Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thanks so much to thaifighter30, wolfen281, 2redbird, mintandtea, Laura2468, Artanaro, einzel, carolines, Catherine Grey, cataloo456, Rena and the anon reviewer for reviewing.

I slid the last box towards the entrance of the storage unit, where my father was waiting to receive it. Soval stood ready by the aircar, and he and my dad lifted the box onto the other seven, and closed the back.

"I did not realize your winter holidays required so many decorations," the Vulcan said, stepping forward to help me out of the storage unit. I held his shoulder and jumped down.

"It's not a requirement, ambassador, but I thought I might as well go all out. If I don't get to decorate like this now, while we're in the exchange together, when will I?"

Soval bowed his head in quiet acknowledgment, but my dad rolled his eyes. "You're just like your mother. Does he really need to see more than a tree, Genie?"

The ambassador raised an eyebrow. "Does decorating for this holiday make you happy, Genevieve?" he asked me. I smiled.

"Very."

"Then we will decorate as much as you like...within reason."

The admiral sighed. "How many decorations do you have? Give me the lowdown here."

"Artificial tree," I started, pointing to the largest box, "two boxes of ornaments, two boxes of tinsel and garland and wreaths, a box of lights and another of hooks, various accessories and my Christmas tins. Which is less than half of what Mom has."

"Yeah, and guess who gets to put that up, ambassador?"

"I would be pleased to help your daughter in this holiday ritual, and you and your wife if you do not feel up to the task."

I hid my smile in a cough and pretended to make sure the aircar was securely shut. "I won't make him help me do anything, dad," I promised. "Besides, there's still his shoulder to think about."

When we asked my dad to help us get these boxes out of storage, the issue of the ambassador's injured shoulder came up, so Soval fed him a fake story about straining it in a martial arts match. Dad didn't question it.

"But I want to help you," Soval protested. "You should not undertake this large a task on your own. In any case, it seems preparing for this holiday is half of the enjoyment."

We locked up the storage unit and I said my goodbyes to Dad, thanking him once again for his help. I assured him that the Consulate staff could assist us once we returned to Sausalito, so he walked back to his flitter, and we climbed into Soval's aircar.

Once we were airborne, I leaned back in my seat. "How is your shoulder, by the way?" I asked gently. He sighed.

"It is healing," he replied, and I heard in his voice that same weariness he had displayed two days ago when he was attacked. Carefully, slowly, I reached out and barely touched his forearm. He did not shy from my touch, which was encouraging.

"Sorak and the other aide?"

"The doctor assures me their injuries will heal swiftly. They are younger, more fit to rebound from injury."

"Ok." I made sure my tone was still very gentle, and I withdrew my hand. "Have you ever decorated for Christmas before?"

"The humans in the archives office would put out an evergreen each year. It is my understanding that you follow the same practice?"

I smiled encouragingly; it was obvious to me now that talking about the attack and his injuries (and the two staff members injured on his behalf) made him uncomfortable. "Yes, that tradition actually comes from the pagans of ancient times. Modern Christmas tradition kind of stole a lot from other festivals, so...it's become a hodgepodge of winter celebration. Not the only one in the world, mind you. If I remember correctly, there's something like twenty different winter holidays celebrated between November and January. Christmas is simply the most practiced tradition in this part of the world, or at least one of them."

"I see." He straightened in his seat, and I could sense him latching on to this new topic of conversation. "And on Christmas, it is traditional to give gifts to friends and family, correct?"

"Correct. You wrap them, label them and leave them under the tree until the day of."

He pondered this for a moment. "What gift should I give you?"

"Oh no, you don't have to give me anything, trust me. It's ok. I–"

"Genevieve, I insist. What would you like?"

I shook my head, too tired to argue. "I haven't given it much thought, what with finals and all. I'll let you know."

"Do I have your word that you will?" He gave me a stern look. "If you have not given me proper suggestions by the end of the week, I will contact your parents and ask them. Though they know you better than I, there is not accounting for taste...did I use the phrase correctly?"

I couldn't help but smirk. "Yes, you got it right. I'll try to have a wish list ready for your approval...but only if you let me get you something in return. I won't have this go only one way. The point is to exchange gifts. And you don't tell the other person what you're getting them so it's a surprise."

He nodded gravely, as if he had just finished a negotiation with another ambassador. "I accept these terms, and I look forward to reading your list."

I smiled at him, but then the smile slipped away as I stared out the window. Now that I thought about it, I wasn't sure what in the world Soval could want for Christmas. Perhaps I should do some reconnaissance and talk to his closest friends for possible gifts for the Vulcan who probably had everything. Well, not everything per say, but what did one get for a grumpy old Vulcan?

…

By the time the Christmas tree twinkled merrily in the corner, decked in every ornament I owned, I was worn from our decorating extravaganza. Every doorway was framed in garland, stockings hung from the comm and from the window, and tins adorned the tops of the cabinets. Timok hung another stocking above the window and stepped off the step-stool, and he and Soval joined me on the couch.

"I believe we have outdone the archives office," the ambassador said. "Are you satisfied, Genevieve?"

"Are you?" I asked. He raised his eyebrows.

"It is...very festive."

Sorak, who had helped with the light duties of unpacking boxes and hooking ornaments, shifted the last box onto the hover-dolly and carefully straightened. "Osu, what shall I do with these boxes?"

"Designate a place from them in storage until it is time to pack the decorations up."

"Sorak, let me help you!" I insisted, jumping to my feet. "You shouldn't do that alone!"

"I assure you, T'Sai, I can manage–"

"No, I insist. Just lead the way."

Sorak looked apprehensive, staring over my shoulder at Soval. The ambassador cleared his throat.

"I will assist you as well, Sorak–"

"Tos said you had a call from some higher-up that you put off to help me. Go answer it, ambassador. We can handle a few boxes."

He flared his nostrils in apparent displeasure. "The 'higher-up' in question was Senator McCabe, and I'm sure he only wishes to know our plans for the Holiday Gala. And that information can be held off for a few minutes, certainly long enough for us to set aside these boxes."

I opened my mouth to protest, but Timok stood and put a light hand on my shoulder. "I will help you and Sorak, child. Come."

He glanced at Soval over my shoulder, but I waited on Sorak to pull the hover-dolly out, then followed behind him. Timok fell in step beside me. We reached the turbolift before he spoke.

"Something is troubling you, Genevieve."

I stared at him. "What are you talking about?"

"The ambassador says you have been most disquieted these last few weeks."

"The ambassador is mistaken," I said blandly, staring at the turbolift doors. "I'm fine."

The doors opened to reveal a group of older Vulcan women, who immediately parted to let us out. I crossed my arms over my chest and hurried past them, only stopping for Timok and Sorak to catch up when I was at the end of the hall.

The task of putting up boxes, it turned out, only took about two minutes. Timok invited me to tea, but I refused, citing a heavy workload as my excuse. Sorak made to leave, but I held him back. Timok did not notice and walked on out of the room.

"Thank you," I told the aide, my voice gentle and soft. "Thank you for what you did. I can't tell you how grateful I am for your bravery."

Sorak seemed to stiffen, but then he relaxed. "It was the logical course of action to take. Soval required my aid and I rendered it. That is all."

I touched his shoulder, gripping it ever so slightly. "And you were very good for doing so. I appreciate your courage."

"T'Sai, the ambassador is waiting for you to–"

"Sorak, listen to me for a second," I said firmly, and he fell silent. "Thank you."

He was silent for another few seconds before he spoke, low and slow. "I come to serve."

"So do I," I said with a smile. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

He grew slightly pale at my statement, and I frowned. Was I really that awful that offers of friendship were met with fear and disgust? I could feel my expression falter, but Sorak, seemingly realizing this, tentatively reached out and touched my shoulder in return.

"The ambassador would not be pleased to hear you say that."

"If the ambassador has a problem with me offering help to someone who helped him, he's not nearly as good a man as I thought he was."

Sorak looked pained by my words. "Soval is...he worries about you, Ms. Forrest. He is concerned that you are not happy in his care. No Vulcan could bear the thought of a woman unhappy in his company."

"My problems are my own business," I insisted coolly, "and the ambassador is under no obligation to give one single whit about me. I'm still not sure why this matters so much, but I guess you would know that better than I would."

Timok appeared at my shoulder, startling me. "What?" I asked stupidly.

"The ambassador requests your presence in his office."

"Why?"

"He wishes to speak to you," the elder Vulcan replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Sorak murmured something about doing paperwork in his quarters, and Timok dismissed him with a gentle tone. Then he led me to the third floor, to the door to Soval's office, and he knocked for me before leaving me alone.

"Come in," came the quiet summons. The ambassador was waiting for me, sitting serenely at his desk; the afternoon light filtering through the window cast a bright halo around him, as if he were some angel descended from heaven to talk to me.

"You wanted to speak to me?" I asked as I obeyed his gesture to sit.

"Yes," he said, folding his hands so that his fingertips touched. "Senator McCabe is most anxious to know if you are coming with me to the Holiday Gala."

I blinked and pulled out my PADD. "What day?"

"The nineteenth."

"I don't have anything going on. School ends this next Wednesday."

For a moment it looked as if he were smiling. "So you will accompany me?"

I opened my mouth to speak, then paused. "I don't have anything to wear."

"Do not concern yourself with that. I will acquire robes for you. Is there anything else?"

"No," I replied, rising from my chair. He stood as well. "I better get back to studying."

Soval nodded and sat back down at his desk, and I escaped back to my room.

He made good on his promise; I stood before him a few days before the Gala in stunning periwinkle robes so delicate that I wasn't sure if they were silk or something even lighter and softer. The cloth was made on Vulcan, made for conditions on that desert planet, so he had found Earth-made thermals for me to wear as a base layer.

"They're beautiful," I breathed. "Thank you."

I could have sworn his eyes twinkled.

…

Over the years I had seen plenty of festive decorations for the season, but I had to admit, this Holiday Gala outshone them all. Festoons of holly were strung over the large bay windows across from the entrance, the large chandeliers were wrapped in red and gold, and several Christmas trees stood at intervals around the gallery. The room was already packed with people, all dressed in elegant suits and gowns, every wrist encased in gold and silver and platinum, every hand encrusted with expensive rings. As a last-minute surprise, the ambassador had loaned me Vulcan jewels to wear around my neck and on my fingers, but even with that, I felt underdressed.

I felt a warm hand take my arm, and I stopped him and instead linked our arms so I wouldn't lose him in the crowd.

The first person to see was Senator McCabe, and I thanked him for inviting me. Three more senators wandered up during our exchange, and soon I was once more swept along on a seemingly endless string of introductions, but this time, I clung tightly to Soval, keeping him as close as I could.

I was secretly relieved to see that no one put up the facade of being delighted at the mere sight of me; Soval and I made the rounds, meeting senators, representatives to the Speaker, diplomatic aides, wealthy businessmen – almost everyone but the President of Earth himself. And I realized that though no one was explicitly rude to the ambassador, no one seemed happy to see him, except for McCabe. He put on a smile and led us (mostly me) around the hall, cracking jokes to me and to his fellow senators.

I had to admit the man had a certain charisma about him; no wonder he had won his campaign for a seat in the Senate. I was only just now realizing what Soval meant by McCabe being charming, and I appreciated his buoyant personality more now than I did when we first met.

"May I get you a drink?" Soval asked, once McCabe made his excuses and wandered off to see to some other group. "The toasting will begin soon and it would not do for you to be without a glass."

"Ok," I said, and he hurried off to get drinks. I glanced around at the crowd, and they were all absorbed in their own conversations. No one made any attempt to talk to me, and I fiddled with my robes.

"Genie?"

I turned towards the voice and my heart sunk into my stomach. A tall, handsome man with sandy blonde hair and bright brown eyes stood before me, his suit pressed, his wrist glittering with a pricey, name-brand watch, his teeth incredibly white as he smiled at me.

"Genie Forrest!" he exclaimed, and without preamble, pulled me into a tight bear hug. I flinched and stiffened (though he made no notice of that). Once he pulled away, Samuel Gardner's gaze raked over me and he laughed.

"What in the world are you wearing? I almost didn't recognize you!"

"I didn't have anything to wear for this, so my date got this for me."

"Who's your date?" he asked, smirking as he looked over my robes again. "He has odd taste."

"These are Vulcan robes," I said dryly. He frowned.

"So your boyfriend is, what, one of those weird guys who really likes Vulcans? Is this some sort of fetish thing, or...?"

I glared at him. "Put two and two together, Sam, and he's not my boyfriend."

As if waiting for his cue, Soval appeared at my side and handed me a drink. I sniffed it, appreciating the rose gold depths of the liquid. "What is it?"

"Champagne. 2073 vintage, if I remember the bottle correctly."

"What, do you have a computer in your head or something?"

Perhaps Sam thought the ambassador wouldn't hear him, but even I heard his comment, even muttered under his breath.

"No," Soval replied coldly, "simply an exceptional memory, Mr...?"

"Gardner," he said automatically, but turned to me as if we were sharing some private joke. I stared blankly at him, letting him stew in his own embarrassment.

"This is your date?" he asked me incredulously. I nodded. "Well, that explains the clothes."

I sipped my champagne and sneaked a sidelong glance at my exchange partner. He stared at Sam with eyes that would chill a smarter man's blood, but the young man pretended not to notice.

"Who's aide are you?" Soval asked coldly.

"How do you know I'm not a senator?"

"I know all of them by name. Who's aide are you?"

Sam was quiet a moment. "Senator Barlow."

"You must be rather new, because most aides learn quickly that upsetting an ambassador or his companion is a surefire road towards dismissal."

To his credit, Sam frowned apologetically and asked, "Have I upset you? Or your date?"

Soval flared his nostrils. "Make certain you do not."

The young man glared at the ambassador, then shook his head. "I'll make sure of that. If you'll excuse me, I do believe we'll be starting the toasting soon. It was good to see you again, Genie."

"Mm-hm," I murmured, sipping my drink. "See you around, I guess."

He slipped off with a cold nod to my companion, and I looked at him, nursing my champagne.

"Most disagreeable," the ambassador murmured, then tore his gaze away from Gardner's retreating form and focused on me. I couldn't help but notice his eyes softened as they found mine, and I took an extra-large sip of champagne.

"You spoke as if you knew him," he said, his eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly.

"I did. We went to high school together, and there's that whole thing of our fathers being in the same building and all."

Soval seemed surprised. "That is Admiral Gardner's son?"

"Yes, but they're estranged. I had heard through the rumor mill that he had gotten into the lower ranks of the Senate, but I didn't think I'd see him of all people here tonight." I took a morose sip of my drink. "He hasn't improved since high school."

"With an attitude like that, I wonder how he got into the Senate in the first place."

I sighed. "Probably good connections...that or his looks."

My companion's eyes were cold as he glared at me. "You find him attractive?"

"I used to, back in high school," I said quietly. "Until he screwed me over. A leech would make for better company than him."

His expression hardened. "He has wronged you?"

"He was young, I was stupid...maybe he's changed...but probably not."

A look of alarm crossed the ambassador's face, and I frowned at him. "What is it?"

He leaned in close, his eyes dark with a dangerous look. "He has not...pressured you into sexual misconduct, has he?"

"No!" I hissed, shaking my head vehemently. "No, no, no, he–"

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for your generous turnout tonight, and may I be the first to say, happy holidays!"

A senator's voice broke into our conversation, and I sighed. "I'll tell you later," I whispered in his ear, and he nodded somberly, glaring in the general direction where Sam had disappeared. I concentrated on the speech as best I could, but I couldn't help but dwell on the fact that Soval disliked Gardner as much, if not more than I did, and that the thought of Sam hurting me irritated him. I smiled into my drink; maybe this evening wouldn't turn out so bad after all.

A/N: So so sorry about the long wait, guys, this chapter was so hard to slog through. I hope to have an update much sooner this time around. Again, sorry for the delays.