K'hat'n'dlawa

Determination

The day passed as the ones before had. Amanda woke up- alone- and went to breakfast- still alone. She had her Vulcan lessons with T'Shan, and then her research and coursework...but somehow, none of it seemed the same.

Sarek wasn't usually home, anyway- he worked at the embassy most days- but the prospect of seeing him in the evenings had made his absence bearable. But now, knowing she would not see him at all until the conference was over, the mansion was empty without him. It just didn't feel the same. Though this separation shouldn't have felt any different from his other ones, it did.

Having easy access to him through the link between their minds was pleasant, but it was a poor substitute for his physical presence. However, she knew it could be worse...when they were separated before, it had been much more unbearable. They'd only been able to talk over the comm-unit, and even then their communications were brief. She couldn't imagine being so restricted now that they were bonded. They were fortunate to be connected at all times. Other human women did not have that luxury.

The night before, he'd called her on the comm-unit. It was always a relief to see his face, and it always made her feel better to hear his voice. They'd had a comfortable conversation, and she'd sensed he wasn't as tense as before. And yet...

"You're keeping something from me," she'd accused playfully. He'd been telling her about that day's work, but she could tell he was leaving something out.

"It is nothing to be concerned about," he'd said- but unlike when he'd said this before, this pronouncement had not been accompanied by dread. Instead, he'd been...teasing her?

"What is it?" she'd asked suspiciously.

"I will not repeat myself," he'd replied with what felt like humor tickling at the edges of their link. "You will find out soon enough."

Amanda decided to let it go. Whatever it was, it apparently was not bad, which eased her mind enough to not be too concerned about it.

But today, all day, she'd been thinking about it- wondering what he had done that she would likely have to thank him for later. She knew he'd done something for her. He was always doing things to please her, which made her feel as if she did not do enough for him. He would say such a feeling was illogical, and maybe it was. After all...she had endured Pon Farr for him. He likely still thought he had to make it up to her, which would explain this. But it wasn't necessary, which made her value his thoughtfulness all the more.

Now, as she readied for bed, she pondered something else he'd told her during that conversation. He was likely to return home sooner than expected- a possibility that made her more relieved than words could express. The sooner he was home, the sooner he would be out of danger...

She had caught flashes of annoyance, dread, and occasionally exasperation from him- and this had driven her to read the news for the first time in months. Usually, Sarek forwarded the articles to her that she would find to be of interest, since she no longer read the entire news editions herself...but her curiosity about the situation on Earth was rising. So, the morning after that last transmission, she read about the protests.

And was furious.

Not because Sarek had not told her- but because this all stemmed from that damned article. It was infuriating that people still believed that load of bullshit. And now this Terran Purist Movement was protesting his presence on Earth- following him around, by the sounds of it. From what she knew of them, they were extremely prejudiced towards non-Terrans, especially Vulcans. There was no doubt that their actions were motivated by bias, not by political interests.

Amanda wondered if this was the danger he'd spoken of- but she somehow doubted it. Protests were not usually dangerous. Annoying, yes- but not worth worrying about. Sarek would not even be bothered by them. He was bothered by something else...but what? Was it connected to the Movement? Or was it something else entirely?