"Oo's a wee little bairn? Oo's the sweetest wee little babeh on the whole ship? Aye, you are! Yes you are!" Scotty held in his arms Lieutenant Uhura and Commander Spock's eight month old baby. Her skin was the colour of caramel, her tiny ears curved up to a slender point. It had been noted already that throughout the baby's life, the Vulcan traits would be strongest, though Uhura had pointed out, with a great deal of laughter, that she'd gotten her mother's hair. T'Meni gurgled, her dark eyes shining up at the Chief Engineer.
"Are you sure it's no trouble?" Uhura asked worriedly. "We'd ask Leonard, but he's working, so is Jim, it seems like everyone has the nightshift but you."
"It'll be great!" Scotty said, "I've watched me nephew a few times. Anything I should know before I go?"
"Yes, bedtime is 1900 hours, she'll need to be changed about ten minutes after she's eaten, oh, and she eats soft foods now. Vulcan children progress faster than humans do, she likes mashed peas."
"Yech! What you go and give her that nasty stuff for?" She just smiled
"I'll see you at 0800 Scotty. Thanks again." Nyota slid the diaper bag onto his other shoulder, T'Meni's stuffed Targ poking out the top.
Scotty had no children of his own, but he had a sister, and she had a wee one, Peter was his name. He was a sharp lad, he was only five, but he'd already decided he wanted to be an engineer, just like his uncle. He supposed T'Meni would be a bit different, for starters she barely had any teeth, second, her main skill was drooling. Good grief this child could make a mess! By the time they reached his quarters (Doctor McCoy had helped him baby-proof it earlier); the whole front of his uniform was a wet, sticky mess. He set her down on the floor, he ought to change his shirt, but he couldn't leave the baby out alone. Well, he'd change it later when she went to sleep.
"Are ye hungry?" he asked, T'Meni only babbled to her Targ, pushing the stuffed nose. "I'll take that as a yes." He went to the replicator. "Mashed peas…yech. I think I'd be sick just watchin' ye eat 'em. How 'bout a nice bowl of porridge eh?" he smiled, "We don't replicate that stuff." He went to his kitchenette and pulled down a box. He went back to where T'Meni was sitting and knelt down, holding up the box. She looked at it quizzically, as if she'd never seen it before. Her little fingers reached for it, "I don't suppose yer mum ever made this for ye? This is what my mum made for me every mornin', with a bit o' honey, and cream." He smiled, watching the child trace her finger over the picture on the box. "What do you say darlin'? Nice little bowl for you, and one big one for yer uncle?" she was still looking at the box. "Alright." He stood up, taking the box with him. T'Meni let out such a shriek he nearly jumped out of his skin. He turned to see her stretching for him, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. "Oh-oh- don't cry, yer daddy will- no I suppose he wouldn't be angry would he? Want to come and watch?" he picked her up and almost instantly her tears ceased, she traced the picture on the box once more.
T'Meni in one arm, the spoon for the porridge in the other, he managed to cook dinner without burning him, the baby, or the food. He set her on the tile, a cool bowl of porridge beside her.
"There ye are. Enjoy." She looked at him. He looked back. This was odd. Usually when his sister put any kind of food in front of Peter, he'd tear into it so fast there'd be splatters on the wall. Instead she looked at him, her dark eyes shining up at him as if to say:
"Well? Aren't you going to feed me?" he smiled, took a spoon out of the drawer and set it in the bowl,
"There we are, nice an' wide- Oo that's good isn't it?" T'Meni was puckering her mouth, apparently she hadn't yet grasped the concept of swallowing all the food. Strange race, she could sit up, already had two teeth, was crawling, but she still dribbled half the food down her shirt. "Open wide, here comes the starship, warp 9-no that's a dangerous speed, choke on yer food, well, let's say we're on thrusters. Those are only allowed in spacedock." T'Meni "uhmed" the spoonful of porridge, this time managing to keep most of it in her mouth. He fed her, all the while she still held that stupid box. When she was finished, Scotty looked at her, the floor and stove. While he was cooking, she'd upset the box, spilling oats all over the place; the floor was a different matter. When she discovered he didn't mind if she just reached into the bowl, she started making her own design on the tiles, deciding she liked the feeling of warm porridge in her hands. "I suppose you need a bath hey?" he picked her up, stepping over the dishes to the kitchen sink.
Once she was clean, he set her in the main room again, her stuffed toy in her hands, and the now empty porridge box, she refused to let him throw it away, too fascinated by the pictures and words to let go of it. He picked up the dishes and mopped the floor, seeing as there was porridge everywhere. He sat down on the sofa, a bowl in his hands. T'Meni was reaching into the diaper bag, pulling out toys from the bottom. Apparently her mother had packed a few blocks. She was babbling worriedly,
"What's that?" he asked, she held up the bag "Aye that's yer's, don't lose it, you'll need a change soon." She was obviously worried about something. "You need a change now?" he set his bowl aside and went to the little girl, picking her up, he took a quick whiff. "Eeyech! Oh yes." He said, and set her down on her back, reaching for the diaper bag, T'Meni only gurgled. "Vulcan or not, I still think every one of ye wee ones gets a kick out of bein' changed. Yer thinkin 'Oh aye! He'll wipe me smelly drookit bahookie'." Once changed, T'Meni held her box in her little hands as Scotty dimmed the lights in the main room. He swayed back and forth, hoping the motion would get the child to fall asleep. "Oh ye look just like yer mother don't ye? You're the prettiest little thing aren't ye? In Scotland, that's where your Uncle Scotty is from, we call pretty little things like you bonnie. And you are little one. Would ye like a song? Your Uncle Scotty knows a pretty one." He set the child down in the center of the square of pillows on the floor, so she wouldn't roll about as she slept. He tugged her small fleece blanket over her and then reached for his autoharp.
"My own dear mum used to sing this to me." He plucked the strings with dexterity one might not expect from someone like him.
High upon highlands and low upon Tay
Bonnie George Campbell rode out on a day
Saddled and bridled, so gallant rode he
Home came his good horse, but never came he.
Down came his mother dear with her heart filled with care
Down came his bonnie bride and she's curling her hair
The meadow lie green and by corn is unshorn
Bonnie George Campbell he'll never return…"
Already T'Meni's eyes were drooping, her little head nodded, and she was fast off in a moment, Scotty smiled to himself, finishing the song because he wanted to. When it was done, he rested his chin against the autoharp.
"Wee one, you'll put all the ladies to shame."
"Ahem." He turned with a start, seeing Gaila in his doorway, her arms folded across her middle, grinning like a cheshire cat.
"Oh…ah…Gaila…what um…what are ye doin' here?"
"I thought I'd stop by, Uhura told me you had the baby tonight." She stepped all the way in so the doors would close.
"How long have you been standin' there?"
"Long enough." She said smiling as she knelt down. "I didn't know you liked kids."
"Oh aye, I've a nephew back home. He's not a baby though." He was looking at T'Meni, his eyes softened at the child. Gaila saw, and smiled a little.
"You play very well." She said.
"Hm? Oh, da taught me. Play the bagpipes too."
"The what?"
"Bagpipes," he nodded to the other instrument that sat on the shelf across the room. "Can't play them now, wake the lass." He said. "No good indoors anyway. Better for outside." He patted the cushion of the couch and she took it, curling her legs under her. He patted her thigh, tracing a part of the long scar there.
"Play something for me." She said, he tried to hide the sense of pride that washed over him as he took up the autoharp again.
"By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes
Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond
Where me and my true love were ever wont tae gae
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond
Oh you take the high road and I'll take the low road
An' I'll be in Scotland afore ye,
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond
T'was there that we parted in yon shady glen.
On the steep, steep side of Ben Lomond,
Where in purple hue, the hielan' hills we view,
An' the moon comin' out in the gloamin'.
Oh, you take the high road and I'll take the low road
An' I'll be in Scotland afore ye,
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond…"
0800
When Uhura pressed the button, ringing Scotty, she was somewhat surprised to see Gaila answering the door.
"Shh," she whispered "They're asleep on the couch, you've got to see this." She waved her in, and Uhura followed on tiptoe, peering around, expecting the apartment to be a mess. T'Meni had a habit of pulling things out when she oughtn't. Instead, Uhura saw Scotty fast asleep on the couch, T'Meni sitting up on his middle, holding a porridge box and cooing to herself. She saw her mother and squealed, Scotty opened his eyes
"Wasn't 'sleep!" he slurred "Just restin' honestly Gaila darlin', I know how to- oh. Look who's here darlin', yer mum's back." T'Meni was beaming, reaching her hands out to her mother.
"Hi baby." Uhura smiled, picking her up. "She wasn't any trouble was she?"
"Not a bit." Scotty said, Uhura turned to Gaila, not quite believing Scotty would admit to a child being bad.
"Don't look at me, I only came around the time he was putting her to sleep." She lowered her voice, "He was singing to her."
"It was her bed time!" Scotty insisted and Uhura smiled at T'Meni
"Is that so? Did he sing for you?" the child just gurgled, "I'll take her home now, you must be exhausted." She said,
"Oh…do you have to go?" he asked "We were gonna have pancakes."
"Some other time." Uhura said "Though they do sound tempting, I've got to get her back, Spock will wonder where we are. Thanks again." He saw her to the door, touching the back of T'Meni's head.
"Bye darlin', any time you need someone to watch her." He said, and Uhura promised to remember. Back in the apartment, Gaila stretched her arms above her head, yawning.
"So does the offer of breakfast count for me too?" she asked smiling and he laughed, kissing her good morning.
"Thanks for stayin' with me."
"It was nice to see you with a baby." She said. "Not that I want any right now."
"Yer not kiddin'." He said, flopping onto the couch beside her. "I like watchin' 'em though."
"Hm." She rested her head against his shoulder.
"Well, breakfast isn't going to make itself." He pushed himself to his feet, heading for the kitchen. As he passed her she playfully smacked his bottom,
"Oy! Oh aye, very funny." He said, and she just beamed. In a moment she felt a small handfull of flour meet her face and she gave a shriek. He laughed as she jumped up onto the counter, dusting her hair off. He wiped the flour from her face, replacing the smudges with a kiss.
"Nyota."
"What?" they were dressed in their pyjamas, or she was, Spock was going to stay up to watch the baby for the morning, and then she'd take the afternoon. "What is T'Meni holding?"
"Oh," she unhooked her earrings and set them down on the bathroom counter. She padded out to the main room where he stood, watching their daughter trace the letters on the box. "Scotty must've let her look at it when he made supper last night."
"It is empty." Spock said, as T'Meni shook the box, laughing. He knelt down and her tiny fingers went back to the letters tracing them. She looked up at him, and slapped the cover.
"I think she's hungry." Uhura said, smiling a little. She went to the replicator, in a moment, she set the porridge down before T'Meni, giving the spoon to her husband. He tried to feed her, but after tasting a spoonful she refused to open her mouth again.
"She does not appear to be hungry." T'Meni slapped the box, frustrated. "Daughter," Spock attempted removed the box, seeing it moved her only to throw a tantrum. She began to cry, reaching for it.
"Hold on." Uhura went to the comm, ringing for Scotty.
"Oh, Uhura, hi!" he appeared, Gaila was in the background sitting on the counter ladeling strawberries onto her stack of pancakes, humming to herself and swinging her feet. "T'Meni forget something?"
"No, she's hungry, and she wants whatever you made her last night." She moved slightly so he could see Spock attempting to feed T'Meni again.
"Oh, she liked it with a bit of cream and honey. I didn't replicate it either." Scotty said.
"Thanks." She said "Tell Gaila I said hi."
"Yep." And the screen flicked off. Uhura shrugged
"Replicated will have to do for now." She said and programmed the dish. She took the plain bowl away and set the fresh batch in Spock's hands. This bowl she responded better to, and impatiently reached for the spoon when Spock took it away. Finally, T'Meni just reached into the bowl, Spock sighed, almost angrily, as she stuffed a fist-full of sticky porridge into her mouth, managing to get most of it on her face. Looking up at her father, she took a handful and pushed it at him, cooing.
"No thank you T'Meni, it is your supper." She sounded aggravated, pushing the fistful of porridge at him. "Stop that." He said sternly,
"She's just sharing." Nyota bent down and took a little nibble out of T'Meni's hands, "Yummy, thank you baby." Spock looked over at her.
"That is not sanitary."
"Oh I don't care." She kissed him, still chewing. T'Meni continued to sift her fingers through the warm porridge, gurgling happily to herself. Finally, the bowl empty, she yawned sleepily. Uhura smiled. "Looks like we'll have to make sure the cupboards are stocked with porridge."
"Indeed." She smiled, kissing him gently before heading back down the hall, leaving Spock to clean up the mess.