Catori woke up early, the beeping on her alarm coaxing her out of her dreams and wasted no time in getting dressed. Today was her first day and she wanted to get there as early as possible. After triple checking the contents of her bag, she threw the green strap over her shoulder. The bag had been standard issue, the Academy sent it to her along with the uniform. It was head officer green with her initials C.C. embroidered in gold along with the Starfleet insignia.

Snatching the keys up off the table, she made sure the door was locked and left the apartment. It was relatively early, but not early enough to avoid the morning commuters. People hurriedly shuffled up and down the sidewalks and across the street. Catori kept a quick pace, as not to get knocked over in the haste.

People eyed her as she passed and while she knew it was because of the uniform, she still slipped on a pair of black sunglasses. It wasn't as if the fact that her eyes changed color was a red flag to what she was, but it always made her feel like anyone who saw could see straight through her. As if her eyes really were windows in which they could see what she really was.

It only took around twenty minutes to walk back to the Academy. She'd already received her class schedule so she knew exactly where to go. Her first class was computers, so she wasn't incredibly nervous about it. Since she was training to be HO, she had to forego all the basic classes. There would be no easing into anything.

Catori passed other cadets as she wound her way through a maze of glass hallways. The corridors were wide and spacious and flooded with natural light. The whole building shined and sparkled. It was nothing less than you would expect, but perhaps more.

Finally, after a flight of stairs and an embarrassing wrong turn, she found the door to her classroom. There was no one else there yet in either of the two rows of black tables on each side of the room with two chairs each. Catori dropped her bag down on the back left table beside the window, pulling out a textbook a notebook and a pen and organizing it neatly in front of her. She took off her sunglasses and peeked into her compact mirror. Green. She breathed a sigh of relief and dropped her chin into her palm, resting her elbow on the table and watching the people outside going to and from other buildings. The Academy had a fairly decent sized campus. She gazed out the window, not really thinking about anything until the sound of a book dropped next to her and she jumped.

Turning, she saw the familiar, intimidating figure of the Vulcan she had met yesterday. "Apologies," he told her, "it was not my intention to startle you."

"No," she said, "you didn't, it's fine." He didn't say anything else he just stood there. It was kinda weird. "Uh, is this your seat?" she asked.

"It is not mine, but I have occupied it for every consecutive class that I have taken in this room."

So, basically, in Vulcan, he was telling her to get her ass up. "Sorry, I didn't know. I'll move."

"There is no need, though I hope it will cause you no discomfort if I occupy the adjacent space."

"Go ahead."

"Very well," he said, sliding into the seat with his notebook and pen.

"Do you not have a textbook?" Catori asked, thinking of offering to share her own should it be necessary.

"I have already read it."

"Ah." If only she could retain information so easily.

The door opened and more students filed in, most of them wearing gray or black uniforms. Only the newbies had to wear their colors every day for the first semester. There were about ten others who were laughing rather obnoxiously at something a big brunette guy with a redheaded girl hanging off his arm had said. Catori thought their behavior was rather inappropriate, but she wasn't familiar enough with Earth customs to make a remark.

Instead, she flipped open her notebook and ignored them until-

"Hey, look, it's the Shade!" Catori froze, her eyes wide as she stared down at the blank page. They already knew?

Catori looked up and all eyes were on her except for Spock's, who kept a stoic expression as he faced forward. "Aw, at least the half breed finally made a friend," the red headed girl spoke up, which resulted in a fit of laughter from the others. Catori clenched her fists and looked intently out the window. She thought joining Starfleet would have earned her more respect. She thought she was past all this.

As the door opened, everyone abruptly shut their mouth and turned attention to the front of the room as the professor walked up between the two rows to a desk. He wasted no time, throwing up a projection on the wall behind him of various codes and equations. Most of them Catori knew, some of them she didn't.

The professor was a lean, middle aged bald man with large eyes. He walked down the room, dropping a small black box in between each student. "Today, you will be building a functioning memory hard drive from the parts I have given you. You will work with whoever you are seated with." He sat one of the boxes between Spock and Catori, giving them both a look before returning to the front of the class. "Begin."

Spock wasted no time in opening the box and setting the contents out onto the table. "If you want, I can compose the memory circuit, if you want to make the drive, then we can integrate them together," Catori suggested.

"A logical approach," Spock responded. Since they worked on different parts separately, they didn't communicate much except to decide who would make most use of a certain part. They didn't have many, so it was like trying to fit a puzzle together. It wasn't difficult, though everyone else in the room seemed to be struggling and arguing amongst themselves.

She glanced over at Spock, whose movements were precise and his face stoic. His hands moved fluidly, his long fingers making calculated haste. She couldn't help but notice his dark hair was a little long, covering the tips of his pointed ears. She wondered if he covered them for the same reason she covered her eyes with her glasses all the time. The boy's remark about "half breed" rang through her mind. Half breed? Half Vulcan, half human? She wondered for a moment if he felt the same sadness she did as an outcast. But then dismissed it since he was still a Vulcan. Then again, if he was half human, who knows? He didn't act human though, his mannerisms were very Vulcan.

Catori finished her half about the same time as Spock. He held out his hand, "allow me." She placed the hardware in his palm, careful not to touch him. She'd accompanied her father many times to Vulcan and had learned a few of their customs, including that touch was not welcome.

It only took a moment to integrate the two before he turned it over in his hand.

"Not too shabby, huh?"

"It is adequate."

"I think we're the first ones done."

"It appears so," he agreed.

Catori didn't want to sit in awkward silence, so she thought of something to say. "I've been to Vulcan quite a few times," she told him, "I was always really impressed with your library." Which wasn't a lie. Vulcan had one of the best databases.

"It is impressive."

"So, you've gotten some awards for your computer skills? That's pretty nifty."

"Indeed. It is why I was a logical choice for tutoring, though I doubt you'll need my assistance, based on my assertions so far."

That was a compliment. "Thanks," she said. "Uh, so, is this your third year?"

"Negative. It is my second."

"Oh. Well that makes your accomplishments more impressive. Congratulations." Plus, he was tall so she had assumed he was older.

"Gratitude," he responded, without any real air of thanks in his voice.

"Yup." Okay, major awkward, Catori thought, turning her attention back outside. She wondered if Tristan was having more fun. Hopefully they had lunch together. She sighed and offhandedly wondered if they would have pancakes, though she doubted it. Maybe she would take some time to explore the city later.

"Your father is Zane Connolly, correct?" Catori turned away from the window towards Spock. She was surprised he said anything. Vulcans aren't usually for idle conversation unless there was a logical reason. But, she supposed that spending a great deal of time with humans had an effect.

"Correct," she responded.

"I have attended one of his lectures on antimatter of black holes. He is a very intelligent man, though somewhat…"

"Eccentric?"

"Indeed."

Catori laughed.

Catori and Spock didn't talk much for the rest of the class, but the silence no longer felt heavily awkward. The professor congratulated them on having the most well-constructed hard drive and for putting it together quickly. Her next class was chemistry, which was terribly uneventful and boring. No one really cracked jokes but no one seemed eager to come near her, which left her without a lab partner. She was sitting near the door, doodling in her notebook while everyone else worked on a task she already completed when a boy suddenly dropped down next to her. He put his finger to his lips and made a 'shh' sound. He was a handsome fellow with bright blue eyes and ruffled blonde hair that look like he had just gotten out of bed.

"Uhh…" she didn't really know what to say.

"Hi," he beamed, his smile wide and white, "I'm-"

"Jim Kirk, if you're only going to attend the last few minutes of my class, I'd rather you not come at all."

Kirk grinned and looked over at her and stuck out his hand, "Jim."

She took his hand and he shook it a little too vigorously, "Catori. Catori Connolly."

"Pretty name for a pretty girl," he winked.

"Um, thanks?"

Before they could really say anything else, the class was dismissed, but Jim caught up to her in the hallway, "hey what's your next class?"

"Lunch."

He clapped his hands together, "great, mine too!"

As they walked toward the mess hall, Jim kept rambling on about something she wasn't paying attention to. They stepped into a huge room where the conversations of people ran together like a bubbling waterfall. They crowded around tables, eating and laughing. Catori looked around for Tristan, not that she would have been able to see him anyway in the whole crowd, hundreds of them wearing red shirts. She would just have to hope that her green dress stood out enough for him to spot if he was here and come rescue her.

Jim ushered her into the lunch line. There was a buffet of food laud out and a lot of it she didn't recognize. She held tight to her tray, but was hesitant to pick anything up. Jim dropped a plate with a gooey looking triangle onto her tray. Catori wrinkled her nose as she looked at it, "no pancakes?"

Jim laughed, "Pancakes? That's a breakfast food. This is pizza. Trust me, you'll love it." Catori wasn't so sure, but when in Mars do as the Martians, so she accepted it and grabbed a bottle of water. She looked around for a place to sit but didn't see any friendly faces. "C'mon," Jim said, "you can sit with us." Catori wasn't so sure who "us" was and wasn't so sure that they would be pleased, but Jim placed a hand on her shoulder and ushered her through the crowed to a table in the far back corner against the large glass windows. The only person sitting there was Spock.

"Hey Stretch, what's happening?" Jim dropped his tray and slid onto the seat comfortable. "This is Catori, I invited her to sit with us."

Spock looked up from his book, "we've been acquainted."

"Perfect," Jim beamed. He was certainly an enthusiastic fellow. "C'mon, sit down," he told her, patting the bench. Catori sat down, not sure what to say but thankfully Jim took care of it. "Catori covered for me in chemistry today."

"No really," she said, "you just kinda ran in."

He waved his hand, "details."

"Dare I ask what, or rather who, made you late this time?" Spock asked.

Kirk wiggled his eyebrows, "Lizzy Rolf."

"I was under the impression you were perusing Jennifer Rolf."

"That was last week, Spock, keep up."

"I fail to understand what the human females find distinguishing in you considering your…habits."

"That's because you haven't slept with me," Kirk winked.

"A fact for which I am most grateful," he paused, "you are making Ms. Connolly uncomfortable."

"It's fine," Catori said, poking the triangle with a fork, trying to hide the fact that it was indeed an uncomfortable position for her.

"Try it," Kirk urged. She cut a piece off and put it in her mouth, chewing it for a long while before finally deciding it was really good. "Told ya," he said, "maybe you can convince Spock to eat it now."

"I prefer not."

After spending her entire lunch with the two gentlemen, she finally concluded that she liked Jim. He didn't treat her differently or look at her in any curious or scornful way. She felt comfortable with them both. It was like they were their own little outsider's club, even though Jim seemed incredibly popular and charismatic (especially where ladies were concerned).

"So, who's your roommate?" Jim asked.

"I stay by myself in an apartment off campus."

"Sweet. Parties at Catori's place."

"Yeah, I don't think so," she responded.

"How many times have you been to Earth anyway?"

Counting this time? Three."

"Spock and I are going to have to show you around the city." Spock gave Kirk a look that suggested he didn't like being included in his plans without giving prior permission.

"That would be cool," she agreed.

"Great! What time is your last class?"

"You mean, like…today?"

"Sure, why not? Do you have plans?"

"Um, no, I don't. My last class ends at three."

"Ours ends a few before that so how about we meet by the main gate at three then?"

Spock was shooting stoic daggers at Kirk and while she knew she should probably decline, this might be her only chance to show that she can fit in, so she smiled and said, "That would be great," just as the bell rang to dismiss them from lunch and Spock left hurriedly without another word.

"Don't worry about him," Kirk said, "he's down with it. That's just how he is with new people." Then he, too, left, leaving Catori to sit and stare out the window alone.

It turned out that Catori's last class of the day was Second Level Engineering, a class which she shared with Tristan, who (gratefully) volunteered to be her partner. "I didn't see you at lunch, did you have it at noon?"

"Yeah," she responded, "I couldn't find you either. There were tons of people though and I kinda got swept to the back."

"Well, we'll have to plan better next time," he smiled. "Have you made any new friends?"

"I don't know if you would call them friends but I did have lunch with a womanizer and a not-so-friendly Vulcan."

"I heard about that Vulcan guy, they say he's only half Vulcan, his mother is human."

"He certainly acts Vulcan though," she told him.

"Maybe that's just the side he chose."

"Maybe," she looked down and fiddled with a piece of metal. She couldn't imagine having to choose between two worlds like that. But then again, she could. She wasn't human and yet she embraced everything that seemed to make her so. You don't have much of a choice really when you have nothing of your other self.

Someone dropped a piece of metal on the ground, the clang echoing in the workshop and snapping her out of her trance, "so, did you make any new friends?"

"Actually yeah. There are a couple guys who are in most of my classes with me, they're pretty cool."

"What about your roommate? How'd that work out?"

"Eh, he's some jock, but he's alright. I mean, he leaves me alone, I leave him alone. What about you? Where are you staying?"

"My dad hooked me up with pretty cool apartment off campus."

Tristan groaned, "lucky."

She grinned, "yeah it is pretty cool."

"Are you doing anything after class?" he asked.

"Yeah, actually, the womanizer and the not-so-nice Vulcan are taking me on a tour of the city."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It was more of Jim's idea, Spock probably won't even come."

"Wait. Jim as in Jim Kirk? That's your womanizer friend?"

"Yeah, why? Do you know him?"

"No, but I heard about him. I thought you meant womanizer you just meant womanizer. Not womanizer womanizer."

Catori looked at him, "is there a difference?"

"Of course there's a difference! I don't think you should hang around that guy."

She laughed, "what are you, my dad?"

"No, but I heard he makes it his personal mission to conquer every girl on campus."

"Well you can relax. I'm not the conquered type. I don't even go on dates."

"You just said you were going out after school and the Vulcan might not even come."

"That's not a date."

"It's a date."

Catori rolled her eyes, "oh and I bet you are just such an expert."

Tristan grinned, "I've had my fair share." Catori through her greasy rag at him from across the table and they both laughed. And with a smile, Catori clicked her last gear into place and thought maybe Academy life wouldn't be so bad after all.

Catori sat on a bench near the main gate watching the people as they passed by. It was a busy city, more people than she was used to being around, but it wasn't so bad. "Ms. Connolly?"

"Oh, hey. Mr. Spock."

"Just Spock is fine," he responded.

"Only if you call me Catori," she smiled.

"Agreed," he nodded, "Jim has informed me that he is being detained. Something along the lines of a behavioral assessment for the new school year. Therefore, he was not able to join us, but expressed that he wishes for us to continue the… sightseeing, as humans say."

"Oh, well, you know if you don't want to or if you have something else to do, it's fine. We don't have to-"

"I have no important matters to attend to at this time."

"Well, alright. Lead the way." She threw her bag over her shoulder and followed Spock as he turned and began walking without another word. She got the sense that he was uncomfortable. Or maybe she was just uncomfortable.

They walked for a few minutes before reaching a grand building, sparkling in the sun much the way the Academy did. "Starfleet Headquarters," Spock informed her, "all the major establishments are within a two mile radius of each other, so that people who need to get from one to the other can do so quickly."

"Makes sense," she nodded.

"Quite."

He led her through a few blocks of the city, stopping to explain the historical significance of some building or landmark. "You really know your history," she told him.

"I find it intriguing." They were walking along a path down by the bay when Catori stopped, the light was rippling across the water's surface in a hypnotizing way. "Are you well?" Spock asked, looking back at her and then at the water.

"Do you mind if we sit for a minute?" She gestured to the bench behind them.

"Negative. Apologies I did not take your stamina into count."

She laughed, "no, that's not it. I just…" she sat down, removing her bag and leaning forward, "my dad is always telling me to stop and really look at what's there."

Spock sat down next to her, a respectful distance away, "I believe the phrase is 'stopping to smell the roses'."

"Yeah, something like that." It was late in the evening, just before the sunset. The light was golden and the water was crystal, rippling and moving so slightly that if she stared long enough it felt as if she were moving with it.

"It is a pleasing view," Spock said. "Are you finding San Francisco to be as satisfying as you assumed?"

"Well I haven't been here long enough to really say, but so far it hasn't been too bad. It doesn't compare to home though."

"I believe you mentioned you're from Saei. I have not been, but they say it is one of the most aesthetically pleasing places in the universe. I imagine that, in comparison, everything is a disappointment."

"I wouldn't say that. Half of my life I spent on Saei. The other half on a starship and planets unfamiliar so that my father could attend his conferences. Adventures are exciting, but there's no place like home," she paused and looked out over the water. She felt calm and peaceful. She thought about how she could paint this moment, how she would capture the color and the motion in the stillness. "Do you miss Vulcan?"

Spock clasped his hands in front of him, his dark eyes looking far off into the distance. His shoulders were hunched in his black uniform and his hair fell straight behind the tips of his ears. Catori wondered then if she could paint him too. How she could capture the golden light that coated his smooth skin and the contrast between the delicate and harsh curves of his shape.

He looked over at her and she turned her gaze quickly, suddenly feeling embarrassed with a warmth building in her face. "Occasionally," he told her. Apparently it was now his turn to stare at her, which didn't help to sate the heat she felt under her skin. Spock cleared his throat, "forgive me, but do your irises-"

Catori looked away quickly and put a hand up to the side of her face so he could not see, while the other hand fumbled for her glasses in her bag, "yeah they do that," she snapped, finding her pair of shades and quickly putting them on, her good mood effectively ruined.

Spock looked as if he hadn't expected her aggression, "I meant no offense."

"It's fine, I get it," she told him before throwing her bag across her shoulder and standing up, "thanks for the tour."

Spock quickly stood up, "Ms. Connolly, wait-" he grabbed her hand and she looked back at him, his face looking just as shocked as her must have. He quickly let go, "Apologies."

She shook her head, her hand feeling as if had be touched with a small spark of electricity. "It's fine, quit apologizing. I'm sick of everyone apologizing for my existence. Yes, okay, I'm a freaking kaleidoscope. Get over it." She wasn't really mad at Spock nor did she mean to take her feelings out on him and she knew she shouldn't have said anything, but she was just so tired of it. All she wanted was to be normal. Spock looked at her as if he didn't know what to say or simply didn't want to say anything further. She couldn't tell which, but it didn't matter, she turned and walked off before she could say anything else she would regret. Spock didn't follow her and that made her feel relieved, but also…disappointed. She wrapped her arms around herself as she headed home, water building up behind her eyes and the electric sensation dying in her hand, where someone had actually touched her.

Spock walked back to academy silently. He attempted to meditate, but his thoughts kept him from focusing well enough. He supposed his curiosity had gotten the best of him. It wasn't everyday one encountered a shade and he had to admit he was terribly intrigued, but deep down in that lonesome part of him he kept buried there was…guilt. He of all people should be able to empathize with the girl. Then he told himself that he couldn't and Vulcans are naturally curious and he was not in err. Even though he didn't particularly believe his own thoughts.

However, it surprised Spock that he had touched her. He didn't know why he had done it. It must have been an instinctive reaction on his human side, a mistake he would not make again. Perhaps he had been too lenient with himself, he would have to keep that part of him in check more strictly from here on.

He returned to the Academy, heading towards the dormitory when a figure jogged up beside him. "So how did it go?" Jim asked.

"Less than satisfactory."

"Why? What happened?"

"I prefer not to discuss the matter."

Jim groaned, "Spock I am trying to help you."

"I do not understand. What is it that you are offering assistance on?"

"You know, Stretch, for someone that intelligent, you're pretty dense."

"There is no need to insult me," Spock retorted calmly.

"Okay, well how bad was it?"

"I offended her and she immediately left my company."

"Well, did you try to apologize?"

"I did, yet it only seemed to make her angrier. It was quite illogical."

"She's a girl, illogic comes with the territory, trust me," Jim told him. "Well, at least step A is complete, but before we move on to step B, we're going to have to enact step A-1, otherwise known as Operation: Earn Her Forgiveness."

"Jim I have no idea what you're going on about."

"It's all a part of the plan, Stretch," Jim clasped his hand to Spock's shoulder, "why do you think I said I was being detained."

Spock stopped and looked at Jim, "that was a lie?"

"Lie is harsh, Spock, but essentially yes."

Spock huffed, a dreadful habit he'd picked up on when his emotional side was annoyed. "Whatever your plan, Jim, I wish no part of it. Good evening." He nodded and turned away from his friend and took himself into his dormitory where he wasted no time in laying down and performing calculations in his head to relieve his mind of stress before he fell asleep, his last moments of consciousness spent on picturing the deep gold that flooded the girl's irises as she looked out across the bay.