Chapter 11: Reassurance
When Amanda walked past Karen's desk on her way out of the office, she felt the woman's eyes on her- could feel her smirk- without even seeing them. She didn't need to.
She didn't know what she'd done to deserve this. What had she done to make Karen angry enough to frame her and try to put her in prison? She couldn't imagine a person hating someone that much.
Ignoring Karen, she got her bag from where it lay propped up against her desk. Then she went straight to the lift and to the third floor.
Amanda felt her stomach drop several inches when she saw that Sarek was gone for the day. She didn't have a way to contact him either...and if Karen somehow managed to tamper with the security feeds she wouldn't see him any time soon.
Tears stung her eyes. What would she do now? She took a deep, shaky breath to calm herself. Now was not a time to cry. It would not help in any way.
He was her only hope. He had connections- he had influence. And he was the only person she trusted to help her. She had to contact him.
She reentered the lift and took it down to the lobby. When she pushed open the glass doors of the entrance, she found that it was raining.
She wasn't surprised- she didn't seem to have much luck that day.
The thick silver sheet fell from the sky, drenching her immediately. It was cold- one of the things she'd never liked about San Francisco were the cold winter rains. She was shivering uncontrollably, her hair plastered around her face, when the shuttle arrived.
Sitting down near the heater in the back, she pushed her hair out of her eyes and stared out the window at the embassy as the shuttle pulled away. She'd never liked that place...the best thing about working there was meeting Sarek. She'd never liked anyone else there- and they hadn't liked her. But she never would have believed...
Thinking about the preposterous situation wasn't going to change it any. The fact was, she stood accused of stealing confidential Federation information. She didn't know how they would ever prove it; but she was somehow sure Karen had already taken care of that. The fact that she was innocent didn't matter- they had been right when they said the evidence was mounting against her.
Without help, she was screwed.
Amanda didn't how to contact Sarek via holophone- but she did know where he lived.
She felt uncomfortable with inviting herself over but had little choice. She was desperate. She needed to see him- even if he couldn't help her.
After switching shuttles at the station it took her an hour to get to the mansion. But finally, she stood before the old-fashioned cast-iron gates. There was an intercom box mounted next to it and while standing in the chilly rain she pressed the button.
"Hello?" she called into it, hugging her arms around herself, teeth chattering. "Anyone there?"
"Who is this?" asked a female voice. Amanda recognized it as T'Shan's.
"Th-this is Amanda Grayson," she replied as a strong shiver ran down her spine. There was a short silence on the other end.
"And what is your business here?" she now asked, her voice flat.
"I came to see Ambassador Sarek," she said.
"The ambassador is not here. He is at a conference," T'Shan replied.
"I know that- but it's urgent!" Amanda said frustratedly. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I waited in there for him."
T'Shan said nothing further. Nearly a minute passed and Amanda started to think she would have to wait outside in the rain. Just as she turned back to the shuttle stop, there was a hum from behind her and the gates swung open to admit her. She sighed in relief as she rushed through and then down the gravel driveway towards the door, which opened before she got there. She ducked inside, grateful for the warmth that immediately enveloped her.
"Thank you so much," she said to the Vulcan woman who stood on the other side. She led Amanda into the living room without a word.
"Sit there." She gestured toward a chair that sat before the lit fireplace. Amanda did so as T'Shan left again. She leaned toward the fire and let the heat wash over her, driving away the chill that had settled into her bones. Hardly anyone had fireplaces anymore, decorative or otherwise. They were considered archaic, but at the moment she was beyond grateful for it.
The room was quiet except for the gentle crackling of the yellow and orange flames and the occasional pop and shower of sparks as the artificial wood shifted. It would have been peaceful if not for the nervousness and worry clawing at her from the inside.
It felt like she waited for hours- but she knew it couldn't have been longer than thirty minutes. Finally, she heard the front door open and got up to go to the open doorway leading into the entrance hall.
"Sarek," she said as he came into view.
"Amanda?" he asked, eyebrows shooting up as he saw her. He was soaked from the downpour and even now, when she was afraid for her future, she stopped to admire the fact that his Vulcan tunic was sticking to his skin, outlining his well-toned torso. His hair was sopping wet and disheveled, water dripping from his pointed ears. The view was both amusing and arousing. "Why are you here?" he asked.
"Something is going on at the embassy. I...I'm being set up for something I didn't do," she replied. He stood there for a few seconds, merely looking at her. Then he came closer until he was only a few feet away.
"I will change my clothing and then you will clarify," he said. "Wait for me in the living room."
He left her, heading for the stairs. Amanda returned to her chair by the fire to wait.
Just seeing him had been like a balm to her. The queasy feeling she'd been experiencing was now gone. She was still not entirely calm, of course- but she was more at ease than she had been. As she stared into the flickering light she felt her muscles relax.
She was startled when a slight weight settled around her shoulders. Looking around, she saw that Sarek had returned and placed a thin blanket around her. She pulled it closer against her body as he sat in the chair opposite hers.
"Thank you," she said. Her clothes still clung to her and her hair was a wet, tangled mess. Yet she wasn't really very cold- the heat settings were up higher in this room than was normal for humans and there was the fire as well.
"Please elaborate on the situation, Amanda," Sarek said, leaning back and placing his arms on the armrests of his chair. "What do you mean by saying you have been 'set up'?"
Amanda took a deep breath and began to tell him everything that had been said in the director's office. He listened quietly, not saying a word; his head slightly tilted to one side as she spoke, his black eyes focused on the fire. When she finished and silence fell he still didn't say anything.
"You do believe me, don't you? That I didn't do this?" she asked. The thought hadn't occurred to her before...but what if he did believe the evidence over her? It would only be logical...
"I have no reason to not believe you, Amanda," Sarek finally said, turning his head to look at her. "From what I have learned about you, you are honest. I know you would not lie to me- because I would never lie to you."
"That's because Vulcans can't lie." She gave him a weak smile.
"I would not say we cannot- but we do not," he replied. There was a pause before he spoke again. "Who would do this to you?"
"I have my suspicions but I don't understand why." Amanda shook her head. "Karen has never liked me, but this- this is beyond that."
"You believe Miss Bennett has orchestrated this?" Sarek asked. She looked over at him...she wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a flicker of displeasure in his eyes.
"She's the only person besides me to ever get into my desk. Sometimes she uses one of my styluses or borrows a data slate...she probably told Linette she was looking for something in there to explain how she found them. She switched those slates with the spares I keep there, and when I couldn't find my replicator card this afternoon it was she who told me where it was. She must have put it there to get my prints on the slates." Amanda looked thoughtfully at the fire again.
"And where were you when she was able to accomplish this?" Sarek asked.
"I was..." Amanda trailed off and then gasped, eyes widening slightly. "Oh no..."
"Amanda?" Sarek leaned forward, looking at her closely.
"I was down in Filing. I had to pick up the filing reports for Linette. Sarek- they're going to look at the security vids tonight, and they're going to see that I was there today. They're going to say that's when I took them!"
"There are no security feeds in the filing room itself to prove them wrong?" he asked.
"Not that I know of...of course, no one knows where all the cameras are except the security staff."
"And what of the employee who works in the filing room?" he asked, his eyes still on her. She met his gaze.
"He wasn't there. He left the report for me on his desk. I was alone in there. Damn it...how am I ever going to get out of this?" She stood and began to pace agitatedly, pulling the blanket tight around her shoulders. He stood also.
"You are innocent, Amanda. There will be evidence somewhere indicating the truth. Miss Bennett will have made a mistake- she is human, after all."
She smiled a little but his words did nothing to alleviate her worries. She was shaking again, but this time it was not because of a chill. The evidence against her was, even if circumstantial, possibly still enough to land her in jail.
"Amanda..." His voice was gentle- softer than she'd ever heard it before. It was almost startling, especially when he reached out and caught her by the arms to stop her pacing. He was not touching her bare skin but the fact that he was touching her at all, in any way, was unusual.
His hands were warm- she could feel the heat seeping through the blanket, the weight of them comforting. She calmed down at once.
"Amanda," he said again- still using that strange tone. "I will do everything within my abilities to ensure you are not apprehended for something you did not do."
Somehow, she felt reassured. Of course Sarek wouldn't allow her to be blamed for this. She'd known he would help her, but she'd thought she would have to ask him first. She hadn't expected him to offer so easily- and there was no doubt how much he meant it.
She noted that he still had not withdrawn his hands from her arms- instead he squeezed them gently. Looking up at him, she realized something.
Amanda had known she was falling for him- oh so slowly, bit by bit- but this shoved her forward a considerable amount. He was willing to help her...he was the one person she could trust. He was the first person she'd thought of when this began. And he was the one person she turned to- not just for his assistance in extricating her from this mess but also for comfort.
She was full of strange, warm emotions; her heart was swollen with them. She'd never felt this way about anyone. She hadn't even thought such feelings were possible.
He was looking into her eyes. She couldn't resist it. His words and her emotions propelled her forward- and she stood on her tiptoes to press her lips against his.
The kiss only lasted for about five seconds...and then she pulled away. Realizing what she'd just done, her eyes widened.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," she said, and felt embarrassment welling up within her. He was still staring at her and she thought he looked rather bewildered.
"No...you should not have," he agreed. Then he leaned forward...and brushed his own lips against hers. Hesitantly, as if unsure of how to do this. So she showed him.
She applied pressure, slowly moving her lips against his. He mimicked her actions perfectly. Vulcans were fast learners, after all. She leaned a little further into the kiss, the caresses becoming more insistent...she found that he was easily keeping up...and then suddenly he was the one controlling it. She exhaled softly against him, barely aware that he was pulling her closer to him, his arms now around her. Both of them were caught up- forgetting who they were, what they were doing, forgetting that he was Vulcan and shouldn't be doing this at all...
He broke away from her. She looked up at him- he was watching her.
"I was under the impression this 'kissing' humans place so much emphasis on would be unpleasant," Sarek said evenly. She tilted her head.
"And what do you think now?" she asked with a teasing smile.
"It is...quite the opposite," he replied. She smiled, her lips still tingling pleasantly. She wanted to kiss him again but didn't. She decided it would be best to take this in small amounts...even now he was already withdrawing, stepping away and lowering his arms from her. She immediately missed his warmth.
"As I said before our...distraction." He cleared his throat slightly and she looked away, trying not to grin. "I will assist you."
"How?" She'd managed to almost forget about the embassy.
"You need not concern yourself with the 'how', Amanda," Sarek replied. "I will take care of this."
That strange, warm feeling flooded her again. It took every ounce of her control not to jump him.
"Thank you," she whispered. He continued to look at her for a moment, and then he turned and headed for the door.
"I must contact Vulcan. You may remain here. If you wish we can have dinner, and you may stay the night if you do not wish to return to your apartment."
"That sounds fine," she said. He was gone now, and she sank down onto her chair. She felt...relieved. He would take care of this. She had the utmost confidence in him.
He was furious.
How dare Karen do this to his Amanda?
Of course, she was not really his- not yet. But that did not change the fact that Karen was attempting to exact revenge on his potential bond mate because he rejected her disgusting attempts at seduction.
He had not told Amanda- perhaps he should have. The fact that he had inadvertently brought this upon her by shirking Karen's advances brought forth feelings of guilt within him. Not because he had refused her- but because he had been careless in doing so. Amanda had warned him not long ago that he should take caution with his words. She'd told him humans took offense when certain things were said too bluntly.
If he had been more polite about it, perhaps Karen would simply have accepted his lack of desire for her and would not have been driven to revenge. He did not know how she'd known Amanda was his weakness- but she did. He did not understand why she would go to such desperate measures, either.
He would not allow Amanda to be taken- not when he knew she was innocent. There had to be a way to prove it, and only he could do it. He must find a way.
And as for Karen...he would deal with her later.
