AN: I am a terrible, horrible person, I know. I apologize. Also I have excuses. Ask me about my trip on Saturday, let me rant, trust me, it was a Murphy's Law sort of day. Also ask about my Spa treatment day, all day Wednesday, or my scuba diving today (Thursday) and next Sunday. And my sister being allowed to drink and me being her designated baby-sitter (She is a FUNNY if LOUD drunk, let me tell you). However I have wonderful ideas, so no death threats, not yet!

LOVES!!!

2258 – September 4th

Spock's excitement at Chris' little surprise for him blazed over her heart. She knew he'd like it. It was her special little place, where she came to study, to be quiet, to be at peace. As a scientist, she knew her friend's love of knowledge. She knew he would find her little place intriguing.

She smiled as he knelt beside the little tide pool. It teemed with sea life. The beautiful anemones and sea urchins, the little crabs and a few, little, bright fish fry.

"I have never had a chance to study Earth sea life." Spock murmured, looking intently at the deep, bright little pool.

Mia, knowing from past summers with Chris, lay down beside the pool as opposed to splashing into it. Chris knelt beside her friend. "It's called a tide pool. The tide will come in and fill it, depositing other animals, removing some." She placed a single hand on his back to help her balance as she placed her fingers into the cool water. "This has been my favorite, secret place since I was little and we moved here." She glanced at his handsome face. "Daddy doesn't even know of this place." She admitted.

He felt a rush of brilliant yellow pride laced with dark blue affection. "I thank you for sharing such a private place with me." He said, after a long moment of silence.

Chris rubbed her hand against his back gently before removing her hand. "I knew you'd like it." She admitted, trying not to let on exactly how much his thanks meant to her. "There are other, really neat places I can show you. But this will have to wait until tomorrow." She told him, gently prodding him. "We've got to get a move on if we're to make it out of these drated, slippery rocks before the sun fully sets and the tide comes in."

He looked about and nodded. "You are correct." He said, standing and looking down his handsome, large nose at her. She could feel the contentedness he felt at that moment, even as a quick chill raced over his arms as the ever cooling breeze hit them full force.

2258 – September 5th

Spock woke relatively early. He was, oddly, feeling a strange anticipation for the events of the day ahead. He glanced at the clock on the table beside his borrowed bed. It read 5:30. He blinked at it before realizing it was not a military time clock, but the less common twelve hour sort. Still, it was 0530 hours, knowing Chris as he did he had well over an hour before she would even begin to stir.

Rising from the bed and pulling a shirt to cover his bare chest, he sunk to the floor in a patch of sunlight and closed his eyes to meditate.

Spock opened his eyes some time later and was surprised to hear the hiss of water running. He glanced at the clock to verify his internal one. He was correct, it was 0645. He surmised that the Admiral was awake and showering. As far as he could tell it would be polite to join his superior for the morning meal, thus he ought to also shower. With that in mind he collected a pair of black pants, a dark blue shirt, and headed into the on-suite bathroom.

Fully dressed and comfortably clean, Spock descended the staircase nearly… hesitantly. While the Admiral had been very welcoming the evening before, during dinner, Spock still felt, illogically, as if he were intruding. There was a particular ease Chris had with her Father that she had with no one else, not even himself. He had the particular feeling of being an outsider when he watched them interact.

With that thought Spock turned toward the kitchen and felt a quick ripple of surprise. Instead of the fully dressed and composed Admiral he'd expected he saw the slim, lithe and blonde form of Chris. She wore a blue shirt that reached mid-thigh and nothing else but a belt around her waist. Her damp hair was rolled up in a loose bun, held together with… he looked closer… paintbrushes.

"Good Morning Spock." She chirped, turning and offering him a steaming mug of his preferred tea, Mint. In her other hand was a cooking implement of some sort.

He accepted the mug with a soft murmur. "Thank you, Chris." He looked over her slim shoulder as she turned back around, intent on her task. "What is it you are making?" He asked, mildly curious.

Chris flashed him a bright smile. "Omelets. Egg, cheese, mushrooms, and peppers." She nodded to the kitchen table. "Do you want one? Do you eat egg?"

Spock fought a slight smile. Chris was so human sometimes… it was… what did humans call the pale green-purple motion he felt for her at that instant? Endearment. She was deeply endearing. "I do, indeed, eat eggs." He informed her.

"Good." She told him, grinning, "because yours is finished." She slid the yellow thing from the blackened skillet to a plate, which she set in front of him. "It's all I can make really. Daddy would kill me if I tried to make anything else." She added, blushing a faint green.

"Because I do not need the expense of rebuilding the kitchen," grumbled the Admiral from behind Spock.

Chris felt Spock's very slight shock as her Father appeared behind them. She'd felt him coming, as she had Spock. She handed him his coffee, very strong and black, with no sugar. He accepted it with a wash of gratitude toward her.

"You want an omelet Daddy?" She asked softly, knowing he was still half asleep. He was in a grubby, ancient shirt and a pair of worn pajama pants. She saw Spock lift a brow in her direction with a glance to her Dad. She smiled slightly.

"Please." Her father managed to grumble, his eyes still half asleep. His eyes, blue like one of her own, flicked up to Spock. Quickly, as the eggs cooked, she evaluated her friend. His hair was very slightly damp, perfectly brushed. He was dressed in black slacks… had she ever seen him not in black slacks or his uniform? She thought for a moment… no, she hadn't. The dark blue color of his pull over looked good against his pale skin but she wondered about the long sleeves… it was hot out.

Her father was obviously having similar thoughts, judging from the rippling emotions across his mind, but he said nothing. Which was good. He was as tactful as a frikin' shot gun in the mornings. Instead he took a deep sip from his big mug and sighed in contentment.

Spock caught her attention with the flash of orange and yellow from his mind. His surprise and enjoyment washed over her like a welcome tide. She glanced at him again as she flipped the omelet and added the cheese and veggies. His chocolate eyes were slightly wide, unnoticeable to anyone but her most likely.

"This is…" He hesitated, searching for the right word as he so often did.

She smiled and waved a hand at him in embarrassed dismissal. He didn't need to say it. "Thanks Spock." She said softly.

"It was not a compliment." He said quickly, dark eyes focusing back on her. "It was simply a statement."

She rolled her eyes, turning back to her Father's omelet. "Spock, it was a compliment. That's what saying something someone did is good, is."

"But he didn't say anything." Her father groused, apparently too sleepy to fully follow their silent communication.

Thirty minutes later, as Chris washed up, her Dad perked up. "What do you want to do today, baby?" He asked her, giving only a quick glance to Spock. Assuming said man would follow her around like a puppy apparently. She wanted to giggle at the mental image that offered her… Spock with a cute little tail, black like his hair... maybe a collar… no, no collars. She shoved the thought away as a plate slipped from her slightly numb fingers. Spock plus collar did NOT equal cute. It equaled Sexy… she needed to get laid.

She turned to her Daddy, smiling. "Is my baby still here?" She asked, not sure if he would have kept the 'vile, dangerous, pile of junk'.

His nose wrinkled in his disgust. "Yes. I figured you'd just buy an even shittier one if I did. Since you have money now."

Chris squealed and hugged her Father, giggling happily as he yelped about soapy, warm water and his clothes. She ignored him, they were ugly night clothes anyway. "Thank you Daddy!" Spock lifted a single brow at her and she felt the wash of slight curiosity. "Not a child, obviously. It's an antique, a motorcycle. I got it running years ago, Daddy has been trying to convince me to get rid of it since the day I bought it." She flashed him a hopeful smile that she didn't believe would work. "Want to come for a ride with me? I could show you the town."

It did not require telepathy or empathy to read the hopeful look in Chris' mis-matched eyes. Spock couldn't bring himself to destroy the bright emotion in their gem-tones depths. 'How terrible can a ride on a motorcycle be?' he asked himself.

"I have nothing planned, if you desire to do so we may ride your 'motorcycle'." He told her, watching the very attractive smile grace her features. Had he been paying attention to the Admiral he would have also noticed the look of shock on his commanding officer's face.

"Great. We can get going in a few minutes." She said, drying her wet hands off on a towel. "I just need some jeans and boots." With another smile she bounded up the stairs, her excitement evident in every line of her tiny body.

"I can't believe you just agreed to that." The Admiral said, his voice filled with awe. "What has my baby girl done to you, Spock?"

Resisting the urge to bristle at the tone of voice Spock offered the Admiral a very blank look. "To what do you mean, Admiral?"

The man chuckled. "Christopher, remember? Chrissy will have our asses if we don't follow her rules." He reminded Spock, who tensed slightly. Jim was his friend… the Admiral was not… not quite. "And come on, it doesn't take a genius to notice that you've changed since I met you when you first joined the academy." He took a long sip from his cup. "It's a good change, don't get me wrong. But it started the semester Chrissy took your class."

Spock could not deny that fact. He was… far less controlled in all aspects of his life. He allowed himself to do activities with his 'friends', activities that would be called 'fun'. "Chris has aided me in learning more of human culture."

The Admiral laughed. "Spock… I think it's much more than that. You like my girl… you trust her." He was smiling broadly, proudly, as if Chris being important to Spock was a great endeavor.

"Chris is my friend." He answered simply, not feeling the need to elaborate on how very important she was in his life. His thoughts on her were his own. "And this conversation is highly inappropriate, you are my superior officer."

Chris' laugh startled him very slightly, but he did not show it. "He's my Daddy, Spock, not the Admiral." Her soft hand settled onto his shoulder and he was enveloped in a comforting blue emotion, just under his control. "But you're right, he shouldn't be harassing you." She curled her fingers on his shoulder and tugged very slightly. "Come on, so I can go swimming in the ocean before it gets too rough because of the afternoon winds."

He nodded and stood, her hand falling from his shoulder to brush his arm before dropping back to her side. "If you are ready." He told her, nodding to the Admiral. "I shall see you later, Adm…" Chris cleared her throat, he heard her foot tapping in agitation. "Christopher." He corrected with some difficulty.

The older man laughed. "Later Spock, Chrissy." He said as they walked from the house. "Try not to kill him Chrissy, or yourself. God knows what Jim would do without either of you." He called after them.

Had the door not closed tightly behind them so quickly they would have heard him mutter to himself. "There is something going on there, damn it, and I need to figure out what."

Chris felt his shock as she pulled the tarp off the shining, black and silver monster of a motorcycle. She couldn't stop the bubble of excitement and affection that boiled up from her chest. She adored the bike. It was her pride and joy. Four years, from age thirteen to seventeen, she'd spent all her free time working on getting the damned junk pile working.

She stroked the glossy chrome before throwing her leg over the thing and straddling it. She grinned up at her tall friend. "Well, hop on." She teased but her mind was running in circles. Spock would have to sit behind her, hold on to her, his chest to her back, his arms around her…

Chris wondered if it was pathetic that the thought of his strong arms around her got her a little weak in the knees. She sensed his shifting trepidation as he followed her suit and threw a long leg over the bike.

"To what do I hold on to?" He asked, thought she knew he had probably already figured it out.

She blushed despite herself. "Me. I need you to move as I do so you'll need to be pretty close…" 'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' she yelled to herself in her head. 'Such a bad idea. Bad, very bad Chrissy.' He tensed up almost immediately and she knew that the ride wasn't going to happen.

"Never mind. We'll take the car." She said, standing and shifting to remove her self from the bike.

A strong hand settled on her hip, making her freeze and her heart leap into her throat. The contact, even impeded by her jeans and shirt, was enough to feel every emotion he was feeling, though she tried not to. Nervousness, shock, horror, and surprisingly excitement twisted in his mind, under his control but ever present.

Determination hit her just before he spoke. "It is alright." He said gently, his voice warming her to her core. "It was a shock." He pulled her gently back onto the bike and slid forward, almost tentatively. His chest slowly pressed against her back and she fought the immediate groan as the heat of his body engulfed her. Strong arms slid around her waist, loose for now but she knew he would grasp tighter once they really got going.

She pressed her thumb to the ignition and it roared to life, new technology integrated into the classic. She felt the tiny thrill of nervousness from the man behind her before it faded into trust. She flashed him a playful grin. "Hold on." They flew from the garage and down the driveway.

Spock walked down the small town's main street with Chris beside him. Her blonde locks still in the messy bun from before, they did not hide her ears from the passers by. At the fifth dirty look that was given to her he met the glare of said bigot with a firm stare. The idiot had the sense to look away, obviously nervous.

He glanced down at Chris. "They did not know you are not wholly human when you lived here." It wasn't a question, he knew she was likely to have hidden her abnormalities, he himself had tried to be fully Vulcan, ignoring the human half.

She nodded, glancing up at him. "Yea. I sort of didn't think it through, walking down main street when the town is a little xenophobic." She glanced around quickly. "Would you like to leave?"

He considered the question. He felt no care one way or the other. She enjoyed her little town, and it was aesthetically pleasing as well as practical, so they should stay. However the population clearly was uncomfortable with his presence and the realization Chris was not fully human…

Which made his emotions boil under his control a red-black flashing with sparks of colorless heat. It was the same illogical rage he had felt when the Klingon's attacked and he was cut off from Chris. He wanted to make the bigoted people pay, as he had wanted to make the Klingon's pay. It was illogical but as there was no reason to leave, they could stay and their presence would continue to unnerve the bigots, which oddly soothed the boiling rage the fact also created…

He shook his head minutely. "I believe we ought to remain. The day has only begun and you have showed my very little of the town."

Her bright smile cut through the rage, lightening the controlled emotions. "So we could go see a movie, or go shopping- I'm sure I've missed some new fashion- or just wander aimlessly around."

He couldn't see the logical point to 'wandering aimlessly around'. He knew better than to ask, however. She would laugh and make some comment about logic, beginning a playful banter…

"There is no logical reason to' wander aimlessly around' as you put it." He said, realizing he quite enjoyed their banter.

Her beautiful eyes rolled and she grabbed his hand. "Who cares? We're on vacation. Not everything needs to be logical, Spock."

The rush of her warm mind against his let him know she was enjoying the banter too. "On the contrary, everything ought to be logical and purposeful."

She smiled and he heard in her mind 'I've got you now.' "Logically, seeing the place I grew up, seeing where and how I spent my time and with whom I spent my time with, will give you insight into me that no one else has. So 'wandering aimlessly' will give me an opportunity to point out things and recount stories of my childhood that particular sights, sounds, or smells trigger."

His lips twitched in amusement but in their minds he laughed, she did, indeed, have him. "You are correct." He told her, attempting to hide the fact that her invitation to know her better than anyone left him quite breathless and deeply honored.

AN-

Alrighty, sorry for the wait. I'm terrible and horrible and I'm sorry. But here's the first vacation inspired update. Tell me what you think, be honest, is Spock a little OoC? So, next chapter will include sunbathing, body surfing, and possibly baking cookies!

Who has ideas for what Spock and the others should give Chrissy for her birthday?