Chapter 7- Girls' Date

Amanda sighed as she leaned back in the hot swirling tub. Flower petals and steam gave a relaxing and fragrant aura to the small room. "This is wonderful! Oh, I have a tub at home, on Vulcan, but Sarek and I spend so much time away that I rarely get to use it. It just melts all the tension away."

The ship's computers had replicated swimsuits for the ladies and following their facials, Amanda and Christine had decided to take a long soak in the hot tub.

Christine opened her eyes and smiled at Spock's mother. "This is a treat for me. I don't rank high enough to use this on a regular basis, because otherwise this is limited to water therapy only. I couldn't believe it this morning that Spock had made sure that all areas were open to use for us."

"I'm not," replied Amanda. "Vulcan men can be very considerate. When I married Sarek, he built us a lovely new home in Shikhar. The entire house had air conditioning installed, not just in the visitor's wing, as is the case of many Vulcan dignitaries. But the real surprise was the bathroom. I can tell you for a fact that water tubs are not standard equipment on Vulcan, even in a home made to host visiting dignitaries. It certainly wasn't the case at Skon's home. I almost passed out when Sarek brought me home to Vulcan and we spent our first three days at Skon's home. Instead of being in Sarek's quarters, we had to reside in the visitor's wing for three days until our house was ready. I couldn't deal with both the heat and the gravity. But Sarek also knew I loved water baths, so he had a shower and large tub fitted for water baths."

Amanda looked across the tub at Christine. "So...my son came to visit you last night?"

Christine jerked in surprise, and the water sloshed around. "You knew about that?"

"My dear, even if Spock hasn't told me about it, there have been some murmurs around the ship. The scoop is that Commander Spock visited your quarters in casual dress, bearing a heart-shaped box of candy and bouquet of roses."

"What?!" Christine's face was already red from the bath, but she blushed redder still. "There were no flowers, and it was a small box of chocolates, and it wasn't in a heart shaped box! He will be absolutely mortified, and perhaps upset with me. I think I might just submerge myself here and now!"

Amanda laughed lightly. "Let them talk. Spock was being quite purposeful in what he did. He visited you, out of uniform, bearing a gift. When he was young, it took him awhile to grasp the concept of gossip, because Vulcans are such a tight-lipped society. But he knew crew members would expand the rumors."

Only slightly mollified, Christine leaned her head back. "That's hardly any relief at all."

"Don't worry about it. I absolutely forbid it. We are going to have an enjoyable day together." This time Amanda looked at Christine with a most mischievous grin. "So...Spock told me you had that woman pegged upon first glance."

Christine smiled. "Oh yes. It wasn't because of Spock, really. It was because of her."

"Yes, her! I wanted to go take a lirpa to her. Never mind that I can't even really lift one without dragging it. I was so angry that I would have found a way, had Sarek not stopped me. Then I got angry at Sarek all over again for bonding Spock to her in the first place."

"What's a lirpa?", asked Christine.

"It's an ancient Vulcan weapon. A fan shaped blade at one end, and the other end is blunt. All Vulcan men are trained in its use. For physical fitness and other considerations. It's largely ceremonial. I could never have managed it, not at my age, and not in the gravity and heat."

Christine chuckled, "That's a funny picture to contemplate, Amanda."

"I suppose it is. I was so angry at the time that it didn't occur to me. I wonder if the stress of the situation didn't cause Sarek's heart attacks. The timing is right."

"Now that is where I forbid you to worry. I nearly finished medical school before I enlisted in Starfleet. Your husband would have had this condition, regardless of outside factors. Besides, would a Vulcan allow that to affect his health?"

"Sarek would say no," Amanda pondered. "But I know better. See, we're in each other's head, and unless he chose to purposely block something from me, as he did the heart attacks, I would know. Which reminds me...maybe the ship's computers can replicate a lighter, smaller lirpa for me. I think I'd like to knock him in the head for keeping that from me in the first place!"

"You are quite a lady, Lady Amanda of Vulcan. That's how Spock referred to you last night when he told me the story of you demanding a second opinion because his tutor said his Human blood had limited his intellect."

"Sometimes Vulcans can make me not want to act like such a lady. But I couldn't imagine my very existence without my two Vulcans. Now I can have them both again, at the same time, instead of separately." Amanda smiled broadly. "In spite of everything, that is the miracle of this journey. All that and I don't have to deal with T'Pring as a daughter-in-law, too! I would have rather seen him bonded to a scullery maid...or a nurse."

Squirming uncomfortably, Christine replied, "So you know about that, too."

"Of course. Sarek said you are not psi-null and that he knew because of his own limited shields after the surgery. I knew, just because I'm Human...and a woman."

"Your son and I are barely friends."

"But Spock has had an epiphany, Christine. He now has all the facts that he didn't have because he left for Starfleet before he could form an adult relationship with Sarek, and with me. I make no guarantees, of course. But there are always possibilities, Christine. Even Vulcans will tell you that."

Amanda and Christine exchanged glances and smiled.