A/N: Happy Saturday! Also, enjoy this update because there be rougher seas (read: space) ahead!
Short Fuses and Close Calls
U.S.S. Enterprise, 2268.197, 1822 hours. Some days Nyota thought she was crazy. A second tour aboard the Enterprise with two young kids who couldn't be more different from one another and who were constantly picking fights with each other…and she signed up for this. She signed up for ALL of this and did so of her own free will.
Yep, she was nuts. She had to be
"Se'tak Mugisa, if I have to tell you one more time not to pull your sister's hair…!"
"T, what did we say about you putting your brother's toys up where he can't reach! It isn't funny!"
"Oh for the love…! Will you both stop screaming? Se'tak, your sister is not going to kill you! T'Alora put that pillow down right. now. and stop chasing your little brother!"
But she loved her family, she truly did. No matter how crazy they all drove her—and yes, even Spock was sometimes included in that category—Nyota loved them all so much she was surprised her heart hadn't burst.
Walking to the Mess that night she held the hand of each child to keep them separated; it'd just been one of those days. On her way she ran straight into Jim. "Mind if I join you guys?" he asked good-naturedly, knowing full-well that Spock was stuck working a double-shift in the lab. Grateful for another referee and maybe even a little grown-up conversation (if she held her breath and squinted her eyes just right) she accepted without a moments hesitation.
The meal went surprisingly well. The kids stayed quiet for the most part though she swore she felt little feet kicking shins under the table. If Kirk felt or was even aware of the tension between them he never let on, chattering away with the kids about their schoolwork, their hobbies, and the places they most wanted to visit. Before she knew it their plates were clear.
"Mama, may we have some ice cream please?"
Oh that was rich. She knew Se'tak was hamming it up because of Jim's presence at the table. She'd specifically told them before they left that there would be no dessert tonight, but before she could remind him Kirk gave them the nod.
"Sure! But no chocolate you two…I've seen what it does to Vulcan tummies, and I don't want your Dad or Uncle Bones to kill me if you get sick!" He tickled T as she got up from her seat and she and her brother raced off to the replicators all smiles. Nyota suppressed a sigh; he didn't know he was undermining her, she had to remind herself, he was just trying to do something nice.
"They're great kids, Ny," he said wistfully, eyes trailing after the pair. "It's hard to believe how fast they're growing up."
"I know." And it was true. Time had flown and her babies weren't little babies anymore.
"I think I'd like to have kids someday. Maybe. Gotta find the right girl first." Taking a sip of water he asked, "You and Spock ever think about having anymore?"
"No!"
U.S.S. Enterprise, 2268.201, 1250 hours. Her babies; all she could think about for the last three-plus hours were her babies. They were terrified but safe as far as she could tell but that wasn't enough; Nyota needed to hold them in her arms and see them for herself. She didn't know how the Klingons managed to disable their engines or board the ship and she didn't care, she just had to get to her babies.
Spock, for his part, was doing everything in his power right now to stay calm and focused so that they could subdue the intruders and retrieve the children…but deep down Nyota knew he was as anxious as she was. His blood was up and his adrenaline spiked every time he even thought of what might be happening to T'Alora and Se'tak.
"Keptin, I can only hold him up for so long," Chekov squeaked beneath the dead weight of their stunned guard. She stumbled along on Jim's other side trying to keep him upright despite what was most certainly a broken leg.
"We're almost there, Chekov," he whispered, holding up the other arm of their 'Trojan horse'. "Just a few more meters."
Accessing the bond she let Spock know they were almost in position; he too was poised and ready. They rounded the corner.
"HALT!" the lead guard ordered from the other end of the corridor. "What's the meaning of this? All prisoners were to be confined to their locations!"
"He needs medical attention!" she hurled back.
"You're not authorized…"
Kirk dropped his arm. "NOW!"
All three fired as Spock dropped down out of the ceiling panel, taking out the last of the hostiles blocking their access to the Bridge.
It was another 45 minutes before they reclaimed sufficient control of the Enterprise. Once the ship was secure she tried repeatedly to hail the daycare center for the all clear but was only met with static; at that almost the entire command crew descended en masse upon Deck 12. It had been one of the hardest hit in the initial raid but the blast marks from the phasers ended halfway down the hall and nowhere near the children's rooms.
Her husband reached the keypad first. The doors were locked and unresponsive and her anxiety skyrocketed.
"Spock!"
"I know, k'diwa."
From behind her she heard Chekov and Sulu catch up, half-supporting and half-dragging the Captain between them. Jim had his communicator out before he even got close.
"Scotty, we need you on Deck 12, NOW!"
"Cap'n, I dinnae know if you've noticed but I'm havin' a wee spot o' trouble down here…"
"There might be Klingons barricaded in the daycare!"
There was a split second of silence followed by, "On my way!"
I will not go to pieces, I will not go to pieces, I will not go to pieces… Through sheer force of will Nyota made herself stay calm even as Spock paced before her growing more and more agitated. A minute later he finally snapped and with a loud growl punched through the wall above the control panel then ripped out a fist full of wires in his bloody hand. Before the rest of them processed what was happening he barreled through the open door. There was a small shout and what sounded like stone hitting stone and Spock sank to the floor on one knee.
"SA-MEKH!"
T'Alora dropped her defensive stance and ran to his side. Ignoring his own pain he quickly gathered her up in his arms and checked her for injury. Nyota, who'd been the first to follow him, now scanned the room for their son. Initially she didn't seen any of the other children. "SE'TAK! Se'tak, where are…"
"I'm here, Mama!" He came around the same corner where T'Alora had been, and behind him were Tabitha, Archie, Dimora, Tilk and Grun. The boys in the back stood guard around the cots of the littlest infants who'd all been dragged into a well-fortified corner. The sight of the adults made the kids breathe a collective sigh of relief before more frightened tears started to fall. Nyota dropped to her knees and her baby boy ran straight for her arms.
After checking all over to make sure her babies were both alright she asked, "Where's Mr. Jenkins?"
"He's in Medical," Chris gasped. By the looks of things she'd just come from there herself and Tabitha quickly left her Uncle Jim's arms in exchange for her mother's. "Looks like a nasty concussion. He'll be alright. But we couldn't figure out why he wasn't with the kids…"
"He went to the supply room to get more paint for art time and then the 'larms went off!" Se'tak explained amidst a few sniffles.
T'Alora nodded. "Tilk heard the Klingons down the hall and Grun helped me lock the door. Dimora and Archie set up a fort near the naptime room and we brought the babies in there so we could look after them."
"And T protected me!" her brother cried.
"We protected each other," she corrected him. Turning back to her father she added, "I'm sorry I kicked you, Sa-mekh, I didn't mean to. I thought—"
"I understand," he replied, holding her close again. "And you performed admirably under adverse circumstances. You have learned well."
"I'm so proud of you!" Nyota cried, grabbing both her kids and her husband in one big hug. "I'm so proud of both of you!" She kissed their chubby little cheeks over and over, unsure whether the salty tears on her tongue were theirs or her own. No matter, she wasn't going to let them go anytime soon.
Two hours later the S'chn T'gai family limped on home. That night Nyota insisted they all sleep in the big bed, Se'tak and T'Alora in the middle and her and Spock on either end. The kids fell asleep immediately and her heart melted at the protective arm T threw over her brother even in her sleep. She fed that love back to Spock through the bond until her exhaustion caught up with her and they all settled in for a well-earned rest.