Elle's PADD beeped with an incoming comm. High-priority. She excused herself from her class and accessed it.

"From the office of Ambassador Sarek: We will be hosting negotiations with the Legarans onboard the Enterprise in coming weeks. Be prepared to assist Sarek as best you know how. - Ki Mendrossen, the ambassador's chief of staff."

Elle stared at the message, surprised. That was now? Sarek was coming, now? No wonder they'd been heading into Federation space. She hadn't asked, too busy catching up with her classes from her enforced abduction, but that made sense. She frowned. Did anyone know about Sarek's health problems? Did Spock?

She sent off a quick comm to Spock. "Spock, hey, uh, Sarek is coming to the Enterprise. It'll be nice, uh, to meet Perrin, but, about Sarek..." she stared into the video pickup for a long moment. "So, do you know? About him? About," she couldn't help whispering, "his Bendii Syndrome? Please tell me that you know." She sent it off before she could regret it.

She still had to reply to Ki Mendrossen. She decided on a text reply. Space email, as it were. "Thank you for the advance notice. I will be prepared to assist him as best I know how. -Elle, civilian mission consultant to the Enterprise." If he wanted to play it by titles, she'd play it by titles.

-/\-

"Excited?" Riker asked, grinning at her.

Elle tugged at the bottom of her Vulcan-style green tunic, the one that she'd replicated the last time she'd been to Vulcan. "Yeah," she replied. She glanced down to make sure her matching trousers were neat and tidy. Her boots were clean, matching laces. Her comm was on straight, her nails were immaculate (her nails were painted in bright blue, they didn't match, but she'd let Moira pick the colors so it was fine, they weren't chipped, which was important). Oh Great Bird, what if her hair had gotten messed up, there were no mirrors in the transporter room-

"You look fine," Riker assured her, interrupting her panicking. "You look adorable."

Elle pouted at him. "That's not what I was going for."

"Adorably professional," Riker amended, hiding his smirk.

She scowled at him. "Acceptable."

"It's true," O'Brien added. "Like a tiny diplomatic attache."

"I'm not tiny."

Riker, nonchalantly, rested his elbow on her shoulder. It was the perfect height.

Elle gritted her teeth. "I am obliged to inform you that I can, in fact, deck you, commander."

He removed his elbow and grinned down at her. "Still nervous?" he asked.

"Please don't antagonize the granddaughter of the Ambassador of Vulcan, Number One," Picard said, entering the transporter room, dignity personified in his dress uniform. "Excited to see him, Elle?"

"Yeah. It's been a while."

Picard smiled at her. "All right, here we go."

Elle stood up straight and ordered her thoughts, drawing a veil of calm and professionalism over her thoughts.

O'Brien started the transporter and two men beamed up. One Vulcan, one human. The human stepped forward. "Ah Captain Picard. I am Ki Mendrossen, the ambassador's chief of staff. This is Sakkath, his personal assistant."

Picard raised an eyebrow, concerned. "Has the ambassador been delayed?"

"No, no. He will be joining us momentarily. But first we must discuss some matters of the utmost delicacy." Mendrossen chanced a glance at Elle. "To be frank, Captain, the ambassador is not a young man. He tires easily."

Sakkath spoke up. "He's going to need a lot of rest to prepare himself for the difficult job that awaits him."

"Which is why it is imperative that he be allowed to conserve his strength. I must request that you dispense with any formal activities normally associated with a visitor of his rank," Mendrossen said. "We would prefer if Miss Wilcott was his primary point of contact. Familial bonds are easier to deal with when something like this requires this much concentration."

Picard glanced at Elle. "If you're amenable, Elle?"

She nodded. "Of course."

"Thank you, captain. Upon his arrival he will be taken directly to his quarters where he will remain in seclusion until we reach Legara Four."

Picard nodded, frowning. "You have my assurance that the Ambassador will not be disturbed during the voyage."

Mendrossen smiled genially. "That's all we ask. Well, now that's settled, the Ambassador is waiting."

Sarek and Perrin materialized a moment later. Sarek looked, old. Like actually old. And Perrin looked beautiful. She had the same kind of strength as Amanda, which is probably what attracted Sarek to her in the first place.

Picard stepped forward. "Welcome aboard the Enterprise, Ambassador Sarek."

"We come to serve," he replied, inclining his head.

"Your service honours us."

"Allow me to present she who is my wife," Sarek said, drawing Perrin forward.

"Mrs. Sarek," Picard said, bowing his head.

"Please call me Perrin, Captain," she replied kindly.

"This is my first officer, Commander William Riker. And of course you know Elle."

Sarek blinked at her, surprised. "You have shrunk," he said, raising an austere eyebrow.

"Actually, I've grown a half-inch since I've been in the twenty-fourth century," Elle replied, giving him a smile. "Hello. It's good to see you."

He reached out, placed a hand on her cheek, a la T'Pau soul-searching gaze. "Of course," he murmured, almost to himself. "How old are you, now?"

"Sixteen, sir."

He sighed. "Time travel is, illogical." He released her and stepped back. "My wife, this is Spock's eldest stray, Elle."

"It's good to meet you," Perrin said, giving her a smile and a hug. "Spock and Sarek have told me a lot about you."

"It's good to meet you, too," Elle said, relieved.

"Shall we?" Picard asked, ushering everyone out the door.

"I wish to see the conference room," Sarek said, as they walked through the corridors.

"It's not ready yet, sa'mekh'al," Elle told him.

Sarek sent her an imperious eyebrow. "I have worked for ninety-three years in preparation for this meeting. It is vital that no detail be overlooked."

"By the time we arrive, it will be satisfactory," Elle replied. "I have the utmost faith in my fellow crewmembers."

Sarek nodded. "I hope so," he said, with an appropriately dramatic ambassadorial sniff of disdain.

Elle rolled her eyes fondly.

They got to the ambassadorial suite and everyone began to settle in, moving suitcases. "Can you stay with us for a bit?" Perrin asked Elle. "I'd like to get to know you in person."

Elle glanced at Picard, who nodded. "Of course," she said, smiling.

"Excellent."

Picard reminded Elle about the concert later, and he and Riker left. The door closed. Elle looked up at Ki Mendrossen. "So, how are we gonna play this?"

Mendrossen gave her a dirty look, and solicitously ushered Sarek towards his bedroom and meditation.

Elle folded her arms and sat on the couch. "I cannot believe you guys," she said, as soon as Mendrossen returned. "You can't not tell him about his own problem. That's unethical."

"What is unethical, is not allowing him to finish his diplomatic career with dignity," Mendrossen retorted. "You must help us keep him stable until the negotiations with the Legarans are complete."

"He needs a mind-meld," Elle said.

Even Sakkath blanched at her open words. "I have been able to assist him thus far," he started.

"And he's going to be meeting the culmination of decades worth of work," Elle retorted. "He needs something stronger."

"You, then," Mendrossen said. "You have a familial bond."

"No," Perrin said. She touched Elle's arm lightly in apology. "As disciplined as you are mentally, Elle, you are a growing mind, you would not be able to give Sarek the stability he requires."

"I cannot," Sakkath muttered, the tips of his ears darkening in shame. "We are not that mentally compatible."

"What about Spock? Isn't he nearby?" Elle asked.

Perrin sighed. "Spock and Sarek have only mind-melded once before. They are two equally strong individuals, with diametrically opposed wills. Unbalanced as they are right now, it would not work. Sarek would reject Spock, which would prove disastrous."

Elle frowned. "If you need iron emotional control, it has to be Captain Picard."

"Unacceptable," Mendrossen said.

Elle raised an eyebrow. It was imitation-Spock's eyebrow, the one that said 'oh yeah? Try me. Sir.'

Mendrossen looked away first.

Elle carefully did not smirk.

Perrin laughed suddenly. "Oh, my dear," she said, wrapping an arm around Elle's shoulders. "You are exactly as Spock and my husband said." She looked at Mendrossen and Sakkath. "If it is Captain Picard who will help my husband achieve this negotiation, it is only logical to accept it."

They both sighed.

Elle was given the unenviable job of telling Captain Picard. Perrin would tell Sarek. Why is Vulcan matriarchal, why can't somebody else tell Captain Picard his diplomatic hero has space Alzheimer's... She entered the bridge and smoothed the thunderstorm from her face.

Deanna looked over at her, sensing the maelstrom of emotions. "Everything all right?" she asked.

Elle tugged at her tunic. "Captain, can I talk to you a moment?"

"Certainly." He led the way into his ready room. "This is an episode," he said.

"Yes, sir." She sat down in the chair across from him and leaned her elbows on the table.

"And something's wrong," he guessed.

"Yes, sir."

"The negotiations?"

"The negotiator," Elle corrected. "Sarek has Bendii Syndrome."

Picard frowned and then nodded sharply, recognizing the syndrome. "I see," he said softly. "That is, concerning. How is he?"

"He hasn't consciously realized it yet," Elle replied. "Perrin's telling him now."

"Will he be able to conduct the negotiations?"

"Yes. If..."

Picard narrowed his eyes. "If, what?"

"If you agree to mind meld with him and lend him your emotional stability," Elle said in a rush, and winced at her own awkwardness.

Picard cleared his throat, tugged at his uniform top. "Pardon?" he asked politely.

She forced herself not to fidget. "Sarek needs to borrow your emotional control to complete the negotiations."

"I see. Through a mind-meld?"

"Yes, sir."

He clasped his hands together. "I see."

She stood up, went to the replicator, and got him a cup of tea. "You can say no, of course, captain," she said, "but you'd have to be prepared to take over negotiations with the Legarans."

"Sarek has spent over thirty years working up to this event," Picard said. "I could not take that away from him."

"So you'll do it?"

Picard frowned. "Would it be a full mind-meld?"

"Yeah. And you'd get all his emotional overflow. Lady Perrin can tell you more."

"I see." He gestured to the door. "I will think about it, and inform the ambassador's party later."

"Yes, sir." Elle hurried out.

-/\-

There was a concert that evening. Sarek and Perrin were supposed to come, but in light of the new circumstances, nobody asked about it. This was Data's first time performing since his new, deeper understanding of emotional states corresponding to music, and the audience was packed.

Data was nervous.

Elle, sitting in between Tyler and Satel, caught Data's eye and gave him a double thumbs-up. "You got this," she mouthed.

Data gave her a tiny smile and consciously relaxed his shoulders.

-/\-

"Hey, do you wanna go get milkshakes?" Tyler asked, as they were filing out of the auditorium.

"Duh," Elle replied.

"No," Satel said, dependably, even though the drinking age was 16 and technically he could.

"You could get a sugar-free Italian soda," Elle suggested.

Satel bowed to this impeccable logic.

They got their drinks and wandered down to the mall. There was something incredibly appealing about lounging around in formal clothes and drinking milkshakes with bendy straws.

Mott passed by and gave them a cheerful wave. "Your ends are lookin' a little shaggy there," he told Elle. "Come in for a trim this week?"

She craned her neck to look at the bottom of her ponytail. "Oh. Yeah. After school?"

Mott waved his assent and continued on.

"Look," Tyler said, "Spot's got out again." He pointed to the striped cat winding its way through the potted plants on the upper balcony.

"That's not Spot," Elle said. "Lt. Hadebe got a tabby cat. That's Mkate."

"No it's not," Tyler insisted.

"Is too."

"Is not."

Satel held out a hand. "Pss, pss, pss," he said.

The tabby cat came running. "Mrrow?" He twined around Satel's ankles, purring lovingly as Satel scratched at the kitty's ears.

"Definitely not Spot," Elle said smugly. "Spot would've taken your arm off."

Tyler scowled. "Why doesn't anybody get a nice sleek black cat?"

"Navy's too superstitious," Elle said.

"We're not in the Navy."

"We're on a ship."

Tyler made a noise indicating 'whatever.'

Mkate took this as an invitation to put his paws on Tyler's leg and meow.

"No, no, not my nice pair of pants," Tyler said, backing away. "Shoo."

Elle knelt to let the kitty sniff her hand. "Aww, who's a nice fluffy bread?" she cooed.

"Mroow," Mkate replied.

"Bread?" Satel asked.

"Mkate is Swahili for bread," Elle said. "He's a chubby little loaf, isn't he?"

Mkate dropped into a loaf shape.

"Oh, he's trained!" Tyler said, charmed in spite of himself.

Mkate licked his lips.

"He wants a treat," Elle said. "Give him some of your milkshake."

"That is not healthful," Satel said, and sacrificed a blob of whipped cream from the top of his Italian soda.

Mkate lapped it up eagerly, twined around all their ankles, and then wandered off to charm his next victim.

When Elle went back to her quarters later that day, Simba trilled piteously until she took the tribble to bed with her. "Jealous cotton ball, aren't you?" Elle asked.

-/\-

The comm chimed.

Elle woke up and blindly pawed at the comm controls near her bed. "Elle here." She sat up and yawned.

"I have decided to allow the mind-meld," Picard said.

"Oh." Elle stifled another yawn. "Do you want me to tell Sarek?"

"I've already spoken to him. We're going to do it in my quarters, an hour before the Legarans arrive so that Sarek can stretch out his control long enough. Dr. Crusher will be supervising."

"Understood," Elle said. "What do you want me to do?"

"Keep Lady Perrin company, and keep an eye out for trouble," Picard said. "I will not be myself, according to Sarek, and these negotiations must not fail."

"Yes, sir."

"Picard out."

Elle flopped back down onto her pillow. The Legarans arrived at 0500, which was midday their time, which means the mind-meld would happen at 0400 which means Elle needed to wake up...way too early.

She groaned.

-/\-

Elle's alarm went off at 0300. "Great Bird, why didn't I stay on Earth?" she groaned, dragging herself out of bed.

"Because you would be bored to death," Alexa replied. "Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!" She turned up the lights, traitor.

Elle hissed, "Lights to fifteen!" But it did its job, and she was awake now. She drank an entire cup of coffee while she got dressed and tried to put her hair into some semblance of order. She wrestled into her comfy boots and replicated a shot of espresso. "And a breakfast burrito. Chorizo, egg, cheese, sriracha, please."

Burrito in hand, Elle slowly made her way down to the ambassadorial suite. She had to finish the burrito before she met up with the vegetarian delegation. She made it, barely.

Perrin opened the door, looking alert and lovely. "Good morning Elle."

Elle sighed. "How do you do that?"

"Practice," Perrin said, putting an arm around Elle's shoulders and drawing her inside.

Sarek was there, adjusting his robes. "Elle," he said, and drew her into a hug.

She returned the hug awkwardly. "Sa'mekh'al," she replied. "Good morning."

"I must hug you now, while I am illogical, as I never did so before," Sarek explained, patting her on the back. He stepped back and tugged his robes again. "My wife."

Perrin smiled at him, and Sarek left, Sakkath on his heels.

Elle stood there, shaken. "Wow."

"Tea?" Perrin asked.

"Yes please."

Perrin poured them both cups of fragrant spiced tea and sat down across from Elle on the other sofa. "Sarek speaks highly of Captain Picard."

Elle smiled, pleased. "He's the best captain in Star Fleet. He'll be able to help Sarek."

"Good. I'm glad." Perrin smiled. "And you? How do you find starship life in the 24th century?"

Elle let herself relax as they chatted about life, and school, and Spock'n'Bones's general mother-hen tendencies. Perrin expounded about her life (she was a xeno-linguist, Sarek definitely had a type), and the adjustments she'd had to make to live amongst Vulcans.

Elle got an alert on her PADD from Dr. Crusher. 'Sarek has gone to greet the Legarans. I'm going to stay with Jean-Luc until the meld effects pass.'

Elle sent back an acknowledgement. "Excuse me, Lady Perrin, I have to report to the bridge," she said.

"Of course," Perrin said, inclining her head in gentle acknowledgement.

-/\-

Riker was pacing in a tight circle when Elle arrived on the bridge. "How's it going?" he asked.

"So far so good," Elle said, giving him a double thumbs-up.

Another four hours, and Captain Picard appeared on the bridge. His face was drawn with exhaustion, but his eyes were clear. "Status, Number One?" he asked.

Riker stepped aside to let Picard sit down. "Everything's quiet so far, sir. Negotiations are well underway."

Picard nodded.

"You don't want to take the rest of the day off?" Elle asked.

He frowned at her. "You and Beverly," he grumbled. "I'm fine."

"Yes, sir."

The next two days, Sarek remained in conference with the Legarans. They hadn't stormed off the ship, so everybody presumed it was going well.

Elle spent her time wandering between the bridge, her classes, and the ambassadorial quarters. It was nice to spend time practicing her "too-formal-Vulcan" with Perrin, but it made her miss Amanda bitterly.

Troi found Elle not-quite-sulking in the arboretum, under the shade of the rose tree. "Elle? You doing all right?"

Elle sighed. "I miss Amanda."

Troi sat next to her, put an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry," she said simply.

Elle sighed again and leaned her head on the counselor's shoulder. "It's that weird thing, you know? I just saw Amanda and Sarek last year, and they were great, they were fine. And now, she's been dead for decades and Sarek is...about to join her." She winced. "Don't tell anyone. But he's got a couple more years left in him."

Troi shook her head. "I will leave that information up to your discretion."

Elle rubbed a hand over her eyes. "I need to tell Spock, first." She sat up straight, took a deep breath. "I should go to bed, if I'm going to get up for school tomorrow."

"You can take a day off if you need it," Troi said gently. "Your mental health is more important than a day at school."

Elle shook her head, grinning. "Well, I would, but tomorrow morning we're doing self-defense classes with the Security team and I promised Worf that I'd deck Lt. Williamson."

Troi snorted, thinking of the six-foot-tall son-of-a-Viking. "What did Lt. Williamson do?"

"He disrespected Lt. Romaine," Elle said primly.

Troi snorted. Lt. Romaine was 5-foot-nothing and built like a ballet dancer. She was also the best sniper on the Enterprise. "Does Lt. Williamson know that you've been taking mok'bara classes for the last year?"

Elle smirked. "Nope."

Troi put a hand over her mouth, smothering a grin. "I see," she said. "I might have to come see your class for myself, then."

-/\-

Decking someone whose genes were part brick wall was immensely satisfying.

Worf held out a fist.

Elle tapped his fist with her own, smiling smugly at Lt. Williamson as he peeled himself off the floor.

-/\-

When Elle returned to her quarters that day after class, there was a message waiting for her. Spock's reply to her message? She opened the video.

It was not Spock. It was a Vulcan woman with curly black hair and lively eyes. She was wearing civilian robes. "Elle," she said. "Greetings. I am Saavik."

Elle gaped.

The woman continued serenely, "Spock is busy with cousinly negotiations-" She looked at the camera with a quirked eyebrow.

Elle took that to mean Romulans.

"-and asked me to reply in his stead." Saavik sighed. "The answer is yes. We are aware of Sarek's mental state. It has come on so gradually no one noticed until very recently, but Perrin assured Spock it was being handled. I hope this still continues to be the case. Let me or Spock know if we need to rendezvous with the Enterprise." She looked at the camera, and her manner softened. "On a personal note, it is good to hear from you. I regret that we never met in my youth, although my younger self would probably not be pleased at sharing Spock's full attention with an older, wiser adopted ward."

Elle huffed a laugh. She could imagine. From all accounts, baby-Saavik had been almost feral.

"But I am pleased that you are here, now," Saavik continued, her eyes warm. "I hope we can continue to correspond as the Enterprise's position permits." She held up the ta'al. "Live long and prosper, Elle."

Elle stared at the image for a long moment. She'd forgotten about Saavik. In this universe, Saavik remained firmly in the 'ward and protege of Ambassador Spock' category, and had gone on to marry a human scientist (not David Marcus, unfortunately for Elle's little fangirl heart). If Elle had stayed, she would've been in her early twenties when Saavik was discovered. "Now I really wish I had a feral Vulcan-Romulan baby sister," Elle realized. "Wow."

She put those feelings of I missed an entire eighty years back into their little box and mentally labeled it for further meditation.

-/\-

The Legarans left as quietly as they had arrived. The USS Merrimac arrived to take the Vulcan ambassador and his party back to Vulcan.

In their quarters, Perrin gave Elle a tight hug. "It was good to meet you, my dear. Thank you for everything."

Elle smiled. "Thank you. Take good care of him."

"I will. Comm us if you ever need anything, or if you'd like to come home to Vulcan for a while."

Elle nodded.

Sarek exited his quarters, dressed in his traveling robes. He came to stand in front of Elle, looking down at her with expressive eyes. She smiled at him. "It was good to see you."

"I am glad I got to see you again as you are," Sarek said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Thank you."

She smiled at him teasingly. "One more hug?"

He accepted the hug with good grace and patted her on the back. "You will do much good for the galaxy with the Enterprise," he said.

"I hope so." Elle stepped aside to let them exit their quarters.

Picard and Riker were waiting for them in the transporter room. "I hope your journey aboard the Merrimac will be uneventful," Picard said, as they exchanged brief bows.

Sarek inclined his head. "I will take my leave of you now, Captain. I do not think we shall meet again."

"I hope you are wrong, Ambassador."

"We shall always retain the best part of the other inside us."

Picard gave a slight smile. "I believe I have the best part of that bargain, Ambassador. Peace and long life."

"Live long and prosper." Sarek took his place beside his wife, and they were beamed away.

Elle sighed.

"Are we going to see him again?" Riker asked, as the three of them left the transporter room.

"I don't know," Elle said. "Things have changed a lot."

"Haven't they just," Picard said, regarding her with a strange expression.

"What?" Elle asked warily.

"Nothing." He gave her a slight smile. "I'm just experiencing some leftover grandfatherly pride. And I think you would be a good diplomat. You should consider it when you're older."

Elle groaned. "Not you too."

Riker laughed.