A/N: To my readers and reviewers: I love you. I am completely and utterly floored by the responses I have received. Particular thanks to JJ, for the words that made my jaw drop in the best way possible; to Quicksilvermad, who gave a very helpful, very specific, and very touching review for chapter 4, and I hope I hear again from you soon; and to mhgood, for your honesty about certain details pertaining to my story. Thank you all so much. Keep the reviews coming!

Also, be sure to check out a fellow Star Trek story by Pup-of-Power, titled At the Gates of Silent Memory. Awesome writing done here, so please be sure to check it out.

Live long and prosper, my loves!

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It was one of those moments that had formerly been rare for Sarek. In the back of the shuttle, Lauren lay on the recuperating cot, sleeping soundly, though she wore a look of slight discomfort. After they had entered space, Sarek requested she try to rest, as they would be travelling for several hours to Vulcan II. There would be time to restore her energy once there, but wherever she could get respite, he considered it best to attain it. She had obeyed silently.

For a time, Sarek simply watched. It had not been often that there was time spent with only him and Lauren. Normally, Amanda, Sarah, Jonathan and Spock were constant figures with Lauren. No longer would this be the case. These instances were going to become a more frequent part of his life.

His face tilted as he studied her features. Even with Amanda, he had found a peculiar fascination with observing a human's slumber. He could not be sure as to the exact reason why. Usually, it was a span of time when they seemed their most placid. Despite her pained expression, all was calm. The many thoughts of weeks past were no doubt running rampant through her unconscious mind. Gently, very gently, his fingertips grazed across her cheek. The barest of touches. At the contact, she swallowed, sighed, but did not wake.

Sitting back, he continued to survey the exhausted girl. Coordinates had been programmed for the Vulcan planet, the autopilot guiding them faithfully at warp-speed. It would not be much longer before they arrived.

Only a few hours ago was Lauren still awake, anticipating the trip they were about to embark on.

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Lauren was surprised she had not thrown up.

It had been, admittedly, her first time going off-planet, and she was not sure how she was going to react to the notion. Thankfully, it looked as though her stomach was going to cooperate. Flying through the atmosphere was not as frightening a scenario as she had built up in her mind. In fact, when they exited the thermosphere and the skies darkened to deepest, darkest blue, Lauren finally saw the expanse of outer space. She drew in a slow breath of awe. The endless stars were all around them, and she instantly fell in love. In all the reading and research she had done on stars over the years, seeing them so close was a heavenly reality. Planets of the Solar System passed her window: Mars, Jupiter, and, her favorite, Saturn, to name a few. For a moment, she wondered if she could reach out and touch them. Fingers coming in contact with glass reminded her that this was no longer the star-room simulation, but Sarek's shuttle. Her hand would pass through nothing out here; not safely, anyway. Nonetheless, her eyes remained glued to the passing universe, taking in everything she possibly could.

"'Ex astris, scientia,' indeed," she whispered, reciting the motto of Starfleet.

Sometime later, a small beep signaled an incoming transmission; Lauren was too occupied to notice. Sarek had closed all lines of communications, with the exception of one individual. He knew who it had come from. Activating his personal view-screen, he scanned the words that appeared. Pressing a few buttons, he transferred the transmission to Lauren's view-screen. "Your cousin sends his regards."

A smile appeared that was both tired and excited. "Spock?" Gripping the screen, she devoured the message eagerly. Sarek kept his eyes forward as she did so. She laughed weakly as she finished. While she was pleased with the communication from her relative, she found herself frowning slightly at its conclusion. "He worries too much," she uttered, switching the screen off.

He was not unnerved. "One might say that he does not worry enough. To offer my opinion, he merely has your best interests in mind."

She considered this silently, drawing her knees up to her chin in the passenger's chair. She proceeded to dwell on Spock's message, wondering what his greatest concern was about. In her youth, Spock occasionally eluded to instances where he had endured discrimination. He only did this with her, remaining out of earshot of the other adults. Much of the time, he remained sparse on details, but the message was clear enough. She was aware why he was bullied, being familiar with his genetic make-up. Aunt Amanda was human; Uncle Sarek was not. When he informed her of his encounters, it filled her with sorrow. The fact that it was happening to her cousin was a heartbreaking belief. Whenever he confided in her, she touched the back of his hand lightly. His brown eyes would radiate an inner warmth on her each time.

Spock was afraid that something similar was going to occur…to her. She sighed. The idea that she was going to be a human living amongst Vulcans was known to her for weeks. A minority on the new planet, so to speak. However, it was going to happen. The situation had been agreed to, both on Lauren and Sareks' sides. They wanted to be together. Did she want to recant now? Absolutely not. She was going home with her uncle.

The thought brought up a topic. "I'm sorry I called you 'uncle' in front of everyone. Consider it…" she trailed off, unsure of how to finish.

"It was an overwhelming emotional response, Lauren," he offered, "one I have come to see as natural for humans to express in times great trauma. I take no offense, and therefore, your request for forgiveness is unwarranted."

A slight blush crept into her face, and she smiled sheepishly. "I won't say it again unless we're alone."

He nodded shortly, expression not changing. "Your suggestion is appreciated. Yet, being that I am your uncle, you are entitled to refer to me as such at any time. Be unafraid of consequences pertaining to this."

This time, the smile was beginning to touch her eyes more. "Thank you, Uncle Sarek." He straightened up in his seat at her words. Her eyes returned to their observation of the vastness outside, watching as the stars whipped by at warp-speed. "God, it's going by so fast…" she murmured.

Every so often, Sarek would glance at the girl in the passenger seat. He had been mildly taken aback to learn that this was her first journey away from Earth. "Explain to me, Lauren: how it is that you have never left your home planet during your lifetime? I was quite sure you accompanied Jonathan and Sarah when specific excursions were necessary."

She shook her head, still looking out the window. "No. A lot of times, they offered, but I didn't want to go."

"Might I inquire as to why?"

Angling her head, she searched for an explanation. "It's hard to…well, no it's not. I always liked being home. For some reason, I feel like I could do more where was at, and not flying across the universe trying to find my purpose. My parents were good at that, but not me…" she trailed off, saddening a fraction. She shook the thought away. "There's an old saying used on Earth: 'Bloom where you're planted.' I like it a lot, so I've tried to live by it. I thought I'd serve something better by staying home."

He shot a sideways glance at her. "And yet, you are relocating to Vulcan II, which is going to be vastly different from what you have been accustomed to on Earth. While you have wanted to progress in the world of your birth, circumstances have changed." He inhaled, though his body showed no indication. "I must know: does this disappoint you, Lauren?"

Her eyes were focused squarely on him as she immediately answered, "No."

His gaze was intent as he looked at her face. "Would you care to elaborate?"

The slight smile reappeared. "A flower can be re-planted, Uncle Sarek, and bloom in another spot, so long as it is properly nurtured. I feel that as long as I'm with you, I can find my purpose, no matter where I am. Vulcan II will be my new home, so maybe I'll be of some use there."

The unexpressed pride that rippled beneath him was only evident in a brief twitch of his eye. She had not noticed. He also realized that this was the most he could ever remember her talking at one time. "You have done a great deal of maturing since our last meeting. Your cousin will find this to be quite admirable."

"Well, wait until he sees me do the Vulcan greeting. What he doesn't know is I can do that with both hands now. See?" She demonstrated what she meant by forming the Vulcan salutation with, sure enough, both hands. She held them up for Sarek to see.

"Ambidextrous skills. Perhaps your goal is to evoke a jealous emotion from your cousin?"

Even if he found humor irrelevant, it was one of the more amusing things Lauren had heard her uncle say. However, she did not let him know this. "We'll be finding out soon enough. I just want him to see that I worked hard on it for a long time."

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It had been after that statement that a long yawn stretched across her face. Sarek had taken this as a signal to lay her down to rest. Still watching her form, he contemplated the mind-meld he wished to share with her later. The current moment was inappropriate, and he would only commit such an action with her consent. There were several things that only her mind could tell him about what she had experienced with her parents' deaths. He wanted to see them for himself.

His thoughts shifted as he thought about her proclaimed ambition in life. So she wished to serve a function that was greater than herself. Would this be found within the heart of Vulcan society? Only time and patience would tell.

His fingers gave her cheek another light stroke. You will find your purpose, he thought to her.

From the control panel, a high-pitched beeping cut through the quiet of the shuttle cabin. Sarek glanced toward the front, as the craft routinely slowed itself out of warp-speed. His eyes took in the familiar stars of the Aedanian Galaxy.

"Lauren Grayson-Reed," he whispered, brushing her face little more insistently, "you must wake. There is something you ought to see."

Her eyes snapped open, still obviously tired. It had not been nearly enough rest during the ride. Nonetheless, she stretched her entire body like a cat. "Huh?" She sounded confused.

"Come," he said tolerantly. "Come and see."

Helping her off the cot, he assisted her as she made her way unsteadily back to the passenger's seat. Blinking away the tiredness, she noticed that their speed had eased significantly. And what she saw below made her pause…caused her legs to give out; thank goodness the seat was right behind her, as she plopped down into it hard.

They approached it at a speed in which she could take in everything, intentionally done by Sarek. For the second time, she drew in a long breath of incredulity. Beneath them, growing at an unhurried pace, was a reddish-green planet, much akin in size to Earth. Lauren's eyes never broke away from it. Swirls of wispy clouds floated in the atmosphere. As they drew nearer, land formations took shape: mountainous masses spanned across the red regions, even revealing expanses of deserts. Large cliffs overlooked vast canyons, and small rivers cut through rock and sand. Closer and closer still, and she saw forests of trees composed the green areas. While these were fewer than the red regions, it pleased her to see plant life. She closed her eyes momentarily, and opened them again to verify that it was not an illusion. The sight remained. She knew exactly where she was.

First time away from Earth…to end up on a new planet to call 'home.'

"My niece," Sarek finally declared beside her as they continued their descent to the planet's surface, "welcome to Vulcan II."