A/N: So finally we have the ball rolling. Thought I'd try a different perspective for this chapter, give some alternative insight into this whole shindig. Enjoy!
Mother
Amanda paced. She was anxious to meet the human girl who would be part of their family for the next two months, and she had nothing left to clean. So she paced. The greater part of her day had been spent scourging the house until it was scrupulously clean. This had not been an especially difficult task, as the house was usually impeccably neat. It had only been twenty minutes or so before their student was due to arrive that Amanda had happened to glance into Spock's room. His normally spotless space was strewn with computer printouts, and datadisks were scattered across his desk. The bed was unmade. Spock, sitting quietly at his computer, had been immersed in some last-minute research on human eating habits. She had immediately ordered him to tidy his room, which had elicited a sour glare and a grumbled "Yes, Mother" from her son. Of course, to anyone but his mother, his response would have appeared perfectly civil and compliant, but Amanda could see that he did not wish to do what she asked, probably deeming it unnecessary.
However, despite his insistence that he was uninterested in the idea of a cultural homestay program, Amanda had often found him sitting at his computer late at night, studying humanity. She decided that it would be best for him to learn about the human female by actually talking to her, as opposed to reading her file. He had protested that this was illogical and inefficient, but Amanda refused to budge.
She worried about her son almost constantly. He was exceedingly introverted, but she knew it wasn't entirely by choice. Children of any race can be cruel, and she had found that Vulcan children were particularly adept at finding an individual's weak points. After years of taunts, outright bullying and finally ostracism, her son had retreated into himself, unwilling to expose himself to hurt again. Amanda would never forget the sight of her son hiding his anguish behind a tight lipped mask upon returning from school, day after day. His emotional control had been shaky at best at that point in his life, and he had gotten into fights with the other children often. The result was that Spock now kept fierce control of his feelings, and was the most tightly-wound teenager she had ever encountered, Vulcan or otherwise. He kept to himself in all situations, almost to the point of being anti-social. Amanda hoped that he would consent to at least spend some time with the homestay student. Perhaps, with time and some luck, he might even regard her as a friend.
Ceasing her pacing, Amanda went to the window and peered up towards the plateau above the house where the beam-down site was, and was pleasantly surprised to see her son greeting a young woman. Amanda was pleased to see that they were shaking hands; Spock had listened to her advice after all. A smile spread across her lips at the sight.
"Obviously the student has arrived," came a familiar voice from behind Amanda, and she turned to see her husband Sarek standing behind her, also gazing up at the two youth. "Why did we not accompany Spock to greet her?"
"I wanted him to meet her alone," Amanda replied, slipping her slim hand into her husband's broad one. "That way he has no choice but to actually interact with her."
"A logical course of action, beloved," Sarek replied, absently tracing patterns on the back of her hand as punctuation to the compliment. "Do you believe she will be able to… get through to him?" The words were clearly foreign to his lips, and he stumbled over them a bit.
"Honestly? I don't know." Amanda sighed. "Perhaps the simple fact that she isn't a Vulcan may help him open up. You know what they say about opposites…"
"I certainly hope you are right," Sarek said, and Amanda knew that Sarek worried just as much as she did about their son. "I do not wish for him to remain so isolated. Even a Vulcan craves affection, and he in particular requires it. He has us, certainly, but that simply isn't enough."
Sarek was struck by a thought.
"What of T'Pring?" he asked. "Does he see her often?"
"I do not believe so," replied Amanda. "He has never been overly fond of the girl."
"Nonsense. She is his betrothed. He can't help but be fond of her."
"Perhaps he is meant for someone else," suggested Amanda, "as you were."
"The situations are entirely different," insisted Sarek mulishly.
"I simply suggest that we leave him the opportunity to choose his mate," she said soothingly. "Do you remember what your decision to marry me did your relationship with your parents? Do you really want to force Spock to make that kind of sacrifice?"
"It isn't even an issue yet, Amanda," said Sarek. "He has shown no interest in anyone else."
"Just keep it in mind, my love," she said, sensing that she would get nowhere with him then and there. "Just in case."
The front door swung open in the entrance hall and Amanda looked at her husband excitedly. Although it wasn't immediately apparent, she came to see that he shared her sentiment. She hurried out of the kitchen, towards the front door, her husband hard on her heels.
They came through the door just as Spock was setting down a duffel bag. Good, he'd also followed Amanda's advice on that one too; offering to carry her belongings. Amanda hid a smile. Chivalry isn't dead, after all.
Amanda's gaze shifted to the newcomer. The girl was a few inches shorter than Spock, with poker-straight red hair and fierce blue eyes. She wore a simple white shirt with short sleeves and black pants tucked into a pair of shiny black boots. Amanda hid a smile. Even if the girl was doing it subconsciously, her smart outfit blared her future intentions loudly to the universe: this girl was Starfleet-bound.
"Live long and prosper, Ambassador Sarek," the girl said, addressing Amanda's husband in Vulcan, accompanied by the appropriate gesture. Her accent was flawless, and clearly she was familiar with his standing within the Federation. "Mrs. Sarek," she said, acknowledging Amanda with a nod of her head. "I'm Eleanor Jones, but you are more than welcome to call me Ella, everyone does."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ella," said Amanda, breaking the ice by reaching out and firmly shaking the girl's hand. She was impressed to see the girl's eyes widen and to see her quick attempt to pull back: she knew Vulcans didn't like to be touched. She'd done her research. Amanda alleviated her concern by reaching up with her other hand and tucking a strand of her brown hair behind her decidedly rounded, human ear.
Ella's eyes widened with comprehension and her cheeks coloured with mortification.
"I… I'm so sorry, I had no idea…"
"It's perfectly alright, you couldn't have known," Amanda interrupted. "My name is Amanda. You've obviously met my son, Spock…" Ella's gaze snapped back to Spock, and his to her. Their eyes met for a fraction of a second, then they quickly looked away. The look did not go unnoticed by either of Spock's parents, and they shared a glance.
Amanda chose to change the subject.
"Are you hungry?" she asked. Ella shook her head. Amanda tried a different tack. "Then I'm sure you're exhausted," she speculated. "Spock, will you please show Ella her room?"
"Of course, Mother." Spock picked up the larger bag and proceeded out of the entrance hall and towards the bedchambers.
"I apologize for the lateness of my arrival," Ella said as she picked up the remaining, much smaller bag and followed Spock. Amanda and Sarek trailed her. "There was an awful mix-up with my ticket. As you know, I was supposed to arrive much earlier, but they accidentally scheduled me on the later one, so…"
"Not a problem, dear," Amanda reassured her. It wasn't the girl's fault. "We're just glad to have you here."
"Yes," Sarek interjected. "We are… gratified to be sharing our home with you." He said this slightly stiffly, but it was honest. Amanda knew that for all her husband's contact with humans, he was unaccustomed to dealing with human adolescents. She knew that would change as he got used to Ella. Sarek could be remarkably adaptable when he chose to be.
They reached the door to Sarek and Amanda's room.
"Sleep as long as you like in the morning, we don't have anything planned until the afternoon: we were thinking of going into Shi'Kar for a few hours, if you like."
"That sounds lovely, thank you," Ella replied, all politeness.
"If there's nothing else you need, my husband and I will retire now," Amanda said, and Ella shook her head again.
"We're so glad that you're here, Ella," said Amanda, surprising everyone, including herself, by pulling the girl into a quick hug. "Goodnight."
As soon as Sarek had closed the door behind them Amanda pounced. "Well, what do you think?"
"I do not currently have enough information to make an accurate analysis of her personal characteristics," replied Sarek in that exceedingly Vulcan manner that so infuriated Amanda sometimes.
"Nevertheless, did you pick up on anything strange between her and Spock?" Amanda asked, walking to her dresser and starting to change into her nightclothes. Sarek nodded.
"Yes, but I cannot identify what it might be."
Re-dressed, she walked over and clambered into the big bed. Sarek joined her a moment later. She reached out to him, and they intertwined their index and middle fingers in the Vulcan embrace of a married couple. "I'll keep an eye on it," said Amanda. "See if anything else develops."
"Do you think that he will… respond to her company?" Sarek asked Amanda in a quiet voice.
"You mean do I think he'll come out of his titanium shell and actually interact with her? I have no idea. But I really, really hope so," she finished rather dejectedly, although she knew that it was a hopeless case.
"As do I, Amanda. As do I." Sarek brushed his lips against her and leaned over to flick the switch that would kill the lights. They settled into their respective positions for sleep: Sarek lying serenely on his back, one arm across his chest and one encircling his wife's shoulders, Amanda curled up against him, her head on his shoulder and her fingers intertwined with his. But even when her husband's breathing became deep and even with sleep, Amanda's thoughts would not be quieted, and she lay awake for many hours, wondering what the next few months would bring for her only son.
