I don't know how I did it, but I have another chapter written and feel driven to post. I have an exam this week, so I won't be posting quite so fast again.

Many thanks to TheWindowView for putting up with every very rough draft I send her way.

As usual, please read and enjoy :) All comments are welcome.

"Any reaction yet?"

"Not yet."

"… And?"

"Nope."

"Not even a small change? Perhaps just a slight difference – "

"No"

"… How about now?"

"Actually, there seem to be something…"

"Really?"

"No."

"You're cruel, Michaels."

"Did I mention that Commander Spock is coming by the lab today to look over your work?"

"What?"

"Apparently not."

Nia stared at the younger woman in shock. Her assistant had oh so nicely forgotten to inform her that the commander was coming by. Not that him stopping by was anything odd or even of major importance, just… Nia looked around. Her lab was a mess. An organized mess, maybe to her, but still a mess. Most of the items she'd used over the last several days were still sitting out on the counters and her table was covered in several pieces of equipment and PADDs. There was also the corner of her lab where she'd spilt some of today's soil sample and had yet to clean it up.

A sinking feeling entered her stomach. It wasn't even technically her lab… she was so going to get kicked out.

"Hey I've got a reaction." Michaels said.

Nia wasn't paying attention. "Good, log it." She began putting away the things she wasn't currently using. After several minutes, Michaels spoke up behind her.

"I have a question."

"Shoot." Nia said. It had taken her months to understand that phrase.

"Don't you specialize in crops? Why are we studying soil based organisms and parasites?" Michaels asked.

Pausing, Nia set down the data PADD in her hand and leaned against the counter behind her. She folded her arms across her chest and sighed. "Crops have many enemies. My husband discovered the enemy to Palad's crops was an invasive parasite resistant to many of our repellants that spends most of its life in the soil. Currently, it is being kept at a slow spreading rate."

"But it's still spreading?" Michaels asked.

"Well, it's kind of like the mountain pine beetle that destroyed a large portions of North America's pine forests before it was controlled in the mid-twenty first century. We can't keep up with the reproduction rate. So, the crop production has been steadily getting worse and our government has put a restriction on importing food in order to prevent another pest from getting through."

"Which puts more strain on food production."

"Exactly. So instead, groups of my people – settlers – have been leaving and moving to other planets."

"Your friends?"

"And family, though my parents have already made it to the main colony." Nia was incredibly grateful for that. There were worse planets for the settlers to be stranded on, for Paladians to be stranded on, but the situation was far from ideal.

"Wow." Michaels breathed. "I bet you are glad we are more than half way there."

She nodded. "Fifteen days in, about thirteen to go." Nia looked around the lab again and pushed herself up off the table. "So when did the Commander say he would be coming by?"

"15:00, didn't he tell you at the midday meal?" Michaels asked, surprised.

Nia glanced at the crewman and frowned. Something about the way she said that was off. "No, he wasn't there today. I ate with Ensign Jenkins instead, since she took an early lunch."

"Oh. Ok." Michaels was surprised at that answer too, but held back from saying anything more.

Again, Nia found Michaels response off. The other woman was clearly curious about something, yet was holding back. Her hesitance may have been out of respect for Nia's superiority. Asking too personal of a question can put a person in serious trouble. If that was the case, though, then Nia wondered what she was about to ask. Something to do with the commander, maybe?

Having her thoughts draw back to his impending visit, Nia said "Computer, time."

"14:56."

Nia narrowed her eyes at Michaels sudden sheepish expression. "You really couldn't have told me any sooner?"

Not waiting for a response, the doctor busied herself by gathering her notes and research data together. Most was kept on one main data PADD, with sections of the information backed up on others. Michaels handed her one of the alternate PADDs that had been used on the experiment just completed and Nia began updating the information.

Really, Nia wasn't quite sure why Commander Spock was coming to the lab to check over her work. She could easily send him the most of her data, or for the information she couldn't send Nia could just as easily show him her PADD at any point in time. Coming by the lab was an illogical waste of time to her.

And perhaps that was where her answer lay. To her, a Paladian humanoid that was much more an illogical being than a Vulcan found the situation to be illogical. However, maybe there was logic to the matter that she couldn't find.

It wouldn't be the first time, anyways.

At precisely 15:00, there was a gentle greeting from the doorway. Michaels jumped, and Nia smirked. The man could move quietly, she'd give him that.

"Commander, I was told you would be dropping by. I gathered my data," she handed the PADD across the table to him "onto this."

He merely nodded and accepted it, beginning to look through the documents at a speed Nia was sure she could never attain.

Unsure what to do, Nia settled herself on a stool and began setting up for the next experiment. Michaels caught on and began to do the same.

At one point in time, the commander had set the PADD down and was using the stylus to scroll while his hand lay lightly on the table beside him. Nia would likely not have noticed, if not for the fact her Paladian instincts started to kick in.

It was something distinctly Paladian, what happened next. She knew, knew, he was in pain. She couldn't see it, there was no outward physical proof, but she was completely certain that he was in pain. Reaching out, Nia firmly laid her hand over his and closed her eyes.

The contact was very, very brief as her jerked his hand away from hers.

Nia was reeling as she pulled back, realizing she may have severely offended the Vulcan man. Touching was not something they did idly. "I'm sorry," she said, gasping with the sudden upwelling of emotion inside of her. "I'm sorry." She said it again, then sat before sitting down hard on a stool. She swiveled in the seat and turned away from him, hiding her face as best she could. She knew the tears pouring down her face would only serve to make the situation more awkward.

Michaels was in shock, mouth open, eyes frantically darting between the two. She stood, and the commander's eyes flicked over to her, causing her to freeze.

"Crewman Michaels, if you would excuse us for a moment. Doctor Sargent and I have something to discuss." The order was clear.

Michaels nodded then left.

Spock stood where he was for a moment, analyzing his options in how to best respond. A sob caught his attention and he swiftly stepped around the table and came to a stop near Nia.

"Doctor Sargent, what is the source of your distress?" Originally, he was going to ask something else. Instead, he was baffled by her reaction and needed to better understand the situation.

"I-I'm sor-ry." Her sobs were breaking her speech. "I forgot th-that V-Vulcans are touch tele-lepaths. I didn't m-mean to cause a-any offense."

"Apologies are unnecessary. There is no offense to be taken where none is meant." He stepped closer. "However, what did you mean to do?"

She still wasn't facing him, and Nia refused to do more than glance at him out of the corner of her eye. By now, her whole body was trembling and she was holding her head with both hands while resting her elbows on the table. She felt utterly swamped by emotion and couldn't stop crying.

She finally spoke. "It's-it's a Paldian th-thing. We, we share emotion some-sometimes. Joy, anger, grief." She shook her head. "It's one of the-the ways we c-comfort."

It clicked. She was feeling his grief. "You are experiencing my grief." He stated.

She nodded.

Her reaction was making more sense, yet Spock was certain he was not and had not been emoting. "I must ask, how did you –"

"Know?" She interrupted. "I don't know. I – I have no clue." Just when Nia thought she was gained control, another round of sobbing struck. Her heart hurt. "It's s-so strong, y-your grief. Much stro-nger than… I- I can't…" At last, she looked up at the commander. "Co-commander, is-is this why Vulcans c-control th-their emotions?"

He nodded. "We control our emotions so they do not control us."

She didn't respond, but mentally acknowledged the sense of his statement. When Nia had touched him, she had innocently thought to comfort him. She had not expected the near instant slam of grief when she pulled away from him, and was regretting the rash decision.

When the commander standing next to her didn't speak again, Nia realized he just might have no clue how to handle the situation. A nearly hysterical scientist filled with someone else's grief? Yeah, definitely had to happen all the time.

Struggling, Nia stood and made a decision. She was going to go back to her quarters. From past experience she knew that grief like this, while stronger than what she had previously felt, was physically exhausting. Nia would be of no more use in the lab today. Just as she wasn't the day that Henry died.

Taking haltering step forward, she addressed Spock "Commander, I-I think it best if I re-retire to my quarters."

It was a logical thing to do. "I will escort you there." Spock informed her.

Nia accepted his offer and continued walking, all the while knowing it really wasn't an offer. Before leaving the lab, though, she hesitated. Using the sleeve of her lab coat, she dabbed at her face and attempted to clean off what she could of the snot dripping from her nose. When she felt she was a presentable as she could be, Nia left the lab as quickly as she could. The pressure was building in her chest, and she wasn't sure how long she could hold back the sobs.

She walked swiftly through the corridors, wiping her face every so often, and avoiding eye contact with anyone she passed. Spock walked just as swiftly beside her. Neither said a word the entire trip, not even when they were alone in the lift.

They arrived at her quarters and Nia punched in the code to her door, leaving it open for Spock to follow, if he wished.

He did follow her, and stood quietly beside her when she sank into the couch in the small sitting area of her quarters.

As she tried to keep her breathing steady, Nia thought how to get herself out of the mess she'd made. Only one idea seemed even remotely plausible.

"C-Commander," She started, but stopped when she felt the pressure in her chest swell.

"Yes, Doctor?" He asked, patiently waiting for her to speak.

She tried again. "I don't mean to encroach on your privacy, I already did that." She chuckled wryly. "But you grieve for Vulcan, correct?"

There was no sharp intake of breath, no sigh, or any sort of movement really to indicate if he was bothered by her statement. "That is correct." Spoke simply told her.

Taking another slow breath, she asked "Would you mind… telling me about it? About Vulcan?" She paused then continued when he didn't speak. "I understand if you would rather not, I can find some other way, I just…" Words failed her and the vague motion she made with her hand really did nothing to further whatever she was trying to say. A sob escaped her.

"Before I give my answer, I must ask why you desire to know of Vulcan?"

She struggled to find the words she needed. "I think it might help. Right n-now I have this grief that is not mine. If you tell me of Vulcan, then maybe I can make my grief my own."

He nodded. "If the grief is then your own, then it stands to reason you would be better equipped to control the emotion." He settled in a chair near the where she was sitting, and folded his hands in his lap. "Very well, I shall tell of my home." And he began, first giving her the driest of facts. Things such as the climate and geology.

He often paused, allowing her to ask questions. Some questions he did not give direct answers to her and others he merely told her it was a cultural aspect only known to those in the community. Nia respected this, and completely understood. Some things just didn't translate well across the vast number of cultures.

She was careful never to question the workings of his culture, merely to ask questions about it. Nia let the commander control the flow of the conversation, knowing this was not something he would have done under normal circumstances.

It didn't take long for the foreign emotions to become familiar, an hour at the most. The muscles across her chest were still tight, and Nia couldn't seem to get her nose to stop running, but she was able to reign in everything else. The need to curl up and bawl was still present, but this time she was strong enough to hold it back.

She listened to him speak until it was apparently time for him to leave. He'd stood rather abruptly and informed her he needed to continue his rounds with the other scientists.

"Thank you, Commander." She said as she saw him the short distance to the door. "I really appreciate you speaking with me."

"It was of no consequence." Spock informed her.

Smiling, she told him "Thanks all the same."

Instead of replying, Spock merely nodded and left.

Exhausted, Nia shut the door that had been left open during the commander's entire visit and decided a nap would do her wonders. She settled in her bed and laid her head back. Her brain was constantly working over the information Commander Spock had given her, heart touched by the picture of his home that he had eventually painted for her.

This time, the tears that fell were within her control as she mourned for a people not her own.

A/N: I would like to thank MaGiCaL MoOn, England101,and QHJumper for reviewing. And especially MaGiCaL MoOn for the birthday wish :)

Also, thank you to all who have added this story to their favorites and/or alerts. I have noticed those too :)