Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you so much to Ahlysha, maba7x, 2redbird and the anon reviewer for reviewing!

Judith laughed as the cute boy with the dreads got her another drink, and she swayed her hips provocatively to the song. It was an old song, but everyone was too hammered to really notice. She knew she was getting tipsy, but she kept dancing, not wanting to leave this moment. She felt free and wonderful, and everything made sense. She wasn't worried about anything, and it was the greatest feeling in the world.

"Come dance with me and my friends!" the man yelled, and she grinned, holding out her hand.

"Yes ai!" she shouted, her accent thickening. She sang off-key to the song as she was dragged to the back of the club. The thick glass window was open to the square and lit up with LED lights, and she thought she smelled the outside air. Maybe someone had cracked a door open.

She began dancing with the boy and took another sip of her drink.

…

It started off as a walk after his meditation. He had taken two turns off his usual route, following some scent he couldn't recall; he knew somehow that he wanted what was making the scent. It had haunted him, tempted him...

It was only as the scent reached its apex that he stopped and turned. He froze. He saw Judith being dragged from a window in what looked like a dance establishment, and ire boiled through his blood. He saw people gyrating like...what was the term Soval said...human lasagna.

There was a burly human at the door, apparently guarding the entrance, and when the man asked for money, Meral simply pinched the man out and walked right in. He stalked through the crowd of people and caught Judith's arm, yanking her unceremoniously away from the human male.

"She has a right to a challenger!" he said sternly, and it took even him back. He had no reason to think humans did such rituals, if this was a ritual at all. He wondered why he said it, but it was too late; what he said was said.

"Come with me, Judith," he grumbled, smelling a sweet and spicy alcohol on her breath.

She laughed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Mister Vulcan man!" she yelled over the music. "You need to lighten up in 'ere!"

Judith pressed herself to him, then remembered who exactly Mister Vulcan Man was. And yet she was so drunk by now that she didn't really care. She went with him without protest, somehow knowing she would be ok, and she grinned when she felt the fresh air on her face again.

"It be hot like da summer night in dere, eh man?" Her accent was thick even to her ears, but she couldn't think of anything else to say. "When did Mister Vulcan Man start comin to de club?"

He sniffed. "I noticed you and rescued you. The way they were dancing with you...it is disgraceful."

"Now don be puttin dem judgement on my boys n girls, Vulcan. We move our bodies because we like to move our bodies." She wasn't making a convincing argument, but she was too drunk. "So...don be puttin it on dem girls now...don be like dat..."

He threw her over his shoulder and started walking. He did not know where he was going at this point, he just knew he was going far away from that place. He heard a man call out behind him and he turned.

The man with the short dreads was stalking toward him and displaying body language that Meral thought was threatening.

"Eh, Mon, whut da'ell you tink you do'n? You can't come up in 'ere and take-"

Meral had heard enough. He reached up and gently pinched him out.

The Vulcan turned and walked with greater haste than before. He had no desire to fight anyone, at least not with an inebriated woman on his shoulder. He turned the corner and walked quickly down the street. He headed toward the Embassy, thinking he could sneak her in, and get her food to soak some of whatever she was drinking out of her system.

"Put me down, Mister Vulcan Man!" she insisted, slapping his back. "I ain' no sack a bananas or no ting like dat. You put it down now, man, or I make a scene!"

He did as she requested and set her on her feet, and when she swayed, he caught her in his arms. She grinned up at him, just now noticing how lovely his blue eyes looked in the light of the streetlamp.

"I tell ya man, you can put it on me any day wit dose eyes...all de girls be wantin that, huh?"

She wasn't even sure what she was saying, or what she was doing, but somehow her hand started caressing his scalp, and her lips were pressed to his. He was warm, and she moaned, cupping his cheek. A sharp tingle of arousal rushed through her, and she automatically pressed her body to his, grinding gently against him. Her body was responding rapidly to his warmth, and her other hand twisted his robes, clutching him tightly. She moaned again, softly this time.

His eyes shot open and felt like they might bulge out of his skull as his heartrate doubled. He could taste sweet earth fruits mixed with the sting of alcohol on her lips. He felt her body grinding against him, her hands twisting his robes, and he returned the kiss as the beast that was driving his blood growled. He pushed her against the wall and grinded softly against her, his hands cupping her ample bosom as their mouths worked out the unspoken passion, the jealousy that drove him to anger seeing her with other men.

He pulled back with a start. She was drunk and what he was doing was immoral.

"Come with me Judith," he commanded, his voice deepening. "Do not speak, just come."

He took her by the hand and lead her down the street, chastising himself for giving in to his beast. She was a human, and had no desire beyond what the alcohol did to her to be a Vulcan wife. It would never work, and he was borderline V'tosh ka'tur in his behavior, for even desiring a human. He scoffed at himself.

He was up on her, and she was up against the wall, and she groaned in pleasure. She shivered in arousal, her hips jerking forward of their own accord, and she could still hear the beat of the club music in her head. She felt him start to grind on her, and she returned the pressure, deepening the kiss between them. She was in heaven, and she squealed in delight when he started touching her breasts.

And then he pulled away and said not to speak, and she stumbled behind, confused. Things were just getting steamy, and he pulled away!

"Don be a tease, Mister Meral," she growled, stopping him again. "You canna just grind on yer girl and get her hot like de tropics, den walk off an leave her cold."

He shook his head at her. "You are intoxicated, and if I took advantage of you now, that would be immoral of me."

"Yer high an mighty morals savin you now, but come time when I be sober and clean...I'll be knockin at yer door, an askin for anoda grind wit you."

"My morals are saving you, Judith. You would likely not survive being a Vulcan wife," he said with a harumph in his voice. He had to keep reminding himself of that. "And we Vulcans do not just...grind, as you put it. It is forbidden to take anyone that is not your telsu or bondmate to bed. It is against the laws of Surak."

He turned the corner and then pulled her close. "You will have to be very quiet and not make a sound; if you make noise I will be forced to pinch you out. I am bringing you into a place where few humans have gone, but you require care...alcohol is a dangerous substance. Your erratic emotions and behavior are a testament to the effects."

She moaned as he pulled her back into his arms, and she leaned up and nibbled at his earlobe, not registering what he was saying. She licked at his ear until he pushed her away and squeezed her shoulder, and she groaned as her world turned to black.

…

When she awoke, she found herself on a bed. She was a little more sober, and she checked herself for stickiness, soreness, or any other signs of a date gone wrong. If she was going to sleep with someone, it was sober or nothing.

She seemed alright, and she turned her head to the side, trying to figure out where in the world she was. The room was empty, but it did not look like any human room she had ever stayed in. It wasn't until she saw the writing on a tapestry that she figured she might be on Vulcan.

Judith then scoffed at the idea, noticing the familiar San Francisco skyline outside her window. She was at the Consulate then.

Meral entered the room with a tray of food, analgesics, and cool beverage, as the database said they were common hangover medicines. He did not notice she was awake immediately, but did see her eyes parted when he sat down the tray on the bedstand. He shifted on his feet.

"Are you in pain? I am told hangovers cause headaches. I brought you a hypospray of analgesic medicine if you have one." He pointed in an almost robotic way at the tray. "You will also note that there is food for your consumption as well...I am told that consuming carbohydrates after drinking allows the hangover to pass quickly. To that end, I brought you banana bread with peanut butter for your protein requirements."

Her stomach growled in hunger, and she murmured a sincere thank-you before digging in to the banana bread and peanut butter. "Mm," she groaned, leaning back against the headboard, careful not to spill crumbs. "What happened?"

"You were at a...dance establishment...you were drunk, so I departed there with you. I brought you here."

"I remember warm 'ands, and dem lips..." She noted a shiny substance on his earlobe, and she leaned forward and rubbed her thumb over it. It was her lip gloss.

"I wasn't as smashed down as I tought, now was I? I knew dis Vulcan man still de hottest ting in town."

Meral looked away, turning to look out the window. "Yes, well..."

He stopped himself from saying all the things he wanted to say. Jealousy wanted him to say that she didn't seem to mind who was pawing at her considering the lewd dancing at that club. Desire wanted to say that she needed to show him again who this hottest thing in town was. Protectiveness wanted to tell her how dire of a mistake it would be if he held her in his arms the way he wanted to. And logic seemed to be mute on the whole subject.

"You should eat, and rehydrate," he said eventually, his deep voice even. "It is terrible what this alcohol does to your body."

He pulled a paper out of his robes. "I brought you the morning paper for your reading enjoyment. It is Saturday, but I must return to work. I will return in 4.5 hours, so until then use the room as you see fit. It is my quarters. Please do not wander out of it. No one knows you are here and in your state of dress..." He looked away again. "Your presence would be provocative. Many vulcans here have never seen a human outside of a uniform. If you require anything, the red button on the wall will comm me."

He left, and she sipped at the cold juice he had obtained for her. She was touched, and for a moment she felt guilty about her behavior. But then she remembered that Meral had given her no good reason to be faithful to him at all. He had not asked her to date him, or whatever the Vulcan equivalent was. He had not told her that her behavior made him uncomfortable. She was young and single, and she loved to dance. There was no shame in going out on a Friday evening to a club.

Perhaps she had had a bit much to drink, but thankfully, Meral was there to take her home. She promised herself to keep the drinks at two from now on, and spaced out...that was, if Meral stayed silent and didn't bring anything up with her.

And then there was the trip to Jamaica...she wondered if the sun-baked tropics would cheer him up, or loosen his tongue, or something. Everything from her first drink on was hazy from last night, but she did remember his smell on her, and his lips, and his grinding. His warm hands had wandered to her breasts, and she could have called him out on that, taking advantage of a drunk woman (even though she was sure she probably started it). This Vulcan needed to make up his mind.

…

Emmie snuck into Meral's room with a grin. "Word around the town says you had a wild night last night." She sat on the bed next to her, bouncing slightly. "The guy who Meral pinched out for you was later picked up for spiking a ladies drink earlier in the evening with a date rape drug, and..." she poked her in the ribs, "L'Vek told me that Meral is distracted and grouchy...which means in Vulcan terms...he's in love."

She bounced slightly on the bed. "So, what happened that you remember?"

She groaned and pinched her nosebridge. "I remember dem warm 'ands, and dem soft lips...dat Vulcan man know how ta kiss betta den all de boys in de world. Is Mister L'Vek like dat too?"

Emmie grinned. "Yes, they are sexy little sprites, aren't they?"

"Little?" Judith said with a raised eyebrow.

Emmie chuckled. "Oh no, not little. Not little at all."

A shock of arousal went through her. "I like dat Vulcan man, Emmie. I wan ta grind wit him again."

"You had sex with him?" Emmie said with a gasp.

"No, No, we juss," she moved her hips and grinned, "an he anyting but little."

"Ok I'm going to give you some advice, take it or leave it." She leaned in. "Pretend you aren't interested for the rest of the day. L'Vek is managing to get us all the trip to Jamaica, but," she pretended to be horrified, "L'Vek and I are going to Vulcan, you and him will be going to Jamaica alone." She winked. "Good deal?"

"Why do I act like I don care for da rest of da day, girl?"

She grinned. "He'll get even more irritated. He'll be forced to step his game up."

"But I already walk dat line wit dis partyin an all...are you sure, Emmie girl?"

She nodded. "I'm sure. He hasn't told you outright that he's attracted to you, or that he wants to be with you?"

"No. I wish he'd get off dat backside an woo a girl, am I right?"

"Most of the wooing comes after you have a base bond with him." She winked, "They are romantic, Judith, and they are passionate...Yours is going to take you provoking him. He loves you Judith, and this isn't going to be like you're used to. They go from zero to light speed, with very little in between."

She kissed her friend's cheek and then took her hands. "You're already halfway there, so don't give up. Iif you want him he's yours...you just gotta let it be his idea." She winked again. "Now I better go, L'Vek is quitting early."

Judith winked in return. "Have fun wit yer man."

…

L'Vek passed Meral on his way out of the office. "You may leave early if you wish, Meral," he said, but his aide shook his head.

"No, Osu, I am working on a report."

"You can work on that report in your quarters."

Meral looked up at him and sighed. "Very well, Osu."

L'Vek nodded in satisfaction, then walked to his quarters, only to find Emmie lounging on the couch, dressed only in her undergarments. His mouth went dry.

"Meskhenet?" he murmured.

L'Vek swallowed thickly as Emmie backed him against a wall and took his hand in hers. "You, habibi," she purred, "are in for a long, hard night of lecturing."

…

Meral stopped at his door and straightened his robes. He swallowed hard and then entered his quarters. She was there, freshly showered and smelling lovely. He could smell her pheromones as soon as the door shut. She had liberated a robe of his to change into, and that made him swallow even harder. "I take it you are feeling well now? Would you...do you require anything further as far as nourishment?"

"No," she said casually, flicking open the paper. "All tem engineers, dey be railin at dem Vulcans for not lend no ear, am I right?"

He frowned. "Excuse me?"

"All dem Starfleet engineers. Dey be railin at you and yers for not listenin to dem arguments. Ay?"

She turned her attention back to her paper and scanned the articles, and she found an interesting report on a planned colony on a moon 12 light years away. More news was coming out of Earth drydock regarding plans for the new flagship, and she wondered if she should take Emmie's advice.

Meral cleared his throat. "It is not me they do not listen to, it's L'Vek. I am only L'Vek's aide. And no, they do not listen," he groused. "But I am discovering most humans do not take advice, good advice, given to them."

He grumbled a little under his breath and then approached her, suddenly angry that she was not looking at him. He kept his composure but then put his face between her and the paper. "Are you going to answer my query? Do you wish food?"

"I said no," she murmured, "but tank you, Mister Meral. I'm fine."

She looked up at him, and her heart clenched. She so wanted to kiss him again, to see if it was as wonderful as her drunken mind would believe it to be. But she could save that for Jamaica.

"Are you ready fer de heat o' dem tropics, Mister Vulcan man? Dat trip come soon now."

He paced back and forth; she was still not looking at him. Was she capricious, or did she only desire him when she was drinking? He frowned, but it was more like a pout. "I suppose I should take you home," he said in an almost defeated voice. "And no...I am...not looking forward to this trip."

He said it with a lot less enthusiasm than he had earlier. Now he didn't know if he was looking forward to it or why he was going in the first place. He looked at her and clenched his jaws. Why wasn't she looking at him?

Her heart clenched again. She couldn't do it. She couldn't ignore him.

"Why, Mister Vulcan man, I tink you need dis trip to de tropics. Get heat in dem bones and de love of me mudda country in yer heart, hm?"

He looked offended, but she leaned forward and boldly kissed his cheek. "Now, you come wit I, an we see what de heat and de sound of de reggae do fer us."

She hopped up off of his bed and stroked his arm. "Tank you fer de drink and banana bread, Mister Meral. I should be a-gettin home, so why don you come wit I on de walk to my house?"

He straightened slightly and raised an eyebrow. "If you insist, I will walk you home, since I have seen the type of rabble that roam the streets at this hour of the day. There is no telling what kind of trouble you will get into if I am not by your side."

He looked at her hips and felt himself salivate. "The way you walk is most provocative, even if you are currently clothed in my..." his voice softened, "my robes..."

She dared to lift a finger and bop his nose. "Den let's get to it, Mister Vulcan man," she whispered in his ear. She wanted to lick it, caress it with her tongue, but she closed her eyes and refrained. She looked back at the bed and made sure she had all of her things, then gestured for him to lead the way.

The beat of last night was still in her head, and thanks to his remedies and the restraint she had to not go for a fourth drink, she wasn't in a lot of pain. The light did make her wince when they walked out into the dying light. Had it been a full day? Or close to it?

They did not speak as they walked, but she was grateful for his robes around her. His scent was not as heavy in it, but it was there, she was sure. She wanted to keep it, even as something casual to lounge in, but she supposed he would be wanting it back. The bright orange off-the-shoulder top and short shorts she was wearing beneath the robes certainly clashed with the style of the robes, but the colors, strangely enough, didn't look half bad next to one another.

Meral felt the beast romping in his cage. As she walked in his robes, he could see her hips swaying to some music only she seemed to hear. He wanted to grab her shoulders and pull her to him, kissing her madly right there in the street. He felt a base growl threaten to erupt from his throat and he looked away. He used his discipline to focus on the pace of his steps, and he followed her, since he did not know where she actually lived.

He could not imagine this place of which she spoke, her mother country, as she called it. In the reflection of a store window, he saw her looking at him.

He turned to her. "Is there something you want to say?" he asked as evenly as he could.

She stopped and lightly touched his cheek. "What be makin Mister Vulcan man look da odda way?"

The tips of his ears turned green, and he looked at the ground. "Like dat, Mister Meral."

He shook his head. "It is none of your concern."

She shrugged and caressed his cheek before dropping her hand. "In me mudda country, you be blushin like no odda time. Keep dem eyes on me."

Judith giggled as the blush spread to his cheeks, and she bumped her hips with his. "Look to dat sunshine, Meral, me broda Vulcan! You an I...we find dat sunshine togeda in Jamaica, ay?"

He looked away from her, "You are an insufferable woman." There was no venom in his voice as he mumbled. The truth was that he already found the heat of her motherland, and it was in her eyes.

He saw her approach a door. "Is this your home?"

She grinned and nodded as she walked up the stairs.

He waited at the base of the steps. "I will see you later, Judith."

He blushed, realizing for the first time he was calling her by her first name. He could not wipe the desire for her from behind his eyes, and he was dying inside, hoping she would enter her door so he could return to the consulate and meditate these animal desires away.

She paused, turning slowly, realizing he had used her first name. She grinned and leaned against the doorframe, and she beckoned him forward with her finger.

He ascended the steps, then hesitated, but she gently tugged him inside and shut the door. She lightly pushed him up against it.

"Emmie-girl say you pinch out some good-fer-no-ting man at de club, ay? I tank you fer dat, Meral," she whispered, and she stood on her tiptoes.

Her palms were pressed flat against the door, but she pressed her lips to his cheek, gently, chastely, and pulled away before he could start protesting. She opened the door and gestured for him to exit, her hand on her hip.

"Good day, Mister Meral," she said, patting his shoulder. "De sunshine be callin yer name soon."