Author: T’Sia

Pairing: Sarek/Amanda

Rating: PG

Summary: Sarek makes a disturbing discovery about Human biology.

Disclaimer: Paramount owns Star Trek and the characters. I only play with them.

28 Days

By T’Sia

Sarek awakened when he felt a movement beside him. Still half asleep he tightened his grip on the Terran woman he held enclosed in his arms. Again he felt movement and heard Amanda's voice.

"Sarek, please let me get up."

He felt the echo of a cramp in her abdomen through the fragile bond that had formed between them during the last days.

"Is anything wrong?" he asked, alarmed by the increasing pain. "Are you ill?"

When he loosened his grip she turned over and kissed him softly on the mouth. "Just a little cramp. Let me go to the bathroom and I will be okay."

He released her and she got out of the bed and disappeared in the bathroom. He sat up and listened for any indications that she was about to be sick but a noise from outside blocked out any other sounds. A few minutes later he heard the flushing sound of the toilet and shortly after Amanda came out of the bathroom. He felt no distress from her any longer and watched her approaching the bed with light steps. To his dismay she had dressed in soft shorts and a sleeveless shirt. She slipped under the covers and crawled back into his arms.

"Are you ill, k'diwa?" he asked, still concerned for her well-being.

She smiled upon hearing the endearment. How long had she waited to hear him say it? She was sure he could count the time down to the seconds since their first meeting. His concern for her warmed her heart. "No, it's all right. I'm fine," she answered and made herself comfortable in his arms preparing to go back to sleep.

Reassured that she was all right Sarek drew her closer. Again her clothing disturbed him and he longed to feel her bare skin against his. He let his thoughts travel down the road of memories created during the last hours. Instantly he felt warmth spread through him and his heartbeat accelerated. Slowly he began stroking Amanda's back through the fabric of her shirt. She made a sound close to the purr of a Terran cat and relaxed against him. He was a little surprised that she did not initiate any contact herself but was encouraged by the soft sounds of pleasure she emitted when he touched her. He slipped his hand beneath her shirt and began stroking her back, raking his fingernails lightly over her skin occasionally. He felt goose bumps rise on her skin while she enjoyed the touch.

Slowly his hand travelled over her hip and between their bodies. When he slipped it beneath the waistband of her shorts she suddenly grabbed his hand. She lifted it to her lips and kissed his fingers.

"Please Sarek, I'm very tired and will have a long day tomorrow. I need to sleep. You understand that, don't you?"

"Of course," he answered, although he felt disappointment and confusion.

She kissed him on the lips and turned away from him. Soon her deep even breathing told him she was asleep. He rolled on his back and stared at the ceiling. He was surprised about her refusal. Since they had left the state of being friends to become lovers she had been quite enthusiastic about being intimate with him. But more than her refusal he was surprised about his own reaction. His disappointment ran deeper than he thought and his body was not ready to accept the refusal yet. He squirmed uncomfortably. He  would not have thought he could get used to physical contact and enjoy physical pleasure to this extent. He wondered briefly whether Vulcan couples experienced the same as he did with Amanda. The constant longing for her touch and the desire to touch and feel her surprised him. The thoughts only aroused him further and he finally suppressed them and got out of the bed. He was neglecting his controls.

He dressed in his robe and went to the living room where he mediated for several hours. When he returned to the bedroom Amanda was still sleeping. He slid under the covers and draped one arm tentatively over her body. She stirred and took hold of his arm. Drawing him closer she murmured something her voice thick with sleep. After realizing she would not refuse his touch he slid closer and took her fully into his arms until he lay closely pressed to her back. She relaxed against his solid warmth and fell asleep again. Relaxed and in control after his meditations he had no difficulties to follow her into a deep and fitful sleep.

A few hours later Sarek sat at the breakfast table and read his schedule for the day at the Embassy. He heard Amanda curse in the bathroom and laid down the data pad. He began to wonder seriously about her physical condition. First the cramp during the night, her refusal of intimacies afterwards and now she had excused herself again to the bathroom with a hand laid over her abdomen as if she were in pain. The bond between them had diminished by now and he was no longer able to tell whether she really experienced pain or not. All he could do was to watch her closely for other signs of discomfort. He got up and walked over to the bathroom on bare feet. He lifted a hand to knock but the door lock clicked and the door opened before he touched it. Amanda almost collided with him on her way out but stopped at the last moment. She laid a hand on her chest, clearly startled.

"Whew, that was close," she said and then a smile appeared on her lips. "But you don't mind closeness any longer, do you?" she teased and admired him while he stood before her clad only in briefs and a thermal shirt. She could hardly believe how lucky she was that they had become lovers. She tilted her face up to him in clear invitation. To her surprise he didn't kiss her but looked down on her with an odd expression on his face.

"Amanda, why are you locking the door?" he asked. He had never seen her doing this before. Combined with her strange pain during the night it was a most suspicious coincidence. She looked up to him with a puzzled gaze.

"Well, I think I simply did not wish to be disturbed," she answered.

"You know I would not come in before knocking and asking for permission," he replied.

"Yes, I know. It's just, I don't know," she tried to explain and stopped to avoid a direct answer. She squeezed past him quickly. Why did he act so strange? Was it a miracle she didn't wish to be disturbed in the bath? The thought that he might be concerned for her well being because he didn't know what caused her behaviour didn't occur to her and she hurried to the bedroom. He followed her, his presence making her uncomfortable to an amount she had not known for months. He waited patiently for her to give him an explanation while she got dressed hastily but the sound of a flitter outside spared her the discussion. She walked over to the window, closing the last buttons on her shirt.

"That's Helen. We have an appointment. Lock the door when you go," she said glad to make her escape.

"Amanda," he started but she interrupted him. "Please, tonight," she said and smiled at him. Then she was out of the door and hurried down the steps to meet her friend.

Sarek remained standing in the doorway to the bedroom, stunned into silence. He was not used to be interrupted, not to mention not given an explanation when he demanded it. On the other hand Amanda was none of his aides. They had yet to get used to the more personal level they had entered and treaded rather carefully on both sides. They still had to set up their fences and bridges. He walked over to the window and watched her climbing in the flitter. Her strange behaviour still concerned him. He almost got the impression she was avoiding to tell him something important. Had he done anything wrong to trigger this reaction? He had no time to wonder about the situation further for his inner time sense told him it was time for him to prepare his departure as well. He postponed his ponderings to a later time and went into the bathroom.

Five minutes later Sarek shut off the sonic waves and stepped out of the shower. When his foot touched the ground he slipped. He grabbed hold on the wall of the shower stall, thus preventing a fall but his arm impacted painfully. He steadied himself and lifted his arm to inspect the damage. He didn't discover severe injuries, only some abrasions on his elbow. He walked over to the sink and cleaned the wound with water. Then he dried the raw skin with a tissue. When he opened the trash bin to dispose of the tissue he drew back startled.

The shorts Amanda had been wearing during the night lay in the trash. The cloth was stained with bright red blood. So he had been right and she was either ill or injured. He froze on the second thought. Could he have injured her? He replayed the memories of the last night in his mind but remembered he had only felt pleasure from her and no pain. He had not found her blood on himself either. So it must be an illness and a serious one judged by the amount of blood that had soaked the shorts. What could it be? Cancer? Or an ulcer? One thought chased the other and he had to apply his controls to calm down again.  If Amanda was ill, why was she trying to hide this fact from him? He remembered her avoiding a direct answer and wondered what it was she didn't wish to talk about. He had to find her as soon as possible. The illness could endanger her life if she bled constantly. He dressed quickly and placed a call to the Embassy, requesting an emergency beam out.

He materialized seconds later in the transporter room in the basement of the Embassy. He walked over to the technician behind the transporter console but before he could speak to him the door opened and a security team rushed in, followed by his friend Soran.

"What happened?" Soran asked.

"Call a medical team," Sarek advised him curtly and turned back to the technician.

"Are you injured?" he heard Soran's voice who was watching him over for injuries. "No, I am not," he answered. "Do as I say."

Soran looked confused but walked to the communicator pad to order the medical team. Sarek was meanwhile speaking to the technician, giving him Amanda's communicator code and advised him to locate her and beam her directly to the Embassy. The human nodded and set to work.

Soran motioned Sarek aside. "What happened Sarek?" he asked, using his friend's name rather than title to indicate a private conversation. When the call came in he had immediately thought something or someone was threatening his friend. He had told Sarek before it was unwise to stay at Ms. Grayson's apartment without notifying security about his whereabouts. The incident would no doubt appear in the protocols of the departments and he as well as Sarek would have to explain to the Council why the ambassador resided at a student's apartment, unprotected and overnight.

"I believe Amanda suffers from a serious illness," Sarek told his friend reluctantly. "We have to find her immediately. She needs medical treatment," he continued in a low voice.

"I see," Soran answered. "You are aware, however, that this incident will appear in the weekly report to the Council. Your whereabouts will not be easy to explain."

Sarek looked back to the transporter pad, hoping Amanda would be found before it was too late. How she could even have walked out of the apartment in this condition was incomprehensible to him. He barely registered what Soran said although he heard him clearly. Feeling his friend's gaze upon him he turned to him briefly. "I will take care of the explanation to T'Pau myself," he answered and turned back to the transporter pad while Soran relaxed visibly.

"Sir, I found her," the technician said suddenly.

"Beam her out," Sarek advised and stepped closer to the transporter pad. The technician complied and seconds later Amanda shimmered to existence on the transporter pad. She was still holding a cup of coffee in one hand and blinked in confusion.

Her gaze travelled over the unfamiliar faces in the room until she spotted Sarek who was approaching the transporter pad.

"Sarek, what is this all about? Where are we here?" she asked with a mixture of irritation and puzzlement evident in her voice.

"You are at the Embassy," he replied and reached for her arm to steady her as if she threatened to collapse any time. His actions and words confused her even more and she stepped back, her eyes growing large. "The Embassy?" she queried incredulously. They had kept their engagement a secret until now. Why was he bringing her here all of a sudden? "Why?" she asked, hoping he had a good explanation for his actions.

"You are seriously ill, aren't you?" he asked.

Amanda just stared at him. She was ill? What the hell was he talking about? And how did he dare to beam her away from her appointment and to the Embassy of all places. She was sure he was in for some serious explaining to his superiors for beaming a stranger to the Embassy.

"No, I'm not ill. I was quite relaxed before you took me away," she answered and held up the cup of coffee to emphasize her words.

He came closer and lowered his voice. "I know you wish this to be private but you seem to be seriously ill. I perceived the pain and saw the blood."

Amanda's mouth dropped open when she finally realized what he was talking about. Sure! How should a Vulcan know about the monthly fertility cycle of human females? He misunderstood the situation and her behaviour must have concerned him. Now it all made sense. She chided herself for not telling him. But she had never been engaged with a Vulcan before. This situation was new to her. After all, she didn't have to explain her period to her former human lovers. She blushed furiously but had to admit the situation was as funny as embarrassing. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She looked up when she heard a suppressed laugh from the human technician who had obviously heard their conversation. And if he had the Vulcans in the room had also. She glared at the technician and he lowered his head to hide his amusement. To her relief the Vulcans didn't move a facial muscle. They didn't even raise eyebrows.  This was one of the times she was glad for Vulcan emotional control.

Sarek looked from Amanda to the technician, then back to Amanda, confusion almost evident on his face. He was used to a great amount of illogical behaviour from humans but he had not expected them to react with amusement to such a serious situation. He looked at Soran for an explanation but his friend seemed to be as confused as he was. He heard Amanda's voice and turned back to her. "Sarek, I wish to speak to you alone," she said in a low voice, her cheeks still flushed.

"No, first…" he started but she interrupted him in a more urgent tone. "Please, Sarek. Now."

She aimed a pointed glance at the group of security and medical staff still standing by the door. With a raised eyebrow Sarek dismissed the guards and the med team and nodded to the technician and Soran to leave the room also.

When they were alone Amanda sat on the steps of the transporter platform and shook her head about the weird situation. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. "I can't believe it. You initiate an emergency beam out because of this," she said more to herself and rubbed her forehead. Then she looked up to him.

"Yes, I thought that to be necessary," he answered, still watching her for any change in condition. She extended a hand, indicating for him to join her.

He hesitated. "You are sure you do not need medical assistance first?"

Amanda shook her head again. "I don't need it at all," she answered. Watching his puzzled gaze she knew she would have to do some detailed explaining. But first she had to reassure him that she was not ill so that he would listen.

"But your pain, the blood," he continued but she interrupted him.

"Sarek, believe me, this condition is perfectly normal."

His eyebrows disappeared in his hairline and finally the confusion broke through his controls and was written all over his face.

"I find that hard to believe," he said.

She rolled her eyes and extended a hand again. "Join me and I will explain," she offered. 'You might be the only one who doesn't know by now,' she thought. He needed detailed information to understand that she was in no danger. Reluctantly he sat down beside her and she explained the monthly fertility cycle of Terran females to him. It took longer than expected for he asked her to explain every detail. Finally he was satisfied with the given information and looked at her with an almost astonished expression on his face.

"Fascinating," he said. "Nevertheless, this is a great waste of physical resources," he said.

She shrugged. "That's the way it is."

Silence stretched between them until Amanda lifted a hand and stroked his cheek. "Although your actions will be very difficult to explain to all involved your concern was very sweet," she said.

"Sweet?" he echoed and took a deep breath in an attempt to describe his actions logically but she laid a finger on his lips to silence him. "Don't say it. I know," she whispered and replaced her finger with her lips.

When they parted she smiled at him. "You should remind your staff of their duty to confidentiality if you do not wish this to appear in the press tomorrow," she said.

He sighed heavily and nodded, obviously imagining the consequences of his actions.

She lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry. Your worries could have been prevented if I'd told you earlier."

"Indeed," he answered and watched her calmly.

She opened her mouth to answer but at this moment the door signal beeped, indicating someone was asking permission to enter the room. They had to postpone their discussion to a later time.

"Soran and the others might wonder if I already died," Amanda said jokingly and looked at Sarek. But instead of humour she saw a quickly controlled expression in his eyes, as if he flinched inwardly. She realized what she had said. His concern had been real. Vulcan or not, the whole issue must have been a startling experience for him. She bit her lip. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

He rose to his feet and helped her to get up also. "Do you wish to be beamed back?" he asked.

"I think that would be best. You will have enough to explain about the emergency beam outs and the medical and security team, not to speak of a stranger in the Embassy" she answered and touched his hand lightly. To her surprise he entwined his fingers with hers in human fashion.

"The cause was sufficient," he murmured and bent down to kiss her. They parted when the door buzzer sounded the second time. She stepped back on the transporter pad reluctantly and seconds later she disappeared when he beamed her back to her former location. He remained standing behind the console for a few seconds, allowing himself to feel relief about the knowledge she was well and in no danger. She was right, he would have much to explain but that had never been the greater concern.

He spotted an object on the steps to the transporter platform and recognized the porcelain cup Amanda had set down on the stairs while speaking to him. He approached the pad and picked it up, turning it in his hands while he walked to the door. When it opened he faced Soran who just extended a hand to push the door signal again. He froze in mid motion upon seeing Sarek alone in the room and laid his hands on his back.

"I take it there is no medical emergency to take care of," he asked and looked at Sarek with a questioning gaze.

"No, there is none," Sarek answered and saw Soran's dissatisfaction about not being given a more detailed explanation.

Sarek walked past him and Soran followed quickly. "What about Ms. Grayson," he tried a second time although he had no hope Sarek would reveal anything more to him than he had already said.

Sarek stopped and turned halfway. "She is in perfect health," he answered with an amused twinkle in his eyes.

THE END