Date Night

U.S.S. Enterprise, 2270.202, 1758 hours. "Mama, door!"

She hurried out of the bedroom as her elder son blew past, the chime announcing their visitor still ringing out. "Thank you, Se'tak," she replied with a smirk. Gently kicking a few toys out of the way in the living room she finally answered it. "Hey Hun, come on in, you're right on time."

"Well I aim to please, Miss Uhura," the teenager drawled shyly as she shuffled past. It never failed to surprise her just how much of Len was in his eldest daughter. Looking at Joanna again she wondered just what, if anything, the girl inherited from her mother.

"How many times do I have to tell you it's Nyota? Here, have a seat, Spock just went to pick up dinner for you guys. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages! How're you doing? You settling in, finding your way around ok?"

"Yeah, no, I'm fine, everything's fine."

Now Nyota knew bull when she heard it. Raising an eyebrow she stared the girl down until she squirmed and turned beet red. "I don't know. I mean, everything is fine but I've been here almost six months and still sometimes feel like a Displaced Person. Pavel's been helping me get around—he's a good friend—and it's nice finally getting to live with Dad and knowing Chris and my sisters better, but the Enterprise doesn't feel like home yet, you know? Not like Georgia did."

Just then there was a shriek from down the hall and Se'tak scampered back across the way to his room, grinning like a fool. "He he he he he he...!"

"How many times do I have to tell you stop hiding in my room, you little creep?" T'Alora shouted after him. "Next time I'll rip off your ears!"

Selas started whimpering at all the ruckus and she started to re-think her and Spock's standing date night. What kind of mother was she, running off and leaving a poor girl to handle bedlam like this? She was about to let Spock know their evening on the starbase was cancelled when Joanna burst out laughing.

"I take that back—this feels normal. I used to babysit the Jones triplets down the street and they were just like this." Se'tak poked his head around the corner, grinning and winking at Jo as she laughed. She was going to have to talk to Spock about this; he was becoming quite the little charmer.

Still, it did her heart good to see Joanna smile but she had to double-check. "Are you sure you can handle this? If you want to back out you can still change your mind."

Her laughter subsided but she was still smiling. "Oh no, I've got this."

"Ok." She rose and smoothed down the front of her dress, sensing Spock's imminent return. "And you know that if you ever want to talk about anything I'm always here, right?"

"Thanks, Nyota. I just might take you up on that someday." Joanna rose as Spock entered and went to set the dinner bags down on the table.

"Are you prepared to depart?" he asked upon his return.

"Almost, let me just say good-night to the kids. I'll be right back." She zipped down the hall to kiss Selas and T'Alora then back across their quarters to Se'tak's room to do the same, finding Spock and Joanna deep in discussion. When she re-entered the living room she heard:

"With all due respect, Commander, I appreciate you leaving me all the contact numbers but I'm pretty sure I know my own father's comm. info, don't you think?"

It took everything she had not to laugh at her husband as he soberly agreed and she hurried him out the door.