Okay, so it's too soon for Halloween!

Peace!
Julianna

Title:  DAYCARE # 9.1 The USS Daycare
Author:  Ster Julie
Genre:  AU, Daycare
Characters: Am, S, K, Mc
Rating: G
Part 1/1

--ooOoo--

"Mommy?  Do I gots a blue sweater?"

"Spock, don't say 'gots,' say 'have.  Do I have a blue sweater?'"

"I dunno if you gots… have a blue sweater, Mommy.  I want to know if I have a blue sweater."

"Silly boy!  No, you do not have a blue sweater."

"Oh.  Do I have black trousers?"

"Why all this interest in clothing, Spock?"

"Do I gots black trousers, Mommy?"

"You have black leggings.  What's this all about, Spock?"

"Jimmy got a present from his daddy, a real Starfleet uniform in his size.  He's gonna wear it for Hello-weenie an' he wants all of us to dress up like Starfleet guys, too."

"Oh."

"We worked real hard on making all the udder stuff we need.  Jimmy and Monty and Hikaru made laser pistols out of clay.  I made tri-corders out of snack boxes for me and Lenny, cuz science guys and doctors need tri-corders.  The girls made badges for everybody out of gold foil and cardboard.  We still need to make com-moo-ni-cators, but Mr. R said that he has some old phones we can use.  And there's a lot of gold material stuff we can use for off'cer's stripes, an'…"

"Baby, come sit by Mommy."

"Can we go buy a blue sweater for me?"

"No, Baby."

"No?"

"I'm afraid not."

"But why not, Mommy?"

"Your Daddy doesn't approve of Starfleet."

"He doesn't?"

"No."

"But why?"

"He thinks that Starfleet uses too much violence to keep the peace."

"What's vi-lense, Mommy?"

"Violence is the use of force -- destroying and killing -- instead of discussion and negotiation."

"My daddy's the best at n'goshayshuns, huh, Mommy!"

"Yes, Spock, darling.  He's the best.  And he's also head of our house, and if he doesn't like Starfleet, then he wouldn't like you dressing as one of their officers."

"But I, but I, but I'm the science guy!"

"The very first Warp 5 vessel had a Vulcan science officer, and she was not Starfleet.  You can still be a 'science guy' even without a blue sweater."

"But I want to fit in wif everyone."

"You can fit in, Baby.  It doesn't matter what clothes you wear.  You still know how to work together.  When your father comes home, we can ask him what a Vulcan science guy would need when he goes exploring, okay?"

"Okay, I guess."

-~-

"Spockie!  What are you wearing?  Where's your blue sweater?"

"Hi, Jimmy.  I don't gots a blue sweater, an' my mommy wouldn't go buy me one."

"Why not?"

"She says Daddy doesn't approve of Starfleet cuz they use a lot of vi'lense.  She says the first warp 5 starship had a Vulcan science lady who wasn't Starfleet, so I can be a Vulcan science 'xplorer.  Daddy helped me make my toolbelt and she picked out my clothes."

"Hey, Spockie!"

"Hi, Lenny!"

"Hey, I brought anudder blue sweater, in case you didn't have one.  You wanna wear it?"

"I dunno, Lenny."

"Whatsa matter, Spockie?"

"His daddy don't want him to plat Starfleet wif us."

"Why, Spockie?"

"'Cuz Starfleet has too much vi'lense, Lenny."

"But I like violins.  Ow!"

"No, Lenny, you dope!  His daddy says that there's too much hurting and blowing up stuff in Starfleet."

"There's too much hurting right here!  You didn't have to punch me, Jimmy!"

"I sorry, Lenny."

"S'okay, Jimmy.  Say, Spockie, if you wear this blue shirt wif those Vulcan pants, you can be half Starfleet and half Vulcan!"

"Hey!  I'm already half Vulcan!  I'll just put the blue shirt on my Human half!"

"Uh, which half is that, Spockie?  Ow!"

"Jimmy, you dope!  It's the half wifout the pointed ears!  Here, Spockie, Let me help you wif the sweater.  Mr. R will help you wif the badge and the stripes."

"Oh, this is gonna be great!  My daddy will love this picture!  He will post it on his ship and maybe even in 'Starfleet and Stripes!'  I'll go tell Mr. R that we are almost ready for our picture."

-~-

"S'Haile, forgive the intrusion.  I thought you should see this."

Sarek looked at the padd his aide had handed him.  His eyes narrowed at the sight of seven smiling human children and one somber Vulcan boy.  The human children were pictured wearing pseudo-Starfleet uniforms.  His own son was wearing Vulcan trousers and the tool belt on which he had spent many hours in addition to that forbidden uniform top.  Above them was the caption:  THE BRAVE CREW OF THE USS DAYCARE--THE FUTURE OF STARFLEET?

Sarek was not amused.

END