DISCLAIMER: The Star Trek characters are the property of Paramount Studios, Inc and Viacom. The story contents are the creation and property of Djinn and are copyright (c) 2022 by Djinn. This story is Rated PG-13.

Dinner at the Sareks

by Djinn

The holo turkey shimmered in the middle of the table. Chapel tried not to look at it longingly. Couldn't Amanda have made a vege-turkey instead of teasing them with this mouthwatering replica of the real thing?

"You're drooling a little," Jim murmured as Antonia sat in the corner with yet another drink and muttered about space taking away her man.

"Why did you bring her?" Chapel asked softly.

"Because I never know when to let go." He sighed. "I thought I could show her how cool the city was."

"By showing her the Vulcan embassy? This bastion of cool?" She laughed and shook her head.

"Hey."

She realized Antonia was talking. "This ought to be good," she muttered.

Then Antonia pointed at her. "Yo, you, the brunette monopolizing my--what the hell do I call you, Jim? Boyfriend is so...noncommittal."

So which of them was she talking to? Jim didn't seem to know either. They both just stared at her.

"You're in this together. You're sleeping with him. You're one of his star tarts."

"That's not really a thing," he said softly, probably hoping no one in this building of those with remarkable hearing were catching any of her rant.

"If it isn't, then I want her to say it."

"That's not really a thing." Where the hell was Spock? "Also I'm with someone."

"Not that I can see."

Chapel made a face. "Yeah, because he's late."

"To his own damn home." Jim sighed again. "So is Sarek. They didn't boycott, did they?"

"Better not have."

"This is boring," Antonia said, then curled up in the chair.

"Hey, maybe Lori and Carol are in town? We could invite them too."

"Shut up, Chris."

Amanda sort of waltzed through, directing waiters with trays full of appetizers and more booze. "Spock has been detained."

"Who?" Antonia got up. "You know what? I don't care. I want a real damn turkey on Thanksgiving. With a real damn man."

"Wait, are you an android?" Chapel whispered to Jim. "Did Roger's plan work all this time and we've just never caught on?"

"Shut up, Chris." He went after Antonia. "Honey, do you maybe want to talk about this? Like... who's going to get Butler if you leave."

"You love that dog more than me. You should marry that dog and then take him to space because it's for damn sure clear you're never going to propose to me." Multiple doors slammed after her and then Jim walked back into the dining room.

"Oh, my, well, she's a bit reactive, isn't she?" Amanda patted him in a supporting, motherly way.

"I think it's safe to say we're over."

"Yeah but who gets the dog?"

"She'll get the damn dog. She loves Butler. She's just mad that I do, in fact, love him more than I do her."

"Well," Amanda said, taking Antonia's refresh off the tray and shooing the waiters away. "If she's not going to drink this...". She took a healthy sip. "She seemed a bit negative for you, James. You need someone more like Christine here."

"Mom. We agreed you were not going to drink too much and suggest a throuple just because you want a trendy set of kids."

"Oh, Christine, you get along with him so well and Spock simply adores him. What would be the harm...?"

"I don't actually have an answer for that," Jim murmured, "so I hope you do."

"He's--he was our boss."

"Oh, piffle." She turned to the sound of an opening door. "Sarek? Spock?"

They came in, and Sarek tried and failed not to show dismay at the centerpiece. "We discussed this last year."

"Oh, you mean when you told me I must get rid of it and I said no and you said it was settled and then I didn't have sex with you until you told me I could keep it?"

"Oh, yes, it was that time. Well, we will discuss it again this year with different results."

"Oh, you mean you won't miss the sex you won't be having?"

"Mother." Spock came around to where she and Jim were standing. "How much has she had to drink?"

"Not that much. She's just pretending it's more so she can say what she wants and not get in trouble." She kissed Spock tenderly. "You missed Antonia breaking up with Jim."

"We think."

"We're pretty sure."

"But not 100% sure."

"Jim, she's gone. Just deal with it."

"Oh, darling, she's gone." Amanda held her fingers out to Sarek and winked at him. "You were so lucky to miss her. All wrong for our Jim. I told him he should be with Spock and Christine."

"She has her heart set on a threesome." Sarek actually looked at Chapel like she ran this crazy circus. "Why not give her an early Christmas gift, Christine, and say you'll consider it."

"I won't consider it." She felt Spock pushing into her back with his hand. "What? Do you want me to? You said no the last time we talked about it."

"Wait, you said no? I thought it was Chris keeping me out of the fun zone?"

"No, I was up for it. But now..." She frowned at Spock, who was pushing even harder. "Why are you doing that? That isn't one of our usual codes."

"I am relieved Antonia is gone. I wish to...yes, Mother, Merry Christmas. We will be a throuple."

"Oh, that's wonderful. Sarek, isn't that marvelous?"

"Indeed, the word for it." He looked like he hoped this topic could be put to bed. Only not literally right in front of him. "Will there be grandchildren at some point?"

"Oh, my God." Chapel drained her drink and did a two-finger whistle to get one of the waiters in. "Whiskey, stat!"

Spock and Sarek both had their hands over their ears. "We have asked you to warn us before you do that," Spock said, gingerly pulling his hands away. "Will you be doing that again?"

"Only if you answer the grandchildren question."

"I had not planned to. Besides if Jim is in the mix, it may not be biologically mine."

"Oh, well, wait then." Amanda shook her head. "I didn't think this through. I also had my heart set on a grandbaby with some Vulcan in it."

"Well, shit. So I'm out a girlfriend and a throuple I never got to take advantage of?" Jim sat down heavily. "This is not the best Thanksgiving ever."

"May I suggest," Sarek said waving in the servers with food but giving the one carrying more hooch a stern wave, sending him back to the kitchen, "that you simply avail yourself of one of the many available male contraceptives so that you can make both dreams of my wife come true? A handsome trio for her to parade out at parties and no risk of you fathering the grandson she wants from Spock?"

"Oh, sure, be logical about it..." But he did seem to perk up. "Does this mean I get to call you 'Dad'?"

"No. But if you three last to next Thanksgiving, you may address me as 'Father.'"

"Darling, do you think maybe it would be better if Jim made a throuple with us?"

"I do not."

"Party pooper."

"Yes, as you have often said." He looked at Jim. "No offense intended but you are simply not my type."

"You have a type, Father?" Spock sounded very confused.

"I thought I was everyone's type," Jim said, sounding more than a little put out.

"Big baby." Chapel studied him. "So who is your type?"

Sarek gave her a smoldering look and Amanda laughed. "Not in your wildest dreams, my darling. It's boy, boy, me, not two girls for you."

"I find myself longing for Antonia's random rants," Chapel said softly and both Spock and Jim murmured noises of assent. "We could have done Friendsgiving, but you said no."

"Oh, please, Daughter. Would you now be in a throuple if you had gone to this alternate holiday?"

"We're not in a throuple, Sarek."

"You are. We have decided. Once Kirk gets himself on birth control, at any rate."

"I'm on birth control, Sarek. Jeez, give it a rest. And are you still going to call me by my last name once I'm boffing your son?"

Sarek considered. "Yes, probably. I do not really care for you."

"Then why am I in a throuple with your son?"

"Because he does care for you. And so does Christine." Again he gave her a smoldering look. "But she is free to realign."

"Belay that," Amanda said. "He'll call you Jim eventually, dearest. That's how you'll know you're winning him over."

"Hell will freeze over," Spock murmured and Chapel nodded.

Sarek, apparently done with relationship building, began to pass the food around. It was either too spicy for her or too weirdly textured. She just stared at the holo-turkey, planning where they could stop on the way back to the apartment she shared with Spock--and maybe now Jim.

Were they serious about this? Jim was coming back to Starfleet, maybe now was time for a truly brand new start?

She glanced over at Spock, who met her gaze. "A throuple?" she mouthed. "Really?"

He looked torn. She turned to Jim and he smiled at her in a brand new way. Then he looked past her and gave Spock the same, scorching gaze. She heard Spock gulp, the way he only did when she was whispering in his ear in a flitter, teasing him with what she wanted to do to him once they got home.

So this was up to her? Okay, then, no decisions would be made until real turkey was procured and eaten. She made the hand gesture these two used on a landing party to mean "Wait," and went back to picking at her food.

There was a knock on the door, and then an aide poked his head in. "Sir, I regret that you have a call. It cannot wait."

"Very well," Sarek said as he got up. "You three cannot wait to get out of here. Your body language tells me everything I need to know."

Did their body language tell him she preferred dark meat and cranberry chutney too? Because turkey was the only thing on her mind at the moment.

Amanda saw them off with hugs and promises that they would do it all again at Christmas.

"Yay?" Jim said, perhaps already regretting joining the family.

Then they were free and she was leading them down the street in double time to the first all night diner she actually liked. They had a table and in no time a traditional turkey dinner was laid out before them.

Even Spock looked cheered.

"You two discuss. I'm so fucking hungry." She had never learned the skill of eating what she didn't like the way they had on so many missions when not embarrassing the hosts was of paramount concern.

"I would like to try," Spock said softly.

"One vote for yes. Pass the salt, Jim?"

He handed it to her. "Is this a majority rules thing?"

"Nope, it has to be unanimous." She went back to eating. "And just for the record, if it doesn't work, I'm taking Sarek up on his offer. So...make me happy, boys."

"Are you saying yes?" Spock sounded very confused, but she didn't blame him. This had been a confusing night.

"Nope, I want to hear what Jim says first."

"Yes," he said softly, so softly she thought that he was letting them pretend they hadn't heard him. And then he'd change his answer to "No" and she felt disappointment flood her at that idea.

"Yes for me too. Okay then, you're moving in with us. We can get your things later."

Jim's communicator pinged. "Oooh, my offer was accepted on that new place on the water." He showed them the pictures.

"And we'll be moving in with you there. Unless we implode before it's ready for occupancy." She looked over at Spock. "You okay, hon'?"

"I am. I am...happy."

"And we haven't even kissed yet. You have such simple needs, Spock." Jim winked at her.

"If you suck in bed, you're out."

"What are the odds I suck in bed?" He glanced at Spock. "Care to calculate them?"

"Infinitesimal."

"You crazy romantic, you." He gave Spock the sweetest look, then he reached over and took her hand. "Are you done yet?"

"Oh, fine, but we're getting this stuff to go. He's been out on the ship with his cadets and I've been on an ops mission--our larder is bare."

"I don't want you guys for your larder." He laughed. "But yeah, later food will seem more important. Maybe I'll order some other stuff to go." He motioned the waiter over and gave him a really long list for a guy who was only going home on a trial basis.

Confident as ever.

They walked slowly to the apartment, Chapel in the middle, the boys both holding her with one hand and carrying food with the other. This didn't suck.

"Someone should kiss me."

They both moved in, then laughed as they stopped, their lips just inches from each other.

"Oh, hell, you two go for it. I want to watch."

They did, but it wasn't a passionate free-for-all as she expected. More tender and tentative. Then they turned to her. Spock went first and then gave her over to Jim.

Who could kiss like crazy.

"I guess you'll do," she said, putting her arms around both of them, enjoying the lovely San Francisco night as they walked home a little faster than before. "I have to say: this turned out to be a pretty great Thanksgiving, after all."

FIN