Location: The Vulcan Forge

They continued to ride for 30 minutes undisturbed by phaser fire and enemies. The silence between Amanda and Sarek was companionable. Amanda clung to him still trying to calm down the adrenaline that was still pumping through her. They almost died back there and the reality was sinking in. She had come so close to losing her life more times in the past year than her entire life. Being high profile really came with huge risk.

Sarek's head started to throb lightly as the reality of his injuries overcame his fading adrenaline. He started contemplating his own emotions while Amanda held onto him tightly. He could feel her heartbeat against his back and the rhythm was slowing down as she began to feel slightly calmer as the minutes passed.

His emotions had been strong. The instinct to protect Amanda and be near her was foreign to him. He had feelings like this in regard to T'Rae but never this potent. In that moment Sarek knew he could feel each nanosecond taking him slowly closer to his pon farr. He knew it was months away, but it reminded him that Amanda also deserved to know of something that was to involve her. The feeling of her body flushed to his only made his own train of thoughts deviate for a moment. He could admit to himself that he found Amanda appealing. He did not understand it fully but he was also fascinated by her. She had protected him when he was not fully conscious at the trade show. If Amanda was not trustworthy, would she have not taken the opportunity to kill him then and there? Logically, she would have, but she did not which only indicated that she desired to keep him alive. Sarek did not understand the emotion that filled him as he thought on that. All he knew was that he found himself...pleased.

Then sun had long set over the horizon and the temperatures were dropping significantly. They started to enter a canyon he explored as a teenager. There were some cliffs here that he knew were good for cover. A small tremble from Amanda brought him back to his present course on the empty desert floor.

"Amanda, are you cold?"

Amanda was startled for a moment. "It isn't that big of a deal. I will be fine."

Sarek replied, "We are approaching our target destination in 2.1 minutes."

"Where are we going?"

"A place I used to meditate as a juvenile."

"You parents let you come all the way out here."

"It is normal for Vulcans to venture into the Forge even at young ages."

They were in companionable silence as the remaining minutes flew by. Sarek was able to maneuver to a cliff that was hidden away from an aerial view. He turned off the engine and set a foot on the ground to stabilize them. Sarek turned to look at Amanda and he could only see her hair dark brown hair. The breeze blew up the cliff and Amanda's scent was caught on it.

Amanda unwound her arms from his torso, and she found that she had become significantly colder without Sarek's body heat. A weird feeling filled her at the loss of contact from him. She got off the hover cycle and looked at the Vulcan man she was married to. Sarek shrugged off his tattered green coat that he was wearing. Underneath was a simple white dress shirt that showed off his lean physique. Amanda could see a large bruise starting to form on his cheek and he had dried green blood that was clumping his hair. His bangs were in complete disarray-–windswept, covered in dust––unlike any look she had ever seen on him. His facial hair remained clean shaven but had blood and dirt in it. His eyes were slightly blood shot with a greenish hue. He looked like a tired and injured Vulcan. Nothing like the regal image he typically presented, the Governor of Vulcan. Right now he looked soul withered, worn, and exhausted like a young man with too many responsibilities on his shoulders. He looked human.

Silently, Sarek moved closer to Amanda and put the large coat on her shoulders. Her eyes seemed compassionate and unguarded for a moment. Her hair was messy and the gold pin in her hair was barely secured by a few clumps of hair. She had some bruises starting to form on her neck and her elegant gown was now soiled with blood, and dirt. It had large rips and Sarek just noticed that Amanda was missing one of her shoes. Sarek felt mad at the Ak'spar for causing harm to either of them. He would find a way to end them. He had his doubts about the Terran Empire, but this complete anarchy on his home planet was not the alternative he sought.

Amanda felt much warmer as Sarek placed the coat on her shoulders and he was looking at her deep in thought. She reached her hand up to fix his messy hair and wipe some of the dirt from his face. He didn't look much better but it helped him look less feral. He stared at her silently as she did that. The depths and intensity of his eyes almost scared Amanda. She could almost feel the emotions. She felt caught in his gaze and was at a complete loss of words.

"Amanda."

"Yes."

"You saved my life."

"I did?"

"Yes, when the blast hit us earlier you were able to phaser down 3 Ak'spar members while I was not fully conscious."

"I only did what I had to. You were the one who was able to help us drive off to safety."

"Nevertheless, I want to express my gratitude."

Amanda strangely felt touched by his admission.

Sarek stepped closer to her and continued to look into her eyes, "I want to ask for a pardon of my crimes."

Amanda looked a little confused, "What are you referring to?"

"I am referring to when I accused you of poisoning me. I see my error now, and I want to ask for your forgiveness."

Amanda felt emotional for some reason. A tension that was in her shoulders was gone and a sense of relief filled her.

She put her hand on the side of his arm and spoke, "Sarek, thrap-fam'es nufau."

Sarek let out a breath of relief that he did not know he was holding, "You forgive me."

Amanda let out a real smile, "I do."

Sarek was stunned, "I will venture to not make the same mistakes in the future."

"I think I would like that. I'll also try to do the same."

He paused for a moment, "Amanda, your Vulcan has improved quite rapidly, but-"

"But my human tongue can't handle all the nuances, I know."

"That was not what I was going to say."

"What were you going to say then?"

"I was going to state that you have an accent but it is a pleasing one."

Amanda's eyebrow shot up and she felt her heart race a little. A Vulcan man was giving her a compliment. Amanda felt a little flustered not knowing how to respond or speak to Sarek in such a way.

She nervously laughed instead, "Thanks. Do you mind if I sit down against the wall right there?"

Amanda pointed at the solid rock wall that was only 10 feet away. Sarek nodded and followed to join her. She sat down and took a deep breath. Sarek looked at Amanda and observed her physical features.

Nervousness started to bubble inside of her as Sarek continued to stare at her. She had no idea what to say. She decided to make a joke and diffuse the strange situation with humor, "That was a horrible first date."

Sarek tilted his head slightly, "Are you referring to the Terran courtship ritual?"

He said it so seriously that it made Amanda even more nervous, "Yes, but it was a joke. So don't worry about it."

"I have limited knowledge on Terran courtship. In Vulcan the concept of a date is not practiced."

"If you don't date then how do you meet people and decide to get married?"

"We do not."

Amanda recalled a few conversations in her mind about this from her wedding day, "Yes, I remember. You are betrothed at a young age."

"Correct."

"That means that happened to you when you were young."

"Yes."

"So you have been married before?"

"Yes."

"Why am I your wife right now? Shouldn't this person be helping you run Vulcan instead of me?"

Sarek felt an uneasiness stir in him at the mention of T'Rea. He could not deny that he missed her presence and that if she was by his side his job as governor would be exceptionally easier. Yet he could not quite envision her in the role. He felt hesitant to speak of T'Rea.

He paused for a moment but decided it was logical to present Amanda with the information since she had a right to know these things as his current bondmate. He took control of his emotions and responded to Amanda, "She was initially the captain of the ISS Forge before she deserted in battle and was executed for her treason."

Compassion filled her, there was always more to Sarek than Amanda thought, "I'm so sorry for your loss. That had to be so hard."

Amanda instinctively reached out for his arm to give him a comforting squeeze. He stared at her more intently and it made her more self conscious. She had been accidentally touching him through out the night and he must have found it unbearable. Terrans did stuff like this but not Vulcans. For some reason she felt an intensity of sad emotions for a moment and let go. Amanda immediately felt like she broke some boundary and immediately regretted the sentiment. Mortified that she broke a cultural rule she quickly responded, "Sorry, I didn't mean to touch you."

Sarek replied, "It is not inappropriate for bondmates to touch. I did not find it offensive."

Amanda blushed, "Oh."

Sarek's mouth felt dry in that moment as he looked at her red cheeks. Terran biology was strange yet intriguing. He liked the shade on her.

Sarek continued, "As for T'Rea it has been 5.6 years since that has occurred. Her execution was the consequence of her actions."

"That doesn't make it any less painful." Amanda would know, her father was murdered right in front of her that fateful night that felt like a lifetime ago. So much had occurred since then. She felt empathy for him, "I understand. I won't press you anymore."

Sarek looked into Amanda's eyes and they were so human and filled with emotion. There was pain there and even vulnerability. He would not admit it to himself but he was scared of that.

A strong desire to mind meld with her filled him. In a lapse of logic, his hand started to move towards Amanda's face and he moved closer to her. He could smell her scent again, Terran but extremely female. He felt the moisture from her short breaths on his face. Amanda was looking straight into his eyes her heart was racing unsure what Sarek was going to do.

It was then that the beeping of Sarek's communicator started to go off in the pocket of his green coat. He paused for a moment shocked at his own actions yet he stared at Amanda's eyes for a moment longer before reaching over to grab the communicator from his pocket.

"Sarek, here."

"Governor, it is Saya."

"What has happened? Is it safe for us to return to the fortress?"

"The Ak'spar had heavy loses. We continued to fight them after you escaped. In the middle of our offensive strategy against them the remaining Ak'spar troops were teleported off the premises."

"Were you or the Imperial Starfleet able to track the source of the beam?"

"No, we were not. We have done surveillance of the Fortress and have found no Ak'spar activity there. We have scanned your quarters and have increased the amount of Starfleet officers in the vicinity."

"That is agreeable. Do you have updates about Tevak?"

"Yes, Tevak is alive. He has sustained a mild injury in his rib but will recover."

"Is it safe for Amanda and I to return?"

"It is. We can send for a shuttle to pick you up. We have your location via your communicator."

"That will be unnecessary."

"Elaborate, Governor."

Amanda looked at him a little confused.

"Our cloaking device is still intact along with the hover cycle we used. Meet us in the docking bay. You have our location now if you want to track us that way."

"I only wish to serve the Terran Empire."

"Your service honors the Terran Empire."

The comm ended.

Amanda spoke, "I'm relieved to hear that Saya and Tevak are alive."

"As am I."

"I guess we should head back?"

"Affirmative."

Amanda stood up first and stood over Sarek and offered him a hand to help him get up. He raised his brow at her and Amanda responded.

"I'm just trying to help you up."

"I do not need help to stand."

Amanda felt a small sting by his bluntness. Amanda was about to retract her hand when Sarek grabbed it. The euphoria of the touch and depth of their connection increased from earlier that night and that left Sarek in a mild state of shock. Amanda was blushing now and her eyes were wide open as he used her body weight to stand up. Sarek's face remained emotionless but he started at Amanda who was looking at him with questions in her eyes.

"What was that?"

"What are you referring to?"

"You knew what I meant. It is as if whenever our hands touch it's like an electric current goes through them. It's an...interesting feeling. "

"Vulcans are touch telepaths."

"I am aware. Is this what it is always like when Vulcans touch the hands of people around them?" Amanda was unsure of where this was going.

"No, only with bondmates."

Amanda blushed, "Kind of like how we touched fingers when we got married?"

"The contact of our hands when not purposefully placed can create similar effects of an ozh'esta. That type of touch is done with the index finger and middle finger."

"So only bondmates do this?"

"Yes."

"Why don't we do this if it is a common custom?"

Sarek raised both his eyebrows, but recovered quickly, "It is an acceptable public display of affection between spouses on Vulcan."

Amanda opened her eyes, "Like a hug or a kiss?"

"Correct. It has been compared by various scholars to a Terran kiss rather than an embrace."

"I had no idea." Amanda turned red; she was accidentally 'kissing' him throughout the whole night. It made so much sense why he was hesitant to grab her hand. She looked at Sarek and could tell that his ears started to turn green.

"I'm so sorry about that."

"It is of no consequence it is a normal behavior between bondmates. Let's return to our quarters."

Amanda silently nodded feeling more and more mortified. Sarek hopped onto the hover cycle and Amanda felt more aware of him physically as she wrapped her arms around his torso. The engine roared to life bringing them both back to reality of their circumstances. Sarek accelerated into the desert and Amanda held onto to him tighter as they rode in the dark.

Location: S'chn T'Gai Fortress

Once they reached the area around the fortress, a massive escort of Imperial Starfleet ships surrounded them as Sarek drove them to the hanger. An entourage was waiting for them in the landing bay. There stood Saya and Tevak looking proud, tall, and stoic in their sleek black protective gear. T'Rama and T'Pau silently observed them on the hover cycle. T'Rama gave Sarek an arched brow with his choice in transportation. Sarek gave her a silent nod. Healer Leis was standing with a med kit and a tricorder.

T'Pau almost rushed to them and started to speak, "Thou must eliminate the Ak'spar immediately. The disrespect for thy life is unacceptable."

Sarek had not even gotten off the bike when T'Pau was talking to him. Sarek started to move and Amanda realized that her arms were still wrapped around him. She felt a little mortified that everyone had to witness how physically close they were. Everyone's faces remained phlegmatic but she wondered what was running through their brains right now.

They both got off the bike and it felt as if Amanda was completely ignored by T'Pau. She wasn't surprised by that. It was a good reminder that many people in the clan still didn't like her. Sarek staggered a little bit off the bike. Amanda steadied him and gave T'Pau a shocked look. Did she not realize that Sarek needed to be looked at medically?

Sarek looked at the clan matriarch not registering Amanda's facial expression, "I have already determined that it is necessary to eliminate them, T'Pau. I will discuss plans with my personal cabinet, as well as with the Governor's Circle as soon as possible. The trade show had the best security surveillance that Vulcan could offer. There must be a double agent in our ranks. It is a matter of finding the culprit now."

T'Pau spoke, "That is agreeable. I will let the healer examine thee."

It was then as if 50 different people were suddenly swarming Sarek to see if he was alive. Sarek tried to look at Amanda as multiple people were vying for his attention and the healer was asking him questions. Amanda stepped away from the maddening crowd and nodded at Sarek who took that as a response to his concern.

As Sarek was being tended to by the healer and getting hyposprays, Saya and Tevak approached her.

"You are alive, Lady Amanda." Tevak spoke.

"I am doing well. I only have a few cuts and bruises. Sarek is the one who needs to get medical attention first."

Saya spoke, "I will make sure Healer Leis will see you immediately after the governor."

Saya walked away for a moment parted the group of people like the Red Sea and gave no heed to the almost shocked expression on T'Pau's face. Saya turned her attention to the healer and the governor and spoke with them. Sarek agreed with Saya that Healer Leis needed to tend to Amanda immediately. Saya was about to walk back towards them when T'Pau had something to say to Saya. It looked like Saya was getting reprimanded. Amanda had a feeling she was going to be there for a while.

Amanda took the moment while Saya was busy to talk to Tevak, "I heard you broke a rib?"

"Correct. It occurred when I jumped from the second floor of the main entrance hall and I landed on a phaser an Ak'spar was holding. I was able to exterminate the individual even with the injury."

Amanda's eyes widened, "That is insane. I'm very impressed, and I'm happy you are alive to tell the tale."

"That was only a minor injury compared to ones I have sustained in the past."

"I believe that. Also I'm happy Saya had no injuries."

"I concur. I would not allow her to sustain injuries."

Amanda raised her brow a little. Was there something going on between Saya and Tevak? She had a small smile on her lips, "I am sure you would never allow that to happen. How long have you and Saya worked together"

"She has been an acquaintance of mine for 6.3 years, but we have only started to work together a year prior to this assignment."

"I see. Also, why do both of you keep count of the enemies you have eliminated?"

Tevak paused for a moment, "It is for sport."

"So you do it for fun?"

"Yes, it could be seen in such a way."

"Who won tonight?"

"It depends on who you ask. We will both give different accounts."

Amanda laughed, "I want to hear your perspective on it."

"I was able to eliminate 22 while Saya was able to achieve 21."

It was then that Saya interjected, "I would say that I achieved 22 and tied with you, Tevak."

Tevak raised his brow as Saya approached them, "I would not count the assist with the Ak'spar that attempted to stab me in the hallway, Saya."

"I was the one who ended him. If I remember, correctly?"

"No, an Imperial Starfleet officer gunned him down in the end. So it does not count."

Amanda laughed as she saw these two debate about such a strange thing; she could see in her peripheral Sarek and the healer. Saya and Tevak stepped away from the group and she watched them from afar as they continued to debate with each other.

Sarek had come up to Amanda and looked at her in the eyes. She could almost feel his concern for her and the emotion was swirling in his eyes again. He came up to Amanda and started to lightly examine her face with his fingers, "Healer Leis, she has a few lacerations here and I would also check to see if Amanda has a concussion. There are also a few bruises here on her arm that I want to be healed. Do you understand?"

The healer nodded with no comment, Sarek stepped away from her and watched Amanda as she received hyposprays and personally looked at her tricorder readings. Amanda tried her best not blush at the fact the Sarek had just touched her face without blinking twice or a raise of his brow.

"You have minor injuries, Lady Amanda. You will recover with no issues or scarring," commented the healer.

Sarek spoke, "Your service honors the Terran Empire."

"I only wish to serve the Empire," the healer replied and gave the Terran salute.

The healer walked away almost quickly and T'Rama walked over to Amanda.

T'Rama spoke, "It is agreeable to see that you are alive, Amanda."

Amanda smiled, "I'm happy to be here."

"I have been informed that you saved my son."

"That's what Sarek told you?" Amanda replied.

She looked over at Sarek with an arched brow and he gave one in return, "That is correct. I would not be standing in this hanger without your assistance tonight."

Amanda hated accepting compliments, she acquiesced and teased him, "It's true. I don't know where you would be without me."

Sarek looked at her straight in the eyes. She did not know how true that statement was and how true it would be in the future. It was in that moment while she had an easy smile on her face and was speaking with T'Rama that he realized he wanted Amanda Grayson as his bondmate in every sense of the word. He wanted her mind. He wanted her body; her whole soul, her katra. He wanted to protect her. The instinctual need for her felt almost overwhelming. Meditation would not get rid of or subdue this feeling––he knew that was the case. He did not know when these feels started to occur but he suspected it was over time. Part of him wanted to blame his impending pon farr, but regardless of his impending biology, he would do everything in his power to make sure Amanda would be become his bondmate in every way.

Author's Note:

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Things are looking up for Amanda and Sarek. Also if you are interested in Vulcan OC/Human OC relationships I encourage you to take a look at my new story "Rotation Around the Sun"

Here is the summary: "12 years have passed since the destruction of Vulcan and the High Council is determined to gather Vulcan's cultural history scattered throughout the Federation. Kuvak, an introverted Vulcan exoarchaeologist, is tasked with this assignment. He meets, Rosalyn Hugix, the curator of Vulcan artifacts at the Smithsonian and she isn't too keen on giving up the museum's possessions."

I will not be abandoning Carbon Spots. I'm quite determined to finish this story. I do not have a schedule for when I will update Rotation Around the Sun, but know that Carbon Spots is my first priority at the moment. Leave a comment or kudos!