A Family Emergency

by Elise J. Deal



The communications unit blared insistently, disturbing Ambassador Sarek and his wife.  Rarely did their home comm unit sound at such a late hour.  Only a family emergency could be the reason for such an unwelcome and untimely call. 

Expecting the worst, Sarek removed his arms from around his wife and withdrew from their bedchamber in order to answer the call.  Seating himself behind his desk and composing his features, the Ambassador activated the unit, answering the alarming call.  "Sarek here," he spoke, his voice strong and deep.

"Ambassador Sarek?" The image of an elderly human woman searched his eyes. 

"Yes, it is I," he answered as politely as he could under the circumstances.  "How may I be of service?"

"You are the parents of Commander Spock of the Enterprise?"  Her faded blues eyes, worried and time-worn, darted from his face to the right and back to him.

Sarek twisted slightly in his seat to lock eyes with Amanda then he turned back to face the elderly stranger.  "We are."

Leaning against the back of her chair with obvious relief, the woman closed her eyes and sighed.  "Thank goodness," she whispered to the air.

Amanda spoke at once. "What's wrong?" she demanded.

Shaking her head, the woman answered quickly.  "Everything, Mrs. Sarek, just everything, and I'm too old to handle this."

A frown crossed Sarek's face as he saw his wife biting her bottom lip.  The situation must be very serious indeed.   "Perhaps you should explain," Sarek told her bluntly.

Nodding, the woman quickly identified herself.  "My name is Rebecca Jorgensen, Mrs. David E. Jorgensen.  I'm Leila's grandmother."

Sarek shook his head.  "I am sorry, Madam, but."

"Leila Kalomi," Mrs. Jorgensen interrupted as if this explained everything.

Again, a frown creased Sarek's brow.  "Madam, I am afraid that..."

This time it was his wife who interrupted him.  "The Leila Kalomi who studied at Starfleet Academy some eighteen years ago?  A lovely girl with long blonde hair and great big blue eyes?"

With raised eyebrows, Sarek turned again to face his wife.  He could count on one hand the number of times he had been confused and speechless.  Each time it had been at Amanda's doing.

A sad smile flitted across the old woman's face, a face that once must have looked a great deal like her granddaughter's.  "That's my girl," she spoke eagerly. "She's the reason why I have contacted you.  I'm the only one left now, and I'm just too old to handle this."

By unspoken mutual agreement, Sarek gave up his seat to Amanda.  Now it was he who stood behind the chair.  Amanda shook her head at the older woman.  "Mrs. Jorgensen, I'm afraid I don't understand.  If Leila is in trouble, I'll be happy to do what I can for you.  I met her once when I visited Spock at the Academy.  She's a lovely girl."

"I appreciate that, Mrs. Sarek, but Leila,"  the older woman's voice broke,  "she passed away last night, and that's why I'm contacting you and Mr. Sarek."

Sarek took a breath to speak, but Mrs. Jorgensen rushed on.  "I'm not really Leila's grandmother, you see.  I'm her great-grandmother and nearly ninety.  I'm all alone.  The whole family is gone now, you see, and I just can't handle this by myself.  I thought you and your husband, being younger, would be able to handle things."  She shook her head.  "I don't know what the girl was thinking not telling anyone, but now I can't get in touch with the boy so that's why I contacted you."

Not to be interrupted again, Sarek spoke.  His voice was formal and insistent.  "Mrs. Jorgensen, I still do not know of what you are speaking.  Perhaps you should start from the beginning and explain more thoroughly."

Amanda raised a slim hand and placed it gently, but firmly on her husband's arm.  "What was the cause of death?"  Her voice was soft and slightly tremulous.

"Oh, my," the older woman muttered softly to herself.  "She must not have told him either."  Inhaling deeply, Mrs. Jorgensen fixed her watery, blue-gray eyes on Amanda's brighter ones. "My Leila died in childbirth tonight."

Amanda swallowed hard, and her voice was strangely subdued as she said.  "Mrs. Jorgensen, I am so sorry; so very, very sorry."  Then, her voice hardened, and Amanda asked decisively, "Where are you?"  Her own face mirrored the agony that showed on Mrs. Jorgensen's, and her eyes were brimming with tears.

"I'm still at the hospital," she told Amanda.  "The doctors won't let me take the baby home, and I just don't know what to do." 

Sarek was still uncertain as to what exactly was transpiring.  He did not know this woman, nor her great-granddaughter, nor did he have the faintest clue as to why she was contacting them.  But he trusted Amanda.  "Are you on Earth?" he asked gently.

Wringing her hands, the old woman looked up.  "Lord, will you listen to me?" she muttered again to herself.  "I'm so confused I can't even remember where I am."  Then, nodding at Sarek's image, she answered him directly.  "Yes, I'm at Mercy General Hospital in Davenport, England."

Having carefully pushed back the tears, Amanda stated firmly "Don't you worry another minute, Mrs. Jorgensen.  Sarek and I will be there."  She stopped short and turned to her husband.

"In precisely, three days, seventeen hours, forty-two minutes Federation Standard Time at the latest, depending, of course, on the availability of transportation." 

Mrs. Jorgensen blinked, opened her mouth to reply, then closed it again without saying a word.

Amanda spoke up to fill the gap.  "We'll be there as soon as we can, and we'll take care of the bills as well.  You just take care of yourself."

"Thank you so much," Mrs. Jorgensen replied.  Then they both terminated the call.

Amanda bounced up from the chair, sprinting towards their bedroom.  Sarek, following at a more sedate pace, asked, "Amanda, I still am uncertain about all of this."  Then, as he noted Amanda quickly donning some causal clothing and sandals, he asked.  "You are going somewhere?"

"I'm going to run into town and pick up a few things we'll need," she replied as she headed for the door.  "If you pull a few strings and arrange for our immediate passage to Earth, I'll pack as soon as I get back."

Sarek walked with Amanda to the door.  "As you wish, my wife," he answered solemnly.  "And what reason should I give for such a sudden departure?"

The look Amanda gave him was one of incredulity.  Then, slowly a look of understanding spread across her face, and a mischievous grin followed. "Oh, I'm sure you can think of something, Grandpa," she answered lightly before placing a tiny kiss on the end of his nose and heading into the night.

"Grandpa?" he echoed after her.  Then as the realization hit the Ambassador, his eyebrows completely disappeared under his hair.  "Grandpa!"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Less than seventy-two hours later, Sarek of Vulcan and his wife, Amanda, were on Earth at Mercy General Hospital in Davenport, England.  While Sarek took care of the bills and any paperwork, Amanda went to the nursery.

"I can't thank you enough," Mrs. Joregensen whispered.  This whole event had been a nightmare, during which the old woman had held up remarkably.  Now that it was nearly over, she was near her breaking point.  She seemed to have aged twenty years since Amanda last saw her on the comm screen.

Amanda captured the woman's hands between her own.  "There's no need to thank us," she gently replied.  "We're all family through that beautiful little girl."

Redirecting the conversation back to the tiny pink bundle in the nursery window worked.  Mrs. Jorgensen's thoughts were now on a happier topic, and she turned with a smile to look through the window.  "She is beautiful, isn't she?"  Mrs. Jorgensen agreed.  "So much like her mother."

Amanda sighed.  "Lelia was a lovely young woman," she replied.  "I'm sorry we missed the memorial service."

Never once taking her eyes from the small, pink baby, Mrs. Jorgensen answered, "Leila never wanted a big service.  A simple cremation with no crying."  She shook her head and turned to face Amanda.  A sad smile quivered across her lips.  "That girl was a lot like me.  That's precisely what I'm planning for myself soon."

A frown creased Amanda's brow.  "Whatever do you mean?" she asked.

With a self-effacing laugh and the same sad smile, Mrs. Jorgensen told Amanda about her own recent medical diagnosis.  "It seems I have hemotoxia.  My doctor gives me a little over a month."  She shook her head twice, then looked Amanda square in the eye.  "That's why I was so desperate to locate you and Mr. Sarek."

Amanda inhaled sharply.  Hemotoxia was a rare blood disease in which once healthy red blood cells suddenly sicken and die.  The body reacts as it would to a vast injection of viper venom.  So far the cause was unknown.  Some of the medical profession thought it to be an acquired disease; others felt it to be of a genetic origin.  Whatever the cause, the only known fact was that it meant a sudden and painful death.

She squeezed Mrs. Jorgensen's hands.  "I am so sorry," she cried earnestly.  "Is there anything we can do?"

Mrs. Jorgensen returned the squeeze.  "You already have, Amanda.  You and your husband have agreed to look after this baby."  Now it was her turn to comfort Amanda.  "There, there, child," she hushed.  "I've lived a long and useful life.  Why, I've lived to see my own great-great granddaughter born.  Now, there's not many who can boast of that!  I've put my faith in my Lord."  

Amanda nodded.  There was nothing she could say.

"Are you all right, my wife?" queried Sarek as he and the attending physician approached.

Quickly, she wiped away the tears and gave Sarek a brave smile.  "Of course, my husband," she told him.

Sarek was skeptical.  She had been crying.  But he had learned many years ago, that Amanda's tears did not always denote sadness.  "Then, we are ready to return home," he answered.

"Almost," the young doctor interjected.  "There is still the matter of paperwork to attend to."

"I was under the assumption that all of the paperwork was complete and being processed," Sarek replied.

"Well, it is, sir," agreed the physician, "except for the one small matter of a name for the child.  We can't file the birth record until the child has been named.  Once there is a name on record, we can process the paperwork and give you a copy to take with you.  After all, this little girl will be able to declare dual citizenship.  She was born on Earth, but her father is a citizen of Vulcan, right?"

"Yes, that is correct," conceded Sarek.

"Would you mind if we called her after you or after her mother?" Amanda asked Mrs. Jorgensen.

"Oh no, dear, you can't do that!" exclaimed the old woman.  "It's terribly bad luck to name a child after someone deceased!"

Sarek did not understand such illogical superstition, nor did he care to try, but he could solve the problem.  "The child shall be called 'Amanda.'  Please file the necessary papers," he stated resolutely.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Having exited Shi'Kahr's public transport, Spock, Kirk, and McCoy walked the remaining distance to the home of Sarek.    

"And they didn't tell you what it was about?" McCoy asked Spock for the fifteenth time in as many minutes.  Even going through transporter phase didn't seem to slow down the doctor's curiosity, which rivaled even that of a Vulcan.

"No, Doctor, they did not," replied Spock as patiently as he could.  "Nor am I 'nervous' about what the situation may be, Captain," he added, glancing at the person standing to his right. 

Jim Kirk held his hands palm outward in a show of surrender.  "Okay, okay, Spock, we get the point. It's just that-- "

Spock interrupted.  "I know, Jim.  And I do appreciate your concern.  And yours, Doctor."  He glanced at both companions.  "If I did not, I would not have asked you to come with me."

The trio stopped in front of the gated entry of the house, and Spock lay his palm against the key plate.  The gate quickly opened, revealing a shady courtyard.  The courtyard widened to incorporate not only the front entry to the house but also to enclose the garage.

"Mother's flitter is not here," Spock remarked.

"You don't suppose your father is ill, do you?" McCoy asked quickly.  "It could be his heart again."

But that question was immediately answered as Sarek of Vulcan himself opened the door and greeted them.  "I see you have brought Kirk and McCoy with you," Sarek stated.

"Jim, please, Mr. Ambassador," Kirk said.

"And please call me Leonard," McCoy added softly.

"And I am Sarek," the Ambassador corrected.  "I have taken a temporary leave of absence from my duties."   Then he ushered the trio into the house.

"It's not your heart again, is it?" McCoy piped up.  Then thinking to diffuse the directness of his question, he added, "I'm sorry to be so nosey, but Spock said there was a family emergency, and I'm concerned for your health."

There was an ever so slight tug at the corners of Sarek's mouth as he answered, "No, Doctor, though I thank you for your concern.  My heart is quite sound."

"It's not Amanda then, is it?" Kirk asked quickly and softly.

Sarek shook his head in negation.  "My wife is well, also."

A frown creased Spock's forehead.  "I am confused," he admitted.  "If both you and mother are well, what, then, is the nature of this emergency?"

As if on cue, an earsplitting wail sounded from the back of the house.  Sarek's face positively softened as he turned towards the source of the noise.  "Please make yourselves comfortable," he urged the men.  "If you will excuse me for a moment?"  He nodded towards the noise.

Kirk and McCoy exchanged meaningful glances.  Obviously, there was a baby in the house.

No sooner had the three men settled themselves in the main living area of the house, than Sarek, carrying a tiny pink bundle, entered the room.  All three Starfleet officers stood.

"Here," Sarek said as the handed the bundle to Spock, "is your emergency."

Both Kirk and McCoy crowded near Spock to see the tiny infant, bundled snuggly in a soft, pink blanket.  The child had a crowning thatch of soft, blonde curls, and wide, curious blue eyes beneath slanted brows.  But the most unmistakable of all the features were the child's pointed ears.

Instantly, McCoy was enthralled by the tiny being.  He began cooing and talking to the infant. His hands were itching to pick her up.  Kirk, on the other hand, was polite, but hardly ready to try out any fatherly feelings.  He had a feeling Spock was about to catch hell.

"This is an infant," Spock remarked.  His tone of voice was flat, indicating that he was still uncertain of the situation.

"A daughter," Sarek corrected. Waiting for a look of understanding to show on his son's face, Sarek remained quiet.  His eyes were locked on those of his son.  The only sounds were those of McCoy's baby talk.

A chiming sound broke the tense moment, and Amanda's voice called out.  "Spock, I'm so glad you're home.  Oh, and Leonard, Jim, you too."  Gracefully, she crossed the room and smiled.  "Would one of you gentlemen be so kind as to help me carry in some items?"

Jim jumped at the chance.  "I will," he volunteered.  Babies made him nervous.

As Jim followed Amanda back outside, Spock automatically handed the child to McCoy.  "I do not understand," he told his father bluntly.

Sighing aloud, Sarek replied, "I think we should speak in private.  Leonard," he addressed the preoccupied doctor, "would you be so kind as to watch little Amanda for a while?"

Not even bothering to look up, McCoy answered, "With pure pleasure."

As he followed his father down the hallway towards Sarek's office, Spock felt an odd sense of déjà vu.  No, that wasn't quite correct.  He had been here before.  Countless were the times that a younger Spock had followed his father into this same room for some sort of lecture or punishment.  But no more, thought Spock.  I am now a man and no longer subject to my father's chastisements.

Squaring his shoulders and clasping his hands behind his back, Spock stood before his father, slightly defiant, slightly nervous and very confused.  But Sarek did not move to his usual position behind the big, wooden desk.  Instead, he sat on the front edge of the desk's dark surface, a thing completely foreign to the Sarek Spock knew.  This rattled him.

"Spock," Sarek spoke gently.  "As you appear not to have comprehended the situation, I see that I must explain."  Sarek hesitated a moment, mastering his thoughts.  "I believe you are acquainted with a Miss Leila Kalomi."

Spock hesitated a moment before answering.  "I am."

Still, Spock showed no signs of enlightenment, forcing Sarek to forge ahead.  "And when was the last time you saw Miss Kalomi?" he asked quietly.

This time Spock did not hesitate.  He was on solid ground with factual recall.  "It was precisely nine months, one week, and three days ago Federation Standard Time," he answered firmly.

There was a pause from Sarek, a long pause.  He stared meaningfully at his son, mentally urging the boy to examine the mathematics in conjunction with the infant, but Spock showed no glimmer of knowledge.  Again, he sighed, lowered his voice and asked, "Spock, do you remember your last meeting with Miss Kalomi?"

Spock clenched his jaw muscles, and the tips of his ears turned a lime green, but he betrayed nothing else to his father.  "I do," he replied.

Sarek inhaled deeply.  He would have to say it.  "The child is yours, Spock," he stated softly.  "Yours and Miss Kalomi's."

"That is impossible," Spock blurted out.  His composure was shot.  Spock rubbed his face with shaking hands.  "It must be impossible," he muttered, "yet I know that it is not."  Inhaling deeply, Spock again reclaimed his outward calm and his proper Vulcan posture, hands clasped firmly behind his back.  "Father, I assure you that until this moment I was utterly unaware of the child or of Miss Kalomi's condition."

Sarek nodded.  "It seems that Miss Kalomi told no one."  Sarek stood and walked the short span of steps to his son's side.  "My son," his tone was so gentle, "you are not the first man to have been deceived by a woman.  I understand your feelings at this time."

Had he not been Vulcan, Spock would have stood open-mouthed in amazement.  His father, Sarek of Vulcan, had just admitted not only to understanding and accepting Spock's feelings but also to having them himself.  But Spock remembered his half-brother Sybok, and Sarek's first wife, T'Rea.  Finally, he and his father were bound by understanding.

"Is Lelia here with the child?"

"Miss Kalomi died in childbirth."

Spock allowed his head to droop forward, nearly touching his chest, for a space of a few moments.  Then, raising his face to meet his father's eyes, Spock told him something he had never told anyone.  "At the time I met her, I would have taken her as bondmate, but there was T'Pring."  Silence again filled the room for the space of several minutes.  "I am unsure of what to do about the child."

Sarek nodded with understanding.  "You must first learn to address the child by her name.  In your absence, I have named her Amanda.  Of course, you may change this if you wish.  Her Naming Day will not be held for another two point three days."

"The name is quite satisfactory," Spock replied with a nod.

"The most difficult part, my son, is determining what to do about the child.  Even when a child comes in the traditional way, it is the most difficult part," Sarek added.  "A child needs caring parents, a suitable education, and a sense of belonging among family.  I was fortunate to have your mother to help me raise Sybok."   Sarek lowered his voice.  "Is there anyone whom you would wish to take as bondmate?  I would think you would not wish me to choose for you this time."

"Is it required that I take a bondmate, Father?"

"It is customary when raising a child," Sarek answered with a touch of humor.  "Spock, this child is female, and she will need a woman's guidance."

Spock nodded.  He had not thought of that.  "I do not wish a premature end to my time in Starfleet," he said softly, "and yet it seems now that I must."

"There are other alternatives," Sarek spoke slowly.  "You could marry, return to your ship, and leave the woman and child."  Spock nodded, thoughtfully.  "Or," Sarek continued, "your mother and I could raise this child."

Spock looked quickly at his father's face.  Although held impassively, Sarek's face gave Spock his answer.  "You and mother wish to raise this child," he stated.

Somehow Sarek managed to give the impression that he shrugged.  "We are, after all, her grandparents.  We are a settled, caring couple, who have experience raising two children.  We would see to her education as well as her emotional needs."  At Spock's quizzical look, he hurried on.  "Spock, as this child is three-quarters human, she will have emotional needs."

Again, Spock nodded.  He gave his father the tiniest hint of a wry smile.  "It seems you and Mother have thought through everything."

Sarek did not miss the hint of humor in his son's tone.  "We have had more time to consider this situation than you," he replied in kind.

"I thank you, Father, for your advice in this matter."

"One does not thank logic, Spock," Sarek replied, but he added with an almost smile, "however, logic is not the cause of this situation."

Upon returning to the main living area, Spock noticed his mother and McCoy bending over the infant, who lay sleeping on a play mat. 

"Such a pretty little thing," McCoy remarked.  "She's got her mother's coloring."

"And her father's ears," Kirk dared to comment, as he brought in the last of Amanda's packages.

Amanda tried, unsuccessfully, to smooth the unruly blonde locks.  "And her grandfather's curls."

Sarek cleared his throat loudly, causing all three humans to start.  Red blood rushed to their faces as they realized they had been talking about the two Vulcans.  "And did you find all of the items you required, my wife?"  Sarek asked politely.

Amanda smiled as she answered.  "I did.  Jim has graciously been helping me unload everything, but you can help us put things away, if you will."  Sarek followed Amanda and Jim into the kitchen.

When they were gone, McCoy spoke softly.  "Spock, she's an absolute angel."  Carefully, he picked up the sleeping child and handed her to her father. 

Spock held the child gingerly.  "I assume my mother told you."

McCoy chuckled aloud.  "She didn't have to.  Little Mandy there looks just like you."  A raised eyebrow was Spock's only reply, but he gazed more carefully at the child's features. "She looks a lot like Lady Amanda, too."   Then even more quietly, McCoy continued, "So what are you going to do?  Quit Starfleet?  Marry Leila?"

Gently, Spock shook his head.  "Leila died in childbirth."  The Vulcan's voice was rough and thick.

McCoy gasped, then lowered his voice.  "Spock, I am so sorry," the doctor spoke softly and respectfully.

"As am I," Spock's voice grated.  "I would have married her."

McCoy allowed a long moment to pass.  Then, he boldly remarked, "You know, Christine would. "

Spock interrupted.  "I am aware of that possibility; however, I will need more time to consider it." 

McCoy grunted a reply and let the subject pass. 

"I will, of course, require an immediate leave of absence."

"And you've got it," Jim stated as he and Sarek reentered the room.  "Take as long as you need, Spock."

Little Mandy took that moment to enter the conversation.  With a loud yawn, she opened her sapphire blue eyes and began wailing.  Spock, unnerved, held the infant out to McCoy.  But McCoy shook his head with a slight laugh and joined Jim on the other side of the room.  Spock tried to hand the child to Sarek, who was approaching, but Sarek only helped Spock to be seated in the old rocking chair.

"Sit here, my son," Sarek spoke with a gently forcefulness.  "Many are the generations of your mother's family who were rocked in this chair.  It is only fitting that yet another generation does as well.  It is tradition."  Sarek glanced at his son's friends, momentarily enjoying his son's discomfort.

Valiantly, Spock tried to sooth the screaming infant, but she would not cease her howling.  "The child will not--"

"Here, Spock," his mother told him.  Amanda handed Spock a green bottle with playful sehlats all around it.  Spock looked dubiously at the bottle.  But he was willing to try anything to stop the noise.  With a little help from his mother, he soon had Mandy feeding.

Slowly Spock's stiffness vanished, and the new father gained pleasure from watching this tiny creature, his own blood, take nourishment.  The child, Mandy, was a real, living being, warm and moving.  And inside the cold First Officer of the Enterprise, there grew a tiny flame.  It wisped and curled, grew and flared, ever upward until Spock was entirely consumed with the pure essence of paternal love.  Pride, protectiveness, delight; all were there, and all suffused Spock.  This child was his! 

"It is unlike anything you've ever experienced, is it not?"  Sarek pitched his whisper too soft for human hearing.

Spock nodded in reply, unwilling to break the sweet spell.  But the bottle was soon drained, and little Mandy wailed anew.  This time Spock was ready, and the sound did not disturb him.  Quickly, Amanda helped exchange the empty bottle for a full one. Once again, there was silence as Spock gently rocked his daughter while she fed.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

The Naming Day ceremony, held in the Family manor in Shi'Kahr, was a grand success.  Because the child was of the House of Surak, as many of the extended family as possible attended.  Proudly, Spock handed his daughter to his father, Sarek.  And an equally proud Sarek handed her to his own father, Skon.  Then, before the assembled Family, Skon, awed to be holding his first great-grandchild, offered the child to T'Pau, the family matriarch. 

As tradition dictated, T'Pau examined the infant before she formally pronounced the child's official name that would forever mark her and seal her to the Family.  "This child is acceptable to the Family.  I present to thee Amanda T'Anna cha'Spock cha'Sarek cha'Skon." 

Now, all that was left was to receive each family member.  With Amanda on his left and Sarek on his right, Spock held Mandy as each person filed past, pronouncing the child's name.  Although the ceremony did not last long, Mandy was becoming quite fussy by the time the receiving line was over. 

When Jim and Leonard, who had purposely stood at the end of the line, came abreast of Spock, the small family group headed towards the transporters in the basement. 

"So, you're going to rejoin us in a week?" Jim asked.

"That is correct," Spock answered as he attempted to settle the child.  "I will rejoin the Enterprise when she stops at Andoria one Standard week from tomorrow."

Amanda, having carried the essentials with her in a diaper bag, produced a bottle.  Deftly, she switched the bag over to Sarek and took the baby from Spock.  "You just let Grandmother take care her."

"Are you?" McCoy asked.  "Going to take care of Mandy?"  Coming from another this would seem a serious breach of etiquette.  From McCoy, considered, like Jim, as one of the family, it seemed a natural and reasonable question. 

All eyes turned toward Spock, who as of yet, had not informed anyone of his plans concerning his daughter.  Clearing his throat, Spock stopped before the transporter controls.  "It is my intention to ask my parents to care for my daughter until such time as my service to Starfleet has ended."

"Well, your service ends this time next year," Jim stated as he and McCoy stepped on separate transporter pads.  He was unhappy at the thought of losing such a valuable officer and friend.

With a brief nod, Spock agreed.  "Yes, Jim, I have another thirteen Standard months to serve with Starfleet.  During that time, I intend to pursue a potential bondmate." Spock nodded in McCoy's direction. "I, then, anticipate 'settling down' with a wife and family."

Sarek nodded with approval.  "I am pleased by your choice, my son, and I will personally see that a position at the Vulcan Science Academy awaits you."  Amanda cleared her throat loudly, catching her husband's attention.  Sarek blinked solemnly at her and bowed his head slightly in submission.  "That is, if it is your wish to seek a place at the Academy," he corrected himself.

Spock could not hide his surprise.  "Yes, Father," he answered slowly. "That would be most satisfactory."

"And we find caring for Mandy most satisfactory, too," Amanda added with a mischievous twinkle.  "Don't we, Grandpa?"

But McCoy and Kirk never heard Sarek's reply because the transporter effect caught them at just that moment.