Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you all so much for reviewing.

This was a conversation I had hoped I would never ever have with anyone, much less with Soval.

The day had started as normally as every other day this past week: by the time I woke up, Soval was already sitting up in his biobed, the aide or Dr. Avarak hovering around him, either adjusting the scanners or administering medicine or checking in on his condition. Breakfast was delivered shortly after, and I went to the bathroom to change my clothes. Timok would usually drop by at this point to see about Soval's progress, and once the senior aide left us alone again, I would continue reading through the books I had brought, or we would play a game.

We were halfway through a round of kal-toh when he asked the question.

"Where do you see yourself by this time next year, Genevieve?"

New Year's Eve was tonight, and instead of ignoring the holiday as I usually did, my parents were to visit us here in the Consulate and have a subdued toast once the clock hit midnight. Having already checked my feed, I knew at least one acquaintance had been proposed to today, and likely there were more proposals on the way tonight. I hadn't attended any sort of New Year's celebration in three years, and if it weren't for this exchange, I would probably be drinking alone tonight, or, if I was feeling social, maybe I would crawl down to a bar at some point and have a glass of wine there.

"I have no idea," I said vaguely, watching as he placed his piece. "A lot can happen in a year."

His brow furrowed. "I recognize that, however...I am inquiring as to what would be your ideal situation, this time next year. Where do you see yourself, ideally?"

I sighed, staring for a few minutes at the jumble of rods, though I couldn't really find any place to put it. "I really don't know. I guess I'll be living by myself again, ideally in a decent apartment, with a Master's degree and a job that pays well."

He frowned outright, staring blankly at the thin little rod in my hand. "And...?"

"What do you mean, and? There's not much else to say."

"Genevieve...your ideal situation is to be living alone, in a decent apartment, with a well-paying job as your only ambition? It is quite disheartening to think that is all you hope for in life."

"What point is there in hoping for anything more?" I shot back. "Being at least somewhat successful is enough for now, I think."

"But what about after you establish yourself in your career? Two, three, five years later? What then? Will you still be content to live alone with only your work to occupy you?"

"I have friends," I said blankly, glaring at the puzzle in front of me. I halfheartedly jabbed it into a slot and, to no one's surprise, the jumbled mess in front of me looked even worse.

"But you will have no companion to live with you?" he pressed. "You intend to live alone for the rest of your life?"

"Maybe I'll get a cat." My voice was dry and sardonic, and Soval didn't look very amused. "Why are you worrying so much about this anyway? Once this exchange is over, I'm no longer your problem. So...?"

"As I stated before, I find it disheartening to think you have no ambitions other than living alone for the rest of your days. Surely you have dreamt beyond such things. Have you not imagined life with someone else?"

I looked up at him, and I could feel the weariness in my expression. "I used to. But I've learned to temper my expectations and plan my life accordingly." My gaze flicked back down to the game. "It's your turn."

He made no move to play, but rather stared at me with an incredulous frown. "Genevieve...do you not wish to be married one day?"

"Ok, I don't understand why you're fixating on this." I sighed and crossed my arms across my chest. "To answer your question, no, I don't really expect to be married. It's not really something I actively try to focus on, and with the way my life has gone, I doubt I'll ever have to worry about it. I'd rather focus my energy on making the most of my situation, though I don't think I've done the best job of it."

"What do you mean?"

I sighed again. "If I were to grade myself on this exchange, I would flunk myself immediately. I've done an utterly lackluster job of teaching you anything, though, in my meager defense, this exchange didn't really come with directions...that being said, I've failed you...and myself. And I wonder if you would have been better off choosing someone else to lead you in this."

"You put far too much pressure on yourself," he said firmly. "If you had been sent to Vulcan to teach, you would have been given a proper curriculum and instructions, but as your status was changed on short notice, there is no need to blame yourself for this. You have helped me more than you realize." He paused, his expression almost mournful. "Why are you speaking like this, Genevieve? What has brought on this line of thought? It's not like you."

"You don't know me as well as you think," I muttered. "And I hate New Year's Eve. Maybe it's just the day."

He blinked slowly, his frown deepening. "I suppose we could both stand to get to know each other better. But I do not understand why you dislike New Year's Eve so much. Please explain."

I closed my eyes, bidding myself to not cry. "It's just...today is a day to look back on the previous year, at all you've done, but what if you haven't accomplished much of anything? What if all you've done is stagnate and wither away? Everyone else around you is getting married and having kids and being promoted and making strides in their life, and all you've done is a whole lot of nothing." I squeezed my eyes closed more tightly.

"What would make today more pleasant for you?"

"Not a whole lot." I took a deep breath. "More than anything, I'd like to look back on my life and see some accomplishments, to feel like I've made a difference somewhere, even if it's just in a small community. I'd like to think that I've made a difference in someone's life. That's why I'm trying not to focus so much on marriage right now, because I doubt I'll ever get married anyway. In the very likely event that I stay single forever, I'd want to focus my time and energy and resources into making the world a better place. That way my life can have fulfillment."

Tears welled in my eyes, but I squeezed them tighter still. "And now that I'm saying this out loud, it makes me look even more like a failure, because I had the perfect opportunity with you, but so far, I've probably done the worst job of anyone in the program. I'm so sorry for wasting your time. I'm sorry for failing to meet your expectations. And I'm sorry for crying about it now." I opened my eyes and blinked away my tears, and I saw that he had not moved his piece. "By the way, it's still your turn."

"This game is not important," he said, setting it aside, and he stared at me with mournful eyes. "Genevieve...why did you not tell me this sooner? I did not know that this affected you so. You should have told me, or Timok, or if we would not do, why not tell someone you trust?"

"Because it's none of your business, that's why." I shook my head at him. "Can we just change the subject, please?"

"Genevieve, I do not understand why you do not talk about these things. I realize it might be difficult for you to express your feelings, but I have told you that I do not find them repulsive. I want you to be happy here, and expressing your emotions on the matter might help."

"I've told you a million times, but I'll say it again," I replied stiffly. "It's not your job to make me happy. It's not your job to fix my life. It never has been, and it never will be. My problems are my own, and it's nobody's responsibility but my own to take control of them and fix them. Okay? You are not responsible for my feelings."

"Your brother specifically said-"

"Max can go die in a fire, because I am solely responsible for my own happiness. Don't you understand? I cannot need anything but myself to be happy! Being able to find contentment on your own without outside help is an essential part of being an adult, to functioning as a human! You have no part in that." Tears were now flowing freely down my cheeks, and I closed my eyes as tight as I could. "Can we please just talk about something else for once? My parents are coming later and I don't want things to be awkward."

He was silent for several moments, the tension so taught between us that I could hear nothing but my own ragged breathing and the beeping of the monitor. Suddenly I felt a presence beside me, but I couldn't bring myself to look at who had shown up.

"Do I need to separate the two of you?" Avarak asked firmly, sounding displeased. "Ambassador, need I remind you of Timok's instructions-"

"Don't blame him," I said, my voice as firm as the doctor's. "It's not his fault I'm an emotional mess. It's fine, doctor."

I could feel both of them staring at me, but soon the doctor growled something in Vulcan to Soval, and then he was gone from my side. I slowly opened my eyes to the ambassador's contrite expression, and I sighed.

"Please forgive me," he murmured. "I did not intend to make you upset. I only wanted to know your reasoning for how you feel, so I might make you happy. All I want is for you to be content in my care, Genevieve. I cannot stand to see you in pain."

"No, no, I'm sorry for getting upset." I wiped away my tears and cleared my throat. "I don't like talking about my life or the future, ok? It's just...today is the worst holiday of the year, and I'd like to focus on anything but. Sound good? Can we just finish that game?"

He nodded immediately and picked up the board, setting it once more in between us, and he finally took a turn. I scrubbed my sweater over my eyes, wiping the last of my tears away, and the game resumed as normal.

…

After a rather long nap around four, I awoke to dinner being served to Soval, and another platter waiting for me. I felt better than I had earlier, and I quietly slipped from the biobed and sat in my chair, silently taking my food from the doctor with a nod of thanks.

"If he upsets you again, let me know," Avarak said firmly, and I stared blankly up at him. He narrowed his eyes at me, but then sighed and walked away. I looked down at my food and slowly started eating, taking small, measured bites. I could feel Soval's eyes on me, but we ate in silence, and only when the medical aide had whisked our plates away did I dare speak again.

"Did my parents mention anything about dressing up for our little shindig here? Because I really don't feel like it tonight."

The ambassador's eyes roamed over my light sweater and jeans, now slightly rumpled since I had slept in them. "They said nothing of the sort. And since I am confined to a bed and must wear medical robes...I do not believe they expect us to dress formally in any way."

I sighed in relief; after my emotional outburst and subsequent rest, I really didn't feel like going anywhere.

"Genevieve?"

My gaze slowly met his.

Contriteness filled his eyes as he stared at me. "Genevieve...it was never my intention to upset you earlier. Please, forgive me for pushing you as I did. I hope you are not angry with me, but I understand if you are."

"I'm not angry with you," I assured him, and he relaxed. "I'm sorry for being so negative. I just...this day has never been great for me, but we can at least end this year on a good note, right? Can we put this behind us?"

"I would like that very much," he said, his voice gentle, his expression softening.

I smiled at him and lightly laid my hand on his wrist, and he looked down at the contact, seemingly pleased. "I don't want you to be upset with me. I only wish for you to be happy."

I slowly let out a sigh. "I know...I know you only want me to be happy and I'm reading way too much into things...like I said, I'm sorry for being negative. But anyway...until my parents get here, do you want me to read to you?"

A tiny hint of a smile touched his lips. "That would be very pleasant...but first...Genevieve, may I please make reparations for upsetting you?"

"You've already apologized. And we agreed to put this behind us."

He shook his head. "It is not a verbal apology...you said, on the night you first came to the infirmary, that if I needed anything, you would be at hand to help me. You also said that if I wished to embrace you, you would accept it if it 'made me feel better'. Please...allow me this."

"I'm not sure I follow..."

His fingers gently enclosed over my wrist, and he pulled me forward, not enough to be forceful, but enough to be insistent. I didn't resist and sat gingerly on the edge of his bed, until he worked his hand under my knee and tugged me even closer. And then, with equal parts tenderness and mischief in his eyes, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tight against him.

"I read an article once," he murmured in my ear, gently stroking my hair, "that human women need to be embraced once a day, for their health and well-being."

I smirked into his shoulder, my hands stroking languidly across his back. "I'll have to read it sometime...but what about Vulcans? Have you been lying to us all this time about touching? Does hugging a Vulcan really make him feel better?"

I meant it as a joke, but Soval pulled away and looked at me with dark eyes. "It does more good than you know...I am pleased that you trust me enough to allow this."

I frowned in skepticism, but before I could say anything, I was pulled back into his embrace, his arms tight around my waist. We stayed still for several seconds until he finally released me, and I slipped away, rubbing his shoulder as I retreated.

Immediately, I pulled out Lord of the Rings and turned to the bookmark, and I cleared my throat before taking up the tale again. He leaned back into his pillows, his eyes closed, his face serene as my voice filled the space between us. I swallowed thickly and continued reading as the weak sunlight that filtered through the windows faded into darkness, and a calm, chilly quiet settled over the last day of the year.

…

"I'm so glad you're doing better," my dad said, gripping Soval's shoulder with friendly fervor. "And already sitting up too! You'll be happy to know that the Vulcans and Starfleet are following several leads into your case, and hopefully we'll have some answers in the coming weeks. Whoever did this...we'll see them put to justice, ambassador."

"Thank you, Maxwell," Soval replied with a gentle nod. "It is agreeable to know that you are so dedicated to this case."

While they carried on their conversation, Mom strayed over to my side, pulling me into a tender hug. "How have you been?" she whispered in my ear. "I hope everything's gone well since the shooting. I can't imagine it's exactly been easy for you."

"Well, it's been alright," I replied, squeezing her to me. "I'm just glad he's okay."

"What do the doctors say?"

"That he's improving day by day." I sighed into her shoulder. "He should be fully healed by the end of the month, if everything goes well. No infections, no complications from surgery...he's done pretty well so far."

She pulled back and rubbed her hands down my arms. "It looks like you've made this infirmary your new home."

"Yup." I sighed again and stared at my unmade bed. The orderly came around mid-morning to change the sheets and make the bed up again, but since I had taken a nap later on, he hadn't been by to change them again, and I was in no mood to make the bed myself.

"Are you sure you're okay, honey? You look pale."

I turned back to her, offering a weak smile. "I'm fine, mom, just tired is all. Those biobeds aren't all that comfortable."

She stared at me sternly for a moment, but then nodded and turned to join the conversation with dad and Soval. Mom leaned on Dad's shoulder until the medical aide brought us two more chairs, and while my dad kept the talk flowing about work and some new project due to launch in the new year, I zoned out and once again checked my feed.

"Genevieve?"

I glanced up to see Soval staring intently at me, and I put my PADD down. "Did you need something?"

"I think her dad is boring her with all this talk of work," my mother commented, her voice sardonic and amused as she looked at my dad, who frowned.

"Well, what do you want to talk about, Genie? You shouldn't spend New Year's Eve with your nose in your PADD."

"Maxwell, this is her least favorite holiday. But she should take heart in knowing that she only has to endure one hour and thirty minutes more of it."

"Least favorite holiday? Genie, since when?"

I frowned at him. "Since like high school, dad. I don't like New Year's Eve. I think it's kind of pointless. But New Year's Day is alright in my book. Getting a fresh start on things, now that's a holiday I can get behind."

"What, you don't like the idea of a midnight kiss?" my father teased, and my frown deepened.

"No, I don't, but that's not why I don't like today."

"Maxwell, what is this about a midnight kiss? I don't understand."

My dad smirked at me and gestured to Soval. "You're his exchange partner, why don't you tell him about it?"

For almost a minute, I was silent, and stared dead-eyed at my dad, until his grin faltered; I turned to Soval.

"People in romantic relationships often ring in the new year with a kiss. It's become so ingrained in our culture that it's considered almost wrong and pathetic to not have someone to kiss at midnight. One of the many stupid traditions we hold that I would love to see die."

My dad's upbeat expression did not return. "Wow, Genie, way to kill the fun. What's gotten into you today?" He said it in a teasing tone, but Soval apparently didn't catch his sarcasm.

"Maxwell, did I not mention that she does not enjoy this holiday?"

He grumbled in acknowledgment and immediately took the conversation back, but this time he questioned Soval on the projects the Vulcans had announced at the press conference. This time I listened in. But even so, I didn't learn much. The unemployment office was only a few days behind schedule for their grand opening, and I took note of the address on my PADD. I had a few acquaintances I thought might want to look into this new program, and I was curious myself about the kinds of jobs open on Vulcan.

"As I have mentioned before, many of the jobs open are of manual labor and lower-level administrative duties. I know of several openings for administrative assistants in the Vulcan Science Academy and the Vulcan Military Academy. And many smaller universities are looking for teacher aides, janitors, system maintenance professionals and groundskeepers. There are plenty of opportunities in government work as well, at a very low level of course. And with this new program, we are always searching for medical personnel and teachers." He sighed. "I hope these new unemployment offices succeed. We should seize this opportunity to benefit both our people and further our alliance."

"Sounds like a dream come true for some," mom said nonchalantly, and Soval raised an eyebrow.

"We are simply doing all we can to combat this issue, Mrs. Forrest," he replied. "And we are relying on your people to aid us in this endeavor."

She shrugged and nodded in agreement, and the conversation once again drifted away to things that didn't interest me. I listened in every once and a while, but mostly I watched the clock and let myself become lost in my own thoughts.

Maybe once this exchange was over, I could apply for a job on Vulcan. I thought I was certainly qualified to work as a teacher's aide or administrative assistant.

Finally, the clock trickled down to 2355, and mom pulled up a countdown on her PADD. I could see on the screen a packed Union Square, partygoers from all over the city watching a silver ball slowly descend towards its destination.

Soval sat up and stared at the screen, which mom turned around so he could get a better view. I sat beside him and watched the ball inch towards the ground, and my parents casually chatted with each other about the things they'd like to do this coming year, and the things they hoped for.

"I don't know, Max, I think it'd be nice to have another grandchild, don't you?"

I rolled my eyes and shot a glance at Soval, who looked pensive. He caught my stare and raised his eyebrows in silent question, but I shook my head.

"Nothing," I murmured, looking back to the countdown. Four minutes left.

"What would you like to happen in this new year, Genevieve?"

His voice was soft and low, so quiet I could barely hear him, but it seemed he didn't want to distract my parents from their conversation.

"Me?" I whispered, then paused, my eyes still on the countdown. Three minutes. "I'd like to be happier...I'd like to make myself happier."

A shadow of a smile crossed his face, and I felt his fingers encircle my wrist. "If at any time you need assistance with that wish," he said very softly and deliberately, his eyes focused on the countdown, "please inform me. If I can make you happy in any way, I would want to know...so please keep me informed. Do you understand?"

I sighed. "I suppose."

His grip tightened. "No, Genevieve, that will not do. I want to know that you understand."

"I understand," I conceded, and he removed his hand from my wrist. Two minutes left.

My mom pulled her gaze away from dad to glance over at us, but I smiled and she went back to her conversation.

"And you?" My eyes met his again. "What do you wish to happen in this new year?"

It took him several moments to reply. "I believe I will keep my own council on that for the moment. For now, I simply wish to be healed, and for our alliance to flourish."

"Wait, you're not going to tell me what you wish for?"

"Thirty! Twenty-nine! Twenty-eight!"

"Guys, it's time for the countdown! Come on!" Mom prodded, and I reluctantly took my mind off of Soval's answer and focused on the countdown. Mom and dad grinned with every number uttered, while I counted down under my breath, and Soval watched us all with a bemused smirk.

"Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!"

As the clock raced towards midnight, my eyes found Soval's, and he held my gaze as the last few seconds of the year rolled away.

"Three, two, one."

"Happy New Year!" my parents nearly shouted, and they embraced, their lips meeting in a sweet, chaste kiss. Even as I looked away from my parent's display of affection, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched; still, I turned to my roommate and drew him into a tight hug.

"Happy New Year, Soval," I whispered in his ear, burying my nose into his hair. He squeezed me tight against him.

"And you, Genevieve," he muttered back, and I thought I felt his lips lightly brush across my jaw. "I hope it is a prosperous year, for both of us."

I nodded, then swiftly kissed his cheek as I retreated. The tips of his ears flushed green, but I joined my mother in singing Auld Lang Syne as loud as I dared.

I could feel his eyes on me for the rest of the night, when we cheered to the new year with champagne, when I hugged my parents good night, when I came back from the bathroom in my pajamas ready for bed.

Even so, I hugged him again and wished him the best new year to come, and slipped under the covers, grateful that this day was finally over, and a new day begun.