Chapter 21 — A Day of Firsts

Sarek stood on the balcony outside the sleeping chamber, watching Alam'ak's rays slowly spread light over the L-langons. Having been awake and active for hours now, as was his habit, he took a moment at sunrise to reflect.

Glancing inside at the still-sleeping form of his wife, he allowed himself to feel a measure of satisfaction. Her presence at D'H'Riset was proof that he had accomplished an important objective: he had brought his bondmate here, to his permanent home, where she belonged. Of course, there would be times when they would travel together on lengthy diplomatic assignments, but when they did so she would remain under his watchful eye, and they would regularly return to this place, his ancestral home on Vulcan. Not only was this traditionally where they should reside, but the peace and logic of Vulcan society also provided the additional security and discipline he needed to keep her protected in an otherwise chaotic universe.

It was his duty to protect and provide for his bondmate, a responsibility and an honor he took very seriously. The incidents they had experienced so far related to their marriage made the logic of settling on Vulcan obvious. She would be safe here as his bondmate, insulated from illogical beings hostile to their pairing.

And even though their relationship had not yet been completely formalized by Vulcan tradition, he regarded that remaining step as little more than a formality. She was his, and he hers, by their bonding, by Federation law and by their mutual agreement. The Vulcan ceremony that awaited them in the future would merely confirm what they already knew. In the meantime, he had every expectation that their bond would be respected. While there would undoubtedly be some who would question his actions, he was confident his logic would prevail. She is mine.

At that point, Sarek was drawn from his reverie. His aduna was awakening.

ooo

Amanda was exhausted. Her first day on Vulcan as a new resident was a far cry from her first day as a visitor. While she had thought during their honeymoon that her first day planet-side had been rather jam-packed for one who had not yet fully acclimated, either to the environment or to Vulcan culture, she realized in hindsight that it had been a veritable walk in the park – a quiet, nearly deserted park - compared to the frenetic day she had just experienced.

She had awoken at dawn. Something tickled her awareness into consciousness, and in spite of her body's deep desire to remain asleep while once again acclimating and after arriving late the night before, she could not.

She awoke to see Sarek standing just outside on the balcony to their bedroom, hands behind his back, apparently surveying the estate. She had barely blinked twice when he turned to her. "My wife. There is much to be done today."

With that he strode toward her, tapping something on a nearby screen before offering her the oz'hesta. "You are rested?" he asked, surveying her face in minute detail.

"Yes – " she began, quickly covering her mouth as she yawned. But before she could say anything more a servant entered, carrying a tray of tea and other items.

Amanda's eyes widened at this sudden appearance, and she hastily pulled one of the bedcovers around her body for modesty's sake. Recalling Sarek's enthusiastic welcome home in this very spot the night before, she flushed. Her concern was misplaced, however.

The young woman was now conversing earnestly with Sarek, and although her voice was pitched too low for Amanda to discern most of it, amidst the Vuhlkansu she did hear the Terran word "coffee." Apparently there was some concern in the kitchen as to whether the Earth beverage had been prepared properly. Amanda bit her lip as a swell of tenderness overtook her. It seemed her husband had overlooked no detail in welcoming her to Vulcan.

Sarek lifted the lid of the coffee pot to observe, sniffing slightly. Concluding his inspection, he tilted his head toward the servant. "Satisfactory. Your service honors us."

"I am honored," the young woman murmured. With a polite nod to Amanda, she turned silently and departed.

Sarek filled one of the delicate cups with coffee and offered it to his wife, his expression earnest.

"Thank you, Adun," she breathed, touching his fingers as she took the cup and newly appreciating the Vulcan custom of a bondmate serving his aduna.

/I love you,/ she thought to him.

She didn't miss the warmth that filled his eyes.

He then proceeded to serve her the rest of the light Vulcan breakfast, having obviously eaten much earlier himself. Between bites, Amanda asked, "So, what is the 'much that needs to be done' today?"

"Acquainting you with the rest of D'H'Riset, situating your belongings from Earth, and other introductions. And I must check in with my offices. I thought you might wish to do the same at the VSA."

"Doesn't sound too bad," Amanda replied, neatly wiping her mouth on the Vulcan version of a napkin. "Mmm, that was delicious. You are very sweet to arrange breakfast in bed for me."

Sarek merely flicked a brow upward at her statement. "To ascribe a taste sensation to my actions is most illogical, my wife. You are adequately nourished, then?"

At her nod, he rose and gently enjoined her to dress, and Amanda had the fleeting impression she was being hurried along. Before turning to depart the bedchamber, he informed her, "You will join me downstairs."

Alam'ak was now climbing over the foothills, and Sarek strode through the great entry hall with purpose. The fortress' entire staff had assembled outside in the courtyard at his behest. Arriving there, he surveyed the gathered assemblage with approval, and then, as if on cue, picked up the sounds of his wife approaching from inside.

Amanda appeared at the entryway, looking out at him curiously. Her eyes widened as she took in the rather large number of Vulcan staff, all in a line, standing at attention in the courtyard.

Sarek held his hand outstretched in the oz'hesta, bidding Amanda to join him. As she did, still wondering what all this was about, he turned to address the assembled personnel, his resonant voice resounding across the courtyard.

"Honored clan members and loyal staff, I present she who is Aduna, T'Sai Amanda Grayson." As one, the assembled group silently inclined their heads toward the new arrival.

"My wife, these are the regular staff of D'H'Riset. They will introduce themselves to you, and you may direct them as you see fit."

What? Amanda tried to hide her discomfort in front of their sizable audience. He could have at least informed me of this ahead of time… She had no idea this many people could actually be present in the fortress and it still remain so silent. And he had said "regular" staff – did that mean that occasionally there were more? She didn't really want a staff – hadn't considered ever having one at all, truthfully – but then, she thought, observing the long line of Vulcans in the shadow of the huge building, I guess it makes sense that there would be a dedicated workforce for a place like this. Welcome to another aspect of your new life, Amanda. It seemed as though an entire town or even a minor city was employedat D'H'Riset.

She reflected as well that the scene before her could have just as easily taken place centuries beforehand, and it struck her that perhaps much of Vulcan life changed only very slowly. This no doubt has taken place many times before, she thought with a minor flash of insight, only all the T'Sai preceding me were Vulcan.

Meanwhile, Sarek glanced up at the ascending sun and made a quick decision. "Aduna," he said, directing her attention to his outstretched fingers once again. He led her back indoors, knowing the staff would follow to greet the new T'Sai. He would not have her remain outside in the unforgiving sun.

The introductions then followed, each staff member greeting Amanda with his or her name and function, Amanda politely answering every one. The comportment of the group of Vulcans ranged from utterly stoic to openly curious, and she realized that some had never before seen a Human in person.

Sarek simply stood by, his discerning gaze focused on the interactions before him. Amanda could sense a quiet pride emanating from him – pride for her, she realized – while he carefully scrutinized his domestic staff's acceptance of his Human bondmate.

He had protectively kept the staff away from her during their brief stay at the fortress during their honeymoon, ostensibly not wishing her to be overwhelmed. And in truth, he also sought to carefully control the environment in which they met his bondmate. This group, as a kind of extension of himself, was responsible for maintaining and caring for the archaic fortress, and now, it would also partially be responsible for caring for her. Their assistance would be needed as his wife found her place in his world. He could not fully quell his sense of vulnerability at the thought of entrusting others with her wellbeing, even those vetted by years of service to his home and to him personally. He would tolerate no hesitance in their complete acceptance of her.

When they had finally finished the lengthy introductions, Amanda looked forward to a brief letup from the intense scrutiny of the Vulcan staff. Sarek had other plans, however. He immediately directed a number of personnel to begin bringing in Amanda's belongings that had been transported aboard the Surak, which they did, turning to her for direction as to where to situate them. When she turned to him for guidance, he simply deferred the decision-making back to her.

"This is your home now, my wife. I offer it up to you to adapt as you see fit."

She hadn't brought much in the way of Terran furniture, only a few family heirlooms, but taking in the openly curious and occasionally wary looks of the Vulcan staff assigned to unpacking and depositing her things, she couldn't help but imagine that her belongings represented some kind of invasion force. And perhaps they did, as incontrovertible evidence of a Human's presence here in the stronghold of Surak.

Fortunately, her strange Earth possessions proved to be an unexpected source of connection, as well. The uncrating of her antique rocking chair spawned curious murmurs, hushed until one of the workers caught Amanda's eye.

"T'Sai, please pardon the intrusion," she began. "I am curious. Can you explain the purpose of this device?"

Glad to be drawn into conversation, Amanda smiled broadly – for she had yet to learn to control the habit, having been resident on her new world for less than a day. She quickly wiped it away, though, seeing T'Van's eyes widen in surprise at the overt emotional display.

"It's called a rocking chair. One sits in it and moves it, like so," Amanda, now the straight-faced professor, informed as she briefly demonstrated.

T'Van still seemed perplexed until her colleague, Sason, interjected. "Ah – it is like a ku-san-na'mekhlar, is it not?"

"Why yes," Amanda agreed, charmed by the term, "It is."

T'Van inclined her head in acknowledgement, studying the chair. "Ours is structured differently, but the function appears the same."

"Kol-ut-shan," Sason murmured, sounding somewhat surprised to find an embodiment of IDIC amidst a pile of Human belongings.

Amanda nodded in agreement, smiling only the faintest smile she could manage.

If the chair was an object of interest, however, it did not compare to the fascination generated by her books. Amanda had directed the movers to bring the crates housing them to the Fortress' shi'dunap, or library, and as they did she could already see their querying looks. What is it that the new T'Sai would wish to add to this place? If she possessed material to add to the library, surely it would arrive in a much smaller volume, or be transmitted in, would it not?

Most of the shi'dunap was extremely modern; much of its resources were electronic and accessed digitally from local or remote sources. Aged documents were also kept here, although most were kept in environmentally controlled storage. The old volumes here rested in compartments designed specifically for them, and as Amanda looked around she counted rows and rows of scrolls. About to instruct the movers to simply leave the books crated until some bookshelves could be built, she turned to find that they had already opened one crate, and were curiously thumbing through a few of the odd paper and cloth-bound volumes.

Completely engrossed in inspecting these alien, obviously antique, troves of information, the three workers did not notice her watching them, fascinated herself. At her soft intake of breath, their heads snapped up as one and they hastily shut the books they had been inspecting.

"We beg forgiveness, T'Sai," the one named Sil intoned with great seriousness. "We have intruded upon your privacy."

Amanda bit back a laugh of surprise, shaking her head instead. "It is no intrusion, Sil," she replied. "I'm gratified by your interest," she added, hoping to build another bridge.

"Indeed," Sil answered cautiously, and then gestured at the book in his hand. "If I may inquire, what does this reference contain?

"That one is not a reference, actually; it's a work of fiction, and it's written in a very old Earth language, Arabic." Sil's brows climbed and she could practically see the many follow-on questions forming in his mind.

The two other staff members, whose names she could not remember – oh, to have a Vulcan's eidetic memory! – began peppering her with questions about the books' materials and construction, and soon after about the pictures of the odd winged creatures in her reproduction copy of Audubon's Birds of America. They weren't getting much unpacking done, but Amanda decided it was more than worthwhile to get to know some of the Vulcans she would be encountering on a daily basis.

In the midst of this, a young engineer, Senden, she recalled, approached her.

"T'Sai?" he asked, bending his head slightly in deference.

"Yes?"

"A moment, if you please. I have some technical questions regarding the water shower."

"Water shower?" Amanda asked, startled. As far as she knew, water showers were not used on Vulcan, only sonics.

"Affirmative. I wish to ascertain if it has been constructed properly. Although I am confident I correctly adapted the Earth plans I received, I have never operated one. Therefore, I request your assistance."

Amanda turned in amazement toward Sarek, standing outside the library, but he was deep in conversation with T'Areth, the fortress' chief of staff. Mute with surprise, she simply nodded at Senden, who in turn gestured up the stairs toward the master suite.

He directed her to the refresher chamber in their bedroom, and sure enough, through a doorway she had noticed but hadn't yet explored beyond, stood a Human-style shower, a luxuriously deep tub, and a sink. The little room was complete with towel racks and a mirror, and all the other Human accoutrements she had left behind. Amanda caught her breath. She knew how precious water was on Vulcan, how carefully controlled its use.

She turned toward the engineer. "You designed all this?"

"Merely adapted from a Terran design, T'Sai, as I indicated. With S'haile Sarek's guidance."

"This is… amazing," she murmured, both thrilled – for she disliked sonics – and conscience-stricken over the waste of water that use of the facility would cause.

Seeing her gaze linger on the large tub and interpreting her thought, Senden added, "The water is conserved. These fixtures operate on the same water reclamation system as the Terran garden outside."

The what?

Before she could inquire, Senden entreated her to try the controls on each. She obliged, enjoying the feel of water running over her hands in a way she had resigned herself not to experience for a long time. Oh, Sarek…

"Your work is outstanding, Senden," she managed, still amazed and in wonder over the actions of her impeccably logical husband.

"I am gratified," the engineer replied, observing the Human's curious reaction. He was unaware that Humans became emotional in the presence of water.

Amanda struggled to conceal her profoundly touched reaction, and was grateful when Senden gracefully retreated to give her a moment's privacy. How many incredible adaptations had her husband made for her, for her Humanity? Sarek was quintessentially Vulcan, in many ways had to be, as its representative to other worlds, but somehow he managed to effectively bridge so many of their differences while retaining his own essential nature. Amanda recalled one time in particular when she observed this capability in strikingly obvious, undeniable detail…

July, 2229

They found themselves in her apartment after being accidentally soaked by sprinklers, the air unexpectedly rife with a strange electricity. She had been trying to get him to dry off. He was saying something to her, something about taking care of herself as well, but somehow she knew that wasn't the point he was actually trying to make.

All Amanda could do was focus on how incredibly close he was, the heat of his hands on her shoulders… Although they had touched casually before, why did she suddenly feel it so much more at this moment?

She wondered hazily for an instant why his face loomed so close, why his mouth was unexpectedly grazing hers – and then with a start she realized: He's trying to kiss me. Fortunately her subconscious took over and she did what she desperately wanted, kissing him firmly back in response to his tentative gesture.

The universe moved. Just as she pondered, Do Vulcans kiss?, strong arms pulled her against a muscular body and warm lips moved back against hers in a clear affirmation. Whether Vulcans in general did or not, at this moment Sarek was definitely kissing her. Oh…my…

Instantly at the flashpoint of desire, her body melted, seeking to fuse with the man she loved so much but had dared not tell. And as waves of pleasure, desire and more crashed over her at the center of this sudden inferno, not all of the emotions hers, she knew this was where she wanted to spend the rest of her life.

And the results of those fateful actions had brought them here. Amanda returned to the present, flushed by the memory and so grateful for the events that had unfurled as they did.

ooo

Sarek was waiting for her when she returned downstairs. Before she could say anything, he summoned her to his side.

"My wife, attend."

He led her outside to the garden terraces.

They walked along a garden path lined with Vulcan flora, until it suddenly opened up upon a new expanse – of Terran rose transplants. Obviously new and carefully tended, the fragile new arrivals bloomed under adjustable solar shields and stood in damp soil. Stiln, the groundskeeper, was inspecting some settings on the irrigation controls but silently melted away upon their arrival.

"Oh…"

Amanda's hands rose to her mouth, even more astounded at this extravagance than at the bath inside. She looked up at her husband with wide, shining eyes.

"You mentioned that you would… miss… the rose garden at the Embassy. I therefore thought it logical to replicate it for you here," he explained placidly.

"Oh, you…!" she exclaimed, instantly deciding not to tease him for such an obviously romantic gesture. Instead, she kissed him.

/I love you, Adun./

He was… pleased.

ooo

"I'm sorry," Amanda murmured hastily, apologizing a moment later for her improper public action, the first such deed by a Human in this ancient, Vulcan courtyard.

Sarek looked down at her with some amusement. "The cause was perhaps sufficient, my wife."

At that moment a servant emerged from one of the garden paths. "S'haile, I-Chaya arrives."

Sarek nodded and turned back to Amanda. "There is one more resident of D'H'Riset whom you need to meet. Come," he said, offering her the oz'hesta.

"Who is it? Someone else on your staff?"

"Our staff," he corrected and then continued, "No, I-Chaya is more of a family member."

"Oh? Who - ?" Her question was interrupted by a loud, animal roar.

Suddenly a gigantic beast charged at them from the garden entrance. It looked similar to some of the many images of Vulcan fauna that she had studied, but at the moment the most obvious thing Amanda could discern aside from its bulk and speed was a huge pair of fangs. And it was heading directly for Sarek. She screamed and lunged in front of her husband.

"No!" She screamed again, hands up as if to ward off the monster's assault.

The shrill, alien sound emitted by the creature near Sarek was frightening, and it told I-Chaya only one thing: he must protect his master. He roared again in warning, aggressively this time. But instead of heeding the warning, the strange, small creature made the painful noise a second time and rushed at Sarek. And his master was alarmed! The sehlat targeted the danger, preparing to defend his long-time charge.

In that time-dilated split second, Sarek stared with inward horror at what was about to transpire. He frankly had not anticipated that his diminutive Human wife would do something that a grown sehlat would interpret as a threat. He willed the emotion away in time to act, immediately stepping between Human and animal.

"Kroykah!" Sarek thundered, and at once everything on the terrace stilled.

He drew in a calming breath. He would meditate later on the disaster that had almost befallen them. It would seem that threats to his bondmate could arise from the most unexpected sources.

Composure restored, he calmly eyed his wife and his pet, both of whom were obviously shaken. This would be the first meeting in a family context between Human and sehlat. I had best ensure that it concludes better than I allowed it to begin.

"While I am… gratified by your protective instincts, Aduna, I would prefer to keep you safe," he began drily. "Your concerns for me in this case are unnecessary."

Amanda just stared, her chest heaving in the thin air.

"Sarlah I-Chaya," he commanded, bidding Amanda to remain still with a gesture. The sehlat warily shuffled past Amanda and whined plaintively at Sarek's feet.

The Vulcan stroked the massive, furry head while Amanda looked on, eyes still wide as saucers. "I-Chaya, my old friend, you are a worthy protector. You must now protect a new one." He gestured to Amanda.

Now it was Amanda's turn to approach guardedly, and the two strangers eyed each other with caution.

Sarek continued, closely watching them both. "Amanda, meet I-Chaya. He has been a loyal companion and guardian since my childhood." He continued in Vulcan, "I-Chaya, this is she-who-is-bondmate, Amanda. You will protect her as you do me."

The sehlat whined again, and Sarek touched his fingers to I-Chaya's forehead. After a moment, he withdrew, and the huge animal grunted, as if in acquiescence.

"He understands you?" Amanda whispered, incredulous.

Sarek flicked a brow upward. "Of course. Sehlats are empathic and semi-sentient. Domesticated sehlats are traditional guardians of homes and children."

"Well, that information certainly didn't make it into the hologuide to Vulcan fauna that I viewed," Amanda groused.

Her Vulcan husband merely shook his head. "References produced off-world are largely useless. I-Chaya has been a companion and protector since my early childhood."

"He was your… babysitter?"

"Correct. Presumably, he will be one… again." With that, Sarek took her two fingers in his, and Amanda's gaze softened from wariness to tenderness. Not missing the emotional content in the exchange, I-Chaya cautiously inched forward to sniff at Amanda. After a moment, a long, raspy tongue snaked out to lick her hand. She laughed, startled but no longer frightened.

She found the mannerisms of the alien creature surprisingly familiar. "You're kind of a giant, shaggy dog, aren't you?"

I-Chaya wuffled in apparent agreement, but Sarek interjected, "Sehlats are not canines, Amanda. You must be careful not to terramorphize."

"Oh, all right then," Amanda replied, rolling her eyes before she turned back to I-Chaya, reaching out to rub his ears. "I guess you're just a big, fat teddy bear instead," she crooned.

Sarek repressed a sigh. Nevertheless, he was again… pleased. Pleased and relieved, he had to acknowledge, even as he wished to suppress the emotions surrounding the relief. It was not logical to worry. Any challenges or hazards that might face Amanda in her adaptation to his world simply needed to be anticipated and planned for. In that way they could be mitigated. It was only logical.

ooo

Amanda smiled at memory from just a little while ago as she rested inside, cooling from the intense heat. Staff buzzed purposefully around her, as if already inured to her presence. This morning had been her most exhausting day on Vulcan yet and she hadn't even left the fortress, she mused.

She had spent the last few hours exploring her new home, to learn her way around as well as discover its inner workings. Most of the complex had been outfitted with the most advanced technological features – the automatic doors were constantly catching her by surprise – but there were still plenty of older, even ancient, closure mechanisms for those doors, drawers, cabinets and the like that had not been updated. How many different ways to latch a door could there possibly be in the Galaxy? she wondered. Amanda quickly realized she would have to learn all that were here, lest she be caught off-guard by one. It would not do to get myself stuck in a closet. Fortunately, she had the equivalent of a few weeks to acquaint herself with these aspects of her new home – and planet – before she was supposed to start at the Vulcan Science Academy.

She paused from exploring to gaze out one of the huge floor to ceiling windows at this slice of her new planet. A ruby red sky was pierced by the bright yellow disk of Alam'ak, or 40 Eridani A, as her ancestors had identified it from Earth. The occasional cluster of thin clouds, high in the sky, only hinted at the presence of moisture in the atmosphere. Below, the desert and arid mountains that surrounded the ancient fortress were bathed in hues of brown, orange and ochre and tinged purple in the shadows. While there were some obvious similarities to Terran arid regions, the plant and animal life she could observe, as well as the heavier pull of gravity on her bones, told her undeniably that she now resided on an alien world.

Amanda drew in a breath, equal parts wistful and satisfied. Her journey was both a great adventure and a challenging, isolating undertaking. There was, however, one being on this new world who was not alien to her. He was her husband, and she had accepted his invitation to join him here and make his world her home. I love him, and that is what has brought me light-years from where I was born, and he is what makes the journey worthwhile.

Done reflecting for the time being, Amanda considered what she wanted to do next. Sarek was off to an appointment, the staff was busy, and her newest acquaintance, I-Chaya, was napping. Restless and ready to take on the heat again, she decided to investigate the roses.

Notes:

Dialogue enclosed by / / indicates telepathic thought

Alam'ak – Vulcan's sun

D'H'Riset – "The fortress," an ancestral home of the clan of Surak (S'chn T'Gai clan) and Sarek's home. Also a monument to Surak.

IDIC – Vulcan philosophy taught by Surak, infinite diversity in infinite combinations

Kol-ut-shan – Infinite diversity in infinite combinations (IDIC)

ku-san-na'mekhlar - chair for parents (rocking chair)

L-langons – Tall mountain range to the east of Shi'Kahr, Vulcan's capitol city

Sarlah – Come

sehlat – large, bear-like mammal of Vulcan, often domesticated

S'haile – Honorific, "Sir"

shi'dunap - library

T'Sai – Honorific, "Lady"

VSA – Vulcan Science Academy

Vuhlkansu – Vulcan language or people