Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek.
A/N: Sorry about the long chapter. I set it out on paper but I had no idea it was going to be this long. Hope you guys enjoy it anyway.
Four chapters to go.
Reviews are like peaches; warm and fuzzy, and oh so sweet. Then you get the odd one that is so sour it makes your eyes water and nose run, but you don't realise that until it's halfway down your oesophagus. It has to be swallowed. My advice, look at the peach before you give it to me. Make sure it's nice and fuzzy.
Origins: The Journey Begins
Chapter 26: One Small Step For Man…
STARDATE: 2231.89 (Thurs, March 29th, 2232) [6 months Old]
Amanda woke from her slumber quite early. She had learnt from past mistakes not to leave her young son with a dirty diaper for more than a couple of minutes. She knew if she had continued to sleep for five more minutes her son would unclasp his dirty diaper and crawl around the house searching for a way to cleanse himself.
Although it had only been a month since Spock had started crawling, the physical exercise Spock was putting himself through was beginning to show. Spock was a determined baby, demanding that he be placed on the ground so that he could crawl where he wanted to go.
He had been crawling so much lately, that the distinct baby rolls on his legs were beginning to shrink, is stomach flab was smaller and his leg muscles were greater. He was obviously giving himself a good work out every time he was placed on the ground to crawl around.
Amanda rolled off her mattress like she did most mornings and hoisted herself to her feet. She never knew that out of all the things on Earth she could long for, bed frames would be near the top of the list. Vulcans were accustomed to sleeping very close to the ground, she had to adjust to it. Not that it wasn't comfy, it was. It was the idea of pulling yourself to your feet in the morning that was a pain.
She shuffled the short distance from her mattress to Spock's. She gazed for a long time at Spock's mattress before it finally struck her that her son wasn't even on it. Great. She thought sarcastically. Of course she couldn't ask her husband where Spock was because he was already deep in meditation in the room adjacent. He would even know that Spock was missing until he rose from his subconscious.
Amanda looked out the nearby window. The sun was slowly appearing out from behind the mountain. Sarek would stir soon. Amanda wasn't really worried. This happened before… on a few occasions actually. They always managed to find him. Whether he be outside in the fountain completely naked, or soiled and sitting on Captain Pike's new shoes, naked. Amanda chuckled to herself. Her son wasn't even a year old and he had already spent the majority of his life nude.
She made her way over where the master bedroom joined the meditation room. She would wait patiently for Sarek to compose himself before informing him of their missing son. However, upon her approach, she saw her son standing directly in front of her meditating husband. She stayed very still. He was standing. Had he walked there? Surely not. He was only six months old. Then again, Vulcans are taught to walk from a very young age.
Amanda was startled. "Spockles!"
Spock whipped his head in her direction. An expression of pure innocence plastered on his face.
"Did you walk over here?" Amanda asked as she took a step closer.
Spock looked at his feet then back to her before gingerly sitting down on his bottom.
Amanda tried to get her son to walk for Sarek but found it very difficult. She knew he had walked. She just had to catch him.
Later when Sarek was in the library doing research for an upcoming conference, Amanda strode in and placed Spock on the mat at her husband's feet. Sarek looked up at her then down to his son.
"I need to change for work," Amanda said aloud. "Watch him carefully." She added mentally so that Spock did not hear.
Amanda left the library and headed upstairs while Sarek sat on the lounge and buried his face in his book. Although reading a scientific journal with great concentration, Sarek could hear his son babbling softly to himself.
Sarek peeked over the top of his book to see Spock crawling around the room. Spock would stop when he came to an object, pick it up, study it, then place it down gently where he had found it, exactly as he found it.
Sarek smirked to himself before going back to his reading, listening to his youngest son's unintelligent babbling.
Every now and then Sarek would stop what he was doing and just stare at his son. He was a very fascinating child. Spock was so open with his emotions as most Vulcan children are at his age. However, Sarek knew that if he didn't start Vulcan disciplines soon, Spock would not learn how to control his stronger Vulcan emotions.
Sarek thought about simple Vulcan disciplines he could teach his youngest son while he continued to read his book. It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn't heard his son's youthful babbling.
Sarek placed the book in his lap and looked up only to come face to face with his son. Spock was just staring at his father. Sarek was uneasy with his son's strange behaviour. Suddenly Spock babbled loudly, visually startling his father. Spock's hands were outstretched towards Sarek. Sarek looked down at his son's hands to find them tightly grasped around a book.
Sarek looked at the book title, "The Logic behind Logic". This was the book that Sybok handed to Amanda the day after Spock's birth. Spock was named after one of the Vulcan Authors who had written in this book. Sarek stared at his son. Spock giggled and slapped his hands on the cover of the book.
It then occurred to Sarek that the book that Spock had given him was on the third shelf. Much too high for Spock to grab if he were on his hands and knees. He must have stood to get it. Once he got the book he then would have to of walked back around the couch. It was unlikely that Spock would have crawled the entire time. He most likely walked.
He must have walked. Sarek reprimanded himself silently. Amanda told him to watch him carefully. How was he going to tell her that their son walked around the library and he did not witness it?
Later in the morning when Sarek had left for the safety of his work, Amanda handed the slightly less chubby baby over to S'Reiyah. Amanda gave S'Reiyah explicit instructions to watch out for Spock, emphasising the fact that he had not been caught walking.
S'Reiyah knew from the directness in Amanda's tone and the hopeful look in her eyes that it was up to her to witness Spock walking. Amanda was detailed, stating that it did not count if Spock was holding onto to something for support. She also said that no less than three consecutive steps were deemed as a walk.
S'Reiyah nodded as young master Spock twisted about in her arms. Amanda smiled her usual bright smile, kiss Spock on the head, verbalised her appreciation to S'Reiyah before heading out the door to go to work.
Spock turned to look up at his guardian and a big gummy smile spread across his face. It wasn't mischievous or evil but it did make S'Reiyah oddly uncomfortable. She was pure Vulcan. Vulcans are taught from birth to suppress emotions, but every time she saw young master Spock smile, something deep inside her heart flipped.
Spock reached out and touched the side of her face. His small fingertips placed gently on her cheek. Within seconds S'Reiyah's head was filled with the image of the garden fountain. S'Reiyah nodded her head at the infant. It was an excellent choice of activity.
Once in the garden out the back, S'Reiyah placed Spock down near the edge of the fountain. The water in the bottom of the stone basin wasn't deep enough for Spock to drown, but deep enough to wet underneath Spock's chin as he crawled through the water. He cackled as he continuously crawled around the centre piece, sprays of water wetting him from above.
Seeing how content Spock was with the fountain S'Reiyah turned to see Annok, the gardener, tending to the nearby desert flowers.
"These flowers are not from Vulcan." She stated as her right hand came up and hovered just underneath a blooming flower. The flower above her hand had five petals, blooming into the shape of a star. The outskirts of each petal were bordered by a deep pink colour while the inside was white and the centre of the flower were mixed colours of pink and white.
"They are not," Annok responded as he stood from his crouched position. Annok was a lot older than S'Reiyah, he was approximately 100 years older than master Sarek. His hair was turning grey and his eyes were full of wisdom. His skin was wrinkled, cracked and darker than most Vulcan's; preferring to spend his time outside in the sun surrounded by flora as opposed to being grounded with an inside occupation.
"I assume our Lady Amanda has imported these flowers from an exotic planet to add to her collection of flora," S'Reiyah asked, now giving Annok her full attention.
"This is an Impala Lily from Earth. Found in the southern regions of Africa. Ever since master Sarek informed her of his African friend from past years, she has been fixated on acquiring every African plant known to her. In the future, she desires to study the healing factors of each plant in this garden. The more plants, the better the possibility of finding a plant with healing factors."
"Fascinating," S'Reiyah responded, never taking her eyes of off the flower. "I assume you will be planting more of these Impala Lily's?"
Annok's eyes twinkled, indicating his passion for plants. "Indeed. According to Lady Amanda 'one plant is not enough'. I find myself agreeing with her statement."
"If I were to come to this garden to read amongst these flowers. Where shall I find the majority of them?"
Annok's lip twitched upwards at the corner. He extended one hand in the direction of the stone path. "This way." He spoke before guiding her down the path. They didn't get very far at all before Annok stopped and turned to the empty flower bed. She would be able to read amongst the flowers and watch the fountain nearby.
S'Reiyah stood next to Annok and almost gasped. There in the middle of the flower bed stood Spock. Spock's round, chubby face looked up at the gardener then over to S'Reiyah. He gleamed. Annok was almost visibly shocked, and S'Reiyah was trying to subdue her anger.
She wasn't angry at Spock. No, not at all. She looked at the soil in the flower bed and noticed Spock's small footprints. However, there were no handprints at all. She looked at Spock's feet; covered in dirt. She looked at his hands; cleaned thoroughly from his time in the fountain. He had walked and she had missed it. She was angry at herself.
After S'Reiyah had taken Spock inside to clean, she ventured upstairs to retrieve Spock's stuffed sehlat. He had become agitated when she didn't provide it for him when she took him out of the bath.
Amanda's routine was to bathe Spock at night before bed time. She would give Spock the stuffed animal to play with while she changed him into his pyjamas. This distracted him long enough that he would momentarily forget about being naked. Then Amanda would feed him his bottle, Sarek would burp him, then Amanda would throw a soft blue blanket over his head and lull him to sleep.
However, this wasn't anything like Amanda's routine. It was still the middle of the day. The bath confused Spock to the point that he started violently sending mental images of his stuffed toy. S'Reiyah obeyed him knowing how he would get up and vanish without even being clothed.
After retrieving the toy Spock settled down. He was still a confused. He had been dressed, but not in his pyjamas. What was happening to his routine?! He was supposed to have his bottle now. Wasn't he? S'Reiyah had taken him to the kitchen. She had picked up Spock and left the bathroom in a state of mess. There were traces of dirt in the bathtub and water on the floor. She had to clean it up before her masters came home.
She opened the door to the kitchen and found 10 chefs and cooks staring back at her and the child she had on her hip. Zahntu stepped forward.
"S'Reiyah. What is the matter?" He sent concern through the bond he shared with her. She sent reassurance back at him and he relaxed.
"I have left the bathroom in a state of mess. I require your assistance." Her voice was steady but her eyes were pleading. She begged him through their tel.
He looked at her then the child. Without withdrawing his gaze from the squirming boy he replied, "We have been given orders to prepare a feast for the upcoming conference held at the Council. I have no time to help you."
S'Reiyah was not hurt by Zahntu's directness. He was Vulcan, he said what needed to be said. She understood. "I only need 3.4 minutes. Am I able to leave him here while I clean? He is able to entertain himself with his stuffed toy."
"I'll allow it." He said before turning to his sous-chef. S'Reiyah sent him a quick thank you through their bond. He accepted it and supplied her with a wave of affection as she darted from the kitchen back towards the bathroom.
Zahntu vanished back into the mess of Vulcan cooks. He walked through the crowded kitchen; instructing, tasting and adding ingredients. Spock was in the corner, confused and hungry.
From his place on the floor, he spotted something sitting on the counter. He stood to get a better view. It was what he thought it was… cookies.
Precisely 3.4 minutes later S'Reiyah returned to the kitchen only to discover that Spock was not among the other Vulcans. She mentally sent a wave of annoyance at her bondmate. Zahntu reappeared from the crowd of cooking Vulcans.
"Where is Spock?" S'Reiyah asked evenly. She had seen Lady Amanda place her hands on her hips when she was angry with Sarek. Perhaps she should try this. She placed her hands on her hips.
Zahntu looked to where she had placed her hands and slightly coward. S'Reiyah felt his emotion; panic, guilt and was that arousal?
"Zahntu." She prompted trying to distract herself from her bondmates feelings.
"I do not know where he has gone." Zahntu hung his head slightly. As he lifted his head to look at her face, his gaze caught something else. The empty place where the cookies should be.
"Young master Sybok's bag of cookies is missing," Zahntu said and watched S'Reiyah turn to look at the empty bench.
"Spock." She said as she locked eyes with him. He nodded once.
"He eats in his chair when provided with cookies," Zahntu said as he led the way out of the kitchen and into the dining room where the family often sat for evening meals.
There, at the foot of his high chair, stood Spock. He carried the toy sehlat by its flimsy paw and grasped the bag of cookies tightly in his other hand.
"He must have walked out here," Zahntu said calmly as he stared at the bag of cookies in Spock's hand.
Spock slowly sat down. Refusing to walk to his guardian.
After giving Spock a few of cookies and reading him a couple of books S'Reiyah places him on the ground in the playroom on the ground floor. She excuses herself from the room to make a quick call to a friend who she thinks can help her out.
She dials a number into the comm and waits for her friend to answer. Within seconds R'Va's face fills the screen.
"S'Reiyah, what may I do for you?" R'Va asks, today her hair is in a neat bun on top of her head. S'Reiyah knows that when her hair is up like this she is not working.
"I am seeking answers to a very… unusual situation. You were the most logical one to ask, considering that I do not desire to have my masters know." S'Reiyah said as she stared into the screen, silently waiting for her friend to reply.
"I assume this 'unusual situation' is about young master Spock, is it not?" R'Va queried as she raised a brow.
"You are correct. I was informed early this morning that young master Spock is beginning to walk. I was given strict orders to watch him so that I could report back to Lady Amanda that he was indeed walking. However, my mission is deeming to be a lot more… challenging, than what I had first assumed it would be."
"I presume that you have not paid witness to his walking?"
"Your assumptions are correct. I have witnessed him standing, but have failed to see him move on his feet. I have tried and failed on multiple accounts and am now seeking your guidance in this matter. It is in my knowledge that you have a daughter; you must have endured this event in the early stages of her life."
"That is true, I have a daughter. However, she is fully Vulcan, young master Spock is half human. It is written in his DNA. I cannot give any advice that will assist you for any information I pass to you will be redundant." R'Va answers. R'Va's communication skills kick in; she sees the shoulders of her younger friend slump slightly, her brows furrow, her lips press together minutely, and she looks away from the screen for exactly three seconds. She is upset.
"I am currently available if you seek assistance in capturing Spock walking before his parents return from their work." R'Va offered. S'Reiyah's eyes widened marginally, the brows rise, she shifted quickly in her seat. She was pleased with her offer.
When R'Va arrived at the mansion, S'Reiyah brought her inside and away from the room which Spock was playing in. S'Reiyah suggested that in order to catch Spock walking they must approach him cautiously as not to disturb him from his imagination and alert him to their presence. R'Va thought it was a good idea.
They waited patiently just beyond the door of the playroom, being careful to keep out of sight. S'Reiyah was on one side of the doorway while R'Va was on the other. They both had a decent visual on the target, and he would not be able to sight them.
R'Va and S'Reiyah were constantly ushering other servants and guardians away from this part of the hallway. They did not want any disturbances. They will catch him.
From their 'hideouts', the women saw Spock crawling around on the floor with big blocks in his hands. He soon then dropped the blocks looked up at the door and then crawled around behind the couch, out of view.
The women looked at each other before turning their gazes back to the room. They saw Spock's head peeking up from behind the couch. He would have to be standing in order for the women to see his head. He must be practising his walking away from prying eyes.
S'Reiyah noticed the window behind the couch and directed R'Va's gaze to it. R'Va nodded and walked away from the door. She would head outside and look in from the window while S'Reiyah stayed and watched from the inside.
When R'Va made it to the window she found herself in a bit of a dilemma; should she view from a distance and have her view obstructed by branches or should she step in Lady Amanda's personal garden? R'Va deduced that Amanda wouldn't mind if the cause for such an action involved the mission she had set for S'Reiyah.
R'Va was bent down, huddle up against the window, peering in on Spock crawling around the chair, when she heard a voice from behind her.
"Are you picking my flowers or stalking my servants, R'Va?"
R'Va knew that voice. She was a communications expert with an eidetic memory. Before she turned around she spoke, "I was doing neither of these activities you have suggested, Lady Amanda."
R'Va turned around to see not only Lady Amanda but also young master Sybok. Amanda had her eyebrow raised in a very Vulcan manner. Most likely in confusion or interest, R'Va deduced. Sybok was smirking.
"I was merely aiding S'Reiyah in her mission to witness Spock's first steps," R'Va added as she gently picked the dry twigs from her Vulcan gown.
"Aiding? It looked more like 'abetting' from my viewpoint."
"Abetting is a term used for crime, since there has been no crime, I am merely assisting." R'Va paused before continuing, "I apologise for damaging your personal garden."
"Forget the apology, has Spock walked yet?" Amanda said suddenly becoming very eager.
"Not that I have seen," R'Va answered.
Amanda's face was very expressive. Unlike the majority of Vulcans, R'Va was entranced by human emotions; so expressive, open, showing how they felt using the muscles on their faces. Humans were enlightening. However, reading Amanda's body language, she knew she was upset.
Sybok looked at Amanda before racing inside. It was very unlike him to just vanish. R'Va was becoming accustomed to Sybok's emotional state and had expected him to openly comfort his mother by embracing her in a hug or reassuring her with semi-illogical words. Yet, he just ran off.
S'Reiyah had joined the other females outside in the garden minutes later, stating on her arrival that she had been ordered out here by young master Sybok. A soft tap at the nearby window alert all three women to the young Vulcan boy smiling and waving back at them. It was Sybok.
Sybok moved away from the window a bit to give the ladies a better view. Sybok knew if he could make Spock smile, surely he could influence him to walk. Sybok picked up his younger brother and place him on his feet at one end of the couch, in front of the window so that the ladies outside could still see him.
Sybok bent down out of sight before returning with the plush sehlat toy in his hands. Sybok waved the toy in front of Spock and danced, and smiled. Spock giggled and jumped excitedly on his feet before venturing forward towards his toy.
Amanda's hands flew to her mouth as she witnessed her son walking. She had missed his first steps but this had made up for it; her older son guiding his younger brother through the first steps of his life. Amanda started to tear up, this moment was overwhelming for her. She couldn't think of anywhere else she'd rather be than at home in her personal garden, standing with her two best friends whilst watching her sons walk around the room, laughing and giggling at each other.
