What We Have Here Is A Failure To Communicate

The morning quickly moved into afternoon as preparations were complete for the rehearsal. Emma realized her father's industrious packing ethic had not lost voracity when he shooed her away from the trunk of the family flitter.

Sarek stood, watching them haggle over how things ought to be packed for the journey to Dunvegan, and the interaction didn't appear to be going well.

"Da, I have to bring these things, seriously."

"Well, you have too much here. Your mother already gave your regalia to Matthew. Why are you bringing all this? You need to learn to think of others," he said, rather abruptly.

Sarek found this to be an odd statement. He had never witnessed Emma inconsiderate of others.

"Wow, Will, polite and thoughtful," she retorted to her father, wondering what his problem was.

"You've not answered me, daughter."

"I'm waitin' for a reasonable question."

When she stood back a step with arms crossed, Sarek saw the impasse approaching. Will stopped and turned to look at her directly. "Ok, here is my question: Emma, darling, why do you feel the need to bring everything in the house to the castle grounds today?"

Sarek saw her body language and realized they were not going to solve the problem this way. Logic dictated a question might be helpful.

/Emma, are each of these things necessary for your rehearsals?/

She flashed very angry eyes at him, and he then thought perhaps he should not have asked. Only one other ever inspired that silence.

/Don't take sides, Sarek. I don't care for the way he is communicating with me. I don't know what Ma took to Mr. Buchanan already, and I'll not be the one whose uniform is incomplete./

/We must leave in sixteen minutes if we are to arrive on time./

Her aggravation began to focus on him. /Ok, then what do you suggest? I am hoping you have something more logical in mind than me./

/That being?/

/Currently, I am considering pushing him down and then running away./

Sarek just stared at her, his right eyebrow rising. He turned, hearing Anna coming outside looking rather unsatisfied with the vehicle still not being packed. He met her on the porch.

"Anna, I would speak with you," directing her to the side.

"Are they having a stand-off?" she asked, sounding mildly irritated.

"Yes, and I have ascertained why. Emma is unsure of which items are with the tailor, and does not wish an incomplete uniform. Will does not understand her concerns, and they are both refusing reasonable conference."

She shook her head in frustrated disbelief. "This is normal; a family traveling tradition. Sarek, are you certain you knew what you were doing when you chose her?" Anna asked teasingly.

"Most certain."

Anna smiled at him sweetly, showing him a note in her hand. "So, I have a list of the items in question. Perhaps we should give it to them?"

Walking to the flitter, they found the impassioned disagreement in full swing. Anna pulled the list from her back pocket, trying to get their attention. Sarek began to grow concerned, as Emma's frustration was escalating quickly.

"Will," Anna said, failing to get his attention.

"Da! I am not - "she said, abruptly interrupted by her father.

"Yes, you are, girl," he snapped at her.

Her anger surged strongly. "Don't call me that. Ever."

"Emma" Anna tried her daughter, failing again.

"Then don't bloody act like one!" Will snapped.

"Will? Stop that at once," Anna interjected

Concerned by a simple misunderstanding spiraling out of control, Sarek stepped to Emma's side.

"You'll not treat me like a child. I have earned my place."

"Laureate or no, you are still my daughter, and I'll call ya what I will," he barked, pointing an aggressive finger in her direction, taking a step toward her.

Seeing genuine anger overcome Will's normally calm demeanor, Sarek stepped in front of her left side, placing his hand on her arm protectively, his sole focus shifted to the threat to his wife.

"Da. Listen, please! You are not being reasonable - "

"You'll not overstep your bounds in my home and correct me - do not tell me to be quiet, child! You wanted a row with me, and you'll have it now!" he boomed, walking briskly to where she stood.

Sarek moved in front of his aduna protectively, and put a hand out to stop him, issuing what would be his only warning. "Step away from my wife."

Emma backed up from her father, her eyes welling with tears. She turned and walked away, not wishing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

Anna intervened, placing her hand on Will's chest and speaking barely above a whisper. "William Nathaniel, that is quite enough. You've not only humiliated your daughter, but your wife."

She gave him a piercing gaze he tried unsuccessfully to avoid. "Darling, she is not being reasonable," he finally said.

"Will, she has been trying to talk with you rationally. You provoked her intentionally," she observed.

Sarek found her leaning against an ancient oak tree. He approached her, choosing silence.

"He's not spoken to me like that in many years. It was," she paused to take a deep, cleansing breath, "surreal."

Choosing to move beyond what had just occurred he addressed her with his solution to the immediate problem of their overdue departure, touching two fingers to hers. "Your mother possesses a precise list of items given the tailor. I would surmise there are details of which we know not. I would not assume that your father's behavior is normal, is it?" he asked.

"No. He's very even-tempered, and I don't know what to make of this. He's been out of sorts since they returned from Inverness."

"I suggest we take the shuttle to Dunvegan in order to arrive on time. I will ask you to repack based upon the list while I retrieve the shuttle. I shall return momentarily."

Sarek returned to the front of the house and found Will and Anna sitting on the front porch. As he looked at Will, he wondered what could have set his emotional state thus. "My calculations determine our arrival to be 26 minutes past deadline if we take the flitter. I will pilot the shuttle to the castle grounds. Will, please take me to the landing pad."

"Yes, of course."

They departed in silence, and Anna went to find her daughter, following the sounds of a stuffy nose. Emma was already repacking her materials to prepare for their now rescheduled departure. "How can I help, sweetheart?"

"I have it nearly finished. Thanks for the list; I did not know you made one," Emma answered quietly.

"You ok?"

"Yeah. That's not happened since just before Betazed. I don't know what I did to provoke him," Emma replied.

She hesitated a moment, sensing her mother's unspoken tension, seeing the exhaustion in her eyes, and sensing grief in her heart.

"What is wrong with Da?" she asked.

She was hesitant to answer her daughter, and chose her words very carefully. "He just has a lot on his mind right now, love. He will talk about it when he is ready."