Author: Crescent Dream

Series: Star Trek TOS (could also be 2009)

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek or any of its characters

References: Vulcan Language Dictionary

I hope you enjoy! Please let me know what you think.

August 2019 A/N:: Hello! For those of you asking why I chose to write Amanda as a blonde instead of a brunette, I think it was because I am picturing her as a younger version from when I first saw her in The Original Series episode "Journey to Babel." She is much older and has grey hair and blue eyes in that episode, and I just always pictured her as a blonde in her younger days for whatever reason. However, feel free to picture her as a brunette as she's depicted in the re-boots!

Osu: "sir" T'sai: "lady"

LOVE IN PLAIN SIGHT

CHAPTER 1

Amanda Grayson sighed in frustration as she opened the large flap of the suitcase currently sitting on top of her bed. Packing had never been something she looked forward to. She would always worry that she never packed enough, so in would go countless outfits for every possible situation that could be flung her way. But eventually, she would convincer herself she had packed too much, causing her to unpack in a flurry of distress a few hours before departure, hastily throwing things onto the ground before giving up and accepting that she just might be overprepared.

"Not this time", she muttered to herself as she slowly considered the plain, white tank top in her hand. To stay or to go? She had never been to California, but she imagined that the weather would be much the same as it was in her current home—with her parents in Baker City, Oregon. Currently in mid-August, the days were long and hot temperatures wrapped their hands around the little town a bit after mid-morning. And she certainly didn't want to be sweating during the biggest interview of her life.

She placed the tank top neatly next to a pair of sensible, dark slacks. But, would she even wear it? A tank top was hardly formal enough for an interview with three of the most respected linguists on Earth. The only way she could possibly pull it off is if it were hiding under a jacket or another shirt. The tank top went back onto the bedspread.

Pausing this current conundrum in her head were two raps of the knuckles on her bedroom door. Amanda turned her head to see her younger sister, Doris. Her wiry frame leaned casually against the open door, short dark hair in a ponytail. She was seventeen but acted all the world as if she were already twenty-one.

"Hey sis. How's the packing going?" Doris eyed the impressive pile of clothes next to the suitcase, then the three items that had actually managed to squeak their way into it. One eyebrow cocked upward and she snapped the gum she was chewing. "Or, yeahknow... lack thereof. "

Amanda sighed again and flopped dejectedly onto the bedside, letting her body fall backwards into the duvet in defeat. "Ugh, Dori, I just can't do this right now. Packing is the last thing on my mind."

One hand went up and combed through the ends of her long, blonde hair distractedly. "I just keep playing this interview over and over in my head. How can I possibly be qualified to teach Earth Standard on another planet, to teach an entire language to someone from scratch? How could I stand out enough against the other candidates? This is insanity." Now her hand was to her forehead, clutching it in vexed contemplation.

Dori strolled in, slightly amused by her sisters pained expression. "Oh Amanda, come on. You were chosen to take part in this interview. There's gotta be something about you they like. They don't pick just anyone by the sounds of it." She pushed the pile of clothes onto the floor and sat beside her sister. "You can't be afraid of success. You've worked so hard, you've studied so much. It's time you've reaped the benefits."

Amanda glanced at her sister through her fingers as the palm of her hand rested on her forehead. "Ya think?"

Doris shot her a meaningful look. "I know it." She looked at her reflection in the mirrored doors of her sisters closet across from them.

"You know what you should do? Call David. Just hang out with him, that'll get your mind off things. You can continue this...", she sarcastically drew an exaggerated circle around the open suitcase with her index finger, "...later."

Amanda pushed herself up onto her elbows. "Yeah, I guess you're right. No use worrying about it right now. I should call him." She reached over and grabbed her phone from her bedside table after flashing her sister a grateful smile. "What am I going to do without you to coach me through this interview on the actual day?!"

Doris pushed her sister gently in the shoulder. "Die, I guess." She leapt up and grabbed at a flowy green summer dress that had slumped onto the carpet. "Hey can I wear this for my date tonight?"

Amanda huffed out some air as she dialed David's number. "Why not. It'll give me one less thing to worry about packing."

OOOOOO

Amanda stared out into the thick, puffy clouds surrounding her view from the window seat of the hovercraft. It was just before dusk, so the rays of the sun shone down onto them, making lovely patterns of pink and purple. She could have chosen to use a transporter beam to get her to California instead, but she wanted to save all the money she could. If everything went as well as could be hoped, she'd need most of her savings to move out and relocate if she got accepted for this job.

She remembered saying goodbye to David the other night, then to Dori at the house and her parents at the airport, and how they'd all wished her good luck.

Her father had pulled her in for a quick hug with one arm, not one for mushy goodbyes. "Call us when you land, sweetie," he mumbled into her hair.

Her mother on the other hand, drew her into a hug as big as her arms would allow, holding onto her daughter's body for dear life. "Be safe, my girl. You'll be gone for a whole week, I'll miss you so much! Please, please call us when you get in." She finally let her daughter go and held her at arm's length. "You'll be just wonderful, I know it."

Amanda kissed her lovingly on the cheek. "Thanks, mom."

Thinking back, she had a love for language ever since she had started grade school. Her parents weren't exactly wealthy so she had been to public schools all her life. One afternoon during the second grade, she had come home to her parents and emphatically asked them to teach her how to speak Andorian. There had been an Andorian female in her class that day, of an adopted family, with soft blue skin as bright as the sky and two delicate antennae protruding from her head between locks of shiny silver hair.

Amanda, in all her childhood innocence, had been so incredibly taken aback by this student. She was different, but in a fascinating way. Her classmates however, took little notice of the girl and no one seemed to try and make friends. Amanda wanted nothing more than to strike up a conversation with her. But her efforts to convey her good will were squandered; the little Andorian girl had not yet learned Earth Standard, and worked with a translator to help her through her studies.

Ever since then Amanda held a thirst for language, and in her later years took every university class she could get her hands on concerning intergalactic culture as well as majoring in linguistics. She chose to take the educational route rather than the Starfleet route early on in her endeavors. Sure, she probably could have worked to become a communications officer, but that required additional years of Starfleet training, and she wasn't sure she was cut out for life shut up on a starship in the inky blackness of space.

She was exhausted but so proud when she finally graduated after six years with her Master's degree. Shortly after this achievement, she had settled into a teaching position at the university, working underneath another professor. At twenty-seven years old, she thought she was doing well for herself, but she always wanted more. The teaching position was good, and she was sharing her knowledge of language with others, but she really wanted to step outside of the shell of the university and experience an entirely different lifestyle. Perhaps on another planet altogether. Living with her parents had drastically kept her costs down during her schooling, but she was certainly ready to live on her own.

So, when her professor came to her a few weeks ago with an opportunity to meet with not just one, but three of the most well-known linguists on Earth, Amanda had been flabbergasted.

"But, why are they meeting? Who are they looking for?" Amanda had dropped the PADD containing the essay she had been grading on the desk in front of her. Her professor, Mr. Withim, told her they had wanted to choose three people to spearhead a pilot project the Federation had recently started up. It was bent on creating more understanding and good-will between worlds who otherwise had little business or contact with Earth. By bringing them more knowledge of Earth Standard, they hoped peace talks and other embassy meetings would go smoother. In essence, it was an olive branch to improve neutral-at- best interplanetary relations with certain planets that Earth held high value in trading with.

"That's all well and good", Amanda had stood up and crossed her arms. "But what makes you think I'm qualified to take on something like this? Let alone work for the Federation? Why in God's name would they even pick me?"

Her professor had looked at her straight on, and answered unwaveringly. "Because I gave them my highest recommendation of you".

She spoke fluent Andorian, as well as Klingon. Her Vulcan was coming along but it was not as refined as she wanted it to be. It was hard to find knowledge on certain parts of the Vulcan culture, nevermind their language. She hoped one day to travel to the planet itself and experience their way of life firsthand. Everything she had learned about their culture intrigued her in a way she couldn't explain. They were so emotionless, almost secretive in the way they went about things, but held a grace and beauty about them that was almost ethereal.

She snapped out of her reverie as the hologram of a flight attendant at the front of the hovercraft addressed everyone on board. "Welcome to San Francisco, everyone. Please exit the craft in an orderly fashion."