Variant

Chapter 3: He Doesn't Like You Either

Amanda felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked at the small infant before her. She wiped her cheeks and looked to the nurse who was working quickly on the child. She had both feared and anticipated this moment. Over the past months his chances of survival kept increasing and increasing. He was now laying fully formed, breathing on his own, on a table his shrill cry escaping his small mouth. He had just been removed from the artificial womb and was shocked by the sudden change in temperature. The nurse quickly wrapped him in a small blanket and handed him to Amanda. She smiled down at him running her finger along his small cheek, back up to his pointed ear.

As soon as Amanda held him in her arms Spock stopped crying. Most Vulcan's from birth could mind link slightly with their mothers. He had sensed her mind and had calmed almost suddenly.

"Have you thought of a name?" The nurse asked him. Amanda nodded as she smiled down at her son.

"Yes..." She said. "Spock." The nurse raised an eyebrow at this but did not say anything. She was about to point out that Spock was a word, not a name but seeing the human with her son she decided to keep her mouth shut.

"He's a tough little one." The nurse said. Amanda nodded.

"Yes... he's a survivor." The nurse was once again going to point out the illogicality of the statement being spoken, but once again decided against it.

"Will you be raising him on Vulcan than?" The nurse asked curious as to what will happen to the child now. She knew that Amanda had no family here other than Sarek's brother who went out of his way to avoid contact with Amanda. He didn't like humans very much and disdained the fact that his brother had married one.

"I have family on earth." Amanda said. "In Iowa. I'll be taking him to stay with my parents until I can get settled there. I think it would be easiest on him to have a stable family. I can't raise him here by myself."

"That seems..." The nurse paused wondering if this was the correct word to use in this situation. "Logical."

Amanda smiled and cooed at her son when he opened his brown eyes to look at her. The nurse turned away. Humans... such strange creatures.

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Amanda was nervous to see her parents again. She had contacted them a few days before about her current situation. He parents seemed pleased that she was coming home. She hadn't told them about Spock yet. As she waited outside the space dock she was now wondering if that was such a good idea. Like Sarek's family, her own had not been happy with their marriage. She could only imagine their reaction to the half Vulcan child she brought home with her.

She waited on a two seated bench, Spock in a small basket on the ground in front of her, his face hidden by the blanket as he slept.

"Amanda!" She looked up as her mother came towards her. She was an elderly lady with greying hair maybe in her mid to late fifties. A man maybe eight or nine years older than her following close behind.

"Mother!" She exclaimed standing up but not moving from her spot. Her mother came up to her and hugged her. "Oh I've missed you both." She said turning to hug her father. Her father smiled and moved away from her accidently knocking his foot gently against the small basket. He looked down making sure he didn't trip over it and was shocked to see something under the blanket move.

"Amanda?" Her father asked still staring at the basket. Amanda looked away from her mother, both women looking to him. Amanda realized what he was staring at and decided it was now or never.

"Mom, dad." She said moving to the basket again. "There's someone I'd like you to meet." She sat down and pulled the blanket off of her son. He looked up at her his body wiggling a bit in excitement of seeing his mother. She took Spock out of the basket and held him in her arms. "This is my son. Spock." She said. She looked up at her parents waiting for their reaction.

"You didn't tell us you had a son." Her father said blankly. To be honest they where both shocked. Neither of them knew how to react to the pointed eared infant.

"I wanted to wait." She said. "So that you could meet him. Would you like to hold him." Her father quickly shook his head and turned away from her moving towards a near by coffee shop. Her mother sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry Amanda. I know you were hopping for us to be happy for you but..." She paused not knowing what to say. "He's not... human." She said.

"No..." Amanda said. "But he is my son."

"We understand that Amanda but you realize... it's going to take some getting used to." She told her.

"I understand." Amanda said. "It took me a while getting used to Vulcans. I can only imagine how you feel right now."

"It probably would have been easier had you told us before you came. Given us some time." She told her hugging her daughter, careful of the infant in her arms.

"I was scared I guess." She said. "That you wouldn't want me back if I did." She looked down at Spock and smiled down at him. "I have no where else."

Her mother smiled and hugged her again. "You will always have a home here. No matter what." She looked down at Spock and smiled at him. "He is kinda cute." Amanda smiled.

"He is." She agreed. "He looks like his father."

"That he does. What did you name him?" She asked as her husband came back over to them, a large coffee in his hands. Black no doubt, Amanda guessed.

"Spock." She said. "It means Miracle in Vulcan." She said. "It seemed fitting as he survived the nearly impossible. He almost died."

"Pity he didn't." She heard her father mumble. As soon as the older man came near again Spock started crying.

Amanda and her mother laughed.

"Don't think he likes you either."

((A.N. Think my chapters are going to continue being about this long. Lol seems like a decent length to me... might have some longer ones. What you all think? Crew of the Enterprise NCC-1701 coming soon! Or at least some of them... debating who I want in this...))