A/N: So, I know that some people probably wont like this story because they see Sarek as this cold, unempathetic Vulcan who turns the other way whenever anyone, including his bond mate, is uncomfortable or in pain. However, in this particular situation (or whenever Amanda is crying) I simply can't see him just standing there and doing nothing, especially when she is crying.

Anything I hope you enjoy the story. Please feel free to leave a comment below! I accept constructive criticism, but ask that you be kind when giving your advice. Thank you! Live Long and Prosper!

Period Pains

We had been discussing the points of interest of our latest mission at Sarek's accommodations for going on six hours now. While I had thought the dinner of warm pasta would help the dull cramping I had been fighting to ignore over for the past few hours in my lower abdomen, as two o'clock in the morning rolled around, the pain worsened.

I sat on the sofa trying to listen as Sarek explained the region of where this Tellar Ambassador was from when a sharp cramp began to roll over the already lingering cramps. While the pain caught me off guard, I fought myself to keep a stoic face, and instead took several slow and controlled breaths as I continued to listen to him.

My periods were always painful, and for about two years they were quite manageable thanks to birth control. However, since the Federation had the bright idea of discontinuing my birth control pill about two months prior, my periods were practically unbearable without a hydro spray containing a strong non-steroidal anti-inflammatory.

Without the hydro spray and a hot water bottle, I found myself barely able to leave the bedroom.

"Are you well?" Sarek asked. "Your raised heart rate and breathing indicate that the pain in your abdomen has increased over the last eight hours."

"It's nothing really." I lied. "Again, I probably just ate something bad at lunch. Please continue."

Even though we had been dating for more than a year, I found myself embarrassed at the thought of Sarek knowing about my period. Yes, I knew it was a normal thing, but there was something that about him knowing that made the blood suddenly rush to me cheeks with embarrassment.

Secretly, I feared the judgement. It was a normal thing that happens monthly for human women and being from Vulcan I kept thinking that he would think me overreacting if I complained about such pain. I could still remember my mother insisting that I should 'stop overreacting' and 'get up off the bathroom floor and get ready for school' when I was sixteen and laid on the bathroom floor crying from the pain.

I was in so much pain, but my mother's condescension and belittling made me feel constantly ashamed of being judged for something that happened naturally, and fearful of it happening again if I open up to anyone about the pain. So, I did that only logical thing I could think of at the age of sixteen, I kept it inside and to myself.

When I was blindsided by another cramp, I reached into my purse and took out my hydro spray. "I hope you don't mind if I take a hydro spray. It's pain medicine."

"Whatever alleviates your pain. Do you require a hot beverage? Wwe still have a couple more points of reference to go over before the conference in thirty-two hours' time."

I pushed aside a wave of frustration. What more did we need to talk about?! I knew the language, even if the Ambassador was from the deep South and his dialect was 'different from standard'; I knew the points of interest. This was all becoming repetitive. I needed to lay down, have a hot water bottle, to snuggle up to my cat… but instead of suggesting that we finally retire for the night what finally left my lips was,

"That would be lovely, thank you."

He moved into the kitchen, I could hear him turning on the kettle and removing the mugs from the cupboard when another sharp cramp ran through my lower belly. I held my lower belly and doubled over, allowing my eyes to clench shut in pain. I took several small breaths as quietly as I could.

His hearing was better than humans, and I did not want to draw more attention to myself than I already had. As I lifted myself back into a sitting position, I shifted slightly in my place and gasped softly feeling a dreaded moisture in the middle of my thighs.

Did I leak?

When I stood up from the sofa and turned around, I barely managed to cover my mouth before an audible gasp of horror escaped. A medium size stain of scarlet blood sat perfectly on the middle of his light grey sofa.

"Oh shit!" I uttered.

Twisting around, I found myself grateful that I opted to wear something black. I grabbed the back of my black trousers and when my hand emerged with more scarlet blood, I quickly grabbed my purse from the floor

"Uh, Sarek!" I called. "I'm… I'm going to use the restroom. I'll be right back."

I excused myself into the spacious bathroom. I stood in front of the sink and looked at myself in the large mirror.

The pain has flushed the colour from my cheeks, sweat was beginning to fall from my temples and down my forehead from the pain, and my mascara was beginning to run. I injected myself with the hydro spray and quickly ran some cold water over my face stopping to grip the sink as another sharp cramp ran across my uterus.

"Jesus Christ!" I cursed between my teeth.

Sitting down on the toilet, I reached into my purse desperate for my spare change of feminine underwear that I always kept in my purse for this time of the month. But as I searched, I sighed in frustration, and embarrassment when I realized that I had taken them out and placed them in my office desk for safe keeping.

"Shit!"

I looked down at my blood-soaked knickers and damped black circle in my black pants and ran my fingers through my thick curls. It was worse than I thought. I had forgotten just how heavy I was during the first few days.

"Damn it!" I cursed softly, before gasping at another sharp cramp.

"Amanda?" Sarek called from the other side of the door.

I could not speak right away. The cramp… oh, the dreaded cramp. "I'll… be out in a minute."

"Do you require a change of clothing?"

A question that prompted tears I had been holding back to fall from my eyes. Tears of pain and embarrassment that I tried to keep as low as possible.

"Amanda?" Sarek called again.

I could feel him poking at my conscious through our bond, and while I did not want to fully let him in, I knew that he had likely already seen the spot on the sofa.

I grabbed a piece of toilet paper to wipe my cheeks and sent to him through our bond: "It's nothing, really. It's…just my period."

"You are in a considerable amount of pain." He replied.

"Yes."

"Do you require a change of clothing?" he asked.

After some more tears of embarrassment I finally managed a soft "Yes" as I wiped my cheeks and nose.

"Very well."

And a hug, I thought subconsciously.

When he knocked once again on the door ten minutes later, I jumped an inch off the toilet.

"Amanda, I want nothing more than to respect your privacy, however I cannot give you the objects through the closed door. May I come in?"

While I cleaned the blood off my inner thighs, the putrid smell of blood lingered in the bathroom. It was such a horrible smell it made me nauseous. I didn't want to submit him to that, he didn't deserve that, but it seemed as though we had no other choice.

"Come in." I said softly.

I closed my eyes as he entered. If he was going to lose his years of logic training at the smell of my blood or the sight of me in this state, I didn't want to see it. I buried my face in my hand, and waited to hear the door shut to let me know that he had left, but to my surprise, after a soft thump on the sink beside me, his soft hand caressed my bare leg and when I opened my eyes he was crouched down in front of me.

This was the first time he had shown me any empathy.

"Due to your current state, I insist that you stay with me until you feel better. You are in pain and are in no state to be alone."

"It's just my period." I sniffed. "It happens monthly for humans." I wiped my cheeks once more.

"You have not seemed this distressed at this time, or any time of the month in the nineteen months, five days and twenty minutes that we have been in a relationship"

And then it all came out. I told him everything I swore I would not, stopping momentarily to breathe through the sharp cramps. I told him about the birth control, about the three month long waiting period before the doctor is willing to try another pill, about how medically the heavy bleeding and cramps suggest the possibility of several gynecological conditions, but thankfully (and a little frustrating) everything looked fine.

He was silent, but much to my relief, his eyes stayed glued to mine and not on the horrid and smelly sight below.

"And I surmise that due to the painful nature of your menstrual cycle, the healer suggested a strong pain medicine to ease your pain during this time?"

"Yea," I whispered, still holding the empty spray in my other hand. "but don't worry, it's not an opioid. I'm too scared I'll become addicted."

When there was nothing left to stay and there was a several minutes of silence, my eyes began to feel heavy. This was a common side effect from the pain medicine. When I felt Sarek lift my foot slightly off the floor and pulled my black pant leg off, I flinched, pulling my leg back slightly.

"Will you permit me to wash them?" He asked.

While I watched him take my bloody pants and underwear off and toss them to the side, I was suddenly aware that pain in my abdomen was, thankfully, stating to go away… but sleep was beginning to overwhelm me.

"Do you possess feminine products?"

"I only have a tampon." I said softly, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks at the question. "I forgot my feminine underwear at work."

"What is the nature of this 'feminine underwear'?"

A huge wave of embarrassment rushed through me, but through my sleepiness, I was able to push it to the side and answer "They are for women who bleed heavily. They are similar to the diapers that children wear."

"I see. Do you require them tonight?"

"Yes. I bleed heavily during the first three days. I can go out and get them-" I lifted my head off the wall beside me, but he was quick to stop me, placing his hand gently on my arm.

"You are in no condition to go out. I will send Tavek. Is there anything else you require?"

A hot water bottle, I thought subconsciously. He had been too kind already, I shook my head and rested it back on the wall beside me. My eyes shut, and while I heard the beeping of his communicator and the notification that he had sent a message I momentarily remember in the mists of my drug induced slumber in the mists of my guilt, that Sarek's assistant Tavek only lives next door. I hoped that my predicament would not be too big of a bother him.

"Perhaps it would be wise for you to shower before bed, and you cannot do it in your current state."

"I'm so tired." I mumbled; my eyes still shut.

"It is advised that women stay hygienic and clean during this time, will you permit me to accompany you?"

My eyes shot open… well as fast as they could have. It was a shocking suggestion, especially coming from my very Vulcan boyfriend. But his gesture was sweet and… sentimental, but above all necessary. I knew I could not shower properly alone in my current state.

"Okay." I replied.

I watched him make his way to his feet and move to the side and start the sonic shower, turning the setting on water and adjusted the temperature. So, he took his place in front of me and handed me a cup of warm Vulcan breakfast tea that he had placed on the sink, along with a towel, and a spare tunic of his.

"Thank you… I'm sorry about your sofa."

"Your one-hundred and fifty-eighth illogical apology since our relationship began."

"Do Vulcan women have periods?"

"Yes, but they are not as frequent as humans."

"Or as painful, I guess."

"On the contrary, I have known many Vulcan women to seek the assistance of a healer for pain they experience during their menstrual cycles."

"Hopefully, I can get some new medicine soon."

Saying nothing, he walked back over to the shower, opened the door, and reached his hand in to check the water's temperature. "It is ready. Do you require assistance standing?"

When we stepped in the shower and tears from sheer embarrassment of being unable to bathe myself fell down my cheeks, he offered his forefingers and wrapped his arm around me projecting a wave of calm through our bond that instantly made my head fall onto his shoulder in a combination of relief and drowsiness.

He gently in helping me wash and remained in his usual stoic expression even as some blood began to run down my leg. He washed it away with the cloth as he continued to support me with his other arm as the pain medicine began to make me more and more sleepy.

After helping me dry off, he sat me back on the toilet as he left the room in his robe. When he returned two minutes later, he held a large package of feminine underwear used specifically for women on their periods and a box of tampons.

"I hope these are appropriate for your condition. You can keep these here if you wish, I have no objection in keeping them under the sink for you should a situation such as this occurs again."

"That would be wise" I smiled, already half asleep. After taking care of my feminine products, I uttered a soft "Finished!", while the weight on my eyes suddenly becoming unbearable.

He slipped his soft green tunic over my body and the last thing I remember was the beautiful sight of him brushed his teeth beside me before sleeping finally overwhelmed me.

I woke up to a soft bed, and a comforting heat radiated on my abdomen, which confused me. As I lifted the sheet, I discovered a warm water bottle on my stomach. I smiled weakly, and turned my head to the side, finding Sarek sound asleep beside me.

His mind was silent, calm, but content as I reached for him arm and caressed it gently in gratitude. I shifted myself closer to his warm body and as I rested my head gently beside his I momentarily kicked myself for being so embarrassed to tell him about this.

Thank you. I sent softly. Thank you.

~*The End*~