Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you to isfoss86, Laura2468, bina W, CeliaSingsSongs and LadyGAGA3024 for reviewing!
My prediction became painfully true when I stumbled out of bed later that morning, my body exhausted, my eyes heavily lidded, ready to close at a moment's notice. I thought, in my tired, decaffeinated state, that it would be an excellent idea to simply fall asleep in the shower for another hour. I stripped off my sweat-soaked cut-off top and my similarly soiled panties and threw them in my laundry basket, and as I stood there in the nude, staring blankly at the controls, I remembered that I hadn't quite figured out how to work the shower.
I closed my eyes, my already stressed and overheated state crumbling as my mood soured, and then I squeezed my eyes shut and summoned the courage to do what needed to be done.
The least I could do was put on a towel, so I wrapped one around myself and took a deep breath.
"Ambassador!" I yelled, leaning wearily against the shower wall.
I heard his hurried footsteps, and I opened my bleary eyes to see his hazel irises glimmering with ire. To my frustration and ultimate shame, my eyes filled with tears, and I pointed wordlessly to the shower.
"Can't get this damn thing to work," I murmured, leaning my head back against the wall. I willed myself not to cry as I felt him come closer, but I forced myself to watch as he turned a dial and pressed a square silver button on the end of the control panel.
Waves of warmth washed over me as the sonics hummed to life, and he quickly showed me how to turn them off when I was done.
"I will leave you to it," he said stiffly, and I noted he was avoiding my gaze, or looking anywhere near me. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling, and I gripped the towel with a tighter fist.
"Thank you, ambassador," I croaked, still fighting tears of frustration. Get a hold of yourself, Forrest. "Sorry about bothering you."
"I told you when you arrived: if you need anything, ask. I would prefer you ask when you are properly dressed," he groused, then turned on his heel and marched out of my bathroom.
The sonic shower did little to relieve my frustrations, but I swallowed down my shame and made the shower a quick one, remembering that Soval had promised me a unit to cool my room, to be installed at some point today.
I walked out of my room, fully (and modestly) dressed this time, and he glanced up at my arrival and took in my outfit with cold approval.
"When are they going to install that unit?" I asked, then paused. "Good morning, and thank you again for helping me."
He nodded stiffly. "This afternoon. Your breakfast is on the table."
I opened my mouth to reply, then offered him a smile. "Thank you, ambassador. That was very considerate of you."
Although I thought he would accept this compliment with his usual disdain, for a moment, I thought I saw something darken in his eyes. He stared at me, silent and stony, then gave me the nod I expected.
"I should inform you that I am...unused to having a female fix my meals, and I am not inclined to change my routine regarding cooking. I will prepare our meals, Ms. Forrest, though you are welcome to use the cooler unit for whatever foodstuffs you wish. I know, as a human, you require a higher caloric intake than Vulcans. I will do my best to see to your needs."
My previous anger with him dissipated. "I appreciate that, ambassador. But are you sure? I know you don't eat meat, and I make some killer baked goods!"
He frowned in apparent confusion. "Do you put poison in them?"
Now it was my turn to be confused, until I realized what I had said. I laughed. "No, no, no, it's an expression! It means they're really good, to die for, if you will..."
"That is illogical," he groused.
I snickered. "You haven't tried my peanut butter pie. Anyway...alright, so you won't let me in your kitchen. Can I at least do dishes? Laundry? Something?"
He shook his head. "No, Ms. Forrest."
"But I'm a guest in your home, and on Earth, guests are expected to do something to contribute towards their host's household."
"You are not a guest, Ms. Forrest, you live here. This is your home." I thought for a wild moment that his gaze softened, but his eyes were just as cold as ever. I must have been imagining things. "I do not want you to do anything like that around here, not at this time. Focus on your studies, and I will be satisfied."
"Suit yourself," I said with a sigh, sitting down to my breakfast. "But still...there are two people living in your house now, and you're going to do all the cooking and cleaning?"
He shook his head. "I have a housekeeper. He is new, but I am confident in his abilities."
I shrugged. "Works for me."
I dug into the breakfast he had provided and did not bother hiding my enthusiasm. So far, his track record with cooking was flawless, and I told him so. He raised an eyebrow and kept reading his PADD, and my mood slowly began to sour. Though I did see a flush of green touch the tips of his ears, so maybe he just wasn't used to compliments.
The rest of the morning was spent in silence, with the ambassador reading his PADD so intently I thought his eyes might pop out of his head. He seemed to make it a point not to look at me, and yet, when I rose from my place on the couch and got myself some water, I could feel the hairs on the back of my head rise; his eyes were following me, and I whipped around to look at him.
His eyes were on his PADD.
I frowned in confusion and sat back down, getting back to work, and still, I couldn't shake the feeling that he was watching me. But every time I looked up to try and catch him in the act, his eyes were fixed on his PADD.
I could only sigh.
…
After lunch, the day descended into a warm, sleepy afternoon, dragging me down with it. I had to keep moving around on the couch and sitting up straighter, but after my tenth yawn, I stood and stretched my arms above my head.
The ambassador was still focused on what I presumed was his work, and I retreated to my still-too-hot bedroom to change my clothes. He had ignored me since breakfast, but I apparently got his attention when I strolled out in exercise clothes and my good running shoes.
"Where are you going?" he asked coldly, perhaps sensing my urge to get out of this too-warm suite. I stifled another yawn and loaded up my running pack.
"Out for a while," I replied. "I'm going for a run. I'll be back in an hour, hour and a half tops."
His expression twisted from bemusement to ire, and I raised an eyebrow at him. I was still in the post-lunch lull and was too tired to argue, but I waited for him to speak his piece.
"I would rather you stay inside," he rumbled, his eyes glazed in...worry? I put my hands on my hips.
"Don't worry about me, ambassador. I'll be fine. The area around the Consulate is very safe. I'll be around the block a few times, and then I'll be back. All right?"
He opened his mouth, perhaps to protest, but I turned back to my pack when I heard a sharp knock at the door. Soval rushed to get it, and I assumed it was either the maintenance crew here for the cooler unit, or some aide giving my new roommate a report or here to discuss Vulcan business. Either way, it was time for me to bail and get out of the ambassador's hair.
Soval was the only Vulcan I had ever been around for more than a few minutes, but the maintenance crew, composed of three Vulcan men well into their 40's (or so it looked to me; I was very bad at estimating Vulcan ages), would be here for quite a while, it seemed. Two had warm brown eyes like the ambassador, and the other gazed intently at me with bright blue irises. All of them had streaks of gray in their hair, and they were tall, taller than my dad. I had the oddest sensation that they were looming over me, and to my surprise, Soval's warm fingers wrapped around my arm and he steered me to the door.
"You were going to go run, Ms. Forrest?" he said firmly, blocking my view of the maintenance men. They all seemed to be trying to get a good look at me, and I stared at the ambassador in utter confusion.
"Yes," I said finally, coming to my senses. "Yeah, it's best to get out of your way."
"That is very logical," he conceded. "I will walk you to the door while they begin in your room."
He pulled me away from the door before I could protest or get a better look at these men, and his grip on my arm was almost painful. Thankfully, he lessened it as we stepped into a turbolift, and perhaps it was the sight of the empty, silent lobby that finally loosened his grip.
"Just around the block, you said?" he murmured, gently prodding me towards the door.
"A few times, yeah. I like to run at least three miles a week, five if I can make the time. I might stop for some coffee on the way back."
"Please do so," he insisted, opening the door for me. The front courtyard was just as empty as the lobby even though it was turning into a nice day outside. It was cool and clear, and the sun beat down in warm waves as he pressed insistently on my lower back.
"Um...ambassador?"
"Yes, Ms. Forrest?" He didn't seem to be concentrating on me, but rather was staring over his shoulder at the imposing facade of his Consulate, as if he feared we were being followed.
"How do I get back in?"
"The guards know you," he said swiftly, nearly pushing me out the rust-colored, wrought-iron gates. "They will let you back in."
I stared incredulously at him as he threw another glance over his shoulder, and I put my hands back on my hips. "Ambassador, what on Earth was all that about?"
His gaze was like fire as he turned back to me. "You were going to run, Ms. Forrest. I suggest you do so."
"You were totally against this five minutes ago, but the second the maintenance guys show up, you're practically shoving me out the door? I don't get it."
"Ms. Forrest, your run."
I stomped my foot in my anger and took a step towards him, making him raise his chin. "What. The. Hell? I don't understand you, ambassador...you are just..."
I growled and threw up my arms in frustration, and I could feel his eyes boring into my back as I walked several paces along the outer courtyard wall, then started stretching.
He frowned at me as I put my hands up against the wall to stretch my legs, but I simply narrowed my eyes again and took off at a sprint as soon as I was done with my stretches.
After rounding the corner of the block, I slowed, my heart pounding from exertion; I couldn't make heads or tails of Soval's behavior towards those men. They didn't look dangerous. Hell, they looked way more friendly than Soval did. One minute, the man pays me as much heed as he does his furniture, and the next, he's acting as if he can't stand the thought of me being in the presence of other Vulcans.
My mind turned the issue over in my head, and although several theories presented themselves, the most rational was that the ambassador was afraid the maintenance men would either hurt me or charm me so much I would leave his presence, although I didn't see how I could do that considering the governments of both Vulcan and Earth had demanded that I reside with Soval. His behavior this morning, while confusing and erratic, suggested that he found the thought of me leaving unpleasant, even though he had made no previous indication during our very limited interactions that he found my presence compelling. It was so odd to be ignored, then hogged when anyone else came into the picture. I felt as if I were a toy that Soval only wanted to play with when other Vulcans showed interest in it.
And my father had already disillusioned me of the notion that Vulcans were antisocial creatures (after he had been disillusioned of that same notion from Ambassador Soval himself). I found the thought that the other Vulcans would hurt me to be quite ludicrous, after all, they had looked as if they were eager to socialize. This further ingrained my personal theory about my toy status, and it made me confused more than anything. Soval was infamous for his unpleasant and cantankerous behavior towards humans; most everyone, my father being a rare exception, found him an absolute pain to work with or even talk to, and yet, when I thought about it, that notion made me sad. Perhaps Soval was as bad at making friends and being pleasant as his reputation suggested, and the one person who lived with him, who at least offered her company, might be charmed away by a member of his staff at any point...
But then, this was all speculation and theory. I had no solid proof of my toy status, or that Soval felt threatened by the other males' presence, or that he was even grateful for my company.
My previous frustration with him had transmuted into a pesky sort of confusion, and it seemed I couldn't turn off my brain from wandering back to my questions. And more questions joined them on my third trip around the block: why was I of all people chosen for this exchange program? One would think volunteering would be a prerequisite for an all-expenses-paid trip to Vulcan, and some sort of credentials to match. After all, being hired for a job at the Earth Embassy in Shi'Kahr was no easy feat. Applicants had to represent the best that this planet had to offer, and yet they were sending me, a female of average intelligence and an incomplete degree, to Vulcan to represent my people, and somehow I had been transferred here. And in regards to either situation, I was still at a loss for answers.
Pleasantly sweaty and exhausted, and with my heart hammering in my chest, I lazily saluted the guards at the gate as they let me back in, and I strolled across the now-shaded courtyard with heavy breaths. I hurried across the flagstones to the entrance, as the loss of the late-summer sun had made Sausalito chillier than I expected, and quickly slipped into the lobby. There was still no sign of anyone, and I started to wonder if perhaps the maintenance crew, Soval and I were the only people who lived here.
However, I discovered (to my relief) that this particular theory was wrong: there was at least one other Vulcan living in the Consulate, and he was visiting with Soval when I returned to our quarters.
Wrinkles lined his aged face, his bright blue eyes peering curiously at me behind a thick frame of dusty silver hair. He looked old enough to be my great-grandfather, and strangely, he looked pleased to see me.
"This must be the infamous Genevieve Forrest I've heard about," he said, slowly rising to his feet and holding out his hand for me to shake. No Vulcan had ever extended that gesture to me or any human I knew, so in heartfelt thanks I grasped his hand with both of mine and gave him the warmest handshake I could muster. Though his face remained neutral, his eyes twinkled with appreciation, and I couldn't help but let a wide, welcoming grin touch my face.
"A pleasure to meet you, sir," I said kindly, leaning towards him as a gesture of interest. "And you are?"
"Ms. Forrest, this is Osu Timok. He was Solkar's aide before my time, and has trained many of my aides since."
"The girl will be residing with you for a year, and you can't even bring yourself to call her by her first name?" the Vulcan named Osu Timok said to Soval, as if chiding him. I couldn't believe my ears, nor could I imagine anyone talking to Soval in such a tone. The man was a respected (albeit grudgingly respected) ambassador appointed by the Vulcan High Council and the Vulcan High Command, and this man old enough to be my great-grandfather was telling him off as if he were a high school boy coming in past his curfew.
"I wouldn't want to waste time with titles," the old man continued. "You may call me Timok, little one."
He spoke with a crisp accent, almost as if he hailed from Great Britain or one of her former territories, and I found the sound of it soothing. I smiled graciously, then raised my eyebrows.
"You're sure about that? I wouldn't want to be disrespectful."
"Dear girl, if I had wanted titles to slow down our conversation, I would have insisted that you use them. I do not wish that. My name is Timok, so address me as such."
"Yes, sir!" I exclaimed with a grin, saluting him. "Mr. Timok, I have a feeling you and I will get along swimmingly."
His eyes grew warm again. "Of course we will, child. Soval has told me of all the...misunderstandings that have plagued the two of you since your arrival."
"Yes, it has been an interesting 24 hours." I caught the ambassador's gaze and was surprised to see how dark and intense his eyes were. His nostrils were flared, perhaps in irritation, but he was breathing deeply, inhaling the air around us, sharply contrasting my labored breathes. I noted also that he had been on the couch when I first came in, and now he was at Timok's shoulder, staring intently at me with an unreadable expression.
Timok noticed this and gently looped his arm with mine, steering me once again towards the door. "Come have tea with an old man and tell me your stories from your perspective," he suggested out of the blue, and I frowned.
"I'm starting to think there's an airborne poison in these rooms you're not telling me about," I said as the door closed, casting one last look at Soval. "That or he can't stand the stench of my sweat."
"It is not a stench, dear girl, but I would not linger near him after vigorous exercise."
"Because I smell bad," I said with a shrug. "I was going to take a shower, you know. I'm not offending you, am I?"
"No, dear girl, it would take more than your amplified scent to offend me. Forgive me for not taking you away sooner. I should have intercepted you as soon as you came in the door."
"I don't understand," I muttered, but my protests were brushed aside as we passed a male Vulcan. He was not on the maintenance team, as his eyes were more golden than brown, and his gaze made me shiver as he caught my eye. Timok said something in Vulcan to the man as we passed closer, and the man bowed his head in respect. I looked back at him, offering him a polite smile and a nod, and I could feel him watching me until we rounded the corner.
"For the last 8 hours, I feel like everyone's been staring at me." We entered his quarters, which were smaller than the ones I shared with Soval, but were nonetheless cozy and comfortable. He bustled about making tea, staunchly refusing my help on the account that I was his guest, and soon we were both sipping on a Vulcan blend I'd never tried. It was spicy and sweet, and the sharpness of it made my tongue tingle.
"Vulcans may be reserved, but we appreciate beauty."
I could feel my face flush, and I vigorously shook my head. "I guess no human's been in the Consulate for an extended amount of time, have they?"
"We've had human employees before, but they have been...relieved of duty."
I frowned. "Why?"
Timok sighed and poured himself more tea. "It was necessary...as you've experienced, you will be stared at during your stay here...unless Soval does something about it."
My next sip of tea went down too quickly, and I coughed to clear my windpipe. "No offense to the ambassador, but I doubt that'll happen soon."
He shrugged. "Be prepared for any outcome, Genie Forrest. Vulcans can be unpredictable creatures, especially in such times as these."
"What time would that be?"
The old man shook his head, his expression sad, almost devastated. "I hope one day I have the courage to tell you all you must know. But not today. Tell me of your trials, child, and let me impart some of my own advice."
I thought about protesting, but then, I wanted the advice more than I wanted to pester. "Then we'll drop the subject for now. So it all started when my room was too hot..."