Welcome back to another chapter! They have dinner with Spock's parents, and perhaps both Sarek and Amanda will have some wise words to contribute to their situation.

The cabin of Sarek and Amanda was warmer than Christine's, having been adjusted to Vulcan temperatures.

The galley had already delivered their dinner, and as they settled down around the table, Amanda revealed an assortment of Vulcan specialities.

"I have been asked to extend greetings to you from T'Pau, and young Saavik," Sarek said between two bites.

Usually, he ate in silence, but during the decades of ambassadorial service, he had found that humans, in particular, preferred to eat while talking or to talk while eating in any case.

"Thank you. Please extend my greetings to T'Pau as well," Spock said. "I will contact Saavik myself shortly."

"I'm sure she would appreciate it."

"Will you have time for shore leave during the conference?" Amanda asked, interrupting her husband's futile attempt at small talk.

"Oh, no, we've already been down. The senior officers had their shore leave a week ago," Christine said. "Spock and I went with Jim and Leonard. The Captain and Dr McCoy that is."

"I've heard the temples on this planet are worth a sight."

"I wouldn't miss them! They're beautiful, and most of them are still being used. For example, there's a temple just for couples. The interior is breathtaking. Isn't it, Spock?"

"Indeed. It is an admirable feat of architecture."

When they had finished their dinner, Sarek leant back into his chair. "I must compliment the galley," the Vulcan said. "Their replication of Vulcan dishes is surprisingly good."

Spock inclined his head. "I will extend that compliment."

"Do you cook, Christine?" Amanda asked. "I know I always preferred baking. Spock himself sometimes indulged in it when he was a kid," she added with a sly smile up at her son.

Christine mirrored her smile, inadvertently picturing Spock in an apron, with a whisk in his hand. "Not often. I can do a good plomeek soup, though, " she answered, with a small wink at Spock. "Or so I've been told."

Sarek said nothing but Christine thought she noticed him pursing his lips. Then, after a moment of silence, he changed the topic and said, "Of course, you may choose to have an official ceremony on Vulcan to re-validate the existing bond. It is not required, but permissible."

"We will take it under consideration," Spock said, nodding stiffly.

Sarek excused himself from the table a short time after this, saying he had neglected his meditation and would seek out the observation lounge.

"Now, are you in the mood for dessert, Christine?" Amanda asked after her husband had left the room. "I assume I don't have to ask you, Spock?"

"I will partake in desserts as well, mother. I have no preference."

Amanda's eyes twinkled at Spock as she answered. "Very well. Is there anything from the synthesizer you can recommend, Christine?"

"Oh, anything in the direction of pudding or ice cream is usually good enough. Anything with fruity flavours tastes unusual if you're used to the real thing, and chocolate flavours are passable, but I would advise against the souffle. Its texture is never right." She paused as she noticed herself going on a ramble about her woes with the synthesizer. Shrugging haphazardly, she focussed on the original question and said, "I usually choose ice cream."

"Is ice cream acceptable for you, Spock?" Amanda asked as she moved to the food synthesizer.

"It is," Spock said, "I have no preference regarding the flavour."

"And you, Christine?"

"Oh, triple chocolate cookie dough." She raised her eyebrow at Spock in a dare to say anything negative about her decadent order.

He broke the gaze as he looked slightly askance at the green ice cream his mother set before him.

"What is this?"

"Pistachio, Spock."

Amanda answered Christine's smirk over her bowl of chocolate ice cream, and they ate mostly in silence. When the dessert was finished, Spock rose.

"I regret I still have some work to finish, Mother. No doubt I will see you during the conference. Thank you for the dinner."

"Oh, Spock, it was my pleasure."

Spock inclined his head. "Will you join me in my cabin later?" he asked Christine, brushing their fingertips together.

She smiled up at him. "See you later, Spock."

"I'm glad to see him so comfortable with you," Amanda said when the door had swooshed shut behind her son.

Christine agreed emphatically. "I'm glad, too," she said. "He doesn't let many people in."

Amanda nodded, and she averted her look as she remembered the tears on her five-year-old son's face and the pain in his eyes. He had never not wanted to let people in. People hadn't let him in, so he had never felt a true sense of belonging. Not until a certain starship with a certain captain had come along.

"Yes, he doesn't. A mixture of Vulcan habits and his own tendency of isolation. I'm sure you're aware," she murmured and looked up at Christine.

The young Doctor nodded briefly. Yes, she was aware.

Amanda leant back in her chair and regarded the younger woman with an amused smirk. She sure had hoped she'd see her son settle down, but not quite in so suddenly a fashion.

"You must have been baffled, Christine. Getting told by Vulcan High Command that you're bonded!" She chuckled softly. "Even Spock seemed still surprised when he told me."

Christine shook her head at the memory that seemed very distant now. More distant than two weeks, in any case.

"Why, yes!" she exclaimed. "I didn't believe it at first. Spock came into my cabin immediately after he'd gotten the message, and I don't think he could quite believe it himself. Looking back, it all makes sense, but I just didn't entertain the notion…"

She interrupted her ramble, and Amanda leant towards her with a conspiratorial smile, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Shall I tell you a secret?" she whispered.

"Please, go ahead." She shrugged, not quite knowing yet where this was going.

"A long time ago," Amanda explained, "my husband and I stayed on the old Enterprise, along with other diplomats, to attend the conference at Babel. Sarek had to have an operation and needed a blood transfusion from Spock. I'm sure you remember."

"Oh, yes, I do."

Amanda continued in a low voice. "I saw how you looked at Spock when he was recovering. Oh, don't worry, you hid it very well! But I am the wife of a diplomat, the wife of a Vulcan diplomat at that. I have learned to see things. And I also saw that even then, he was more comfortable with you than he let on." She let this sink in, then added, "This new development might have been decades in coming. It might also be as new as it feels. But does it really matter in the end?"

Christine shook her head. "No."

"And Christine?"

"Yes?"

Amanda reached out and put her hand on hers. "If I had to give my blessing, you would have had it since the first time I met you."

To be continued...

They should have asked Amanda for advice in the beginning, shouldn't they? Maybe not, some things are best realised by oneself. As for Sarek, I think things between him and Spock are, even after all those years, often awkward. But he was tolerant, I think, even if Christine is not sure why he reacted like that after she talked about her soup. Maybe we will find out in the future!