Title:
Yenta
Author: Ster Julie
Series: TOS
Rating: G
Codes: Sarek, Amanda
Part 1/1
--ooOoo--
"Sarek," Amanda called, pointing to Spock's latest message.
"What is this?"
Sarek peered over his wife's shoulder as he looked at the computer monitor. "It is the questionnaire I sent
Spock," he replied.
"What questionnaire?" Amanda queried.
"Spock requested that we help him find a bride," Sarek
explained. "The matchmaker wishes to know Spock's preferences for a
mate, so she provided me this questionnaire that I forwarded to Spock."
"Matchmaker!" Amanda lividly
exclaimed. "You're employing a yenta to find a bride for our
son?"
Sarek was surprised by the amount of anger in Amanda's voice. "My
wife," he began patiently, "the services of a matchmaker are
regularly employed when an adult is in need of finding a mate. There are
far fewer suitable candidates for adults than those available for
children."
"It seems so impersonal," Amanda complained. "Spock might
as well take out an ad in the Personals."
"Once this form is submitted to the matchmaker," Sarek explained
calmly, "his information will be entered into the database and…"
"Computer dating!" Amanda cried. "How demeaning! Why can we not just trust our son
to find someone on his own? Why can't he have the freedom we enjoyed in
choosing a mate?"
Sarek was nonplussed. "Spock asked for our help," he
replied. "He has no time to actively search for suitable
candidates. He trusts our judgment."
Amanda snorted derisively. "Oh, sure," she said in a voice
dripping with sarcasm. "We did such a good job choosing the last
time."
Sarek knew better than to argue with his wife, so he kept silent and scanned
Spock's replies.
Amanda turned back to the screen and read
alongside her husband. "Spock lists
no preference in race or species, I see," Amanda murmured,
"nor does he have any physical requirement other than 'physical
compatibility and the ability and desire to have children.' He wants
someone who 'has a career already so that she can have gainful pursuits of her
own when he is on duty. A science background is an asset but not a
requirement.'"
"He responses are not very romantic," Sarek
commented, checking to see if Amanda would take the bait.
An elbow to his midsection was her reply. "He gets that from
you!"
Amanda sat back tapping her fingers on the desk as she digested Spock's responses. "More than forty percent of the crew of
the
Sarek saw Amanda's logic and was three steps ahead of her. "It will
take some doing," he murmured as he attacked the computer keyboard with
gusto.
"Some doing" took all of 48 seconds. Sarek cross-referenced the
questionnaire and Spock's replies and sat back.
Twelve seconds later, the computer obediently beeped and displayed a photo of a
tall blonde woman in a blue uniform with a sweet smile and sparkling deep blue
eyes that both Sarek and Amanda had cause to remember.
"Imagine!" Amanda breathed.
"My wife?" Sarek replied.
"Could it be?" Amanda said softly.
"Can what be?" Sarek asked.
"Can it be that our highly intelligent, multi-degreed
son is an idiot?" Amanda muttered half to herself.
Sarek drew himself up indignantly. "Our son is not an idiot!"
he defended.
"Or," Amanda considered as she thought out loud, ignoring Sarek's
rejoinder, "did Spock subconsciously have this woman in mind as he
answered these questions?" Amanda turned to her husband.
"Shall we send him our results?"
Sarek's shrugged as if to say, "It wouldn't hurt."
Amanda pointed impatiently at the communications unit. "Well?"
she asked. "What are you waiting for? Get Spock on the line
and tell him we have a suitable candidate!"
Sarek's fingers again flew over the controls. "We do not yet know if
she is amenable to marrying our son."
Amanda waved a "That's what you think" hand at her clueless
husband. "If you would have had your eyes open more often while you were
in their sickbay," she rejoined, "you would have seen that she just
adores our son."
"I was sick!" Sarek retorted.
Just then, the vidscreen flared to life.
"Spock here," he said. "Is everything all right?"
Amanda smiled a "cat that ate the canary" smile as she looked at her
handsome, single and clueless son. It seemed that they had wakened Spock,
who, thinking this to be an emergency call, had taken no time to straighten his
sleep-tousled hair or don a robe.
"We have a candidate for you," she said simply, "someone in your
own backyard."
Spock raised an eyebrow in confusion while Amanda patted Sarek on the back as a
signal to display the woman's picture.
Amanda's smile grew brighter as she saw Spock's eyes widen at the sight of his
biggest admirer on the
Spock, for his part, was speechless.
"She does fit you criteria, my son," Sarek pointed out.
Spock nodded mutely.
Amanda noted her son's discomfiture. "Is there a problem?" she
asked. "Do you have reason to believe that she would not want to be
bonded to you?"
Spock shook his head. "Oh she would be amenable, all right," he
breathed.
"Does she have a crush on you?" Amanda asked further.
"Oh, indeed yes," Spock replied. He tore his eyes away from the
picture on the split screen before him and asked, "You do not mind that
she is not Vulcan?
"I'm not Vulcan and your father doesn't seem to mind!" Amanda shot
back.
"This much is certain," Sarek interjected.
Spock paused as he thought. "I will have to take this slowly,"
he said at last. " For the past 18 months I
have been running from her advances out of deference to my former bondsmate. She may become suspicious if I suddenly
begin to pursue her instead."
"Then you agree with our choice of candidate?" Sarek asked.
Spock nodded slowly, then shook his head.
"Why did I not recognize her potential before this?"
Amanda leaned into the screen. "You said it yourself, honey,"
she said warmly. "You were so used to running away from her.
Now you can turn the tables and start courting her." Amanda smiled
warmly. "Let me know if you need any advice in that
department. I can let you know what worked and what didn't when your
father was courting me."
"Within reason and propriety, of course," Sarek amended quickly.
"Understood," Spock bowed. "However, I do not think it
will take much effort on my part."
"Indeed," Sarek agreed as he looked warmly at his Amanda.
"I believe that you will only need to turn around in the hunt and allow
yourself to be caught, as I did."
Amanda laughed out loud for the three of them.
END