Hello hello hello it's me again! Welcome to the next chapter of these little snippets and I hope you enjoy! For the next two days I sit the biggest exams of my life, so that'll be fun.

Kudos to MoreColourfulMoniker for betaing.

Summary: The full account of what happened when Spock met Zia's parents. (Set in Chapter 17 of Starfleet Academy).

o.O.o

Chapter 11 – Spock Meets the Parents

Spock made certain that he and Zia weren't touching when she knocked on the front door, announcing their presence. He did not wish for her parents to dislike him immediately and wanted to show them that he had nothing but honourable intentions towards their daughter. Any human parent would be the same, he was sure.

The door slid open. "Oh, Zia honey!" cried her mother, leaping forward and enveloping her in a hug. Zia hugged her back, beaming, and her eyes lit up.

"Daddy!" she held out her arm and her father joined the hug too, laughing. Spock stood aside, allowing them their moment of reunion.

They parted, a smile on each face, and her mother looked him up and down. "And who do we have here?" she asked. "Is this perhaps the Mister Spock you've told me so much about?"

"Mum," Zia muttered in embarrassment. She glanced at Spock shyly and blushed green.

"Hm, it must be," her father concluded. He held out his hand, "Patrick Abbott, but you can call me Patty."

"Spock," he replied, offering ta'al. Patty frowned.

"Dad, Vulcans don't do a lot of touching," Zia whispered quickly. "We're telepathic."

"Oh." Patty awkwardly offered the salute too, staring at his hand in wonder.

"Well I don't mind." Her mother hugged Spock around the middle, a full head shorter than him, making certain that she didn't touch any skin. "Giana Abbott, Zia's mum."

Spock swallowed and nodded, keeping his arms at his sides. He didn't much like being hugged by strangers.

"Mum, you're making him uncomfortable," Zia hissed. Giana made a small noise and stepped back, smiling in humility. She didn't say anything, but gestured inside. The four of them stepped through the door and Spock took in the interior of the small house. It was smaller than any house he had lived in, but it had a lived-in feel to it. To him, it felt like a home. There were many indications, like the warm crackling fire, the worn armchair, the soft rug, countless photos and framed awards on the walls and the Tri-D chess set on the coffee table, right in the middle of the game.

"Honey, why don't you show him around," Giana suggested. "We'll be in here."

"Okay." Zia gestured into the room they stood in. "This is the living room. That door on the left leads to the kitchen and the stairs in front of us lead to the second level." She took him into the kitchen and then to the adjoining laundry before taking him outside. The backyard was a decent size with a small garden in the corner and a shed built against the back fence. She then took him upstairs, showing him her parents' room, the main bathroom, and then the guest room.

"This is where I will be staying overnight," he stated, approaching the neatly-made bed. It was a double bed and it looked comfortable enough. He swept his gaze around the room, noting the antique dresser and several photos of the desert and the sunset. "It is comfortable."

She breathed an inaudible sigh of relief. "Okay. My room is last."

As they moved down the hallway he could sense her trepidation at letting him see her room. He understood, as her room was a private space. Allowing him to see it was… a great expression of trust from her. He was honoured to have this shared with him, and so he let her know of that through the mind-meld. Her eyes shot to him and she smiled and pushed a wooden door open and gestured for him to enter.

It was as neat as it could be. Everything was perfectly ordered and there didn't seem to be a speck of dust, although his eyes quickly found a scorch mark on her desk, poking out from the base of the lamp. He crossed to it and moved the lamp aside, his lips tilting in amusement.

"May I inquire as to what caused this mark?" he asked.

Zia bit her lip and chuckled. "I mixed heated Potassium Chloride with a Gummi Candy and it had an oxidation reaction. It exploded when I added a little sulphuric acid."

"That is understandable, as potassium chlorate is a very effective oxidising agent and sugar is incredibly easy to oxidize."

"I did the experiment again, outside, and I combined potassium chlorate with powdered sugar and instead of using heat I poured in some sulphuric acid and the explosion was… much more violent."

He ran his finger along the old scorch mark thoughtfully. "One such event occurred during my second year at my institution on Vulcan. My instructor was not impressed, and I was very close to losing my eyebrows in the resulting explosion."

"I guess we have a lot more in common than we think." She stood by her window and drew back the curtains. "Even though I loved chemistryand working with acids, physicswas my favourite. I loved the sheer difficulty of it and it challenged me. Even at college I was in all the advanced classes and few of them provided the challenge that physicsdid."

"I understand. I was drawn to the study of physicsover every other scientific discipline, however I still achieve highly on the other sciences."

This was something that he enjoyed about spending time with her. He could discuss science with her and debate over key principles in the field, and she wouldn't even blink. She could keep up with him and he had to commend her for that. No one had ever been able to keep up with him before, not even any fellow Vulcans.

"Well that's the tour," she shrugged. "Back downstairs we go."

He followed her lead and they joined Patty and Giana in the living room. The couple was playing Tri-D chess and Patty was clearly winning. Zia sat on the couch and Spock was next to her, both watching the game with close scrutiny. If Giana moved her Bishop two paces diagonally-right, then she would be in Check and Patty would have to counter, but then she would be free to Checkmate with her Queen. Yet he said nothing, opting to just watch the game and observe the two humans without interfering. He didn't know them well enough to interject, no matter how much knowledge he'd gained from their daughter.

o.O.o

"I thank you for your sensitivity to the palatability of Vulcan cuisine," Spock said as he pushed his empty bowl exactly three centimetres towards the centre of the table. He had just enjoyed a replicated m'lu, and although it was not as good as his mother's it was satisfactory. He couldn't expect anything less from a replicator.

Giana looked pleased. "Patty upgraded the replicator himself; he's quite a dab handy at Engineering."

"Your skill is to be commended." Spock inclined his head.

At that moment Zia marched into the dining room with hands on her hips. "Okay, who put the picture on the back of the toilet door?"

Patty blushed. "Uh… that would be me. I was going to scare your mother…"

"Patty!" Giana cried in annoyance. "Not while we have guests!"

"Er, right. To be fair I thought mum was going to walk into the toilet first." He grimaced at Spock apologetically. "I'm sorry; it's a thing we do to keep the fun alive in our marriage. And I really do love seeing Giana's reaction to my pranks."

"May I inquire after the contents of the picture?"

Zia sat beside him. "It was a photo-shopped Ferengi with a handlebar moustache, curly pink hair and fairy wings."

That almost made him smile. "I understand how humour was intended with such an image." In that moment he relaxed in their company, knowing that nothing negative would happen. There were no people as accepting of Vulcans than Patty and Giana Abbott.

Giana glanced at the clock. "Oh! Eighth Element starts in a few minutes."

"Not that show," Zia muttered, beginning to clear the table. At Spock's quirked eyebrow she elaborated. "It's a television show about an entire Starship crew with superpowers who use them for good, but are constantly attacked by evil. I think it's stupid, but mum loves it."

"I admit that I have never had much of an interest in television."

"Neither, but I don't mind movies. It's the television shows that get me bothered."

"Well excuse me," Giana huffed, "but I'm going to go watch my show while you miss out on quality entertainment."

"Fine with me," Zia grinned cheekily. She gathered up all the glasses, plates and cutlery and took them into the kitchen, preparing to begin washing up. Patty followed Giana into the living room and Spock sat uncertainly for a moment before going into the kitchen.

"Do you require help?"

"No, it's fine. You should go with my parents; I won't be a minute."

Ignoring her suggestion, he took the kitchen cloth from its rack above the sink and stood, ready to wipe up dishes as they came. Zia shrugged and ran the hot water, not hesitating to plunge her hands in to stick the plug into the drain. Only a Vulcan could handle such heat.

"Why do you not have a dishwasher?"

"We can't afford it," she stated. "There was really no need to get one because we've got a perfectly good sink. And," she chuckled, "we don't have one of those fancy ones like they do at the Academy, where you put your plates and stuff back inside and it cleans it automatically."

"This was never my favourite part of eating. Mother always told me that I must clean up after myself."

She turned off the tap and lowered the glasses into the bubbly water. "I guess that makes two of us." She cleaned the first glass and stuck it in the rack, leaving it to drip dry for a few moments. "It's going to be weird without you as my physicsprofessor. I've grown used to your dry humour and deadpan."

"Admiral Barnett will find a suitable replacement." He proceeded to wipe the glass and opened the nearest cabinet to find similar glasses. It was a logical place to put glasses.

"No one can replace you. Physicsprofessors have never been so awesome."

He detected the trace of a thought through their telepathic bond. 'And they've never been so-'

It cut off before she could continue the thought, but the feelings still lingered; attraction, fear, desire, uncertainty. He stemmed his own feelings and concentrated on wiping the eating utensils as they came. At one point their hands brushed and her skin pricked with gooseflesh, accompanied with a blush and shy smile. His heart raced and a strange feeling emanated from the pit of his stomach. No good would come from acting on these feelings so it was best to supress them for the time being.

She finished the cutlery and pulled the plug, wiping down the sink as the water receded. Spock quickly wiped the remainder of utensils and hung the tea towel up neatly. When he turned he was painfully aware of just how close they stood. If he reached out he could touch her hip, or caress her face. The emptiness inside him had healed slightly while spending time with her, and in his katra he knew he was ready to form another emotional attachment. He was unsure whether she was. So instead of giving in to his primal instinct and kissing her, he regulated perfect Vulcan control and stepped away somewhat nervously, clasping his hands behind his back.

It seemed that she was not aware of his turmoil, as while he stood there debating his feelings she was wringing out the dishcloth. She hadn't noticed which was good. He wouldn't want to scare her away.

"Right," she said briskly, glancing outside, "could you tell mum and dad that I'm going for a shower?"

"Of course," he nodded, eager to put some distance in between them. He made sure that she wouldn't be able to detect that eagerness through the mind-meld. She smiled briefly and left the kitchen, heading upstairs. Spock stood for a moment, listening to the bathroom door close. He then joined her parents in the living room as they watched Eighth Element. Zia's conclusion about this television show had been correct: it was stupid. The characters made completely illogical decisions and that resulted in undesirable outcomes. If they acted logically, then all of those complications would never arise and the woman called Rayon would not have died (Giana cried out when that occurred). He decided that he did not like this show at all.

When a section of ads came over the television Giana muted it and leant into Patty comfortably. He draped his arm around her and laced their fingers together.

"So," she began, "you were her physics professor?"

"I was, yes," Spock replied easily, "but I have been transferred to a Starship and no longer keep a teaching position."

"And you fancy our daughter," Patty said suddenly. Spock blinked. How did they know?

"I-"

Patty hooted with laughter. "Don't sweat it young man! You helped her through a difficult time, and we'll always be grateful. Have you kissed her yet?"

Oh how he wanted to. "No…"

"You should probably kiss her."

That was odd and… unexpected. From what he knew of human parents, they tended to despise their children entering a relationship with another individual. To have Giana and Patty give him permission, even though they'd only met him that day, was phenomenal. And though he wanted to act on their advice, and he knew she wanted to act on her own feelings, he also knew that she was afraid of physical intimacy. He would wait until she was ready before taking any drastic steps but he couldn't help but hope that it would be soon. The relationship they were building made coping with the loss of his planet and mother easier. He wasn't willing to lose Zia too.

Giana smiled as he brought his thoughts back to the present. "I like you. You're going to treat our daughter right. You've been protecting her for months, after all, when we weren't there."

"Thank you," he nodded. Now he understood why they had given him permission. Then Zia came into the living room, dressed in a t-shirt and shorts with her hair wrapped in a towel, and smiled at him. He tilted his head and she sat in the armchair across from his, holding a hand out for Giana to take.

"How did you like dinner sweetheart?" Giana asked her daughter.

"It was beautiful," Zia grinned. "Thanks."

Her eyes were on Giana, and Spock allowed himself to glance at her lips. Kissing them would be… much more fulfilling to her than ozh'esta. Patty and Giana were right, but he knew he would wait as long as he had to for a chance with Zia.

His mother would definitely have liked her and her family.

o.O.o

The next morning he was woken by sunlight streaming along the foot of his bed. He blinked blearily and wiggled his toes, regulating blood flow. A habit of his was to lie on his back with legs and arms straight and the blanket tucked around him. He didn't tend to move in his sleep.

Wiping away the fogginess with his hands, he stared at the ceiling and let his mind catch up to where he was. Zia's home, that's right. They would be leaving that afternoon for the Academy, as he could afford no more time off. With a shortage of cadets and professors, Starfleet was pushing to replace those that were lost. Spock was secretly glad to escape the madness.

Sighing, he crawled out of bed and stretched, feeling very human when he wanted nothing more than to climb back inside. He pushed the urge away and ambled around the room, getting dressed, brushing his hair and cleaning up. Once clean, he stared at his face in the dresser mirror, pulling the Vulcan mask down. He walked downstairs to find Giana in the kitchen, cursing at the replicator.

"Good morning," he greeted.

She looked up at him and promptly whacked her head on the replicator. "Ow! Good morning Spock."

"Do you require assistance?"

"It'll be fine when Patty gets out of his man-cave. He's normally the one who does all this programming."

"I will bring him here for you."

"Thank you sweetie," she sighed in relief. "Zia should be up when you get back." His stomach leapt when he heard her name.

Nodding, he stepped outside and went straight to the shed where he could hear Patty tinkering around inside. It was a slightly foggy morning, although the fog would dissipate as the day continued on. He knocked on the door of the shed and all tinkering ceased.

"Honey, just give me a minute," Patty called.

"It is Spock. I have come to collect you because Messrs Abbott is having difficulty with programming the replicator."

Patty cursed. "I've showed her how to use the damn thing a hundred times, but she seems to never remember how to use it." There was a rustling noise, followed by a crash, and more cursing. Patty opened the door and gestured inside. "She can survive another minute or two."

Spock obediently entered and stared around the 'man-cave'. Kirk had spoken of a man-cave he'd made while living in Iowa: it had a pool table, a bar, a huge television and a high-quality sound system. This was nothing like that. It was littered with tinkers, half-finished objects and random pieces of scrap that covered many of the benches. An oil-stained couch was tucked into one corner and there was no bar or television to be seen. It was an Engineers man-cave.

"It is quite cluttered," Spock observed, bending down to pick up several fallen objects. Patty quickly grabbed the rest and stuffed them on the nearest workbench.

"I make do," he replied. "This is where I come to do my own thing. Giana is a wonderful woman, but she sometimes gets a bit too much." He eyed Spock. "Zia's a lot like her. She can be a bit much at times."

"As is every woman," Spock countered.

Patty wiped his hands on a rag. "What I'm saying is that you should be patient with her. She's never, you know, liked anyone before, and we know she really likes you. It's new to her."

"It is new to me also."

"I gathered that, but her problem is that she's too tolerant for her own good. It's not in her nature to object or refuse. Why do you think she tolerated those bullies for so long? It's just who she is. People might take advantage of that, and I want your word that you'll take care of our little girl and keep her out of trouble."

"I have and shall continue to do so."

"Thank you. You're a good kid." Patty refrained from draping his arm around the Vulcans shoulders. "In conclusion, she will put up with anything you put her through, so you will need to put up with anything she puts you through. She's not one to just walk away."

"I understand. You have my word."

Grinning, Patty executed what had to have been a practiced ta'al. He looked quite pleased with himself. Spock returned the gesture gracefully. "Now, it's about time we go and help out the missus," Patty joked. The two men walked into the house together and stopped when they reached the kitchen. Patty stared at Giana, the love of his life, while Spock stared at Zia, the woman he had unintentionally fallen in love with.

"Patty!" Giana complained. "Come here you slacker and get those damn waffles out!"

"Have you already put the plates in?" Patty grumbled, ambling over. Zia grinned at Spock and beckoned him, pulling out a chair at the table.

"Sit down," she prompted. He complied and allowed her to push the chair in behind him, despite him being perfectly capable of doing it himself. Her feelings of warmth and devotion washed over him and he sighed, enjoying the benefits of the mind-meld.

Patty eventually managed to get the waffles made and the atmosphere around the breakfast table was cheerful. Once they ate, Giana washed up and Spock and Zia got ready for the road. Spock brushed his teeth thoroughly and took his bag downstairs, placing it by the front door. He went back upstairs to see how Zia was progressing and found her standing in the centre of her room sadly, turning in slow circles.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Give me a moment," she sighed.

'What is the matter?' he communicated his concern.

'Oh, it's just I've known nothing but this room for my whole life.' She touched the scorch mark on her desk. 'I kind of miss it.'

'The Academy awaits your return,' he prompted. 'It can be another place where you feel safe and secure.'

'I guess so.' She turned to face him. 'I'll still miss my room.'

He approached her until they were very close. 'You will miss your room as I will miss my planet. We face these events in life, where things must change. We must move on, or forever remain in the past.'

Smiling softly, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. He did not protest. 'You always know what to say. I think I should try this logic thing someday.'

'You would not be able to cope,' he warned her. She chuckled into his arms and breathed deeply.

'Well, we best get on the road. You've got stuff to do.'

They parted quickly and she busied herself with her bag, carrying it downstairs and calling for her parents. They both embraced her and offered ta'al to Spock, which he reciprocated.

"Stay safe honey," Giana sighed.

"And make sure this young man keeps you out of trouble!" Patty urged.

"Yes mum, yes dad. We'll stay safe," she assured them.

Spock stepped forward. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Oh, it was no trouble," Giana laughed. "We'll be seeing you two soon, I hope."

"You will," Zia nodded. Spock took their bags to the Starfleet car and tucked them in the back seat before sitting in the front passenger seat. Zia took the driver's side and started the car, waving to her parents as they pulled away. They were silent as they left Payson, thinking about everything that had occurred.

"Your parents approved of me," Spock said quietly.

"That they did." She smiled. "Your dad approved of me."

"Yes, he did." They reached the highway and, on impulse, Spock reached out and touched her shoulder gently as a sign of interest. She smiled softly and continued driving, but not before sending several amusing thoughts to him.

When they were back at the Academy he walked her to her dorm and kissed her for the first time. They pressed their foreheads together afterwards, breathing deeply, and she giggled. He couldn't resist it and kissed her again, soft and sweet.

What he had no intention of letting anyone but Zia know was that that one night he'd stayed with her family had changed all beliefs and opinions he had regarding relationships. He now believed himself ready to pursue one with Zia, and hoped like a naïve human that it would last indefinitely.