Title:  Mother and the Carnivores
Author:  mzsnaz
Series:  TOS
Category:  humor
Rated:  G
Disclaimer:  Star Trek is owned by Paramount and Viacom
Summary:  Getting a rambunctious child to bed shouldn't be this difficult


---Mother and the Carnivores---


"I no yuk-tor," the two-year-old child insisted, his bottom lip protruding as he folded his arms across his chest.  "Not tired!"

His mother watched him, any amusement at his stubbornness lost about forty-five minutes earlier.  Cross-legged on the floor in front of him, she was eye to eye with her son.  While she generally had the patience of a saint, Amanda had to admit that her dear little boy had trod on her last nerve.  Since that morning, the precocious child and his pet sehlat, Ee-Chiya, had dug numerous holes in the garden; torn apart a valuable hardback book; 'lost' an important document that had been thought secure in Sarek's office; spilled a large glass of sticky fruit juice in the kitchen and, with the help of the sehlat, managed to track it throughout the house; scratched several lines into the side of the grandfather clock in imitation of the 'tic-tac-toe' playing field she had shown him the day before; and was now insisting that he wasn't tired.  That might be true, she thought ruefully, but she was exhausted.  If he didn't go to sleep soon, she feared that she would have to resort to drastic measures.

Running as fast as his legs would carry him, Spock threw himself on the low platform bed, shrieking 'NO' at the top of his lungs.  Ee-Chiya had been ordered to sit just outside the bedroom, but decided that whining hadn't been restricted and joined the boy in a duet to see who could be make the most earsplitting noise.  Rising from her crouched position, Amanda's eyes glittered dangerously.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" she yelled to drown out the cacophony from the boy and animal.  "I didn't want to do this, but you've given me no choice!"

---Two hours later---

Entering the quiet house, Sarek was immediately drawn to the master bedroom by the light that emanated into the hall.  Generally at that late hour, he would enter the darkened house, check his son, and then cross the threshold into the room he shared with his wife, grateful to find his family well.  Something was wrong if his wife was still awake at that late hour.

As he stood just outside the bedroom, he paused to take in the sight of his wife.  Amanda had propped herself up in bed and was reading one of the many treasured hardback books she had brought from Earth.  The fact that she hadn't even looked up when she knew he was in the house indicated that something was indeed wrong.

"How was your day?" she asked without glancing up.

"The documents have been approved and should be signed by the week's end," Sarek said.  He waited for her nod, but she was apparently absorbed in the story she was reading. 

"I have a confession."

Sarek's eyebrow rose fractionally at the odd statement.  "A confession?  What is it?"

Amanda slowly put the book down on the comforter and gazed upon her husband.  He noticed the dark circles under her eyes and could only wonder at the source.

"You may want to speak with your son in the morning and tell him I won't do it."

The other brow joined the raised one as Sarek now openly stared at his wife.  "Aduna, what am I to tell him?"

Her response took a moment as he first perceived a long sigh.  "Please tell your son that while humans are carnivores, I won't eat him if he doesn't behave."


The End