Miss-Paperella: *jumps in your lap* You're here!! :D I miss-ed you!! Got any new stories for me to read? You always read mine! Me thinks that Stephenie Meyer copied the Trill symbiont idea in her book "The Host," with minor variations. Someone wasn't creative *shakes finger* lol

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As soon as I realize that I'm in the presence of a Vulcan god, I also realize two other things: My hands feel like they're on fire from where the Vulcan is touching them, and I'm staring at him like a total idiot, complete with wide open mouth and occasional, 'Umm's and 'Uh's slipping out.

Might as well slap a sign on me that says, 'Hello. I have brain damage.'

Armas saves my butt by pinching me to bring me out of my trance, which makes him let go of my hands.

"Grace, who's your new friend?" She's smiling that million-dollar smile at him. I'll so kick her ass if she hits on him. He's not even in the same ballpark as us. He'll probably think we're complete idiots if we flirt with him.

"Commander Spock," he says as he holds out a hand for Armas, which she takes and holds two seconds longer than I'm comfortable with.

"Armas Behen, Grace's best friend and roomie." I sigh, holding a smile. She would never mention me if she liked the guy.

"A pleasure," Spock says with a slight bow. "I do not wish to seem discourteous, Cadet Behen, but might I have a moment alone with Cadet Fairgrass?"

God, he sounds like an old romance novel. If only he wasn't so stoic.

Armas leaves, giving me a hidden look that says I'm getting a thorough questioning about Spock when I get back to our room. Don't even know what I'll say to her. Maybe I'll just get drunk on Cardassian wine and she'll leave me alone.

Spock turns to me. "Would you walk with me, Cadet Fairgrass?"

"Sure," I squeak out. I clear my throat and say it again, then start to follow him. His strides are long so it's hard to keep up with him, especially in clunky high-heeled boots and a short skirt. I swear, the people who thought up our uniforms were probably creepy old men who just wanted us to look sexy and be incapable of running from them if they wanted to cope a feel. I don't even want to KNOW who watches the security cameras. Eww. When we're away from most of the crowd, Spock slows down and continues walking at a nice stroll.

"You showed exemplary leadership skills during the test, Cadet Fairgrass." He speaks without looking at me, and has his hands clasped behind his back like he's surveying every person that walks past us.

I clear my throat again. "I don't think it takes much skill to pep talk a bunch of wimps."

"You were not frightened of death?" He almost sounds surprised.

"Well yeah. I mean, you'd have to be insane to not be." I fidget with my red messenger book bag. "I was more afraid that they wouldn't listen to me."

I barely catch a slight smile on his face. "A commanding presence such as yours cannot be ignored by anyone who encounters it."

As usual, when I'm complimented, I respond with sarcasm. "Do you sweet talk all of your students?"

"I am unfamiliar with the term 'sweet talk.' However, if you mean to say that I am giving you praise to make you feel superior, then you are quite mistaken." Great, I just pissed him off. While I'm busy feeling like an idiot, he continues. "I was merely stating a fact about your performance and that I was greatly impressed by it."

I can feel my face heat up. "But…but I didn't pass. I couldn't save the crew of that other ship."

"That was not the point of the test, Cadet Fairgrass."

Pfft. Yeah right. "How would you know? You were just there to over-see." He says nothing for a few steps, just observes everyone like he's been doing. "Weren't you?"

"Your attitude is quite amusing, Cadet Fairgrass." Finally, he stops walking and turns to face me. "I have had, as they say, 'a good time.' Regrettably, I have another Kobayashi Maru test to conduct, but I look forward to exchanging words with you again." He holds up his right hand and splits the fingers into a V, then says, "Live long and prosper."

I hold up my right hand too and give him a thumbs up. "Catcha later, Commander."

He starts to walk away, but I can't resist asking another question.

"Commander." He stops and turns slightly to me. "Why is that test so important to you?"

His ears wiggle faintly and one corner of his mouth wrinkles up. I KNEW I saw his ears wiggle before! "Because I created it," he says. He nods his head to me and leaves.

FUCK.

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Armas is waiting for me, as I speculated, when I get back. I observe her for a few moments before announcing my presence. Again, I feel confusion and remorse over her lost life-force. It's stupid, really, to feel sad about it since my friend is really the symbiont and even if it were possible to separate human from symbiont with human survival, it would not be my friend. My friend is something that took over a body and destroyed what was within.

"First chance I get, I'm getting my spots tattooed on you, Grace. You just can't seem to stop staring at them," Armas says without looking at me.

"Har har. For your information I was staring at your ass." I stick my tongue out at her and flop down onto my bed.

Her eyebrows curve up in a teasing look. "So?"

"A needle pulling thread," I retort back. I'm SO not in the mood to discuss men. Armas is always trying to get me laid.

She starts brushing her curly brown hair. "How was your walk with the hottie Spock?"

"My walk with Commander Spock was completely business." She rolls her eyes at my use of his title. "You know Vulcans, Armas. Emotion is a plague to them. They execute all the Vulcans that DARE to show how they really feel."

She almost laughs at my sarcasm, then stops and stares at me. "You like him." Nice job, Armas. Keep it plain and simple. I give her a look that says, 'In your dreams.' "You do, Grace. You're pissed that he didn't show any emotion or interest towards you. Like checking you out, perhaps?" She grins.

"God, Armas, you're talking about a senior officer like he's a cute guy in science class." I grab a book and pretend to study.

"You liiiike hiiiiim," she says in a sing-song voice.

"Draaaaaawp iiiiiit!" I sing back.

"Fine," she says in mock exasperation. "But I will get you laid before graduation."

I flip through my science book. "You haven't achieved your goal in the two years you've been trying."

"I have two more." She gets up and walks to the replicator. "Trills are very persistent."

Yeah, they're also grasping killing parasi- I stop myself. Did I just think that?

Armas sits on her bed and sips fish juice she got from the replicator. Eww. "Want some?" she asks with a smile.

I flip her off and toss my science book on the floor.

"Armas," I begin. I'm not sure how to bring up the subject of her origins. They bother me more than I'd like them to.

"Hmm?" she mumbles, completely absorbed in her gross drink.

"Do the Trill have genders?" She looks up, completely taken aback by my question. "I mean, I know the hosts do, but do the symbionts?" This is totally not what I want to ask her, but it's too late to take it back.

"No. We symbionts have no gender. We embody whichever gender our host is."

"Oh. But what if you got married, were killed and then your new host was male? Would your husband be married to a dude?"

I can see her hesitate before answering. "When we take a new host we are not encouraged to keep former relationships of any kind. It's practically forbidden."

Major suckage!

I'm overcome with sadness at the thought of not being able to stay friends with Armas should she die in my lifetime. I tumble off my bed and fall onto her in a hug.

"If you die while I'm still your friend, I'll kick your ass, Armas."

She giggles. "I love you too, Grace."

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