yelped with a grin before turning to Spock's mother. "Aunt Mandy!" she cried "Great to see you!". The woman and girl embraced before the rest of the family got out. Spock exchanged a glance with his father.
After somewhat more composed greetings had been exchanged between the adults, the two younger children were left to their own devices. "Hey, Spock!" she said, attempting a very clumsy version of the Vulcan salute "wow, you've grown!"
"An unnecessary observation since it is some years since we last saw each other"
Alex laughed "Right. You were, what, four?"
"Four years, two months and eight days in Terran terms" he recited automatically "I believe you had been five for 19 days"
"Even I don't remember that! Mum said Vulcans have great memories. I've been doing some research before I came. Is it true you have giant teddy bears here?"
"Selats are not giant teddy bears but do have an ursine appearance its true" responded the boy "they also are in possession of six inch long fangs."
"Way cool!" the girl evaluated.
"I fail to understand why the temperature is significant. Also Vulcan's temperature is approximately-" he broke off when Alex started laughing. "I do not see how what I've said is amusing."
"No, its, its not literally cool. I just meant, oh never mind, I'll tell you later. Blimey, your right it is hot here!" she fanned herself, the movement exaggerated in what he was quickly learning was a customary way for her.
"Alex" called Amanda "You parents have to go now!". The children walked back over.
AN: Just a short little intro for our two cuzes. What do you guys think? Obviously I've taken some liberties with Amanda's family tree and how often she may have visited Earth with or without Spock and Sarek but hope it works. VSA= Vulcan Science Academy. Sweeney out.