Holy crap! Thirtieth chapter! Thanks for your continued support and enjoy!

Spock stared out the window. Leonard and James had both left three days prior for their respective winter holidays. (Christmas for Leonard, Hanukkah for James). Eighty-seven point one percent of the human students were gone, and some of the non-terran students had taken advantage of the chance for a break as well, leaving the Academy feeling strangely deserted.

Spock walked over to his desk and sat down. Very few classes were offered until the other students returned, and he had completed his homework already. Last year he had spent the break with largely Christine, but she had been invited to spend the holidays with Uhura, an offer she had accepted.

Spock read up on the base he would be going to once winter break was over. He had requested New Berlin, but that wasn't where he was going, leaving him knowing nothing about it.

his PADD buzzed. He picked it up. He was being asked to go to the transporter room.

Odd. He thought, but went.

When he got there, no one was there. He looked around. Something was sitting on the transporter PADD. He went and picked it up. It was a piece of paper. Written on it was one word.

Energize

The transporter turned on and Spock found himself rematerializing somewhere else. He was in a different transporter room.

A civilian stood next to the man running the transporter. He ran up to Spock.

"Hi! I'm Chris. Come on, you're supposed to come with me." he was young. He had brown hair and eyes the same color as James. A childish smile and he was just a little lanky.

"Why am I here?" asked Spock, stepping off the transporter pad.

"Basically, as I understand it, my brother is kidnapping you. Don't worry, your principal said it was okay. The boy gestured for Spock to follow him, still beaming. Spock remembered something. James's younger brother's name.

"You are a sibling of James."

"Yeah, that's me! He's waiting at home, so come on!"

"I'd prefer to return to the Academy."

"I'm not authorized to sent you back." said the man who had been operating the controls. "You really do have to go with Chris." Spock looked at Chris. He went over by him and followed him out of the room.

Chris led him through the building.

"Is this a Starfleet base?" asked Spock.

"Yeah. Dad was transferred here before Jim was born, so he and Mom decided to just move here. He doesn't work here right now, but Mom liked it here so they stayed."

"Where is here?" asked Spock as neared the exit.

"Riverside, Iowa." They went outside.

It was cold. Spock reached his arms around himself. He looked at Chris. Chris had a coat, but it was unbuttoned.

"Come on," said Chris, that's our ride. He pointed to a car. "Like it? Dad, Jim and I revamped it a few years ago to be eco-friendly. Technically it's Jim's car, but he wasn't around to use so, it's my car." Spock opened the door and climbed in. It was significantly warmer inside the vehicle. Chris climbed in the other side and pulled the car onto the road and started driving away from the base.

They reached a farmhouse outside of the town. Chris turned off the car and jumped out, Spock also got out of the car. Chris showed him the way inside.

"Hey! We're here! Anyone Home?" Chris yelled. Jim barreled intot the room.

"Spock!" he said. "Hey! How are you?"

"I am physically fine."

"Of course, are you mad?"

"Anger is an emotion. However I am...Perplexed."

"It's all very simple, Spock. Bones and I decided that you weren't spending ANOTHER break at school, so with a little help from on eof the other students who stayed behind, and my Dad, we got you to come here." Jim hit his brother lightly. "Oh, and some help from this twerp."

"Careful, this 'little' twerp' still has your keys." Chris reached his hand into his pocket. "Maybe I'll keep them."

"Oh no you don't." James and his brother began to fight, in what seemed a good-natured way to Spock, but he couldn't be sure. He didn't understand human sibling relationships.

"Boys." said a woman who Spock recognized as Winona Kirk, James and Chris's mother, entering the room. "Be polite, and behave." she smiled. "Hello, Spock, it's so nice to meet you in person. I was excited when James told me you had accepted our invitation to come stay this year, it's a shame you couldn't come earlier."

"Yes, it was." Spock looked at James.

"James, instead of wrestling with your brother, show Spock up to the guest room. And as for you, Christopher, go set the table." James ran up a nearby flight of stairs, followed by Spock.

"You lied to your mother." he said. "You told her I had accepted your invitation to come stay."

"It's just a little white lie. Besides, what was I supposed to say? I kidnapped you?"

"Possibly."

"What would you have told your mother?"

"I would not have done this." They were upstairs, Kirk turned around and walked backwards so he could face Spock. "Do you really honestly wish you weren't here?"

"...No."

"Great! Tomorrow I'm showing you around, and then the day after that We're going to hop on a transporter and go to Georgia to see Bones! Or was he coming here? I forget, I guess we'll find out. I wanted to drive but that would take too much time, this your room." Kirk, still walking backwards, opened the door to a room.

It was nicely furnished in light green and cream, very well put together, he walked in.

"Mom likes to keep this room ready. Oh! I just remembered, we did get you a coat, and a hat, and Chris said you can borrow an extra pair of gloves from him, but I don't think they'll fit you."

"Thank you, it was noticeably cooler here." he said.

"It's thirty degrees out Fahrenheit , and that's about as warm as it's going get for the next few months. Want to come downstairs? My Dad'll be home soon, and Chris and I want to show you some of the farm before it gets too dark."

"Alright."

The next four days were enjoyable for Spock. Chris and James did show him around, extensively. They're were many animals, including a large, black dog called Archer that had seemed intent on knocking him over. Bones di come to the Kirk's farm, a day later than planned (Spock noticed he was dressed appropriately for the cold weather, despite where his home was.)

There was one event Spock did not understand though, a New Year's Eve party, hosted by the Kirks.

"It actually really simple, Spock." said Kirk, he and Spock and McCoy (who was staying until New Year's day.) we're sitting in the living room, playing a board game with Chris "We're celebrating the end of the year, it's a chance to remember all the good stuff that happened,"

"and put the bad stuff behind us." added Bones

"Yeah, and welcoming in the New Year." said Chris.

"And just a chance to have a good time with people you like." said Winona, entering the room holding a bowl and a spoon. "Here, Spock, try this, don't worry, no meat no chocolate." Spock took the spoon from her and stuck it in his mouth.

"Too bitter?"

"No, but it is too sticky."

"I'll try that for you." said George Kirk, walking through.

"Tough luck, sweetheart." Said Winona, moving the bowl she had away. "I need someone who will tell me if it's tastes bad, and with a more refined palate."

"Who says mine isn't?" asked George Kirk with a grin.

"Please, Dad, you like emergency rations." said James. George shrugged, gave Winona a quick kiss on the cheek and kept walking. Winona walked after him.

"Don't touch the cookies!"

"It's nice having Dad home." said Chris.

"Yeah." said James.

"Is he gone a lot?" asked Bones.

"He's a Starfleet officer, of course he is." said James. "This is the first time he's been here for Hanukkah in three years, and first time he didn't leave right after it was over since he was stationed here."

"Wow." said Bones. "I can't imagine that. My dad's always been around."

"I understand." said Spock. Chris and Jim looked at him. "My father is and ambassador, both he and my mother took frequent diplomatic trips, even when I went with them I saw little of my father."

"But it's different, right?" said Chris. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but you're Vulcan. So there was no emotional problems with it."

"I'm gonna tell you secret, kid." said Bones. "Spock is a great big muddle of emotions, you just have to do something incredibly stupid or get on his nerves to get at it."

"Something you are extremely efficient at, Leonard." said Spock. "Shall we return to our game?"

"Okay." Jim took his turn. "Man, I can't wait for tonight!"

Next Chapter will be the party. Thanks for reading, please review! And to those of you who read the mirrorverse chapter of this story, I removed it and placed it in a story by itself called 'Back At The Academy: Mirror Mirror', just in case you wanted to know. BYE!