Thank you to everyone who read or reviewed the last conversation. You are all fabulous.

Welcome back to New Vulcan. Please enjoy your short stay. And don't forget to try the lemon bars.

This is a reminder that New Vulcan is four hours behind Enterprise time. Technically the first part of this chapter takes place on February 14 ship time but on February 13, New Vulcan time.

Day 362: V Day

From: Vulcan_Embassy_Ambassador_Selek
To: Spock' s_cuddlebunny
Time arrived: 02/14/2261 00:00:01
Subject: I look forward to having dinner with you and the children.

We discovered many planets suitable for humanoid life during my travels. I cannot confirm nor deny that the home of the new Vulcan colony is one of those planets I discovered personally. However, I am grateful that its proximity will mean more visits.

I am looking forward to visiting with you and the children tomorrow. I'm not certain how many more I will have, but I will treasure all of them.

I am surprised you are not spending Valentine's Day with your husband. Is that not one of your favorite old Earth holidays? I am aware now that you and my counterpart lived a very different life. Maybe you have a negative association with the day. If so, I'm sorry about that.

xxxxxx

From: Elizabeth_Chen
To: SuluHG2260
Time arrived: 02/14/2261 00:00:01
Subject: Thank you for writing. I appreciate it.

I finally have been getting letters from my boyfriend. Several actually. He's not waiting until he gets a return letter. Honestly, I feel like now I'm getting one every other day. That might be because he really hates his roommates. I think he may be on his third set. He should've asked my mom to put him in a single in the first place.

It's too late for her to do that now. Thanks to Loki being a bitch, no more special favors. This also means you guys are stuck doing the Federation Gen. Assembly escort duty, even though they're still at Babel. They were supposed to relocate to Yorktown this year, but construction of the new conference center is three months behind schedule. That's why we had to book rooms for the hotel so far in advance, and your sister couldn't find any other catering options. Although silver lining, your wedding venue now costs half as much as before, and theoretically, we could have more guests since hotel rooms are available. Also, more options for food. Although are you even still able to have the wedding on my niece's b-day?

My big sister was already trying to talk Ben into moving it to May because she is sure Enterprise will pick up a bunch of ambassadors. It's already starting to become a diplomatic hub. Also, you know May is not a good month for your fiancé. Maybe he would want to reclaim the month with a good anniversary.

I'm trying to take care of the kids more. Partially because I miss them. My apartment is too quiet without my little niece and her big sister. Also, things are complicated with the soon-to-be former Mrs. Jones. I don't think she wants Ben to remarry, at least not so soon. She's just using the poly thing as an excuse. I'm not sure. I gave her a copy of The Idiot's Guide to Multi-Species Polyamorous Relationships. It worked for Gina.

How is Gina doing? Is she OK with the girlfriend going back home? I know they're planning to both end up in one place or the other, but who knows when that might be? Also, Starfleet might require a marriage license even for the VSA fellowship position. Note to self-write to her next. Also, the kids. But when I'm not as tired.

PS: The babies love your letters. I love the videos more.

Xx

From: Spock' s_cuddlebunny
To: Vulcan_Embassy_Ambassador_Selek
Time sent: 02/14/2261 00:12:31
Subject: Re: I look forward to having dinner with you and the children.

I'm happy to say that nothing horrible has happened to me on Valentine's Day just yet. Technically it's already Valentine's Day by Enterprise standards, even if it's still February 13 on New Vulcan.

I'm happy to be hanging out with you and the kids. Suarez is also going to be there. There are other times for a romantic dinner. Besides, I can feed Spock discounted Valentine's Day candy when we arrive at the Starbase. Maybe.

The kids are super excited that you'll be here tomorrow night. There was actually cheering when they found out. They adore you and didn't think they would get to see you again until summer.

They know you're sick. Not that it's possibly terminal. I didn't want to burden them with that because the doctors might pull off a miracle. I can hope, anyway. They've both buried their mothers. Let's not let them know it could be worse at the moment, not until we have to.

We're actually on the planet right now. We got here about an hour ago. The kids crashed the moment they got to their room. My baby sister-in-law was sad about that. She wanted to show off her Lego collection, but the time difference was not working in our favor. Especially with us only being here for two days. Don't worry; they'll be almost functional when we see you for dinner tomorrow.

Since we're on planet, you should get this like a standard email. I hope so, Anyway. I am going to bed. I'll see you tomorrow.

PS: Bring tea and good lemon bars.

Xxxx

Starfleet priority message for Cadet Elizabeth Chen from Lieutenant Commander Sulu

I am sending this as a rapid message before falling asleep so that you will get it before the video call tomorrow (or today, depending on the time difference.) Are you participating in the call? You need to. Gina has something special planned. No, I can't tell you what.

It does mean that we must make the wedding day discussion short. I'm okay with moving the wedding. I don't need it to be around Baby D's birthday. I think I was using that as an excuse to guarantee I would be there for her birthday. I might still be around for her birthday If we do the wedding in late May. I plan to take some shore leave for my honeymoon while everybody else is at Babel.

I agree that it might not be just the poly thing. I've heard things from Zoe. She is staying at the ambassador's compound in one of the guest houses. (He has a few to host visiting diplomats now.) She's going to talk to her mom alone. We're going to need your help to do that. Can you get Zoe's mom to the long-range conference room an hour earlier than everybody else? Well, everybody but Ben and Sue. The kids can be there. The kids should be there. They will keep everyone calm.

I promise to write you and the kids a longer letter soon, probably with pictures from the amusement park. I've been talked into being a chaperone. I have many things I want to say about your boyfriend. Mostly that I feel like he's an idiot.

Xxx

Starfleet priority message for Lieutenant Commander Sulu from Cadet Elizabeth Chen

Oh, there will be a longer letter at some point.

I got her there. Zoe and her mom are talking right now. I'm picking up an angry mix of Mandarin and standard from just outside the door. Things are not going well. I should thank my mom for making me take Mandarin lessons. Don't worry; the babies are now safe with me.

Xxx

"Daddy, miss you." Her baby girl said the moment her daddy popped up on the screen. Desi then proceeded to get out of Sue's lap and attempted to hug the viewscreen.

"Daddy misses you too. I'm so happy to see you." Hikaru told them.

"We are, too, but nowhere near as happy as our children. Demora, stop hugging the screen." Ben commented as Sue bent over to grab her daughter.

"Glad to see you're good at climbing, my little girl. I'm glad you're all here. Well, almost all of you. Where is Liz? I got a rapid message from her."

"With Nana." Sue's sort of stepdaughter answered.

"Hopefully, Nana isn't yelling at your aunt right now." Ben sighed.

"It was necessary. Her animosity was getting out of control." Sue pointed out.

"It was." Ben agreed reluctantly. "Liz will be back with us in a few minutes. But she wanted to give us time to talk wedding stuff alone."

"That makes sense. Gina is outside of the room, waiting to get in." Sue smirked at that.

"If it's to tell me she just got engaged, I know. The girlfriend asked for my blessing." Sue explained.

"It is. I believe Josephine sent video." Hikaru commented.

"Good to know. Although I expected them to wait until after the Enterprise Minors Program is officially renewed." Sue added.

"If that doesn't happen, Gina will now have citizenship. It will be easier for her to work at the International School." Hikaru told them.

"Gina's girlfriend has always been super pragmatic." She shouldn't be surprised at all about the quick engagement.

"This is true.

"And now she's worried about the program getting canceled because people are mad at Mom," Sue said.

"Are people mad at your mom because of Liz?" Hikaru asked.

"Honestly, no. However, some factions are unhappy with a woman being in charge. They're acting like cranky toddlers, and my mom is trying not to rock the boat to keep them on her good side." Sue explained.

"I'm not going to argue against that."

"Since my mom cannot rearrange things and Enterprise is stuck faring diplomats to Babel again, what are the best options for your wedding day?" Sue asked.

"Currently, Enterprise will most likely be picking up diplomats from Yorktown on or around May 30."

"The 29th would be a good day for a wedding," Ben suggested.

"I think so. Unless the next round of exploration goes crazy, we definitely can be at Yorktown by May 29. It might even be better if we're early.

"It's best not to leave Ambassadors waiting," Ben told his fiancée.

"Exactly. Although, how much groveling will I have to do to my sister because we moved up the wedding ten days?"

"Not much except possibly a good bottle of wine," Sue suggested. "Or lemon bar since you are on Vulcan right now."

"Your sister was already asking us to move the wedding forward or back when she found out the days were originally aligned with the Federation General Assembly. She only stopped sending us emails about that when it was officially moved back to Babel for a final year due to construction delays." Ben explained.

"I honestly think the only reason you got the honeymoon suite was that the hotel owner already knew the conference was moving back to Babel," Sue explained.

"Possibly," Hikaru commented as Liz stepped back into the conference room and sat beside her. Baby K quickly went over to sit with her aunt.

"OK, the mother-in-law is safely tucked away at the bar next door," Liz said as she grabbed the child from the floor.

"Is that good or bad?" Hikaru asked. Sue responded by just shrugging her shoulders.

"I will deal with it." Which was Liz, for 'we need to talk about this later.' "So, did you choose a new wedding day?"

"May 29 for now," Ben answered.

"Although that could change," Hikaru added.

"Yeah, I don't think your sister will be happy about a flexible wedding date," Liz answered.

"You're probably right about that," Ben replied.

"She will get over it. Besides, we're going to have a simple wedding. Those do not take that long to put together. I'm getting good at it. Ask Gina." Hikaru smirked.

"I would if she was here." That's when Hikaru opened the door, and Gina and her fiancé walked in. Both were dressed in traditional Vulcan attire. Very fancy Vulcan attire. Even more so than for the state dinner back in December.

"OK, show me the ring." She told her best friend.

"I didn't get a ring; I got a 'will you marry me' cookie," Gina told her friend.

"We don't do rings in Vulcan culture because hands are sacred." Gina's fiancé explained.

"Doesn't your boss have a wedding ring?" Sue is sure she's seen the Vulcan wearing one.

"He's half-human," Hikaru just shrugged as if that explained it.

"Point," Sue said just as Jim walked into the room.

"Also, I just wanted my husband to carry the intergalactic sign of get the fuck away from him. Hey, are you guys ready for us to start?" Jim asked, and Sue was very confused.

"Tell the ambassador we are ready to start the wedding ceremony," Gina stated. That resulted in Sue giving her a perplexed look.

"We don't want to wait to get married, so we're doing this now so you can be there at least virtually," Gina explained.

"Your mom is going to be so mad. She's been planning your wedding since you were six."

"I'm aware. We will do an earth ceremony in a couple of years."

"Citizenship?" Sue asked.

"Citizenship. If the Enterprise education program continues, Snuggles will join us as the VSA's rep for the next two years." Gina explained.

"If it doesn't, Gina will come here and take a teaching job at the International School." Her fiancé added as she entwined their fingers together.

"They'll need more teachers as more diplomats arrive," Gina explained. "I might end up working there anyway after the two years. Hopefully, your mom can find more teachers by that point."

"If the program continues and expands, she will have to for the other ships." Sue pointed out.

"If you are done speaking, I want to begin the ceremony." Spock's father walked into the large conference room, followed by the others.

"We're ready." Both women answered together.

"Let us begin." That's when Sue watched her best friend of more than two decades marry the love of her life.

To be continued…

I decided that we had to have a wedding on Valentine's Day. Gina was the winner.