A FISH OUT OF WATER by Pat Foley

Genre: Star Trek

Rating: Content suitable for most ages.

Summary: A trip to Earth creates some problems for Sarek and Amanda.

Where to find the story: I found it here on FanFiction.net. The author's homepage is here.

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“Amanda,” he said with the excessive patience Vulcans have for dimwitted human wives. “It doesn’t have any water.”

“Water,” I repeated. And I blinked. I couldn’t have been more stupefied if he had said it didn’t have any air. “Do you mean there’s something wrong with the plumbing?” I reached over and turned on a tap, which released an obedient flow of clean cool water. I tried the hot tap. The same, except for the temperature.

“I’m not speaking of plumbing,” Sarek said, that trace of leashed impatience in his voice that always made his aides scurry to do his bidding. “It doesn’t have water.”

Okay, I get that to a Vulcan, humans can be a little dense at times, but I was mystified here. Clearly he was saying something I wasn't hearing...

~Pat Foley, A Fish Out of Water

This is a delightful story about Spock's parents, set when Spock is about three years old. Sarek accepts a diplomatic mission on earth, and Amanda records the trials and tribulations their stay on terra entails. She makes it impossible not to smile sympathetically as she tries to adjust to her husband's Vulcan criteria on everything from housing to barn cats.

Somehow it's impossible not to identify with Amanda too--true, most of us won't marry a Vulcan anytime soon, but we all know what family life can be like. And as we confront the daily problems and dilemmas, I'm guessing that most of us could use a bit of Amanda's charm and humor!