A/N: I know, I know...it's really short! It was originally twice as long but I need to rewrite the second half. I'll try to get it up tomorrow.
Chapter 53: Dismay
It was over.
Sarek had his revenge- even if he disliked calling it that. The Purist had felt his fury- suffered his wrath. He was now sentenced to life imprisonment for an attack against a foreign dignitary. He would never leave the prison he was now committed to unless he were dead. While he was only one of so many others, it was a beginning. And while it had been a particularly difficult affair, Sarek felt no regret over it. Ambassador Mayden however, was another affair.
Of all the humans Sarek had encountered over the years, he genuinely valued Mayden. The man had become almost akin to a 'friend' as Sarek would allow otherwise, and the level of deceit disturbed him in a way he found disquieting.
Mayden was arrested two days after the meld. Sarek would never understand his motives. Why would he, a diplomat who seemed to be an ally of Vulcans, turn on Sarek and his people? Was it political? Or had he, like the Purist, nursed a lifelong hatred that had simply become easier to disguise with civility over the years? How had he managed to conceal it so well? How had he gotten away with everything up until then? It bothered Sarek to no end that Mayden had managed to head an underground speciesist organization- plan his murder- while all along serving as a trusted ambassador. He had been one of the senior diplomats in the field. Why risk throwing all his good work away? What purpose did it serve?
Sarek knew he would never know the full story. And he was not sure he wanted to know any more. Some humans were so deceiving...he had met few honest ones. But then again- most of the Terrans he knew were politicians. Amanda often said they were the most duplicitous of the race, which was why she had first decided to teach him about her people in the first place. The end result of which he found most pleasing, because those lessons had resulted in them being married. It was odd how fate turned out. If one believed in "fate" anyway.
The others- the friends of the Purist who had committed other crimes- were being charged for them as well. Not all would be sentenced- after all, in most cases the only evidence was Sarek's word. While this should have been enough, Terran courts were strange. They demanded physical evidence. Perhaps if they were telepathic they would have a more accurate system. While Sarek did see the logic in material evidence, it was often difficult to find. The word of a Vulcan- who after all could not lie- should have been enough for a conviction.
The Terran Purist Movement had been publicly condemned by the media, and members who were not arrested quickly disbanded for fear of prosecution. It was a large victory- but only one in a line of many that would surely come. Sarek was not fool enough to think he had won the war.
There would be others to replace them. This one group, though large in scope, was not the end. If anything, they were the beginning. Hate never died out; it was handed down from one generation to the next. It could be covered with civility and smiles...but it existed nonetheless.
Breaking out of his own thoughts, Sarek looked up at Amanda. She sat sideways in a chair across from him, her legs dangling over the arm in a rather unflattering seating position. A PADD rested against her knees and she bit the tip of her stylus in concentration.
There were many negative things in this universe...but there were a few good ones as well. A wife...a family. A promising future.
He did not think she knew yet. He would not tell her if she did not. The knowledge he contained was something she must discover for herself. But it filled him with deep satisfaction, comforted with the knowledge they had achieved something thought impossible...it gave him the peace he had searched for and not found while seeking to destroy those who had tried to destroy him. He felt a deep affection as he looked at her, knowing the secret she held...
"Sarek, what time is it?" Amanda asked without looking up.
"1600 hours," he replied. She sighed, setting her stylus aside and looking over at him.
"You leave in three hours," she said sadly.
"I will only be gone four days, Amanda," he replied. "It should not take long to settle affairs on Earth. The committee was very willing to rush negotiations in light of the situation with Mayden."
As always, when he mentioned Mayden's name a faint expression of disgust overcame her features. Her nose wrinkled slightly, the corners of her lips turning down as her eyebrows drew together.
"Mayden." She repeated the name bitterly before turning back to her PADD. "Still no word from the Council about the meld?"
"No, nor shall there be. They are well aware of the procedure with forced mind melds," he replied. "It is painful and extremely wearing on the human mind. Woods can do nothing."
"I'd still be careful if I were you. The Council may not do anything but he could make a mess out of things regardless."
"He has already made an attempt," Sarek said. She looked up at him again.
"What do you mean?" she asked warily.
"He has gone to the media, claiming I tortured the information out of my would-be assassin. There has been quite a negative stirring among Terrans due to these allegations."
"Sarek, why didn't you tell me?" she asked, frowning.
He did not want to worry her- for a good reason.
"It has not come up in conversation," he said instead.
"Well...I can't say he's entirely wrong," she muttered, once more looking back at her PADD. "You were a bit...forceful, from what you told me."
He had told Amanda the details of the meld. While she could not feel sorry for the Purist, she did maintain that Sarek had been careless in his methods and may suffer the consequences. He knew she was correct- but he still did not regret his actions. He couldn't. It had been necessary at first. In addition, the Purist had insulted her- and he could not stand for such a thing. She did not know that much- he had withheld it from her knowing she would be displeased.
"It does not matter what he does. The Council will vouch for me," Sarek said, leaning back in his own chair. "Woods has long been known as what humans call a 'joke' in the political arena. I would be amazed if he managed to get anyone to believe him."
Amanda smiled. "Why would they assign such an idiot to Vulcan of all planets?"
"Perhaps they are secure in their belief that the Vulcan ambassador to Earth is adept enough to prevent large-scale crisis in interplanetary affairs," Sarek suggested. She laughed, shaking her head as she continued with her Vulcan translations. He was quite impressed by the speed with which she had progressed in his language- while not quite ready for conversations in Vulcan she was familiar with sentence structure and was learning more vocabulary by the day. He watched as she entered a series of glyphs into her PADD before she responded.
"Either you're full of yourself or you just made a joke."
"I am merely stating the facts," Sarek said. She rolled her eyes and sent him affection over the link.
Sarek did not particularly look forward to the meeting he must attend. But...it was only four days. Then he could return home.
Soon the Vulcan embassy would be finished and they could return to Earth- which would cut back considerably on the amount of traveling he must do. And while she seemed content on Vulcan, he knew Amanda would be happier on her home planet. It would be more conducive to her health as well.
He looked up from the bag he was packing as she exited the bathroom. She looked tired, her face drawn and pale as she moved to the bed and lay down gingerly, hugging her arms around a pillow and closing her eyes.
"Are you well?" he asked. She had been ill off and on for the last few days...
"I'm fine...just...you know."
"I do not know. You could mean many things," he said, raising his eyebrows as she cracked her eyes open to look at him.
"It's just...my cycle came this afternoon. It's heavier than normal and the cramps..." She broke off, blushing. "Never mind."
He froze in the middle of placing his sonic shaver in the bag and looked up at her. The embarrassed flush in her cheeks darkened.
"What? It's not like I don't have it every month. Stop looking at me like that."
He slowly set the shaver inside the bag. His heart was sinking.
"Amanda...I will call T'Ren," he said evenly. She laughed shortly.
"Why?" she asked incredulously. He looked down at the bag sitting on the foot of the bed, trying to quell the assault of emotions fighting to overtake him. She truly did not know, then. Part of him had believed she knew and simply had not told him yet.
"It's just my monthly cycle, Sarek. Nothing worthy of a physician's attention. I know Vulcan women don't have them, but really- they're quite normal for human women."
"Amanda...it is not that. Do you not recall the last time you had one?"
She thought silently for a moment. "You know, I'm not sure. A lot has happened the last few weeks. I lost track. Why?" She sat up, looking at him confusedly. He took a deep breath.
"It started six weeks and four days ago."
"So?" she asked, but he could see the dawning comprehension on her face, as well as a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that was not his.
"You have also been ill," he pointed out quietly. She turned her body away from him and as he watched, she seemed to curl up into a ball.
"I'm sure it's not what you're thinking. You said it was impossible." Her voice was muffled, and Sarek felt a wave of hurt wash over him- hers.
"I said I thought it was impossible- I was not certain. I will call T'Ren. It may not be too late."
She looked like she was about to cry as he left the room. As he walked down to his study he pondered what could possibly be happening.
His trip to Earth had just been canceled.
A/N: One more chapter after this, and then the epilogue.
