Disclaimer: I do not own Star Treck. But hey, the new movie was basically written and directed by fans, so maybe someday.........
In Vulcan, the term beauty is not common.
Someone can be attractive, or appealing, or even beautiful, but only in terms of procreation. Mere visual acknowledgements. Even those are rarely said.
Yet, to recognize beauty, it must have a possessor.
Someone cannot be beauty, they must have it.
In order to have it, pride must be admitted. A useless emotion must be recognized. That would be illogical.
At least….it would be much more than admitting you wish your offspring to continue your line with the largest possible chance of surviving, as you would in terms of procreation. That would be logical.
As a result, beauty is considered a useless term left to those Vulcans on the outermost edges of society……
----------
Amanda Grayson never heard a single word of compliment from the Vulcans around her.
Even though she did an excellent job as wife to the Ambassador, no one ever said much about it.
The rare "Hmm….meeting expectations" was as good as it got from her neighbors.
Even her own husband had barely commented since the morning after their wedding.
That had been a year ago.
But it was expected, and Amanda loved Sarek all the more for it.
She didn't need those 'You're looking pretty, today'
Or 'Tonight, you are truly beautiful'
Back on Earth, men had only mentioned her appearance when they thought they could get lucky.
Suffice to say, they never did.
So, Amanda could live with the Vulcans' silent ways.
Still, it could get lonely…..
"Can we pick those flowers?" Amanda asks, as she and her husband walk through the garden.
"Why? They offer us no sustenance" Sarek says in confusion."They would look very nice in the dining room" Amanda tell him.
"That would be illogical, they need to say here to support the atmosphere" Sarek informs her, closing the argument.
Amanda sighs and nods. Later, she will come out here on her own and take the flowers.
The atmosphere be damned.
----------
During Amanda's pregnancy was one of the only other times that Sarek had said something truly unexpected about her appearance.
"What is it?" Amanda asks, looking at Sarek in confusion. He stares at her swollen belly with open curiosity, as they lie in bed together early one morning
"I just wonder, can you feel the fetus move?"
Amanda is very tempted to roll her eyes. Sarek had referred to the baby as a fetus ever since it's conception.
Still she is tempted to use this rare opportunity to her advantage.
"Feel for yourself" Amanda smiles, and holds his large hand to her larger stomach.
The 'fetus' doesn't just move, it kicks.
Sarek pulls his hand back in amazement.
"Fascinating" he mutters.
"What?" Amanda asks, acting innocent.
"He feels very strong and large. No wonder you're so big."
Amanda doesn't smile, and for the rest of the week, Sarek wonders why his wife doesn't talk endlessly to him, as is her normal routine. Rather, she glares most heatedly.
He…logically, blames the hormones.
Unexpected didn't have to mean, nice in human terms.
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Amanda still didn't truly miss those casual comments until the birth of her son, Spock.
In her mind, Spock could never be something so simple as beautiful, or so general as perfection. Spock was beauty in its essence. Not just in his appearance -however cute it was- but everything about the boy. The way his eyes twinkled when she smiled at him. How his nostrils flared whenever he prepared for a tiny sneeze. Even how pudgy his tiny fingers felt.
Spock was a combination of two worlds, her and Sarek, and that was reason enough for Spock to be beauty.
However oblivious her husband could be at times…..
"He has your eyes" Amanda says, gazing lovingly at her newborn. Sarek stands over them.
"My eye color? I suppose so" he agrees.
"Isn't he precious?" Amanda asks, holding her son close to her.
"One of many born this year" Sarek points out.
Amanda sighs, with carefully concealed disappointment.
"But the only one that's ours" she points out. Sarek nods.
"Yes, that is true"
Amanda doesn't see Sarek smile down at his son, as said smile is gone within seconds.
It was just the Vulcan way.
------------
Uhura never resented Spock for not ever saying she was lovely or even, pretty.
To tell you the truth, it would only remind her of Kirk.
Uhura didn't particularly want to be reminded of Kirk.
So, Spock's silent ways were just fine with her.
Even if she did spend hours thinking about what she would wear on their next date…..
"No, no…too…casual" Uhura mutters, tossing the blouse off. She goes through many more outfits......
"Too….blue" she says, striping off the dress
"Too…dressy" she takes off the gown
"Too….Kirk.." Uhura removes the leather Jacket.
"Too….Just right" she smiles.
She doesn't know why she hadn't tried this on before.
"You look…well prepared for work, Lieutenant" Spock says when Uhura reaches the bridge of the ship.
"As always, Commander Spock" Uhura mutters, putting on her earpiece.
-----------
While Spock is visiting the recovering Vulcan colony where his father resides, he realizes something.
"Father" Spock says in a confused manner, sitting in the new and rather small home of his family.
"Yes?" Sarek asks, raising his eyes from one of the only texts he had managed to save of Vulcan.
"Did you find my mother attractive?"
Sarek raises an eyebrow.
"I did"
"Did you find her appealing?"
"I did"
"Did you find her pretty?"
"I did"
"Did you find her beautiful?"
"I….did"
"You never commented on her appearance" Spock points out.
"I didn't need to" Sarek states, confidently.
"Why is that?"
For a moment, Sarek is at a loss for words.
"She didn't have to hear it from me"
"Logically, shouldn't a person be made aware of their appearance so that they may keep it in order?"
For another moment Sarek is at a loss for words.
"What brings these questions to your mind, Spock?"
"My Lieutenant" Spock answers shortly.
"Ah, the Earth Female" Sarek nods in understanding.
"I've realized something about her" Spock continues.
"What is that?" Sarek has, by now put down his text.
"She is very….illogical…." Spock mutters.
"How so, Spock?"
"Well….she's not attractive"
"Ah"
"Or appealing"
"Hmmm"
"Or pretty"
"Oh"
"Not even beautiful"
"Spock…"
"I daresay, she is much more…she is beauty. And that is not very logical at all, is it Father?"
For yet another moment, Sarek is at a loss for words.
------------
Later that night, Sarek is lying in bed, thinking about what Spock had said.
A distant memory clearly comes to his mind.
Sarek sits in his bed, in the early morning of his first day as a married Vulcan-man. He looks down at his sleeping bride.
She is…definitely human.
No Vulcan female can look that peaceful. Of this, Sarek is sure. However inexperienced he might be.
Her red lips are curved into a delicate smile, her hair falling lightly past her closed eyes.
The rest of her body is wrapped in the soft-white covers of their martial bed.
Sunlight breaks in through the windows, grazing both Sarek and Amanda.
"You are something quite illogical, my wife" Sarek whispers softly. He caresses her cheek.
"A radical…I expect"
He lays his head down next to hers
"Never ending…forever defying logic in your insistence to do what you please"
Carefully, Sarek pushes the hair out of Amanda's eyes.
"And that is why you are beauty to me"
He touches his nose to hers
"To be merely beautiful is to be rational…logical."
Sarek breathes in her scent of…roses…strangely.
"Something you most certainly are not"
He kisses her lightly on the lips.
"Not that I'd have it any other way"
In the brief second he shuts his eyes, he doesn't see Amanda smile, as said smile is quickly gone from her face.
As was the Vulcan way.
