Today was a very big day for young T'Prel. Today, she was no longer a child. Today, she turned twelve. She wasn't sure how she was going to react to being so old.

As a six year old, she always imagined that by twelve she'd be different. She would be tall, and brave, and, though she'd deny it in an instant, she imagined she would have boobs.

But now, as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she didn't understand what all the hype had been back then. She was no longer eleven, but she didn't feel twelve. She felt like she was stuck in between the two ages, not one anymore, but not quite the other either.

She still looked like eleven year old T'Prel. She couldn't see herself as anything different. The words 'I'm twelve' didn't sound quite as natural as 'I'm eleven' did.

Her hair was definitely longer than when she'd first turned eleven, and she was way more mature. She still pulled her pranks, still wore something purple at all times, and she still loved anything Disney.

But since beginning to learn the ways of Surak, she began to see things in a different light. She saw the beauty and calmness of the color purple, and the delicate and intricate steps that led up to making a successful prank.

She understood the importance that came with being unattached through emotions. One had to keep calm when things were anything but, and she felt happy that she hadn't began her education in the matter until later on in her life. Most began learning at the age of seven. But starting so early, they didn't have a chance to grasp the meanings behind the emotions they chose to hide away.

But T'Prel understood (or at least she thought she did) most emotions. She knew what it felt like to be happy. To be sad, she did lose her parents, after all.

She understood love. She knew the warmth in her chest that formed when she saw her Papa, or uncle Jim was love. She loved everybody.

A knock on her bedroom door distracted her from her thoughts. "Come in." She called, sitting back on her bed.

Nyota Uhura opened the door, and smiled at her daughter. "Hey sweetie! Today's a big day, huh?"

Uhura walked in and sat down next to her. T'Prel only nodded. "Are you okay? You're usually happy about your birthday. Especially since Spock and Tyler are currently trying to figure out the wonders of using a spatula."

T'Prel gave a small smile at that. She could already hear her Papa shuffling around the kitchen, muttering curses under his breath, and tittering about how illogical pancakes were to her younger brother.

Tyler gave a happy little shout and went back to doing whatever he had been doing.

He was almost a year old, and T'Prel had been so happy when she found out she would be a big sister. She loved him so much, and was even allowed to name him.

"I'm fine. I just don't feel like I'm ready to be twelve yet. I'm so..." She stopped to look for a word to describe it. "Old."

Uhura laughed and gave the younger girl a hug. "Don't worry about, T'Prel. You're still a kid. It's not like you're turning sixteen or anything. You need to enjoy being twelve, just like you did when you were eleven."

T'Prel nodded, she felt better. "You're right. Thanks Mama."

Together they walked out of her bedroom and to the small kitchen area. Where they immediately began laughing their heads off.

Spock was covered in pancake mix, and was glaring at the few burnt ones he was able to make.

He was holding the spatula like a weapon.

"Nyota I find making pancakes the 'old fashioned way' highly illogical, and very overrated." He said, sighing in defeat. "Happy birthday T'Prel."

"Thank you Papa." She said, giving him a hug. "I think we should let Uncle Jim handle the pancakes from now on."

Uhura laughed, and they all agreed. It wasn't that bad being twelve after all.