All Good Things

Chapter Ten - Talking to Africa

On Board the Enterprise

March 2274

Nyota

Another month had past, and it was once again the day when her parents would be expecting a call. Grayson and Amanda were ready, sitting in front of the comlink, wiggling in barely suppressed excitement. As soon as the screen cleared, and showed their grandparent's kitchen, they began to wave their hands, and call out to Alhamisi and M'Umbha, sitting there with wide smiles on their faces. She sat back, and let the children have their visit first, telling their Babu and Bibi everything that had happened to them since the last call. They showed off school work, and Amanda held up her doll, with the dress that had been in the last box received from Africa. And then Grayson played his ka'athyra, one of the songs that he had heard when last they were in Africa, that Spock had helped him with. His grandparents were amazed at his playing, and gratulated him profusely, making him blush and grin at them.

Eventually they wound down, and said their goodbyes, and rushed back off to the playroom, and she could sit and have her own visit. They brought her up to date on her sisters, and her brother, as well as all her cousins and aunts and uncles. And she passed on the latest news from New Vulcan, as well, which they were glad to hear. She told them that the ship was starting to settle down, that the extra un-retired personnel that they had received had been a big help, and the newest ensigns had enough experience now that they were managing their jobs much better. Life was slowly returning to normal, with very few extra shifts anymore. Spock was glad to be able to spend the majority of his evenings with his family again.

At the mention of his name, her husband slid down into the empty seat beside her, and greeted his in-laws, who exclaimed happily at seeing him. They asked him many of the same questions that she had already answered, and he patiently gave them slightly different answers, enough to satisfy them.

At length, neither of them could think of anything else to mention, and they said their good-byes, promising to call again in a month. When the screen was blank, she sighed softly. "Sometimes I miss them so, and then sometimes I am so impatient with them, because they truly do not understand our life."

Spock lifted his hand, and softly laid it on the back of her neck, as he leaned forward until their foreheads touched. "They are your parents, and they love you deeply, even if they do not always understand you."

"You are so right. I know you are. And they love our children, too."

"That has always been very apparent to me."

She grinned at him. "Even if they did send Amanda so many pink things that we were floating in them."

He nodded, his eyes twinkling. "I even used that bright pink baby carrier that they sent."

She laughed aloud. "Yes, you did, and you looked ever so smart in it. Jim and Len certainly thought so."

"I do remember their merriment. Perhaps McCoy was not so eager to laugh when his in-laws sent that bright yellow baby carrier, which Tamara insisted that he use."

She giggled at that memory. "But he looked so cute in it. As Jim did in that bright green plaid one that Cathy's parents sent them."

"Why do grandparents buy such things?"

"I don't think there's any good answer to that question. Sometimes I wonder whether becoming a grandparent doesn't short-circuit some of the common sense part of the brain. At least they weren't around to speak baby-talk to our children when they were babies."

Spock looked at her, eyes widening. "They would have done this?"

"Oh, yes. They baby-talked to all my sisters' babies. I'm sure they must have done so to Hamed's babies as well, but I was off in San Francisco when they were born, so I can't say for certain."

"Perhaps living on a starship has advantages that I was not aware of."

She snuggled up close to him. "Oh, many of them, I am sure. How much longer do you think our children will leave us alone?"

"Not nearly long enough for what you are thinking of. You will have to wait until they have gone to bed for that." And he sent her very graphic images of what he intended to do to her at that time, making her sigh and nibble on his neck.

"Mama, Baba! The water in the bathroom sink won't turn off! It's running on the floor!" Grayson was frantically tugging at them.

She sighed and stood up, following her son back to the bathroom, with her husband right behind her. Later.