"Please insure that the children retire at a reasonable hour-" Saavik grimaced and peered narrow eyed into the other corner beneath the generations old hutch; the first corner had turned out to be fruitless. "T'Kel, where are your shoes?"

The black haired little minx merely shrugged and carefully pried another data circuit from her father's new tricorder.

"T'Kel!"

That at least got a temperamental frown. "Why? I am not going anywhere."

Saavik summoned patience. "Setik!"

The quiet Amanda-eyed boy obediently pointed to the polished meditation slab nearest the gardens, earning a foul burning glare from his younger sister.

"Blue!" she hissed, her special name for her usually idolized older brother, after his blue eyes. She had obviously expected him to ally himself with her, siblings versus parent. She wasn't happy. He edged closer to his mother's safety.

"Thank you, Setik." Saavik used her hands to push off the floor and gave T'Kel a dark warning glower as she went after the shoes. Her daughter, of course, lifted her narrow chin and returned only defiance. And a raised eyebrow, much too similar to her father's. Saavik bent and unwedged the small sandals from their place of concealment.

The lieutenant commander smothered a grin. "Yes, ma'am. Children to bed at a decent hour."

"Should you receive any difficulty," Saavik continued tersely to the officer, giving T'Kel another look, "the comm unit is linked to our communicators." She thumped the shoes beside her daughter and caught sight of the tricorder. "You WILL reassemble that before your father sees it."

T'Kel's lower lip pulled down in a sullen pout.

Saavik shook her dark hair and turned around to Setik, brow creasing. "Where is T'Pren?"

The boy pointed in the direction of the bedrooms.

Saavik motioned the lieutenant commander to accompany her down the hall. "I have preprogrammed the food synthesizer for the evening meal. See that the children eat in an hour." She leaned around the sturdy frame of the last bedroom. And frowned openly.

Accustomed to Vulcan propriety, the human lowered her eyes to give them privacy.

The youngest of the twin daughters quickly hid her tear-stained face against the protective shoulder of Ko-kan. The great sehlat made a low noise. Saavik hesitated a moment, and then crossed the bedroom to stroke the worried beast's head. Then she dropped her hand and gently touched T'Pren's ebony hair. "We will not be gone long," she promised.

With a dramatic sob, T'Pren pried herself from Ko-kan and fell into Saavik's arms. Saavik cradled her close and pressed her lips to her daughter's delicate pointed ear. "If you wish, you may contact us at any time. If necessary, we will use the transporter to return immediately."

T'Pren nodded against her, now merely sniffling.

Saavik rose, lifting the small T'Pren effortlessly, and settled her on one hip. She motioned the lieutenant commander back down the hall to the family room. Ko-kan padded silently after them, whiffing curiously at the human's boots. The woman eyed the sharp-fanged creature carefully, tuning out the stream of words from the child up ahead who only meant them for her mother.

As they reached the family room, Saavik continued, "The children know their required studies. Their terminals are already activated and set with their lessons. If they complete their work, they may use the remaining time until they retire as they wish."

T'Kel looked up suddenly attentive.

Saavik winced. "Within reason."

Her daughter scowled.

"Yes, ma'am," the lieutenant commander nodded, still watching Ko-kan.

Saavik set T'Pren in the warmly worn rocker and tucked the old quilt about her. She wiped the little girl's cheeks dry and stroked the fair brow. Ko-kan settled beside the rocker and laid her massive head over one armrest.

"T'Pren is gifted with words," Saavik explained to the officer. Her eyes glinted with humor and her daughter's lightened in return. "She inherited it from her father and grandfather. Pay no heed to her justifications for such things as staying awake past her bedtime."

The identical twin sisters exchanged an impish glance, and then with Setik who nodded but stayed calm and quiet, ever the Vulcan gentleman. The officer didn't know if she had trouble coming from that quarter or not.

Saavik straightened and scanned the home with a sharp eye. "The estate's screens will activate automatically upon our leaving. The children are NOT," and she pinned T'Kel with a firm look, "to pass the outer walls."

The scowl grew darker and T'Kel pried another circuit loose.

"You know the codes of the estate security system and the location of all weaponry in the home." Saavik's eyes grew intense. "Use them if necessary. Our ship is in orbit and I have directed the officer on watch to keep an eye on his scans."

She dropped her eyes to the sehlat. "Ko-kan." The sehlat's tall ears instantly snapped forward to her mistress. "Guard." The great beast immediately rose and began her perimeter prowl, nostrils flaring and keen eyes probing everything. Saavik's mouth twitched ever so slightly at a corner.

Then she eyed her children sternly. "I expect you to give the lieutenant commander your obedience in every event and aspect. Should I be informed otherwise, I will be MOST displeased." She met Setik's blue eyes. "Setik?"

"Yes, Mother," her son said quietly.

"T'Kel?"

Her daughter eyed her challengingly out of the corner of onyx eyes. Saavik's lips pulled tightly over her teeth.

"Yes, Mother."

"T'Pren?"

Her last child nodded, once more mournful over her parents leaving. "Yes, Mother," she said softly.

Saavik nodded, but didn't move. The human recognized the sudden reluctance in her to go.

"Saavik?" came the deep voice.

The two women turned and Spock, lean and dignified, inclined his head calmly. "Thank you, Lieutenant Commander, for allowing us this evening." His dark eyes took in his wife and Saavik actually blushed beautifully under his gaze.

T'Kel chewed her lip contritely, and then ran out of the room, diving into the garden beyond.

Spock's eyebrow ascended curiously and Saavik sighed. But then T'Kel was back with a slightly mangled but still graceful white rose, her child's hand scratched and torn. She hesitated a moment, then stuck out her chin and thrust the bruised flower at her mother.

Saavik's eyes held her eldest daughter's and then she bowed, covering the sudden need to blink with the motion as she accepted the rough truce gesture.

The lieutenant commander caught herself blinking also.

Spock nodded his approval at his daughter, and extended two long fingers towards Saavik. She extended her own. Setik hurried forward and lifted his small hand to place between his parents.

Tenderly, Spock and Saavik lowered their hands within reach, and made a space between their palms for Setik. T'Pren slid out of the rocker and ran to join them, slipping her small hand into the midst of the other three. T'Kel raised hers last, and for just a moment, the family was one.

The human felt a sense of profound *home*.

Then the children scattered, now relaxed, and Spock genteelly guided Saavik to the door. He paused over the threshold and glanced back, a decided glint in his dark eyes. "Lieutenant Commander?"

The human pulled her eyes back from T'Kel, who was furtively stuffing the disemboweled tricorder beneath a chair. "Yes, sir?"

"Should you find you require some time alone, there is a lock on the facility door."

Saavik looked wickedly over her shoulder.

"Why would I need a lock?" frowned the Starfleet officer as they left.

T'Kel looked up innocently.