Chapter 45

"Are you ready?"

Meg stood excitedly in Amanda's corridor as Amanda slipped on her heels. Meg had designated this evening to be Amanda's hen night. She had promised nothing too bawdy but Amanda hadn't been able to get away from it.

Standing up in her dress and heels, she posed for Meg to survey her outfit.

"Good enough for you?" she asked.

"You look great." Meg grinned. "It's a shame we have to disguise you though… You're smoking!"

Amanda blushed. If Sarek knew what she was wearing right now she didn't think she would have made it out her front door. It had taken enough persuasion to just allow her to go out with Meg unsupervised. She was surprised he had given in so easily. Perhaps he was feeling a little guilty still about keeping his time secret from her for so long. She didn't mind, she was just happy to go out.

"Here, put these on."

Meg handed her a sombrero and a thick Mexican moustache and poncho. Amanda laughed at the items in her hands.

"The theme is Mexicans?"

"Yup," Meg said cheerily.

Meg plastered her moustache on her face.

"Arrriba! Andale andale!" she said loudly.

Amanda couldn't stop herself from laughing. Dressing in her items she turned to the mirror in the hall and started laughing again. Her own mother wouldn't recognise her in this get up!

She turned to grin at Meg who seemed to have cut up a second moustache to use as extra furry eyebrows. Only Meg would be crazy enough to do this.

"Excellent the taxi has arrived! Come on, let's go!"

Amanda managed to lock her front door before being dragged towards the taxi.

"But where are we going?" she asked.

"The parakeet. One of the best cocktail bars in town. Well, in my opinion anyway." She gave her a wicked smile. "It's a cosy little place and I'm friends with the owner. His name is Ricardo. He'll treat us well."

"Ricardo huh?" Amanda gave her a knowing look. "Have you and he…?"

"Ha! No he's my sister's boyfriend. They helped me out a lot when I first got here so I thought it only fair we dropped by and generated some business. Then we can go dancing!" Meg bounced on her seat in glee.


As they arrived outside the bar, Meg tipped the driver and led Amanda past the fake palm trees into the entrance. Peppy music vibrated through the floorboards as they approached the bar. It was not too busy which helped Amanda to relax a little. She didn't really enjoy being crammed in tight spaces. Dim lighting surrounded them but a subtle yellow glow made it seem very appealing. Amanda found herself dancing lightly on her feet to the beat of the music. It was hard to feel self-conscious when you were dressed as a Mexican.

As they perused the cocktail menu Amanda noticed a large group of ladies arrive in what she presumed was a hen night celebration. They were dressed as angels and devils in scantily clad costumes. Amanda suddenly felt very modest in her current attire.

"Hey I'd like the rainbow selection," Meg said to the bartender.

Handing over the credits they went to sit in a corner whilst the bartender made what seemed to be a selection of over seven cocktails. It seemed Meg had plans of getting rather merry tonight.

After enjoying the music and chatting idly about one of the latest sitcoms, the bartender arrived with the rainbow selection. He lined them all up in front of them on their table. A glass of concoctions were laid out before them in the colours of: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and purple. Amanda eyed them all dubiously.

"I think I could maybe handle two of those..." she considered. "I am most definitely not having the yellow one!"

The yellow cocktail had tequila written all over it. Amanda wasn't a fan. Meg rolled her eyes at her.

"More for me!"

She pushed the purple and the green cocktail to Amanda.

"Now drink up bride-to-be. Then we can go dancing!" Meg jiggled in her seat excitedly.

By the time Amanda had finished the green one Meg was already on her third.

"Whoa! Take it easy Meg! I need you to stay conscious!" Amanda joked.

Meg just smiled at her.

"Don't worry, I can handle my liquor," she assured her.

Amanda noticed that her words were already beginning to slur slightly. Returning her attention to her next drink Amanda braced herself as the leftover taste of minty crème de menthe was replaced by an odd taste of… cranberry juice. Amanda pulled a face as the flavours did NOT mix. Meg cackled in her ear.

"You don't like it? Let me try!"

She reached out for the glass but Amanda pulled away.

"Nah-uh you have plenty right there for you. Get on with the red one!"

As Amanda finished the last cocktail she found her thoughts were becoming rather sluggish and a rather happy tingly feeling was permeating her body. She was just tipsy. If only it had been on nicer drinks! Amanda laughed to herself.

Seeing that Meg had finished the rainbow, Amanda was soon dragged from her seat and taken to the dance hall below. The music was loud and she could feel the bass ripple through the floor. As she was pulled deeper into the crowd Amanda admired the spiralling fluorescent lights that were cascaded over the walls. Coming to a sudden stop, she almost collided with Meg and they collapsed into a fit of giggles.

Meg started to dance in front of her, swaying her hips and wiggling her shoulders. Amanda allowed herself to absorb the Caribbean vibe. She lost herself in the energy of dancing, feeling free for the first time in ages.

It had been such a long time. Why didn't she go out more?


The next morning, Amanda woke to the unpleasant sound of Meg emptying her stomach in her bathroom. Amanda's head pounded. No doubt because of dehydration. Amanda groaned. Now she remembered why she didn't go out anymore.

Amanda looked around at the debris of sombreros and ponchos left on her bedroom floor. There also seemed to be a half-eaten box of cheesy fries on the floor. Her bedroom was beginning to smell rather foul.

Sitting on the edge of her bed she rubbed her eyes wearily. She couldn't remember exactly what time they had got back last night, before the sunrise at least. Standing up stiffly she wandered to the bathroom to see what the damage was.

Peering round the door she found Meg clinging to the bowl of the toilet. She looked rather pale. Taking her arm she helped her onto her feet and brought her back to the bed. Hopefully her stomach would settle down now. After tucking her up in bed she retrieved one of the hangover hyposprays she kept in her bathroom cabinet and administered it. Meg seemed to return to consciousness for a bit.

"Owwww..." she mewled.

Her voice croaked. After all the singing and shouting she had done last night Amanda wasn't surprised. Meg rubbed her tummy gently and grimaced. Her liver was definitely not impressed with her antics.

Slipping on a dressing gown, Amanda opened the bedroom window and proceeded to clear up in the bathroom. Thankfully Meg hadn't made a mess. She had surprisingly good aim for someone so debilitated…

Returning to the room, Amanda placed a thermometer strip on Meg's head to find her temperature was in the right range. Meg's eyes flickered open as Amanda continued to examine her.

"God… what happened to me?"

Amanda smiled.

"I seem to remember you saying: 'I can hold my liquor,'" she said wryly.

Meg winced at the memory.

"Maybe I got a little too enthusiastic with the cocktails," she conceded.

"A little? You were downing them like there was no tomorrow!" Amanda chided.

"Shhhhhh. Not so loud," Meg complained. "And it wasn't my fault; Ricardo kept giving them to me."

Amanda raised her eyebrow at her.

"And since when did you suffer from short term memory loss?"

Meg stuck her tongue out at her.

"Don't be mean to me, I'm sick," she pulled a sad face.

Amanda wiped her face gently with a wet wipe.

"The hangover cure should work its magic soon," she assured. "In the meantime I'll get you some tea, ok?"

"Thank you," Meg said gratefully.

Slipping on her slippers, she left the bedroom and entered the lounge. She made it halfway to the kitchen before realising that she had a visitor. Jumping out of the corner of her eye Amanda shrieked when Sarek appeared out of nowhere.

"Sarek!" she said breathlessly. "What the hell!? How did you get in here?" she demanded.

She most certainly did not remember picking him up on her night out.

Sarek gracefully ascended from her armchair, he appeared to have been reading one of her books.

"Do you not recall giving me the emergency access code?" he asked.

"To use for emergencies Sarek, this isn't an emergency!" she said angrily.

"Amanda? Is everything ok?" Meg's voice called from her bedroom.

Sarek looked at her curiously and Amanda put her head in her hands. She was way too tired to be doing this.

"I'll be with you in a minute Meg," she called back.

"You slept with her?" Sarek asked.

"If you are asking if we both shared the same bed then yes we did." Amanda admitted. "Now don't change the subject, why are you here?"

Sarek was interrupted in his reply by a sudden scream emanating from behind Amanda. They both turned to find Meg clinging to the doorframe, eyes wide with her hand over her mouth.

"I'm so sorry, I thought you were… Never mind," she said quietly.

She staggered out of sight. Sarek seemed slightly perturbed at being screamed at twice in one morning. Perhaps it would teach him not to turn up uninvited in future? Amanda didn't think so.

"I came to enquire after your welfare," Sarek said calmly.

Amanda sighed.

"That's very kind of you Sarek but I'm fine."

She stalked off to the kitchen to brew some tea. Sarek followed her and as she placed the tea bag in its mug he took her hand gently.

"Where is your ring?" he asked.

Amanda rolled her eyes and snatched her hand back.

"It's in its box Sarek. I took it off to clean the toilet of vomit." She looked at him pointedly. "I'd appreciate it if you would put a lid on your paranoia."

She glared at him but as usual it had no effect. Amanda poured the hot water into the mug and continued to fill up a hot water bottle as well. Meg could use it for the stomach cramps.

"You seem irritable this morning," he stated.

Amanda screwed the cap of the hot water bottle on and placed it under her arm. She picked up the mug of tea to exit the kitchen.

"And you're obstinate," she parried.

Entering the bedroom she placed the mug on the bedside table and tucked the hot water bottle under the covers. Meg smiled gratefully at her. She didn't look very well at all.

Sarek entered the room behind her and considered them both carefully along with the debris on the floor. Amanda refused to feel ashamed of her surroundings.

"How come you're not at work Sarek?"

He approached the bed to get a better look at Meg. Meg groaned and pulled the covers over her head.

"Velor is completing his duties well. There is no need for my supervision for the moment." He explained.

That explains the sudden increase in free time, Amanda thought to herself.

Amanda poked the duvet dubiously.

"Meg… come out I need you to drink your tea. It'll make you feel better," she said encouragingly.

"Is he still there?" her muffled voice replied.

Amanda looked round to see Sarek still watching them.

"Yes he is."

"Tell him to go away," Meg ordered.

"Meg…"

Meg suddenly pulled the cover down and glared at Sarek.

"Go away!"

Sarek raised his eyebrow in response.

"Meg, don't be rude!" Amanda said, a little embarrassed.

She tried to hand Meg her mug of tea but Meg pushed it away.

"No, it's not fair!" Meg protested.

Amanda looked at her, perplexed.

"What's wrong?"

Meg looked uncomfortable as she held Amanda's hand tightly.

"I just got you back and now you're going again," Meg said sorrowfully.

Her eyes fell to her lap.

"He's taking you away from me."

Amanda noticed Meg's eyes beginning to water. She leaned forward to catch her gaze.

"Hey now. I won't be gone long Meg," she assured. "We'll stay in contact."

"But I can't pay for calls to Vulcan!" Meg said fitfully.

Tears were beginning to fall from her eyes. Amanda went to grab a tissue.

"Then I'll call you Meg."

She dabbed gently at her eyes.

"No more tears now, you're dehydrated enough as it is!" she said lightly, trying to make her laugh.

Meg continued to sniffle in front of her, unpersuaded.

"Besides you have plenty of friends here!" Amanda pointed out.

Meg shook her head.

"They're all in love now. Do you have any idea what it's like to be the only single girl?"

She took the tissue from Amanda's hand and wiped her eyes.

"You remember Abbey? She has two kids now!"

Amanda's heart ached to see Meg so upset. She reached up to stroke her hair.

"You'll find someone Meg, I promise," she said comfortingly.

She held her close in an awkward hug.

"And in the meantime I'll always be your friend."

She rubbed her shoulder reassuringly and Meg allowed a weak smile to cross her lips.

"Now, you need to drink this tea and then get some more sleep. Then you'll feel much better," Amanda instructed.

Meg finally relented and took the cup.

Stepping away from the bed, Amanda beckoned for Sarek to follow. Leaving the bedroom, she closed the door softly behind her.


Amanda collapsed on her sofa and curled up on her side. Sarek managed to find a little bit of space to sit on the sofa next to her.

"You two are close," he observed.

Amanda shared a glance with him.

"We've always been good friends. She helped me a lot at university," she explained.

"You touch her so… freely," he said thoughtfully.

Amanda sat up to lean against him. She ignored the fact that the hair on her head looked like a birds nest. Today was definitely a pajama day. She snaked her hand down to hold his.

"The touch of another can help the sick to recover more quickly. Feeling ill can be a scary experience, often people feel ugly or undesirable. Touching them gives them comfort that everything will be ok."

She traced her thumb over the back of his palm.

"Touching also spreads disease," Sarek contended.

Amanda smiled.

"That's a risk we take sometimes."

Their mutual embrace was interrupted by the sound of her door alarm.

"BUZZZT!"

Amanda looked over curiously.

"Is that for you? My parents aren't here until tomorrow and Danny is at work."

Sarek shook his head.

"I did not request anyone."

Together they walked over to the door. Amanda peeked at the video monitor.

"What is he doing here?" she asked incredulously. "What I wouldn't do for a quiet morning." she muttered to herself.

Opening the door she came face to face with her old boyfriend. Sarek appeared to reach his full intimidating height.

"Amanda!" Charlie exclaimed happily. "Oh… he's here," he said upon seeing Sarek.

Amanda watched his face fall with a certain degree of amusement. At least having Sarek present would prevent him from doing anything stupid.

"Well why wouldn't he be?" Amanda asked, raising an eyebrow.

Charlie laughed nervously. He ran his hand through his golden curls.

"Right. Um… these are for you."

He offered a bunch of flowers in the yellow variety. Amanda offered him a sad smile.

"Charlie… I can't. They'll set off my allergies," she reminded him gently.

Charlie's cheeks appeared to flare in embarrassment. It hurt Amanda a little that after three years together he still didn't remember that she didn't like flowers. And even if she did she wouldn't have taken them anyway. Not with Sarek present at least.

"Oh… yeah, sorry," he apologised.

He lowered the flowers and dropped his gaze to the floor. Amanda shifted awkwardly on her feet.

"Your fiancé doesn't say much," Charlie commented.

Sarek stepped forward.

"I speak when there is only something of import to say," he informed him.

He seemed to look down from a great height to Charlie's level. Charlie wasn't short for a guy but compared to Sarek he certainly looked on the small side.

"Now, what is your purpose here?" he asked coolly. "Asides from the giving of unwanted gifts?"

Sarek's voice held an acidity that Amanda had not heard before. Charlie seemed to recoil a little.

"I just… I wanted to wish you both good luck and Amanda… I just wanted to say sorry," he finally admitted.

Amanda gave him a surprised look.

"I know, I know... I wasn't the best at apologising for my actions and I realise now that I should have listened to you more often," he shrugged. "I guess I just wanted everything to be perfect and I pushed too hard."

Amanda felt a little lost for words.

"Um… thank you," she said.

"I just couldn't bear the thought of never seeing you again and not letting you know," he said sadly.

He wiped his nose roughly. A sheepish look appeared on his features. Amanda allowed him a small smile.

"Anyway." He offered his hand to Sarek. "To the better man."

Amanda cringed at his faux pas. She was about to inform him that Vulcans didn't touch when Sarek stepped forward to complete the handshake. She watched incredulously.

"Agreed," Sarek said firmly.

Releasing Sarek's hand, Charlie placed his hands in his pockets.

"Well… I guess it's goodbye then," he said awkwardly.

"Bye Charlie. I wish you all the best," Amanda said politely.

After hovering for a moment, Charlie gave them a wave and then left down the steps. Sarek closed the door before he had a chance to look back.

Amanda sighed heavily.

"Is there anyone else I need to meet today?"