Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thanks for all the reviews.

I zipped my motorcycle into the parking garage and pulled into the little corner I had been assigned. My bike looked small next to the sleek black aircars that the ambassador had on hand, but its size allowed me to park as far away from the other vehicles as the space would allow. The garage was a spacious room, with rusty red concrete floors and walls, and one wall had even been gussied up with a mural of what I assumed was the Vulcan desert.

Hester immediately whipped off her helmet and started taking pictures of the mural and the garage, and even snapped a photo of the aircars for my uncle to gawk at. She had braided her mouse-brown hair into pigtails for this occasion, and had donned a modest, feminine blouse, even nicer than her usual girly attire. She handed over her helmet and shifted from foot to foot as I set them on my bike.

"Don't you think you should take those with you?" she asked. I shook my head.

"Vulcans don't steal. They'll be just fine, and like you saw, you have to have an access card to get in here." I jingled my keyring to accentuate my point. Footsteps disrupted my train of thought, and I smiled when I saw Timok striding towards us, his robes billowing behind him; he cut an impressive figure, and I could tell that Hester was put off by this. She flushed as soon as she saw him and adjusted the hem of her sweater, clutching her notepads to her chest with a death grip.

Timok slowed his pace as he approached us. "No need to be frightened, my dear," he said with the barest hint of a smirk. She slowly raised her eyes to meet his. "Welcome to the Vulcan Consulate."

As when he first met me, he held out his withered hand for her to take, and she smiled as she shook it, nervously tucking a stray strand of hair out of her face when she let go. "Thank you so much for letting me come," she muttered, biting her lip as the nerves took back over. "I really appreciate it, and I promise I won't make any trouble."

"I know that, Hester Forrest," the old man replied. "Come, the garden awaits. Though I can show you a few notable rooms along the way if you like."

I frowned. "I thought Soval was restricting her visit to the garden."

"Your people have a saying...what he doesn't know won't hurt him." He raised an eyebrow at me, then commenced the tour. "As you have already noticed, this is the parking garage. The main Consulate is through here."

I smirked at Hester and put my arm around her as we followed Timok through the doors, leaving the cool stone garage behind. The hallway we entered was warm and dry, and lined with tapestries, the same as on the fifth floor. I hadn't spent much time on the first, second or third floors where the offices were kept, and this excited me as much as it excited Hester. Although Soval didn't want her to be a nuisance, it felt so good to be a rebel for a little while and break his rules, even in a small way. I knew my cousin better than he ever could, I knew the most his staff would see of her was a shy smile and halfhearted wave. How that was a distraction was beyond me.

In fact, we hardly saw anyone as we made our way through the Consulate. The Vulcans in the offices gave us a polite nod and immediately went back to work, and no one spoke to us except Timok.

And yet, as we got closer to the garden, we briefly looked into the infirmary, and I swore I could feel eyes on me. I turned around to find the source of the sensation, and two Vulcan men were just coming out of one of the offices, speaking in low tones to each other. They saw us, then kept their gaze straight ahead, but I couldn't shake the feeling of eyes following us until we were outside in the garden.

Hester squealed under her breath and eagerly followed Timok to the shaded plants nearest to the building, and she took copious notes as he spouted information on his homeworld's flora.

The gardens were surprisingly lush for Vulcan tastes (I had seen pictures of what most Vulcan gardens looked like, more in line with a bonsai garden then the Hanging Gardens of Babylon), and I ascribed the overflowing plant boxes to the environment. Here, the plants had more water to soak up, and they seemed to flourish in the moist, cooler air. Though I did spy some heat lamps spaced evenly on the walls surrounding us.

The outer rim sported plants that preferred shade over sunlight, and three more inner circles supplied space for more sun-loving flora. Flowers of different hues bloomed in some plant boxes, and I saw several species of evergreen, some from Earth, and a few that did not look native to this planet; all of them were trimmed into bonsai height. Perhaps the bright orange hue gave their alien origins away, though I supposed with that color they could hardly be called evergreen. But they looked like small Douglas firs to me.

Taller trees were housed plant boxes large enough to accommodate their height, and (I'm not sure why it amused me so much, but it did) I noticed the majority of the trees were of the palm variety. Strange that a tropical tree could grow so well in San Francisco, but maybe it was the heat combined with the moisture. Well-maintained mimosas peaked out a few corners, along with trumpet vines and ivy and several other climbing vines that again looked rather alien. In the very back of the garden, I could have sworn I saw several species of fungi and lichen decorating some spare logs and boulders. And in the middle of the garden, to top it all off, splashed a large fountain, complete with seating around the edge.

I sat down on a nearby bench and watched Timok and Hester make their rounds, the latter scribbling away on her notepad, and I chanced a few glances back towards the building. I still couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. My irritation with Soval over this ordeal waxed and waned, and I sighed, longing to let it all go, but holding a grudge felt good for the moment.

It wasn't as if Hester was a distraction at all. Soval didn't know the definition of distraction if he thought Hester would have made that much of a commotion. A distraction was a two-year-old banging on pots and pans, and I had the strongest urge to find a child and let them loose in the Consulate hallways. But Hester...she was a mild curiosity at best.

Another thing that made his indignation seem more like stubbornness was the fact that the Consulate had hosted human employees before, and no one complained about them. If fifteen or so humans could go about their business without disturbing anyone, why was one human such a big deal?

Let it go, I told myself. Just let it go. The important thing is that Hester is here, and she's happy, and she's learning loads. How she got here doesn't matter anymore.

I breathed out, closing my eyes as I clenched and unclenched my fists. Let it all go.

"Genie!" my cousin called to me. "Come look at this!"

I smiled at her and hopped off my bench, telling myself that my problems over visitation were under that bench, and I wasn't picking them up again.

…

"Did Ms. Forrest find her visit agreeable?" Soval said, half an hour after I got back from dropping my cousin off at her dorm. "I trust Timok was an acceptable guide."

"Yeah," I said with a shrug. "Yeah, I think she liked it."

We fell back into silence, and I drummed my fingers absentmindedly on the table. I had blatantly refused to think about what he had done this morning, and I was to the point of writing it off as some bizarre dream. I was just lonely, sexually frustrated, and projecting some crazy fantasy onto the ambassador, because I hadn't been touched like that in ages. Ok, no one could replicate that strange tingling that shot through me when he grasped my chin...

I cursed myself as chills crawled down my spine again, and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, staring resolutely at the PADD in front of me. I was reviewing my syllabus for the next week, attempting to concentrate on my work, but the moment Soval took in a deep breath, as if he were about to speak, I glanced up at him with eager eyes. Damn you, Forrest. Get a grip on yourself.

When my eyes met his, he closed his parted lips and swallowed, and I blinked, waiting for him to speak.

"My staff did not bother you?" he asked, his voice faltering ever so slightly, though I got the impression he was trying to sound collected and casual. And weirdly, I thought it was adorable. Damn you, Forrest!

"No, they didn't," I replied calmly. "Though I thought your issue was that Hester would bother them."

As I waited for an explanation, I noticed his eyes got darker, and his posture stiffened as he straightened himself. "I only wish to foster a good relationship between my staff and any visitors, and make sure my staff is given a quiet, peaceful work environment."

"Which Hester did not disturb in any conceivable fashion," I countered. "As for your staff, I saw nary a hair on their Vulcan heads, so you can stop worrying. No one was bothered today, not your staff, not Hester, not Timok. Though, this entire 'fiasco' of a visit got me thinking, and I have a question..."

I noted his throat contracting in another swallow. "Proceed."

"Maybe I shouldn't ask it. I probably won't like the answer."

He frowned at me and shifted in his seat. "I would rather you be informed. What is your question?"

"Am I, and by extension Hester...an inconvenience to you?"

Soval visibly relaxed and blinked slowly, then raised an elegantly slanted eyebrow at me. "How did you come to that conclusion, Ms. Forrest? I would be fascinated to hear your logic."

I frowned. "Well...are we?"

"No," he said firmly. "You are not an inconvenience. What would make you say such a thing?"

"I was just curious...you know...I feel like this visit was a huge pain in your neck, and it was such a nuisance and a hassle to let one human come inside your Consulate. It doesn't match up with your previous policies, it makes my continued presence here awkward, and I'm just confused. I'll give you this, ambassador, you know how to keep me guessing."

His neutral expression twisted into a grimace before he righted himself. "Hester's visit was unique, and I will admit, it was...not easy to convince my staff that my handling of this matter was for the best."

"Wait, your own staff didn't like your decision?" I realized aloud. He sighed.

"Some protested, using your exact arguments. But again, I assert that her visit was a unique situation, and had to be treated delicately."

"And you're not going to tell me why."

"That is confidential."

"All right," I conceded. "Let's just drop the subject. Hester came, she had fun, she learned loads, and that's all that matters." I spoke mostly to myself in that moment, breathing out a slow breath and urging myself to be reasonable. I wasn't privy to Vulcan business, and there was no problem with that. It wasn't my concern, and I wouldn't make it my concern. Hester's visit was over, and there was no reason to dwell on this any longer.

My eyes were fixed on my PADD as I conceded to him, but I could still feel his eyes on me, and I glanced up at him. His warm brown eyes stared unfaltering at me, and I swallowed thickly.

"Well, that is all that matters in the end, right? No harm, no foul! No one was disturbed, Hester got her botany lesson...am I wrong here?"

He blinked. "No, you are correct." He paused for a moment, perhaps choosing his words with care. I stiffened my posture on instinct, bracing myself for whatever argument he brought up next. "I am...pleased that Ms. Forrest's education was furthered today, Genevieve. And...I thank you for not pressing me further on this matter."

"Hey," I said with a snort, raising my hands up in surrender. "I know there are lines you don't cross, and I'm sorry I stepped on yours. I'll try not to do it again. I just don't like the thought of anyone finding my sweet little cousin a nuisance."

"She is not a nuisance," he assured me gently. "My reasons for approaching this matter as I did–"

" –were logical and well thought out...ambassador, you don't have to explain yourself to me. Let's just move on. For both our sakes."

He seemed satisfied with that answer. I smiled at him as an offering of goodwill, and he stared at me a moment longer than was technically necessary, and I thought I saw the hint of a smile turn his lips upward. He turned his attention back to his PADD.

Several minutes passed in contented silence, until he spoke again. "Earth's government has called for the Vulcan Consulate to host a press conference." He swallowed, and I tilted my head in interest. "It pertains to your situation, and if you want to attend, I could arrange that."

"A press conference..." I mused. "When is it?"

"This coming Wednesday." He glanced up at me, then back to his reading. "Were you thinking of watching it on the newsfeeds?"

"I don't know...what time is it scheduled?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "It is scheduled for 1500 hours."

"Can you tell me more about what you'll be talking about?"

"Most certainly," he said softly, his brown eyes catching mine again. "Surely you recall my conversation with the senators, regarding the High Command's new policies?"

"Yes, though most of that went straight over my head."

He frowned, and I quickly realized he didn't understand that particular expression. I smirked before answering. "I didn't understand most of it," I rephrased, and he nodded, and I could have swore he was hiding a smile.

"In any case," he continued, "I will be explaining in more detail the terms of these new policies. Perhaps you did not see my previous press conference at the beginning of August, but on Wednesday I will answer more detailed questions, mostly regarding this program. In two months, more of your people will be chosen to be exchange partners, and there is still more technology that we are able to share."

I smirked and leaned back in my chair, drawing up my schedule to write down a reminder. "Have you prepared what you're going to say?"

"Yes, and I am confident it will be received positively."

My smirk widened, and I hastily tucked a stray hair behind my ear. Though my excitement twisted in my stomach as I thought of possible questions the reporters might ask.

"Ambassador," I asked, and then I paused. He blinked. "Do you think they'll ask about me?"

He did not answer for several seconds. "Yes, Genevieve, I think the reporters will ask after you. By now, it will have been made public knowledge that you are in the program, and it is obvious that you are not on Vulcan if you were attending a social gathering with me just last week."

"True," I muttered with a sigh.

"And due to your people's propensity towards gossip," he nodded towards the comm to drive home his point, and I nodded along in unconscious agreement, "I am certain you will be asked after. Rest assured, I will not give specifics regarding your situation. You are residing within the Consulate, meeting daily with me to forward our exchange."

I smirked at how cleverly he was avoiding the juiciest tidbit of information, something the media would be all over if they knew about it: we shared a living space, and were essentially roommates. He made it sound as if I had my own quarters on a different floor and that we met in his office like two professionals, not that there was anything wrong with sharing a home with a Vulcan. I had friends who had arranged to live with a member of the opposite sex for convenience, not because they were in a relationship; what the government had arranged for me was no different, save for the male in question being an alien.

But his deft dodging of the meaty questions made me smile. Cleverness and the ability to properly utilize wordplay were attractive attributes in anyone, and of course an accomplished ambassador would know all about both.

And then I cursed myself and buried the fondness bubbling away in my chest. He was an ambassador, I was a grad student. His age didn't really bother me, but I was certain he would find the idea of a human drooling over him to be disgusting. I wasn't right for him, and there was no point in pursuing anything with him. He would never agree to it.

I sighed and picked up my PADD again, quickly accessing my calender, writing down a reminder regarding his press conference. Even if I was determined to destroy this stupid crush, maybe this new information could answer the questions I dared not ask the ambassador. I would simply have to wait and see.

"I'll probably watch the newsfeeds with Timok. But I'll see what comes up and give you an answer later, ok?"

"That is acceptable," he said, and for the briefest moment, he looked rather pleased with himself. I blinked slowly, clenching my fists in frustration. I should want to smack that smug little expression off his face, but now I thought it was charming, adorable even. I told myself I could kill this crush, bury it and forget it ever happened. Easier said than done.