i.

As the Vulcan ambassador to Earth, Sarek spent much of his time away from his planet and the majority of his people. His job was important, and he took it very seriously; a human, observing the long hours he spent at the embassy and his complete lack of involvement in other activities, might describe him as a workaholic. Sarek, of course, would merely have pointed out that, as he had no family or close associates on Earth, it was reasonable to concentrate fully on his duties. What better way to spend his time? By the time he surfaced from his work long enough to truly see this strange, wet and diverse planet, he had been living there for three years.

Amanda Grayson was a confident, intelligent, and above all kind-hearted woman. When they first met at a Federation banquet, he representing Vulcan and she representing the global association of Earth's teachers, Sarek found himself confessing to her that he had not yet ventured outside the planet's large urban centers. When she immediately offered to act as a guide to her home planet, it was only logical to agree. If he was to be Vulcan's ambassador to this planet, if his duty was to improve relations between the two worlds and to achieve the highest possible level of cooperation between them, logic dictated that he would be well served by augmenting his knowledge of Earth: its geography, its cultures and its people.

As he became better acquainted with this woman who refused titles – insisting that she was Amanda, not Miss Grayson, and somehow managing to convey the utmost respect while simultaneously and cheerfully ignoring his title of Ambassador in favor of his given name – he found himself fascinated by her. Fascinated by the way she gave so freely of herself, her easy smile and open face. Fascinated by the way she made him feel so at ease, so comfortable in her presence. So different from any Vulcan, and even from the human diplomats with whom he spent much of his time.

No, not fascinated. Not precisely.

It was only logical, he told himself, to love one who loved so wholly.

ii.

The Vulcan High Council was not receptive to Sarek's request to make Amanda his wife. It was not the first such union between Vulcan and human, but the Council felt that as the Vulcan ambassador to Earth, and thus a high-profile representative of his people, Sarek would be better served choosing a Vulcan mate – or, if a suitable one could not be found, no mate at all.

Sarek watched the vidscreen patiently as the members of the High Council debated among themselves, though it was less of a debate than an opportunity for them all to lecture him; they were all in agreement.

He was not aware that Amanda had entered the room, but suddenly she was there at his elbow, and not at all inclined to follow his lead in waiting serenely for the Council to finish.

"How dare you," she hissed, her usual warm demeanor gone. In its place was a frozen mask that silenced the Council immediately. "How dare you say such things. Sarek has sacrificed everything to come here and represent your planet. He's lived here for years, so far away from home. He's worked so hard to bring Earth and Vulcan closer together, and now that he's succeeded, in the most basic way possible, you dare to do this to him?" She fell silent, looking at each of the council members in turn. When she spoke again, her voice was quiet.

"You think so highly of yourselves. You're so proud of your control, your objectivity. Your logic.

"But what is Sarek here for, if you have such little regard for humans? If we have so little to offer you, why bother sending him here at all? You may claim that your decision is based on logic. But it's nothing but pride.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves."

With that, she left the room, not waiting for a response. The High Council sat in silence for a moment. Finally, the Head Minister cleared his throat and stood, speaking for the entire Council.

"Ambassador Sarek. Your companion's logic is…admirable. The Council will reconsider your request." He paused. "I suspect it is likely to be approved."

"Thank you, Ministers," Sarek replied respectfully, bowing in deference. "I await your decision, and I thank you for your consideration." He parted his fingers and saluted the Council. "Live long and prosper."

The High Council itself, he thought as he ended the transmission, could not argue the logic of Sarek's loving such a caring and devoted woman; so ready to stand up not only for her own people, but also for the alien she had come to regard as her own.

iii.

As the shuttle departed the USS Intrepid and approached Vulcan, Sarek took no notice of his home planet, although he had not seen it since the day he had left it to take his place in the Vulcan embassy on Earth five years ago. He had eyes only for his new wife, who in turn looked eagerly, if with some slight trepidation, out the shuttle windows to the strange desert planet that was to be her new home.

She turned to him, smiling and reaching her hand out to him, eager to start their new life together, yet clearly seeking the familiar reassurance of his presence in the face of this strange new world.

He took her hand and told himself that it was logical to love one so open to new experiences and new cultures; one courageous enough to leave all that she knew – her planet, her people, her entire way of life – in devotion to another, and with such faith in him to make those sacrifices worthwhile.

iv.

Human birthing rituals, Sarek had the opportunity to discover firsthand, were vastly different than Vulcan ones. Amanda sweated and screamed and cursed, yet when he attempted to discreetly remove himself from the room and leave her to the more appropriate care of the healers, she clutched his hand and refused to let go.

"Oh, no, mister," she told him, as his hand slowly grew white from the lack of bloodflow. "A ten – ten! - month pregnancy, and all those treatments – no, you're going through this part with me."

Hours later, with a new and unforgettable understanding of the suffering involved in giving birth, Sarek kept vigil beside his sleeping wife and newborn son.

No one would argue the logic of loving one willing to suffer such pain in the service of bringing a new life into the world. Sarek was sure of that, as he placed a gentle hand over Amanda's and allowed his sleeping son to curl a tiny finger around his own.

v.

"Hush, little baby, don't say a word…"

Sarek stopped, letting the door hiss quietly closed behind him. The soft lilting voice came from down the hall.

"…Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird."

"What's a mockingbird, Mama?"

His son's high voice was languid; he should have been asleep already.

"It's a bird from Earth, sweetie. And if that mockingbird don't sing…"

"Doesn't sing, Mama. The correct grammatical form…"

"Shh, sweetie. It's just a song. …Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring."

"To what practical purpose would a diamond ring…" Sarek stood unseen just outside the door, peering inside in time to see his son yawning. Amanda caressed his face gently, but Spock was already asleep.

"What practical purpose?" she murmured, to herself now. She bent down to lay a kiss on Spock's forehead. "It means I love you."

Sarek did not smile as he watched them, but his expressionless face may have become just a touch softer. It was logical, of course, to love she who cared for his offspring and ensured the continuance of their line.

i.

Sarek returned home to find Amanda swaying back and forth in the main room, Spock standing on her feet and swaying along with her. A song that he recognized as an old Earth ballad played from the speakers. Sarek stood in confusion for a moment.

Amanda was laughing, and Spock, young and still learning to control his emotions, had a small smile on his face as he followed her lead. Looking up, Amanda noticed Sarek watching, and her own smile grew. She gently lowered Spock to the floor, and he went to stand beside the wall, dark eyes taking in everything.

Amanda turned to face her husband, arms outstretched.

"Sarek," she called. "Come dance with me."

He lifted an eyebrow. Vulcan dances were formal and complicated affairs, normally only undergone on special ceremonial occasions. Although he was familiar with the radically different and amazingly diverse concepts of human dances, he had never participated in one himself.

"I do not understand, wife," he told her. "Why should we dance today?" There was no holiday or commemoration of any sort to celebrate; there were no guests in the house to entertain. He had planned to continue his ambassadorial work at home; there were a number of issues that required his attention.

Amanda only laughed again, and pulled him into the center of the room. "Why shouldn't we dance today?" she asked him, but when he opened his mouth to list all the reasons why not, she silenced him with a lingering kiss.

Then she placed his hands on her waist and reached up to clasp her arms around his neck. "Come on, husband," she said softly. "Not everything needs a logical reason. Just dance with me."

Sarek relaxed and allowed Amanda to lead him through the dance. They danced long into the night, long after Spock had fallen asleep on the settee. Amanda smiled and coaxed him on, sure of Sarek's love for her despite his reluctance to show it. She was not a particularly adept dancer, but she did her best to teach him what she remembered, and even Sarek nearly smiled when she tried to teach him how to spin her, resulting in a confused tangle of arms and legs.

It was not logical, Sarek reflected, to love one so determined to fill his days with such pointless and whimsical activities. It was not logical to love one keeping him from his work. And yet…

Illogical as it was, he loved her anyway.