The Morning After

by T’Sia

Title: The Morning After
Author: T'Sia
Rating: PG13 (slightly R)
Summary: This is about the morning after the accident on the road and the
late night encounter as told in Fateful Meetings
Disclaimer: Paramount owns the characters, the story is mine.

Archive: Sarek & Amanda Archive. Others please ask

My gratitude to beta reader Selek. Thanks a million J

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Awaking from a deep, fitful sleep she stretched lazily and her hands touched a headboard. At least she thought they touched a headboard. She frowned. Her own bed didn't have a headboard. She reached out again and her hands touched something she couldn't identify exactly. Somehow her hands felt odd. She opened her eyes slowly and brought her hands to her face. They were bandaged. Genuinely puzzled she tried to remember what had happened but couldn't recall anything. Her eyes changed focus from her hands before her to the large windows at the other side of the room. Thick brown curtains hid the view outside but the light that filtered through them indicated it was just before sunrise.

She blinked and suddenly she remembered where she was. She was still in the embassy, but the room seemed strange. The windows had been on the other side of the room the previous night. She studied her bandaged hands again. Where did she get those injuries? Had it happened during the accident?

She sat up and opened the bandage on her left hand carefully. When it came free, she noticed the nearly-healed cuts on her fingers and palm. Unwrapping the other hand she found the same markings there. The wounds had been well cared for as they were nearly closed. She didn't have those injuries when she arrived at the embassy last night. And why were the windows on the other side? Her head ached now and she just started to lay back on the soft mattress when she noticed a movement on the other side of the room.

She saw the backside of a smaller couch and a blanket hanging from the armrest. She leaned forward and watched the blanket in concentration. She swore she saw movement only moments ago. Just when she decided her eyes must have played a trick on her, the blanket moved again, and one long and slender foot came into view. Perplexed, she sat up straighter. Who else was in the room? Another guest who hadn't found his room during the night? But that would be ridiculous.

Slowly the illumination level intensified and she could see more of the room. It seemed to be far more spacious than she remembered. . Several doors that hadn't been there last night either, were leading into other rooms. Suddenly realization struck her. This was not her room! What had she done? Had she gone into another's room in her fogged state of mind? Her gaze returned to the foot that still dangled over the armrest of the couch. The toes moved lightly and the blanket descended further to the floor.

Cautiously, she got up and approached the couch. Her bare feet didn't make a sound on the soft, thick carpet and she stopped only a step away. Carefully, she leaned over the backrest of the couch and tried to make out the features of the peaceful sleeper. The blanket was drawn over the head of the person and she could only see the tip of a nose. The foot moved again and her gaze was drawn to it. It was long but slender, with five toes. The sleeper must be humanoid and male, she judged by the size of the foot. An old human saying came to her mind and she blushed, then smiled.

Her smile faded. It couldn't be a Vulcan, could it? Again she tried to remember how she had gotten into this room. The mysterious man shivered slightly and relaxed with a soft sigh. She tensed but the deep breathing indicated the man was still sleeping. She tried to remember but recalled only fragments of the night before. There had been voices. Male voices. She shook her head slightly. Who was the second man? She lifted her hand and inspected the cuts. 'Maybe a healer,' she thought. But who was the man under the blanket? The healer? Maybe it was even the ambassador himself!

'Don't be silly Amanda,' she chided herself. It would be illogical to sleep on a couch when the embassy had numerous rooms with beds. Her gaze travelled back to the head of the sleeping man and she reached out a hand very carefully. She took hold of the blanket and lifted it cautiously. She held her breath and watched black wavy hair appear beneath it. She hesitated when the man moved slightly. Her eyes widened when she lifted the blanket further and the tip of a pointed ear came into sight. She had to prevent herself from dropping the blanket when she recognized the features. It was indeed Sarek! Judging by the furnishings and spaciousness, this was his room!

With forced calmness she lay down the blanket. She stepped back and thought of what to do. The whole situation puzzled her. This behaviour was not at all Vulcan. Why hadn't he left her and had gone to another room? Why was she even here? She had no time to ponder the situation further for a soft knock could be heard at the door. She froze. A male voice sounded from the door.

"Sarek?" the voice asked. "May I come in?"

Sarek stirred lightly on the couch and at the same instant, Amanda lost her frozen state. She looked around hastily. What if she was found in the ambassador's quarters? What a scandal! She already saw the rainbow press headlines in her mind's eye. . She spotted the door to the bathroom and entered hastily. She locked the door and waited, curiously listening.

~*~

Outside Sarek stirred in his sleep. He thought he had felt someone tug at the blanket but, before he was awake enough to investigate, he heard the voice of his friend, Soran, at the door to his room. The bathroom door clicked shortly after.

He sat up and stood. His left foot felt uncomfortably cold and he turned to the bed to retrieve his slippers. He noticed the rumpled bedclothes and remembered the Terran woman. He couldn't see her anywhere in the room and his gaze fell on the door to the bathroom. She had to be in there. Soran knocked again.

"Come," Sarek said and the door opened.

His friend raised an eyebrow when he saw Sarek in his rumpled state. His hair was mussed and he blinked against the light from the corridor. Soran entered the room and closed the door. He clasped his hands behind his back and eyed the blanket on the couch suspiciously. Sarek ignored him and searched for his robe. A moment later he gave up the attempt. The robe was unreachable in the bathroom. Soran's gaze followed Sarek's to the bathroom door. 'Someone must be in there,' he thought and his brows climbed even higher when he found his suspicion proved to be true. He had already wondered where the woman could be when he found the door to her room open and she was not inside. "Your secretary informed me that we have a...guest in the embassy," he ventured.

Sarek waved him over to the adjoining office. "Yes, we have a guest. A guest who saved the lives of my brother and son," he explained curtly refusing to say more. "What is the reason for your early visit?" he asked directly, giving Soran no opportunity to investigate further.

"The Andorian delegation has arrived early. They have asked for a meeting."

Sarek sat at his desk and rubbed his tired eyes. "Tell them I will be available in one hour. Advise the staff to prepare the necessary rooms and copy the negotiation guidelines for the conference from the computer in the main office."

"Of course," Soran answered but recognized the fatigued look on his friend's face.

Sarek noticed his concerned gaze and summoned his controls to wipe his face of any expression. "Forgive me," he murmured.

Soran remembered the media pictures of the destroyed limousine. Silek and Sybok had been fortunate to survive the accident.

"The cause was sufficient," he answered softly and caught Sarek’s grateful look. Then he straightened his posture attentively and nodded curtly. "I will arrange the necessary preparations."

Sarek nodded and waited until Soran had left.

He stood and drew back the curtains in the office. He watched the fog between the trees in the embassy gardens for a few moments, then turned and went back to his bedchambers. He eyed the bathroom door and listened. He couldn't hear any sounds coming from the room and approached slowly.

~*~

Amanda opened the door a fraction and watched the two men disappear into the adjoining office. Her gaze travelled to the door leading into the main corridor but she could not slip by the office without being seen. When she heard voices in the office, she hastily closed the door and listened. For some minutes nothing happened. She thought about opening the door again but decided to stay where she was. She preferred to avoid Sarek until she knew exactly what had transpired the night before.

She heard steps in the bedroom and froze. She listened but the steps subsided. The doors were old style, matching the ancient charm of the building. They even had keyholes and old style keys to lock the door. Carefully she bent down and peeked through the keyhole. She held her breath when she saw Sarek standing in the middle of the room.

She smiled. He looked adorable, she thought. So different from the perfectly groomed Vulcan always shown in the media. His hair stood out in several directions and his flowing pyjama pants hung low on his hips. She looked down on herself and realized she was wearing the top of the pyjama set. Her eyes widened. How did she get into them?! She was almost sure she'd had another pair on when she went to bed last night. Before she could wonder further, she heard steps in the bedroom again. She bent back to the keyhole and saw Sarek approaching the door.

Her eyes widened. A confrontation seemed unavoidable. She turned and searched for something to distract him. Quickly, she crossed the spacious room and turned on the shower. Then she tiptoed back to the door and glanced through the keyhole again. Sarek was standing close with his hand outstretched, obviously with the intent to knock on the door. He cocked his head to one side when he heard the hum of the sonic waves. He dropped his hand and stepped back. In his current position, she could admire his well-muscled chest and abdomen and her gaze automatically travelled lower, but to her dismay, he turned away before her gaze had reached its intended destination.

A moment later he reappeared, carrying a pile of clothes. He crossed the room and disappeared out of sight. Some seconds later, she heard the door to the bedroom being shut. She straightened and wondered what to do now. He had surely gone to prepare for the day. She didn't dare to return to her own room. It was possible he might use the bathroom there and she had no desire to embarrass them both by running in when he was taking a shower, so she couldn't return there either. She turned to his shower and slowly approached the glass chamber. She frowned at the sonics but saw an old style showerhead hanging from the wall too. She searched the controls and her face lit up when she found the knob to switch from sonic to water.

She shed the pyjama tunic and stepped under the stream. The warm water soothed her nerves and she relished the comforting warmth. Several devices were attached to the wall and she tried them out until she found something like shower gel. The fragrance reminded her of herbs but she could not identify them. The gel was surely made from Vulcan herbs. She shrugged and retrieved more from it. When she had rinsed herself clean of the soap, she turned off the shower and opened the glass door. Her gaze fell to the pyjama shirt that had slipped from the counter into the pool of water in front of the shower. She blushed. Obviously she hadn't shut the shower doors completely and the water had found a way out. She picked up the shirt but it was soaking wet.

'Damn,' she thought. She stepped out of the shower and retrieved a towel from a shelf nearby. While she dried herself, she spotted a dark brown robe with finely woven glyphs embroidered on the front. She padded through the room and touched it tentatively. 'This must be Sarek's robe,' she thought. She retrieved it from its hook and brought the cloth closer to her face. She inhaled deeply and recognized the same fragrance on the robe that she had discovered in the shower. But there was something else. Another scent. It was not unpleasant. 'No, not at all,' she thought and inhaled deeply again. But it seemed oddly familiar. Suddenly, she blinked and a picture flashed in her mind. She had been carried up the stairs. Sarek must have carried her. She recognized his scent clearly.

She blushed and wondered again what could have happened to cause him to touch her. Vulcans didn't like to be touched by humans as far as she knew. What would he think of her if she wore his robe? 'What would he think if you wandered around nude?' a voice inside her asked.

She had to admit that taking the robe seemed to be the easiest solution at hand and without further thought she put it on.

~*~

Meanwhile, Sarek entered the guest quarters. The air in the room was damp and chilly. He placed the clothes he had brought with him on the bed and went to the windows. He closed them and turned up the temperature in the room. Then he went into the bathroom to prepare for the day. To his dismay he found only a water shower. He had always showered with sonic waves. Desert born as he was, he didn't like to waste water like this, but he had no choice. His meeting with the Andorian delegation could not wait.

He dumped the pyjama pants into the recycling unit and turned on the water in the shower. He jumped back, startled, when the first sprays of cold water hit him. When the temperature had risen to a comfortable level, he stepped into the shower and began to clean himself as quickly as he could.

~*~

In the next room, Sybok sat up in the unfamiliar bed. He rubbed his eyes and looked around him in wonder. Then he remembered where he was and watched the many toys strewn over the bedroom floor. He jumped to the floor to explore them further and nearly fell over the furred body of I-Chaya who was in front of his bed.

“Chaya,” the boy cooed and a radiant smile lit the young face. He threw himself on the sehlat’s back and hugged the animal's neck. The beast growled patiently and licked the boy's hand. Sybok smiled and scratched the beast between the ears. The sehlat purred contently and held perfectly still.

A noise from the next room caught Sybok's attention. He left his pet and opened the door. He slipped out and carefully approached the door to the neighbouring room. Maybe the alien from the car slept in there. He hesitated to venture in without protection but his curiosity got the better of him and he reached up for the door handle. The door opened slowly and he peeked cautiously inside. When he couldn't see anyone in the room, he ventured in further and took in the whole room. He heard the sound of rushing water from the bathroom. The alien must be inside. No Vulcan would waste water in such a way, of that he was sure. He felt brave when he walked to the middle of the room all on his own. His curious gaze fell on the bed and his little brows creased together. He went to the bed and examined the pile of clothes that lay on top. He searched through them and found the brown ambassadorial robe with the clan insignia. These were his sa-mehk's clothes! What did the alien want with them? He had to bring them back! He grabbed them with both arms and turned to the door.

Suddenly the water inside the bathroom was shut off and the boy froze. He heard steps from the other room. Quickly, he ran from the chamber, dragging the clothes behind him over the floor. Breathlessly, he returned to his own room and felt only safe when the door shut behind him.

~*~

In the guest room, Sarek left the bathroom with only a towel slung around his hips. He approached the bed but found his clothes gone. He frowned and his searching gaze swept the room. The clothes were nowhere to be seen. 'Who took them?' he wondered. Sighing, he realized that wondering who took them would not bring them back. He had to go to his room and retrieve a new set of clothes. He approached the door and found it slightly open. Cautiously, he stuck out his head into the corridor. He crossed the empty passage and disappeared in his bedchambers.

Inside he listened but heard no movement from the bathroom. He hoped Amanda was still inside and crossed the room to reach the cupboards on the other side. When he came to the bathroom door, it suddenly opened and Amanda stepped out. He stopped in his tracks and barely avoided a collision with her. For some seconds, they only gazed at one another. He recognized she was wearing his robe, the hem of it just touching the ground for she was considerably shorter than him. The sleeves were far too long and her arms and hands disappeared completely in them. Although the robe did not match her size at all, it fitted her just the same. This was odd. Why would it feel normal to him that she wore it? Her hair was still damp and dark from the water as it cascaded down on her shoulders in soft curls.

Her blue eyes were opened wide when she stared up at him. From his position, he could easily look down on her. Due to her smaller size, the robe fell apart over her breasts. He did not even need to lower his gaze to notice this; he was practically staring into the cleft between the mounds while looking down on her face.

Neither of them said anything and finally she stepped back and closed the fabric over her chest when it dawned on her that the robe exposed far more than she wished to present. She blushed, lowering her gaze until she looked directly at his chest that still glistened from the water shower. Almost on its own, her gaze began its voyage downward again. It travelled lower and followed the trace of dark hair from his navel to the place where it disappeared under the towel that hugged his hips tightly. She blushed even more. She was practically eating him alive with her piercing stare! What must he think?

~*~

Sarek felt the temperature in the room rise considerably when he almost felt her gaze on his body. He shifted uneasily. What was wrong with him? Why did he react this much to this Terran woman? A hint of panic gripped him when he considered the possibility of early pon farr. Carefully, he listened for the familiar, yet feared, feverish hum of his blood, but he felt nothing and relaxed.

Nevertheless her gaze seemed to burn down its way over his chest and abdomen. Obviously she realized her gaze was unnerving him as much as was possible for a Vulcan, and she stepped back further, averting her gaze completely. "Sarek, uh Mr. Ambassador, "she stammered. "I'm sorry..."

A knock on the door interrupted her.

"Come," Sarek replied automatically. He realized his mistake a second later but it was already too late. The door opened and Soran strode in. He carried a pile of clothes. Without paying attention to Sarek and Amanda he approached the bed and set the clothes on it.

"I am sure the lady's clothes are no longer useable, therefore, I asked my wife to lend some of her garments to T'sai Grayson. They should be the same size and the robes should fit..." He turned and stopped in mid speech when he found Sarek clothed with only a towel and the lady wrapped in Sarek's robe. He recovered quickly, however. "They should fit Ms. Grayson," he finished smoothly and bowed politely when he spoke her name.

"Thank you," Amanda managed. "Please give my gratitude to...to your wife."

"She will be honoured," Soran answered. "Her name is T'Sar."

"I would be pleased to meet her," Amanda said.

Soran bowed to her. Before he left, he inclined his head to Sarek but his eyes twinkled with humour.

Some awkward seconds followed Soran's departure. Finally, Amanda cleared her throat. "I think I will take the clothes to my room now," she said, her eyes wandering nervously everywhere just to avoid his eyes.

Sarek consulted his inner time sense. "Very well," he said but his voice sounded oddly insecure. He cleared his throat too and swallowed. "I have to prepare for the day as well. Meet me in the hall in fifteen minutes, please."

" All right," she answered and quickly snatched up the clothes. Glad to make her escape, she left the room and entered her own chambers.

~*~

Twelve minutes later, Sarek left his private room and went crossed the hall to his son's bedroom. He opened the door but found the room empty. The bed was made and his missing clothes sat on top. Obviously Sybok had retrieved them from the other room. His son was nowhere to be seen and could, therefore, not be questioned about the incident. His governess had probably taken him down to breakfast already. Sarek sighed. He would not have time for breakfast. The negotiations were waiting.

He left the room and found Amanda waiting in the corridor. She wore one of T'Sar's blue Vulcan robes. The fine material hugged her skin and accentuated the soft curves of her body without being overly revealing. He searched for the right word to describe her looks and thought 'elegant' to be the fitting one. The blue of the cloth even matched the colour of her eyes and her hair was bound neatly I a bun. For an instant, he remembered how it had looked when it was allowed to fall free to her shoulders. He decided he liked the open look better. Then he shook himself out of his illogical thoughts.

"I will escort you to the dining room," he said to cover his lapse.

"I'm sorry, but I have no time for breakfast. I have to be at the university soon," she answered, not without a trace of regret. She shifted her research materials from the night before in her arms. They were miraculously intact when the rescue team had retrieved them from the car. She had received them along with her other personal items from the security officers in the hospital.

"As you wish. Are you ready for departure then Ms. Grayson?"

"Yes, thank you again for your hospitality."

"You are welcome," he answered and motioned for her to accompany him.

He brought her to the great entrance of the embassy. She searched nervously for an opportunity to ask him what had transpired during the night but she didn't get the opportunity to speak privately with him. An exact copy of the black limousine from the night before stood in front of the main entrance. She hoped to get more information during the ride. The chauffeur got out and opened the door for her.

Sarek made no move to follow her in and she turned with a questioning gaze. He knew her question already. He descended the stairs and stopped before her. Formally he bowed. "I regret, T'sai, that I cannot accompany you. Matters at the embassy require my presence."

"I see," she said, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. She didn't succeed.

"I thank you in the name of the House of Surak for the life of my brother and my son. We are in your debt." He bowed again.

She blushed slightly. "Thanks are not necessary. I did what anyone would have done," she answered uneasily.

"I dare to doubt that," he almost whispered. Then he turned to the driver. "Please take Mrs. Grayson to her chosen destination," he told him. Then he bowed lightly again. "You will excuse me now, T'sai."

"Of course," she said. He turned and she tore away her gaze from him. "Oh, please let T'Sar know that I will return her robes as soon as I can," she added quickly.

Sarek turned and nodded.

When the car drove down the long driveway, she looked back to catch a last glimpse of him but he had already disappeared in the building.

~*~

From behind the heavy curtains, Sarek's gaze followed the limousine until it had passed the main gate and disappeared in the traffic. He felt a twinge of sadness and wondered why he felt so strange upon letting her go. He attributed the experience to the fact that he had neglected his meditations due to the recent incidents. Finally it was time to make his way to the negotiation chambers and he suppressed all thoughts centering around Amanda Grayson, but somehow, he had no doubt they would meet again.

TBC