Xavier didn't know why he had to take this class; it was about alien cultures. He probably knew more about Klingon culture than the professor. He had visited the Klingon home world every couple year with his parents. Xavier let out a sigh, it was a requirement to graduate Starfleet Academy. He found a seat in the back, away from the professor. He didn't want to the professor to see him. Xavier remembered when Miral had to take this class, he never thought that she would want to kill a person more than this professor.
He felt someone sit next to him. He looked up to young man around his age that didn't want to be here either. Xavier smiled and turned to the young man. "Xavier Paris," He held out his hand.
"Charles Tucker," He shook his hand. Xavier got a look at the young man and saw the pointed ears of Vulcan. He had blond hair and brown eyes. Xavier felt that Charles got in trouble a lot.
Xavier glanced around the room to see that it was filling up. "I feel that I don't need this class."
Charles followed his eyes. "I agree. I probably got more Vulcan blood in me than you got Klingon blood in you," Charles gave a half smile.
"Really," Xavier crossed his arms. "How so?"
"The men in my family have a way of falling for Vulcan women," There was a look in Charles eyes that had Xavier wondering how he had so much humor if he had Vulcan blood in him. Before Xavier could say anything, the professor called the class order. "Let this circus began." Charles mumbled.
The professor started with roll call. "Xavier Paris," The old professor called out his name and looked around the room for him. Xavier raised his hand. A light shone in the old professor's eyes. Xavier moaned because he knew the Paris last name. "I think I had your parents and sister in my class."
"Probably," Xavier mumbled, and Charles let out a laugh. "Yes," He said in a louder voice because the professor was waiting for an answer.
The professor nodded and went on to the next name. It wasn't long before he came to Charles name. "Charles Tucker the tenth," The professor looked around and found Charles. Charles waved to him. The professor opened his mouth to say something but Charles to his Vulcan logic. "Sir, it isn't logical to bring up my family in this class." The professor nodded.
There were only a couple of names left before the professor told them his name. "I am Professor Arlo, and I will teaching your Alien Culture class." Xavier heard a moan from Charles.
The professor kept talking. "Like Mr. Paris," Xavier raised his head to see what Professor Arlo was talking about. "Is that right, Cadet Paris?"
Xavier narrowed his eyes at the professor. "What is right?"
"That most humanoids are mixed species," Professor Arlo said.
"I would say that is probably right. Since I am sitting next to Mr. Tucker here, who I know has Vulcan blood as," Xavier waved to the rest of the class. "Most of the rest of class have different races in them. This class in riddikulus. I probably know more about Klingon culture than you do." Xavier started to gather his books. "Have you ever been on Q'onoS or even left Earth because I have. I don't need this class." Xavier walked out of the class. He hoped that his mother didn't hear about this. She would know that he let his anger get the best of him.
"That was awesome," Xavier looked up to see Charles Tucker setting his books down on the table that Xavier was sitting at. "You were the most interesting thing that happen in class. Professor Arlo went over his plan for the class like you didn't just walk out of class." Charles took the seat that was empty across from Xavier.
"I should have never let my anger get to me," Xavier looked around the room.
Charles shrugged his shoulders. "My Vulcan foremother would say that you should control your emotions, but my mixed-race grandfather would say to let it out."
Xavier raised an eyebrow. "You must have some family."
Charles shrugged his shoulders. "To me they are just family," Charles watched as Xavier took another look around the room. "Is there someone you are waiting for?" Charles felt that he was taking the seat of someone else.
"No, I'm just hoping that my mother didn't hear about this," Xavier sighed. Charles looked around to find Xavier's mother.
"My own mother would have told me that he deserves it," Charles got up. "Are you hungry?" Xavier nodded. Charles went over to the food replicators and order them some food and drinks. While he was waiting, he saw a dark hair woman make her way to Xavier. He didn't hear what the dark-haired woman had said, but Xavier didn't look to upset about something.
Charles brought the pizza and drinks to the table. As he got closer, he saw that the dark-haired woman was Dr. Torres. He had taken two of her classes. If it wasn't for the ridges on their foreheads, he wouldn't expected that they were related. There was a look in Dr. Torres' eyes that only a mother had. His mother had given him that look.
"I brought pizza," Charles placed it on the table. Dr. Torres looked up and smiled. "Hello, Cadet Tucker."
"Dr. Torres," Charles placed the drinks on the table. "How are you?"
"I'm good. I see you met my son," Dr. Torres looked at Xavier. "I know the class is going to hard, but you need it to graduate."
Charles took a seat as Xavier sighed. "I know, but does he have to teach it."
Dr. Torres looked around to see who would be looking, but no one was. Charles took a slice of pizza. He offered one to Dr. Torres, who shook her head, but Xavier took one. "He has tenure here and everyone is hoping that he will retire soon, but I don't see that happening until he dies. I feel that he would come back as ghost just to teach the class." Charles almost choked on his food because he was trying not to laugh. Both mother and son look at him. He waved them off. "Try to control your anger," Dr. Torres stood. "Good luck, boys," She smiled as left.
"I love and hate my mother at some times," Xavier took a bite of pizza.
"I know what you mean," Charles listened to his new friend.
"We have to go back on Thursday." Xavier sighed.
Charles smiled. "We get to hear about Vulcans."
Xavier shook his head. "You could probably tell him a few things," Charles laughed before finishing his pizza.
Xavier thought that he might fall asleep, as he heard the professor dune on about Vulcan traditions. Xavier glanced at his new friend to see how he was taking it and saw that he was writing wrong on his PADD. Xavier decided that it might be time to take a nap. He just closed his eyes when he heard.
"Lies," Charles mumbled.
Xavier opened his ears to what Professor Arlo was saying. "Spock was the first human-Vulcan person to survive to adulthood." The professor went on to talk about all the accomplishment that Spock had, but Charles was still saying.
"Lies," Charles stopped taking notes.
Xavier leaned over. "What are lies?" He asked.
Charles looked up at Xavier. "About Spock being the first human-Vulcan person, because my great grandfather Charles Tucker the Fourth was the first."
"Wait, what?" Xavier whispered because one of the students was looking at them. "Everyone knows that Spock was the first."
"Was he?" Charles asked.
"You're going to tell me something different," Xavier said. Charles nodded.
Xavier spent the rest of class trying to figure out what Charles was talking about. He tried to remember if he heard about Charles Tucker the Fourth. He couldn't remember hearing that name from anyone he knew. His grandfather, Owen liked telling stories about Starfleet and Xavier felt that it would be one that he would tell. Maybe it had nothing to do with Starfleet. Xavier thought that he might have to listen more in history class.
When the class was over, Xavier threw his things in his bag and followed Charles out of the room. Charles stopped at the side of the hall and watched everyone leave the room. "Are you going to explain to me what is going?"
"Yes, what are you doing tomorrow night?" Charles asked.
"Nothing," Xavier thought about it. It was Friday night, and he might hit the town with some friends or go home to his parents' place and annoy his sister.
"You want to come home to dinner with me at my grandparents," Charles said.
"Sure," Xavier was wondering where this was all going.
"All will be explained tomorrow," Charles said before turning away. "Meet by Dorms C, at six." He walked away, leaving Xavier scratching his head.
Xavier stood outside of Dorm C waiting for Charles. He was still trying to figure out what Charles was talking about. Xavier tried to look up Charles Tucker the Fourth in the school database and only found out that he served Starfleet. It didn't talk about his race or his parents. Xavier wondered why there was so little about him when Starfleet database had so much on others.
"Are you ready?" Xavier turned to see Charles come out of the dorms. Xavier nodded and followed his friend.
They didn't have to walk far the school before they came to family neighborhood. Xavier looked at the houses to see that they were what everyone would call San Francisco houses. Xavier was surprised to see so many still standing. They went down another block before stopping in front of white townhouse with blue trim. Xavier followed Charles up the stairs to the door. He didn't bother to ring the bell before opening the door.
Xavier stepped into the house to see how open it was. Xavier could see from the front of the house to the back. There was formal sitting room in the front to the kitchen in the middle to a family room in the back.
Xavier followed Charles to the family room. There was a set of French doors that lead to the backyard. Charles bent down to the woman, who was sitting in one of the chairs, facing the fireplace. Above the fireplace was a portrait of a Vulcan woman, looking down at her round belly. Her pose was very Vulcan, but there was a look in her eyes that told her story. It made Xavier wonder what her story was.
"Xavier, this is my foremother, Ana" Charles got Xavier attention. "Foremother is my friend, Xavier Paris."
Xavier looked at the older woman to see that she was Vulcan, but not the same one in the picture. "Ma'am," He gave her the proper Vulcan greetings. She raised an eyebrow to him. "It is nice to meet you, Mrs. Tucker." He knew that most Vulcan women would add on their human husband's last name when they married.
Ana looked him up and down, Xavier wondered if he was worthy of her grandson. "Mr. Paris, where did you learn to greet like that because they don't teach that until your third year at the academy?"
Xavier gave his Paris smile "My parents are friends with a Vulcan, and they made sure that my siblings and I learned to respect his customs." Smiled and nodded. Xavier felt that he passed a test.
"Where is Grandfather?" Charles asked.
Charles' foremother waved a hand to a door that Xavier didn't see at first. "In his workshop." Charles smiled and went to open the door.
"Grandfather," He called down.
"Really, Charles," Ana covered her ears. "You couldn't walk down there and get him."
"Nope," It was all Charles said. He watched the stairs as a tall man with grey at the temples. Xavier thought that he didn't look old enough to a grandfather, neither did Charles grandmother.
"Ten," Charles Tucker the eighth said to his grandson before hugging him.
"Ten?" Xavier asked.
Charles the tenth turned to his friend. "It something my great grandfather started with his son. He called him Four and it continued through the generations. We call my dad, Nine."
"Oh," Xavier was glad that he wasn't name after his father or that his father was named after his father. It was enough to have the last name Paris. Xavier turned to Ana "How did you agree to name your son that?"
"Tucker men can be very logical," Ana said.
Xavier was liking the woman more and more. Xavier was introduced to Charles' grandfather. Eight asked questions about what Xavier was doing at Starfleet and what his plans were after. While talking to Charles' grandparents, Xavier's eyes kept turning to the portrait above the mantel.
"Who is that woman?" Xavier asked when there was a quiet moment in the conversation.
"My first Vulcan ancestor," Charles said. "T'Pol Tucker."
"First?" Xavier thought that the woman might be related to Ana.
"Do you remember in class when I said that men in my family have a habit of falling for Vulcan women?" Charles asked. Xavier nodded. "Foremother T'Pol and my grandfather, Tripp started it." Charles pointed to the portrait.
Xavier didn't understand what Charles was talking about. "I thought that Vulcans and humans couldn't have children until the twenty-third century."
"Yes, with the help of science," Charles the seventh said. "My grandparents encountered an alien species and made it possible for them to have children. At the time they knew that they wouldn't have biological children and were planning on adopting. They were going to give them a good home. When my foremother found out that she pregnant, she was surprised."
"Wow," Xavier said. "Why does history books have said that Spock was the first human/Vulcan?"
"My foremother, T'Pol wasn't the perfect Vulcan woman," Charles the Eighth laughed. "According to family history, the Vulcans thought that she spent too much time with humans. Also, Spock's father was high ranking Vulcan, so they couldn't not ignore Spock like they did my grandfather."
"After T'Pol was done serving on a ship, she came back to San Francisco to teach and raise her family." Eight smiled.
"What ship did she serve on?" Xavier asked.
"Enterprise NX-01," Charles said.
"She served under Jonathan Archer," Xavier's eyes widen. Both grandson and grandfather nodded.
"She was his first officer and science officer," Charles said.
"How did she meet your human grandfather?" Xavier asked.
"He also served on the ship as Chief Engineer and second officer," Eight said.
"They didn't like each other very much when they got started. Grandfather Tripp said something about smells, but he would argue with her all the time." Charles laughed.
"How did they end up together?" Xavier asked.
"Time and neuro-pressure had them falling in love. They had their up and downs, but the loss of their daughter brought them together." There was a frown on Eight face. Xavier felt bad for the couple, even if he didn't know them.
"They lost a daughter," Xavier whispered. The other three nodded.
"I'll tell you that story a different time," Charles said. Xavier thought that it was still hard for the family after all these years.
"It was a year later when they married and had Charles Tucker the fourth." Eight said. Xavier nodded.
"Did they have a good life?" He asked.
Both Charles smiled. "Yes, they had three more children. They were married for sixty-five years."
Xavier nodded and looked at the portrait again. "When did she died?" He asked.
"Three years before I was born," Eight smiled. "She lived in this house until the end. It was because of her that my father met my mother."
Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Eight laughed. "My mother had heard T'Pol's story while growing up and when she was old enough, she came to find out if the story was true. It was here that she met my father."
"Where is your mother now?" Xavier asked. He knew that Vulcan's lived long lives. He didn't think that there were a lot of people living in this house.
"She is on Vulcan with my brother," Charles the eighth said. "We have property on Vulcan from T'Pol's family."
Xavier nodded. There was a lot of history in Charles family that he wanted to learn, but one thing he did see was the love in this family. He saw the way Eight looked at his wife and he knew that there was a lot of love between them. Xavier thought that Tucker men knew how to love Vulcan women, or they wouldn't keep finding them.
"So many Tucker men married Vulcan women?" Xavier smiled.
"Five married a Vulcan," Eight said. "Seven married a Vulcan," Eight smiled. "And I married a Vulcan,"
"Three men but if you include Charles the Third, it will be four." Charles turned to friend.
"So, are you going to marry a Vulcan," Xavier asked his friend. Eight started laughing.
"I hope so," Eight said in-between laughs.