Take Good Care of My Baby
Suzak walked into the common room and saw Styik seated with Sytar on his lap, going over pronunciations of words with images on his portable computer. Suzak had no intention of interrupting them in any way, but Styik looked at him and said, "Good morning, Suzak."
"Morning." He said. He looked at Sytar and said, "Happy Birthday." Sytar smiled at him and reached out his arms. Suzak walked over to him and gave him a short hug, then left the room.
Styik smiled at Sytar and told him, "That was very nice of you, Sytar."
Suzak went outside and walked around the grounds until he made his way to the garden. He found Nyota there, picking flowers. "Morning." He said.
Nyota looked up at him and smiled brightly. "Good morning, Suzak. Are you ready to have a fun time at the party?" He stared at her without answering. "Did you have a birthday party when you turned one?"
"Yes." He said. She smiled sadly at him. Nine months ago, he had been just as happy and cheerful as Sytar, and now, he was... distant. He sat down next to her and said, "I miss Mother."
Nyota frowned and turned her eyes back to the flowers, but only for a moment, to place them down. She removed her gloves and gathered Suzak onto her lap. "There is nothing that I can say to you that will take away that feeling. All that I can tell you is we all know that your mother loved you very much. She would have done anything to stay with you. Since she is gone, we are going to love you the best that we can, but none of us can ever take her place and we would never try. Do you miss your father, too?"
"He is..." Suzak thought for a moment, trying to form the word which his brain knew, but he had not spoken before. He sighed, then finished the sentence with, "not gone. Mother is gone." He began to cry, quietly and Nyota pulled him into an embrace and let him cry on her.
Nyota sighed and squeezed him. Was this her calling in life? Seeing Vulcans through the losses of their mothers? She gently rubbed his hair and kissed him on the ear. It caused him to giggle, although he was still crying. "Suzak, are you sure that you want to stay here? You can come with Spock and me back to our ship. You can grow up with your cousins, Styik and Sytar."
"No. I have to stay." She was always surprised at how well he could speak, but had to remind herself that he was a full blood Vulcan, and had lived amongst several expert linguists for months. He sat up, and looked at her, "My father is here." He stated, then added, "Mother is gone."
She smiled to keep from crying over his sadness and asked, "Do you want to walk with me to bring these flowers to Grandmother Ashaki?" He did not answer, but when she got up and gathered the flowers, he latched on to her arm and they walked towards Mwinyi's house, which was on Sarek's land. Arev followed them.
The Uhura home smelled wonderful to Nyota. "Mama?" She called out as she entered the house with the boy and the wolf. A petite, pretty, dark skin woman with her hair in a short bob, with long front ends draping her face, emerged from the kitchen with Toimu and Yakpazauh behind her. Nyota tilted her head at the familiar looking woman, but could not place her face.
Yak quickly came over to Nyota to take the flowers off her hands, "I am so glad that you are here with these. Mama is trying to fix Vulcan gumbo, whatever that is, and raising hell about the absence of the flowers."
Nyota smiled at this, and admitted, "I don't even know how any of you managed to get in or out of the kitchen."
When Ashaki cooked, she became a kitchen tyrant. Walking into the kitchen was punishable by extreme verbal force. Opening the refrigerator earned her to begin cussing in alien languages before yelling in Swahili not to touch anything dealing with the meal. And if you touched anything dealing with the meal, if you even so much as he lifted the lid of a pot to smell the dish, she may wrap your knuckles with a utensil, before kicking you out. Toimu reached for Suzak and said, "What's up, Nephew?" Suzak smiled at him and allowed him to pick him up. The woman gasped when she saw Arev and Toimu explained, "Oh, that is my oldest nephew's pet. He's not dangerous, well he is dangerous, but he won't hurt you."
She chuckled uneasily, "Will he bark if I am nervous?"
Now, Toimu laughed and said, "Please tell me that a woman with several degrees did not just ask me if a wolf would bark!" The woman laughed at herself, as well.
Nyota, becoming annoyed now, asked, "Toimu, who is this? Have you gotten so used to Vulcans that you've forgotten your manners?"
Toimu laughed and said, "I told you that you look completely different," to the woman, then to Nyota said, "This is Mara - Samara Ubuntu." Nyota looked at the woman and the image of a cute, but round girl with braids and braces entered her mind. Nyota laughed and said, "Oh my, you look completely different. Come here, girl." She hugged the woman and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I work under Dr. Uhura, well, under Yak, as an internship towards my degree in xenobiology." The woman answered.
"That is degree number four, Ny." Toimu said, eying the woman, admirably.
Mara nodded and listed, "Psychiatry, xenopsychiatry, with emphasis upon scientists, Biology, and now, xenobiology. I have tried to get your father, Dr. Uhura as a mentor, but the Federation Xenopsychiatrists Association decided that I needed a mentor in my most recent major, and assigned me to Yak, instead. I have been with him now for only five months. He gave me some time off so that he could make this trip, but I decided to come along, as I haven't seen any of you since Toimu and I were at the University of South Africa." She looked at Toimu and laughed. "I still can not believe that I liked him so much, can you?" She asked Nyota.
"Liked me?" Toimu asked, "Girl, you loved me. I could not take a step out of my dorm without you knowing it."
"I have heard that you have not been faithful since we broke up." Mara said.
"Why you bringing up old stuff?" Toimu asked. Nyota smiled, slightly. Uh oh, next victim, she thought. Toimu seemed to be laying down the charm.
Mara looked at Nyota and said, "Don't worry, Ms. Nyota, I know how to deal with boys a lot more dangerous than Toimu." Toimu tilted his head and asked, "What is that supposed to mean?" He placed Suzak down and shook his head, "We are about to take a step outside." Mara smiled at Nyota and winked at her as she walked towards the door.
Yak came out of the kitchen as they left out of the front door. He shook his head and said, "Toimu better watch out. She is no longer a college freshman."
"She must be quite some doctor for them to put her in your care." Nyota said, taking a seat.
Yakpazauh looked at Arev and asked, "Is that a morgril?"
"Yes, his name is Arev. He is Styik's pet." Nyota replied.
Yakpazauh looked at the animal and said, "Hello, Arev. I am pleased to meet you." Arev bowed slightly.
Nyota smiled and said, "Wow, he never bows like that to strangers, but then again, strangers do not usually speak to him."
"That's their mistake." Yak said and sat next to Nyota.
"So, about Dr. Ubuntu...?" Nyota began, then simply stared at him.
"Do you think that I am having some type of midlife crisis at forty two? That woman is nearly half my age, and she is my younger brother's college sweetheart. I came to celebrate my nephew's first birthday, and she came to see her old boyfriend and his family." Yak said, annoyed. He eased up and asked, "Where is my nephew?"
"With his brother, as per usual." Nyota replied, happily.
"And my brother in law?" Yak asked.
"With his father, as per usual." She responded, dryly, then added, "I am supposed to meet up with him in Ambassador and Tirza's lab to see the development of the clone fetuses."
"I asked her for nine of these!" She heard Ashaki yell, to no one.
Nyota bit her lip and said, "And now seems a good time, you want to come with me?"
"You know that I do." Yak said as they got up and rushed from the house.
Toimu started when he saw them, "Is Mama losing it?"
"We are going to the Academy," Yak said, "Mara, you should come. Nyota has access to the first attempt at Vulcan cloning." Mara gasped and smiled. Toimu walked with them, as well. Nyota said, "Wait, wait, I can not take a big group of humans into the Academy with me. I can explain Yak and Mara, as they work in the field of xenobiology. Toimu, I can't explain you."
"I'm not staying here with Mama trying to make a feast, by myself." Toimu sputtered. Mara laughed at his behavior. It wasn't professional of her to do so, but this was Toimu!
Suzak grabbed Toimu's hand and said, "Take me home."
Nyota smiled and said, "See there, Suzak has the perfect solution. We'll see you in a little while."
Toimu claimed, "Once Yak and Mara get into that scientific wet dream with Spock and Mr. Sarek, you might not see any of them again." She laughed and they headed for the Uhura transport.
She stood for a moment. Mara asked, "Is there a problem?"
"I have to wait on my escort." Nyota said, as Vulrak crossed the land to get to them. When he reached them, he spoke to both Yakpazauh, and Mara, and Nyota introduced the woman. Vulrak sat in the back of the transport with Nyota, and Mara sat in the front with Yak, as he drove.
Nyota soon discovered that Toimu was correct. Spock and Sarek's interactions with Yakpazauh and Mara seemed to fulfill all of the scientists' needs. She and Vulrak looked at the clones, there were thirteen of them, and after she was given a brief introduction and overview of the progress, she was no longer interested. To be honest, it made her uncomfortable to be around Livingston's work again. She told Spock, "Vulrak and I are going to walk back to the mansion. Do not be late for Sytar's party."
"I shall not, Nyota." Spock vowed.
Nyota waved to the others and said, "I will see you at the party."
No sooner than she was out of the building did she ask, "Was Mara checking you out?"
"I have noted that human women find me extremely attractive." Vulrak stated, plainly. Nyota nodded her head. True, definitely true. "I also assessed her from the moment we shook hands, and I realize that she has some type of attachment to Toimu." Vulrak assessed everyone he shook hands with, especially when that being was in contact with one of his wards.
Nyota said, "They dated for her entire freshman year at the University of South Africa."
"The best higher learning institution in the United States of Africa." Vulrak stated.
"The only one, if you ask me. I'm not from South Africa, but I knew by the time that I was twelve that I was going to go to that school, and that no one would tell me any different. Livingston's mother was from South Africa, and he himself was born there, but they moved closer to us when his father was alive, and only moved back a while after his death. Livingston was going to go to that school, I knew it, and I wanted to go where he went... not because I wanted him, but because I used to always try to compete with him. It was silly, because he was way smarter than me, but there were things that I could do that he was not good at. Livingston had difficulty forcing himself to speak in plain Swahili. He spoke several African languages, Afrikaans, being his first language and Federation standard his second, then Swahili, but when he spoke them, his vocabulary was so great that we didn't know what he was talking about. I'm sorry, I don't know how I got on that subject."
Vulrak shook his head and said, "Do not apologize. You have never spoken with me about your relationship with Dr. Kurok, before."
"I only mentioned it because by the time that Toimu and Mara were together, I was already at Starfleet, and already bitter over Livingston, and I was not supportive of Toimu's relationship. I think that it may have had a lot to do with him not staying with her." Nyota's eyes glanced at Vulrak, as though she thought he may say something against her.
"My Lady, you can not credit yourself for occurrences within relationships which you are not a component of. Toimu was most likely an adult, and quite capable of making decisions for himself. If he decided to terminate the relationship, the choice ultimately relied upon him." Vulrak said. She loved Vulrak.
"I am going to miss you. Will I be able to send you transmissions at any given time to bounce my concerns off of you?" Nyota asked him.
"You are welcome to it, My Lady." Vulrak said, unable to keep from smiling at her question.
Mwinyi and Dr. T'Priu brought all of the children from the institution to the birthday party, which made Styik deeply uncomfortable, although he would not tell Ashaki so. He knew how she felt about these children, they were practically her children, just as he was when he lived in the place. But they reminded him of a life of imprisonment, which he conditioned himself not to think about. It was imperative for him not to think about that life in order to be free in his new life.
Lux had been brought over to the Uhura house, as well. Styik spoke with her the most of time that he was there. He explained to her who certain people and Vulcans were. He introduced her to his family as "My mate, Luxtria," and he held her hand when leading her from one portion of the party to another.
Toimu was talking to Vulrak and standing next to Vulrak was his young teenage brother, Zytok. Styik watched him wearily, and as though the boy sensed him staring, he looked at Styik. Vulrak snapped a finger at Zytok and the teenager turned to face Vulrak again. "Do not stare, it is rude." Vulrak stated. Zytok did not respond. He was not a boy of many words.
Nyota was near Sytar for most of the party, helping him with cutting the first cake and showing him how to blow out the candle. Suzak was very near him too, but she knew that was probably in an attempt to be near her. She had made certain that Ashaki would be there for the child when they left the planet.
Spock remained engaged in conversation with Mwinyi, Yakpazauh, Dr. T'Priu, Mara, and Sarek. All of them were speaking of the clones, biology, in general, and other sciences. When neurology eventually came up, Styik led Lux right into the center of their circle and joined in the conversation. Nyota smiled to herself when she saw it.
Ashaki kept the Vulcan children monitored as Nyota passed out slices of the cake. The children were not unfamiliar with these practices, as Ashaki had celebrated children's birthdays at the institution. They sat calmly and enjoyed their cake without saying much to each other. Lux began to walk towards the table, and Styik let go of her. She walked to the table and stared at the cake. Ashaki smiled at her and picked her up. "I am going to break my back picking up these children." She told Nyota. "Cut your future daughter in law a slice of cake." Nyota did so and when Ashaki placed the girl down, she stared at the plate. Nyota looked at her, wondering what else was needed. Ashaki waved a hand at Nyota, not to worry about it. Sometimes it took Lux quite a long time to come to a decision.
Lux stared for several moments at the cake, then picked it up and brought it over to Styik. She stood with it in her hands, and he hardly noticed as he continued talking with the scientists in his family. Spock studied her for a while, then stated, "Styik, I believe that your mate is presenting something to you." Nyota covered her mouth at the sight. Styik turned to face Lux and she did extend the plate in his direction, although she did not look up. He smiled and accepted it from her, then, she stood there, just as blankly as she had been before. Spock found Nyota's eyes and made contact with her. He ventured into their connection and found that she was feeling what she had once described as her "heart fluttering". She smiled at him.
Only a moment later, Styik withdrew from the conversation, took Lux's hand and led her back to the table. He told her, "I am pleased that you wished to serve me, however, I will be more pleased if you consider yourself, next time, as well." Lux did not react as Nyota placed another slice of cake on the plate that Styik held and he looked at her, "Thank you, Mother." Styik took Lux to the couch and began to try to help her to eat. The girl did not take the time out to feed herself, most of the time. Most of the time, a doctor fed her, just to make sure that she ate. Now, Styik took on this responsibility.
Toimu spoke into his fist saying, "Whoo, look at my nephew. He is the smoothest child in the room."
Vulrak snickered at the comment and informed him, "The girl is autistic. He is simply helping her to eat."
"Aww, hell! Styik is hitting on a mentally challenged girl?" Toimu asked. "I wouldn't even do that."
"She is not mentally challenged, Uncle Toimu. She is currently unable to properly communicate and interact, however we believe that her condition is not permanent." Styik corrected from his seat on the couch. Lux stared ahead, not even chewing the cake in her mouth. Styik sighed and said, "I suppose that if you really wanted cake, you would have gotten some for yourself. My apologies for assuming. At least eat the piece in your mouth." Now, she slowly chewed and swallowed, but beyond that, did not do anything else. Styik began to eat his own cake.
After cake, Ashaki, Mwinyi and Dr. T'Priu led the children outside, where they were allowed to go into an anti gravity chamber and float around, as though on Earth's moon. The contraption, a Moon Walk, was one that had been modified various times throughout Earth's history, and Ashaki found a somewhat old version of one for rental in New Hope. She found all of the entertainment in New Hope. The younger children played around, floating about, but Styik and Zytok stood outside, looking at the invention. They were too old for such a thing, but realized that the events would cater to the younger, less mentally capable Vulcan children present.
Zytok looked at Styik and said, "You brought her back."
Styik sighed and said, "Yes, I did. I could not have accomplished it, had I been choked to death." This caused a smirk from Zytok, but the two of them did not further interact. They merely stood next to each other.
Before night came upon them, Mwinyi and Dr. T'Priu loaded the children from the institution back into the transport. Styik stared at the large transport with a frown as they loaded. Ashaki asked him, "What is that face for?"
"I never had the chance to go." He said, bluntly, bitterly. He looked up at her and added, "When I was in the institution, no one ever allowed me to go anywhere."
She picked him up with a strained groan and said, "Well, you can go wherever you wish, now."
"I am too big for you to carry." He said.
She quickly put him down and said, "You are completely correct about that." She held her back for a moment, laughed lightly, and said, "But, I am just a human, after all. I will not have too many more years where I can even pick you up like that."
Styik stared at her, for a moment then asked, "You are not going to begin speaking about death during a celebration of my brother's life, are you?" She laughed and shook her head no. He said, "Good. Because I have no desire to hear about it, nor to think about it."
Nyota walked up to them and said, "Styik, Spock and I are going to stick around here and make sure that everything is cleaned up before we come home. Bring your brother home and make sure that he gets cleaned up and put to bed, please."
"Of course, Mother." He bowed to Ashaki and said, "Grandmother," then walked away to collect the baby.
Ashaki sighed and said, "I am going to miss that child."
"He'll keep in touch with you, Mama. He is great at keeping in touch. He has kept in touch with the crew of the Enterprise more than Spock and I have, and I know that he'll keep in touch with you."
Ashaki nodded her head and said, "I don't doubt it. I still wish that I had more time with them – he and his brother. The next time that I get a chance to see them, he'll be a teenager and Sytar will be five."
"Mama, that isn't certain. Kirk and Spock both try to make sure that we get to come back to New Vulcan each time that we can, and we will most likely be back before the five years are up."
"A starship is no place for a baby, Nyota. I understand how important your career is to you, but you have children now, and they should be more important," Ashaki insisted.
Nyota firmly informed her mother, "My children are the most important thing in my life. I do not take either of my children for granted."
Ashaki countered, "You are dragging them along with you into a dangerous situation! What if another maniac comes about and blows up the ship? Do you ever think about these things? You should be concerned for your children."
"So, what do you suggest? That Spock and I get on the ship and leave both of our children here for the next five years?" Nyota asked, completely annoyed.
"I don't understand why you did not get off of that ship the first time you got pregnant. You should not have lost two babies, Nyota, as healthy as you are. You knew that you were pregnant and stayed on the ship and as a result lost two children." Nyota took a deep breath. Never in her life had she raised her hand to her mother, but at that moment, she believed that she might slap her, yet, Ashaki continued, "Now, you are taking the one son that God did allow you to have back onto the ship and Styik is trailing behind you, as well."
"Thank you, Mama. I have been looking forward to you telling me that I am a terrible mother at my son's birthday party." Nyota walked into the house and began to clear away the decorations.
Spock followed her inside and asked, "Is there a problem, Nyota?"
"I'm tired of our parents trying to tell us how to be parents." She said. Spock tilted his head in confusion, but did not ask any question. She explained, "My mother thinks that we are putting the boys in danger by bringing them aboard a ship."
"There will be possible threats of danger, however no more than life on Earth would present." Spock said.
"Funny you should say that, because life on Earth is precisely what I am going to live if we ever have another baby. I am not coming back to this place for a year, ever again." Spock lifted an eyebrow at her and she quickly said, "I'm not pregnant. I'm just letting you know."
"Your idea is agreeable." Spock said. New Vulcan had not been very positive for their relationship, and if anything made their interactions more difficult in ways that he could not truly understand.
Ashaki came into the house too, and said, "Nyota, I am sorry. I should not have said those things to you. I am just so worried. The last time that I watched you leave, I did it thinking that I knew roughly when I would see you again... then, I missed your entire pregnancy. I missed seeing you through it. I missed the first months of my grandson's life. Nothing is promised and I just became frightened that because of it, I may miss more."
Nyota's anger melted away and she sighed, "Mama, don't worry about it." She continued to clean up and Ashaki and Spock began to help. "Toimu!" Nyota called out. "Toimu! Come help us clean up!"
Ashaki frowned and said, "I think that Toimu disappeared with Mara a couple of hours ago." She began to put a little more force into cleaning than Nyota thought was necessary.
Nyota looked at her and asked, "Is that a problem, Mama?"
"I didn't like her the first time." Ashaki said.
Spock stared at Nyota for a moment, until she said, "Mara is Toimu's ex girlfriend. They dated for a year in college."
Spock lifted an eyebrow and said, "I have difficulty imagining Toimu involved with a woman for even an Earth year." Nyota winced and turned towards Ashaki with a timid look.
Ashaki asked, "What do you mean by that, Spock?"
Nyota intruded, "Spock only meant that Toimu seems to be a loner, someone who does not really get involved with any women." Spock stared at Nyota.
Ashaki smirked and said, "Nyota, I hope that you are not lying to try to get your husband's foot out of his mouth, because I am going to question him about this further, and I want you to be quiet and him to speak, and I know that he is going to answer honestly – because he is Vulcan. Spock, what did you mean by that comment?"
Spock touched Nyota's fingers briefly, then commented, "I apologize if I have bothered you, Mrs. Uhura, however I must decline from answering any questions on the matter which has arisen." Nyota squeezed his fingers so tightly that he thought that she may cut off his blood circulation. He looked at her and saw her face look more afraid than he was used to ever seeing it. In fact, now that he thought about it, there were not many time that he saw her appear to be afraid, even in times when he knew that she indeed was afraid.
Ashaki gave Spock the one of the most threatening looks that he ever saw on her face, but she smiled, slightly and said, "Alright." She walked out of the room, and Nyota exhaled.
Spock looked at his wife and she pointed at him and said, "That was my fault. I never told you... Never, never, never say or suggest anything about Mama's baby boy. That is a big Uhura house no-no. I thought that you were about to get hit."
"It would be illogical for your mother to strike me, but if I had been in such a position, I am sure that it would not have hurt me. There was no need for the level of fear you allowed yourself to have." Nyota could not help but chuckle a little, at Spock, and a bit at herself. She hugged him, but he did not respond to it. She broke the hug and laughed, harder now. She was certainly ready to leave the planet.