Amanda narrowed her eyes dangerously at Sarek. "You did what?"

The sitting room in their home turned vaguely ominous with the angry words, jarring the usual soothing atmosphere and warm colors. The ambassador of Vulcan shifted under the blue-eyed glare, and glanced towards where Saavik sat on a nearby couch.

Reluctantly, but obediently, she cleared her throat. "Amanda?"

Amanda immediately turned the glare in her direction. "Don't you dare take pity on him!"

"Yes, ma'am."

He sighed. "Amanda-"

She whipped back around. "Don't you 'Amanda' me, Sarek! I am furious at you!"

"I assure you, my wife-"

"And don't you try placating me, either! I can't believe you did this! Without even considering asking me!" Her blue eyes began to fill with tears and she jabbed an outraged finger at his broad chest. "I'm his mother—I have a right to be involved!"

Sarek looked as distraught at her sudden tears as a Vulcan could. "I did not know you would be so displeased, Amanda."

"I don't believe you!" she snapped, angrily wiping her face. "After all of these years, you very well know me!"

Sarek again looked for help over her head at Saavik.

She almost winced. And dutifully took a deep breath. "Amanda . . . it was not like that."

Amanda pivoted hard on her heel and Saavik, caught off guard, recoiled instinctively. Instantly, Amanda's anger evaporated—to be replaced with mortification. "I did not mean to . . . remind you," she said softly.

Saavik's posture was now stiff with old memories. "Perhaps it would be best if I leave the two of you to your privacy."

Amanda sighed and sank down on the couch beside Saavik. She took the young woman's hands. "I wish you wouldn't."

Saavik looked up sharply, but Sarek nodded dryly. "I would agree. Your presence significantly increases the odds of my survival."

Amanda gave him a glower, but her temper while still present was ebbing. She sniffed. "Don't be too sure. She might help me hide the body from the authorities."

"Lematyas," said Saavik, her body easing.

Sarek cocked his head curiously. "I beg your pardon?"

"Lematyas are a sufficient means for disposal of a body. There would be no need to attempt subterfuge."

His eyes positively widened.

Amanda couldn't help it. She laughed. "I have missed you." She leaned forward and tucked a stray lock of hair back behind Saavik's ear.

Sarek gave Saavik a wryly stern scrutiny. "Perhaps the universe would be more . . . secure . . . if you spent more time here where you belong."

Saavik's brow drew together in thought. Then she slid an almost stern look at Amanda. "Given the corrupting influence of present company, this is doubtful."

Amanda outright winced and wrinkled her nose at Saavik. "Hush you!"

Sarek's forehead creased. "What is this?"

Amanda actually blushed. "Nothing!"

Sarek immediately looked expectantly at Saavik.

"Lady Amanda called the Klingon Ambassador a-"

Amanda gave Saavik's arm a slight reprimanding slap. "With just cause! He made a completely vile and grossly disparaging comment about your speech."

"Amanda-"

"He most certainly did. Saavik heard it as well."

Saavik stiffened her spine defensively again, this time under Sarek's stare. "I am well aware of the proper behavior for such a gathering, Ambassador."

His mouth flickered. "I am not preparing to censure you. I am awaiting the explanation of why my wife would engage in a verbal assault on a visiting dignitary."

"He earned the correction," Saavik frowned, immediately protective.

Amanda nodded innocently.

He waited them both out, a diplomat's maneuver he always found worked to his advantage. It worked again.

"Perhaps not the remark on the legality of his parentage," Saavik admitted.

Amanda met Sarek's rather shocked look with unrepentant defiance. "He made me angry. And no, I did not use the vulgar Human epithet."

"That is true," said Saavik. "She used the Klingon one."

Sarek took a moment to rub the bridge of his nose. "And did you teach her this . . . remark?"

Saavik almost bristled. "I most certainly did not. She had already acquired the knowledge before we met."

"I am not certain that is comforting."

Amanda gave Saavik a poke with a finger. "Don't tell me you didn't want to call him names, too."

"Quite the opposite. I was attempting to contemplate how a more permanent censure would be possible without breaking my promise to your husband."

Sarek's eyebrows rose. "And?"

"My meditation was interrupted by Amanda's outburst. And in the security proceeding thereafter."

Ignoring the terrible face his wife made, Sarek demanded, "There was a security incident?"

"It was nothing," Amanda said quickly. She gave Saavik a quelling look.

Which did not appear to faze the young woman in the slightest. "That is not true. An attempted assault on a diplomatic personage is far from 'nothing'."

Unable to envision his lady doing so, Sarek looked back and forth between the two. "Tell me, Amanda, that you did not attack the Klingon Ambassador."

Saavik rejected the very idea as obviously ludicrous. "She did not, sir."

Amanda gave her another smothering look, which Saavik ignored again.

"The Klingon Ambassador attempted to attack her."

Sarek paled, alarming Amanda instantly. She remembered all too well his heart condition from earlier years. He waved her concern aside and carefully lowered himself into the old heirloom rocker. "Why was I not informed of this?"

Saavik watched him carefully, picking up on the older woman's alarm. "Amanda received no harm."

"And how," he paused to control his breathing, "did she manage this?"

Amanda now positively beamed. "Saavik came to my rescue! Yes, my husband, exactly the way you're imagining it. She did a good job of it, too."

Saavik winced, and it was her turn to give Amanda a stifling look.

Sarek was having a hard time with this. "You attacked the Klingon-"

Her chin lifted. "Self-defense or defense of another is not an attack. He resisted my attempts to solve the argument peacefully. Would you have preferred I had allowed him to harm Amanda?"

"And what of his guards?"

She dismissed this easily. "Your aide and security team attended to them." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "You should recommend Stoval; he was both efficient and effective."

"I will so note in his record," said Sarek dryly. "And should I now be contacting the Klingon High Command with my apologies?"

Amanda actually snickered. "No."

His eyebrow lifted. "And why, may I ask, not?"

Saavik looked openly displeased at Amanda.

Amanda just smiled sweetly and patted her arm. "Apparently, he's rather taken with our Saavik here. You know how Klingons are about strong women."

Saavik's eyes narrowed at the older woman. "I hold you responsible for my current situation."

Amanda held her hands up. "It got you take leave earlier."

"A simple suggestion to alter my schedule would have been sufficient."

"Ha! I know how you work."

Sarek gave Amanda a reproving stare that actually made her fair cheeks color. "My wife nearly creates an intergalactic incident and yet when I merely attempt to simply provide a companion for our son-"

A tactical error, he soon found out, as Amanda's earlier temper returned instantly in full force.

"You had no right not to include me!"

Sarek looked at Saavik. "Correct me if I am wrong, but was my choice not logical?"

Saavik eyed how near Amanda was and elected a strategic silence.

Amanda, however, was utterly incensed. "Look what happened the last logical marriage you arranged for him!"

He shook his graying head. "I have taken great care to make a far more suitable match." He turned back to Saavik. "Did you not approve of her characteristics I described?"

She nodded slowly. "The woman you describe is equal to him."

Sarek gave Amanda a triumphant look, but she held firm and glared back.

"We agreed to let him make his own choice! He will get around to it!"

"Amanda, as much as I am fond of our son, if we do not take an active role in this, he will never 'get around to it'. His attention is set on his destiny; he will not waste time searching for a mate when his work is the Sundered's return." He looked gently at his wife. "If you are honest, you will admit to this truth. You know him as well as I."

Amanda fumed for a long minute, and then her shoulders sagged and she sighed deeply. "You are right. He will put duty first." She looked as Saavik mournfully. "But I wanted him to choose."

Saavik's eyes darkened in her own understanding. "Ambassador Sarek has assured me Spock will approve of his selection."

Sarek nodded. "In this, my logic is certain."

Amanda looked downcast. "But. . . I wanted to be a part of this."

Sarek's eyes grew almost tender. "My wife, it is illogical to repeat an already original agreement."

Amanda blinked. "Wait, what?"

"You already agree with my decision."

She frowned. "Explain."

Sarek turned to Saavik. "I will not be attending the diplomatic function I was scheduled to participate in this evening. As you have conveniently already met my aide, would you be so kind as to inform him I will be attending to my son's betrothal instead?"

Saavik nodded and immediately rose, her eyes still too quiet. She bowed respectfully to them both and disappeared back further into the great house.

"Who?" demanded Amanda instantly. "And I mean it, Sarek. This had better not be that woman from-"

Sarek leaned back in the rocker and merely flicked his gaze down the hall where Saavik had gone.

Amanda utterly stopped. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in shocked delight.

Sarek nodded to himself, looking entirely satisfied. "My logic was correct, yes?"

Amanda burst into sudden happy laughter and leapt up to break all sorts of Vulcan propriety rules to ferociously hug her husband. Sarek calmly endured the emotional outburst and actually managed to keep all but the glint in his eyes showing his pleasure. "I take it," he said, "that you are no longer upset with me?"

She wiped tears from her cheeks and kissed him soundly on the nose. "I love you."

"Quite gratifying." He sobered. "Now, we must somehow inform Saavik of our decision."

Amanda choked. "Wait—what?"

Sarek straightened. "I thought it best to convince her through impartiality first." His eyebrow rose in grim certainty. "Her sense of self is remarkably erroneous. She has, in fact, made no connection between my characteristic description of Spock's intended and herself."

Amanda sighed and leaned into him. "She wouldn't." She shook her head sorrowfully. "They destroyed it for her."

Sarek gently touched his two fingers to hers. "Then we shall recreate it."

Amanda looked uncertain. "I don't know if she will let us, Sarek."

His gaze firmed. "We are not giving Spock a choice, why should we give one to his mate?"

Amanda couldn't help it, she started to laugh. Her blue eyes glinted mischievously and she brushed his robes with her fingers. "Then, given the current state of the Klingon Ambassador, I'd better get you a weapon!"

He looked down at her in confusion. "To protect me from the Klingon?"

Amanda snorted and kissed her husband again. "No, dearheart, to protect you from her."