A/N: The one-day challenge.
Sybok
It started when Amanda received a letter from Sybok's Governess early morning. She announced that due to family problems she will be leaving her position in two days' time to return home to Raal. While Sarek was at the High Council and uncontactable until he returned home later that night, Amanda quickly called Sybok's Governess, T'Lyra.
After their conversation and a full day of stress trying to find a temporary care giver for the eleven year old while the new Governess makes her way from the S'Lara region to Gol, Amanda could finally breathe a sigh of relief as she plopped down on the sofa in the sitting room. With the children already in bed, she kissed them goodnight before returning downstairs. She almost jumped in surprise when she was Sarek standing in the sitting room, as if he were waiting on her.
Both relief and nervousness filled her. The topic of Sybok always brought on a long argument. She drew in a deep breath,
"I received a letter from-"
"I had heard." Sarek said flatly.
Amanda sighed in relief and massaged her aching temples. He knew, great. Surely the conversation would last no more than a couple of minutes. It was common sense, an eleven-year-old could not stay by himself for two weeks and her husband was the most logical person she knew.
Forty-five minutes later, Sarek paced the length of the sofa calmly while Amanda stood in the middle of the sitting room in her long burgundy robe, her arms crossed at her waist. Her eyes were dark and heavy from stress and exhaustion as she ran her fingers through her loose curls.
"The child is not staying in this house." Sarek told her flatly for the twentieth time in the last forty-five minutes.
"We don't have much of a choice at the moment." Amanda countered, rubbing her temples with her forefingers.
"The child shall remain in Gol until the new Governess arrives in two weeks' time."
"An eleven-year-old can't stay alone for two weeks, Sarek." She asserted. "It's fortunate enough I was able to get T'Lin to go to the Estate to care for him, but, she has said she can only stay for two days which leaves-"
"I am aware of how long the child will remain alone once T'Lin leaves."
"Then why do you insist that he stays alone?!" She snapped, flinching at the pain it caused in her head. They were just going around in circles, which irritated Amanda even more and thus made her head pound harder. "You may not like it, Sarek, but he is your son. His mother's dead, he has no one."
"I am aware of the situation."
"You don't seem like it." She mumbled under her breath.
He took a step towards his wife,
"The situation has not changed." He continued calmly, "I told his mother that I wanted no contact with the child upon my knowledge of his existence and if you recall when we last spoke with her, she agreed to honour my wishes even after her death."
"But the situation has changed."
"It has not."
She scoffed, "Now you're just being difficult. T'Rea agreed to him staying at his home in Gol under the care of a Governess, yes. She agreed to respect your wishes of wanting nothing to do with the child other than sending monthly allowances until he becomes of age, yes. However, now that the Governess is gone the situation has changed. He can't stay alone for two weeks; he has to come here. It is just two weeks – hell, not even two weeks, twelve days."
"I am sure I can find another person willing to stay with the children until the new Governess arrives."
She scoffed once more, "With what time? You're never here these days. Do I need to remind you that I am the one who has been sending his monthly allowances, and have been answering all the requests from the Governess?"
She stepped forward, and while her voice sounded calm, she was far from it. "So why don't just go attend to your duties and leave this to me just like everything else?"
"Amanda-"
She rose her hand, cutting him off, her voice raising in tone slightly ,"If you don't want to see the child and insist that he stays as far away from you as possible then find somewhere else to sleep for the twelve days he is here. I am not allowing him to be alone in that big estate for twelve days. Vulcan or not, he's still-"
"Amanda."
"What?!" She snapped, her voice so loud it reverberated off the walls.
Sarek's eyes trailed up, and towards the balcony. When her eyes followed, she saw the unturned faces of Spock and Michael crouched down, their heads in between the pillars of the balcony. The sight of Michaels tear-stained cheeks caused Amanda to sigh in frustration. She swore to herself when she became a mother that she would not follow in her parents' footsteps. She swore she would never let her children hear her and Sarek fight.
"Return to bed." Sarek ordered flatly.
"Are you gonna get a divorce?" eight-year-old Michael asked, her voice still shaking with tears.
"The matter is no concern of yours." answered Sarek.
"Of course not." Amanda added quickly, her voice now soft. "I'm sorry we woke you. Return to bed now."
They watched the children run out of view and waited for the sound of their closed doors before Sarek spoke in a low voice,
"You were aware of my duties as Ambassador to Earth prior to our bonding."
"I was aware that you would be busy, I was aware for you to be away from home. I wasn't aware that your personal affairs would fall upon me in your absence."
When Sarek said nothing and simply looked at Amanda with the same stoic expression he naturally expressed, Amanda rolled her eyes and without saying a word retired into the bedroom nearby only to return sixty seconds later with a blanket and a pillow. When she plopped them down on the sofa and placed the pillow at the head of the sofa, Sarek finally spoke,
"I surmise that, in light of our argument, you wish to sleep in the living room tonight."
"Oh, I'm not sleeping out here." She said, passing him once more she went back into the bedroom and returned with his nightshirt and trousers. "You are." Placing them on the pillow she turned around, crossed her arms once more and said firmly, "Sybok is staying with us, end of discussion."
~*The End*~