FAITHFUL MEETINGS

Author: T'Sia

Rating: PG

Pairing: Sarek/Amanda

Disclaimer: Paramount owns the characters of Star Trek. The story is mine.

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The room was still brightly lit when she awakened from a fitful sleep. She stretched lazily on the broad bed and yawned. Slowly she sat up and rubbed her eyes. She stood and walked over to the window that overlooked the Embassy gardens. She frowned upon seeing the position of the sun. This could not be. It had been past midday when she arrived at the Embassy. Now it seemed to be early morning. Even the fog, which rose from the bay, had not dissolved yet. She whirled and checked the chronometer on the bedside table. It showed the date of the next day and 6:59 am. She had slept since yesterday afternoon! What must the Vulcans think of her? She walked over to the door and opened it carefully to peer outside.

The corridor was deserted except for a member of the cleaning staff who was wiping the windows at the opposite end of the corridor. Amanda closed the door carefully and leaned against it. What was she supposed to do now? Prepare for the day and.? Then what? She sighed and took in her image in the mirror. The beautiful blue robes were crumpled for she had slept in them the whole night. She could not wear them in public any longer. Grateful for having brought her own clothes she picked up her travel bag and disappeared in the bathroom to prepare for the day. Thirty minutes later she took a look in the large mirror again, trying for the umpteenth time to smooth out stubborn creases in the shirt and the wide flowing trousers she was wearing. The trousers were made of a soft dark brown material, which flared at her ankles, but it was not suitable for such a place as the Embassy. She wondered where her mind had been yesterday when she packed the casual clothes. No matter, her attire couldn't be changed right now. Again she smoothed out a crease in the olive green sleeveless shirt and put on the brown sandals she had brought with her. 'This will have to do,' she thought.

She left her room and wandered down the corridor. She came to the door she had passed through two nights earlier. She didn't recognize it but it seemed oddly familiar. She looked to a spot beside the door and the memory of a huge slender vase surfaced. The vase was not there now but she could have sworn there had been standing a vase once. She tried to follow the memory when it submerged again but it slipped out of her grasp and was gone. She opened the door and peered outside. This must be the public area of the Embassy that she had seen during a visit once. Should she go to the reception desk down the stairs and ask where she could find Sarek?

"Ms. Grayson?" sounded a voice behind her. She jumped and turned around, closing the door in the process. A slender Vulcan woman stood behind her. Beside her stood Sarek's son and looked up at her curiously. Was the woman the mother of the child? 'Ah, no. Sarek said his wife died,' she remembered.

"Yes, I search for Sa… the ambassador," she addressed the woman. "Hello Sybok," she said to the boy and winked at him.

The boy tried his best to hide a smile but his eyes gleamed.

"I am T'Prel, Sybok's governess. The Ambassador awaits you in the breakfast room. Please follow us." The Vulcan woman said.

Amanda nodded and followed the woman and the child until they reached another heavy wooden door. T'Prel opened it and let Sybok and Amanda precede her. The room was spacious with a bay window towards the Embassy gardens. The first sunrays filtered through the trees and the pale yellow curtains of the room, giving it a warm atmosphere. A large oval table made from dark red wood stood in the middle of the room. Numerous chairs were arranged around the table but only one was occupied. The Vulcan sat with his back to the window and therefore his features were not clearly visible.

"You may go T'Prel. I will care for the child." The Vulcan said in a deep voice. To her surprise Amanda saw a tentative smile spread over the face of the boy beside her. T'Prel bowed slightly and left the room. As soon as the door was closed the boy hurried over to the Vulcan. Amanda followed slowly. When she came nearer to the table she saw that it was Silek who sat in the chair and greeted his nephew. Amanda gasped slightly and both Vulcans looked up.

Embarrassed she laid a hand over her mouth and blushed. Then she dropped her hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect to see you…home so soon," she said.

Silek ignored her reaction and motioned to a chair. "I was released from the hospital this morning. I just arrived a few minutes earlier," Silek answered.

Amanda smiled tentatively. "A few?" she teased. Vulcans were known to be precise down to the seconds when measuring amounts of time.

Silek's eyes glinted with amusement. "Precisely," he answered and directed
the boy to a chair beside him.

Amanda smiled and shook her head. This was a special Vulcan indeed. 'He must have already spend a considerable amount of time with humans,' she thought and decided to ask him about his experience with humans later. She sat down on a comfortable chair beside Sybok and took in the various foods on the table. "Who else is coming for breakfast?"

"No one." Silek replied calmly and reached for an apple. He began slicing it into smaller pieces and placed them on the child's plate. "We were unsure what you would like for breakfast," he explained, "the computer offered those Terran dishes." He motioned to the food on the table. "Do not be concerned. Nothing that is not consumed will go to waste. Take whatever you wish. If you find nothing to your liking you are free to choose whatever dish you want from either the kitchen or the replicator."

"Awesome," Amanda could only say. She stood slightly to inspect the range offered food. Her gaze swept over various sorts of bread, croissants, fruit, cereal and pancakes with syrup. She felt her stomach rumbling in anticipation. She got herself a cup of wonderfully smelling coffee, some fruit salad and pancakes with syrup. Then she began eating contently.

She wondered where Sarek could be. Had T'Prel not said he would await her here? She looked over to Silek and wondered whether she should ask him. But she hesitated. As far as she knew Vulcans didn't speak during meals. Silek looked up and seemed to feel her question. He raised an eyebrow as if he wished to encourage her to speak.

She swallowed the last bit of the pancake and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"T'Prel told me Sarek would await me here. Where is he?" she finally asked.

"He was called to his office. I believe he will be back shortly," Silek answered and cocked his head. "You said yesterday in the hospital that you fainted in the lecture hall," he continued and paused shortly, "You gave the impression that the lecture was very important. May I ask what it was about?"

Amanda looked away briefly, the loss of the scholarship still weighing heavily on her.

Silek hesitated when noticing her reaction. He had obviously ventured too far into her personal business. "Forgive my curiosity," he apologized, "You are certainly not obliged to answer the question."

Amanda looked back at him, grateful for his understanding but she shook her head. "You don't need to apologize," she said and composed herself. "This lecture was indeed very important to me. It should have decided about a scholarship for working at the linguistic faculty in Andoria City." She frowned and corrected herself. "It did decide about the scholarship," she murmured.

Silek watched her thoughtfully and sliced new pieces off from the apple and placed them on Sybok's plate, adding some cheese and bread. Then he looked up to Amanda again. "Did you ever consider another place to work than Andoria?" he asked her, a strategy already forming in his head.

Amanda watched him curiously, trying to grasp what he was implying. "Other places? You mean other planets?"

"Not exactly," Silek answered. "At least not yet. If it is your wish I will speak to my brother to assign you to a position in the linguistic department here at the Embassy. As time unfolds you may be able to study on Vulcan if you are willing to learn our language and continue your studies," he said and watched her to get her reaction.

Amanda only blinked but her thoughts raced. A position at the Embassy? A possible voyage to Vulcan? She had never considered the possibility to travel to Vulcan and tried to find out about her reaction to the thought. It was surely a completely other way into her future than she had planned and the possibilities rushed by her mental eye so quickly that she forgot to answer Silek's question. Even Sybok looked up from his breakfast when she remained silent.

"Ms. Grayson?" Silek asked, concerned she suffered an after effect of the concussion again. This snapped Amanda out of her thoughts.

"No," she said. "Uhm, no I did not consider the possibilities yet," she corrected herself. She watched Silek for a few seconds, weighing her options carefully. She could not go to Andoria but work at the Vulcan Embassy with the possible prospect of travelling and working on Vulcan some time. Or she could go home and become a schoolteacher in her hometown. She didn't need a split second to decide. She smiled tentatively and tried to bring her joy under control. Silek had only offered to speak to his brother. The decision whether she was to work in the linguistic department was lying solely in Sarek's hands. She noticed she still had not given a clear answer to Silek's offer.

"I would be immensely grateful if you could speak to Sarek. Thanks you this is…" she was interrupted when an alert signal sounded. The cracking sound of electricity cold be heard when the security force fields along the windows snapped on. Silek stood immediately and took Sybok to the door. He motioned for Amanda to follow him.

"What is it?" Amanda asked.

"This is the alert signal for internal attack. We have intruders in the building. Protocol states that we are to stay in the shelter rooms in the basement if possible until the situation is cleared," he said and opened the door. They hurried down the corridor and opened the door to the stairway. Silek stopped in his tracks and Amanda was able to look past him. Phaser beams were shooting through the Embassy lobby a level lower while security teams tried to drive back the intruders. They were obviously not successful for several black clothed and masked figures were running up the stairs to the second level. They spotted Silek and Amanda standing at the door and rushed even faster.

Silek closed the door quickly and locked it. He knew the barrier would not last long when the intruders used their phasers to slice through the door or if necessary through the massive stone walls of the ancient building. He grabbed Sybok's hand and Amanda's arm and dragged them over to a row of elevators. He saw immediately that the two elevators that connected to the lower levels of the Embassy were on their way up to them. He had no doubt that the intruders occupied them. Quickly he stopped them with a voice command to the computer interface and summoned the third elevator, which connected this level to the upper levels of the Embassy. They seemed to wait for an eternity and could already hear rushing steps which stopped in front of the door that lead to the staircase.

"Why don't we beam out?" Amanda asked.

Silek's gaze was still glued to the elevator door. Unconsciously he led Sybok to his other side, blocking him from direct line in case the door to the staircase was opened. "Obviously the internal security systems have failed. Otherwise they should have beamed the personnel to the shelter rooms already. Beaming out is only possible with special transmitters that are located in the ambassador's office. Since the shelter rooms are not accessible to us we have to get to the transmitters."

Finally the elevator had arrived. Silek handed Sybok over to Amanda and pushed them both aside when the door of the elevator opened. He held himself ready to battle in case he had to fight an intruder. He relaxed when he saw that the elevator was empty. Quickly he led Sybok and Amanda in and followed them, blocking the elevator for commands from this level so that the intruders could not follow them. The hissing sound of phasers could be heard and the door to the staircase began to glow red. When it broke the elevator doors closed and they travelled upwards. Oppressive silence stretched between the three passengers. Amanda breathed heavily from fear and felt the child press to her side, obviously equally frightened. She looked down on him and tried to smile reassuringly but he saw the fear in her eyes. Finally they had reached the top level of the Embassy, where the ambassador's office was located. Silek shielded them again when the elevator door opened. The hall outside was empty but Silek felt another presence. He drew back, pressing Amanda and Sybok in the far corner of the elevator, preparing to fight whoever was waiting for them outside.

"Sa'mekh," Sybok said suddenly and immediately a figure moved in front of the elevator. It was Sarek with a determined expression on his face. He held the broken fragment of a vase in his hand, ready to do battle with whoever was holding his son captive. Obviously he had grabbed the first item he could get hold of to use it as a weapon. He recognized his brother and lowered the sharp blade. Sybok released Amanda's hand and rushed to his father, who lifted him into his arms.

"I heard the intruder alert. Where are they?" he asked Silek. "All communication channels are dead."

"By now they are on the second level. I saw them but could get no clear view for they were masked," he answered. "Where are the guards for this level?" he asked in turn.

Sarek shook his head. "I do not know. The night shift left according to schedule but they send no other guards back up. I was suspicious when I saw that nobody was guarding this area and wanted to notify security when the alert already sounded."

"What about the phasers?" Silek asked. Each level held a depot of phasers for emergency cases. They were kept in a panel with voice control.

Sarek's mouth set into a grim line. "They are gone," he said.

'That is not all,' Silek thought and saw the unspoken words in his brother's eyes. There had to be a mole in the embassy team. It must be someone in high ranking who had access to the security systems, including weapons.

"You mean we have to sit up here and wait for those criminals to get us like rabbits in the dead end of their hole?" Amanda asked. She was shaking with fear. First the accident, the raided apartment and now someone was attacking the Embassy. "Is there no way out? What about the transmitter?" she asked Silek

"I was on my way to retrieve it when I heard the elevator coming up," Sarek answered.

They walked over to the office. Ominous sounds came up from the lower levels and they quickened their pace. Silek and Sarek exchanged a silent glance. They knew there would be only one transmitter to take two of them away. Usually the office was equipped with only one transmitter for the Ambassador and his wife or a guard to save him. Two of the three adults had to try the way through the old abandoned tunnel system beneath the Embassy. The entrances to the system had been sealed and hidden when the old building had been renovated to become the Vulcan Embassy. The passages were old and not travelled for decades. Some of them lay deserted even longer. No one knew what to find in the tunnels. They had been abandoned in favour of technology to save the inhabitants of the building in case of an emergency.

Sarek noticed the beads of sweat on his brother's face. Silek was barely healed and would not be able to travel through the tunnels. He was sure Silek would resist when he ordered him to accompany his son but Sarek had already made his decision. His son had to be saved and Silek was still too weak to make the travel through the tunnels. They had to act logically even if this meant that he and Amanda had to take the risk.

By now they had reached the office and Sarek handed his son over to his brother and retrieved the transmitter from his desk. "Two of us must go through the tunnels," he said. "One of us must accompany my son."

"Tunnels?" Amanda asked.

"Yes, there exists an entry to the old tunnel system beneath the Embassy grounds. The entrance must be somewhere in this room. We have to find it and try to escape through the tunnels," he answered.

"You have to go with Sybok, Sarek," Silek said. "You are too important to risk the travel. Sarek was still looking at Amanda. She cast a glance at Silek and came to the same conclusion as Sarek. The child had precedence in any case and Silek would not make it in his present condition. He was barely healed and too weak to try an escape through an unknown and possibly dangerous tunnel system. She looked at Sarek and they shared a silent decision when Sarek held up the transmitter. "You are right brother," he said and approached Silek who was still holding the child. Sarek fastened the transmitter on his son's jacket. He made his decision in a split second and directly activated the unit. He watched Silek's surprised expression when the two shimmered away.

Sarek looked at Amanda who was watching him calmly. He still felt uncertain, wondering if it would have been better to send her with his son but she shook her head. "It was the right decision," she reassured him. "The two of us have the greater chances," she said, sounding braver than she felt.

He nodded. "We should find the entrance to the passage," he said and searched the room with his eyes.

"Don't you know where it is? This is your office after all," Amanda said.

"I had no previous need to know where the entrance is. The fact was irrelevant," he merely answered and continued his visual search. Amanda nearly smiled. He had obviously never read Terran adventure literature. Secret passages were usually well hidden. She walked along the walls of the office and let her hand glide over the wallpaper covered walls to find small protrusions that could hint to a hidden door. Sarek watched her calmly and then started to mirror her actions at the other end of the room. They both found nothing and met at the large file cabinet standing opposite his desk. The passage could only be behind it or it was so well sealed that they couldn't find it. Amanda slid her hand behind the cabinet to search the wall for slight protrusions but could not get in far enough. Sarek understood her dilemma and grabbed the cabinet with both hands. With a tremendous effort of power he moved it off the wall so that they could look behind it. Amanda's face lit with a smile when she finally found what she was searching for. A slight change in texture of the wallpaper. It was thicker here than anywhere else in the room. There must be something other than the rough stone wall beneath it. She scratched a small piece away with her fingernail and felt wood emerge. They scratched away more of the wallpaper until they had found an old style keyhole. Of course they had no key to open it but they could at least break through the wood.

"Do you think you can get through it?" she said to Sarek.

"Through?" he echoed. Then he grasped what she implied and tore a piece of his robes off to twist it around his hand. He looked at Amanda and she stepped back. A thundering sound could be heard from outside. Amanda looked at Sarek's questioningly.

"I believe they are coming through the elevator shaft and are blasting away the cabin to get through," he said. "We have to act quickly." He raised his arm and slammed his fist against the wooden door, slightly above the keyhole. The old wood burst but gave not away completely. Sarek slammed his fist into the door a second time, ignoring the piercing pain in his hand. This time the wood gave away and he was able to reach through the door. Grabbing the wood from both sides he tore it away driving several splinters into the skin of his hand in the process. He ignored the pain and tore away more of the wood until they could look through the door. Darkness hovered on the other side and they were encountered by a smell of old stale air. The passage was pitch black, creating another problem for them.

"How shall we find a way through the dark?" Amanda asked. None of them had thought about a light source that was badly needed to travel through the dark passage. Again a thundering sound blasted through the building. Time was running out. They looked at each other helplessly. Then an idea shot through Sarek's thoughts. "Wait here," he advised her curtly.

"You leave me alone here? Where are you going?" she asked, her voice high pitched with fear. Unthinkingly she grabbed for his hand to keep him from leaving her.

"I will be back shortly," he reassured her, staring down on their clasped hands. With a determined expression he loosened his hand from hers and rushed out of the room. Amanda pressed against the cabinet, to hold on to something. She heard sounds coming up from the other level. Voices echoed back from the metallic walls of the elevator. The intruders would be here shortly. She heard quick steps returning to the office and dared not to breathe in fear it could be not Sarek. She hid behind the cabinet when the office door opened.

She released her breath when Sarek entered. He was holding something red and glowing in his hands. When he came nearer she could see it was a bowl with glowing coals. Sarek had wrapped more pieces of his robe around his hands to be able to hold the hot bowl.

"What is that?" Amanda asked.

"This is the yon'yerak of the assenoi, the Vulcan meditation figure from the meditation chamber on this level," he explained. "Normally herbs are thrown onto the coals to create calming fumes which help during meditation," he answered. Then he put one of the torn pieces of his robe into the bowl. It caught fire and would serve them as a torch. He bent slightly and held it into the opening that he had broken into the wooden door. Amanda looked over his shoulder, feeling a thirst for adventure despite the dangerous situation. The light of their self made torch did not reach far but they could see a wooden rostrum and the first steps of a stair leading down into the black abyss. The sounds from outside grew louder and they looked at each other. This was the last possibility to decide whether to give themselves up to the intruders or risk to flee through the tunnels.

"They might kill us," she murmured and he nodded. The decision was made. He put a foot through the opening and carefully leaned weight on it to test the rostrum for stability. The wood creaked slightly but gave not away. He stepped through the hole in the door. She followed him and both held their breath when they burdened the rostrum with their combined weight. The old planks sagged a little but held them.

Amanda wanted to start down the stairs but Sarek blocked her way. He balanced the bowl with the coals in one hand and held the piece of cloth that had been wrapped around his free hand out to Amanda. "Take this," he said.

Amanda frowned. "Why? Why don't we get away?"

"I want to drag the cabinet nearer to the wall. This should give us a lead of several minutes when they have to search for the entry first," he answered.

She nodded and laid the cloth over her hands. Carefully he placed the hot bowl on her cloth covered palms.

"Can you hold it?" he asked, concerned that the heat would penetrate the cloth too quickly. She nodded. "Yes, but be quick."

He picked up the torn pieces from the door that lay still in the office and laid them on the rostrum between his feet. Then he grabbed the cabinet and dragged it closer to the wall. The angle was difficult and he needed several tries until the cabinet covered the hole in the wall.

He took back the bowl from Amanda and rewrapped his hand. Then he held the self-made torch out in front of him and carefully descended the first steps. He noticed how dangerous his position was. If one of the old planks gave away he had both hands full with the bowl and could not take hold. So he stopped and shifted the bowl to one hand, deciding to carry it in each of his hands in turn when the heat grew too high.

Amanda followed him carefully, setting her feet where his had been. She didn't dare taking away her attention from the stairs to watch their surroundings more closely. They were fortunate that the atmosphere in the circular shaft was very dry, preserving the wood over the decades and sparing them the walk down a slippery wood staircase. The stairs spiralled down into the darkness along the walls. After several turns down the stairs she dared a look upwards. The last streaks of daylight that filtered through the torn door just disappeared. A cold feeling gripped her when she wondered whether she had seen daylight for the last time in her life. The feeling grew so strong that she almost hesitated to follow Sarek further down into the black abyss.

He felt her strong feelings the same way he had felt her hypothermia in the cooling storage. He turned and watched her, seeing her eyes gleam fearful in the small firelight of the torch. "We can not go back Amanda," he said, using her first name for the first time. She still hesitated and looked up the way they had come. He shifted the torch and extended his hand to her. "Trust me," he whispered.

She wanted to believe him and looked to his hand, then up the stairs and back to him.

She opened her mouth to speak but at this moment the third explosion thundered through the building, sounding even louder in the deserted shaft. Dust of decades rained down on them from the walls and the stairs above and an ominous creaking sound followed shortly after. Sarek grabbed Amanda's hand tightly and pushed her down the steps ahead of him, shielding her from the falling debris. They were no longer paying attention where they were treading and a step under Amanda's foot gave way. She yelped startled and grabbed for hold. Had she not been holding Sarek's hand she would have fallen through the hole in the stairs. He held her easily but had difficulties to keep his balance with his other hand blocked by the torch whose flame was dangerously flickering. He leaned back slightly and dragged Amanda out of the hole in the stairs. As soon as her feet had found hold again they descended quickly. Sounds from above made sure the intruders had broken through to the third level and were sure the intruders had broken through to the third level and were searching them. The sounds grew fainter the deeper they descended and finally Amanda's feet touched solid ground.

They were breathing hard from tension and the rush down the stairs but the air was stale and full of dust that had been dispersed by the explosions. They had difficulties do draw enough air into their lungs and gasped and coughed vigorously. When they had forced their breathing to relax Sarek set down the torch on the stone floor and quickly tore another piece of his robe off. He held it into the dying flame and instantly it caught fire but the flame stayed low in the dusty air.

"Are you injured?" he asked and watched her. She shivered from cold in the sleeveless shirt and was covered with dust.

"No, just cold," she answered. "But you are bleeding." She took his hand and removed the wrapping. Then she lifted the cloth to his head. "May I?" she asked. He nodded and tilted his head down to her. She carefully dabbed the blood away until the wound stopped bleeding. "That should do it," she said and stopped when she noticed how close her face was to his. The same seemed to occur to him and he drew back and straightened. An awkward silence stretched between them but a noise from above startled them.

"They are in the office," Sarek said. Quickly he lifted the torch and they finally saw where the stairs had led them. There was only one way ahead; a dark uninviting tunnel but they had no other choice. They looked at each other briefly and then started down the dark corridor, framed by darkness ahead and behind. Their steps crunched lightly on the dust and sand covered stone when they entered the tunnel. The passage was narrow and they could see their surroundings more closely. During the first steps they came by a pennant that held an old style dusty oil lamp. 'People in former centuries must have used them for travelling the tunnels', Amanda thought. She felt like walking in an old castle. The tunnels down here must be considerably older than the shaft they had come through. The stone colour was a darker shade of grey and was porous and broken here and there. There must have been many houses standing above these tunnels during the centuries. Here and there a stone had broken out of the vaulted ceiling, causing them to step carefully over the broken pieces lying on the floor. When they went further down the tunnel the air grew moist and finally they could see groundwater trickling down the walls where stones had broken out of the wall structure. They followed several turns and finally the way tilted slightly downwards and they reached a place where several tunnels led in different directions.

Sarek paused. On Vulcan he had no difficulties in finding the right direction by concentrating on the magnetic field lines of the planet. But this was not Vulcan. Earth had a different magnetic field and he was confused. He could not say which tunnels lead back to the Embassy and which lead away.

Amanda went ahead and peered into each tunnel. She could only see a few meters before the light of their small torch was swallowed by the darkness in the tunnels. "Do you know where we should go now?" She asked Sarek, her voice echoing back from the dark passages.

He shook his head. "No. I was only aware that the tunnels existed but there are no plans available," he answered.

"Yes, how should there be any. These tunnels must be centuries old," she said. She looked at Sarek but he held his head tilted slightly to the side and listened.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"I hear steps coming down the stairs. They must have found the opening," Sarek answered. "We must decide quickly."

Amanda's heartbeat instantly increased fearfully. "But where?" she said.

Sarek was equally at a loss to decide. There was no logical decision to be made for each tunnel opening looked the same. Only from one of them he heard the slight dripping sound of water a little louder. He made his decision. "I hear dripping water from this one," he said and walked over to the tunnel on the left side. "There is a possibility that when the water can get out we can also."

Amanda refrained from reminding him that it would take a water flow from the size of a small river to be able to take them out but their options were limited. She nodded grimly and they hurried down the tunnel, their followers already on their tracks. As the other tunnel already had done this one did many turns and seemed to lead even deeper into the ground. The tunnel held indeed water that flowed down the walls and pooled on the floor where it followed the natural pull of gravity deeper down into the ground.

Amanda's sandals had long since been soaked with the cold underground water. Her clothing didn't preserve any body heat and she shivered almost uncontrollably from cold and fear. The cold was biting. Not even Sarek's tattered robe, which he had given her during the travel through the tunnels, was able to keep her warm. But she was probably still feeling better than he did. If she was already cold how awful must it be for a Vulcan? He was wearing only light pants and a thermal undershirt and his feet must be soaking wet also. The only source of heat was the bowl with coals in his wrapped hands. Nevertheless he led her stoically through the tunnel without displaying his discomfort. She looked back almost constantly to see whether they were still followed or not and didn't realize in time he had stopped moving. She ran straight into him and stumbled back. She lost balance and sat heavily on the floor. She jumped up immediately when the cold water soaked her pants and robe.

"Shit," she hissed and froze when she felt Sarek's hand on her arm.

"Are you injured?" he asked.

Amanda narrowed her eyes. Was he really looking amused? The expression in his eyes vanished and was replaced with the stoic mask.

"Only my pride," she admitted, trying to loosen the mood. She did not succeed for Sarek's head snapped up when he heard a sound again.

"They must have followed our footprints in the dust. They will be here shortly," he said.

"No," Amanda said. They had not come this far to get caught now. She squeezed past him to see what had caused him to stop. Directly ahead of them were several stone steps leading further down to the following part of the tunnel. The steps and the passage below were flooded with water. She jumped when something touched her foot. Sarek drew her back quickly and they looked down. Amanda pressed a hand over her mouth to keep from squealing in disgust. A large rat fled startled from between her feet. She followed the animal with her eyes and saw that it launched itself back into the water it had came from.

"Where is all the water coming from?" she asked.

"I believe it is groundwater. Maybe the natural groundwater level has risen since the tunnels were built," Sarek answered.

An idea formed in Amanda's head when she saw the rat diving under and disappearing in the dark. As disgusting as the idea was to her she thought about the possibility to follow the animal. If the rat could dive to the other side they could possibly do also. She looked at Sarek who must have caught up on her thought. He raised his chin defiantly and stepped back. The thought of submerging himself in water was most disquieting for him. He did not even like water showers and preferred sonics.

"There is no other way," Amanda said.

"I agree. However, you might consider that this rodent found another way out which is not large enough for us. There is no guarantee that the tunnel ascends on the other side," he said.

"There is also no guarantee that our followers will keep us alive," she countered. The answer came instantly when a phaser beam burned the wall above their heads. Stones rained down on them and they quickly jumped aside. This was no beam set to stun.

Determined Amanda took off Sarek's heavy robe and stepped down into the water carefully but Sarek still hesitated. She extended a hand to him.

"Trust me," she echoed his words from a short time ago.

Another phaser beam hit, missing Sarek only by inches. Everything in him called out resistance when he set down the bowl with the coals and stepped down into the cold water. He looked back and saw light beams dancing on the wall, when their opponents rushed nearer. Quickly he followed Amanda until the water reached to his chin. The cold felt like thousand tiny needles that bit into every part of his body. Amanda was already swimming but hesitated to dive under. He reached her and she looked at him with an intense gaze. Her lips were already turning blue from the cold but her eyes were sparkling in the firelight. He chided himself for his loss of control but could not resist against the urge to admit that she was indeed beautiful. He did not know if the impression was only caused by the desperate situation but he did not care. He lifted a hand out of the water to touch her lips, all inhibitions forgotten in the desperate moment before fighting for his life.

She smiled lightly and kissed the tips of his fingers. "We will make it," she said with quivering lips. "Keep close to the wall so that you don't loose orientation." She seemed to have the wish to say more but now she could also hear the running steps of their hunters. They breathed deeply several times and dove under.

They groped their way along the wall in complete darkness, each of them battling their own demons of fear. Amanda felt the cold not only penetrate her body but her soul also. Had it been the right decision? She nearly panicked when thinking about drowning in this cold grave below the surface of Earth. She suppressed the thought and continued to swim through the water. She desperately wished to know how Sarek was doing. She did not even know whether he could swim. This escape must be even more horrific to him whether he would admit it or not. He must feeling worse, confronted with the prospect of dying in an element that was so unnatural to him. But she could not turn back to help him. Now they would either live or die. She felt her supply of oxygen draining and tried to increase her pace. Her lungs started to feel like they were about to explode and the urge to draw a breath was almost irresistible. When her head began to spin and her body convulsed she saw her life rushing by her inner eye in a split second. She wanted to give up but thought she felt her hand emerging from water. With a last effort she dragged herself forward and sucked in water before her head had fully surfaced on the other side. She coughed vigorously and spit out water. The passage behind the water filled tunnel was as black as the ones they had come from. Silence enveloped her and only the splashing from her own movements in the water and her gasping breaths could be heard.

When her head stopped spinning from lack of oxygen she noticed she was alone. A fear even colder than the water gripped her. "Sarek?" she called out, oblivious to the fact he could not hear her. Where was he? She tried to see something but her eyes could not penetrate the darkness.

She felt something touch her ankle and drew back startled, afraid it could be more vermin but the something took weak hold of her foot and she felt Sarek's presence. The spark of life in him was quickly dying and she jumped to action. Her head impacted painfully with the vaulted ceiling of the tunnel but she ignored the pain and grabbed for the hand that was loosening its already weak grip on her. She pulled at the hand and dragged the lifeless body out of the water. He lay limp and unmoving in her arms. She tried to drag him up the stairs in complete darkness but the cold had drained all power from her and she couldn't make it. She panicked when she realized she could not start any attempts of resuscitation in this position. Every time she loosened her grip on him to breathe air into his lungs he was slipping out of her grasp. She tried again to drag him up the stairs but he was too heavy.

She started to cry and call his name but he didn't react. In her desperate attempt to rescue him she laid her hands against the sides of his head and called out mentally as loud as she could. She knew it was considered shameful on Vulcan to initiate a meld with someone who had not given his consent but this was a matter of life and death. She did not even now whether she could reach him at all.

Sarek felt light and flowing. Gone were the pain of the cold water and the fear of drowning. He did no longer feel the urge to lash out and draw air. The last ting that he felt was his hand releasing its grip. He was flowing in bright fog. Curious he followed the source of the light. He heard his name being called faintly but his curiosity was so great. He ignored the calling and went further. Suddenly the call echoed loudly in his thoughts, accompanied by a wave of feelings. Despair, fear, cold. He was sucked in the vortex and fought against being drawn back into the cold and dark world. Faintly he heard the voice again.

"Please don't leave, you cannot die, please I need you. I can't make it alone."

The voice was followed by sobs and he finally remembered where he had been and who was calling him. He still felt the pull of the light but the brief mental contact had reactivated his will to fight for life. He dove into the vortex of swirling sensations caused by the connection to Amanda and his own body. It was like diving under again and as he had done before he fought to surface. He thought his mind was ripped into pieces on the threshold between life and death and finally he felt that he was plunged back into his body, which was almost numb from cold. He drew a ragged breath and fought against loosing consciousness again. He coughed and spit water, each breath sending a sharp pain through his chest.

Amanda felt him move and raised his upper body to help him breathing. When his breathing had normalized her arms were already shivering from over exertion and she lowered him onto the steps. Forgetting who he was she buried her face against his neck tremendously relieved not to be left alone. She felt something else stir in her but the storm of relief was too great to think about anything else.

Sarek lay still numb in her arms. Feeling was only slowly returning to his body and he began to shiver against the cold. He felt Amanda's breath against his neck. Her upper body lay against his, warming him although Humans had a considerably lower body temperature than Vulcans. His own temperature must be very low. He tried to activate his bio controls but his body was too weak. The physical contact was not unpleasant and he lifted a weary hand to lay it on her back to prevent her from getting up. He was so cold. His actions made her move and he was still too weak to prevent her from mowing away. The blackness in the tunnel was impenetrable but he knew her face was hovering closely above him for he felt her breath flowing over his forehead.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"What for?" he croaked, surprised by the rough sound of his voice.

"You nearly died," she said in a toneless voice. "I nearly killed you."

"I beg to differ," he rasped. "You saved my life."

She was quiet. He still felt her guilt through the physical connection. "I initiated mind contact without your consent," she admitted.

So he had not imagined the call. It was remarkable that she was even able to transmit her thoughts. "The cause was sufficient," he quoted Surak and tried to get up. She supported him as best as she could and finally they were standing both on shaky legs. Complete darkness surrounded them.

"Can you walk? We should try to find a way out of here before they decide to follow us," she said.

"I am in control," Sarek answered but she still felt him shiver heavily. Reluctantly she loosened her supportive stance but kept holding his hand. They could not risk loosing each other in the complete darkness. She felt for the wall and took the lead up the stone stairs. Sarek followed her with heavy steps, his body still fighting the cold and his brain's orders.

After a few steps Amanda had to suppress the rush of panic when she thought that they might not find out a way of the tunnels on this side. What if she had led them into a dead end? They would die a very cold and lonely death down here. A rescue team if there ever came any might only find two cold corpses. Or the intruders followed them. Any way she had killed them. She felt Sarek's hand tightening around hers.

"Those thoughts are unproductive Ms. Grayson," he said.

'Ah, we are back to last name level,' Amanda thought angrily. She had very well noticed him using her first name earlier and somehow the way he pronounced and modulated it had made a warm feeling spread through her. Hearing him going back to distant behaviour by using her family name made her unreasonably angry.

"It is illogical to ponder consequences which are not proven as fact yet," he continued but stopped when he felt her halt and turn to him.

Her voice was very near and tinged with anger and fear. "As I see it, Mr. Ambassador it is a proven fact already that we are trapped down here without light and orientation. You are walking by pure will and I'm so cold I cannot even feel my feet. We need to rest but it is too damned cold down here to stop only for some minutes. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that this tunnel is not a dead end. We are this close to death," she interrupted her tirade and held up a hand to show the distance with her fingers when it occurred to her that he could not see it. Angrily she lowered her hand and continued, compensating the lack of visual emphasis with the volume of her voice, "Therefore I think my concerns are damned justified."

He did not answer. He did know enough of human psychology to realize that she was far too upset and frightened to understand that her emotions were not helping them but making the situation worse. He decided to wait until she had calmed down. Silence stretched between them and they both stared into the darkness, neither of them knowing whether they even faced each other fully.

Amanda blinked in the darkness. What had caused her to get this angry? She didn't wish to snap at him and regretted her outburst already. "I'm sorry. Again," she said. "It's just…" She hesitated. Could she tell a Vulcan that she was frightened to the limits of her endurance? That she wished to search shelter and be held to ease her fear? That she wished him to ease her feeling of despair? He would just state how illogical her feelings were. She had never lived an adventurous life and her own courage frightened her. How many people would be so crazy to risk diving through a pitch-black, water-filled tunnel without knowing what was on the other side?

Sarek sighed, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Two to be accurate," he said.

"Did you read my mind?" she asked, stunned about his knowledge of her thoughts and the attempt to loosen the tension with a trace of humour.

"No, you tell me all the time," he said and she felt him drag her against him. For a moment she was too stunned to be embarrassed. She felt his arms encircling her and tentatively she put her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his chest. Nevertheless she could not relax. Her mind was swirling with too many confusing thoughts. She could not believe he was holding her. Why did he do this? To make her feel better for her sake or did he need comfort himself? She couldn't decide which of the two possibilities to favour.

"Ms. Grayson?"

"Call me Amanda. Ms. Grayson is my mom."

He frowned upon that statement. Why was she stating the obvious? He decided to ask her later if he ever got the opportunity to do so. "Very well. Amanda?"

She sighed. "Yes?"

"You must clear your mind and focus on controlling the feelings," he advised

She snorted. "Not an easy task," she said. She felt him remove one hand from her back. He placed it against her temple.

"May I?" he asked in a low voice.

She knew what he intended. "Yes," she said, feeling as if it were the most natural thing to share her thoughts with someone else. She felt his presence enter her mind and miraculously her fear ebbed away and she felt calmness float through her. She relaxed against him, feeling save and secure in his embrace.

He rested his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes. Against his Vulcan upbringing he permitted himself to share her feelings for a brief instant, drawing strength from the contact. Then he withdrew from her thoughts but did not severe the connection completely. He could not deny having the same feelings that she did regarding the possibility of a cold death in these tunnels. He noticed the feelings were easier to control when he was assured that he was not alone, may it only be on a basic physical level. He thought of his son and felt relieved that he had sent him to safety together with Silek. They were both safe. Neither of them would have survived the ordeal Amanda and he had gone through. He corrected his thoughts. It was not even sure yet that they would survive and find out of the tunnels. He felt Amanda stir against him and released her.

She regretted breaking the mood but they had to get out of the tunnels. The wet clothing was clinging to each of them, sucking the warmth out of their bodies without mercy. In silent agreement they searched for the hand of the other and continued their lonely search for an exit.

They stumbled several times over unidentifiable objects on the tunnel floor but were fortunate to prevent a fall or injuring their feet severely although Amanda was sure to find several cuts and abrasions if they ever got out of the tunnels. Amanda was snapped out of her thoughts and her breath nearly stopped when she felt a wall directly ahead. 'We are trapped,' was the first thought that shot through her head. Se felt Sarek's calming presence helping her to bring the fear under control. She felt along the wall and finally realized the tunnel was only making a sharp turn. Relieved she walked on. Suddenly her hand didn't feel the wall any longer but a faint hint of air flowed over her face.

'An exit,' both of them thought simultaneously and turned in the direction of the airflow. Amanda increased her pace but Sarek drew her back slightly. "Do not rush now. We don't know what else is lying in these tunnels," he warned. As soon as he had finished his words he heard Amanda yelp in pain and a metallic sound echoed back from the tunnel walls when something fell to the floor. "What is it?" he asked. "Are you injured?

"I think I knocked something over. It's not bad but I hit a sensitive spot on my leg," she answered and searched the ground for the obstacle. Her hands found a round object with a handle and she lifted it. The faint smell of oil made a smile appear on her lips. "I think it is one of the oil lamps that were used to lighten the passage in former centuries. We must be close to the exit. I saw one of those when we entered the tunnel from the embassy side."

Sarek raised an eyebrow in the dark. "Interesting," he said. He had not paid attention to the item they went by when entering the tunnels.

Carefully Amanda set the lamp down out of their reach and they continued to follow the flow of air until they could see a faint light at the end o the tunnel. "Am I dreaming or is there a light?" Amanda asked, not trusting her eyes.

"No, you are not dreaming. I can see it also. Although it is very dim. It cannot be daylight. We went too far down."

"What else should it be?" she asked and stopped.

"We will only know when we have reached it," he answered and walked past her.

The light turned a little brighter when they neared its source. They stopped at an iron grid that led to a neighbouring tunnel. They looked through the grid and saw a small room behind it. An iron ladder was attached at the opposite end of the small room. It led up to another grid. Bright daylight was filtering through the opening in the other room.

Amanda laid a hand on Sarek's shoulder. He turned his head and looked into her bright shining eyes.

"We made it," she said with quivering lips.

"Not yet," he answered and examined the grid in front of them with his hands. It seemed to be well anchored in the stone wall. Only a couple of loose stones on the left side gave hope to escape. Red blood mingled with green when they both began to scratch away the old mortar that held the stones together. Their fingers were numb with cold, impeding their effort further. They froze when they heard movement behind them. Both stared into the darkness they had come from.

They listened in anticipation but the only sound they could hear was the dripping sound of water. They continued their efforts to loosen the grid but it could not be moved. Amanda blew warm air into her cold hands but she was barely able to move them any longer. Finally they had to stop. The grid could not be moved. Amanda sank down against the wall in defeat. Against her will, tears formed in eyes. They had come so far and now they were trapped after all. If the intruders decided to follow them they could not escape. She drew her knees up to her chest and laid her head upon them.

Sarek watched her helplessly. She seemed crestfallen and he had no idea how to improve her condition. He was not used to consoling someone and wondered what to do. 'What would a Human male do?' he wondered. He could not know. Those topics were not taught during ambassadorial training. She looked small and fragile while she sat on the cold stone floor and suddenly he felt a fierce urge to protect her. He decided to once follow what Humans would call instinct and sank to his knees in front of her. He lifted a hand but hesitated to touch her.

She felt his movements and lifted her head. Her face was wet and her eyes swam in tears. She bit her lip. 'I must embarrass him with my emotional display,' she thought and looked down. To her surprise she felt Sarek's hand lifting her chin carefully.

A large abrasion on her forehead drew his attention and he stroked back her hair to inspect it. The wound was not deep but certainly hurt. She must have contained the injury after dragging him out of the water. The surrounding tissue was coloured blue and green, testifying the heavy impact against the stone ceiling of the tunnel. He felt sorry for causing her injuries even if he knew the feeling was illogical for he was not really responsible. He wished to ease her pain and longed for a dry and clean piece of cloth to wipe away the blood like she had done for him earlier. But his clothes were soaking wet and dirty from the travel through the tunnels.

His hand travelled to her cheek and he wiped away a tear. He watched her calmly and noticed how much the blue colour of her eyes was emphasized by her tears. He seemed to fall into the azure pools and suddenly knew what he wanted and what to do. He loosened the tight grip of her hands around her knees and drew her into his lap. She didn't resist and put her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder. He hugged her in turn and laid his cheek against her hair. He abandoned the feeling of atypical behaviour and the urge to control himself. There was no use in denying his wish for closeness and he grieved their defeat silently with her. Their thoughts mingled and he knew his actions had been the right thing to do. Despite the feeling of defeat she felt save in his embrace and drew comfort from the physical contact.

Again a rustling sound could be heard in the dark tunnels. They loosened their embrace but didn't look into the darkness. Again they were trapped together. But this time there was no save place to go to if they should be followed. All outward distractions faded when their eyes met and they gazed at one another for a long moment.

"I wanted to tell you something in the tunnel," she whispered, stroking through the soft wet hair at the back of his head.

He allowed the caress. "Please do," he breathed, anticipating her answer despite knowing that it wouldn't be vocal.

Slowly she drew nearer and closed her eyes. He watched her face relax and she wet her lips before gently touching them to his. Her mouth felt cool and soft against his and he felt the most startling rush of feelings surge through him. His mental shields snapped up reflexively and he drew back startled. Bittersweet memories of the time with his former wife surfaced. The thoughts ripped open the barely healed wound of her death. He felt for the severed bond, which was as dark as the tunnels they had come from.

Amanda's eyes snapped up when he broke the kiss abruptly. She watched him warily. "What is it?" she whispered. Had she misunderstood his subtle signals? Was he appalled by her behaviour?

A slight wave of shock washed over her when she realized what she had done. She had kissed a Vulcan! Had any other Human female ever done this before? As far as she knew no Vulcan had ever allowed it. What was it with Sarek that he had permitted her to go this far? He looked like he had just realized what he was doing. He would not play with her just to get to know how it was to kiss a Human, would he? This was ridiculous in the current situation but. was he toying with her?

//No, I am not,// he thought. He avoided her gaze, embarrassed about the lack of control. He understood her confusion and knew he shouldn't have allowed the physical contact. He did not have a logical reason for his actions. Carefully he pushed her away and got up. He turned towards the grid and closed his hands around the iron bars as if he needed a solid hold. He wondered what it was that drew him to this Terran woman. Was it only the life-threatening situation they were both in? He felt guilty. The feelings which had threatened to overwhelm him just moments ago were well known to him. He had shared them only with one woman. How could he forget the memory of his beloved wife? His thoughts whispered to him that she was dead and there was no logic in denying himself to be drawn to another female. Nature would leave him no other choice, sooner or later. He refused to be led by physical urges and pushed back the thought. He told himself that his feelings were not for Amanda but only an echo of what he had shared with his wife. He breathed deeply and turned back to her to offer an explanation. His words died in his throat when he watched her vulnerable expression. Hurt and uncertainty were written all over her face. Then her mouth set into a grim line.

"So what? Are you through with your experiments?" she said in a voice as cold as the water they had been swimming through.

His forehead creased in irritation upon hearing her accusation. "I did not do an experiment with you," he replied, keeping his voice even.

"Then you might care to explain your behaviour. It makes no sense to me. One time you pull me close in another instant you push me away," she stepped close to him and as she had expected he drew back automatically. "See what I mean?" she said and folded her arms in front of her chest in a defiant position.

Again the rustling sound came through the tunnels. Closer this time. They both forgot their argument and Sarek dragged her behind him, preparing to fight. The sound came nearer but they could see nothing. Suddenly a small shadow emerged from the darkness. Both breathed a sigh of relief when they recognized the shape of a rat. Maybe it was the animal that had fled from them earlier. The rat seemed to decide what to do but when both of the tall creatures remained standing still it shot forward and disappeared through the grid. If Amanda did not want to follow the animal back then in the tunnels she now wished she could follow it through the grid. She remembered the discussion and faced Sarek again.

"I wait an explanation," she said.

He folded his hands on is back, taking up his own fight position and looked past her. "Those information are protected by Vulcan privacy law," he said evenly.

Amanda's eyes widened. Then she laughed but there was no humour in the sound and even Sarek could tell that she was not really amused. The laugh ended as suddenly as it had come. "Now you insist on privacy? You can't be serious."

"I assure you I am," he replied.

He stood with his back close to the wall and could not step back when she came close to him again. "Well, I am serious too. You owe me an explanation about your weird behaviour," she said with a determined expression. "We Humans are more emotional than Vulcans but even we do not like to be played games with when feelings are involved," she said in a low voice.

He knew she was right. He had acted in a shameful manner. It had been wrong to get close to her only to push her away when reason returned. He had abandoned logic in favour of physical urges and now he was to pay the price for it. Nevertheless he felt reluctant to explain his motives to her for they made no sense to him either. He could not reveal what was happening inside him before he did not know it for sure.

"It was wrong of me to permit myself to get close to you, physically and mentally. I did not intend to do you emotional harm but to help you to cope with the straining situation. Please accept my sincere apologies," he said and watched her for a reaction. He knew he had avoided telling the whole truth. He had shared her feelings and felt the positive effect of their close contact influencing him also. But admittance of those feelings was against his Vulcan nature.

"You say you did that all just for me?" she said in a doubtful tone and watched him.

The screeching sound of groundcar wheels spared Sarek an answer. Rushing steps could be heard through the grid that led to the surface. A blue flame shone into the darker shaft when the grid was welded apart. A metallic sound echoed through the tunnel when the pieces of the grid fell to the ground. Slowly a phaser gun was held into the opening.

Amanda and Sarek wanted to step back but recognized the police insignia on the weapon.

"How convenient," Amanda murmured. She felt paradoxically angry about the timing of the rescue team. She looked at Sarek. He only said, "I did do it for you," in answer to her former question. She felt his presence drawing back from her mind and she knew he felt different despite the determination in is eyes neither to admit it nor to act on the feeling. The discussion was finished for him although she was sure he only *wanted* to believe what he said. They both knew the truth.

'That won't do me any good,' she thought. As long as he thought he had made a mistake in opening himself up to her there was nothing she could do. She stepped back from him when a police officer was climbing down the ladder. He spoke into the communicator on his wrist. "I found them. I request more security personnel to the following coordinates," he said and pressed several buttons on the small device. Then he jumped to the ground and walked over to the grid which blocked the way for Sarek and Amanda.

"Ambassador Sarek. Are you injured, sir? His gaze shifted to Amanda. "Ma'am?"

Sarek stepped forward. "We suffered some abrasions and slight hypothermia but no severe injuries," he answered.

The police officer nodded and stepped back under the opening to the street. "Nick, hand me down some blankets and then come down to help me. There is another grid to remove," he called to someone on the street. "Darrell, you stay up there and secure the street."

"Aye sir," came the reply from above.

"We are possibly followed by the Embassy intruders," Sarek said but the officer shook his head.

"No sir, you are not. All of them, except one have disappeared. The one remaining died a short time ago."

"They disappeared? Where? Didn't you find any traces? What of the ones who followed us into the tunnels?" Amanda asked.

The officer shook his head. "I don't know ma'am. Scanners showed a disrupted reading and after that we found only your life signs remaining on the displays. This is how we found you."

Amanda and Sarek looked at each other in confusion while a second member of the rescue team climbed down to them. They were handed the warm and dry blankets and stepped back when the two officers welded the grid apart. Carefully they climbed out of the tunnel ending. The third rescue team member helped them to climb out of the hole in the street and they were bathed in bright sunlight that hurt their eyes after the extended period of darkness in the tunnels. Several flitters descended beside them when more security personnel arrived to secure the ambassador. After making sure they did not need emergency treatment they were brought to the flitters.

Amanda was separated from Sarek when he was quickly brought to one of the flitters by the security team. She was led to another vehicle and saw Sarek's flitter lift off when she climbed on the back seat of her flitter. When the flitter lifted off she was able to see that they had surfaced in a side street about 400 meters away from the Embassy. They way through the tunnels had seemed to be longer than the distance she could see.

She had no time to think about what happened between her and Sarek for they reached the city hospital in a couple of minutes. The flitter Sarek had been in was already standing on the roof. They landed beside it and she was brought inside. Security personnel escorted her to a treatment room and waited outside while she was examined. As she had expected earlier she had various cuts and abrasions all over her body but mostly on her feet which were hurting like hell when warmth and therefore feeling returned to the cold and injured areas. Her clothing was a mess and beyond rescue. A nurse treated her wounds and helped her to bathe. She got a fresh clinic overall and treatment against hypothermia and pneumonia.

She wanted to ask about Sarek but got weaker with every minute when her adrenalin level dropped, handing her over to an exhausted and stressed out body. The nurse offered her a wheelchair to bring her to her room and she gladly accepted. She was already half asleep when they left the room. She asked the security guards about Sarek but she was too exhausted to remember the answer. The security personnel started to ask her questions about the events but the nurse fought them off. She had to wake up her patient when they had reached the room where she would stay over night. Amanda dragged herself into the bed and was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

When his flitter lifted off Sarek looked out of the window and saw Amanda walking to another flitter. She looked up but they were already too high to establish eye contact. He lost sight of her when they changed course and flew over the city. Their last conversation and the look in her eyes did not leave him alone. Had he merely avoided the truth or had he simply lied to her?

He tried to sort out the feelings but they had already reached the hospital. His wounds were treated and he received fresh clothing and a bath. When one of the security guards came into his room Sarek asked first about his brother and son. He was relieved to know that they had been brought to a save location until the incident was carefully examined and the Embassy secured. He asked about Amanda's condition and was told that she was resting in another room. He related his memories of the incident to the guard and was glad when he was left alone afterwards. The guard had confirmed the information of the police officer. The intruders had disappeared, leaving back only a trail of destruction inside the Embassy. They would possibly learn more about them after an autopsy had been done on the one who had died.

A cold shiver ran down Sarek's back when the guard told him the man had died in the water filled passage he and Amanda had also crossed. The knowledge let him realize again how close they had both been to death. He had been examined carefully for after effects of the incident and would stay in the hospital until the other morning, his room heavily guarded.

He did not sleep well during the remainder of the day and the following night. Too many thoughts about the intruders and especially about his relationship to Amanda were swirling in his head. He longed for the possibility to meditate but his attempts were futile and his thoughts returned to the last minutes with her. She must perceive his last words as a sign of rejection. He told himself it would be better this way. The effort of controlling the feelings was exhausting him too much and would certainly distract him from his duties. His bond to T'Rea had been very strong and her death had been devastating for him. He realized he was about to develop the same closeness to Amanda and he could not let that happen. Emotional control was extremely important in his position. He could not allow himself to be distracted by his feelings. He blinked startled when he realized he had therefore already confessed having feelings for her. He pushed the thought aside and told himself it was the recent death of his bondmate that caused him to react to Amanda. He must find back to his controls and let himself be guided by logic. It would be logical to let the wounds heal and search for another mate among those that clan had already proposed to him. His decision made he fell into a light sleep.

Amanda awakened from a light nervous sleep when the nurse on duty entered the room to check on her condition. Her wounds were healing quickly and she was told she could leave the hospital this morning, although she had to report to the police and embassy security to make her statement about the recent events. She asked the nurse about Sarek and the elderly woman smiled genuinely upon noticing the special gleam in Amanda' eyes. She promised to enquire about his condition and left the room to retrieve the breakfast tray for her patient.

When the nurse returned from the secured station Amanda was hungrily devouring her food. She froze and stopped chewing upon seeing the odd expression on the nurse's face. She laid down the piece of bread and swallowed forcefully.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Was Sarek worse? "Is something wrong with him?"

"No, honey," the nurse said. "But he is already on his way back to the Embassy."

The news stunned Amanda. She had expected him to return to his duties as soon as possible but he was not even coming to see how she was doing? Especially not after all they had gone through together?

"Did he leave a message?" she asked in a small voice.

The nurse approached the bed, sympathy for the young woman shining in her eyes. "No. One of the guards only told me that there is a flitter at your disposal so that you can return to the Embassy." She held out a package of clothes. "Those clothes were delivered for you from the Embassy," she said and laid the clothes on Amanda's bed.

"How generous of him," Amanda murmured in an ironic tone and laid a hand on the package. She tried to control her disappointment but the feeling of hurt remained. She had hoped he would admit that his actions in the tunnels had not only been a sacrifice on his part to make her feel better. They had shared thoughts and even if she was no telepath she had felt what he felt for a brief instant. She was firmly convinced that not only the desperate situation had brought them together. As small as their self made torch was a feeling burning in each of them. But he was Vulcan. He would certainly decide to fight the feeling and quench the flame before it could drive him out of his comfortable nest of logic. She noticed the nurse was still standing by her side.

"Thank you for your efforts," she said. "May I go after dressing?"

The nurse nodded and Amanda pushed the tray with the remaining breakfast away. "Where can I get my discharge papers?"

"At the reception desk Ms. The flitter is waiting at the front gate," the nurse said and picked up the tray.

"Thank you," Amanda said.

The nurse stopped on her way to the door and turned. "Don't give up yet. Even Vulcans have a heart," she said and winked at the young crestfallen woman in the bed. Then she was gone.

Amanda sat on the bed and stared after her, the words of the nurse still ringing in her head. 'Yes, they do. But do they allow themselves to feel it?' she wondered. Finally she dressed and left the room. She had no difficulties in retrieving her discharge papers but was reminded again of her appointments with embassy security and the official investigation team. She nodded to the receptionist and exited the hospital.

She saw the Embassy flitter standing a few feet away and wished to have some money for a taxi instead. She was far to upset to accept any gestures from Sarek right now. He seemed not to care for her any longer and she would not run after him. But  she had no other choice than to take the Embassy flitter.

She stared out of the window during the flight and emerged from deep thought only when the flitter descended in front of the Embassy. A security guard awaited her at the entrance and scanned her to verify her identity. She walked through the lobby where the collection of evidence was still taking place. Repairs were already done where the investigation team had already finished its work. The repair teams seemed to be in a strange hurry to get everything fixed. She stepped aside to be out of their way and paused uncertain where to go. She knew the way to her room but after Sarek's rejection she felt like a stranger in this building. The prospect of working in the linguistic department did no longer appeal to her but made her squirm with unease.

Finally she searched a way trough the bustling activity and stopped at the reception desk. A young woman was busily coordinating incoming calls and directing repair crews to the different areas of the Embassy. Amanda waited patiently until the woman's gaze settled on her.

"Ms. Grayson?" she asked.

Amanda's eyes widened in surprise. "Yes, how do you know?"

"You are already expected," the woman said.

Amanda's heart skipped a beat. Was Sarek going to speak to her after all? The receptionist signalled to an elderly Human man in a grey coat. He walked over to the reception desk.

"Ms. Grayson?" he addressed her and held out a hand.

Amanda grasped his hand. "Yes?" she said.

"My name is Duncan. I'm the chief investigator. Please accompany me. I wish to ask you some questions."

Amanda cursed inwardly and tried to control her disappointment about not being able to speak to Sarek. She nodded and Duncan led her down the hall to a spacious meeting chamber. The previous interview seemed just to be finished and Amanda had to sit down opposite Duncan and three other members of the investigation team. She had to relay all she could remember about the incident. The protocol officer wrote down every word she said and afterwards she was interviewed about several details. The discussion didn't seem to end and she was relieved when Duncan and his men stood to leave the room. She stood also but Duncan motioned for her to remain seated.

She frowned. "I thought the interview is finished now. I told you all I know about the incident."

Duncan smiled at her in sympathy. "The Vulcan government wishes an investigation and interview regarding the incident also."

"But you have the protocol," Amanda said.

Duncan shook his head. "We offered it to them but they prefer to do their own investigations." He inclined his head and left the room.

She leaned back heavily in her seat and poured herself another glass of water from the elegant glass carafe on the table. She nearly choked on the water when Sarek strode into the room, followed by members of the Vulcan investigation team. They sat down opposite her and the door to the room was closed.

She looked at Sarek in confusion. Why was he a member of the investigation team? He stared back at her blankly, his mask of Vulcan control firmly in place. Not even his eyes showed the slightest trace of their former warmth. She tried to fuse her features into the same cold mask and inclined her head to him politely.

"Mr. Ambassador," she greeted, "Before the interview starts, may I ask why you are member of the investigation team?"

Sarek raised an eyebrow. "I have already made my statement and I am present for most of the interviews. The background for this incident is of high importance to me."

Amanda was even more confused by that statement and she opened her mouth to speak but one of the investigators already began the interview with her. Sarek didn't make a move to interrupt him and Amanda got the feeling that he had decided about the end of the discussion on his own again. She had difficulties to concentrate on the questions until she was able to suppress her anger about her treatment. They almost acted as if she had staged the incidents. The situation was admittedly weird and the chain of incidents had started when she'd had the accident with the strange flitter But they were not suspecting her having anything more to do with the incidents than being a victim also, were they? The identity of the driver, which had hit her as well as any other information, had been withheld from her until now. At the end of the interview her feelings turned from confusion to open concern when she was told all information about the incidents had been declared classified and she was forbidden to speak about them publicly. What had they found?

She cast a questioning look at Sarek but he looked at her with an expressionless gaze. 'Hiding again behind his Vulcan mask,' she thought. What had caused him to get this distant to her? Was he so afraid of feeling or had something devastating happened? He was out of the room before she could speak to him and when she was finally dismissed also she stood alone in the corridor, various people bustling around her. She walked slowly back the way she had come and nearly ran into Silek.

"Oh, excuse me," she said and smiled weakly. "How are you? Is the child all right?"

"Yes and yes," Silek answered. "I'm pleased to see you are also recovered," he said and took in her appearance. The wounds on her face and hands were nearly healed, thanks to the professional treatment at the hospital. 'At least physically healed,' he added in his thoughts, noticing the signs of emotional distress on her face. Considering Sarek's strict behaviour this morning he was sure they were both causing each other emotional strain. He had not been able to elicit something from his brother regarding their escape. Getting Sarek to talk meant always intricate manoeuvring. Sarek drew back so easily behind his defence lines and if he had already done it was a tremendous effort to lure him out of his mental fortress.

Amanda nodded. "Can I go to my room? I feel tired," she said and cast her gaze down. She felt both physically and mentally worn out by the hours of talking. She needed some time for herself badly.

"This is why I came to you," Silek said. That caused Amanda's head to snap up.

"Why?" she asked warily.

"You have been given a room in the guest house. The rooms you resided in before are needed to accommodate an important guest," Silek said, feeling uncomfortable to be the one who told her. This must look to her as if they tried to drive her out of the Embassy. He thought he could see something flash in her eyes but she looked away for some seconds. She took a deep breath.

Amanda breathed deeply. 'This is not happening,' she thought. "All right. Where are my clothes?" she asked in a flat voice.

Silek shifted uncomfortably, hearing the anger clearly in her voice. "They have already been brought to your new room. I will accompany you," he said and motioned for her to follow him. He stopped after a few steps when he realized she was not following him.

"May I speak to Sarek before we go?" she asked. She had decided that bearing the emotional load was becoming to great a burden for her. She was barely able to contain herself any longer. If he was about to reject her and treat her like a stranger she wanted to hear him say it. This time there would be no interruptions.

Silek looked most uncomfortable which was an amazing sight considered he was Vulcan. He clasped his hands behind his back in the same manner of discomfort she had seen Sarek using.

"He told me he will be unavailable for the remainder of the day," he said and hesitated.

"And what else?" Amanda asked in a toneless voice.

"He has also postponed our talk regarding the position in the linguistic department," he admitted.

To his surprise Amanda only nodded. "I see," she whispered. "Let's go to the guest house."

Silek nodded and led the way. Amanda followed him too stunned to react to the recent news. Why did he hurt her? He must know that it would impact on her that she suddenly had to change rooms and was held away from him. Even if they had indeed important guests coming it was impolite to make her change quarters. He must know that. Who had become so important to him?

Silek left her alone in the room of the guest house and assured her he would try to speak to his brother again. Amanda only nodded numbed by too much emotional stress. When Silek was gone she sat on the fresh made bed and stared outside. She didn't know how long she sat there before the barriers finally broke down and she cried out all the pain and fear of the last days. When she had finally calmed down her face was red and her yes swollen. Instead of feeling better she felt hollow and burned out. She had not even the energy to be angry anymore. She wanted nothing more than to get away. Sarek had made his choice clear and she had no strength left to wonder why she couldn't cope with the decision. She washed her face in the adjoining bathroom and looked at her own reflection in the mirror. She thought about the valuable a future she could have when staying at the Embassy and working in the linguistic department. But it was not enough to compensate for the hurt she was enduring. She watched the water dripping from her face and made her decision.

Retrieving the bag with her clothing from the bed she left the room. She walked into the main building and approached the reception desk, ignoring the curious stares of the workers and the receptionist. She asked the woman behind the desk to give her paper and pen and scribbled an address down.

"If Mr. Duncan or the Embassy investigation team should require additional statements tell them I am available under this address," she said and handed the piece of paper back to the receptionist. The woman nodded and Amanda fled the building before she had to answer more questions. She hurried down the avenue to the grand gate and looked back a last time. She knew somewhere in the back of her head that she was committing a sudden irrational act and felt sorry for Silek. Maybe she was risking her future but she could no longer stay at the Embassy. She needed time to heal from more than physical wounds before she broke down completely.

She whirled and walked quickly through the main entry gate. She signalled a taxi to take her to San Francisco airport.