Bookwormqueen: Your story is interesting. I will keep reading it. A lot of the story is based on last summer's trip to the French Alps, but as for everything else, not even I can navigate the tangled depths of my mind. :) I actually generally just write a chapter and post it immediately, so I do not plan it in advance or anything. Thanks for the compliments!

TrekkyGirl55: Jekri is insane. I love writing her! I liked the whole Spock- on-a-slide thing too. Thanks!

Sorry about the long time with no update! I was focusing on my Harry Potter stories for a while (check them out if you like Harry!), especially after seeing the third movie. I should update Attack of the Trekkie Trio soon too! Have fun with this chapter right now though!

Bright sunlight shined through the window on two sleeping forms. The one closer to window stirred and stretched. His hand bumped into the other person. Spock looked to his left, mildly surprised to see Jekri there for a moment. Then all yesterday's events came rushing back. He checked his timepiece, and it read 0603 hours. He decided to let Jekri sleep for another hour and go down and get his own breakfast.

There were three other people there, a boy and a girl who both looked about twelve and a girl who looked about four. Spock smiled at them, remembering to be emotional and grabbed a piece of toast.

"Mr. Telek?" the older girl asked.

"Yes?" Spock asked, remembering his Romulan name. She ducked her head, blushing, and said nothing more. Spock was about to ask what she wanted when he realized that she simply wanted to make sure that that was his name. Emotions beings were confusing!

At precisely 0700 hours, Spock tapped Jekri on the shoulder.

"Go 'way," she muttered.

"Jekri, you must wake. We are leaving at 0800 hours and I thought you would want an hour to get ready."

"I'm up, I'm up," she muttered, waving him away. She rolled out of bed... literally. Spock smiled and went downstairs. He found a decent book on the bookshelf and settled down to read it. 0730 hours came and went. Then 0745 hours. At 0750 hours, Spock was slightly worried. By then, almost everyone else was up and there was still no sign of Jekri. At 0758 hours Jekri dashed down the stairs and looked around frantically.

"Sp- Telek! I am so sorry... I took a bit of a long shower..." She ran over to him and dropped her voice. "Oh, and Taveth cornered me and asked me to do that hair-do for her I had yesterday. I told her I did not have time this morning, maybe tomorrow." Spock looked calmly at the Romulan, who looked completely apologetic and upset.

"I have some food in the aircar," was all Spock said, and with that he got up and offered her his hand. Jekri was more than a little bit confused. She had expected him to be upset, but then again, he was a Vulcan. They flew to the hiking trails in silence, Jekri eating the replicated breakfast bar and Spock concentrating on the road.

Jekri really did feel bad. Not that she cared at all what Spock thought of her, but she did not like to be the one who was always late. Spock seemed so perfect. He was always on time. He was a good actor. His life was perfect! She was simply a screw-up who had joined a unification group because she had wanted to be a rebel. She knew that if there was unification, she would have a very difficult time acting Vulcan.

Jekri still did not understand why she had been chosen for this project. She could she was Unification HQ wanted people here to meet a real Vulcan, but why her? She was never good at pretending anything. She had always been very in the real world. She and all her friends had thought a girl named E'Terla would be chosen, because to her, it was like every day was a chance for more stories to be made up.

So absorbed was Jekri in her thoughts that when the aircar touched down, she did not even notice. Spock had to shake her shoulder before she realized that the trip was over. When they got out, Jekri could immediately see why Spock had chosen this trail. There were several people to talk to and get the feel of the town. Spock took two backpacks out of the trunk and gave one to Jekri. Wordlessly, she put it on.

"Say something," Spock hissed in her ear. "We are supposed to be a married couple on vacation, not two people who hate each other and are trust together. 'That is exactly what we are,' Jekri thought sarcastically.

"Thanks," she said with an exaggerated smile. He smiled back and led the way towards a large trail.

"This one leads to a lake with a bit of a beach. It would take us about three hours to hike there, we could stay for about two hours, hike back, and be at the chalet by 1800 hours. What do you think, dearest?"

"Sure," Jekri said. She felt sure she was going to explode from trying to keep from laughing. At first the trail was nice and wide and flat. They walked that way for about an hour, making small talk (though Spock was very bad at this), and greeted others on the trail. Then of course, Jekri had to spot a side trail that looked like a shortcut.

"Honey, we make get there faster and besides, have a bit of privacy along the way," Jekri said. She started up the side trail. Spock smiled mentally and started after her. Maybe some other couples would have the same idea and they would be able to talk to them. After a half hour however, Jekri regretted seeing the trail. It had grown steadily steeper and now the Vulcan and Romulan almost had to climb.

At last, about another half hour later, they reached a- there was no other word for it- small cliff. Spock immediately began scaling it.

"What are you doing? Are you mad? I cannot rock climb!" Jekri cried.

"I learned how by being friends with Jim Kirk for several decades," Spock said calmly. "It is actually not hard. Come join me and I will help you." Jekri sighed and place a foot on the cliff, wondering how this could possibly work. After Spock showed her how to find little places she could hold to, Jekri found he was right and climbing was quite simple.

Jekri scampered up the cliff, going ahead of Spock despite his warnings and his asked her not to get too far ahead. She did not need his "protective" presence. She reached the top of the small cliff and looked down at Spock. Spock was calculating every move and carefully choosing where he put his hands and feet, unlike Jekri's "just-be-able-to-move-before-it-crumbles" attitude. Spock slipped just once near the top, before he too joined Jekri.

"The carefree attitude gets you farther, quicker," she laughed as she tossed her ponytail back, almost hitting Spock with her elbow. From that point, it was a small five minutes to the lake.

"Jekri?" Spock asked when they got to the lake.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"I have not been to that many... picnics..." he began awkwardly. Jekri laughed. She helped him set up the picnic and pretty soon they were eating sandwiches and staring at the Romulan children splashing about in the water. It was actually quite peaceful, despite the fact that some woman was screaming at her children that they were not swimming until they finished their lunch.

"You know, Spock," Jekri began. Spock turned his deep brown eyes on her. "My choice of trails actually was not that bad. I learned to rock climb, and we saved forty-five minutes. Do you want to go down that way?"

"Be careful where you call me Spock, even if we are a bit distanced from other people. If Romulan hearing is anything like my hearing, you will want to use Telek." That was all he said. He noticed Jekri looking at him, clearly waiting for him to say more. He stayed silent. She clearly wanted him to get a bit emotional. He knew that when emotional being got annoyed, they tried their best to annoy the person who annoyed them.

The Romulan equivalents of flies and ants came by and the sun steadily warmed the beach. Spock enjoyed it very much, coming from a desert planet. Jekri was clearly too hot. Someone started some music and people started dancing on the beach. It was an ultimate vacation... for an emotional someone.

"Come on, Telek!" Jekri said suddenly. "Let's go dance; I cannot stand just sitting here."

"I do not dance; you know that, Jekri," Spock said. Jekri rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. Spock sighed and got up. After yesterday's waterslide fight, Spock knew that Jekri was like a bulldog. She did not give up. One dance would also help to further their image.

Of course, Jekri turned that one dance into four. Spock at last managed to tell her that he wanted to sit down for a minute and let her stick her feet in the lake. He sat down next to a Romulan whose three children were swimming.

"Telek, is it?" he asked.

"Yes," Spock responded.

"You and... is she your wife... look like you are having fun."

"She is my wife. Her name is Jekri."

"My wife and I are here to celebrate our anniversary. Eleven years have gone by. What is your occasion?"

"I managed to get some time off work in the city, and my wife had always wanted to have a nice vacation in the mountains. She is hoping to stay until the beginning of winter and see the snow. She loves skiing." That was how long he and Jekri were technically supposed to stay there.

"If I got that much time off work, I would head off planet somewhere," the Romulan said, waving his arm towards the sky.

"Where, Vulcan?" Spock asked, both to attempt sarcasm and to find out information. The man laughed, so Spock knew his first attempt was successful.

"I hate those unification cretins," he said casually. "I am just glad that there are none in Telzah. If any came, the town would trample them though. We do not like that, not at all, here."

"Of course not," Spock said, laughing too. But he could not wait to get back to the chalet and report the results of his first question. The man was clearly not faking. He went and got Jekri, and they headed back to the chalet... the long way.