Have We Been Here Before?
Chapter Twenty-five - Pavel to the Rescue
Enterprise
Late March 2269
Nyota
When Pavel came and sat down beside them in the mess hall, bending down to talk to Grayson, she wasted no time. "Pavel, I need you to do something for us."
"Sure. I vill do vhatewer you vish."
"Can you come on Saturday morning and babysit with Grayson, so that I can go with Spock and practice suss mahna?"
"Of course. I can do dat. Grayson and I vill have lots of fun." Pavel was grinning from ear to ear.
On the other side of Nyota, Spock heard this and smiled to himself. It was well past time that they had a chance to dance together. He found himself looking forward to Saturday morning with great expectation.
Pavel
Saturday morning he rose and dressed quickly and went to eat his breakfast, hurrying to Spock and Nyota's quarters so that he would not be late. To his disappointment, Grayson was asleep when he got there. But he sat down on the couch, and picked up one of Spock's technical journals and read until he heard Grayson's voice from the other room.
He hurried into Grayson's bedroom and lifted him from the bed. Grayson chattered happily at him. He laid Grayson on the changing table and gave him a dry diaper, and then he dressed him in a tee-shirt and overalls. Into the playroom they went, and he sat Grayson down on his brightly colored cloth, bringing out several toys. But Grayson did not want to play with toys - he wanted to play with Pavel!
Pavel lay down on the floor and made faces at Grayson. Grayson giggled and waved his arms around, happy. Then Pavel rolled Grayson over and tickled his tummy, and blew raspberries on it. Grayson wiggled and squirmed and continued to laugh. Pavel picked him up and went into the living room, to the couch, where he sat down and placed Grayson on his knee. He sang silly rhymes to him while he bounced the young boy up and down on his knee. Grayson chortled happily.
When he tired of that, Pavel picked Grayson up again and zoomed him around the room, as though he was a shuttle. This was a game that Grayson never tired of. However, Pavel was beginning to be tired. He went over to the synthesizer and dialed Grayson a teething biscuit. Grayson eagerly grabbed it and stuffed it in his mouth. Pavel set him down on the floor cloth and sat down beside him, watching the happy baby. Eventually, he lay down, still watching Grayson. About the time he drifted off to sleep, Spock and Nyota came home. He leapt up, wildly afraid that they had seen him asleep, but they had not noticed. Grayson waved his biscuit at them, laughing aloud.
Pavel blushed hotly when Nyota complimented him on his care of Grayson. He must do better next time!