Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed.

I nervously smoothed down my dress for the eight time while I waited for Soval to finish putting on his robes. He had donned a stunning silver number with incredible embroidery in fiery red this time, and I felt severely underdressed. He had assured me that my outfit was 'sufficient', but even still, I couldn't help but feel I was inadequately prepared for this meeting. Administrator V'Las was currently en route to the Consulate, his shuttle a mere fifteen minutes away.

"Come, Genevieve," the ambassador said, tugging the last section of cuff into place. "The others are waiting for us downstairs."

In light of this most illustrious visit, no less than ten chief aides and a hearty handful of security officers were prepared to receive the head of the Vulcan government, who, Soval had informed me, was traveling with a small retinue of his own, three aides and five personal security guards. I took a deep breath and ran my hand over my hair one more time, praying my braid was straight. Soval apparently caught the action, and frowned.

"Genevieve, you look perfectly acceptable. There is no need to be nervous."

"I know," I sighed, shaking my head. I followed him out the door and into the turbolift, glancing sidelong at him under my lashes when I thought he wasn't looking. He seemed absorbed in his own thoughts, his hands folded primly in front of him, but he looked over to me and his eyes flashed with an unreadable expression.

"Remember, Genevieve, you are an honored guest of this Consulate, and your service is of great value to the Vulcan government. V'Las has no reason to judge you harshly for anything, so please keep that in mind."

"I just hope I don't make a fool of myself, that's all," I said with a shrug. "I'm certainly glad you're here to do most of the talking."

We rode the rest of the way in silence, and I kept stride with the ambassador as we joined the puddle of people outside the door to the parking garage. I saw Captain Vrenik and several of the security guards waiting in an orderly line, ready, it seemed, to walk through the door and presumably receive the administrator at the shuttle. Soval breezed past all of his aides, exchanging a soft word with Timok and Sorak, and he nodded to Tos before moving to the front of the line right by the door. He turned to me, and gestured for me to join him at his side.

"The administrator's shuttle will land in nine minutes, fifteen seconds, Osu," Sorak reported, and he and Timok stepped aside so I could stand next to the ambassador. I took the hint and obeyed their silent request, and Timok nodded to me as I joined the line.

"You are nervous," he murmured, gently touching my elbow. I sighed. "Do not be. V'Las is many things, but disrespectful or needlessly judgmental are not apt descriptors for him. There is nothing to be concerned about."

"I have tried to convince her of such all morning, Timok," Soval replied quietly. "But perhaps a second opinion will ease her worries."

I said nothing in reply, staring resolutely at the carpet, and Soval and Timok fell into quiet conversation over my head, talking in hushed Vulcan. Sorak kept us appraised while we waited, and, right on time, the security detail advanced to receive their head of state. I straightened my posture, forcing a more pleasant expression on my face, and I felt warm fingers brush the back of my wrist. I looked down to see Soval's hand retreating, and I smiled up at him, not missing the glance he spared me before turning his attention to the opening doors.

With a swish of elaborately embroidered robes, a man about Soval's height swept into the corridor, followed (as was promised) by a string of aides and a handful of security guards. His gaze swept over the gathered assembly, approaching us slowly as his retinue followed behind.

The administrator was not at all what I was expecting. I wasn't sure why I had imagined him as stern-faced and somber, but the man in front of me defied every prediction I had made in my head. His blue eyes cut like ice when he examined our party; I could have sworn he smirked as his eyes met mine, and I bowed my head respectfully, brightening my expression in silent greeting.

"Ambassador Soval," V'Las said, his voice more nasally than I anticipated as he turned to face my exchange partner. The ambassador bowed his head, replying clearly in Vulcan before V'Las cut him off with a raised hand. "There is no need for formalities, Soval, truly. Besides, we should be speaking in English for the benefit of your exchange partner. We would not want her to be excluded."

His gaze met mine again, and if I didn't know better, I would say the man was smiling down at me. "You must be Genevieve Forrest," he said, his voice almost a purr. I swallowed thickly.

"Yes, sir," I said, then shook my head. "Or shall I refer to you as Osu? How should I address you?"

"Administrator will do," he said gently, and he tilted his head. "Soval has spoken quite highly of you, and I am eager to speak with you regarding your experiences thus far, and the future of this exchange. We are honored by the work you have done, and it will be intriguing to see where you go from here."

"Thank you," I replied. "Isn't your saying 'I come to serve'?"

"You are correct." The administrator's eyes gleamed with an unreadable expression, and his gaze was intent on me for several moments. "Well, my dear, formalities aside, it would be rude not to introduce my aides. This is T'Vok." He gestured to the first person in the row behind him, a tall man with chocolate brown hair and eyes. "Siv." A man shorter than Soval bowed his head, his shocking steel gray eyes trained intently on me. "And this is Che'nik." The last Vulcan in the row raised their salute to me, his jet-black hair gleaming in the overhead lights.

"I am familiar with you, Ambassador Tos," V'Las continued, and his attention moved to the men to my left, "and with you, Timok of Shi'Kahr. These others I have not had the pleasure of meeting. If you would, ambassador?"

Soval nodded and quickly obliged him, rattling off the names of his aides with a clear and calm voice. I took a deep breath, keeping my eyes on my exchange partner as the formalities were taken care of. Something about the way the administrator and his entourage looked at me, like I was a fascinating installment in a museum, made me uneasy.

"Vulcan thanks all of you for your service," the administrator declared to the assembled aides, but then his eyes fell back on me; his announcement seemingly drew this introduction to a close. "If I remember the itinerary correctly, you've prepared a small reception for us, have you not, Soval?"

"You are correct, administrator. Right this way."

Soval gave me a pointed look, and I fell in line beside him as he led V'Las and the others down the hallway, and after turning around the corner, we came to an open doorway on our right. The room beyond held tables and chairs, and food was already neatly set out alongside plates and utensils. And with the spread sat a large steaming teapot and cups ready to be filled. Staffers that I hadn't seen from my vantage point at the entrance marched to their places, standing rimrod straight at attention as we filed in.

"Is this like that gratitude festival back in November?" I hissed in Soval's ear, slowing my pace so I could talk to him. "Am I expected to eat first? Or is this more casual?"

"This is more casual," he assured me, steering me towards the buffet with a light hand on the small of my back. I bit my lip and took a deep breath, and accepted the plate offered to me by the ambassador. I glanced back at the administrator, who simply nodded, and I took a tiny portion of the most familiar offerings. I recognized pak-tar and small dishes of the sour soup I had enjoyed last year, and I made my way down the line, skipping over most of the food. This reception was essentially replacing lunch, but I dared not load my plate with more than a few things.

Finally, at the end of the table, a staffer handed me a cup of tea, which I took with a quiet thank-you. The man tilted his head and bowed to me, and I stood off to the side and waited for Soval to finish assembling his plate. He turned to me soon after, frowning at my plate, but nevertheless led me to the closest table and set his plate and teacup down. Before I could follow suit and put my things beside him, he pulled out the seat directly to the right of his and gestured for me to sit.

"Thank you," I whispered, and sat in the offered seat; I didn't even have to scoot the chair in as Soval gently pushed me in towards the table. He took the seat beside me, glancing once more at my plate as he set his down (I noted his had more food on it than mine).

"If I recall correctly, you've eaten almost all of the offerings today and seemed to enjoy them. Are you not hungry, Genevieve?"

"I'm alright," I whispered back, waiting for him to take up his fork before I even touched my utensils. "This is enough for now."

He opened his mouth to reply, but paused as V'Las and the one named T'Vok joined us at our table.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Soval," the administrator said with the slightest upturn to his lips. "We appreciate you going through the effort."

"It was no trouble, administrator," he replied evenly, and took a bite of pak-tar. I followed suit with my plate, gingerly taking a small bite of food just to have something to occupy my hands for a bit. I noted the other two aides joining us at the table, and I looked at Soval under my lashes. He seemed to be placidly eating his food, and I turned my eyes back to my plate, secretly wishing I could have skipped this entire affair.

I could feel eyes on me despite my focus on my food, and I glanced up to see V'Las staring at me with a raised eyebrow. "I was made aware that humans converse over meals," he said softly, tilting his head as he regarded me.

I swallowed thickly and nodded. "Well, we do, but there's no need to concede to that here. I don't need to talk if that's what you're asking."

The administrator smirked slightly, and I turned to Soval when he cleared his throat. "I believe Administrator V'Las is attempting to engage in conversation with you."

I turned back to V'Las, my lips parting in surprise, and I put down my fork and fixed my attention on him, forcing a polite smile onto my face.

He stared at me for a long moment, and I pressed my lips together, waiting apprehensively for him to say something, anything.

"I am well aware of your merits, Ms. Forrest," he said finally. "I understand you are majoring in journalism, and that your father is a prominent member of Starfleet. You are in a singular position within the exchange, perhaps with the most difficult role of any of your fellows."

I frowned. "I'm not sure I understand."

V'Las glanced at Soval, then back to me. "It is my understanding that the two of you were not very amicable to each other."

"Oh." The word fell out of my mouth, and my heart started pounding. "Oh, well, we didn't exactly mesh when the exchange began, but I think we've come a long way towards understanding one another. I know I would have done things differently on my end if I could go back in time, but we've reached a good point now, I think." I looked to Soval for backup, trying to hide my desperation.

"She is correct, though the fault lay with both of us," he added, raising an eyebrow at me. "But we have reached an amicable friendship these last few months, and despite the hardships we faced in the beginning, I believe, on the whole, our...collaboration has been successful."

A smirk spread slowly across V'Las' face, and he turned to his meal, taking a few bites before continuing. "We'll discuss your progress in more detail later today." His gaze found mine. "We are deeply invested in the success of this program, and of the well-being of its participants. If you are not satisfied with your current exchange partner, Ms. Forrest, we can arrange to assign you a new one."

My stomach dropped, and I could feel Soval stiffen at my side. "Administrator...that's hardly necessary," I replied, my voice coming out in a strained whisper.

"It is necessary if I deem it necessary," he said firmly, then softened his gaze. "But...we can table this conversation for our meeting."

The rest of the meal passed in relative silence, with a few passing comments between Timok and one of the aides. I could feel eyes on me from all sides, and I ate what little was left on my plate and refused to get more, even though Soval did not seem pleased with the tiny portion I had eaten.

"You are certain you do not want more?" he whispered to me as V'Las turned to address one of his aides. I nodded.

"I'm fine," I replied quietly. "He mentioned a meeting later...am I supposed to attend?"

"Yes, he wishes to discuss more of our progress, and it would be impossible to gather an accurate report when half the partnership is not present."

I nodded to myself, and allowed the assembled staffers to take away my plate and empty teacup. V'Las stood, and Soval followed suit, indicating that I should stand.

"Ambassador, if you and Ms. Forrest would join me in your office?"

My exchange partner bowed his head and gently steered me towards the door, and I could hear the administrator's footsteps behind us, steadily following us to the turbolifts. The ride passed in silence, with Soval standing still with closed eyes, and V'Las seemingly lost in thought.

Minutes later, Soval and I sat across from the administrator, side by side on the couch in the ambassador's spacious office; V'Las sat in an upholstered chair, his icy gaze sweeping over us. A sense of dread twisted in my stomach as we waited for him to speak.

The administrator took a deep breath. "My sources indicated that your relationship was far from friendship, or even professionalism. Last I had heard, the tension between the two of you bordered on...adversarial."

"That report is obsolete," Soval said firmly. "I will admit, our...relationship was rather...contentious, even antagonistic at its worst. But we have moved beyond such petty squabbles and have come to a genuine understanding." He looked at me, his brown eyes shining with some unreadable expression.

"Antagonistic seems like a strong word, Soval," I countered, and V'Las set his inscrutable gaze on me. "Contentious? Fair enough. But I never saw you as my enemy."

The administrator held up a hand. "I would hear this in your own words, Ms. Forrest. I was made to understand that you were deeply unhappy with your assignment. I would like to know your version of events rather than rely on hearsay."

I frowned at him, then looked at Soval, who stared blankly at the floor. "I'm not unhappy with my assignment," I said firmly. "I will admit, the beginning of the exchange was rather rocky, but I don't think we really truly argued but for two or three occasions." Soval looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "But I never enjoyed being at odds with you. I never liked arguing. My only regret is that we didn't come to our current understanding sooner."

V'Las tilted his head. "Do you know why you're here, Ms. Forrest?"

I frowned, but he quickly clarified. "You were originally assigned to be sent to Vulcan. Do you know why you're here in the Consulate instead?"

I nodded. "Soval thought it would be beneficial to have a human exchange partner, so I was reassigned."

"Indeed. And Soval did not accept having any available human assigned to be his exchange partner. He specifically asked for you."

I turned to the ambassador, who was staring down at his hands, which rested on his lap, his palms facing upward.

"Now why would he go through the trouble of specifically asking for you, and then treat you so abysmally when you arrived?"

I opened my mouth, but could think of no answer. My jaw snapped shut and I took a deep breath. "He asked for me because he knew me. I believe he thought it would be easier to establish a rapport with someone he had already met."

"Exactly," Soval said, his voice a low rumble. "But there was still..." He sighed heavily. "I was unused to having another share my home, and reacted...poorly to her presence."

"Reacted poorly," V'Las repeated, and he blinked slowly. "I find your logic flawed, Soval."

The ambassador flared his nostrils, but V'Las seemed unmoved. He turned back to me.

"I do apologize on the behalf of the ambassador and our people for his treatment of you," he said gently, and I could have sworn Soval winced.

"No need to apologize. Our relationship was not the best, that is true. But we cannot change the past. And I would say our arguments still led to a deeper understanding of the other. I'm very happy we're finally at a place where we can communicate effectively and learn from one another."

He was silent for a few minutes, staring intently at me. "Ms. Forrest...in your opinion, have you fulfilled the stipulations of this exchange?"

I furrowed my brow as I considered his meaning, but he offered no further explanation. "The purpose of this exchange is to deepen the ties between Earth and Vulcan." V'Las raised an eyebrow. "Your goal is to understand our people better, and for us to understand you." I faced Soval, who met my gaze with a somber expression. "Soval...you are very dear to me, you know that, right?"

His somber expression turned to one of clear surprise.

"I have learned so much about your people and your culture, and I would argue I know more about you personally than the majority of people on this planet." I took a deep breath. "I consider you one of my best friends, and I cannot imagine spending the rest of the exchange with someone else." I turned back to V'Las. "If that is not an example of having deepened the ties between our peoples and bettered our understanding, I don't know what is."

He looked down his bulbous nose at me. "It is encouraging that you have become comfortable with Soval and hold your friendship as something dear to you...but you have not fulfilled the stipulations of the exchange to my satisfaction."

"I don't understand," I insisted, leaning forward. "What more is there to fulfill?"

He seemed genuinely surprised at my question, and looked between me and Soval for a good minute before speaking.

"Ms. Forrest, I appreciate your input regarding your experiences. If you don't mind, I'd like to continue this meeting with solely myself and Soval."

I swallowed thickly, glancing sidelong at my exchange partner, who did not look at all pleased with the prospect.

"Of course. Should I wait outside, or...?"

"I believe this might take some time. Perhaps you should return to your quarters."

I stood, straightening my dress as I looked down at Soval. "Alright. If you need anything else from me, please let me know."

"You have done admirably with what you were given," the administrator replied smoothly. "Good day, Ms. Forrest. I promise I will not keep Soval too long."

I took one more look at the ambassador, who nodded to me, his expression somber once more. I could think of nothing more to say, so I reached out and gently touched his shoulder.

"I'll see you in a bit," I said, and he gently touched my forearm, returning the gesture.

"I will not be long, Genevieve."

I dared not look at either of them as I turned on my heel and marched for the door, wondering if everything I had gained with Soval would be ripped from me by the end of the day.