Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you so much to einzel, Lady Mirwen, wolfen281, isfoss86, Laura 2468, dinopoodle, Icybay611, Dark Princesa and the anon reviewer for reviewing.
"Solkar will not come until all treatises are completed and the Charter itself awaits his signature," Soval said, and Bridget took another bite of her pak-tar. All her family seemed to talk about these days was the Federation and everything going into its inception, but even though her parents' discussion over which diplomat did what this week, today's dinnertime topic was much more interesting; the First Contact Ball was next week, and she was invited. Dad had decided Sokal and Sekir weren't old enough to attend, but she, being almost sixteen and a half, would tag along with her mom and dad (Sorak and Amanda had volunteered to stay behind and watch the kids, as it relinquished them from having to schmooze).
"So are you going to be the head Vulcan delegate at the Ball?" Bridget asked, and her dad shook his head.
"No, Bridget-am, Solkar's grandson Sarek will be helping me represent Vulcan. He will be arriving in two days."
To her surprise, her mom smirked and shook her head at the news, glancing down at her swollen stomach. Soval caught her expression and raised his eyebrows at his wife, who simply grinned.
"Do you think Sarek will have improved with age, a'dun?"
The ambassador sighed. "I do not know. His rashness may have abated, but I believe he remains as arrogant as ever."
"Wait, you know Sarek?" she asked her mom. Genie nodded.
"I met him when I was first getting to know your dad. Sarek was under Soval's tutelage and, how shall I say this, took rather well to the natives. Your father wasn't very pleased."
Bridget made a face and turned back to her food. "You said Solkar's grandson. He's from Surak's house?"
"He is," Soval replied, "and near royalty on Vulcan. I believe this may have made him even more conceited than he was a decade ago, but only time will tell. In any case, he and I will open the Ball, along with the President of Earth's Senate and several high-ranking admirals. As you can imagine, security around Bozeman will be impenetrable."
The conversation turned to what all would happen around the exclusive event, and the next day, they received the news that Sarek would be visiting Earth periodically with several counselors, to further prepare him for his future in diplomacy. This ball in Bozeman would be the first step, and her dad seemed out of spirits about the entire thing. She noted he seemed to be dealing with the news by touching Mom as much as possible, running his hands over her belly and holding her whenever she was near him. Genie had a short shift the day before Sarek's arrival, and she relayed news that finally made Soval relax a bit.
"Some of the Vulcan security force said Sarek is engaged to a priestess, some powerful Reldai from Seleya. They say she's a legendary beauty and one of the most talented priestesses Seleya has ever seen."
The ambassador perked up at the news. "Indeed? I congratulate him on the match. Perhaps she will calm him and curb some of his arrogance."
Genie nodded absentmindedly. "The only downside is that her name is T'Rhea, and I really like that name! It was on my list of girl names...but we can't call our daughter that if that's Sarek's fiance, and especially not since she's some legend."
"I suppose not," Soval conceded. "But I have two legendary beauties in my home, perhaps with a third on the way, and rest assured that the women of my house outshine every priestess of Seleya."
This earned him a gentle kiss from her mom, and Bridget sighed to herself and averted her eyes. But her dad's next bit of news brought her gaze back on her parents.
"All of you will accompany me to greet Sarek when he arrives. After being introduced, my sons, you may proceed to your logic lesson. I am not of the mind to reschedule with Master Zylik, not on such short notice. My staff has already made arrangements for a small reception to greet Sarek and his advisers. My wife, if you feel up to it, you will accompany me, and Bridget as well."
"Hold up," Bridget protested. "Tomorrow I'm supposed to have my language lesson."
Soval frowned. "I would rather you be introduced as a part of my family."
"I don't mind being introduced, but afterward, may I please bow out of this reception thing?"
His frown deepened. "It would be more proper for you to stay with me at the reception. Your brothers have an acceptable excuse to be absent, and at their age, they do not need to be at such functions. You, on the other hand, will accompany me to the reception. If you are old enough to go to the ball in Bozeman and to Vulcan, then you are old enough to endure a few hours of socialization with Sarek and his advisers. And if you want a language lesson, you may practice speaking Vulcan with them."
She frowned, almost scowling, and she geared up for a retort when he held up his hand. "I am already humoring Oratt as it is, against all logic, against my better judgment. I only allowed these lessons in the first place for your education, and because you wished it. And I can revoke those privileges as easily as I gave them. So be content, my daughter, or you will not be going to the ball or to Vulcan, or to another language lesson with Dr. Oratt. Do I make myself clear?"
She sighed. "Fine. Sorry I asked."
"There was no shame in asking, Bridget, only shame in arguing with me." He smirked, softening his expression. "You should know better than to challenge an old diplomat as you did."
"You just don't want to face Sarek alone because you think he's still a conceited brat trapped in a man's body," Genie teased, kissing her husband's cheek.
"How perceptive of you, wife," he replied. "She who is the mother of my children will keep me from tearing Sarek down at every turn."
His eyes softened further as he looked to his daughter. "All I ask is a few hours, Bridget. I am allowing you to go to Bozeman with us, and to the conference on Vulcan. Please, for your father's sake, bear this burden with me."
She nodded briefly and rose from her seat on the couch, walking resolutely towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Soval asked, abruptly rising from his seat.
"I'm going to tell Dr. Oratt that we need to reschedule my language lesson," she said, and she turned around to face him even as she put her hand on the door. "I'll be back in a little bit."
Her father raised an eyebrow and reached over to his desk, tapping a button. He spoke in Vulcan to the man on the other end, asking (she thought) to be transferred to Oratt's office. And then she heard a warm, calm, Shi'Kahrian voice respond in Vulcan.
"Oratt speaking," she understood, and then she was fairly sure he asked how he could be of service. Her dad switched to English.
"My daughter is scheduled to attend a language lesson with you tomorrow afternoon, correct?"
"Yes, ambassador, that is correct."
"I am afraid we will have to reschedule. I wish her to attend a reception with me. Would the day after tomorrow be a convenient time for her to come instead?"
"That would be acceptable. Please tell her I...regret not seeing her tomorrow, but that I look forward to our meeting."
"She is here, she heard you. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Acknowledged. Is there anything else?"
"No," Soval said, his voice stern. "Good day, doctor."
And with that, he promptly clicked the off-button and cut the transmission, and Bridget deflated, sinking onto the couch. It wasn't so bad, she supposed, but still, she would have at least liked to tell Oratt about this in person and have a private conversation without her dad snooping in on her. But at least she would see him the day after tomorrow, maybe even sooner if by chance she saw him during the day, and she consoled herself with that fact. She just had to survive this reception thing with Sarek and everything would be ok...easier said than done.
…
If Bridget had to describe Sarek in one word, austere wouldn't even come close to hitting the mark. When he walked through the door to the reception, she thought to herself that if he stood any straighter he was going to hurt himself. He carried himself with a stiffness that seemed unnatural even for a Vulcan, and that extended to his expression; there was nothing soft in his gaze, nothing but cold light and hard reason. Whatever sort of man Mom had met years ago who took so well to humans – that Sarek was gone, replaced with a man so harsh she wouldn't be surprised if he was a robot.
Perhaps when Sarek had not yet come into his prime, her dad had the advantage of height, but that too was gone. The younger ambassador was tall and toned, but she sensed a certain calmness in the way her dad stared at his guest. Maybe now that Sarek had turned out stone-cold and stiff as a board, Soval didn't see him as a threat.
They raised the ta'al to each other, reciting the usual Vulcan greeting, and Sarek allowed her dad to go first in the introductions.
"You remember she who is my wife," Soval began, gesturing to her mom, who raised the ta'al, her other hand on her stomach. Bridget couldn't help but notice that Sarek's gaze lingered on that hand, something unreadable flitting across his face before calm resumed.
"And my sons, Sokal and Sekir."
Sokal, the sweet boy that he was, effortlessly recited the traditional greeting, and even she could hear that he was using his most respectful tone when speaking. Her brother was developing an amazing ability to be polite to even the coldest of souls, and she appreciated that. Sekir raised the ta'al and said the appropriate words, earning the both of them a passing nod from Sarek.
"And my daughter, Bridget."
She expected the same nod he had afforded her brothers, but instead he stared at her with an expression that made him almost look angry.
"She is human," one of Sarek's advisers remarked.
"She is my daughter," Soval replied coldly. "You would do well to remember that."
A surge of affection for her dad ran through her, and she caught his eye and offered a tiny smile in thanks. He responded with the smallest of nods, and she could have sworn she saw the shadow of a smirk on his lips.
"This is Vekan, my chief aide. And my advisers, Kor, T'Ril, Torvin and J'Laal," Sarek said, gesturing to each of the strangers as he introduced them. Vekan was the one who had apparently not gotten the memo that Vulcans could adopt human children.
Her dad quietly dismissed her brothers so they could proceed to their logic lesson, but she drifted uncertainly towards the corner, as far away from the refreshment table as she could manage. Already, her mom and dad were engaged in steady debate with Sarek over something or other, and Sarek's advisers were introducing themselves to the other Vulcans in the room, with whom they would presumably be working.
So she settled into a half-hour of people watching, halfheartedly listening to snippets of their conversations and wishing she was anywhere else but here. Her dad glanced over at her a few times, but she avoided his gaze and stared out the window.
The monotony was finally broken when that same aide who made a point to highlight her humanity wandered over to her, raising his eyebrow in what looked like amusement.
"You are not participating in the conversations at hand," Vekan said, and she blinked, not bothering to answer the obvious. "Why is this?"
"I have nothing to contribute," she replied blandly.
He looked somewhat surprised. "That is very logical, and I must admit I did not expect that coming from a human."
He told her this in just the right kind of way to make her angry, but she just shook her head and shrugged. "Logic had nothing to do with it. It's how I feel."
The aide frowned in confusion, disdain creeping into his expression. "I do not understand what you mean."
"Then nevermind," she sighed, and instead of backpedaling like she expected him to, he stepped even closer.
"I did not realize the daughter of Soval was human. Bringing a member of another species into one's home is not very common on Vulcan, you see. Most would not tolerate the illogical behavior of such children. I wonder how your father manages his household, with a human wife and a human child, and hybrid children. Do your brothers express their emotions openly?"
"No, you saw how they were," she said, bemused at where he was going with this. "They follow the Vulcan way."
"And you do not?"
"I'm human, and my dad accepts that. He expects me to make good grades, and I'm at the top of my class, or at least second sometimes, and as long as I follow his rules, he doesn't mind me here."
"And are your brothers' grades comparable with your own?"
She shrugged. "They do well enough in school. Otherwise Dad would have made a point for them to study harder. Sokal and Sekir are really smart, smarter than me if I'm honest."
"They are half-Vulcan," the aide said coldly. "Strange that their disadvantage has not surfaced yet and slowed their progress. Has it never been a source of shame for your father to have two children will be burdened with a handicap for the rest of their life?"
For a few minutes, her mind was strangely blank as she processed his insult, and another long silent pause passed as she struggled to come up with something to say to him. Her heart rate increased slightly as his smug expression bored into her, as she floundered around for an answer, and as much as she wanted to simply walk away from this jerk, she knew she shouldn't risk it with her parents and Sarek standing right there (what if this idiot took offense and made a scene?). She couldn't be too rude, as that would get back to her father, and would be an embarrassment for him. The last thing Soval needed was for ammunition to fall into Sarek's pocket for their proverbial debate weaponry, especially since this man was targeting the supposed emotions of his sons.
So she did the next best thing: she deflected the question back onto Vekan.
"Why are you even talking to me?" she finally managed. Her voice came out too emotional, so she reverted back to a bland tone and sighed in open exasperation. "I can tell by your wording that you don't like humans, and that's your business, but to come to Earth and volunteer to work with–"
"I am asking you," he interrupted. "You are old enough to have noticed his interactions with his sons, or are you too simple to grasp such a basic observation? Or perhaps too blinded by emotion to see truth?"
She glared coldly at his smug lips and almost excited eyes, and it took effort not to respond with an insult.
"To you," she said finally, "I will be nothing but stupid and emotional. So I don't see the point in you talking to me."
"I came to Earth to learn more about humanity, and to assist Sarek in his diplomatic studies. He chose me himself to be his adviser when several qualified candidates submitted themselves for consideration. It was only logical that he chose me, because I shared his curiosity about this Consulate in particular, and because I speak truths others are too sensitive to relay."
"And what truths are that?" she asked, dropping the bland tone in favor of a sarcastic one.
Vekan only raised an eyebrow. "I doubt you would be able to grasp these facts, so I will not waste precious time telling you of them."
She could not restrain herself from rolling her eyes, and when her gaze met his again, his eyebrows were raised in what looked like disgust.
"So...what you're saying is that I'm not good enough to be around you, right?"
"I did n–"
"Precisely what I thought!" she said, crossing her arms. "So I should basically just leave now."
He frowned, and when she made to step around him, he did not move or say anything, but stared blankly as she marched straight out of the reception, ignoring the soft whispers behind her. She didn't hear her dad call her back, and she assumed he didn't know yet that he was leaving. He probably wouldn't be very pleased with her for doing this, but she would deal with all that later. Maybe he would ban her from the Ball, but if Vekan was going to it (and in all likelihood he would be), she didn't want to be within twenty miles of it. She didn't have the patience to deal with stuck-up jerks like him who thought they were a gift to humanity, and she felt it was right to simply walk away. If Vekan was any indication of the attitude amongst Sarek's posse, it would be best for everyone involved if she never spoke to any of them again.
With that thought to comfort her, she let her feet wander, lost in her irritation. It wasn't until she realized she was lingering outside Oratt's office that she came to her senses. Fortunately for her, she saw his light on, and though she knew her dad would probably want her to go straight to their quarters if she couldn't stand this reception. She closed her eyes briefly, weighing her options, and with a sharp knock her decision was made.
It took a moment for him to answer, and when she saw his face, she came to the realization that it wasn't just her ticket to the Ball she had jeopardized. She might not even get to go to Vulcan with Oratt and the other doctors, and she had been looking forward to it ever since Sorak gave her the news. Her heart sank as his expression contorted in confusion, and she hastily stepped inside.
"I screwed up," she blurted out the second he shut the door. "Sarek's got this aide, some...disgusting loser who thinks me and mom and my brothers are...sub-Vulcan or however the hell you say it, and I tried really hard not to be rude to him even though I wanted to punch his stupid face, and since I left the reception, I'm scared my dad will be mad at me and I won't go to the Ball, or Vulcan with you and the other doctors...Oratt, what do I do?"
He tilted his head in confusion, his eyes darkening. As tears threatened to bubble to the surface and spill from her eyes, he reached up and cupped her face, and she felt a strong wave of calm subdue her urge to cry.
"Tell me again what happened," he said, his voice low and soothing. "Slowly, my sweet. Breathe deeply."
She breathed in to steady herself and obeyed his command, closing her eyes so she could concentrate. "So I tried to stay out of everyone's way at this reception thing...but this Vulcan named Vekan came over and struck up a conversation...and he said Sokal and Sekir were handicapped and won't progress like normal children, like they'll be slow or something..." At this point, Oratt's nostrils widened, and his jaw clenched. "And I know all of this basically boils down to his opinion that humans are inferior to Vulcans. That is the major impression I came away with from this man, and...I just couldn't take another second with him. Insufferable freak..."
She looked into his eyes, surprised at how dark they had become. His pupils nearly swallowed his warm brown irises, and she could almost see her reflection in his eyes. But more than that was the look in those eyes, a darkness, a wildness, and she could feel something gnawing at the edge of her mind as he raised his fingers and traced them down her cheek, following the path of a tear that managed to escape.
It took her a moment to realize that it was anger she could feel gnawing at her, his and hers mingling within her. His emotions were bleeding through his touch, and it twisted her gut and made her stomach roil.
"He insulted you?" he muttered, his Shi'Kahrian accent thickening. She nodded.
"Did he touch you?" She shook her head, closing her eyes against his anger. Now that she realized what she was experiencing, it pounded at her temples and wriggled in her throat, squeezing the tears from her eyes.
"Oratt," she pleaded as her cheeks ran with wetness, and he quickly withdrew his touch, straightening to his full height.
"Do not concern yourself with this...k'karee, this tcha'be'she. I will set things to right for you." He paused. "Though...may I ask one question?"
She nodded, seemingly unable to tear her gaze from his.
"Why did you tell me all this, and not he who is your father?"
Several seconds passed before she could come up with a reasonable answer. "I guess...I knew beyond a doubt you'd listen to me. I knew you'd understand, that you'd help me. And besides, my dad is too busy dealing with Sarek to have to deal with my problems right now." More tears sprang to her eyes at the thought, and she wondered if he would be disappointed in her for all this, for disobeying his orders.
He raised an eyebrow, his gaze softening for just a moment. "No more tears, precious one," he purred, his finger catching a tear at the corner of her lips. "Let me handle this for you. I will return momentarily, and in the meantime, help yourself to the water pitcher. Logic knows you could use it."
And after giving her a brief kiss on the forehead, she could see in his eyes and feel in his touch that his fury was returning in full force. His gaze almost burned her as he searched her face one last time, and then marched from the office, leaving her to sink into the visitor's chair, wondering wildly what she'd unleashed.