Family Matters

After leaving the meeting with T'Pau, Amanda had a lot to think about. She wandered the streets of ShiKahr for hours until finally she ended up at the front gates of Sarek and Sybok's house. Exhausted and dehydrated, she barely had enough strength to ring the bell to alert someone inside of her visit.

Luckily, she didn't have to wait long for the door to open and Sybok's worried face to appear.

"Amanda? Your visit is unexpected. Did you have a date with Father?" Sybok asked in confusion. "He is not here. He had a meeting at the Embassy."

"Sybok, can I come inside first? Then I'll be happy to answer all your questions."

"Yes, of course," Sybok stepped aside and allowed Amanda to enter the brightly lit foyer. She was practically dragging her feet as she followed Sybok inside.

"May I have a cool drink, please?" Amanda asked.

Sybok, sensing something was amiss, took Amanda's elbow and led her into the coolest area of the house, the sunken sitting room. Once she was seated on an overstuffed sofa, he said, "Make yourself at home. After all, this will be your home soon and I'll be back with that drink quickly."

Amanda sat alone in the silent stillness of the room. Her gaze was lost in the distance, the burden of T'Pau's offer pressing heavily on her mind.

Sybok returned swiftly with a cool glass of water, his brow furrowed with concern. Amanda jolted back to reality, offering a weak smile. She took the glass gratefully and drank deeply. The cool liquid was a balm to her parched throat and frazzled nerves. Feeling a bit steadier, she sighed and looked up at Sybok, who had taken a seat across from her, watching her with a curious expression.

"I walked around ShiKahr for hours, just thinking," Amanda began, her voice weary. "I met with T'Pau today."

Understanding dawned in Sybok's eyes. "Ah, I see. That explains much. Grandmother can be... quite formidable."

"You can say that again," Amanda

"Why should I say it again? You clearly heard me the first time," Sybok said.

"Please do not play dumb Vulcan with me today, Sybok. I'm not in the mood."

"Dumb Vulcan?" Sybok parroted and he reared back as if insulted.

"Yes, 'Dumb Vulcan', where I use a common figure of speech and you pretend to misunderstand it to an annoying effect. You know that phrase very well. I'm not in the mood for Vulcan shenanigans, so cut it out."

Sybok smiled, "Very well then. I only thought you needed some levity. I shall refrain from annoying you further with my Vulcan shenanigans."

"Yes please," Amanda said and she sank back into the couch cushions.

Sybok tried to lighten the mood with anecdotes from his day describing his new teacher and going over their credentials as Amanda only half listened. When he noticed Amanda's hands shaking and reached to take the glass from her. Their fingers touched ever so briefly, but it was enough. In that fleeting moment, Sybok saw the meeting with T'Pau and the confusion the proposal caused Amanda. He flinched, realizing the intrusion, and quickly withdrew his hand.

"I apologize, Amanda. It was not my intention to pry," he said, his expression pensive.

Amanda looked at him, her eyes widening with dread and then resignation. "You know, don't you?" she whispered.

Sybok nodded. "Strong emotions are harder to shield," he admitted. "You are worried about Grandmother's offer. It is a significant honor, Amanda. But it is also a great responsibility. It seems you are unsure about this path?"

"It's unbelievable is what it is. I don't understand what she wants from me," Amanda said and rested her forehead in her hands.

"Why do you doubt yourself, Amanda? If Grandmother has chosen you it's because you are worthy. You need not wonder if you're strong or capable enough for this role."

Amanda's defenses crumbled, and she confessed all her fears to Sybok. "I'm terrified, Sybok. This is all so overwhelming. I don't want to disappoint anyone, especially not T'Pau... or you and Sarek but I don't know if i'm cut out to be a matriarch."

Sybok took her hand in his, this time his shields firmly in place as he spoke to her. "Amanda, you may not believe this yet, but you are very special."

"You have rare qualities, even among all the humans I have known. From the moment I met you I saw it and I... Well... I chose you because I wanted my father to be happy and I believed if given a little push Father would also see these qualities in you. It seems Grandmother sees them in you too. You have empathy, intuition, and a strength that is uniquely yours. You will breathe new life into our clan and make us all better. That is why Grandmother chose you."

Sybok's words pulled at Amanda's heart. She gazed into his eyes, finding the earnest guilelessness of a Vulcan youth. She desperately wanted to see herself the way Sybok saw her. But she was not much older than he was. Could she really take on marriage, motherhood, and an entire Vulcan clan?

"But what about Sarek? What does adoption mean for our marriage? Our future?"

"Father respects Grandmother's judgment, and he loves you," Sybok assured her. "He will support your decision, whatever it may be. And as for me, I could not envision a better person to take on such a role. You are already family in my eyes."

"Thank you Sybok. But T'Pau said some things I just don't understand. Why do Vulcans still view males as inferiors who need to be taken care of by women? It doesn't make sense for such logical and enlightened people to have such beliefs."

"I suppose it does seem out of character to an outsider," Sybok said. He tried to explain the complex beliefs, culture, and history of Vulcan. "On Vulcan, lineage and inheritance are traditionally matrilineal. It's not that males are considered inferior, but our females, particularly our clan matriarch, are seen as the linchpin of Vulcan heritage. An heir, especially a female one is essential to carry on a clan's name, wealth, and genetics."

He continued, "Vulcan men, like my father, are not treated as inferior beings. Father is an accomplished diplomat. He is an esteemed educator. He does not submit himself to the will of random females just because he is male. However, males naturally want to defer to female authority in familial and clan matters. This deference is partly due to our ancient societal customs and partly because of biological imperatives. The Pon Farr casts a shadow over every aspect of life on Vulcan. The hormonal drives can cloud our judgment of the most disciplined male, making a stable, logical partner essential."

"But doesn't that make males feel... secondary?" Amanda asked, her brow furrowed thinking of how women of Earth were treated for centuries.

"You know we try not to feel anything," Sybok quipped, "But no, we don't. Perhaps we appear as secondary citizens from a Terran perspective, but Vulcan males are raised to respect and support the matriarchal structure. Our roles are different but complementary. The emotional stability of a Vulcan male, especially during Pon Farr, relies heavily on the logical and steady emotional influence of his partner and his clan and in return the clan relies on the strength and logic of our males when needed."

Amanda nodded, absorbing his words. "So, being T'Pau's heir would mean carrying on her family legacy not just for her sake, but for you and Sarek as well?"

"Exactly," Sybok confirmed.

"This is all a lot to think about. I'm already grappling with the idea of being a part of your esteemed clan and now T'Pau wants me to lead it." Amanda laughed trying to lighten the mood, "Do you think I'll have to adopt a Vulcan name if I agree? T'Amanda maybe?"

Sybok's lips twitched, relieved that Amanda was taking everything so well. "I think Amanda Grayson carries its own distinguished resonance. But your role as a T'Pau's daughter would be more about the stewardship of her lineage rather than a working title. Grandmother is still the Matriarch until she dies."

"Stewardship?" Amanda mused. "That sounds less like a family member and more like a job description. Will I be in charge of changing the linens? Will I get vacation days?"

Sybok's smile broke free, glad Amanda was considering the offer. "Vacation days may be scarce, but for a Vulcan, the fulfillment of duty is considered a significant reward."

Amanda picked up her glass with steadier hands and sipped the cool water. She observed,"only a Vulcan would think duty is a reward."

Sybok agreed. "Yes. We come to serve."

When Sarek arrived, he found his son and consort talking and laughing in the sitting room, an unusual but welcome sight in his home. "It is quite unexpected to see such amusement here. What is the cause?" he inquired, his tone even, the slight raise of his brow betraying his curiosity.

Amanda rushed over to greet him and fell into his open arms. "T'Pau has asked me to join your clan officially. As her adopted daughter and heir."

Sarek regarded her with an assessing gaze. "That is quite an interesting revelation, Amanda. I take it by your jovial response that you are not put off and are in favor of the idea?"

"I haven't agreed yet," Amanda admitted. "But Sybok has been explaining the intricacies of Vulcan heritage and traditions to me and I'm not as freaked out as I was. It's all so overwhelming, but... somehow, it's starting to make sense."

Sarek nodded his head in understanding. "That is agreeable. And Amanda, whatever decision you make, I will support you and so will Sybok." Sarek looked over to his son who nodded in agreement.

"Thank you Sarek," Amanda said. "You and Sybok have been so good to me already. I don't know how I will ever repay your kindness."

"We are a family. And in the family, there is no debt."

"Yes! A family," Sybok not only agreed with his father's sentiments, he rushed over to sandwich Amanda between his father and himself in a very un-Vulcan hug.