Chapter Text
“Daddy,” David said seriously from where he dangled his feet on the bench. “Did you know that trains go faster than cheetahs?”
Jim nodded, faking an amazed look as he glanced down the tracks. The shuttle would be due soon and as a well versed cosmopolitan, he felt the familiar trickle of annoyance that it was not here right this instance. “I did know that,” He admitted. “It’s cool to go on something that can take us places so fast, huh?”
An arrival time flashed on the screen above, and he fought back a groan- two minutes? That went slightly over the three-and-a-half timetable he was accustomed to. Really, how could he cope? How could society stand with this injustice?
“I thought cheetahs were the fastest ever, “ David interrupted his lamentation about beautiful, slightly inconsistent public transport. “That’s what I’ve always forever think-ud.”
Jim hid a grin as he sat next to where his son was questioning the nature of reality itself. He resisted the inquiry of what exactly “forever” was to a toddler who could only do two-word sentences a year ago. “Cheetahs are fast, but they’re just animals. Humans - we’ve had a lot of time and intelligence to figure out how to make our inventions faster and faster.”
“Humans,” David repeated. He put two fingers in his mouth that Jim quickly pulled out. “But Tati’s not human.”
Not for the first time, Jim was slightly jealous of parents 200-years-ago. Where all they had to explain was that human beings are all equal. Now, the challenge was explaining that there was a difference between intelligent beings, trains, and animals like cheetahs. Not to mention the digital intelligence and value of robots.
“Tati is half human and half Vulcan,” He interjected. “And there’s the difference - cheetahs are fast and cool, but intelligent beings can do math problems, talk to each other and figure stuff out that other animals can’t. And we can make our world better.”
“Am I an int-gellitent being?” The question came out sincerely. Then, without warning, David launched himself at his father.
“Sometimes.” Jim caught his son before he could fall, and felt a laugh bubble out of him. “Sometimes you are. We’re working on it.”
“I wanna be cheetah,” David hopped off the bench. He tried to run off, perhaps to illustrate his speed. Jim caught him by the straps of his schoolbag. “No math problems, Wait, look at how my skirt twirls!”
And indeed, Jim oohed and ahhed at the ripples of the tutu in the wind, an outfit he recognized from last Purim.
The shuttle was finally making its way down the tracks, and Jim grabbed David up from the ground. “Okay, ballerino, let’s go faster than cheetahs,’
Twenty minutes later, Jim buzzed them into the apartment with three experienced taps against the sensor. He paused at the mezuzah, grazing two fingers across it and pressing them to his lips, before he ushered his son into the hall. “Welcome home, bud. I’m not sure if your sister is taking her nap, so we should be a little quiet.”
David hopped up on a stool and tried to kick his shoes off. “Why does she always sleep, daddy?”
Jim made it over to assist before David could topple over in his precarious position.
“Cause she’s a baby, bumblebee.” He peeled off the boy’s sneakers and tossed them to the shoe pile near the door. “Babies need lots of sleep. Remember when she first came home and didn’t do anything but sleep, eat and poop? She does a lot more than that now.”
David considered this line of thought, putting a hand to his face in such a Spock-like way, Jim couldn’t help but smile. “I s’pose,” He said finally, attempting aloofness. “That this is logical,”
Jim ruffled his hair, and felt the leftover suds of baby shampoo. “Glad to hear it. She missed you, you know,”
“I wanted to play with her,” David said, far too miserable for any three year old. “So I’d be playing with my toys, and she wouldn’t be there. Then I’d pretend she was hiding, and I was seeking. But I could never find her.”
Tears came to Jim’s eyes before he could control himself. Parenting was never easy. But this compounded it-
But he wiped his brow and pushed through, ignoring the sting of salt in his vision. “Well, you and Saavik will have all the time in the world to play with each other.”
David’s eyes brightened. “Yeah! Three weeks is forever!”
Heavy footsteps and babbling interrupted this discussion, as David squealed and ran to greet the two new arrivals. “Tati!!” He barrelled into Spock‘s legs, who handed Saavik to Jim and lifted him up.
“Sa-Fu. Welcome back. How are you?”
Saavik squealed when she recognised Jim and bumped her head against his shoulder.
“I’m good!” David wrapped his arms around his father’s neck. “Daddy said Saavik was sleeping.”
“She just woke up. We missed you, Sa-Fu.”
“Missed you too.” David hid his face against his neck. They stayed like that for a moment before David nudged his father, enough to let him down. “Saavik, Saavik!!” He gestured up to Jim to hand her over.
Jim carefully placed Saavik at his feet, knowing quite well that this three-year-old couldn’t haul around his younger sister. David endeavored anyway, hugging her over the armpits and trying to situate her in his lap. “I love you, Saavik,” David kissed the side of her head. “Did you know three weeks is forever? And that in three weeks, I’ll be six years old?”
“Not quite how it works, bee,” Jim laughed as Spock raised an eyebrow.
“Sa-Fu, how is your mother?” Spock asked, filling his glass with water. The family was having a late, easy dinner. Jim had just handed Saavik her bottle and David his noodles, while he and Spock were splitting Pok Tar leftovers. He hoped it would be enough of a low stimulation environment to get David to sleep.
David shrugged. “Good. She’s real busy.”
Spock raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“Yeah! But I saw her labo…” He trailed off. “Labo…”
“Laboratory?” Jim guessed, feeding Saavik a spoonful of peas. “Open up, ladybug.”
“Yeah!” David fiddled with his fork, and made a face at the smiling monkey on the handle. “Laboto-tory
“She took you to work? Did you not go to preschool with all your friends?” Spock inquired. Jim could tell that it was a demonstration of great effort for his husband to act casual about this information.
“Not every day. But Imah says it’s okay because it’s not real school yet.”
His parents exchanged a look.
“Well, did you have fun? Did she show you around?” Jim asked.
David shoveled pasta in his mouth and nodded. “Yeah, a little!” He nearly choked on his noodles, and Jim patted his back harsh enough for him to spit it out.
Saavik decided she was done with her dinner and threw her plate on the floor. “Ko-Fu no. We do not throw our plates.” Spock chided and got up to clean up the mess.
Spock ran his fingers over the nape of Jim’s neck. “Are you alright?” He asked quietly.
Jim nodded, leaning against him for a moment.“Are you putting Saavik to bed while I give David a bath?”
“You are tired. I can do both.”
Jim smiled and shook his head. “Nah, we’re a team, remember? Plus, you don’t like bathing them in water.”
Spock pulled a face. “I do not understand the appeal of a bath when a sonic is much more efficient. But I concede that a three year old does not prioritize logic when he can play in the bath.”
His husband pulled him in for a kiss, and then got up. “I love you.” Jim said suddenly, just realizing it for the umpteenth time.
“I love you as well.”
Jim straightened his back and stretched, before climbing over his husband’s legs. “Okay! David! Where are you? Did you get undressed yet?”
A giggle was heard from the hall and tiny feet pattered over the tiled floor.
“David Elijah!” Jim shouted, laughing, and ran after his son, who tried to escape. David jolted to the window, trying to trick his father, before spinning around and pattering to the opposite direction. It wasn’t the best fake-out, but Jim was proud enough of him for trying.
“Tatiiii!” He yelled, screeching when Jim caught him in his arms. His voice was obscured by giggles when Jim began to tickle him. “Tati help!”
Spock held up his hands in surrender. “You were caught and must now submit yourself to be bathed.”
David stopped wiggling in his father’s arms and looked up at him. “Can I play?”
“Sure, you can play in the bath. But after that, it’s bedtime.”
He scowled. “I have no bedtime with Imah.”
Jim paused.“No bedtime with Imah?”
“Nuh uh!”
He lifted the toddler up on his hip. “But you have one here, bumblebee. Cause growing kids like you need to sleep so they can go and explore and learn lots of new stuff during the day. Okay? So bath and then bed.”
David pouted. “Can I watch a show?”
Jim looked at Spock and then back at his son. “You can play in the bath or watch a show.”
“Both!”
“Either playing in the bath or a show. You can choose one.”
David pondered his options for a moment, then he crossed his arms.“Bath.”
“Good job, buddy. Can you say that in a full sentence for me?”
“I wanna play in the bath.”
Jim kissed his forehead. “Well done. Do you want to walk to the bathroom?”
His son nodded, still pouting. “Daddy is mean.” He mumbled under his breath after Jim set him down.
Jim sighed and followed him to the bathroom, where he helped him to take off his clothes and then climb into the tub. David sat there in the empty tub, his arms crossed, and pouted.
“Buddy? Do you want to pick out a toy?” Jim offered him the basket that contained the bath toys.
David ignored him.
“Bumblebee?”
“I want Imah!” He shouted, kicking over a soap bottle.
Jim took a deep breath. “Okay, I can see that you’re frustrated right now. And you’re mad at me.”
His son nodded.
“Do you want to take five minutes alone to calm down, and then we can talk about what’s going on?” Jim suggested, his voice quivering slightly.
“I wanna go back to Imah.”
“I hear you, sweetie. But we can’t do that right now. You can have five minutes alone before I come back or I can get Tati.”
“Tati.”
Jim got up and tried to blink away the tears that were gathering in his eyes. “Honey?”
Spock was in the nursery with Saavik, just finishing changing her diaper. He looked up when Jim came in. “Adun, are you alright?”
His husband shrugged. “David is mad at me for making him choose between playing in the bath and watching a show, and wants to go back to Carol. Can you take over?”
Spock sighed and closed the button on Saavik’s onesie. “Of course. Will you put her to bed?”
Jim wiped his face and picked her up from the changing table. “Hey ladybug. Are you ready to go to bed?”
She smiled her beautiful, toothless smile at him, and he held her close to his chest, burying his nose in her short curls.
Spock trailed his hand over his waist. “I will take care of David. Are you alright?”
Jim looked up and smiled at him. “Thank you, honey. I’m okay. He’s just out of his routine.”
His husband huffed, pressed a kiss to his temple and left the room to check on their son in the bathroom.
Jim finished getting Saavik ready for bed, putting her in a little sleeping bag and letting her pick out a story. Then they sat down in the armchair together, and Jim read to her, watching her eyes droop more and more.
The door to the bedroom opened and Spock came in, his features immediately relaxing when he shut the door. He rubbed his face and closed his eyes for a moment, before slowly undressing.
Jim beat his pillow into shape and propped himself up against it. “How was it?”
His husband tied the string of his robe and sat on the edge of the bed. “You are right, he is just in need of a return to his routine. And he would not benefit from staying with Carol more. He told me that he missed his bed here at home.”
Jim put a hand on his thigh. “You look exhausted, sweetheart. Come lie down?”
Spock leaned over him and kissed his forehead. “I am debating whether I should meditate before we go to sleep. Saavik and I had a very eventful day, her interrupted sleep led to a total of three meltdowns today.”
Jim opened his arms, inviting him to lie on top of him. Spock obliged and put his head on his chest. “I’m so sorry, honey. Do you want me to stay at home tomorrow? You could have the day off.” He suggested, running his fingers through his hair.
Spock made a noise in the back of his throat and shook his head. “No. David will return to preschool tomorrow and Saavik will sleep through the night. It will be alright.” He readjusted his legs to get comfortable, and Jim helped him tug the covers over him.
“What are we going to do about Carol?” Jim asked after a while, still playing with his hair.
Spock sighed. “I do not know. You might speak with her about the importance of upholding David’s routines, even when he is not at home. It is not good for him to be left to his own devices when staying with her. I cannot believe that she neglected to take him to preschool 56% of the time.”
Jim hummed. “I’ll speak with her. We need to get this under control, because the older he gets, the more it confuses him.” He kissed the top of Spock’s head. “What about your meditation?”
“I will wake up earlier tomorrow, in the hopes that Saavik will sleep for longer.”
“I can take her in the morning. You should sleep now, you can barely keep your eyes open.”
Spock nodded slowly, slotting their legs together. “You are upset.” He observed.
“Not exactly upset.” Jim closed his eyes. “But I am wondering if he’d be happier if he lived with Carol full-time, if we’re too harsh on him. Do you think we are?”
His husband propped himself up on his arms to look at him.“Ashayam, no. He is happy here, and well cared for.”
Jim nodded. “Logically, I know that. But David said he wanted to go back to Carol.”
“David is three years old. He also wants to eat nothing but pizza and candy. He is not an authority on his own well-being yet. By reinforcing habits that benefit him, he learns how to take care of himself when he is able to.” Spock pulled a face. “He needs his parents to look after him and make these decisions for him. Additionally, Carol is not equipped to care for him for longer than a week, let alone full-time. Are you sure you do not wish to renegotiate a visitation schedule?”
“I won’t take him away from her.” Jim said emphatically. “She’s his mom, both of them deserve to know each other and spend time together. If I take him away from her now, he’ll grow up to resent me, and it’s not like she’s neglecting him.”
Seeing his husband’s expression, he squeezed his arm. “She isn’t. And I know you aren’t the biggest fans of each other, but I’m asking you to try and play nice, for David’s sake.”
“Yes, ashaya. I would not speak badly of Carol in front of him.”
“I know you wouldn’t. But still, try to be a little nicer? If it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t have David.” Jim rubbed his eyes. “Am I a bad person for being a little grateful that we don’t have to worry about this kind of stuff with Saavik?”
His husband stroked his cheek. “No, you are not. This situation is unnecessarily stressful, and I feel similarly.”
Jim opened one eye and smiled at him. “Thank you, sweetheart. And we won’t solve this tonight, so how about we get some sleep.”
The next morning, Jim woke up alone, but the smell of incense permeated the air and he smiled a little. Saavik was up, playing in her crib, babbling and shrieking with excitement when Jim bent over to pick her up.
“Good morning, baby! Did you sleep well?”
She yelped. “Sweep!”
“Yes, sleep. You let daddy and tati sleep all night, hm? Very nice of you.” He kissed her cheek. “Wanna go see if your brother is up yet?”
“Dawwh up!” She clapped her hands.
David was just waking up when they came into his bedroom. He had kicked most of his stuffed animals that had been propped up around the bed on the floor, entangled in his bedsheets, stretching his limbs.
“Good morning, bumblebee.” Jim sat on the edge of the bed, putting Saavik on the floor, who immediately waddled over to inspect a teddy bear that had fallen off the bed.
David stretched out his hand towards his father. “Morning daddy.”
“Sleep well?”
“Hmhm.”
“Are you feeling better?”
David curled up around him. “Yeah. Do I get to go school today?”
Jim ran his fingers through his hair. “Yep, that’s why I came in to see if you’re up. Are you excited to go back?”
His son nodded. “Daddy?”
“Yes, baby?”
David hugged his hand against his chest. “Missed school. And you. Missed you a lot”
Jim couldn’t help but smile.“I missed you too. But you had a good time with Imah, right?”
“Yeah, but daddy?”
“Yes?”
“I don’t wanna live with Imah forever and ever.” He pouted. “Or even if the forever is a little bit,”
“That’s alright, bumblebee, you don’t have to.” There was a clunking sound and he turned around. Saavik had pulled one of David’s trucks from the shelf, and it had fallen on the floor.
“Ah, Saavik.” That got her attention. Jim raised an eyebrow. “Did you ask David if you could play with his toy?”
She tilted her head to the side. “Dawwwh play?”
David looked at his father, then shook his head. “Not now.”
His sister let go of the truck, clearly unhappy with this instruction.
“I know, ladybug, but this is David’s toy, and he said no.” Jim carefully removed his hand from his son’s grip. “Who wants to come and make some breakfast with me?”
David climbed out of bed, and Saavik immediately waddled over to hug him. “Dawhh”
He kissed her cheek. “Love you.”
“Luw.”