Actions

Work Header

Beyond Antares

Summary:

Uhura and Spock are married, but their happily ever after is not guaranteed. They still have battles to fight, misunderstandings to overcome, and Uhura's family??? Will they ever find love somewhere, beyond the stars... Beyond Antares?

*-*-*-*-*

You looked inside my fantasies and made each one come true
Something no one else had ever found a way to do...

~Dionne Warwick - I'll Never Love This Way Again

 

Notes:

This chapter was a deleted scene from the story Bond to You found here.
It fits in somewhere before chapter 11, during their Pon Farr. I was going to post it as a stand-alone story but thought it would be a good way to kick off the next chapter of Uhura and Spock's adventure.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: Commander's Woman

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-

Spock devoured Uhura's lips. His body was on fire and she was water to his flame. He had waited a very long time for this moment. He had planned and plotted how to maneuver her into his sphere of influence. Uhura had proven a worthy choice, never suspecting his true intent when he invited her into his confidence, but the outcome had been predestined from the moment they met. Spock had known she would be his woman from the very first touch. Uhura belonged to him now, and at last, she knew it too.

He was going to make Miss Uhura understand the depth of his regard for her. "You will attend me in my sleeping chamber," he said releasing her. He turned and walked towards his bedroom certain she would follow. She had accepted his claim and had agreed to obey him, she couldn't back out now. He felt her follow him as a good wife should.

Nyota stood beside Spock's bed and wondered what he would do to her now. Never in her wildest dreams did Uhura think to be the Commander's woman, in his bedroom, about to bed him.

"You will disrobe," he said quietly, pulling her from her thoughts, his eyes never leaving hers.

She had promised to obey him. He could destroy her if she betrayed him now. He had said he would not take no for an answer but she had not said no... yet. She had agreed to become his bonded mate and help him through this crisis, why was she stalling?

Her hesitation seemed to pique his ire. He spoke not a word, betrayed nothing in his movements, he stood straight with his hands customarily behind his back but she knew. She had erred already.

Hastily she began to remove her uniform top. Luckily he had released the clasp in the other room. She let the top drop to the floor revealing her bare breasts. Spocks eyes casually glanced down to inspect them. Again he spoke not a word but she knew he was not displeased by what he saw. His eyes dropped further and he was looking at her skirt. She reached behind herself and released the clasp allowing the skirt to fall to her ankles. She started to bend to retrieve the garments when he commanded, "Do not move."

She stood at attention while Spock's eyes roamed her body. He slowly circled around her seeming very pleased by what he saw. Behind her, he said "you are very beautiful" in Vulcan. Uhura didn't know how to feel about that. Did Vulcans normally notice such things as physical beauty? She had never suspected he would, not that she would have set out to entice him if she had known.

She felt his hands grab her hair and remove the pins holding it in place piled high in a neat fashion.

"I don't care for these," he said tossing the pins onto a vanity in the corner. "In private you will wear your hair loosely, naturally. Only in public shall you wear it pinned thusly."

His fingers ran through her tresses massaging her scalp. "Lovely," he said as he inhaled. Next, he traced his fingertips down her neck, across her shoulders, and down her arms causing Nyota to shiver at his gentle touch. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him. She felt his erection pressing into her back through his trousers. The thought of that solid muscle penetrating her, stretching her, caused her belly to quiver. Perhaps he sensed her distress because he ran his hands across her belly soothing her and then he moved his hands over her gold sash and up to cup her breasts.

Nyota didn't know what to do or what to feel. She trembled in his arms but she dared not resist his attention. She didn't want to resist. His body heat was mesmerizing, it leached through the fabric of his tunic and scorched her skin. Nyota wanted to press herself into him deeper and let the heat consume her but she dared not disobey, she could not move so she stood there in his arms, helpless as he had his way with her body.

He kissed her nape and her shoulders and nibbled at her ears. Everywhere he touched he set her aflame. Uhura's breathing became ragged while Spock massaged and teased her nipples.

"Spock, please..." she struggled to keep her knees from buckling.

"Please, what?"

Please just fuck me, she thought but she didn't have the nerve to say it to him and settled for, "Please, don't tease me."

She felt his laugh rumble through his solid chest. Did he guess what she really wanted?

"No, I will not tease you. Stand in front of the mirror," he said releasing her and leaving her body chilled and aching.

She hurried to obey him and stood before the mirror looking at her reflection. Her hair was disheveled, her lips plump, and her makeup smeared. Her breasts were heaving the nipples painfully taut. Only her white lace panties, the gold sash, and thigh-high black boots remained of her uniform. Behind her, she could see Spock unbuttoning his tunic and then his trousers, discarding them.

As he stalked towards her she felt a moment of panic but there was no escape. Her dagger had been confiscated by the guard who had delivered her to Spock. She was defenseless. Vulnerable. Spock's.

Naked, Spock approached her and grabbed the gold sash around her waist pulling her body close to his again. "Look at me" he demanded. She looked up into the mirror at the eyes of a predator stalking prey. Hot passionate eyes stared back at her in the mirror and challenged her to disobey. He released the sash and then hooked his fingers on the edge of her panties slowly pulling them down over her hips and thighs kneeling behind her as he pulled. He gripped her ankle, lifting first one foot and then the other out of the leg holes, and placed the panties on the vanity in front of her. He had planted her feet firmly apart and exposed her to his gaze. Then he shocked her by biting into the flesh of her bottom. She yelped and then quickly stifled her reaction. Again he laughed as he soothed the bite with a kiss. And still crouching behind her he massaged her buttocks and finally spread her open to expose her sex to him.

Nyota wanted to be good, but she couldn't stifle the gasp that escaped when she felt Spock's mouth on her most intimate area, kissing, licking, probing with his tongue. Her knees buckled at the feel of his hot wet tongue slithering inside of her, tickling her clit.

"Do not move," he reiterated as he steadied her with a hand to her hip.

And she didn't move again except to rest her hands on the vanity top, but she couldn't stop the sounds that were coming out of her mouth, she gasped and then squealed releasing a throaty "Aah" as Spock hungrily ate from, her causing her body to shiver. Not even in her fantasies could she have conjured up the things that Spock was doing to her, the sounds he was making as he slurped greedily from her weeping slit.

The muscles in her stomach tightened as the tension built up inside of her. She panted, trying to relieve the strain but it was no good, he was going to make her come and she cried out his name "Spock!"

"Yes, who do you belong to?" he asked and went back to his task.

Nyota didn't speak and his grip faded from her hip and then he smacked her pert bottom making her cry out in shock.

"Who?" he demanded.

"Yo... yo... you, I belong to you," she stuttered as the tension broke and she came apart, his lips and tongue still working her.

Spock watched the range of emotions cross Nyota's face in the mirror. She belonged to him and finally, she knew it. He was going to ride her until she couldn't walk straight, but first, he had to train her to submit and make her understand just what it meant to be a Vulcan's woman.

/*-/*-/

Uhura awoke with a splitting headache. She sat up and looked around. This wasn't her quarters. What the hell... Her entire body ached and she was covered with a fine sheen of sweat. She shifted in her seat and felt soreness and sticky moisture between her thighs. Memory returned in a rush. Oh shit! Spock!

Just then Spock emerged from a slim opening built into the wall of their cave. Of course a facility she thought. He had a towel wrapped around his hips. Quite convenient for him while she was sitting on this pallet naked and covered in... well she didn't even want to think about it.

He didn't say anything to her, he just went over to the shelf of supplies and rummaged around clearly ignoring her.

"What happened? I just had the craziest dream. I don't know what was in that hooch Amanda gave me but it hit me right between the eyes," she said shaking her head and then thinking it was a mistake when the pounding increased.

Finally, Spock turned to approach her. "It was no dream, Miss Uhura, it was a meld."

"Oh, so you can speak?"

"Yes."

"And what have you to say for your self Mister?"

"I...am sorry."

Sorry? Sorry! He better do better than that.

He gave her a pouch of water but did not look her in the eye.

She took it gratefully, her mouth was dry and she had the hangover of all hangovers.

"Thank you," she said as she finished the pouch squeezing it dry.

"You are welcome."

"Oh, I am? No 'thanks are illogical or unnecessary'?"

He looked up at her quickly then.

"No, you have my thanks, Nyota. I cannot begin to express my gratitude..."

"Then don't. Forget about it. Are you ok now? Is this pon farr thing over?" God, please let it be over, she prayed.

Spock remained silent so Uhura looked at him closely, he was still flushed and a bit greener than usual. And his breathing was still very rapid. She could feel the heat rising from his skin and a fine sheen of sweat beaded his brow.

"I do not believe it is over yet," he answered finally.

Great. "And just how long does this thing last?"

"I don't precisely know, this is my first experience," he said, looking down again.

"Oh, Spock," she could not be mad at him when he was looking like a lost kid. She had never seen him look anything other than confident and she had to admit she didn't like it.

"Could you at least hand me one of those towels?" she said pointing to his lap.

"Of course, it is my duty to serve you."

"Just a towel will suffice," she said, rolling her eyes.

He hopped up and went back to the little crevice. As soon as she had a covering she was using that restroom and maybe barricading herself inside, she mused.

Uhura felt awful. Now that he had his mind back this whole thing felt surreal. This couldn't be real. She was bonded to Spock and they'd had sex? A lot of sex!

Did Spock remember anything that happened before? And he said they shared a mind meld, was any of it real? She didn't know what to think, it was like no meld she'd experienced with him before. How would she ever face him on the Enterprise after what they'd just done?

Spock returned with a towel as promised but he seemed even more agitated.

Uhura eyed the distance to the little hidden restroom. She would have to jump up, make a sprint, and hope Spock was taken by surprise. And this was a cave, there was no door to close or lock. It was pointless to hope for an escape. Besides she'd promised to obey him. Wait, that was the other Nyota, wasn't it? "I am losing my mind," she said out loud. "Who am I?"

Spock made a growling sound and she looked up at him. His eyes seemed to brighten as he stared at her. "Wife!" He said as he pounced on her.

"Damn," she thought as he ripped the towel from her, "I should have run when I had the chance." But there was no place to run to, no place to hide. She was Spock's to do with as he pleased for as long as they were in that cave, and she was starting to think, she would be his for the rest of her life.

Chapter 2: Business as Usual

Summary:

Spock and Nyota's marriage is off to a rocky start abord the Enterprise, but it helps to have good friends in your corner.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-

Spock was as good as his word to Uhura. When they returned to the Enterprise it was all business as usual between the two of them. She was the communications officer and he was her Commander. Aside from the one slip by the Captain, there was no reason for anyone to suspect they were married.

Some of Uhura's friends asked about her shore leave and remarked that they missed her company down on Vulcan. She replied that she had unfortunately been ill and Spock and his family had graciously allowed her to convalesce at their home. She felt good about that answer since it was not precisely a lie, it just skirted around the actual truth. See, she was acting like a real Vulcan already.

Luckily no one asked too many questions. They just wished her well. Those friends who Uhura knew would ask too many questions, like Sulu or Charlene, she avoided. She knew it was wrong to avoid her good friends but she needed some space from everybody. That included Spock, McCoy, and the Captain. They could all take a flying leap off a short pier.

Christine was a different matter altogether. She was a busybody and she had been trying to get a hold of Uhura since she had beamed back aboard. And unlike her other friends, Christine knew more of the story of Spock's illness than anyone else. Christine knew about Spock's fever since she had treated him in the sickbay, and she also knew about her abduction. So if she ever got a hold of Uhura she would have to either tell her what happened or lie. Neither choice appealed to Uhura so she was avoiding Christine like she was evading the law.

This whole situation was annoying. She had to hide out from her friends while Spock walked around as if nothing happened. Of course, she asked him to do that but still, he did it too easily for her liking. He called her 'Miss Uhura' when he had to address her and acted like nothing ever happened between them. Like they hadn't spent two or three days in a cave together banging like bunnies. Like she hadn't given her all to him and let him use her body and take what he needed. That's what really hurt. She had opened herself up to him and given everything but he was forever hiding from her.

Uhura sighed at her console. She wasn't gonna waste any more time thinking about Spock. She had to get back into the swing of things and that meant getting through this shift. After that, she would have time to think about her life and how it had taken such a turn. She had managed to evade everyone that first few days except for Sulu who she bumped into after her shift on her way back to her quarters.

"Nyota, Nyota!" Sulu ran to catch her before she got on the turbolift and shut the door in his face.

"Where have you been hiding?" He slid in next to her.

"Me? Hiding?" she feigned innocence.

"Yeah, you haven't been by to visit me since shore leave on Vulcan. I got you a gift. I know you were ill recently and missed all the excitement and I know how much you love to shop so I did some on your behalf."

"I've had enough excitement to last a lifetime. But thank you Hik, you didn't have to do anything special for me. I'm okay."

"Are you really okay, you seemed distracted lately."

"Yeah, I've just got a lot on my mind."

"Mmm-hmm. Anything you care to talk about? You know my shoulder is always available to lean on. Or cry on. Or sleep on," he wagged his eyebrows up and down.

"Oh, Hik. I wish there was something you could do but this is personal stuff."

"Personal huh? Not girl stuff this time?"

"What?" she asked, confused.

"Last time you were looking this down in the dumps, Mr. Spock had just announced he was married," Sulu said watching her closely for a reaction. He got it when Uhura nearly tripped on the way out of the lift upon hearing the word married.

"Girl what is wrong with you," Sulu said as he grabbed her arm to balance her.

"Nothing."

"I wish women would fall all over themselves when my name was mentioned."

"Hikaru, you don't know what you're talking about. I didn't trip because you said some man's name."

"Look at you," he said as he followed her out of the turbolift. "You can't even say his name."

"SULU!" she said in warning.

"NYOTA!, he said right back. "C'mon don't hold out on your old friend Hikaru, what gives? You and Mr. Spock are on the outs again?"

"What are you talking about? How could we be on the outs? When were we on the ins? And what do you mean 'again'?"

Sulu gave a long-suffering sigh. He hooked his arm with hers and started pulling her along.

"Where are you dragging me to Mister?"

"My quarters. We're gonna have a little chat."

"No, Sulu stop. I don't want to talk about it."

"Then you'll listen."

"Listen to what?" She tried to pull away.

"Listen to me lecture you about shipboard romances."

"What? Are you out of your mind?"

"No, are you? If you think I don't see what's going on between you and Spock you are out of your mind."

"What!" She stopped dead in her tracks. "What do you know?"

"Ah-ha! Come with me and find out."

Sulu dragged her to his quarters and settled her on his sofa. He took his time in his kitchenette and made two large steaming cups of tea. He brought them to the sitting area and plopped down beside Uhura.

"Now Spill," he said handing her a cup.

"Spill what? You're the one who says he knows something. You spill."

"Okay, be that way. I'll tell you what I see. I see a girl walking around like she just lost her best friend. And I see a girl whose face used to light up when a certain Vulcan Commander walked into a room now frowning when she sees him. And I see a girl who might need a shoulder to cry on," he said gently.

Uhura held on for a moment and then broke down crying.

Sulu grabbed her to his chest and hugged her.

"Is okay, let it out. I've got you."

"Sulu you don't know what's happened."

"No I don't, but if you tell me I will know."

"I can't tell you. It's a secret."

"I can keep a secret. I promise I will never betray your trust."

Uhura wiped her eyes and sniffled. "You promise?"

"I swear, whatever you say will not leave this room or my lips."

Uhura desperately needed to get this off her chest. And she could trust Sulu. He was like a big brother to her.

"Okay. What have you got to drink?"

"Drink? Tea," he slid her cup over to her.

"No, I mean booze."

"Oh, it's like that? It's too early for you to be drinking and I thought you hated alcohol since the Gorn ball?"

"It's not for me, it's for you."

"Ny, you're starting to scare me, what could be so bad that I need a drink? Are you sick or something?" he asked and then he gasped. Was she pregnant? Was that why the drink was only for him?

"It's worse than that," she took a deep breath. "I'm married. To Spock."

Sulu sat in stunned silence for a while. “I think I’m gonna need whiskey.”

-=-=-=-=-

Captain Kirk entered his bridge glad to be back aboard the Enterprise and well away from Vulcan. But there was still some unfinished business to attend to.

"Mr. Spock, Lieutenant Uhura may I see you two in my ready room, please?"

Spock looked at Uhura and she looked over at him in question and then she looked at the captain with a frown.

"Aye Captain," Uhura said stiffly as they accompanied the captain to his office. As she walked by Sulu gave her arm a pat in support.

"Captain, I must protest this meeting," Uhura said as soon as the door slid closed behind her.

"Spock and I agreed to keep our relationship and everything that happened down on Vulcan private."

"And you are free to do so," Kirk said taking a seat at his table.

"Then why did you call us into your office together so conspicuously?" Uhura asked.

"Lieutenant, I called you here for an official briefing. I have received word from the Federation. Vulcan has formally released the two of you into Starfleet custody. No charges are being brought against Spock at this time. However Starfleet demands an official report on the incident and you two are ordered to comply, this comes directly from the top brass."

"In addition, Spock, as of right now you are officially on report and technically you should be confined to quarters until this is settled. But I don't think that will be necessary. You don't pose any further threat to anyone aboard, do you?" he asked looking between Spock and Uhura.

"No, sir," Spock answered.

"Good. Starfleet will need a formal written account of the incident from both of you. Now, I cannot tell you what to include in the reports but I strongly suggest that you refrain from including any incriminating statements against each other, especially Spock."

"I understand Captain," Spock said.

"Very well Captain, is that all?" Uhura asked still annoyed.

"Yes, Lieutenant. You are dismissed."

Nyota left the room but Spock remained behind.

"Spock, what was that all about?" Kirk said pointing to the door that Uhura just exited.

"The Lieutenant is...angry with me I believe," Spock answered.

"I can see that, but why is she angry with me?" Kirk asked indignantly.

"She appears to be miffed with you for calling us into your office together. She is not ready to announce our marriage to the crew."

"I see. Spock what happened between you and Uhura on Vulcan is no one's business but your own. However, I will not have it disrupting this ship or her crew, do I make myself clear?"

"Aye Captain."

"Good. Now I suggest you try and patch things up with your wife."

"I intend to do so. But I must give her time."

"Time may not be on your side."

"It never is," he said with resignation.

"Spock..." Kirk didn't know what to say to his friend. Spock had brought all of this on himself by keeping secrets. He should have learned by now that secrets have a way of getting out and hurting those you loved.

"Captain, I know you were also displeased with me for withholding information about myself and my illness."

"Spock, I forgave you for that."

"I know, and I thank you. However, how would you feel if I had not only withheld the truth about Vulcan mating habits from you, but I also took you by force from the Enterprise and forced you to mate with me?"

"Honestly Spock?"

"Of course Captain."

"I probably would have punched you in the jaw," Jim said.

"I see. You would have challenged." It was a statement, not a question.

"Now, I didn't say that. I mean, we're friends. I wouldn't want you dead, but I would be... as you say, very angry with you. A punch in the jaw is the least you deserve. But if I cared enough not to want you dead then, of course, I'd have to... to... you know..." Jim finished at a loss for the right words.

Spock tried hard to suppress his grin at the Captain's discomfort.

"What Captain?" he asked innocently.

"Spock, you know what. Don't push your luck."

"Forgive me, Captain. I don't know what came over me."

"Think nothing else of it."

"Captain?

"Yes Spock"

"What would it take for you to forgive me? For ... you know?"

"That's a good question. I have no idea. But probably a lot of time and space to work out my anger."

"I see," Spock said. Jim's words did not inspire much hope for his future.

"But if I valued our friendship more than I did my bruised ego, eventually, I would have to forgive you," Kirk said.

"I suppose I will just have to wait."

"Spock, it's just going to take time. But look on the bright side, at least she didn't punch you in the jaw."

"There is that Captain, there is that."

Chapter 3: Solo Sulu

Summary:

Ok if you wondered what happened after Nyota dropped her bomb on Sulu here it is.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-

"It's worse than that. I'm married to Spock." Uhura announced.

Hikaru Sulu had heard many astonishing things during the course of his Starfleet career. He'd done many astonishing things too. He had been places, had seen things, and had things done to him that land lovers on Earth would never understand. But when Nyota told him she was married to Spock, Commander Spock, Vulcan Mr. Spock he didn't believe his ears.

"Like married, married?" the words just spilled out of his mouth

"Yes like married, married. What other kinds of marriage is there?"

Sulu got up and went to his cabinet to find that drink. He poured himself a healthy dose of reality aka whiskey and downed it in one swallow.

"So," he said returning to his seat, " I know you didn't think you were gonna drop a bomb like that in my lap and be cool about it? Tell it all now!"

"I can't tell it all, I am still trying to piece it all together. I may need to write a book about my adventures on Vulcan."

"Well, start at the part where you and Spock decided to get hitched, how did you manage that?"

"I didn't manage anything Sulu. Spock did it... he...came to my quarters on that day he was agitated; remember the Captain ordered him to sickbay when he had an outburst on the bridge?"

"Yea, he's always doing something, so?" Sulu said eager for the juicy details.

"Well, he escaped from sickbay and came to my room."

"Yeah?"

"And he did something..." She said hesitantly.

Sulu gasped. Omg no he didn't!

"He gave me a neck pinch or a mind meld and knocked me out cold,"

Should have known he didn't, Sulu thought.

"Next thing I know I'm on Vulcan surrounded by his parents and the Captain and McCoy."

"And?"

"And his mother says you have to marry Spock or he'll-" She shut her mouth.

"Or he'll what?"

"I can't tell you. I can't tell a soul," she shook her head.

"You better tell me, woman! You can't leave a man hanging like this?"

"But I promised. It's an ancient Vulcan secret."

"What? What could be so terrible that you can't tell your old pal Hikaru?" He said sweetly. "If you tell me, it is in a vault. Sealed for all eternity."

Uhura was torn. She knew she shouldn't. Spock was such a private man. Too private, his secrets are what got all this going in the first place. He could have told her about his Pon Farr and she could have prepared for it, decided if she wanted to do it. But no, he had to keep it a secret and snatch her up like she as his stray sehlat. To hell with him.

"Ok so please never tell this to a living soul, swear."

"I swear on all that is sacred and holy."

"Ok, I don't even know how to describe Vulcan culture or the shenanigans that went on there. But suffice it to say, it was alien."

"That's it, alien?" he sounded disappointed.

"Let's just say it was a shotgun wedding but the groom was the one in trouble."

"What? You're not going to be vague like that, you make it sound like Spock was pregnant or something. He wasn't was he?" Sulu asked eagerly hoping to hear something truly alien.

"No he wasn't pregnant," She swatted at him playfully.

"I can't Hik. No matter how much I want to, I just can't betray Spock's privacy. He trusts me."

"Ok let's be logical. You know, and apparently, the captain and Mccoy know right?"

"Yeah..."

"And if three humans already know what's one more? Plus Spock's mother and whoever she's told. That's practically all of the earth right there."

"Sulu your math is fuzzy. This is serious. Vulcans take this stuff as if it is life and death."

"Beleive me I do not want Mr. Spock mad at me. I'll protect his privacy."

"I know you will. That's why I trust you with knowing so much. You like Spock don't you?"

"Sure he's a great commander. But I knew something like this would happen," he said shaking his head ruefully.

"What? Why would you say that?"

"You've been making eyes at him for the better part of four years now."

"I have never nor will I ever 'make eyes' at Spock."

"Ok, you can't lie to me, I'm your pal. You've been pinning after Spock for a while now. And you've got him. I'd like to know how you managed it."

"I didn't manage anything. He grabbed me, and next thing you know I'm saying I do. Or I will, or whatever it is you say in that damn Vulcan ceremony. I can hardly remember it, it was like a whirlwind. I felt like Dorothy in Oz after the tornado snatched up her house. And his parents were there, and his grandma, did you know his grandmother is T'Pau head of the Vulcan council?"

"NO!

"Yes! And she married us, bonded us together in some special mind meld."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"And then we had a big reception and his ex-wife tried to block us."

"No! That girl from the viewscreen?"

Yes! A real bitch. She tried to play me. But I put her in her place I'll tell you."

"You haven't told me anything yet! What else?"

"I had to sign a prenup called a bride price."

"What, how dare he after snatching you?!" Sulu said angrily.

"No, it wasn't Spock it was his father Sarek. He gave me this contract that he whipped out of the folds of his robes like a wizard, and gave me an ultimatum."

"What?" Sulu was not liking the turn this story took.

"Yes. I pretty much had to sign it, otherwise, I would have shamed myself and my new clan and all of Vulcan," She said dramatically.

"What kind of nonsense is that, why would you sign a prenup after the fact?"

"I had to. It's ancient Vulcan tradition. And you won't believe what it said."

"If you tell me I'll try," Sulu said getting annoyed at the half story she was telling him.

"It says I get half of Spock inheritance. And Spock is filthy rich. Vulcans have major credits."

"Mr. Spock is rich?"

"Like a prince. I mean he's like freaking royalty. The dignitaries that showed up for that reception..." she shook her head. "The who's who of Vulcan society. And they were all his relatives too."

"Unbelievable. Our Mr. Spock a Vulcan prince?"

"Pretty much."

"He hides it well."

"You're telling me? But you can't tell a soul, you promised." She warned him.

"I swear."

"And don't look at him or act any differently around him, he's still just Spock, our commander," She defended Spock even in her anger.

"I'll try not to bow in his presence." Sulu grinned.

"He's not a real prince, Vulcan doesn't have royalty. He's just an uppity-up on Vulcan.

"He sure sounds uppity."

"Sulu what am I going to do. I don't want to be a Vulcan princess or uppity-up. I'm just little Lieutenant Uhura of the starship Enterprise."

"There's nothing little about you, you're a phenomenal woman and that's why he chose you."

"Lucky me. Anyway, he didn't choose me, he needed a wife and I was available."

"He's the lucky one. If he just needed a wife I'm sure Christine would have been chomping at the bit- Oh shit! Christine!"

"Oh shit, Christine is right. I've been avoiding her but she's gonna catch on to something sooner or later."

"She's not going to be pleased." Sulu agreed.

"No kidding. What am I going to do? Christine is going to be heartbroken, and then she's probably going to go bananas. And then I'll be toast."

"We'll deal with her if and when the time comes."

"We?"

"Yeah, you don't think I'm gonna let anybody mess with my best girl? Christine better behave herself or she'll have me to deal with."

"Thank you Sulu," She leaned over and kissed his cheek and hugged him. Sulu wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. She was so soft and warm. She smelled like cinnamon and spice. She was the perfect woman. Spock was a lucky man.

"He better be good to you," Sulu said in her ear.

"Or else what?" she teased.

"Or else I'll have to take you back from him," Sulu said seriously.

"Take me back?" she asked pulling away from him and laughing. "When did you ever have me?"

"I never did," he answered sadly. I never did.

Chapter 4: Friends and Lovers?

Summary:

Here comes Christine Chapel. How long can Nyota and Spock keep their secret with Nurse busybody on the case?

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-

"Nurse Chapel, Doctor McCoy asked me to file these medical records but I have a hot date and I'm running late. Do you mind finishing up?" a cute little young nurse asked Christine just as she was preparing to leave sickbay for the day.

"Sure," Christine said to the young nurse. Why not? It was not like she had a hot date herself. She had nowhere to go and nothing to do. Her best friend was avoiding her and there as no one else she wanted to talk to. Spock was out of the question. She'd learned long ago to give him his space. If she asked him about Vulcan and his illness he would only answer her questions with more questions or icy silence and then leave her feeling like a fool. So sure, she'd stay late and do this filing.

As she worked, her mind wandered. How had she ended up as a glorified file clerk? Christine had studied to be a bio-researcher but her career choice had gotten sidetracked when her fiancee Roger Kirby disappeared out in deep space. She had abandoned her promising career and signed on as a medic in Starfleet. It had taken a while, but she finally got a plum position as a nurse assigned to the Enterprise so that she could personally search for her lost lover.

But during that journey, she had made some shocking discoveries. First, she learned that space travel was dangerous and more demanding than anything she could have ever prepared for. She also learned that space travel was lonely and that on a ship of over 400 people she could be awfully isolated. She thought she would be occupied with finding Roger but most of her time was spent in the sickbay treating space sickness, bumps and bruises from overzealous crewmen spending too much time in the gym, or patching up redshirts who got the rough end of a mission.

But the most startling thing she learned was that her memories of Roger were fading. She was starting to forget what his voice sounded like, what his lips tasted like, and what it felt like to be in his arms.

Then there were the new feelings she was developing for a fellow crewman. Mr. Spock was like no man she'd ever met before. He was young, handsome, intelligent, and utterly socially inept. But he was so polite and apologetic. Christine had bumped into him one day while exiting the turbo lift and even though she was at fault he had apologized to her. That was the first time she had touched him, and there had been a spark when her hand grazed his as he steadied her. Christine believed a bolt of heat had leaped between them. It had been a magical moment for her and before she knew what was happening she was falling in love.

She tried to fight it at first, tried to remind herself that she already had a man, that she would be reunited with Roger and they would marry and live happily ever after. But late at night when she was alone in her cold bunk she didn't think of Roger anymore, she thought of the strange Mr. Spock and his warm hands and the way he made her feel young and innocent again.

She began to read everything she could get her hands on pertaining to Vulcan. She learned that Mr. Spock was also half-human but he carried himself as a Vulcan without any human traits. Christine didn't care, she liked the man, not his race. She even told him so when she lost her inhibitions when the ship got contaminated with heavy water sickness.

Everyone had collectively agreed to forget the shameful things people had done and said during that strange episode. But Christine remembered how disgracefully she had thrown herself at Spock and even though infected himself, he still rebuffed her advances. But even that humiliation couldn't stop the way she felt about him.

When she finally found Roger and learned of his terrible fate, she was heartbroken but not devastated by the outcome. She already loved another man who filled that empty space in her heart Roger's absence had created.

Over the years she had loved Spock from afar and even agreed to stay on the Enterprise so she could be near him. She knew he did not return her feelings but that was okay. He didn't have those kinds of feelings for anyone. She was content to just be able to work with him and call him her friend.

During her time on the Enterprise, she slowly made other friends, you couldn't help it with the ship being an enclosed community. She'd become good friends with Lieutenant Uhura almost from the first day, she was just such a friendly and outgoing person. And she became friends with Dr. McCoy and Dr. M'Benga and the other medical and scientific staff. They were a close-knit group in the sciences. But Nyota had been one of her best friends and she often shared her feelings about Spock with her.

And Nyota seemed to have a close friendship with Spock. They shared a common interest in music, and Nyota had finagled her way into getting Spock to teach her his lute. She had also finagled her way into getting him to teach her the Vulcan language. Christine didn't know how she did it. Spock would not even drink her soup but, like the other men on the ship, he jumped at the chance to do Nyota's bidding.

People tended to respond to Nyota and they usually tried their best to accommodate her. She was friends with everyone, you couldn't walk down a corridor without everyone she passed saying hi and stopping to share a little gossip. She had friends in engineering, in communications, on the bridge, below decks in the service sections, she had friends everywhere.

But Chris had never been jealous of Nyota because Nyota didn't have the one thing that mattered. Spock.

She should have known that Nyota Uhura was too good to be true. That she was really just rubbing it in Chris's face that she was able to get so close to Spock. The truth was out there now, Nyota was not nor had she ever been Christine's friend.

While Chris was telling her so-called best friend how she was in love with Spock her 'friend' was making moves on him. It was all too clear now, the way Ny would fawn on his every word, the way she would make a beeline for him whenever they were in the same room, the way she took up his time with her music lessons and her language lessons, the way she flirted and teased with him every chance she got. It all made sense now. And Chris had stood by and let her good and dear friend steal her man right from under her nose.

Well, she wasn't gonna get away with it, no sir. She may have every other man on this ship brainwashed with her overstuffed uniform but she couldn't fool Chris anymore. The more Christine thought about it the angrier she became.

She had even felt concern for Ny when she had been taken to Vulcan by an out of control Spock. What a fool she had been. She had begged Dr. McCoy to tell her about her friend's safety and he would not give her any information. Well, now she knew.

Spock and Nyota's medical records had been sealed but Chris had access even to sealed records and what she just read there was shocking. Spock and Nyota Uhura's medical records were changed and their marital status had changed. They were both listed as bonded! Married under Vulcan law and listed as each other's next of kin!

It was incredible. At first, she didn't believe it, didn't want to believe it. She couldn't keep it to herself so she stormed into Dr. McCoy's office with the offending records.

"Doctor, what is this?" she tossed the record tapes on his desk.

"Nurse why do you have those records, they are sealed, eyes only."

"And I have top-secret medical clearance. I was doing routine filing when I saw that the records had been changed. Please tell me that this is a mistake, that it is some kind of sick joke. Tell me Commander Spock and Lieutenant Uhura are not married!" she said her voice rising sharply as she became more hysterical.

"Shh, keep your voice down, do you want everyone to hear you?"

"Doctor, I don't give a flying fig who hears me, now please just tell me is this true?"

McCoy sighed, "Yes it's true but you didn't hear it from me."

"I didn't hear it from you, nor from my best friend. I had to read it by accident in medical records!"

"And you will keep that information to yourself. Those are orders that come straight from Starfleet command. This is a private matter between Spock and Uhura and you are to stay out of it, do you understand Nurse?" McCoy ordered.

"Yes, Doctor," Christine answered with a clenched jaw.

This was too much. She felt sick and hurt and lost and she had nobody to turn to. Her best friend had betrayed her and even Doctor McCoy who'd been there for her when she learned of Rogers's passing seemed to be taking Uhura's side. Who could she turn to? Who was going to be on her side?

She stormed out of McCoy's office in a panic. She didn't know where to turn or what to do. She stumbled back to her own office and bumped into M'benga.

"Christine?" He said as he steadied her from falling. "What's the matter?"

Christine didn't know it but she was hyperventilating.

"Sp... Spo... Spock is married!" she stuttered and burst into tears.

M'Benga guided her into his office and held her as she cried.

"Shh. It's going to be alright. Its nothing to get so upset about." He soothed her.

He knew she was obsessed with Mr. Spock. Knew she couldn't see anything but Spock and her together. The silly fool. She could have any man on this ship and she had to pick the most unobtainable one.

Vulcan men didn't just marry women they met at work. They were bonded in childhood to other Vulcans. On rare occasions, like with Ambassador Sarek, they were divorced or widowed and left free to marry whoever they wanted, but still, it was usually a mutually beneficial pairing based on logic, not romance.

The fact that someone like Ambassador Sarek had married a common human woman was unheard of, for good reasons. The odds that lightning would strike twice, in the same manner, was astronomical. But according to Nurse Chapel, it had happened. Another high profile Vulcan male had married a human woman. And the bitch of it all was that it was Spock and Uhura. M'Benga bet that caused quite a few ripples back on Vulcan.

He couldn't begin to imagine what Christine was feeling right now. She was hurting for sure, but surely she had to realize she never had a chance with Spock? If he had not responded to her advances in all this time he never would. Not because he was a Vulcan and she a human, but because he was a man. And like any man, he knew what he wanted and what he didn't want. If he had wanted Christine he would have found a way to get her. Like he had apparently done with Lt. Uhura.

M'Benga could have told Christine that he could see this coming from miles away. He knew Vulcans. He had studied with them at the Vulcan science academy. And he knew Vulcan males were nothing if not determined to get what they wanted. Spock had pretty much scared off other men from approaching Lieutenant Uhura a long time ago. And M'Benga had never seen a Vulcan male pay so much attention to a single female that he as not bonded to. All the signs were there. Christine just refused to acknowledge them. Until it was too late.

"Christine, listen to me. I know you cared for Mr. Spock. But you have to understand he was not-"

"I didn't just care for him. I love him!" She yelled.

"Vulcan's are betrothed in childhood. He was probably betrothed all the time he served on this ship. He was never going to betray his bondmate for you." M'Benga tried to explain.

"But he's married to Uhura! I just saw it on their record tapes. They were just bonded while on Vulcan. She took him from me."

"NO, Christine, Uhura didn't take Spock, he was never yours."

"How do you know? Why are you taking her side?"

"Because I know Vulcans. I practically grew up on Vulcan. And I am telling you Vulcan males are... they are just different. If Mr. Spock has married Lt. Uhura he must have had a good reason. Vulcans don't marry just anyone. They have clans and families they have to get approval from. If they are married she was vetted by his clan and matriarch you can believe that."

"So?"

"So, this marriage was probably in the works for a long time."

"No! They were not bethrothed in childhood. They only met when she was assigned to the Enterprise, the same as me. It has to be something else. You know he kidnapped her from the ship right?"

"Did he?"

"Yes! He was sick, he had a fever and he broke his restraints and next thing you know he's carrying her to the shuttle bay and off to Vulcan."

"Oh. No, I didn't know it went down like that. Regardless, if his family didn't approve her then she'd be out. Or they would pretty much be shunned by the clan."

"Do you think so?"

"That's how it is on Vulcan. Marriage is a family affair."

Christine wiped her eyes. Spock and Nyota were not married. They couldn't be. They had returned from Vulcan as if nothing had happened. They were barely speaking to one another. Maybe his family had rejected Nyota? Maybe this was one big misunderstanding? Spock had been sick, he wasn't in his right mind. And Nyota tricked him.

"Do you think his family could have rejected her?" She asked M'Benga with hope rising in her voice.

"Christine, please, even if they did, Spock is not for you. You don't know what Vulcan men are like. You have to give this up."

"Never!" she vowed. "Don't lecture me about Vulcan men Doctor. You may have grown up on Vulcan but you'll never be one. You don't know Spock. He's not like other Vulcan men. He's different," she insisted.

"Christine you don't know Spock either. He's not what you think he is."

"I don't care. I love him. Love can overcome anything. Nyota hasn't won yet." She announced as she stomped out of his office.

M'Benga shook his head. Christine was in for a rude awakening. No, Spock was not like other Vulcan men. He was worse. He was a Vulcan man in love.

Chapter 5: No Hiding Place

Summary:

Sulu is being Uhura's rock during her difficulties. Meanwhile, Uhura is avoiding everybody associated with her 'wedding'.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-

Sulu decided to take Nyota away from her troubles after their shift ended. He knew all the best nooks and crannies on the ship to explore when you needed to get away from it all, well as away as you could get on a starship. He was sure Christine wouldn't think to look for them together and at this time of the day, the observation deck was usually deserted.

"I never get tired of looking at the stars," Uhura said as she sat beside her friend and looked out of the floor to ceiling window at the starfield surrounding them. "I still wonder what's out there, or rather, now that I've been out there, what else is out there?"

"I prefer nature. Plants, animals, growing things. I think I missed my calling as a botanist," Sulu said.

"Naw, you're an excellent helmsman.

"Why, thank you, madam. And you're an excellent communications officer."

"Thank you, sir," Uhura said. "You know, I could have done a dozen different things with my life. I was trained to be a musician but I fell in love with dancing and then running. I had been off Earth a few times with my dad when he took us kids with him for his gigs. I even sang backup for him. But I always thought I'd be a professional dancer."

"So how'd you end up out here?" Sulu had never really asked her such personal questions, they always kept their friendship light and casual.

"Life is strange. I think I just rebelled. Some cadets from Starfleet came to recruit at my school and I saw the uniforms and the tales of adventure and they said were looking for the best of the best. I thought, 'I'm the best, you need me'. And poof here I am."

"I always loved studying languages and cultures so it wasn't that much of a stretch. I guess I was always pushing myself to be better and training for Starfleet pushed me to my limits. Once I got into the academy, the next goal was to get an assignment on the best ship and then to be a captain. But everybody has that goal."

"Not everybody. Spock doesn't seem to be angling for a Captaincy."

"Why are we discussing Spock?"

"He seems like the elephant in the room."

"I suppose Vulcans don't have a need to be in charge or that thirst for power that we humans have. Leadership is a duty and they'll take on the duty if they must, but they don't chase it down. At least not modern Vulcans. Ancient Vulcans probably would have wiped us out when they made the first contact with Earth."

"Well, luckily we don't have to deal with ancient Vulcans."

"No, you don't," Uhura said thinking of how she would have to face a primitive Vulcan male of her own in a few years if things worked out between her and Spock.

"You know what Sulu? I think I ran away from Earth to avoid real-life interpersonal drama, and somehow I ended up smack dab in the middle of interpersonal drama anyway. Only its the Vulcan kind."

"You know that the old Earth song says, there's no hiding place."

"I went to the rock to hide my face and the rock cried out no hiding place," Uhura sang.

"That's the one. I think we all joined up for different reasons but one thing we all have in common is that we wanted off Earth. For some of us, Earth was a prison we couldn't wait to escape."

"You're right, Sulu. I wanted to escape. But there's no hiding place. You can't escape yourself. No matter where you go there you are," she mused.

"You just said a mouthful, Sister."

Uhura stood up. "C'mon, let's go."

"Go where?"

"Back to reality. I can't hide from Spock or Christine or myself. I've got to face life head-on or not at all."

"That's my girl! Let's go get 'em," Sulu said all gung ho.

"Well, let's just go back to the rec room," Uhura said calmly.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Christine was unsuccessful in her mission to hunt down Sulu. He was off duty but he was not in his quarters. He was not in his usual haunts either. She looked in the ship's garden and the gym. He was nowhere to be found. She took a chance and checked on Uhura as well. She was also off duty but she was not in her quarters, at least she was not answering her com or her door. So where were they? She knew they often met in the rec room so she checked each one and they were not there either.

She did, however, learn some interesting ship's gossip. Nyota and Spock were not speaking to one another. Chekov happened to mention that things were chilly on the bridge since the Vulcan shore leave.

"What do you mean things are chilly Chekov? What's happening?" Christine asked as she sidled up to Scotty and Chekov who were seated at the ship's bar.

"Oh Nurse, I was just telling Mr. Scott that things are a bit strange lately. Mr. Spock and Lt. Uhura do not seem to be speaking to one another."

"Really?" She took a seat beside Chekov.

"Well laddie, you can't expect those two to chat during working hours, the bridge is serious business," Scotty said.

"But we are not that way on the bridge. There is always something to discuss. Usually, there is a light friendly atmosphere. But lately..." Chekov shivered as if he were freezing. "Commander Spock and Lieutenant Uhura are always talking about something, they keep things from being boring on those long shifts when nothing happens," he said.

"Do you think they had a fight?" Christine asked eagerly.

"A fight? Mr. Spock and Uhura?" Chekov asked incredulously.

"Now lassie you know those two. Why would they ever fight? Spock is a gentleman and he sets great store by the Lieutenant."

"Yes but if they're not speaking--"

Scotty shut that down. "I saw them both when they beamed up from Vulcan and I can tell you they were..." Mr. Scott stopped to think.

"What were they, Mr. Scott?" Christine asked.

"Well, they looked..."

What! Christine wanted to yell. What was he hinting at?

"Mr. Scott vhat are you trying to say?" Chekov asked before Christine could.

"Well I know those two, they looked downright cozy if you ask me."

"Cozy vhat does that mean?"

"Well, the Lieutenant had the Vulcan flu, didn't she? I'm sure Mr. Spock and his family took right good care of her. The poor dear. I hear she was on her back the entire time," Scott shook his head sadly.

I just bet she was, Christine mumbled.

"What's that?" Scott asked.

"Oh, nothing I was just thinking, I've never heard of this Vulcan flu. It must be something new."

"Well, you know how secretive the Vulcans are. I hear Spock got sick on the bridge first. He must have infected the Lieutenant somehow."

"Funny how nobody else on the bridge got it," Chapel said.

"Well nobody else seems to get as close to Mr. Spock as Uhura, that's for sure."

"Da!" Checkov agreed as he downed his drink. "She has a way about her, even the Vulcans cannot resist her charm," he seemed proud of his friend.

"Yes, I'm sure she does. Well if you gentlemen will excuse me?" Christine stood prepared to leave when Sulu and Uhura walked into the room arm in arm.

"Well, speak of the devil," she said. She was about to make a beeline towards them when the Captain, Dr. Mccoy, and Spock walked in and took a table in a corner.

Damn! She couldn't approach Uhura with McCoy watching. He knew that she knew and he'd be watching to see if she caused a scene. But she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. No, she was going to bide her time.

Sulu and Uhura took a table of their own and had a little tête-à-tête. When they spotted her at the bar they whispered to one another and Sulu seemed to be comforting Nyota.

It was disgusting. "Look at them," Christine didn't realize she spoke out loud but Chekov and Scotty turned to the room.

"Oh there's Sulu and Uhura, C'mon let's join them," Scotty said taking his bottle and hopping from his stool. He turned to Christine, "Nurse, care to join us?"

"No, you go right ahead. I have a headache. I think I'll turn in."

Scotty and Chekov pulled up chairs and joined the pair while the Captain, Spock, and the Doctor chatted and McCoy watched everything from his corner.

Uhura had all her men surrounding her right now, Chris thought, but she would slip up. This was a small ship. She couldn't hide from Christine forever.

Chapter 6: Chapel P.I.

Summary:

Who grew up in the '80s? I can't get the MAGNUM, P.I. theme song out of my head now.

Nurse Chapel is on the case and she is determined to get to the bottom of things.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-

"Nurse Chapel, what can I do for you?" Spock asked Christine as she waited for him outside of his cabin door.

"Mr. Spock! I finally caught you." She said. "I mean caught up with you. I haven't seen much of you since your return from Vulcan."

"No? Well, now that you have seen me... if you will excuse me I have my mediation to attend to." He waited for her to step aside.

"What's your hurry? We have not seen each other for a while, wouldn't you like to chat? How was your visit with your family? I trust you and your father were able to get along?"

Spock had never 'chatted' with Christine before. He had always kept their interactions professional when possible. So what was she up to now? Did she know something she should not? Or was she just being her usual intrusive self?

"My visit was agreeable, thank you for your concern but it is unwarranted."

"Well, I know you and your father—"

"Nurse Chapel, I would appreciate it if you do not concern yourself with my personal affairs. Now if you will excuse me?" He looked at her expressionlessly hoping she would take the dismissal for what it was and leave him alone. No such luck.

"Mr. Spock just one more thing. I know Lieutenant Uhura was ill during our prolonged shore leave on Vulcan. I hear that you and your family graciously allowed her to convalesce with you?" She asked innocently but Spock knew better. She knew.

"Is that a question Nurse Chapel?"

"Well, I was just wondering how Uhura was fairing? I hope she didn't inconvenience you all too much?"

"The Lieutenant is never an inconvenience. But perhaps you would be better served if you asked her these questions?"

I would if I could find her, Christine mumbled under her breath.

To Spock, she said, "Oh, well you know how popular she is? Since she's been back I can't find hide nor hair of her. She's probably off on a date with one of her gentlemen friends. I heard she's been hanging out with Sulu a lot lately. They did seem to get pretty close since she had that incident in that mirror galaxy." Christine not so subtly hinted that Nyota and Sulu were more than friends.

Little did she know, Spock thought. "Indeed?" Spock said calmly. "Then perhaps Nurse Chapel, if you find Mr. Sulu you'll find Lt. Uhura." With that, he swiftly sidestepped her and entered his quarters closing the door in her face.

Damn! She should have known he wouldn't give anything away. He was too clever, too Vulcan. But he did give her something to work with. Sulu. She hadn't lied about Uhura and Sulu, they were thick as thieves since that mirror incident. And if anybody knew something it would be him. They were probably together right now, laughing at her.

Oh, how clever Nyota thought she was seducing Spock when he was weak, tricking him into marrying her. Spock was vulnerable during his fever, Christine knew that. She had seen it firsthand. He had even come on to her that one time when she told him they were diverting to Vulcan for his sake, she just knew he had. He told her he dreamed about her. And the way he had looked at her... It had frightened her at the time but now she wished she had let him do whatever he wanted to do to her. She could be the one calling her self Spock's wife right now, not Nyota.

If Spock needed someone, why didn't he just come to her? She would not have turned him away. She could have helped him. She's a nurse, she's been taking care of him for all these years. He could trust her with anything, didn't he know that? Why did he continue to turn her away while he fell into the trap set by Uhura? Couldn't he see Nyota was a tease? She flirted with every man on this ship but she wasn't interested in them. She was just playing men. Using them. And they all fell for it, including Spock who should know better and who should be immune to her ploys. What did Uhura have that she didn't have, she wondered not for the first time?

"Spock," the little voice in her head whispered to her. She has Spock and you don't.

"But not for long," Christine said and she marched off to find Sulu.

Chapter 7: Love and Bondage

Summary:

Nyota is confused and Spock is just watching and waiting for her to make up her mind.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Uhura was having another sleepless night after Sulu had dropped her off at her cabin door. Now that she was married to Spock and back home on the Enterprise she couldn't stop thinking about him and that bothered her. Questions about their relationship were swirling around and around in her mind, the most important one was "What did she want from Spock?"

She could admit she had been infatuated with him in the past but she had never dared hope she could ever actually have him. He was Spock! He was a cold-hearted Vulcan alien who didn’t notice women no matter how cute they might be. He treated Nurse Chapel like she was a nuisance. He was friends with the Captain and the Doctor but even with them, he was still standoffish. He kept his secrets close to his vest.

So Uhura never dreamed Spock would be attracted to someone like her. She was loud, brash, emotional, playful, and sassy. She liked to flirt with him and tease him because he was immune to her charms. He wouldn't make a play for her. He was safe. Or so she thought. She thought he would not be tempted by her and she thought she would not be tempted by him.

Boy was she wrong. When she realized she was falling in love with him after the Gorn Ball, she shut that down. She did not want her heart broken by Mr. Spock, not when he wouldn’t even know he had broken it. She didn’t want to be a nuisance like Christine. She and Spock had developed a fairly strong relationship as friends and she hadn’t wanted to do anything that would jeopardize that friendship. She still didn’t. Spock was the best man she had ever known, one of the best people she knew and she did not want to lose him in her life.

Nyota tossed and turned in her bed. Sleep just wouldn't come to her. For the first time since she arrived on the Enterprise as a bright-eyed newly minted lieutenant, she didn't feel at home. Something was missing and she suspected that something or more likely that somebody was Spock. For whatever reason, she missed him and she hated that. This ship was her home, this was more than a job, Starfleet is her life. She had never had any intention of getting married any time soon.

She wasn't going to get any sleep anytime soon so she got dressed quickly left her quarters headed for the music room.

At this time of day, there were likely only a few people there if any at all. Surprisingly not a lot of crewmembers played instruments or felt the need to practice while aboard so she usually had the room to herself. Every since the day she heard Spock playing his harp she had been driven to learn it herself. But after that run-in the Enterprise had with the alien Trelane of Gathos, Uhura had felt even more drawn to musical instruments. That alien had somehow imbued her with the ability to play an ancient harpsichord and long after that incident she still retained the skill. After that, she took lessons on the piano and she had worked hard to get herself up to an intermediate level.

She found the room as empty as she thought it would be and she took a seat at a piano in the farthest corner of the room from the door. The lights were already set for the evening cycle so she didn't bother to bring them up. She started with a run-through of the major scales and arpeggios. And then she played some of the easy songs she had learned and hummed along just letting her mind wander.

Immediately her thoughts returned to Spock. Romances were a risky endeavor, and if their marriage didn’t work out and they broke up, how would they continue working with one another? Would they be able to remain friends after all they’ve been through in the past few weeks? Could she remain on the Enterprise if her commander was also her ex?

Uhura didn’t think so. Not now when her heart was becoming engaged even though she fought it tooth and nail. And what about this katra business? She was bound to Spock until she died or so T’Pau said. They were for all intents and purposes, soul mates. Whoever invented that term probably had no idea that the concept could really happen. How did two beings share a soul? She had a part of Spock, but did he have part of her too? He must if he could feed her back her own memories right? It was all so confusing. She said she would try to make things work with Spock but what did that mean for them? Love? Babies?

She could easily let herself fall in love with Spock but then what? Could they live happily ever after? Would they live on the ship as husband and wife? Did she follow his lead while they shared their lives like Sarek and Amanda? Where did that place her in the grand schemes of things? Could she be his wife, mother of his children, the matriarch of his clan and be happy on Vulcan while Spock explored the galaxy? What about her career? What about her plans for her future? She was supposed to be a captain and have her own ship and conquer the galaxy herself. What about that?

Uhura could barely relax with all the questions flying around in her racing mind. She was scared. Life just got so real so fast. This was big girl type problems, and she had to work them out all alone. She hadn’t even told her family about this marriage yet. And who could she tell? Her parents? Her brothers? They would have a million questions and she didn't have any answers.

She had Amanda, and Amanda had been through this all herself, but Amanda was living with rose-colored glasses on. She worshiped Sarek and the Vulcans. Amanda was more like Christine in that regard, madly and blindly in love. Amanda’s life focused solely on Sarek and Spock. But Uhura had her own life, and friends, and family, and a career. She still had that thirst for adventure and knowledge that drove people like her to the stars. She couldn’t be content to live on Vulcan and put up with that petty nonsense of clan politics.

Uhura slammed the keys in frustration. "Everything was easier when my worries were about 'I' and 'me', now that it's 'us' and 'we' and I’m an absolute mess," She said.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Nyota had requested that Spock give her some time and space to deal with their new circumstances and Spock was trying his best to comply with those wishes. It was just a coincidence that he found himself walking past the music room at this time of night. He stopped in his tracks when his sensitive ears heard the sad piano music coming from the far corner of the room. Luckily the lights were dimmed or else he was certain Nyota would have noticed him. He was able to remain still just inside the door and listen.

Nyota didn’t want anything to change between them and Spock understood that to some extent. Once their relationship was announced she could not go back to being simply Lieutenant Uhura. He knew this from personal experience. Once people had learned he was Sarek's son he was treated differently. It was subtle but he recognized it, even from his closest friends like Jim and McCoy.

Nyota didn’t seem to care about his wealth or social status on Vulcan and that pleased him greatly, but others would care. He wanted to protect her from the danger that being associated with him would bring. As his wife, she would be a target of those who disapproved of Vulcans and their political views.

And he was certain there we those on the ship who would give her trouble just for marrying him, mainly Nurse chapel. Spock had never had any feelings for the nurse but she had persisted in her pursuit of him since the moment they had met. He had watched her in the rec room the other night as she stared at Uhura. She was going to be trouble, he just knew it. But he didn't dare approach her. Any engagement with her would be misconstrued as interest at best and at worst, she would become suspicious of his relationship with Uhura. So he had to sit back and watch and wait. He would protect his wife whether she knew she needed protection or not.

Chapter 8: Spilled Tea

Summary:

Nyota is busted.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Nyota Uhura was not the kind of person to run and hide from her problems. But after an uneventful shift, she did not feel like being around people. So she only went back to her quarters to rest not to hide. She was not hiding! At least that's what she told herself. So she had begged off from the little party of her friends who had gathered in the rec room, complaining of fatigue.

And she hadn't lied, she really wasn't feeling all that great. It had been days since she returned from Vulcan so she couldn't imagine why she felt so out of sorts. She blamed Spock for that too. Him and his damned katra! Of course, she had his katra before she went to Vulcan but maybe this new marital bond thing as causing this new feeling of unease?

Regardless, she felt like crap and all she wanted to do was sleep. But lately even sleep escaped her, all she had was bad dreams. Well, they weren't all bad they were just disturbing. She dreamed of Spock all night long. She dreamed of Spock in the cave, Spock on the mirror ship, Spock on the Enterprise in her quarters, and every time he was fucking her. She was starting to feel like a walking wet dream. She needed sleep damn it!

She had just settled down on her bunk and was finally drifting off when the door chimed. Who the hell could that be? It as well past the time when anyone she knew would visit. The ship ran 24 hours of course but they still ran day and night rotations. And her door should clearly show she as on her night rotation and not to be disturbed.

Maybe it as Spock? Did she want to see him? He knew her door code, he could let himself in, and now that they were married he didn't even need an excuse. But she knew he would never violate her privacy like that.

"This better be good," she mumbled as she stumbled out of bed not even bothering to grab her robe.

She opened the door to find Christine standing there.

Just great!

"Chris, what brings you around so late? I was just sleeping," she said hoping Chris would take a hint.

"Oh sorry, Ny. I've been by several times looking for you but you were never in. I figured I'd catch you sooner or later though. I wanted to see how you are fairing after your ordeal on Vulcan?"

"My ordeal?" Uhura said panicking, did Christine know what happened?

"Yes, your illness. Vulcan flu I believe?"

"Oh, yes," Nyota said relieved. "Well, here I am hale and hearty, all better. Thanks for your concern, now if you don't mind I have to go on duty in a few hours."

"Just a moment. Can I come in just for a little chat? I need to talk to you about something. I promise it won't take long."

"Sure you can, what are friends for?" Uhura smiled. She had always liked Chris. Spock and this whole mess was just making her paranoid. She stepped aside and let Christine enter her suite. Chris made herself at home at Nyota's dining table.

"Would you care for some tea?"

"Do you have Plomeek tea?" Christine asked sweetly.

"No, just Earl Grey or green, your choice."

"Earl Grey is fine."

Uhura prepared the tea and sat opposite Christine.

"So what's up?" Uhura asked while she took a sip of her green tea.

"Why don't you tell me... Mrs. Spock?" Christine sneered.

Oh shit!

"What?" Uhura laughed nervously. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me, it doesn't suit you. I know all about you and Mr. Spock. I know you tricked him into marrying you on Vulcan." Christine accused. "Vulcan flu my ass. We both know there is no such thing."

"Christine, I don't know who put such silly thoughts in your head. I was sick. Spock infected me with his er...um... with what he had. He came to my quarters and I guess I passed out and he...um, took me to Vulcan with him where we were both treated by his healers." There, that is sorta kinda the truth, Uhura thought.

"So why is there no medical record of this illness?"

"Well, you know how secretive and private Vulcans are. They don't do things the way we do. They have family healers and such. There are no central records most likely."

"You sure know a lot about Vulcan medical practices."

"Well, I was sick there." Uhura offered.

"Yeah right. You were there for over a week. It took that long for the 'healers' to treat you?"

"No, well you see they had to make sure I was no longer contagious." Yeah, that sounds plausible. The more she talked the more Uhura felt like a liar and a fool. She knew it and Christine knew it. But she wasn't ready to give up the charade just yet. She wasn't ready for the world to know she was married to Spock.

"Look, Chris, I'm tired, as you say I was ill for a while on Vulcan and if truth be told I'm still not 100 percent. I would like to go to sleep. Could we maybe discuss this tomorrow?" Or never?

"Oh, there is nothing to discuss. I know what you did on Vulcan. You tricked Spock into marrying you when he was sick and vulnerable. You tried to steal Spock from me but it didn't work did it? Did his family reject you? Is that why you're pretending? Well, you're not going to get away with it!" Christine was hysterical now.

"Stole Spock from you?" Uhura couldn't believe her ears.

"You heard me, missy."

"Look, Chris, you're wrong. Point blank period. I didn't steal anyone. If anything Spock stole me!" Uhura said getting angry.

"Stole you? That's a laugh! Everyone knows you've been throwing yourself at Spock these past few years. I was a blind fool for too long but no longer. You are a liar and a thief and I intend to let everyone know the kind of woman you are."

"Now look Chris, I'm not going to sit here and let you talk to me like this. I told you what happened. But no matter what you think happened on Vulcan, it's none of your business. It's between Spock and me. If you can't accept what I'm saying go ask Spock, or the Captain, or Dr. Mccoy!"

"Oh, I know what happened. I saw it with my own eyes, I saw your medical records sweetie. It was all there in black and white."

Nyota Uhura- Marital status: Married. Spouse: Spock son of Sarek of Vulcan!"

"What! How did you get my medical records? They're supposed to be sealed!"

"I'm a nurse, I have access."

"Not like that you don't! Are you spying on me?" Uhura was outraged now.

"I didn't have to spy. I saw it by accident. My dear friend sure didn't bother to tell me. My dear friend sat here and bald-faced lied to me."

"Christine I can explain," Uhura offered, trying to placate Christine. How had this spiraled out of control?

"Don't bother, I already know what happened. You're a snake. I just wanted to know if you'd lie or tell the truth when given the chance, and we see what you chose. You're not my friend, you are my enemy. And I am going to do everything I can to take Spock away from you. You tricked him while he was sick with a fever. I know how desperate he was. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, but women like you have no shame, do you?"

"Now hold on-"

"I'm not going to listen to any more of your lies. You have been warned, stay away from me and stay away from Spock!"

Christine stormed out.

Uhura sat at her little table in shock. What the hell? How dare she! She didn't know what happened on Vulcan. She didn't know what Spock put her through! What she had sacrificed! Damn her!

Uhura swiped the teacups off her table in anger. She had never been so mad in all her days. She had been a good friend to Christine. She didn't steal Spock from her! Spock didn't belong to Christine, "he belongs to me!" Uhura pounded her fist on the table.

Wait, what just happened? Where had that thought come from? Spock belonged to her? What. The. Hell.

She looked around her little kitchen area. Look at this mess! How had that happened?

Uhura hated people who struck out in anger, she hated being angry herself. This isn't me, she thought as she shook her head. She began to tremble and then cry. "And who's gonna clean up this tea?"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Uhura lay naked beneath an equally naked Spock.

He stared into her eyes but she wondered if he even saw her. His skin was very hot which was still odd to Nyota. Normally when she happened to brush hands with Spock for some reason, his hands were always cool to the touch but now he burned with fever as he covered her with his body. She trembled, not from cold but from nervousness. This is not how she ever envisioned her wedding night and she never envisioned Spock as the groom in her wedding fantasies.

Spock raised his hand to her head and for a moment she feared he would initiate another meld but instead he gently brushed her bangs aside. then his fingers trailed down her cheek to her neck and still lower to her chest to finally where his hand rested on her breast. He palmed her breast and squeezed as if curious and then his hand began the same slow journey further down her body over her stomach to her pubic area which was very neatly trimmed, thank goodness.

She didn't know why she thought that; just that she was grateful she had taken care of grooming as his fingers began to tease her tight neat coils. His fingers slowly parted her already slick flesh to tease her still deeper. Uhura closed her eyes, she couldn't stand to look into those dark penetrating eyes while Spock explored her body.

She felt him brush a kiss across her lips, then her chin and soon his kisses were following the same path as his hands had a few moments ago. He kissed her breast, peppering it with little nips and then finally he took her nipple into his mouth.

Uhura shuddered not realizing she was even holding her breath until she exhaled. His tongue was slightly rough which surprised her while he teased her with tongue and teeth. "Ooh," she felt her nipples harden as he released one and then moved over to taste the other one.

This was nothing like the fevered ravishing she imagined before they bonded. This was far more devastating, this slow thorough seduction of foreplay. She could gird her body and her heart against a brutal savage Spock, but a gentle loving Spock was harder to resist and deny. Spock was playing her body with the same skill he had used on his harp, teasing her, tempting her, luring her into his trap. The allure of the magic only Spock could create like the Vulcan music she had fallen in love with.

He hooked his hand under her knees and pushed them upwards. He was positioned between her thighs now poised at her opening to take her yet he still did not move. Nyota felt herself breathing heavily, her whole body tense with anticipation. She had her eyes closed tightly and she bit her bottom lip waiting, waiting. Still, Spock did not move above her though she could feel the arm that was holding him up begin to tremble with the strain of his weight. What was he waiting for?!

Nyota opened her eyes. She looked up as Spock hovered above her staring at her intensely. What did he want from her? Wasn't her body enough? But he just stared and she willed herself to stare back. She knew Spock, knew he did nothing halfway, left nothing to chance. Even with his mind clouded with fever, he was giving her an out.

Uhura awoke to the sound of her alarm. She was disoriented. Was she back on Vulcan in the caves? No. This was home, her crew quarters on the Enterprise. She sat up in her bunk and sighed. It was only a dream. Or was it a memory? She shook her head and wished she hadn't. She had a headache. Great! What a way to start the day.

She got up and went about her regular morning ritual. But before she left she rummaged through her closet. Dr. Mccoy had given her some pain tablets when she first arrived aboard the Enterprise. She should still have them somewhere. There was no way she was going to the sickbay where Christine might be lurking, waiting to attack her again.

Uhura still could not believe what happened last night. She knew Christine would be upset when she found out, but Uhura had hoped she would have time to formulate a response. She had hoped she could explain to Christine what had happened and convince her it was just an accident, she had not intentionally married Spock without telling her. But it was not to be. And to be honest, she never believed it would work. Christine was going to be hurt. It was unavoidable. That's the way love goes.

Still, she felt awful that she had lied. Perhaps she was no better than Spock. She blamed him for keeping secrets and now she was doing the same thing. But was it the same? After all, people were entitled to some privacy in their personal lives, but Spock's secrets involved her. He had needed her body and her mind in order to survive. Surely he could've mentioned that before he went all caveman?

There was no sense in rehashing the same debate in her mind over and over. She was married to Spock and now she had to figure out what that meant for her future. Because like it or not, the secret was out and it was only a matter of time before everybody knew and there was no going back.

Chapter 9: Love TKO!

Summary:

Nyota is tired of defending her decisions and she is ready to fight back, but maybe not in the most constructive ways.

Notes:

I wrote this story a long time ago and back when I started it I planned for Nyota and Spock to have a different path to love. But along the way, the characters took over and Nyota changes her mind. I think she is less whiny and neurotic in later chapters (only less, she's not completely cured lol). So please bear with her while she works this out, she gets better I promise.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Okay, so what does it look like?" Sulu asked as he and Uhura sat at his dining table in his quarters sharing another meal.

"What does what look like?" Uhura asked suspiciously.

After their shift, Sulu had invited her to dinner but now she was regretting accepting the invitation. He was going to make her pay for this excellent meal. Since she told him her story about Vulcan he had pried more details out of her and she'd broken down and told him about her 'honeymoon' Vulcan style.

"You know what. 'It'," Sulu said with air quotes.

"Vulcan?" she asked innocently "You ought to know, you saw more of it than I did during shore leave."

"Not Vulcan, Mr. Spock, what does he look like 'au naturel'. Spill girl."

"Hikaru! That's... that's disgusting."

"Really, I always thought he'd have a very beautiful body with a thin wiry physique and a lean musculature..."

"Sulu!" she warned.

"You know what I mean."

"I can't tell you what it looks like, I don't even know what it looks like."

"How could you not know? Didn't you get up close and personal on your honeymoon?"

"I was kinda busy at the time, I mean we were in a dark cave, and it was all a blur. Besides, it wasn't like I was there for personal enjoyment. It was just..." she didn't even know what she had experienced. "I don't know what it was, sex, duty, a fantasy? It was all rather unreal."

Uhura had worked herself up just thinking about it and began to tremble. Why was she so anxious lately? Every time she thought of Spock she got so anxious. She dropped her fork and stood up to pace.

"Star fleet prepares us for missions of all kinds, we have to prepare to take a life or to die in the line of duty. They try to warn us that we may be compromised and violated physically but you can never prepare for something like this."

"You mean like...rape?" he asked softly.

"It wasn't like rape! I don't know what it was but it was not a rape. Not as we think of it. For one thing, I volunteered to bond with Spock, didn't I?"

"Did you really?" Since hearing more of the story Sulu saw things in a different light.

"Yes of course I did. I volunteered to marry Spock. Yes, I felt I had to do it, but it was my choice. Out of all the other choices that were taken away from me, it was the only choice that was my own."

Sulu stood up and hugged her. "I am sorry I pried. Sorry I joked about it. I guess I just don't understand..."

Sulu was at a loss, he had always seen Nyota as being so strong mentally. She'd suffered trauma on missions before but she always bounced back. And she was so flirtatious and friendly one could easily assume she was sexually adventurous, but he had known her for years and he knew her to be a loyal monogamous person. Of course, Spock was attracted to her, who wasn't? But to kidnap her?

"Ny, maybe you should talk to somebody about this."

"Oh my goddess, 'Et tu Brute'?"

"What do you mean?"

"McCoy says I should "talk to somebody". I thought I was talking to somebody. You!"

"Yes but I am not trained to deal with stuff like sexual assault-"

"I was not assaulted! At least not like that. Spock would never do something like that, not even evil mirror Spock."

"So you keep saying, but you didn't exactly go Vulcan willingly."

"For the last time, Spock may be guilty of a hundred different crimes but he has never and would never force himself on me or any other woman!"

"You never know what a man will do when push comes to shove. I mean we've all done some crazy things while serving on this very ship. I ran through the ship with a rapier, and let's not forget how we all sabotaged the ship on Omicron Ceti III including you!"

"That was different, we were all out of our minds, hopped up on the spores."

"And? Supposedly Spock was sick and out of his mind this time too, and I've seen what damage he can do when he's out of his mind. Are you sure he didn't hurt you?" Sulu just wasn't buying this story. It didn't add up.

"He didn't hurt me," she defended. "He didn't do anything wrong. We got married, we had sex, and I consented. It was my choice, I just have to live with that choice."

Uhura realized she was very angry about the whole affair. She didn't have to defend herself! She didn't choose this, she chose to help a friend and in doing so she sacrificed a part of herself. She had no doubt Spock deserved to be saved and she would do it again if circumstances were the same, but she resented that she had to do it in the first place. She wished Spock had just come clean and asked her before she had to bond with him out of desperation.

She just didn't feel good about the whole affair now. In the light of day, she realized that she had been used and laid bare while Spock remained as closed off as he ever was. If only she knew where she stood with him. Did he care for her? Could he love her? Or was he just like the other men on the ship who saw her as little more than big tits and ass? She felt no better than an Orion slave woman. Not for the first time, Uhura wondered why Spock didn't simply hire a woman and be done with it!

"Have you ever been with an escort?" Uhura suddenly asked.

"What?"

"You heard me, have you?"

"Why do you ask suddenly?"

"I only wonder if this is how they feel after doing their jobs, angry and used."

"Oh, honey. Don't do this to yourself. I really feel you need to talk to somebody about all this, work out your feelings. It can't be healthy to bottle everything up."

"I always felt sorry for Orion women, if I ever gave them any thought at all. Now I feel their lives must be hell. We are so advanced as a society, we've come so far, and yet we still tolerate and even encourage things like Wrigley's Pleasure Planet and Argelius. It's still a man's world," she crossed her arms defensively.

"Nyota, those planets are self-determining. The federation cannot interfere in their cultural development. But it's not like that for everyone and there are male escorts too you know? It might not be ideal work but I'm sure some people truly enjoy their jobs. And let's not forget, not every species shares the human beliefs about sex, love, and marriage."

"But how do you know Sulu? How do you know they are okay with what they do?"

"I don't know how to answer you. I have known an escort or two and they didn't seem harmed."

"And you think they enjoyed it or they were just doing their duty whether they like it or not?"

"Well I hope they enjoyed it, I would not want to impose myself on anyone unwilling. The escorts I know invited me."

"But they were just doing their job, hustling up work making the customer feel good," she argued.

"In my case, I think it was more than that." Sulu defended.

"What makes you think so?"

"We stay in touch, still chat on subspace."

"Really?" Uhura could not believe her ears.

"You act surprised. I am a wonderful lover I'll have you know, I always leave my partners wanting more and more," he grinned.

"I bet you do, and yet there is nobody chasing you around on this ship or warming your bed," she joked.

"That you know of, but I don't play where I work."

"That's the best policy." She agreed.

"Especially since you won't have me," Sulu feigning sad voice.

"I would not touch you with a ten-foot pole." She shoved at Sulu playfully.

"Well, my pole is not quite ten feet but..."

"Sulu! How did this conversation end up on the size of your pole?"

"I'm a man, any conversation with a beautiful woman will end on my pole. If I'm lucky," he wagged his brows.

"Well, no such luck today Mister."

"Ya can't fault a fella for trying."

"Yes I can, I've had enough of that for the time being."

"Hmm if you say so."

"I do say so and let's drop the subject of sex. I am sick of it."

"Bite your tongue."

"Sulu, I'm serious I do not want to talk about sex or Spock."

"Okay, okay, I see you're in no mood for teasing. You know what, we'll switch from poles to foils."

"What?"

"Foils, fencing, you need a distraction. Fencing strengthens the body and sharpens the mind, relaxes you, and more importantly, it is an outlet for anger and pent up aggression when the need arises. It's a great way to relieve stress. I think you need to take your anger and aggression out on somebody in a safe way and fencing is my thing, so I can teach you."

"I don't want to learn to fence. Besides, you and me and sharp objects are a bad match," she joked remembering the scar on the mirror Sulu's face that she assumed her counterpart gave him.

"Well then lets spar, you can pretend I'm Commander Spock and you can pound my ass into the mats."

"Hikaru!"

"That didn't come out right, I just meant I'll let you win this time."

"What do you mean let me win? You don't think I can whoop your behind? I handled you well enough on that mirror Enterprise. From the looks of things you tried showing that Uhura your pole too."

"That Sulu was an asshole."

"Only that one?"

"Har hardy har, have I ever been anything but a perfect gentleman to you?"

"No," she conceded. "You've always been a perfect gentleman since the moment I stepped aboard the ship. And you're nothing like that other Sulu, I'm sorry I brought it up."

"Okay then it's settled, let's go pound some ass!"

"Sulu!"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Sulu and Uhura sparred for about an hour before she began to feel more relaxed. Sulu was pulling his punches as promised but she most certainly was not. It felt good to punch something if truth be told. She figured she'd beaten on Sulu enough when Mr. Spock walk over to their sparring mat and looked directly at her.

"Lieutenant, I didn't know you were a pugilist." He said in greeting.

"Oh, something about me you don't know?" she said testily, "We were just playing around, blowing off a little steam. And we're just finishing up right Mr. Sulu?"

"Oh yes, I'm beat," Sulu said noticing the tension between Spock and Uhura.

"Miss Uhura, you look like you could go another round, do you mind if I take Mr. Sulu's place?"

Uhura looked at Spock as if he had grown another head. He wanted to spar with her? Here? In front of everybody? They had barely spoken to one another since returning unless it was work-related? Now suddenly he wanted to fight with her in the gym? Was he insane? The nerve of this man!

"I would be no match for you Commander. I am tired, Sulu and I have been here for a while."

"I assure you I have no intentions of fatiguing you, I will not use undue force. No harm will come to you," Spock promised.

For some reason that just raised her ire. She wanted to punch that smug Vulcan face of his just once.

"I can't say the same for you," she sang under her breath and punching her gloved fists together.

Sulu read Uhura's foul mood and cut in, "Perhaps you two should do this another time?" he suggested.

"Sulu, sweetie," she said with a deathly calm, "let me handle this." She pointed her chin at Spock and Sulu held up his hands in surrender and backed away giving Spock a sympathetic look.

Spock was not a boxer, he preferred to fight in the ancient Vulcan fighting arts, however, he understood the fundamentals of human pugilism. In fact, he had used the skills himself quite often as an undisciplined youth against unsuspecting bullies. Therefore, when he entered the makeshift 'ring' he was ready. He and Uhura danced around the sparring mat for a few moments getting a feel for the other's style.

Finally, Uhura had had enough dancing around and began her attack. Spock easily dodged and block her attempts to strike him at first and as promised he did not attack her nor try to strike her himself. But if he thought that allowing her to attack him unanswered would elicit some sort of respect or appreciation he was sadly mistaken. His graceful evasion angered Uhura even more and she didn't bother to pull her punches after a while. Uhura was quick and light on her feet and before Spock fully understood what had happened her attack became ferocious.

Spock instinctively blocked some of her blows before he could control his reflexes and that just pissed her off even more. She became frustrated and attacked more wildly and soon the attack was an all-out melee. It was on! Of course, she could not fell him but Spock found himself backing away in order to avoid the blows that were coming fast and furiously. He was forced to deflect them back at her lest she be harmed. Uhura eventually landed a hard blow to his face and he felt pain burst through his nose.

"Lieutenant, that is enough," he barked out the command, but she didn't stop. "Kroyka!" he said when she kept swinging. Sulu finally seized her from behind and stilled her arms.

She seemed to come out of a trance and stopped struggling. She looked up at Spock and saw the damage she had done to his nose which was now bleeding a rich green color.

"Oh my god, Spock!" she cried and tried to get out of Sulu's grasp but he was holding her back with all his might.

Oh shit!

"Sulu let me go and get these things off of me she said trying to remove her gloves."

"Ny, calm down!" Sulu said trying to restrain her.

Calm down? She'd just mashed in the face of her superior officer! She'd lost control and she hurt somebody! That wasn't her, that wasn't what she'd come here to do. "Let me go!" she cried.

"Lieutenant it was an accident. I shall have doctor McCoy attend to it, and I suggest you let Mr. Sulu attend to you. Unless you are also injured and need medical assistance?"

"No Spock. I hurt you. I am so so sorry, I don't know what came over me just then..."

"I understand Lieutenant, you had just cause." With that, he walked out of the gym.

Notes:

Just in case someone doesn't know what it is, pugilism is another term for boxing and a technical knockout TKO happens when the referee decides that a fighter cannot safely continue the match for any reason.

A full knockout is considered any legal strike or combination thereof that renders an opponent unable to continue fighting but is often associated with a sudden traumatic loss of consciousness caused by a physical blow.

Probably more than anybody needs to know about boxing for this story but just though explain the title.

Thanks to Wikipedia for the definitions.

Chapter 10: Love is a Battlefield

Summary:

Dr. McCoy can easily patch up a broken nose. But a broken heart, especially a Vulcan one, was an entirely different matter.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

No sooner had Spock stepped into the corridor headed for the infirmary did the rumors start racing him to sickbay like a game of telephone. Someone in the gym told someone in engineering who told someone in communications, who told a friend in sickbay and so on.

News of the 'lovers spat' as it was later dubbed, spread around the ship like wildfire and by the time Spock actually reached the sickbay Dr. McCoy had clearly heard all about it over the com. Luckily nurse Chapel was nowhere to be seen else his humiliation would be complete. Spock thought having two women on the ship angry with him was two too many. One had just tried to bash his head in, he didn't need the other one wielding sharp instruments around him at the moment.

"What were you thinking letting that girl fight you like that?" Bones started in on Spock as soon as the door shut behind them in the exam room.

"You've got bruises forming all over your torso and face," McCoy said as he examined Spock.

"Just treat my nose Doctor I will attend to the rest later."

"With a healing trance or whatever? I'll want you to say here for me to monitor that. I don't trust your state of mind at the moment." McCoy informed him.

"Damn fool! Did you think to let her break your face would sort everything out and all's forgiven?"

"Certainly not, not exactly..." Spock said.

"Not exactly? Then what?" Bones demanded as he ran the bone-knitter over Spock's nose.

"I don't know," Spock said. "Nyota is..." Spock lost steam and was silent.

"Spock I never thought I'd see you at a loss for words." Bones laughed. "Boy oh boy, do you have it bad! She's got you by the er...nose." He joked as he finished patching Spock's nose.

Spock did not find anything amusing with his situation. His wayward wife had just attacked him. Not for the first time, Spock felt a new kinship with his father. How did Sarek keep his sanity whilst being married to a human female for over forty years?

"Spock, what the devil has gotten into you lately? I've never known you to box or practice forms of violence."

"I have observed that humans often need a physical release of pent up frustrations. I attempted to be a target of that frustration for the Lieutenant. It was an error."

"You think so? Why don't you leave psychology to us medical professionals hmm? Now I'll have to file a report about why the first officer is on the disabled list."

"That will not be necessary Doctor. If you will mend my nose I will be ready for duty in a few hours."

"You're not fit for duty until I say you are. No, you are going to stay here and do your healing thing and I am going to give you a thorough examination. Could be some internal damage."

"Doctor she did not hit me that hard, I was merely unprepared for the blow and did not have time to brace for impact."

"Most people duck. And I see she didn't beat any sense into you. Maybe I should sign you up for another round or two. And another thing, what made you do such a thing in public? There are already enough rumors going around about you two. You've got the gossiping tongues going full throttle. The story goes that you were jealous of Sulu, pushed him out of the ring and then Uhura cleaned your clock."

"That is absurd."

"Is it really? You weren't a tad jealous of Sulu spending time with your wife?" McCoy asked with a smirk on his face.

"Of course not." Spock was as indignant as a man could be with a busted nose.

"Mmm-hmm, if you say so." Mccoy didn't believe it for a second.

"I do say so, Doctor."

"Spock, if you want Uhura to ever speak to you again you need to stay out of her hair until this all blows over."

"And how long will that be Doctor?"

"I don't know, I once had a woman mad at me for over 10 years."

"How did you end the embargo?"

"We got divorced, far as I know she's still mad. That's women for you."

"I wouldn't know Doctor, I seem to drive them away."

"You'll find out soon enough. When a woman is mad just let her be. You know what they say, 'happy wife, happy life'."

"I did not know that 'they' said that doctor. I find it curious that you humans reduce every complex relationship into simple colloquialisms that offer no genuine advice."

"Colloquialism or not, it's a true sentiment, you'll see."

Spock wished McCoy would stop alluding to a time when he would see, or understand the workings of the female mind, presumably Uhura's mind. It was beginning to irritate him.

"Spock, are you sure you didn't let Uhura beat your face in, in order to assuage a little of your own guilt?"

"Guilt is illogical Doctor."

"You don't mean to tell me you don't feel even a little guilt or regret over what happened on Vulcan?"

"Doctor, it would not change the situation for me to do so. The actions I took were an unfortunate result of the illness from which I suffered. I lost control of my emotions and therefore behaved irrationally. I would have preferred not to have experienced the incident in question, but I don't see how belaboring the issue with guilt or remorse will undo the harm suffered by all parties involved."

"You don't see? You don't see! Well, I'm glad for you that you've recovered completely and are back to your usual stubborn pigheaded self. But maybe the rest of us aren't so lucky to have selective memory or to be able to ignore our emotions. Spock what you did to that girl-"

"Doctor!" Spock interrupted. "I don't wish to discuss this any further."

"Look, Spock. I more than anyone knows you didn't mean Uhura any harm. In fact, I know you would have harmed her least of any of us and it's tearing you up inside about what happened, but you can't fix it like this. No matter what you say about being Vulcan I know for a fact that even Vulcans feel emotions whether you acknowledge them or not. I've seen you emotional with my own eyes. And you are half-human too you know?"

"Doctor I see no need to sit here and listen to your continued insults..."

"Now you listen to me you pointy-eared goblin, this is not one of the times for our petty squabbles. There is a woman in pain here, you're in pain too..."

"Doctor, I do not wish to discuss this. My 'pain' will diminish if you repair my nose and allow me some peace. Now if you are finished, I will retire to my quarters to meditate."

Spock walked away calmly but Mccoy wasn't fooled by his composed exterior. He knew more than anyone that beneath the surface of cold Vulcan beat the heart of a good man, a feeling man, and a vulnerable man. Uhura wasn't the only one in pain. And like a good doctor and a friend, it was his duty to alleviate that pain where he could. But getting these two stubborn fools to work out their differences outside of a sparring mat was going to take more effort than herding a ship-full of tribbles. Dammit, he was a doctor, not a matchmaker!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Spock left his meeting with Mccoy in an agitated state, though anyone who saw him calmly yet purposefully walking down the corridors of the Enterprise would never guess as to the emotions roiling beneath his placid facade. He made his way to his quarters without encountering anyone who might stop to engage him and began the soothing ritual of preparing for his evening meditations.

Whenever something was bothering him or weighing heavily on his mind meditation was always his solace. Other Vulcans might meditate to center their minds or purge excess emotion by working through them, but Spock used it as a time to simply forget, to get lost in the nothingness of the Vulcan mind at rest. It was therefore quite frustrating as he took his seat on his ceremonial meditation mats that his mind continued to churn up unwelcome thoughts and emotions without end. Try as he might, he couldn't find his center, what his mother called the "happy place" when he was a child. And there was another reason it was so important for him to find his center.

He was taxing his mental shields to their very limits. He was always under a constant barrage from the normal jetson and flotsam of human emotion aboard the ship, but since his ordeal, on Vulcan, he was now also subjected to the emotional projections of his bondmate. A bondmate who had not yet mastered the art of fully blocking the link. A bondmate who was constantly feeling things he'd never been subjected to before; things he didn't quite know how to deal with.

He needed his "happy place" and it was denied him. His bonding with T'pring had not been nearly as taxing. T'pring rarely made her presence in his mind known and when she did it was benign and emotionless. Just stray thoughts that she let slip. Nyota was not T'pring. He could feel Nyota in his mind constantly like the buzzing of a bee that he could not shoo away. He could feel when she was near, when she was angry, frustrated, when she as very sad, when she was very afraid and even when she was aroused. But though he could feel these things he could do little to comfort her or ease her troubles because Nyota had managed to block or was unaware of his mental messages even as she still leaked all her emotional baggage to him.

So Spock was caught up in his own personal hell. He thought he truly understood the meaning of the ceremonial words of the mating ritual for the first time in his life. "Parted from me and never parted, never and always touching and touched." Nyota was his bondmate but they had never been more distant, he could feel her in his soul yet she was as if a stranger to him. The fires of the pon farr were cooled but the desire to possess and claim his mate rode him constantly, and it didn't help that they worked side by side every day on the bridge. So close and yet so far. Parted from him but never truly parted. Spock had a wife but not a mate, somehow in life, he always managed to get only half of what he desired.

Chapter 11: She who is Spock's Wife?

Summary:

Nyota is not hiding, she's just hanging out in Sulu's quarters every chance she gets. She's not in love with Spock and she is definitely not She Who is his Wife.

Yeah right.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Uhura felt like crap. She never meant to hurt Spock, she'd only meant to teach him a little lesson about messing with her feelings. He was supposed to duck! Instead, he knocked his nose right into her fist. And though a large part of her felt awful about it, a tiny part felt some slight victory. Take that, you man you.

"Don't beat yourself up about this Ny," Sulu said as he worked on a painting in his cabin. "You might hurt yourself."

"Oh, do shut up! This is all your fault anyway." Uhura said. She was lounging on Sulu's sofa and once again she was keeping herself on the down-low.

"My fault? How is any of this my fault?"

"It was your idea to spar. I would have been happy with some chocolate ice cream and watching sad movies."

"Pssh. It was fun and you know it. Nobody forced you to spar. Nobody forced you to lose it and punch Spock's face in."

"It was an accident! He should have ducked!"

"Ok girl, ok. I'm sure if you apologize and offer to kiss his boo-boo he'll forgive you."

"I'll apologize, but I'm not kissing anything of his. He's lucky his nose is all that I broke."

"Since when did you become so bloodthirsty?" Sulu asked alarmed.

"Since I married a Vulcan!" Uhura threw her hands up in frustration.

"Nyota are you sure you're okay? This isn't like you."

"I wish people would stop asking me that. I'm fine, damn it!"

"Well, when you state it like that..." Sulu continued painting but kept an eye on her.

"Oh, hush. No, I'm not fine, ok? I'm tired, I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can't think straight. This whole experience has been surreal and it's all because of Spock."

"Okay, I get it."

"No, you don't. I'm sorry I lashed out. Something is bothering me but I just need time to work it out on my own. But being with good friends like you helps, Hik." She walked over to Sulu and kissed the top of his head.

"Aww. You know all your friends have your back. We just want you to be happy."

"I want to be happy too," she said sadly.

"And I think you need to talk to Spock and clear the air between the two of you."

"I'm not ready to make nice with Spock. He's deceived me. He's lied by omission and he seems just fine with it. You can't have a relationship built on secrets and lies."

"I agree. But Mr. Spock doesn't lie. If anything he's honest to a fault."

"Maybe he doesn't mean to lie but think of all the secrets he's been keeping. He had a wife we knew nothing about, he staged a mutiny, kidnapped Pike, and stole the ship, his father is the Vulcan ambassador to the Federation, and his grandmother is the head of state on Vulcan. And don't get me started on all the secrets of Vulcan society..."

"All he had to do was tell me the truth. I would have understood. I can't stand being lied to. It hurts, Hik."

"Maybe he was afraid."

"Afraid of what? Little ol' me? Besides, he's a Vulcan. He doesn't get afraid of anything."

"Everybody has fear. Its how we react to that fear that defines us." Sulu said. "What are you afraid of Ny?"

"Hik, I can't deal with Spock right now. I said I would try, but it's too much too fast."

"Alright. But you're going to have to face him sooner or later. Word is spreading about your fight, and how long before Christine lets something slip?"

"If Christine knows what's good for her she'll keep her mouth shut. She violated my privacy. And I'll deal with Spock later. He'll be fine anyway. He always lands on his feet."

"Now you sound like Dr. Mccoy. Spock isn't superman you know. He has feelings too."

"Well, he does his best to keep them to himself. I just wish I knew how he felt. What does he want from me?"

"Only Spock knows."

"What if he doesn't want me? What if..." Uhura stopped herself.

"What if what?"

"Nothing." She said shutting down.

Sulu shook his head. "You know he used to smile all the time," Sulu said.

"Spock?" Uhura didn't believe it.

"Mmm-hmm all the time," Sulu said.

"When? I've never seen anything but his arrogant smirk when he's one-upped McCoy or some other lackwit on the bridge."

"Back when Pike was captain, when he first took Spock under his wing. Spock was much younger then, he had a baby face if you could believe it."

"I don't believe it, he seems the type that is born with a frown and a bad attitude. 'Miss Uhura'" she mocked, "Vulcan has no moon."

"Maybe I have a halo-pic, let me see-" Sulu looked through his archives on his console. "See here..." he activated the halopic.

Uhura looked into the eyes of a much younger and more gangly built Spock and caught her breath. He did indeed have a babyface and he looked fresh from the Vulcan forge she mused.

And he was smiling. It was a strange sensation to see him like that. It felt wrong. Spock was not an unemotional being, she knew, but seeing him actively emoting was unnerving. It made her heart ache for the young man he was trying to be.

It reminded her once again how alien he was and how much of a fish out of water he must have been back then. Seeing Spock's smile was like seeing a cat wearing clothing. Another example of humans imposing their will on others to make themselves feel better.

"He tried so hard to fit in back then," Sulu said, "he smiled, he even joked a little. But after a while under Capt. Pike he gave it up. Gradually he grew out of it and I guess and became more like the man he is today. I don't know, we were all young and green then trying to be like Pike."

"You looked very handsome, very dashing," Nyota said noting Hikaru in his blue uniform. She had forgotten he had started in the sciences. "I wish I had known him back then."

"Why? Would it make any difference in how you treat him or how you feel about him now?"

"I don't know... I guess... I don't know. THAT Spock," she pointed to the pic, "seems so much more approachable than present Spock, like the difference between here and that mirror world Spock."

"He is not really that different now, he is more like his true self I would say. He was awkward back then, he didn't know where he fit into our human world. Now he has found where he feels he belongs, where he can relate to us on his own terms."

"But I can't relate to him," Nyota said frustrated.

"Have you really tried? I mean I know you've slept with him-"

Uhura gave him a dirty look but he continued"- But... have you tried just talking to the man without getting angry or defensive? You two have so much in common already, and before the surprise marriage, you were almost inseparable. Surely you must understand him a little by now?"

"I didn't realize you cared so much about Spock," she said getting defensive.

"I don't really, not beyond mutual respect as a colleague. You, Capt. Kirk, and Dr. McCoy were always his closest acquaintances on board."

"Really? I mean we're just colleagues, he's been a teacher to me, and even a healer. I thought at one time there may be something more to it, but then he ghosted me. I feel like I never really knew him at all. And then you tell me apparently, we've been in a "relationship" all this time?"

"Well maybe if you'd spent less time flirting and teasing and more time paying attention to his intentions-"

"Like you weren't doing the same, trying to impress him, that is. Showing off your knowledge of history and strategy. Everybody tries to impress Spock, he inspires that in people. I always wanted to be a better human because of him."

"Mr. Spock does have that effect on people, makes you want to think more logically and be better at your job."

"What would you have done if he had snatched you off the ship instead of me?"

"My dear that doesn't bear repeating to such tender young ears he teased."

"Oh, you!" she tossed a pillow at him.

"And what about Scotty? Would he just go along with marring his commander?"

"Mr. Scott is a hopeless romantic in love with the ladies, but if YOU had been doing the snatching he'd go right along with it. Spock would need to bribe Scotty with some of that secret Vulcan engineering technology people are always whispering about in order to persuade the Scotsman."

"There's no secret Vulcan technology Uhura pshawed."

"Are you sure? they reached earth a long time before we knew about them and what about Romulans, how did they branch off from Vulcan if not through space travel long before we were capable of leaving our own solar system? You cant tell me a race of people with super memory and processing speed don't have superior technology hidden away from us little brain barbarians."

"But Vulcans don't chase technology for tech sake as we do, even now the Federation is leading in warp drive research, we've surpassed their warp drive technology many times over."

"Have we? Or is that just what they want us to think? Vulcans keep their cards close to their vest as you well know. Besides, there's more to technology than warp drives."

"Sulu always the strategist. Vulcan is an ally, a founding member of the Federation, they don't have any reason to hide their technology from us."

"They don't? You don't think there are people who still mistrust Vulcans even after all this time? Our own proves there is a faction out there, doesn't he? And what about that incident at Murasaki 312 when the Galileo crew turned on Spock?"

Uhura didn't like to think about that incident, she could tell that Spock had been disturbed by it though he would never show it. "Stiles was proven wrong," she said. "And there will always be people who go unhinged under pressure on a mission. Those are just incidents, not the norm."

"So? there are millions more Stiles' out there waiting to get their voices heard. Don't kid yourself Nyota, there is still prejudice in the federation. And not just against Vulcans, against the Klingon, the Romulans, the Orions, any race not human."

"But those other races are our enemies."

"So? Should we hate them whole-cloth? And they may be our COMPETITION but are they our enemies? Don't we have room for mutual respect?"

"Why does it seem the world is suddenly a big ol' scary place with landmines everywhere I step?" Uhura said sitting back on Sulu's little sofa. "I've been in tighter situations than this but why does a relationship with Spock scare the heck out of me? And now I'm in an inter-species relationship where one or both of our peoples hate or distrust the other? Why me?"

"Why not you? Because you're you." He said continuing to paint.

"Seriously would you marry Spock or someone of a different culture knowing what you know about the galaxy?"

"Me? Uh no, Spock and I would not suit. He's not my type."

"No, I guess not, you're both too much alike," Uhura said thoughtfully.

"Why, thank you... I think."

"Don't worry it was a compliment. You're right you wouldn't suit though. Spock needs somebody to loosen him up not encourage him to be more Vulcan."

"You mean somebody like you?"

"No, not me per-se but somebody, you know, happy, warm, fun."

"Hmmm you don't say, but not you?"

"No. He should have grabbed Christine, she is the one madly in love with him. I still can't figure out why he chose me, why me? Why not Christine for god's sake!?"

"Christine? You would seriously do that to Spock. Besides they wouldn't suit at all, he barely acknowledges her except on a professional level. Any other time she hovers around like a hawk waiting for him to slip up. And as you say if he wanted her he could have had her or any other of the admirers he has on the ship any time he wants. But he didn't want anybody else."

"See that's what I mean. If it had to be a colleague why not one who at least has shown interest?"

Sulu snorted, "Don't act as if you've never shown any interest!"

"That was just innocent flirting it wasn't serious!"

"To you, it may not have been serious but obviously, it was different for Spock."

"But don't you see, how could I have not known that? Never mind he's Mr. Spock he wrote the book on being inscrutable."

"You, Nyota, have a blind spot when it comes to Mr. Spock. Anyone who had any notion of his personality could see that he had a thing for you."

"What? "A thing"? Mr. Spock has 'a thing' for me? Now you're talking crazy Sulu, stop trying to see romance where there isn't any."

"Crazy? Really? Just who besides you and maybe the captain spends so much time with Spock? Who besides you does he go out of the way to assist on projects unrelated to his field? Who besides you does he tutor in the Vulcan language, and the Vulcan harp, and Vulcan philosophy, and Vulcan cuisine?" Sulu ticked off on his fingers. "Who besides you does he rush to whenever the ship is tossing us around like ping pong balls? He gets to you first, even before he checks the captain-"

"We sit next to each other!" Uhura cut in.

"And" Sulu continued, "who spent hours of his free time probing your mind for memories to help re-educate you after Nomad attacked you? Why did you think he was doing all that if he didn't have 'a thing' for you? Teaching you his language, his culture, sharing his hobbies? A lot of people would see that as courting."

"But he was just being nice!"

"He's a man Nyota, we're not that nice! A man, any man, even a Vulcan one would have certain expectations given the circumstances. It's only logical if you think about it."

"Ok, then why didn't he say anything to me? Me, the one who's apparently been courted by Commander Spock for the better part of a 5-year mission! So much heartache could have been avoided."

"Maybe he thought you knew; I mean in hindsight it's pretty obvious he was grooming you for something. Or maybe he was leading up to making a formal declaration, or maybe you should be asking him these questions instead of me?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I'm not talking to him right now."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to. He's got my head all mixed up, I can't be around him without feeling..." she couldn't articulate how she felt about Spock. She didn't dare tell Sulu about the dreams she was having or the fantasies of her and Spock...

"You've got it bad girl, that is why."

"No!"

"Yup, you're in love with Mr. Spock." Sulu laughed.

"I am not, we're just friends!" Nyota said as if he had just accused her of having cooties.

"Married friends?"

She didn't like this one bit. How did she end up married to Spock! She cried tears of frustration.

"Oh Nyota," Sulu stopped his painting and sat beside her to hug and pat her back.

"I don't want to be in love Mr. Spock. I can't. I'm done with that nonsense. I don't want to be another Christine acting all dopey, stalking him, fawning all over him, throwing myself at him."

"Then don't act that way, you never have before."

"That's right, cause every time I let myself be vulnerable I get my heart kicked in. I'm not in love and I'm not going to be."

"If you say so." Sulu placated her.

"I'm not," she denied. "I refuse to be like Miss Amanda chasing after his royal aloofness. I don't want to be announced as Mrs. Spock or she who is his wife everywhere we go. I'm not walking three steps behind him wherever we go. I want to be Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, an officer in my own right."

"Can't you be both?"

"I don't know." Uhura whispered, "I honestly don't know."

Published

Chapter 12: Love Just Ain't Enough

Summary:

Sometimes love just ain't enough. Sometimes it takes therapy, many many years of it.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Jim, we need to do something about Spock and Uhura before any more damage is done." Bones said as he tried to catch up to the captain as he rushed through the halls of the ship.

"Bones I wish you would have more faith in romance. They'll be fine, you'll see the cuddling, the settling, it will happen. They just need time." Captain Kirk kept walking to his destination.

"Time you say? Well, I just released Spock from sickbay because Uhura cleaned his clock. Is that the kind of time you're talking about?

"What?" Kirk stopped in his tracks.

"Uhura punched Spock in the face," Bones informed him.

"Why, how, when? What!?" Jim couldn't believe his ears.

"Apparently, they were sparring in the gym and she decked him."

"Uh-oh." Jim said.

"Uh-oh, what?" Bones asked.

"Well, Spock asked me what I would do if he had treated me like he did the Lieutenant," Jim said sheepishly.

"And?" McCoy asked with suspicion.

"And I told him I would probably punch him in the jaw."

"You didn't?" Bones said with an exasperated shake of his head.

"Of course I did. It was the truth, I would have decked him. I guess he took it as advice," Jim said rubbing the back of his neck in apprehension.

"Jim, did you tell him to let Uhura punch him in the face?"

"No Bones I did not! He came up with that scheme all on his own. Fool."

"Damn fool if you ask me," McCoy grumbled.

"How is he?"

"He's fine, she didn't do any permanent damage, except maybe to his ego."

"Good, and Uhura?"

"Haven't seen hide nor hair of her. She's keeping a low profile, which is good considering the stories that are making the gossip rounds."

"Good good. Hopefully, this will all blow over soon and we can get back to normal."

"Normal? Don't count on it. We have another problem," McCoy said.

"What problem Doctor?" Kirk was beginning to become annoyed with the whole thing.

"Christine."

"What about her?"

"Somehow she got a hold of Spock's and Uhura's medical records."

"And?"

"And, I updated the records to show their marital status had changed."

"Bones! Why?" Jim was really starting to lose his patience.

"Starfleet regs. I had to, but I sealed those records as top secret eyes only. I even assigned the filing to an ensign so Chris would have no reason to touch them. But apparently, the ensign had a date and passed it off to Christine."

"Ok, so she filed the records and they were sealed. Do you think she knows about Spock and Uhura?"

"I know she knows about Spock and Uhura, she unsealed the records and confronted me about it."

"Why would she do that?!"

"Jim, I don't understand the workings of the female mind. She did it. I ordered her to keep it to herself but you know women. She ran straight to M'Benga and told him. I ordered him to keep it hush-hush but it's only a matter of time before it's all over the ship."

Kirk sighed. "Ok, so she knows now. What are we going to do about it?"

"We Jim? What happened to your non-meddling stance?"

"I'm not meddling, just doing my job. You are the one meddling, you worry too much Bones."

"I worry too much? You don't worry enough. Jim, I told you this wouldn't be all rose petals and lollipops; did you see Uhura giving him the coldest of cold shoulders in the rec the other night?"

"Yes, I did Bones," the Captain admitted, "I've never see Uhura act that way before. She's been distant on the bridge as well."

"You're darn right you haven't. Not even when she's annoyed at you, and she's annoyed at you a lot, she still has the patience of a saint compared to the rest of us."

"Annoyed at me? Why would Uhura ever be annoyed at me?" Kirk asked in surprise.

"You know, like that whole Riley situation."

"Riley? Riley? Kevin Riley? What about him?"

"Yeah, she was not even this upset after he transferred and dropped her."

"What Riley situation?" Kirk seemed to be stuck on that.

"When Uhura and Riley were dating!"

"Uhura and Riley were dating!? What? What!"

"Jim, I thought you said you keep abreast of the crew happenings? How could you have missed that?"

"I do try to stay informed. I must have missed this one somehow. I know they were buddies, but Uhura's friendly with everyone. And yeah she sang to him over the intercom, and he flirted with her but... That loser? Oh my god, I'm so blind."

"Now he realizes," McCoy mumbled.

"How could I have not known...?"

"Well, you were busy with your own drama during the Kodos affair if you recall. She was quite upset with you for putting Riley in harm's way, I can tell you. You should have seen her in the sickbay every chance she got nursing him back to health after the poisoning."

"What? She did? I can't believe I missed all that," he said thoughtfully.

"Why does it matter? It's all ancient history now."

"Well just that I... you know, missed it. And you say they broke up and I had something to do with it?"

"Broke up is a nice way of putting it, when he transferred out he just upped and left without a word. Uhura was heartbroken for a while."

"Damn, I had no idea..."

"You got one thing right, she is tender-hearted and she cared for Riley like a sick pup only to have him do that to her. Maybe she does need somebody to care for, but Spock is a rather cold comfort if you ask me."

"I always knew that Riley was a bum," Jim said still stuck on the topic.

"What are you getting mad for now Jim? It was years ago, she's well over it now and has greener fish to fry."

"Still, she didn't deserve that," Jim said quite adamantly.

"No, she didn't," McCoy said starting to get suspicious. Jim seemed to care a little too much.

"Jim, you uh... wouldn't happen to have had some feelings for Uhura yourself, would you?"

"Me?!" Jim scoffed, "No of course not Bones. How could you even ask?"

"Well, you just seem a little too interested if you ask me."

"Well nobody asked you," Jim said and stormed off towards his quarters.

Bones followed needing to get to the bottom of this. Jim was acting jealous and Bones had never known him to show any romantic feelings towards a crewman. He made it a point to look elsewhere for his romantic entanglements.

"Jim, what is going on? YOu practically push Spock and Uhura together and now you are showing jealousy towards Riley?"

"I am not jealous of Riley, I told you I thought he was a jerk that's all."

"Yeah, I could see Uhura's close friends saying that and we all did say it at the time, but that happened years ago, you were entangled with that Kodos mess and his daughter."

"Yes, I remember, but that was different."

"How? You get involved and leave women behind all the time," Bones countered.

"No, I don't Bones! Not like that. Those are not serious relationships with people I-- its not the same thing."

"I don't see why not, Jim."

"It's not! Look, people fall in and out of love. And even I know that I have a pattern. But it is different with friends like Uhura or it should be. The bridge crew is so tight-knit, you know on a different deeper level than just colleagues, we're like family Bones. You're not supposed to screw over your family..."

McCoy had rarely seen this side of the Captain. He knew that Jim had had a rough childhood, living off-world with his mother and brother on Kronos when Kodos the executioner killed thousands of innocents right before his eyes. He knew Jim had lost his only brother a few years ago too. He could see how the crew would become his family, hell even McCoy himself had come to think of Jim and Spock as his closest friends in the world. But he had never thought the captain was likewise attached. He routinely sent bridge crew on missions that could lead to their deaths. McCoy assumed Jim stayed aloof from other members of the crew for that reason.

"Jim, I thought you didn't believe in getting involved with the crew?"

"I don't, Bones. A captain does not have the time nor the luxury for relationships."

"Maybe, but why are you pushing so hard for Spock and Uhura?"

"Bones, somebody's got to make it work. I'm married to this ship but the rest of you, you deserve good lives, real lives with real families and homes and real love. I don't want to see you all grow old and alone still trawling around in the galaxy with only your careers and memories of what was."

"Do you want that for yourself? Don't you deserve a home and family and love too?"

"No Bones, that's not for me, I am going to die in space, that much I know. But for the rest of you, you can have it, you can have love, homes, happiness, and die surrounded by family and friends like a human being, not a space jockey. You too bones, you deserve that happy ending."

"Jim-"

"Don't say anything more Bones, I've made my decisions long ago, even before I became a captain. I am what I am, and I'm at peace with that. I might flirt and fall in love with the women I meet, but never with a crewman and we both know sooner or later this ship will whisper in my ear and call me off to duty and any wife and children I had would be left behind to fend for themselves."

Like Jim and his brother were left behind, McCoy thought. Space had a way of pulling at a man, ripping him away from everything he held dear like the song of a Siren. He felt it himself. He'd left behind his own wife and daughter...

"We've all got Starfleet in our blood Jim, you don't think Spock feels the same pull for all that he denies having feelings. And Uhura, she's an officer through and through. She'd follow you off a cliff and you know it. We all would."

"No. No Spock isn't a captain and he does not want to be one. Space is not in his blood. He still has other choices, a chance at something else. More than likely he'll get disillusioned with Starfleet and become a diplomat like his father or a scientist or a teacher like his mother. And Uhura, she's a wonderful communications officer but that isn't going to last, they're already building ships with more integrated communications that don't require an officer constantly monitoring it. She'll be reassigned to another role or perhaps leave the fleet for the private sector. Settle down into something more steady, have a home and family and be the nurturer she was born to be," he said wistfully.

Bones could see Jim had really thought about all of this and was fully committed to it. He'd never suspected that Jim felt that way about any of them, especially Uhura. Boy his friends were something else, two knuckleheads both of them toiling away day in day out on the bridge, both pining away for a woman who had no clue and both denying themselves the love and comfort of a gentle soul. Well, maybe Spock wasn't so dumb after all. He did get the girl in his own way, even beating out Jim.

"You know what Jim? I am plumb tuckered out between your matchmaking and those two dunderheads determined to resist each other I just about give up. I'm a doctor not a therapist, and you all need therapy, many many sessions of it. And I need a drink. They need to put a permanent counselor on these ships. I am going to make a suggestion to Starfleet command first thing in the morning."

"I thought we had one, uh... what's her name, Helen uh...

"Noel, Dr. Helen Noel?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"She's a good psychiatrist. She'll make an excellent counselor if we ever get an official assignment for her."

"Well, Bones set it up, I'll back you one hundred percent whatever you need to push it through."

"I'll get right on it. Maybe then I can get some peace around here."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Jim made it to his cabin and settled down on his bunk to think. Of course, he had feelings for Uhura but it wasn't how Bones thought. She was his family. She looked up to him like he could do no wrong. He was her hero. And he did annoy her he knew it. He could be brusque when he was frustrated, and he was often thoughtless of her feelings, he even remembered joking about Riley after he was transferred out. He had never known they were an item. Maybe he just didn't want to know. And he was busy with his own affair with Kodos and his daughter at the time.

He had only been trying to keep Riley safe when he assigned him to the graveyard shift in engineering. He knew they used the comm system to chat up one another but thought it was just usual crew hijinks. And when they were all infected with the heavy water sickness and Riley took over the ship, Jim had been rough on him then too. He was actually glad to see the back of him when Spock recommended him for a promotion. But he never knew he was the cause of Uhura's heartbreak, that his approving Riley for transfer off the ship was splitting up a couple. He wondered if he had known would he have followed through with it or denied it for Uhura's sake?

And then Jim thought of Spock. He bet Spock knew all about Uhura and Riley. How did he tolerate seeing the two of them together and not get jealous? Ship romance was not forbidden but he could see why Starfleet didn't encourage them either, it only led to the kind of mess they were in right now. His two best officers barely speaking and him spending too much time 'meddling' instead of running his ship.

Tomorrow he was going to order the two of them into therapy or counseling or something like Bones suggested, they could use it. And then perhaps he could finally get some peace on his own ship.

Chapter 13: Champ!

Summary:

Summary? Nyota is not taking any mess from anybody today.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Uhura didn't know how she was able to make it through her shift. Her head was pounding again and she was bone-tired, again. She had hardly got any sleep last night except for a few hours of intense dreams. Meanwhile, Spock sat at his station looking fresh and bright as a spring daisy. As the day wore on she became more and more irritated. Spock didn't even look her way. He was making a concerted effort to ignore her and of course, that pissed her off even more. She had yet to apologize for the 'Incident' as it came to be known shipwide. If one more crewmate called her 'Champ' she was gonna punch somebody else.

So, she was looking for a little r&r and some much-needed relief from constant thoughts of Spock when she found herself below decks in the ship's spa after her last shift. She loved to pamper herself once in a while, and she'd been neglecting herself lately.

"Lieutenant Uhura, I haven't seen you here in a while how have you been?"

Uhura smiled up into the open friendly face of spa technician Hernandez.

"Hernandez! It's good to see you again. I could use some of your TLC I'm a little tense." Uhura rolled her shoulders.

"I hate to say it Lieutenant but you look it. So just sit back relax and let me take care of you." Technician Hernandez said as he ushered her from the waiting room to his station. He proceeded to arrange her into a massage chair and began with the friendly chatter Uhura usually enjoyed while in the spa.

"So what's been happening with you lately? I haven't seen you here in a while. And honestly, your muscles are very tense, anything bothering you... Champ?"

Uhura cringed.

"No," She said just trying to enjoy her massage. "The usual bridge drama. What's happening with you?" she asked trying to change the subject.

"Well, nothing exciting ever happens down here in the spas, all the glory goes to the big boys and girls on the bridge. I mean we did have that awesome shore leave on Vulcan a few weeks ago, of course, you know all about that," he said offhandedly while massaging her shoulders. Uhura's whole body tensed up.

"What do you mean I know all about that?"

"Well everyone got a chance to beam down, didn't you? I thought for sure everyone went."

"Oh yeah, yes I was down there."

"I thought so, I know how you love to shop wherever we stop. I tried to find some interesting souvenirs but the shopping district was pretty busy with all of us roaming around at once and the shop keepers that were Vulcan seemed extra stuffy and snobbish. I thought I would be prepared, I mean I've met Vulcans before but these Vulcans were just extra you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I know," she said trying to relax again.

"Anyway, they have some interesting spa facilities there. The Vulcans are so technologically advanced but they still use low tech relaxation techniques; a lot of meditation, some movement therapy that looks like yoga or Tai-chi combined, and they use water therapy a lot. I guess for a mostly desert planet it makes sense to revere water for health practices."

"Hmm," Uhura agreed. She really didn't want a lecture on how great Vulcan was.

"No wonder Mr. Spock always looks so cool. Imagine coming from a culture that is just so chill and relaxed without all the emotional hangups."

Uhura didn't care to imagine but she kept her mouth shut. Her relaxing massage was turning out to be another exercise in futility.

"I heard that Mr. Spock is the reason we all got shore leave in the first place," Hernandez continued. "He was injured or sick or something and only the healers and medicine on Vulcan could save him so the Enterprise diverted to save his life. I can't even imagine being so important that a whole star-ship diverts for me. But Mr. Spock seems to get the royal treatment nowadays. His father is the ambassador to the federation you know? Can you believe he kept that a secret? I guess he didn't want anyone knowing how he got his position."

"What do you mean how he got his position?" Uhura's mind was telling her not to engage, not to get involved, but a part of her could not let anyone disparage Spock, not on her watch.

"You know, his father got him in Starfleet. And to think he almost let his dad die," Hernandez said shaking his head and tsk-tsking his tongue.

"Commander Spock got his rank and position the same as the rest of us on this ship, by vigorous study and hard work."

"Well, that's not what I heard. It makes sense when you think about it. He's one of the few Vulcans who even bothered to join Starfleet and he just happens to be the son of a high ranking diplomat? And he just happens to be the ship's first officer and science officer? How does that work? I don't even think Captain Kirk could hold down two top positions, not that something like that would ever be offered to anyone else."

"Mr. Spock can hold down two positions on this ship because he is capable of it; because he works harder than any two men aboard put together, not because of any nepotism."

"Well, I'm only repeating what I've heard," Hernandez defended.

"Well, don't," she said with clenched teeth.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," Hernandez said easing her back down into the massage chair which she almost bolted from. "Honestly, I didn't think before I spoke. I know you and Mr. Spock are on the outs so I just assumed-"

"What?! Assumed what?"

"Well...um people, not me, but people who come in for a massage were saying that you two broke up," Hernandez said nervously.

"Broke up? Broke up what?" Now Uhura was pissed. Was everyone gabbing about her and Spock's relationship behind their backs all this time? People thought they were together?

"Well just that you weren't friends anymore that you... um punched him?" Hernandez said sheepishly.

"That was an accident!"

"Of course it was, that's what I thought too, but you know how ship's gossip is. People just blow everything out of proportion. It's not any of my business."

"No, it isn't," Uhura said getting up. She used to love these visits to the spa and the bit of ship's gossip she enjoyed with Hernandez and the others, never thinking they were gossiping about her too.

"For the record, Mr. Spock is my friend, he is a good man, and he deserves any rank and position he has because he earned them by doing his duties even when faced with colleagues that judge him as different every chance they get. And if this ship has to turn around and take him to Vulcan to save his life once in a while then that is the least Starfleet can do for a man who has not only saved this ship and every life on it but the entire galaxy at least a dozen times. Now, why don't you spread that rumor?" She said as she huffed her way out of the spa.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Jim, we've got trouble."

"What trouble Bones?" The captain asked already suspecting he knew what or rather who was causing trouble for Bones.

"Trouble, with Spock and Uhura."

"Bones didn't we have this conversation? I told you not to meddle, that it would all work itself out?"

"And I told you that's not how this thing works."

"Well, what is it now?"

"They are still not speaking to one another, Uhura hasn't been herself since she came back aboard, she's been grumpy, unfriendly, tense, and violent."

"Violent?!"

"Yes, she actually struck Spock remember?"

"Bones that was an accident and I already cleared her on that charge."

"Accident or not, the fact remains she hit him in front of witnesses. And today there was a scene in the ship's spa."

"What scene? I haven't heard about any scene."

"Why would you if you weren't there?"

"I told you I keep up with ships business."

"Well, this just happened a while ago. Uhura got angry and stormed out, after reprimanding Hernandez the spa attendant."

"Hernandez?!"

"Yeah"

"She reprimanded Hernandez?"

"Yes, Jim!"

"What did he do to her?"

"Nothing, its what he said. He pissed her off."

"Hernandez?"

"That's what I just said. Why, what does it matter who it was?"

"It's just that I know him, I mean he usually attends to me when I visit the spa. He's a good guy."

"You mean he's a good gossip. I hope he isn't the source of your gossip-mill intel?"

"Don't worry about my sources. What did Uhura do?"

"Apparently, she got upset when he made some unflattering remarks about Spock."

"Really? That doesn't sound so bad, in fact, it sounds promising that she defended Spock."

"Jim, do you hear yourself? Forget about Uhura and Spock's relationship for a moment and focus on Lieutenant Uhura. She is not adjusting as you thought she would, as I was worried she wouldn't."

"Bones-"

"Don't 'Bones' me anymore about this. Now I've requested she see Dr. Noel and once I have her report I am going to make a recommendation."

"Why does it sound like you have already made your recommendation about this?"

"Because I have. That girl needs a break from all of this. She needs to get away from Spock and this ship and all the wagging tongues for a while."

"Bones I can't run this ship without my best communications officer--"

"You can and you will, besides she's gone on leave before and the ship was just fine. M'Ress and Palmer can handle it. You'll survive without her for a few weeks-"

"A few weeks! I was thinking a few days at most-"

"Now you listen to me, Jim. This is something that can't be fixed in a few days. She needs some rest, have you looked at her, I mean really looked. She's due a break, she deserves a break, she's earned a break and I am saying that as my official medical opinion. Have I ever been wrong about these things?"

Captain Kirk sighed in resignation. "No Bones you haven't. I have, but you haven't. Still, I can only spare her for a week. Just give me the papers and I'll sign them."

"Thanks, Jim, believe me, its for the best."

Chapter 14: Something to talk about

Summary:

I ain't no psychiatrist
I ain't no doctor with a degree
It don't take too much IQ
To see what you're doing to me...

Think
Aretha Franklin

Notes:

Disclaimer: Everything I know about psychiatry I learned from the show, Frasier. So please don't tell me this isn't how therapy goes, or something is all wrong. It's not meant to diagnose anyone or anything, it's just fanfiction 😀
This is purely for entertainment.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Uhura reported to the counselor's office as 'requested' by Dr. McCoy. She still didn't want to do this but he had threatened to report her to the captain and so she had no choice, again. To her surprise, she was greeted by a familiar face, Dr. Helen Noel.

"Helen! Dr. Noel? I didn't know you were the new ship's counselor?"

"Yes, I'm surprised about it myself. I thought I'd be drummed right off the Enterprise after that incident on the Tantalus Colony."

"Why would you think that?" Uhura asked as she was ushered into the doctor's office.

"Well, if it wasn't for me Captain Kirk wouldn't have been in that device and nearly killed," Helen said shaking her head in embarrassment.

"Are you sure about that? The Captain would have gotten himself into some kind of trouble regardless of who accompanied him. You know they say the T. in James T. Kirk stands for trouble. And you should know the Captain is not the kind of person to hold a grudge. We've all done something stupid on this mission. Even me, I was a part of the group that sabotaged the ship when everyone was infected by those spores on Omicron Ceti III."

"I suppose I can thank his forgiving nature and Dr. McCoy for championing the cause of a ship's counselor."

"Well regardless of how it all happened, congratulations on your new position. You deserve it."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. That means a lot coming from you. I've always admired you and all the bridge officers who get to hobnob with the big boys up there, going on the big missions, saving the day."

"It's not as glamorous as people make it out to be. Your own away mission should tell you something of how it goes. Seems we're always on the front line for more danger rather than adventure."

"I can imagine. My one brush with danger was enough for me. I thought I'd never live it down. For weeks afterward, I thought people were discussing it behind my back, how I almost got the Captain killed, how I trusted that mad doctor over my own captain, etc."

"They probably were. You know there are no secrets on a ship like this. Sooner or later everyone knows everything about you whether you like it or not," Uhura said bitterly.

"And how does that make you feel?" Helen asked her gently.

"Oh, are we starting already?"

"Starting what? This is just a friendly informal chat."

"In a psychiatrists office at Dr. McCoy's request?"

"Dr.McCoy only asked if I could speak to you. He didn't tell me anything else, not the nature of the talk or why. If you don't feel comfortable talking to me, there are other counselors here at your disposal. I suppose he thought since we know each other that you might prefer speaking to me."

"Helen, I have no issue talking to you, I just don't know what good talking about it will do."

"Well, why don't you just talk about 'it' and I'll listen. Sometimes that's all you need to get your own ideas flowing and sort out your own feelings."

"That's just it. I don't want to think and I don't want to feel, at least not right now. I am just exhausted, too much has happened in too short a time for me to deal with it logically."

"Logically you say? Is this about Mr. Spock?" Helen asked.

Uhura sighed. "OF course, you know something about it from the gossip mill no doubt."

"Well 'logically' is his favorite word and the two of you are known to be very good friends. And you did just punch him in the face... But I'd like to hear it from you if you'd like to tell me about it."

"I don't want to talk about Mr. Spock. I am sick of talking about and thinking about Mr. Spock."

"Well then let's talk about something you do like. I know you love music, yet I haven't seen you at any of the talent nights nor have you been in the rec room playing your lute."

"The ka'athyra," Uhura corrected her automatically.

"Yes, that beautiful stringed instrument," Helen said. "So what's been going on?"

"I can't think about music right now, it reminds me of..."

"Of?" Helen asked

"The ka'athyra reminds me of Spock, he gave me one," Uhura said with frustration. "I can't visit my friends in engineering because Spock may be there too. He's on the bridge more hours of the day than humanly possible. I can't relay a message without hearing gossip about me and Spock, I can't breathe the air on this ship because it is recycled Spock air. I can't sleep without Spock in my dreams. He's everywhere I go, he's constantly in my mind!"

"Hm, that's interesting. So Mr. Spock is always on your mind?"

"He's not always ON my mind he's IN my mind!"

"What do you mean he's in your mind? Do you mean like telepathy? I know the Commander has some telepathic ability as all Vulcans do, he extracted the information from Dr. Van Gelder that saved the Captian but--"

"Spock doesn't just have 'some' ability, from what I can tell he is a very strong telepath."

"Okay, but as a Vulcan, he should not be able to make mental contact with you without physical contact and especially not without your consent. Vulcans are touch telepathic and they have strict rules about privacy."

"Spock is not your average Vulcan. Besides this is not your average mind-meld. We're bonded," Uhura confessed.

"Bonded?"

"Yes, and I couldn't explain it to you even if I understood it myself." Uhura huffed a defeated sigh. "A few weeks ago Spock and I were sort of married," she said resting her head in her hands.

"Sort of married?" Helen asked astonished. "How do you get sort of married?"

"Yes, married but also more than a marriage. It goes deeper than that. On Vulcan marriage involves a psychic bond connecting two minds. But in our case, our minds are not just joined in marriage, they are kind of mixed up and intertwined together. I would say it is unbelievable but on the Enterprise you get to see some pretty unbelievable things every day. This ranks on the spectrum at 'now that I know it, I guess it's feasible'. Spock's had his whole brain removed so I guess having a small piece of his Katra in me shouldn't be a big deal, but you know what? It is a big deal to me."

Helen was flabbergasted. Uhura and Spock married and bonded telepathically? What!?

"Well, I suppose congratulations are in order?" Helen said with a bit of uncertainty.

"Well, you suppose incorrectly." Uhura shot right back.

"Oh, okay I'm sorry."

"No, Helen don't be sorry. I'm just being salty. I suppose marriages
are happy announcements when everyone involves has agreed upon it in advance."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I guess I can't say I didn't agree, I sorta volunteered. It doesn't matter. I'm married. Yay me!"

"You don't sound happy about it."

"No?"

"No, in fact, you sound bitter."

"I guess I don't know how to feel about it. I didn't plan on getting married anytime soon."

"Then why did you do it?"

"I didn't really have a choice."

"Oh, I thought you said you volunteered."

"I did. In fact, I insisted," she laughed bitterly. "I guess I had a choice, I just didn't like it. I'm not angry at Spock, he didn't have a choice either. I'm angry at the situation. I'm angry at the disruption in my life and my plans. I just wanted some time to think things over and figure out my next move but the ship's gossip mill has my business on blast everywhere! I feel like I'm standing in quicksand and the more I try to work my way out the deeper I get sucked in."

"Let us help you. Let us pull you out of that hole you're in. Dr. McCoy and I had a discussion and we want to prescribe a vacation. Everybody needs a little time all for themselves away from this ship and you deserve it. A medical leave from the ship and all the drama, danger, and unbelievable things that you see on a day to day basis. You need that so you can be just Nyota Uhura. Take some time to not think and just be you."

"Can you prescribe all that?" Uhura teased.

"I can prescribe the leave, what you do with the time is up to you. Just relax, come back with a clearer head without all of us breathing down on you. I'll forward the recommendation to Dr. McCoy and he'll make sure it happens."

"Thank you, Helen."

"No thanks are needed, this is what I'm here for."

"In that case, since this is strictly business, please don't tell anyone about me and Spock. I'm not ready to have everyone know we're married. The captain and Doctor McCoy know and also Christine Chapel and whoever she's gabbed to, but I'm not ready for that fallout just yet. Everyone is already linking Spock and me together."

"I understand and don't worry this is all under doctor-patient confidentiality. Nothing said here leaves this room."

"Thanks"
Uhura left Helen's office and Helen sat for a moment to complete her notes. Then she went to her 'medicine' cabinet and took out a small bottle of bourbon. It was a gift from Doctor McCoy. He said she'd need it in her new role and boy he didn't lie.

Commander Spock and Lieutenant Uhura were Married! And bonded psychically somehow? Holy cow! Helen had been friendly with Uhura in the past and she'd never known the woman to be anything but sweet and supportive. But lately, rumor had it that Uhura was being mean and grumpy and everyone was betting that Mr. Spock was the reason. Of course, everyone thought he'd broken her heart. Little did they know...

"I suppose marriage to a Vulcan will have that effect on you." Helen thought.

"Welp, better her than me," she said as she took a sip of bourbon and wished Uhura all the best.

Chapter 15: Friend Zoned

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Spock was seated on his meditation mat but he was not meditating. He had not been able to meditate successfully since returning to the Enterprise several weeks ago, and tonight was no different. His mind was frequently disturbed by thoughts of Nyota Uhura, his wife.

He could not find his center and he was beginning to suspect that she was the key. Dr. McCoy had said 'happy wife, happy life'. Perhaps it was a true idiom because Spock's wife was not happy and neither was he.

He was quite surprised to hear the door to his suite open and close. No one would dare such a blatant breach of etiquette and disturbed his privacy. Not even the Captain would just barge in unannounced. Only one person had ever dared to do so.

"Mr. Spock?"

"Lieutenant Uhura, you honor me with your visit," Spock said rising from the floor. He was dressed in all black, only wearing his Starfleet issued undershirt and pants, what many crewmen often wore during their off duty time.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but we need to talk. I need answers, Mr. Spock."

"I will do my best to oblige."

He directed Uhura to the chair at his desk while he took a seat on his bed, the only other place to sit.

"What are we doing here?" Uhura started right in.

"Please elaborate?"

"What are the two of us doing, what are we to one another?"

Spock's face took on a far off look and he seemed to be in deep contemplation. "Lieutenant, I believe we agreed that you would decide what 'we' are when you are ready?"

"Ok, but why have you been ignoring me?"

"You asked me to give you time and space. You didn't want to announce our relationship to the crew."

"What relationship?"

Spock was silent. What did she want him to say? They were bonded and married.

When he didn't answer she said, "There, you see Mr. Spock I've discovered something about you I don't like."

"And what is that Lieutenant?"

"You're a coward."

"Indeed?"

"Indeed," she said with emphasis "we are bonded or married or mated or something and yet I spend most of my time either hiding out with Sulu or alone. Sulu is not my husband, you are. I feel like I'm not free and I'm not attached. What am I? What are we?"

"You are my wife by Vulcan custom and Federation law and I am your husband," and Sulu is not! Spock thought.

"Oh," she said is that all said clearly disappointed.

"Clearly my answer disappoints you."

"Mr. Spock before we were bonded we used to be friends, at least I thought we were friends... I even thought we might even be a bit more than friends actually," she confessed.

"Indeed?" Was she admitting she had feelings for him?

"Yes indeed, or why else did you... you...I mean, We've been through so much together. Illness and injury, to hear Sulu tell it we were practically dating, and now... now nothing. Just wham bam thank you, mam?"

Spock raised that eyebrow of his, letting her know he did not appreciate her phrasing.

"I don't believe I agree with your conclusion."

"No? And why not? Where is the fault in my logic, Mr. Spock?"

"I am trying to give you what you want, trying to respect..."

"You don't know what I want, you never have. You never ask Mr. Spock did you know that? You assume, you conclude, you deduce, you reckon, but you never ask. You always think you know what's best for everyone else but you never ask. Do you know what that makes you? Arrogant Mr. Spock, you are arrogant."

"Is that so? I do apologize Miss Uhura for my lack of hubris. I was unaware of the defect."

"Well, I'm aware and I'm sick of it. And I'm also aware that you've been avoiding me so that makes you arrogant and a coward Mr. Spock."

"And how do you propose I rectify the situation, Miss Uhura, as my friend and my wife you must have a solution in mind?"

Uhura forgot how much she enjoyed just talking to Spock, just sparring with him verbally. There was a time when she would relish challenging his stodgy demeanor, would bask in the glow of his attention. What happened to the confident woman who openly flirted with her commanding officer on the bridge no less? That woman had been cowed for too long but no longer.

"I've been a coward too," she admitted, "but I don't want to be. I don't like it," She said softly. "I'm sorry I hit you. I didn't mean it, I hope you know that I was just-"

"angry. You were angry at me," he finished her thought.

"No, I was not angry at you. Well, maybe just a wee bit. But I was mostly angry at myself, at the situation. I'm still angry and I don't know why. But I'm not angry at you per-se. You just annoyed me."

"I apologize for my failure."

"Spock, why have you been ignoring me?"

"I was doing what I thought you wanted. I was giving you the space you needed and I was honoring your desire to keep our marital status private."

"You were supposed to act normally though. By ignoring me and avoiding me you just set all the gossiping tongues wagging. They think something is going on between us because nothing is going on between us."

"That is illogical."

"That is human logic."

"It is human but it is hardly logical," he quipped.

Uhura smiled. "See, this is us."

"What is what?" he asked confused.

"This," she waved a hand between the two of them. "This. Us. Talking like friends. This is what I miss."

"I see."

"Do you? I may not be ready for a husband right now, but I could sure use a friend. Do you think you can do that? Just be my friend until I'm ready for something more?"

How could he say no to that? She was not asking for a divorce or to end their relationship completely. She just wanted to maintain the status quo. His wife just wanted to be friends. Like she was friends with Sulu. Or Scotty. Or Checkov. No problem right?

"I will always be your friend," Spock reassured her but inside he felt...something else.

"Thank you, Spock." She rushed over to him and kissed his cheek and before he knew what was happening she was gone leaving only the scent of her perfume behind.

Chapter 16: Compromising Positions

Summary:

Uhura and Spock get physical.

Notes:

Note: Cherchez la femme is a french expression that means look for the woman. As if to say, the cause of a situation must be a woman.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"What can I do to assist you, Mr. Spock?" McCoy said jovially, he rarely had occasion to see Spock in the sickbay unless he was gravely ill.

"Doctor, I believe I may be emotionally compromised."

Bones' eyebrows rose to the ceiling in shock.

"You Mr. Spock? Emotionally compromised?"

"That is what I just said."

"But how? Why? I don't understand what I can do for you."

"You are the ship's doctor, I wish to ascertain if there is a physiological cause for my condition."

"Oh, do you think it could be...um... I mean do you feel..."it" coming back?"

"'It' doctor?" Spock asked crossing his arms over his chest with ill-disguised annoyance.

"You know, that fever you Vulcans get but refuse to officially name."

"No, Doctor I do not feel 'it' coming on again but I do not know what else could be causing my current condition."

"Well, Spock why don't you sit down and explain to me exactly what you are... ah, feeling." McCoy had to admit to feeling a bit flustered with Spock coming to him for medical assistance voluntarily.

Spock sat on the biobed, "I cannot sleep the full cycle that I usually complete. I find I have no appetite, I'm finding it difficult to concentrate during even the most menial tasks, and most importantly I am not able to reach my center during personal meditation."

"And that is unusual for a Vulcan?"

"It is indeed Doctor. For a Vulcan, there is no more important practice than meditation in aiding one in controlling emotion. Without proper meditation, I am compromised and grow more so every day."

"I always wondered how you always acted so unemotional even under the direst of circumstances. Meditation huh? Ok, well lie back and let me examine you."

Bones noted that Spock was in top physical condition, not a hint of hormonal imbalance, no fever, no inflammation, no infection, no nothing, and he informed Spock as such.

"If it is not an illness what is causing these symptoms?"

"I'd say it is plain old stress," McCoy said.

"Vulcans do not feel stress, that is what meditation is for."

"And your meditation is failing. Spock, you've said you tried the Vulcan way of coping with emotional stress but has it ever occurred to you that you are only half Vulcan?"

"It occurs to me every moment Doctor, I see no reason to reiterate it."

"What I mean is, did it ever occur to you to employ human means of coping with your emotions?"

"No."

"Well?" Bones asked.

"Well, what Doctor?"

"Well, are you open to trying the human way?"

"And just what does the human way entail."

McCoy was surprised to hear Spock going along with this scheme, he must really be upset to take advice from him.

"Usually we lowly humans cope with excess emotion by venting; some use physical exertion, but most often it is simply talking."

"Talking?"

"Yes, we talk about our feelings and share our troubles and that helps us cope."

"Doctor, Vulcans do not talk about our feelings, we control and master them."

"But humans do, and you concede Vulcan techniques aren't working, so I prescribe a session with the ship's new counselor."

"Negative Doctor."

"Damn it, Spock, why come to me for help if you won't take my advice."

"I presumed, incorrectly it seems, that you could find a cure that did not involve beads and rattles and unscientific 'sharing'."

"Spock, now that you've reported your condition to me I have no choice but to file my findings and report them to the captain. Now, I am ordering you to-"

"Fine Doctor," Spock cut him off, "I will try your suggestion of physical exertion."

"Ok then," McCoy grinned finally winning against Spock. "Exertion consisting of what exactly?"

"I will practice a form of Vulcan martial arts which may aid in centering my mind."

"Good, good, you know I recall that you and Jim used to spar all the time, you might want to grab him."

"I would prefer to practice alone if I am to regain my center."

"Of course, Spock. See it's not so hard taking doctor's orders, is it? I'll tell you what, I will even help you out. I will request reassignment of your next shift with the captain and schedule you right away for a private gym. I'll send you the details."

"That will not be necessary Doctor. I can practice on my off hours."

"Nonsense, if you thought it necessary to visit me then this must be serious. No backtalk either Commander, that is a medical order. Let me make the arrangements and I will send the details of your prescription to your console."

"Alright, Doctor, I will follow your order."

Spock left sickbay and left McCoy speechless. He'd noticed that Spock was a little more uptight than usual but he had no idea that it was this serious if Spock was seeking medical intervention.

"Stubborn elf," Mccoy said as he went to the computer to make Spocks r&r arrangements.

The real reason Spock was out of sorts was so obvious. He was displaying all the symptoms of a man in love. It would be funny if it were not so sad. Spock was experiencing something that most humans went through in their teens. McCoy wouldn't wish this on his worst enemy... well maybe he would. "Serves Spock right," he laughed.

As he went to schedule a rec-room for Spock he noticed they were all booked but as the ship's chief medical officer, he had the authority to bump somebody if he chose and as he scanned the list of reservations he noticed Lt. Uhura's name.

"Well, well, well 'Cherchez la femme '," he thought. There was the root of Spock's problems right there.

Before he could think better of it he scheduled Spock for the rec room that Uhura had reserved.

He was meddling, there was no way around it, but those two were as stubborn as Aldebaran mules.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Thanks to Sulu, Uhura no longer felt comfortable exercising in the ship's public gyms. She was still being called by her new nickname 'Champ'. You would think people would find something more interesting to do than to tease her. These people were supposed to be professional adults, yet they behaved like a bunch of high schoolers. Uhura was over it. She swore she would never gossip ever again. Spock and the Vulcans were right about one thing, gossip was highly illogical.

But she was still tense and stressed. Her attempt at relaxation in the spa had failed as well, so now she would have to relax and workout by herself in a private gym.

She got right to work, stretching out her sore tense muscles. She hadn't had a chance to really move her body since the failed sparring match with Sulu. Every time she replayed that punch in her mind she cringed. She had not meant to hurt Spock. She was just in some sort of zone, she had just needed to punch something, and Spock's face just happened to be there. But that was no excuse. Violence solved nothing, it only exasperated things which was the case now. She had apologized to Spock and hopefully now that she had a chance to cool down things could go back to some semblance of normalcy.

These thoughts were going through her mind as she started her workout. She was doing her crunches and then she would do her lunges and then maybe she'd do some jump rope. She liked to work out with music and she had some soft instrumental music playing in the background as she put her body through its paces.

She felt a little lighter since her talk with Spock. No, they were not at a perfect place, but for now, she would live with things the way they were. After her talk with the counselor, she realized she was not being fair to Spock. She was a communications officer, she needed to communicate with him, air her grievances and move forward.

Someone came barging into the gym just as she was about to do her rope routine.

"Mr. Spock! What are you doing here?" Uhura asked. She supposed turn about was fair play as she barged into his space all the time.

He was dressed in workout attire as well and he and carrying a gym bag and Lirpa!

Spock looked totally nonplussed to see Uhura dressed in workout attire and sweating in the private gym. He was certain Dr. McCoy had booked this room for him.

Uhura approached him. She seemed to be fascinated by his weapon.

"What are you going to do with that thing?" She pointed to the lirpa.

"I was assigned this gymnasium by Dr. McCoy. But I see it is occupied. I will return at another time."

"Don't be silly, we can share. I'll just be in this corner jumping. I hope that won't disturb you?"

"No, you will not disturb me. I hope I will not disturb you, I planned to practice Suus Mahna." he said. See, he could be friendly.

"Oh really? I haven't seen you do that before, I'd actually like to see what it's all about. Can I hold that lirpa? I saw them all over the place on Vulcan but never got to handle one."

Spock was wary of allowing Uhura to handle his lirpa. He didn't believe she would eviscerate him but then again, he didn't believe she would break his nose...

"Please be very careful, the blade is extremely sharp."

"I know how to handle a blade." She hefted the lirpa in her hands and nearly doubled over from the weight of it.

"Damn this is heavy! And you just walk around with it as if you're carrying a hollow pole or something."

"The weight is carefully balanced to the owner. I could procure one calibrated to your...dimensions."

"Like my harp?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Amanda said you had a ka'athyra custom made just for me?"

"I did. You were an excellent student and you deserved your own instrument. One better suited to your talent."

"I had an excellent teacher. Your ka'athyra is beautiful but the one you gave me was absolutely perfect for me. I'll always cherish it. Now, this," she tried to swing the lirpa, "I don't think I'll be doing any damage with this. It's quite awkward."

"Like everything, it requires skill and practice."

"I can't believe Vulcans still fight with such ancient weapons," She said shaking her head.

"Vulcans do not fight with these weapons anymore. They are mostly ceremonial. However..." he stopped speaking.

"What?" she nudged.

"They are used for traditional combat during a Kalifee," he admitted.

"Oh. Okay, then I'll let you get to it. I'll just be over here in my little corner."

Spock had not liked to stir memories of their own Pon Farr and the Kun et Kalifee. It was a subject they both seemed determined to skirt. So he went to his own corner of the room and prepared to do his exercises. He turned his back to Uhura and began with simple stretching drills and then he moved on to perform the katas of the Suus Mahna, the martial arts of Vulcan.

Spock was deep into his moves when he became aware that the sound of the rope striking the floor had stopped. Spock looked up in the mirror to see that Uhura was seated on the floor in her corner sipping from a water bottle and watching him.

Knowing that she was watching him so intently made him feel...uncomfortable. For the first time in many years, Spock lost his concentration. He couldn't continue.

"I think that will be all for today." He announced and he went to collect his gear.

"Wait, Spock before you go, do you mind showing me some of those moves. It was really beautiful."

"Perhaps another time Lieutenant I am, um..."

"Chicken?" She challenged him, grinning.

"No, I was going to say-"

"Scared? I promise I won't hurt you. See" She waved her hands in front of him, "no boxing gloves in sight," she teased. She was already back to her normal playful self, he observed. Meanwhile, she had him going in circles.

"Okay, but it will require that I touch you to put your body into the proper positions," he warned. Please let her say no, he hoped.

"Oooh Okay, you can position me any way you like." She said with enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, Spock felt like a man going to his doom. He showed her the basic moves and as promised he had to position her into the proper form. He was forced to touch her forearms, and then her calves. He positioned her hips into the correct position and then her shoulders. He was glad when she learned the proper stances and he could stop touching her.

Uhura was, of course, graceful and strong and a fast learner. She was able to follow a simple beginner's Kata. Next, he showed her some simple self-defense moves. Ways to evade capture, ways to break an assailant's chokehold, ways to disarm a man. She was an apt pupil.

In the last move, he grabbed her from behind and she was supposed to flip him over her shoulder but she hesitated.

"Lieutenant?" Spock questioned. He was still behind her with his arms around her throat and her waist.

"Nyota?" Spock said again. She was breathing heavily and her chest was heaving. He looked at her in the mirror and her eyes stared back at him with a strange intensity. Suddenly she hooked her leg around and swept his feet out from under him toppling him backward. Before he knew what was happening she had straddled him and had pinned him to the mat.

Now Spock could easily defend himself against her attack and throw her off but he couldn't move. He was paralyzed with indecision. Uhura lowered her head and rubbed her forehead on his, she then very slowly rubbed her head against the side of his face and neck. And finally, she kissed him.

Uhura brought their lips gently together and kissed Spock, coaxing him to yield to her demand and Spock was stunned. He didn't even have sense enough to kiss her back and before he knew it, the kiss ended and she sat up staring at him.

"Oh my god, what am I doing?" she looked confused as if she hadn't just done what she just did.

Spock had the good sense not to offer his opinion.

"I am so sorry," She climbed off of him and ran to her corner collecting her gear. Spock stayed where he was. He tried to catch his breath and figure out his next move.

He heard Uhura leave but he still lay on his back on the gym mat willing his body to be calm, willing himself not to do what instinct demanded. It seemed his wife had just scent marked him, something he had only read about in ancient Vulcan texts.

Fascinating indeed.

Chapter 17: Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Summary:

Nyota is running away, Spock is chasing her, and their family and friends are meddling.

Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and take it slowly
Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and make you want me…
The Fugees - Ready or Not

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Well, how did the relaxation session go? Did you find your... uh... center?" McCoy asked Spock when he finally tracked him down in his science lab.

"I would prefer not to talk about it if you do not mind Doctor."

"Why? What happened?" McCoy was shocked to see that Spock looked more stressed than ever.

Spock noted that Mccoy seemed very interested in his exercise; too interested. "Doctor, did you orchestrate a confrontation between Nyota and myself?"

"What?" McCoy feigned surprise. "What are you talking about? What happened?"

"I see that you did," Spock repressed a sigh. 'What happened' is that Nyota and I had come to an arrangement before our forced encounter. Now I do not know where we stand. I cannot reach her," Spock said turning back to his scanner.

"Spock, what did you do now? I thought if you two could just be in the same space together you'd work things out."

"We did work out together, for a while at least."

"Okay, see that's a start."

"And then she ran from me and I have not seen her since."

"Boy, you sure can pick 'em, can't you?" McCoy shook his head.

"How do you mean Doctor?"

"You married the one human female who can resist your Vulcan mystique--"

"Doctor, if you are going to insult me--"

"It's not an insult Spock, but it is ironic isn't it? All these females, and males too if truth be told, running around tripping over themselves trying to impress you and you fall for the one woman who isn't impressed."

Spock did not want to hear Dr. McCoy make light of his life. He tolerated the almost friendly ribbing the two engaged in but this was not a subject he could even joke about, it would test all his discipline.

"Doctor I prefer not to discuss my personal life with you."

"Oh, I am sure you don't, but its times like this that a man needs his friends around him. And I am your friend, Spock, despite my teasing. I can see that this is eating away at you."

"Doctor-"

"Spock hear me out, as your friend. Lieutenant Uhura is a good woman worth fighting for. And I know Vulcans don't fight in the Terran sense, don't struggle emotionally, but marriage is something you just don't throw away or ignore, believe me. Now you can't make a woman love you, but you can't go giving her any reasons not to either. And besides, if life were as easy as snatching a pretty girl from a ship and claiming her as your bride we'd all have wives. Catching is the easy part, keeping 'em is the hard part."

"Doctor, that is logical. But how do you "keep em" as you suggest?"

"Well now, don't ask me. I can't catch 'em or keep 'em," McKoy said.

"Then what exactly is your advice?"

"Well just don't give up. Fight for your wife. As Jim once said to your counterpart on that other Enterprise, 'find a logical reason and make it stick'. You can do that can't you?"

Of course, Spock could find logical reasons why he and Nyota should be bonded but would Nyota accept those reasons?

"How do you reason with an unreasonable Terran woman?" Spock asked.

"Damned if I know. When you figure it out, write a book, will you? You'll be a wealthy man."

Spock was already wealthy but he would gladly give up every credit to have his wife where she belonged, with him.

/*-/*-/

For the first time in a while, Uhura was excited! She was going on medical leave! Normally you didn't get excited about medical leave but she needed it and she just happened to be granted leave on Argelius. The ship was making a stop nearby and they were going to drop her off in a shuttle and continue on their way. She couldn't wait. After the incident with Spock in the gymnasium, she needed to getaway. She didn't know what came over her. She just attacked him. Now she just couldn't face him, she was so ashamed. She had insisted they be just friends and then she jumps on him? What the hell Nyota?

She concentrated on packing for her trip to Argelius. The last time she was there it was a somber affair. Scotty had been accused of murder and the whole crew was anxious about his fate. And the people of Argelius were hostile towards Starfleet officers and Earthers, believing that some madman was on the loose killing their women.

Turns out the madman was some alien the Argelians had hired themselves, not a Starfleet officer. And since a Starfleet captain had exposed and rid them of a threat to their tourist industry they were grateful and welcoming of Earthers again.

Uhura had no official plans set for her leave, she was just going to hang out with the natives, maybe study their languages, and relax. It was going to be heaven, she thought.

She had just put the last few items in her suitcase when the door chimed.

She wasn't hiding from Christine anymore so she cheerfully announced, "come on in, it's open!"

The door slid open to reveal Charlene Masters.

"Well, well, look who it is, my ex-best friend."

"What! Charlene, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you. I haven't seen you since before we had shore leave on Vulcan. You avoiding me or something? I've called, I've stopped by, and now I hear you're leaving again?"

"Oh, Char. I'm so sorry. I have just been so busy," she said moving around grabbing last-minute items.

"So I hear. You and Sulu are dating, you knocked Commander Spock on his ass, and you threatened Spa Technician Hernandez. You're a busy little bee." Charlene said.

"Oh My God! Is that what the rumors are saying about me? Me and Sulu? And Hernandez?!" Uhura covered her eyes. Yeah, she needed to get off this ship.

"Well, you and Sulu are thick as thieves these days. Wherever you go he goes nipping right at your heels. And you and Spock used to be the dynamic duo and now you two are on the outs again. Everyone thinks-"

"I don't care what everyone thinks. People need to mind their own business," Uhura said and finished her packing.

"Does that include me?" Charlene asked.

"No. Not you Charlene. I'm sorry I've been MIA. I have just been busy since Vulcan and I have been a bit under the weather. In fact, I've been ordered on sick leave. I'm just finishing my packing now."

"Sick leave? Is it serious?" Charlene was now concerned rather than annoyed.

Only if you think being bonded to a Vulcan is serious, Uhura thought.

"No, nothing too serious. Just um, some complications to that Vulcan flu I had," she said easily lying to her best friend. It's official, I'm a rotten person, Uhura thought.

"Vulcan flu? I've never even heard of that. How did you get it?"

"It's a long story, one that will have to wait for another time. I'm due to be at my shuttle in just a few moments. But I'll tell you what, when I get back I'll tell you everything I promise."

"You better. Now take care of yourself or I'll knock you on your ass. Champ!"

"Oh, not you too. I did not...oh nevermind." She kissed Charlene goodbye and made a dash for her shuttle.

 

/*-/*-/

Spock considered himself a fully grown man even though according to Vulcan biology and tradition he had only just reached full sexual maturity. He had lived away from his homeworld for the majority of his adult life. He knew who he was and what he wanted. He had a wife. Finally. He should be content and settled. However, he was far from being either and he was at his witts end. He knew his relationship with Nyota would take some time to sort out and mend, however, he never suspected his wife would run away from him. That being the case he didn't know what to do or who to turn to. Jim and Bones just did not understand his particular dilemma. So, though it pained him, he needed Vulcan advice.

"Spock! Sweetheart, I'm so glad you FINALLY called. I've been worried about you and Nyota. How is she?" Amanda asked as soon as she appeared on Spock's viewscreen.

"Greetings Mother. Do you not wish to inquire about my health?"

Amanda looked at him through the viewscreen for a moment and then declared, "You look fine. But you've already evaded my question. How are things with you and Nyota?"

"You look agreeable as well, Mother."

"Spock let's not do this greetings nonsense. We both know it is illogical and any other time you barely tolerate it. So how is she?"

"Mother." Spock sighed.

"It's that bad?"

"She left me."

"What!" Amanda jumped up from her seat.

"She went on shore leave."

"Oh." she resumed her seat.

"Alone. Without me." Spock could not keep the misery from his tone.

"Oh." Amanda sounded disappointed.

"Mother."

"Yes, Spock?"

"I do not know what to do. She left without informing me. Dr. McCoy told me she is on medical leave."

"Medical leave? What's wrong? Is she ill? Was she injured?"

"I do not know but I do not believe she has been injured. McCoy would only tell me that he prescribed rest and relaxation."

"Ooh," Amanda said she seemed to be thinking.

"Mother, do you know any other word in your vocabulary besides 'oh'?"

"Spock, what have you done now?" Amanda finally asked.

"Why do you assume I have done something."

"Why would a woman be prescribed rest and medical leave? Why did she leave without telling you? When you two left you looked so cozy. I thought you were going to try and work out your differences?"

"I fully intend to work out our differences, it is my wife who has left me, not the other way around." Spock was becoming irritated. Mothers were supposed to be on their son's side, weren't they?

"But why did she leave? Women just don't leave their husbands unless he's done something wrong. When I left Sarek it was for a good reason."

"You left Father!?" Spock was shocked out of his misery for a moment.

"Yes. But that's not important. What's important is that I had a good reason."

"Mother, when did you leave Father?"

"Spock, it is of no concern. It is ancient history."

"It is new history to me."

"Spock focus. I can already tell you are not yourself. You cannot be away from your bond-mate at this time. The bond is too new and fragile. You know that."

"I know of no such thing. Why can't we be apart?"

"Spock! How can you not know this? Every Vulcan knows that a new bond is fragile and needs constant reinforcement to solidify. I know it and I'm human."

"You have also lived on Vulcan for forty years. I have never heard of this."

"Your father said he explained the birds and the bees to you," Amanda said in frustration.

"Mother, I wish you would stop calling it that."

"Why, what difference does it make what I call it. Sex! Sex! Spock, your father said he explained sex to you!"

"Mother, please!"

Amanda sighed. "Do you see these gray hairs on my head. You put every one of them there, do you hear me? You and your father. You are a fully grown adult male. I know I spoiled you and I probably always will, but you have a wife now Spock. And if there is one thing women hate it's a mama's boy."

"I am not a 'mama's boy'" Spock said indignantly.

"Said the man who called his Mama for help," Amanda teased.

"I did not call you for help."

"Oh really. Then why did you call?"

"I just wanted to...to...visit."

Amanda barked out a laugh. "Okay, son. So how's work?"

Spock wanted to yell at his Mother. She knew darn well he didn't want to talk about work but she was going to make him ask for help after he had just informed her that he did not need her help.

"Work is agreeable. We are in a quiet spell. No major catastrophes to avert."

"Oh, that's wonderful. And your Captain and Dr. McCoy? How are they?"

"They are well, Mother. I will tell them you inquired."

"Thank you, my son."

"Mother?"

"Yes?"

"Is there anything else you would like to tell me?"

"Well, your father is planning a mission to Earth and of course I will be accompanying him. As you know, I always accompany your father on long missions. It's not healthy for Vulcan mates to be parted for too long. It's quite taxing. It's like a new mother who cannot sleep unless her child is nearby. The Vulcan mind goes on high alert worrying about his absent spouse and their safety. And newlyweds are the worst." Amanda shook her head. "I'd hate to think of what Sarek would have done if I had been separated from him when we first bonded. He barely tolerates me leaving his sight now, and that's after 40 years." Amanda said brightly as if this were just a casual chat.

"Since I am human it is even more important that he knows where I am at all times. I cannot communicate with him as he can with me. If I were to get into trouble and needed him..." Amanda shivered dramatically and shook her head gravely.

"Mother."

"Yes, Spock-kan?" She said using his childhood nickname.

"I must go. I have to find my wife."

"Okay, sweetheart I understand. Safe journey, and rom-halan."

"Peace and long life Mother. Spock out."

/*-/*-/

"Jim, I must request a leave."

"Not you too, Spock. I just granted Uhura leave, I can't lose my first officer as well."

"I am afraid that you must. I cannot allow my...wife to be parted from me."

"What? You can't allow it?" Kirk was starting to get sick of Spock and his 'wife'.

"No."

"Care to tell me why?"

"It is not something I can explain. It is part of the Vulcan marriage bonding."

"Spock, I understand you and Uhura are bonded somehow so that she will know when your, uh, Time comes. But I didn't think it would interfere with your everyday lives? Now you're telling me you can't be separated from her?"

"Nyota and I do not share an ordinary bond."

Captain Kirk was getting a bit tired of Spock and all this Vulcan marriage mumbo-jumbo. First, they get this fever that drives them insane, then they lock themselves up in caves and have marathon sex, and now it seems they are joined at the hip and can't be parted from their wives? It must suck to be Vulcan.

"Look, Spock, I don't know what is going on with you and Uhura, explain it to me."

"Jim, you already know most of it. Vulcan males rely on their wives for their lives."

"But how does it tie in with you not being able to be away from Uhura for a few days?"

"Because we're bonded! Mentally..." Spock said in frustration.

"Okay, I understand that, to a degree, you said she would hear you when you put out your mating call right?"

"It is more than that. Nyota and I... our souls are bound together."

Kirk was developing a headache. Leave it to Spock to speak in riddles and expect Jim to make heads or tales of it.

"Spock, I don't understand a word you've said. But if you insist you need to be with Uhura who am I to argue? It does no good anyway. Knowing you, you'd just go off half-cocked and steal a shuttle and take off after her. Or commit another mutiny."

"I would not commit another mutiny Captain."

"I notice you didn't say you wouldn't steal another shuttle." Kirk sighed. "I thought this marriage would be good for you and Uhura, now I'm not so sure."

"Captain, I am sorry that my marriage has caused you so much distress. It is another unfortunate consequence of my biology."

"Don't sweat it, Spock. Just go find your wife and try to patch things up with her and bring her home. Do not return until the two of you make up, do I make myself clear Mister? That's an order."

"Aye Captain," Spock said and he bounded out of Kirks office like a man on a mission.

/*-/*-/

"Where the devil is Spock hightailing it out to?" McCoy asked Jim. Spock had nearly run into him in his haste to depart Kirk's office.

"He's on his way to Argeliius I imagine."

"What? Why?"

"He's going to collect his wife."

"Jim, I ordered Uhura on this leave so she could get away from that goblin and all the gossip. How could you sic him on her?"

"I didn't do anything Bones. Spock told me he can't be away from Uhura. Something about their marriage bond. I didn't understand it and I'm not going to try. Let them work it out somewhere off this ship so I can get some peace and quiet."

"Jim! I thought you were not going to interfere in this, yet you've done nothing but meddle since the very beginning."

"I have not Bones. I'm just trying to help my friends. They just need a little push in the right direction."

"I hope this doesn't backfire. I tried a little pushing of my own and failed spectacularly."

"Bones leave the matchmaking to an expert."

"Ok fine, do you know any?"

"Funny. Somebody in this room has two ex-wives and can't talk."

"And somebody in this room has a string of ex's a mile long and can't talk either."

"Well Bones, with the two of us helping Spock, I'd say he's fucked."

Notes:

courtesy of Vulcan Language Dictionary (VLD)

*rom-halan=farewell a parting salutation, goodbye

*kan=child a young person of either sex
Published

Chapter 18: Desperately Seeking Uhura

Summary:

There is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide when a Vulcan is on the hunt for his bride.

Chapter Text

 

-=-=-=-=-

Uhura arrived on Argelius without a hitch. The shuttle settled her down on one of the smaller continents where it was the height of the tourist season.

"Lt. Uhura, if you go to the tourist commission's office they will guide you to safe lodgings and even arrange a tour guide if you need one," her shuttle pilot explained.

"No need. I think I'll have a look around and see what I find. It will be an adventure."

"Ok then, just be careful, the men here are frisky," the pilot said before heading off. The pilot and a few other crewmen were also taking leave on Argelius but Uhura's pilot was here to meet her husband, not to run away from him.

Uhura had packed lightly so that she didn't have too much baggage to lug around and she was grateful. Argelius was famous for its foggy nights but today it was hot and humid. She strapped her backpack on and pulled a small bag on wheels behind her as she headed off in search of a place to stay. After walking around the shopping district and resisting the urge to buy everything in sight, she stopped in a little cafe for lunch. She was starving. She hadn't been eating well lately and today was the first time in a long time that she felt like pigging out.

Uhura was not a vegetarian but she just found herself eating that way since spending so much time with Spock. He would not be offended by her eating meat around him, that would be illogical, however, she just chose not to do it. Most times she just ate whatever he ate. It dawned on her she had been silently following his lead for years. No wonder Amanda had admonished her to not lose her humanity.

So she ordered a fat juicy burger. She didn't know what kind of meat it was, and she didn't care. She was on vacation and when in Rome you did as the Romans did. She was just licking her fingers, something else she would never do around Spock when a shadow covered her table.

"Madam, I could not help but notice that you are alone as you eat. That is unacceptable for one of such beauty as you. You require a dining partner, no?"

It was one of those frisky Argelian men. "No," Uhura answered and went back to her meal, hoping he would take the hint.

"But Madam-"

"I believe the lady answered you already," A familiar voice said.

Uhura nearly choked on her fries. "Spock! what are you doing here?"

"I came to fetch you," he said and he sounded annoyed even though he looked his usual calm self.

She scrunched up her nose. "Fetch me? For what?"

Spock turned to the Argelian, "if you will excuse us, we have a private matter to discuss."

The Argelian didn't seem interested in getting in the middle of this and he scurried off. Spock took the seat opposite her.

"Do not let me disturb you, Lieutenant. Continue your meal."

You already have, she thought. Uhura suddenly didn't feel like eating anymore. "Spock, what are you doing here?"

"I came to fetch-"

"I heard you say that already," she cut him off. "But why? And you don't fetch me. I'm not something to be fetched."

"Forgive me, it was a poor choice of words."

"Forget your choice of words, how about the meaning behind them? Again, why are you here?"

"I am here because... I..." Spock hadn't planned what he would say when he found her. But now that they were face to face he found himself at a loss. How did he explain this bond that they shared?

"I cannot explain it."

"Well, then you can go. I'm here on leave, medical leave so that I can get away from my problems."

"I didn't know I was a problem."

"Spock that's not what I meant. You are not a problem but you are a part of my problems. I feel all out of sorts. I don't feel like myself. What happened in the gym... I don't know what came over me. Are you sure this Katra thing is not doing something to me?"

"I do not believe so. You have shared my katra for several years without incident."

"But now we have this marital bond too. I'm not used to having a psychic bond with anyone, its unsettling."

"I am sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just be understanding that this is all new to me. Can you respect that?"

"I do. I want to respect your wishes, but on this matter, I cannot. A Vulcan male cannot be separated from his bondmate so soon after...bonding."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, I spoke to my mother who informed me of the facts."

"How is Amanda? I haven't had a chance to talk to her since we've been home. I promised I would call but I've just been so..."

"Out of sorts?" he asked.

"Yes." They sat in silence for a moment.

"You should finish your meal," he suggested.

"I'm not hungry anymore. I guess my eyes were bigger than my stomach."

"Perhaps I will order, I spent the morning looking for you and have not had a meal."

"This is real meat she warned."

Spock made a face and Uhura laughed. "Spock, I've never seen you make that face."

"I did not know that you ate real meat."

"I don't normally, at least not since I... I mean not since we became friends. But I'm on vacation and decided why not, live a little."

"Unfortunately, the animal that you are consuming cannot share the same sentiment."

"Don't judge. This is Argelius, they eat meat. A lot of people do. I'm honestly surprised by your attitude. I thought for sure you wouldn't be put off by a little hamburger."

"What you choose to eat is your choice."

"Thank you."

"I was just surprised that you would choose to consume animal flesh."

"Oh boy. See this is what I don't need today. Can I just eat my burger in peace?" She picked up her burger and took a bite and then felt a little nauseous. Well, it was worth it to show Spock he didn't control her yet.

She called for her check and when the server brought it to her Spock snatched it up.

"What are you doing?"

"I will pay your check."

"I will pay my own check, thank you."

Spock looked displeased by this as well.

"Is this another Vulcan thing?"

"I can provide for my wife."

"Your wife can provide for herself."

"But-"

"Spock if it will make you feel manly then, by all means, pay it."

"This is not about my ego, it is Vulcan tradition. I will provide for you."

"Ok then next time I will get the check, agreed?" She held out her hand as if to shake on it. Spock only stared at the offending appendage.

"Now, what's the matter?" she said letting her hand fall.

"First, we should not touch hands in public and second-"

"Okay, I'm done here." She gathered her bags preparing to leave.

"Nyota, please wait."

"No. This is not right. I thought we agreed to take things slowly and be friends first. Why are you suddenly acting like my husband?"

Why was he acting this way? She was the one who rubbed herself all over him and then kissed him like she was his wife. Why was he behaving like her husband!?

"Because I am your husband," he said to her retreating back.

 

/*-/*-/


Uhura stormed off from the cafe and faded into the crowded streets that were teeming with tourists. She didn't spot Spock again so she figured he caught the hint and returned to the Enterprise. She couldn't believe he had the nerve to follow her on her leave.

She found herself just walking around for hours until her feet were sore. Then she found a residence in a part of the city where few tourists traveled and checked in. Now she was just settling down for her dinner when she had a feeling of Deja vu.

"How did you find me?" Uhura asked as Spock sat down beside her in the little restaurant she was dining in. She had made sure this place was well off the beaten path and far away from the touristy spots. She was also staying at an inn not far from here that had the same quality. It was in a residential neighborhood and it was a boarding house. It catered to offworlders who couldn't afford the prices of the mainstream tourist hotels and travelers who were on an extended stay and wanted someplace more homey and less flashy and expensive. It suited her needs just fine. And an added bonus was that Spock was less likely to find her there. Or so she thought.

"As all offworlders are required to register at the tourist office, I simply inquired as to your whereabouts. Your landlord told me she suggested this establishment to you, thus here I am."

"That is a complete and utter lack of privacy. How dare they give you my address?"

"That is Argelius. As you know they do not subscribe to our sense of privacy or decorum. It is a completely hedonistic society."

"Spock I think you should go. I'm just here for dinner then I am going back to my room and getting some much-needed shuteye. I'm tired. Of everything."

"Including me?" He asked.

Before she could answer a server came over with two drinks.

"I didn't order these," Uhura said.

"On the house, everybody drinks here."

She took a sip and scrunched up her nose. She didn't like strong liquor since she got drunk on the Gorn homeworld. She pushed her drink aside. Sock sipped at his drink and apparently, he liked the flavor as he downed it in one swallow.

"Atta boy," the server patted him on the back. "I'll bring you another. Full price."

"No need, he can have this one." Uhura slid her drink over to Spock and he promptly downed that one as well.

"See your fella likes them," the server said, "I'll be right back with your drink."

"Spock, I thought you didn't drink alcohol."

"I do not usually imbibe as it does not have the effect on me that it has on humans. That had a very fascinating taste."

"Yeah, it tasted like something Amanda gave me before we got married."

"I likewise thought you did not imbibe."

"Usually I don't, it was for courage."

"Did it work?" he asked quietly.

"Let's just say it had a kick like a mule. I had a hell of a hangover," she laughed in remembrance.

"Well kiss my ass and call me crazy. A Vulcan in a bordello!"

Spock looked up at the gentleman now standing above the table where he and Uhura were seated in the dark little restaurant. He looked like a younger and thinner Harry Mudd. Spock thought it was a most unfortunate appearance for the gentleman.

He was about to ask why he should kiss the aforementioned ass when Uhura nudged him with her elbow and said 'idiom' as an aside.

"No thank you," Spock said to the man hoping that would end the exchange.

"I've seen a lot of crazy things on Argelius, but I never thought I'd see a Vulcan in an Argelian pleasure palace. And with a little hottie too. This your woman? You two together?" the man asked as he leered at Uhura.

"Yes," Spock answered at the same time that Uhura said, "No."

Uhura elbowed him again.

The stranger eyed them both. "This guy bothering you sweetie?"

"No, he was just leaving." She said glowering at Spock.

"Alright, alright, then," the man said in a cheezy way. "So, do you mind if I join you? We can get better acquainted," the stranger said, now totally ignoring Spock and speaking only to Uhura.

"Yes," Uhura and Spock answered in unison.

"Well if you're not together, and she's not your woman what's your problem man?"

"I do not have a problem but you might," Spock said starting to feel the effect of the drinks that he had consumed. In general, Vulcans did not imbibe, as alcohol tended to metabolize too quickly for inebriation. But he was only half Vulcan and he had downed several alien drinks in very quick succession. His mental controls were compromised.

"Look," the man said. "If she's not with you then she's with me. My credits are good here."

"Beat it, Mister, before you get more than you bargained for, I'm not here for you," Uhura said noticing Spock's strange mood shift. She didn't want a scene, she was only looking for a little escape. How had she stumbled into a bordello!

"Now look bitch-" the man had grabbed her arm but never finished his sentence as Spock's foot connected with the man's groin. The man Oomphed in a comedic fashion and doubled over.

After that everything became a blur. As the man howled in pain Uhura jumped up into action. She smashed him on the head with their table's centerpiece and then she grabbed Spock's hand guiding him towards the club's exit. They didn't get anywhere near the exit though before there was an all-out brawl going on all around them.

Someone threw a bottle that just missed their heads but hit another patron. That patron seeing them running towards him jumped up to intercept them. They managed to dodge one set of grasping hands only to be arrested by another pair. Uhura and Spock didn't have time to think they just worked in tandem throwing kicks and ducking jabs somehow making it to the exit despite everyone in the club now being engaged in the fight.

Someone had called the guard and they came charging into the dimly lit space just as Uhura and Spock made it out into the foggy night. They began to run as soon as they reached fresh air as others spilled out of the club after them. They didn't dare risk being captured by the guard or the angry mob so they kept running.

After running several blocks, they slowed down. Uhura noted they appeared to be back in the tourist district. There were hotels, saloons, clubs, and restaurants all along this main thoroughfare, unlike the little hole-in-the-wall spot they had just escaped from.

Uhura was exhausted. Her feet hurt, her hands hurt from punching bare-knuckled, and truth be told she caught a couple of hits herself. Spock looked as if he'd gone a few rounds with an angry Gorn, there were bruises forming on his pale face, his shirt was torn, and his knuckles were in rough shape as well. They had just been in a bar brawl, she thought. In a Bordello! She and Mr. Spock! Suddenly she began to laugh.

"What do you find so amusing?" Spock asked massaging his jaw.

"You. And me. Brawling in a bordello. What would the captain think? What would your parents think!?"

"I do not plan on telling the captain." Then he looked thoughtful. "Mother would want to know if I won and Father would be disappointed, as usual."

"Aw, I'm sorry I mentioned it." She grabbed his arm. "Let's go."

She limped a few paces before he stopped her.

"You are injured?"

"No, I broke my shoe. These were my favorite pair too." She reached down and took them off. She was ready to continue walking when Spock kneeled down to inspect her feet and ankles. "You cannot walk barefoot in the street. I will carry you."

He turned his back to her while still down in front of her.

Uhura looked at his broad back. "You expect me to be carried like a child?"

He didn't answer for a while and she just knew he was arguing in his mind trying to find a logical reason for her to concede. Finally, he simply said "Yes."

It was Uhura's turn to do some mental arguing. If she refused he would insist and find some logical reason why he should carry her or he would just command her as her superior officer or her husband! She was bone tired and hurt and in no mood for this foolishness. It was simpler to go along with it this time.

"Oh alright. I haven't ridden piggyback since I was a kid with my brothers."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and her long legs around his waist and Spock effortlessly lifted her up onto his back.

"Where are we going?" she asked as he headed further into the tourist district.

"My hotel."

Uhura thought about arguing against that idea but then thought better of it. All the fight was knocked out of her for the moment. She had to admit it felt good riding on Spock's back. His back was strong, she could feel his muscles rippling beneath his tunic. She leaned her forehead against his neck. His hair was silky smooth and slightly damp with sweat. And he smelled so good, a heady mixture of his hair shampoo and the musky scent of perspiration which wasn't exactly human. She had an urge to lick the back of his neck or the pointy curve of his ear and taste him but she managed to restrain herself.

When they got to his hotel, Uhura assumed it would be some unassuming inn like the one she was booked in. However, it was the largest and most ostentation place on the planet. She felt very self-conscious as Spock carried her through the lobby. It was brightly lit and even at this late hour, there was still a lot of activity, with people going about their business. She and Spock must look a spectacle with their bruises, ruffled and torn clothing, and her bare feet.

"Spock put me down now," she whispered in his ear.

"No."

"I can walk, these floors are carpeted. I'll be okay."

"No."

"Spock please this is silly now."

"Nyota..." he snapped in a voice she didn't even recognize. It sounded a lot like Sarek's when he was admonishing Amanda! Oh no he didn't. Who did he think he was talking to like that?

She felt his hand on her bare leg and then she heard the thought in her mind. "Wife."

Nyota froze. "Did you just say something?"

"Did you hear me say something?" he asked as they reached the lift bank.

"I thought I heard you say 'wife' in my head."

"Did you indeed?" he asked now they were in the lift and he pressed the button.

"Yes, I did and what did you mean by that? Where are you taking me? I can get my own room you know?"

"I do not think you could book a room in this establishment."

"Why can't I?"

"It is quite expensive for a serviceman's ration."

"Really? Then how can you afford it? Ah yes, I almost forgot you're practically a Vulcan prince. Of course, you can afford it. But how do you know I cannot afford it?" She challenged him.

"I can afford it because I save my rations and do not live beyond frugal means."

"This is frugal?" She looked around the fancy mirrored elevator in a hotel that was more expensive than a month of rations she supposed. And their lift kept going up and up.

"Are you on the top floor or something?"

"Yes."

"The penthouse?!"

"Yes. It was the only room available. You will note that this is the tourist season for this region of Argelius."

"So you booked the most expensive room? I found a nice little inn off the beaten path."

"I suppose it is like the nice little 'restaurant' you found off the beaten path?"

"Hey, it was recommended to me by the innkeeper. She said the locals favor it so if the locals like it the food must be good, right?"

"I suppose that holds a certain logic."

As they reached the top floor the lift emptied into a small hallway. Spock exited the lift and headed right towards the door at the end of the hall. He used his palm to open the door and when they entered Uhura was taken aback. It was a magnificent suite. Decorated in Argelius fashion with pillows festooned on the floor in different areas and bright colors. She was blown away by its beauty.

"Wow! This is the kind of place you bring a girl when you want to impress her," she whispered in awe.

"And are you sufficiently impressed Luitenant?"

Uhura ignored that and said instead "You can put me down now."

Spock likewise ignored her request and started walking with her still on his back to the adjacent room where there was a very large round bed also festooned with pillows. Finally, he turned, bent, and gently sat her down on the bed.

You couldn't get angry with gentle treatment like this, but somehow Uhura was still annoyed. He was treating her like...like...she didn't know, like a delicate woman! But she was Lt. Uhura of the starship Enterprise, not some chick you just picked up and bossed around when you felt like it. And that was a new side of Spock too, he was bossy!

This man acting all chivalrous and starting barroom brawls was not the Spock she knew. This Spock was trouble. This Spock was dangerous. This Spock was acting emotionally!

"Spock, are you okay?"

"Okay?"

"Yes, I mean are you... I don't know, are you healthy?"

"I am completely healthy at the moment aside from a slight intoxication."

"Okay, but I mean, you're not experiencing any chemical imbalance or fever..."

"You are asking if I am suffering from The Fever?"

"Yes," she said hesitantly.

"No, I am not."

"Well, you don't seem yourself."

"Whom do I seem like?" he asked as his eyes pierced her.

He had her there. She didn't know. His eyes were so dark and intense. He was looking at her like she was the only thing in the world with a laser-like focus.

Uhura thought she knew Spock. He was her friend, her mentor, her commander. She thought she knew his personality, what he would and would not do or say in a given situation. But she finally realized something Sulu and Charlene had tried to tell her. Spock was a man and she had never really looked at him as one. She always kept him at a distance. This man sitting next to her was a mystery, and it was as frightening as it was exciting.

She was in a hotel room alone with this man she didn't really know at all. All the times they had spent in each other's quarters, she had thought nothing of it. They were just colleagues hanging out, talking, learning, playing. But now it was not so innocent. Now it felt like something more intimate.

She looked around the room. There were high windows with sheer drapes, silken pillows, and shiny objects d'art. Everything sparkled and glittered. Spock had asked her if she was impressed. Yes, she was impressed. She was seeing Spock with new eyes. The eyes of a woman, not a colleague. And what she saw was a very handsome man. And she realized this handsome man was treating her like a woman, not his communications officer or his friend. Right now in this penthouse suite they were not just hanging out or playing around, they were not commander and lieutenant, they were just a woman and a man and this was unchartered territory.

Uhura looked around her surroundings and thought, "I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore."

Chapter 19: Grist for the Gossip Mill

Summary:

Nyota and Spock are the talk of the town.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

It didn't take the wagging tounges on the Enterprise long to realize that both Lieutenant Uhura and Commander Spock were not aboard. And of course, that could only mean one thing. They ran off together. Again.

Since accurate accounts of the pair's affair were few and far between, dedicated gossips had to piece together a narrative. The Vulcan flu story that was the official account of their first absence was declared bullshit. Instead, the rumors were that Spock and Uhura had run off to Vulcan together. They had a falling out and when they returned from shore leave, Uhura turned to the arms of Lieutenant Sulu.

Spock became jealous, and he attacked Sulu, whereupon Uhura punched his lights out. Now it was rumored that the pair had a rendezvous planned on the planet Argelius. Everybody knew Argelius was for lovers and people looking for love.

The gossips couldn't wait for the pair to return. They were going to be on high alert to any small clue, any telltale sign that the two had been on a romantic trip together.

The women of the ship believed it was romantic that Mr. Spock had fallen in love with Uhura while the men didn't believe it. They said that Uhura was clearly in love with Spock just like Nurse chapel, but just as with Chapel, he had no feelings for Uhura other than friendship and therefore Uhura punched his lights out. Sulu was just a rebound. On and on the rumors raced through the ship.

Sulu was enjoying his breakfast in the rec room this morning, a stark change from being holed up in his quarters with Uhura, when he was joined by Charlene Masters.

"So, Romeo, I see you've lost your better half?" Charlene teased him.

"I haven't found my better half yet. Are you interested in the job? Apparently, there's an opening," Sulu said.

"No. I'm a single lady for the duration. But I hear somebody we know is not."

"Oh, who?" sulu feigned ignorance. Uhura had sworn him to secrecy and he was nothing if not a man of his word.

"Our mutual friend, Lieutenant Uhura. I hear she's been stolen from you by a tall dark handsome Vulcan."

"If I were you I wouldn't believe the rumors flying around. You know me and you know Nyota. We have always been and always will be just friends."

"If you say so," Charlene said not believing it for a minute.

"I do say so."

"So you've really never ever wanted more than that with Ny?"

"If I did, it doesn't matter, she didn't."

"How do you know?"

"A man knows."

"I guess you're right, besides she is clueless when it comes to men anyway. She fell for that loser Riley and anyone with half a brain and at least one good eye could see he was bad news."

"He wasn't so bad."

"How can you say you're Nyota's friend and defend that jerk?"

"I didn't defend him, just saying he was not that bad a guy."

"That's defending him. He treated her like crap. Not just the leaving her without a bye or leave, but the way he tried to control her. You just don't know. Some men like to mold a woman into what he wants her to be. Do you know he criticized her hair! And her makeup! And back then Ny was young and on her own for the first time. She fell into the wrong hands. Luckily he got transferred off before he did any more damage."

"It wasn't luck," Sulu said as he sipped his tea.

"What do you mean?"

"I happen to know that Mr. Spock recommended Riley for promotion."

"Why would Spock do that? Riley was a barely passable navigator, his communication skills left something to be desired as well."

"Well," Sulu looked around dramatically and then leaned in closer to Charlene, "you didn't hear it from me, but I suspect Spock conveniently got rid of Riley." He whispered conspiratorily.

"No! Not Mr. Spock. Why would he do such a thing?"

"Why do you think?" Sulu smirked.

"You can't mean he did it for Ny?"

Sulu nodded his head.

"Why would he do that for her?"

"Why does a man do anything for a woman?" Sulu asked.

"Sex," Charlene said, "but I doubt that was his motive."

"Charlene you have sex on the brain," Sulu laughed.

"And you don't?" she challenged him.

"Touché," Sulu conceded.

Charlene shook her head. "I don't understand those two, they run so hot and cold. One minute they are inseparable. Then the next thing you know they can't get far enough apart. Then they are tight like glue again, and then again they are not speaking to one another. Then they spend a week together on Vulcan then they come back as if nothing happened. Now they're off together somewhere again. Just get together and stay that way damn it!"

"Why are you so upset, it's their relationship, not yours."

"Because I love Ny like a sister. Whenever Spock breaks her heart she... She's not as tough as she pretends to be. She's not like Christine, she's not going to chase Spock. If he doesn't step up he's going to hurt her again and again and again."

"Maybe he's got his act together now. You see he went after her."

"Did he? What do you know?" Charlene said leaning in.

"I know nothing about why Spock went to Argelius. I only speculate like the rest of the gossips."

"Aha, so he did go to Argelius? Sulu you have the inside scoop, you should bet in the pool."

"The what?"

"A betting pool. The choices are will Spock and Uhura return the same as they left, will they be on speaking terms but just good friends or will they be all cozy and cuddly with the afterglow of Argelius in their eyes?"

"And what is the prize for such a silly pool?"

"Well, you just put your credits in and if you're the closest to the truth I think you win the entire pool. I guess you split it with anyone else who made the same prediction."

"It sounds invasive and foolish to speculate on other people's romance."

"So you admit there is a romance?" Charlene nodded knowingly.

"My lips are sealed. Ask Nyota yourself."

"I would if she ever stayed in one place. I just caught her on her way to Argelius and she barely had time to say goodbye."

"She's been through a rough patch. When she comes home just be understanding and be there for her," Sulu pleaded.

"Of course, I will. She's my best friend. I may have to pull a Spock and get rid of you though," Charlene teased.

Sulu held up his hands in surrender. "I'm her best male friend, you can be her best girlfriend."

"Deal. Especially since somebody we know doesn't seem to want the role." Charlene and Sulu looked across the room at Christine who sat alone and looked to be chewing on a bowl of nuts and bolts, if judged by the stiffness of her jaw.

/*-/*-/

"Morning Jim, what's the good word?" Dr. McCoy asked as he joined the Captain for breakfast in the canteen.

"Hello, Bones. Do you hear that?" Jim asked looking around dramatically.

"No. What is it?"

"Its the sound of peace. Peace and quiet."

"Is that what it is? You're sure it's not the sound of the ships gossip mill grinding away?"

"No bones, there is no one here to gossip about. Our quarrelsome couple is on a planet far far away and I intend to enjoy my breakfast for a change," Kirk said tucking himself into a hefty helping of food.

"If you say so." Bones said as he took a bite of his eggs. "Say, Jim, heard any good jokes lately?"

"No Bones I have not heard any new jokes, I suppose you have?"

"As a matter of fact," Bones said wiping his mouth with his napkin, "this one just came over the subspace channels. A Vulcan and a human walk into an Argelius brothel..."

"No! No Bones tell me they didn't?" Jim said with growing apprehension.

"They did. Unless there is another Vulcan/Human couple running around. And it's all over the subspace channels. A Vulcan male and a human female started a barroom brawl in a brothel," McCoy said leaning back in his chair and grinning.

"What the hell were they doing in a brothel?" Kirk nearly shouted and then got himself under control. "Bones why were my commanding officer and my chief communications officer in a brothel on Argelius?"

"I have no idea Jim, but I bet its a good story," Mccoy said and started his breakfast again.

"And you say they started a brawl?" Kirk could not believe it.

"That's what the news wire says, the couple fled on foot into the foggy night."

"Please tell me they were not in uniform?"

"No mention of it being Starfleet officers but Argelian security is looking for them."

"Well, they shouldn't be too hard to find, how many Vulcan male/human female couples do you suppose there are in the galaxy?"

"I only know of one other and I'm almost certain it was not Sarek and Amanda."

"Only almost?"

"Well, I doubt Sarek would do something like that but I wouldn't put anything past that Lady Amanda."

"You know I used to think Spock was his father's son, but the more I think about it, he is definitely a mama's boy."

"At least we know one thing for sure," McCoy quipped.

"And what is that, Bones?"

"They're together."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Nurse Chapel heard them all and the more she heard the angrier she became. It was all lies. Spock and Uhura were not a 'pair'. They may be married legally but it was a marriage in name only, she was sure of it. There was no way Spock would treat his true wife the way he treated Uhura. He treated her no better than his first 'wife'. And there was no way that Uhura and Spock had run off together... again. She knew for a fact that Uhura was on medical leave. "And good riddance! I hope she never comes back," Christine thought.

But that did leave one mystery. Where was Mr. Spock? He had disappeared shortly after Nyota had, and he was not on any medical leave. Christine was certain of that. However, he was not aboard the Enterprise either. Could he be on Vulcan again? Could he really be on Argelius? And if so what did that mean?

Chapter 20: Somebody's Sleeping in My Bed

Summary:

Spock finally has Uhura where he wants her, well kinda sorta.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-

Spock had developed the habit of carrying Uhura off. Granted this time it was to a fancy hotel suite in the sky, but still... And though she wasn't being held against her will, Uhura felt she was staying in Spock's hotel suite against her better judgment. She was supposed to be on medical leave far, far away from Spock, not shacking up with him. But Spock was like a bloodhound, he had tracked her down twice in one day and Uhura had no doubt he would keep popping up like a bad habit as long as she was on Argelius. So she decided to just give in. This time.

Of course, there was only one large bed in the room. The rest of the suite consisted of floor pillows strewn about and low tables for dining in a separate sitting area. Uhura didn't feel comfortable sharing a room with Spock when they were not 'officially together', married or not, but he refused to allow her to go back to her little boarding house tonight after she had been directed to a brothel for her dinner.

Uhura read on her data PADD that there was even a news alert regarding the fight she and Spock had caused and the Argelian guard was looking for a couple matching their description. Nyota thought they should split up to avoid detection but Spock nixed that idea too. So much for a relaxing shore leave, Uhura thought as she scanned the communications channels. She and Spock were the new Bonnie and Clyde.

"What are you doing?" Uhura asked as she watched Spock prepare a blanket on the floor.

"I am preparing a place to sleep," he said now gathering some floor pillows from the adjoining room as well.

"Why?" She asked putting aside the PADD she had been scanning.

"It is late, I am slightly inebriated, and though I do not require a great deal of sleep, I do require it tonight," he answered.

"Okay but why are you preparing a bed on the floor, there is a bed right here?" She patted the bed she was sitting on.

"You may sleep on the bed and I will sleep on the floor."

Uhura rolled her eyes. "Spock, this is a huge bed, we can share. We're Starfleet officers, we've been in tighter spots than this."

"I do not think that would be wise."

"Why not?"

Spock sighed. "Nyota I am trying not to violate your need for space."

"You could've fooled me," she said looking around the suite dramatically.

"What I mean is, although it is necessary for us to be near one another, we do not need to be that close. My mother described it in terms of a new mother who needs to know her child is near in order to sleep peacefully."

"Oh. That may explain things," Uhura said.

"What does it explain?" Spock questioned.

"I've had a hard time sleeping lately. I keep thinking about...things. And when I do sleep I have disturbing dreams. That's part of the reason I'm here on leave, I needed the rest. What about you? Were you having trouble sleeping?"

"I do not require as much sleep as the average human, however, I too have experienced difficulty," he confessed without going into detail.

"Ok then, climb on up here and get some rest, don't be stubborn. I promise I won't bite," she teased.

That is regrettable, Spock thought, as biting was a very erotic Vulcan practice.

"Nyota," Spock said with what she was beginning to recognize as his exasperated voice.

"Yes?"

"Just as I am trying to respect your boundaries, I would ask that you respect mine."

"Okay, what are they?"

"Do not invite me into your bed unless you intend for us to be intimate." He said looking at her seriously. "Is that your intention tonight?" he asked.

"No, I mean...I was just...No," she said flustered. Did Spock just proposition her?

Spock nodded his head curtly. "Then I will prepare a bed here."

Uhura was astounded. "Spock, are you saying you are incapable of sharing this bed with me platonically?"

"No. I am asking you not to invite me into your bed until you intend it to be our marriage bed."

Uhura's jaw dropped. "You're serious about this?"

Spock lay down on the floor on his nest of pillows and blankets.

"Yes" He said closing his eyes and shutting her out.

Nyota stared at his sleeping form for a moment torn by indecision. She didn't want him sleeping on the floor of his very expensive hotel suite. But she didn't want to invite him into her bed for anything other than sleep either. She had an urge to bop him on the head with her data PADD for making her feel this way while he slept like a baby below.

And she was supposed to sleep at peace like a new mother with her baby nearby? "Ha!" she laughed in derision and Spock didn't even flinch. Frustrated, she dimmed the lights in the suite with the remote on her PADD and tossed it aside on the bed. She lay her head down on her fluffy pillow on her big soft bed under the silky sheet and felt like crap. She was never taking medical leave again, she huffed as she drifted off to sleep.

Spock listened to Uhura wrestle with the bed coverings and then finally settle down. He listened as her breathing became slow and steady and he felt at ease. It wasn't a perfect scenario, but he finally had his wife in his bed. That he slept on the floor next to the bed was only a minor inconvenience.

/*-/*-/

Uhura moaned and struggled to untangle herself from her silky sheets. It was dark and hot and she couldn't sleep.

Where was Spock? He should be right here with her.

"Spock!" she cried. "Spock, please..."

"Nyota, are you asking me to share your bed?" Spock's voice seemed to surround her.

"Where are you?"

"Here," he said and now he was above her, his warm body was pressing her into the soft mattress.

"Is this what you want?" He asked as he hovered above her.

She looked up into his dark eyes, his hair was ruffled and not in its usual neat style. She reached up and ran her fingers through the dark wiry tangles, smoothing back the locks. She loved touching him this way. As if she had every right to do so. As if he belonged to her.

"Why are you here?" she asked looking up into dark smoldering eyes.

"You called to me," he replied. His voice was low and deep and it felt warm like a caress.

"I called you?"

"Yes. I will always come to you when you call me."

"Spock, what's happening to me? Why do I feel this way?"

"You need me, Nyota."

"Why do I need you?"

"You need me, just as I need you. Because I am your husband."

"Lucky you," she joked nervously.

"Yes, I am very lucky."

"What does that make me then?"

"You are my wife and a very fortunate Earth woman," he teased her.

"I don't understand this," she shook her head.

"Do you want me Nyota? Do you want us to be joined in marriage?"

She looked at Spock's earnest face and wondered, not for the first time, what did she want? Why was she afraid?

"Nyota? Nyota!"

Uhura awoke with a start. Spock was standing beside the bed and he took a step back when she bolted upright.

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you," Spock said.

She stared at him for a long moment. He was dressed in the casual clothing that Vulcans wore. His hair was neatly combed into place and he looked as fresh as a daisy. It had been a dream. She looked around the room. It was unchanged from last night, except Spock's makeshift bed was nowhere in sight.

"Nyota?"

"Yes?"

"I am sorry to disturb you but you seemed distressed?"

"No...I mean I guess I was having a bad dream."

"Are you well now?"

"Yes, I'm okay now that you're here. It's silly but I thought you were...nevermind." She shook her head. She could not tell him she thought he had climbed into bed with her.

"What did you think?"

"Nothing, forget it. You look like you've been up and at 'em early." She said changing the subject.

"Indeed. It is now late afternoon."

"It is?" she gasped. "Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

"You needed the rest."

"And you didn't?"

"I do not require as much rest as you do."

"That makes me feel weak and lazy for needing to sleep so late."

"It is no weakness. You are human and require more sleep. It is a matter of human nature."

"Or biology?" She grinned.

"Yes, that too," he agreed.

"Okay then." She swung her feet over the side of the bed and stretched her arms over her head. "I guess this little slumber party is over. I need to go back to my room and change."

"I have collected your belongings and settled your account at the inn."

"You did what and why?" She said staring at him in horror.

"I have-"

"I know what you said, it was a rhetorical question. Spock, why did you do that?"

"Because you will be staying here," he stated.

"Really? How did you come to that conclusion?"

"You are obviously a target on this planet as an unattached female. You were living in questionable accommodations and you were accosted in another questionable establishment. That will not happen again," Spock assured her.

"Spock, I can assure you that I can take care of myself."

"Under normal circumstances, I have no doubt that you can."

"Are we not under normal circumstances now?"

"Now you are my wife."

"You keep saying that."

"It bears repeating lest you forget it."

"How can I forget if you keep repeating it?"

"Precisely," he stated crossing his arms as if that ended the argument.

She tossed up her hands. Who was this man and what has he done with her friend Spock?

"Okay, so where are my bags?"

She looked around their room.

"The Argelians are not very efficient. Though I arranged delivery several hours ago they have not arrived yet. In the meantime, I have taken the liberty of ordering supplies for you including a change of clothing. In fact, there is someone in the sitting room waiting to measure you."

"Measure me for what?"

"An Argelian wardrobe."

"I don't need an entire wardrobe for a few days. I can just recycle this outfit until my bags are delivered."

"I have already made the arrangements. Would you like to freshen up before your fittings?" Again he said it as if the matter were settled.

"Spock! She stood up toe to toe with him and looked up into his inscrutable eyes.

"Why are you being so bossy all of a sudden?"

"I am not being 'bossy'. I am being practical. You need clothing and I took the initiative to procure it for you. Why are you being so obstinate all of a sudden?" he countered.

"Obstinate! I am not obstinate. I am just not used to being told what to do and where to sleep and what to wear without being asked first. You of all people should know how I feel about that."

"You are a Starfleet officer, I should think you would be used to being told these things."

"Yes, when I'm on duty or in my Starfleet uniform you have the right to tell me what to do. But we're not in Starfleet right now. We're both on leave so that means you are not my commander and therefore you are not the boss of me!"

"I am your husband."

"Stop saying that! That doesn't give you the right to boss me around. See, I knew this would happen. People said Vulcan men treat their women strangely. But I am not a Vulcan woman and I am not Miss Amanda. And you are not Sarek, Mister. Sarek may have your mother chasing after him like a lost Sehlat but I'm not doing it. No sir." She said shook her head angrily.

Spock actually smirked. "No, you are not my mother nor a well-trained sehlat," he said recalling the conversation they had on his homeworld.

"You are a woman in need of rest and relaxation. You also require shelter, clothing, and sustenance. As your husband, I am able and obligated to provide these things for you. Would you deny me the privilege of providing for my wife?"

"And what is the role of a Vulcan wife? What do I provide besides sex when the 'Time' comes?" Uhura asked.

"A wife is to be protected and well cared for at all times and in return, she will protect and care for her husband... when the Time comes," Spock answered. "However, I believe 'we' have agreed to define our marriage together, when you are ready?"

"Yeah but you're acting like a real Vulcan husband but I didn't agree to act like a Vulcan wife. Or a human wife. Or any wife for that matter. I don't know how to be a wife." She admitted. "My parents are divorced and your parents are not the role models I aspire to."

"Nyota I am not asking you to behave like a proper Vulcan wife, whatever that means. I am only asking you to accept my gift in the spirit in which it was offered. I want to provide for you. You have accepted gifts from me before without issue."

"Your gifts never had strings attached before."

"And they do not now. What is the logic in refusing to accept my offer?"

Uhura crossed her arms across her chest. "I don't want to," she said stubbornly.

"Nyota?" he said sounding defeated.

"What?"

"Why are we arguing?"

"We are not arguing, we're having a discussion."

"It sounds like arguing to me!" someone from the outer sitting room chimed in.

Uhura snapped her head in the direction of the voice.

"Who is that?" She whispered to Spock.

"Your clothier," Spock said.

"And they've been in there the entire time, listening to us argue?"

"I believe you called it a discussion?"

"Hush," she chided, "what do we do now?"

"'We' will not do anything. I will ask the lady to leave if that is truly your wish?"

Though Spock said it with his usual even tone, Uhura detected a note of disappointment. He was acting like she was being unreasonable or something!

Spock turned towards the outer room when she held him back, snagging his arm.

"Wait, Spock. This is ridiculous. Let us agree that you are being bossy and I am being obstinate."

"I am willing to agree if you will accept my offer as a token of my esteem," Spock asked nicely.

"See, why didn't you just ask me nicely in the first place?" She said smiling at him, her anger vanishing with his sincere request.

Before Spock could respond she leaned around him, "Well be right out!" she called to her 'clothier', and she dashed into the bathroom to freshen up, leaving Spock standing beside his bed baffled.

Chapter 21: Couple Trouble

Summary:

Spock and Uhura are causing trouble, what else is new?

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-

"My Lady, T'Pau is calling for you."

Amanda dropped her stylus and rolled her eyes. T'Pau always felt the need to interrupt her during her working hours as if she didn't have a care in the world. She was supposed to just drop everything and respond. Granted T'Pau was her mother in law and granted she was the leader of the world, but still, couldn't she ever call Amanda after working hours, or better yet never? T'Pau calling never boded well.

"Thank you T'Rel, I will take it here at my desk," Amanda said to her assistant.

T'Rel left and Amanda took a deep calming breath before she activated the viewer on her desk.

"Mother, it is agreeable to see you. How may I serve?"

"It is agreeable to see you Daughter. You honor me with your service. I call about a family matter."

"Family?" Amanda had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Family business could wait until after work hours, unless...

"It concerns thy son," T'Pau said

"Is Spock alright, has he been injured or..."

"He is alive if that is what you ask. Whether he is 'right' is a matter of some contention."

"What do you mean?"

"Thy son has been in an altercation on Argelius"

"An altercation? What sort of altercation? He is supposed to be on leave with Nyota."

"Yes, he was with his wife. They were involved in a 'skirmish' at an establishment of ill repute." T'Pau said.

"I beg your pardon Mother? Did you say a skirmish?"

"Yes."

"Do you mean a fight?"

"Yes."

"And at an establishment of ill repute? Argelius is known for their rather uh, licentious behavior but it is their culture, Mother."

"Argelian culture is not my concern. Thy son's behavior is. I have been informed by the Argelian government that a Vulcan citizen has broken the law and they wish to know how to handle it."

"But Mother, why would they contact you? Surely a Vulcan citizen committing a crime is no reason to contact the head of the Vulcan council? Argelians are lackadaisical but surely they have their own judicial system?"

"It becomes a concern when the citizens are my grandson and his new wife, heirs to clan S'chn T'gai."

"Nyota and Spock committed a crime?" Amanda could not believe it. She thought Nyota was a nice girl.

"They incited a riot."

"No!" Amanda exclaimed.

T'Pau ignored Amanda's outburst and continued. "They were wanted for questioning but my staff has arranged for them to pay a very large fine and the matter will be resolved quietly. You will speak to the child. He must be more circumspect. He is the heir." T'Pau needlessly reminded Amanda.

"Of course Mother. I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you and your staff."

"Your apology is unnecessary. Spock will make appropriate amends."

"Yes, Mother, I'll see to it right away."

T'Pau cut the line without further comment and Amanda sat dumbfounded for a moment longer and then she opened the day's correspondence on her terminal. T'Pau's office had sent her several missives. She opened the first to see the news report of the 'riot'. An off-world couple had created a disturbance in an Argelian brothel!

A Vulcan male and a humanoid female were wanted for questioning. There was a grainy surveillance video showing the couple as they fled into the foggy night, whereabouts unknown.

"Thank goodness for that fog or else there would be a clear picture of Spock and Nyota," Amanda said. She would know her son's silhouette anywhere and together with Nyota's curvy figure the couple was unmistakable.

The fog obscured them just enough to leave doubt as to their identity, but the Argelians employed offworlders to do their security and administrative work. No doubt there were Vulcan employees who recognized Spock on sight and reported him.

"But what in the world were they doing in a brothel?" Amanda wondered. "And inciting a riot?" Amanda shook her head. What the hell? Spock was only supposed to stay near his wife to solidify their bond. Just what were those two getting up to or into on Argelius?

"My son is a fugitive," Amanda laughed. Sarek would not be pleased but Amanda was tickled. Now that he had a human wife Spock was changing. She remembered their visit on the Enterprise during the Coridan affair. He had been so hell-bent on being ultra Vulcan and doing his duty that he almost let his father die. And now he was brawling in brothels!

That's my boy! Amanda thought gleefully. She couldn't wait until Spock and Nyota came home to visit on Vulcan. Amanda had a feeling they were going to turn their stuffy little society on its ear and she couldn't wait. Nyota had seemed like a sweet young lady during her stay but Amanda had a feeling she was a real firecracker and she was going to give Spock a run for all he was worth.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

This was the craziest Shoreleave Uhura had ever been on and that was saying something since her last shore leave consisted of her being kidnapped, bonded, married, and challenged on Vulcan!

The Argelians were a hedonistic sex-obsessed culture. Everything was sex-themed everywhere Uhura looked. The Suite that she was sharing with Spock was basically a setup for sex. The large round bed, the pillows that were strewn everywhere, the curtains that separated the rooms instead of walls or doors, and the mirrors that covered nearly every wall and surface, it was all just a room made for love. As she explored the room in the light of day she discovered belatedly, there were may phallic-shaped objects of art all over the room and other questionable objects like handcuffs and whips... Did Spock not notice that or had he simply ignored it?

Spock was still there in the suite observing the entire process. He didn't seem bothered by the decor as he sat crossed-legged on the floor of their sitting room and watched as she shopped. The clothier wasted no time in measuring Uhura and fitting her with several ready-made outfits already available for Uhura to choose from. The lady insisted Uhura try them on and model them properly for fit and comfort.

"You must gain your man's approval. He will like it, I guarantee. He will purchase whatever you desire." The clothier said to Uhura with a knowing smile.

"If I like it I will buy it for myself," Uhura said. She pointed to a light summer dress. "How many credits is this one?" Uhura asked.

"If you must ask you cannot afford," the clothier said. "This gentleman, he does not ask. He buys."

Uhura glared at Spock. He already had the clothier in his pocket. Of course, Spock probably paid in advance. The whole thing made her feel as if she were being bought. She could buy her own damn clothes! This was just like that brideprice nonsense on Vulcan. She didn't marry Spock for his money and she didn't need any enticements to stay with him.

Uhura didn't fancy modeling expensive clothing for Spock at first, however now that they were engaged in her favorite pastime, shopping, she couldn't resist trying out just a few pieces. Whoever chose these items knew her style well, there were casual caftans for her to wear when she was just lounging about and there were sexy tight dresses and jumpers for her to wear when she was going out on the town.

She tried on so many different outfits she almost felt like a princess in a fairytale and Spock was her prince. But then she had to remind herself, Spock was no Prince Charming, he was more like the Frog Prince. But that was fine, she liked him better that way. In fact, it gave her an idea for a gift for Spock. It was time for her to hit the shopping district and some other tourist spots.

"Madam, I'll take this suit and that black dress and the red caftan," Uhura said to the clothier.

"We'll take them all," Spock said rising from his seat. "Madam, you have my marker?"

"Of course sir, I'll have these finished for you by this evening. Vulcan time, not Argelian," the lady said with a wink and a nod to the notorious Argelian punctuality or lack thereof. Ignoring Uhura's protests, the clothier left in a hurry in order to prepare the order.

"Spock, I don't need all these clothes."

"Nyota, I have noted that human females constantly complain that they "never have anything to wear". My gift will remedy this affliction for the duration of our leave. In addition, I have inconvenienced you by compelling you to share accommodations. Consider it reparations for my transgressions."

Well, who could argue with that? Nyota could of course, however she decided not to. She liked clothes.

"I'll accept your generous gift under one condition."

"And what is that?"

"That you spend the day with me?"

Spock was taken aback. Nyota actually wanted to be with him?

"Of course, how could I resist such an enticing offer?" he agreed.

Uhura broke into a mischievous grin. "Wait until you see what I have planned before you think it's so enticing."

And that is how Spock ended up spending the day at an Argelian health spa.

He had agreed to follow Nyota's lead and allow her to treat him. So first things first they enjoyed a healthy lunch of native salad greens and exotic fruits. Then they were off to the sauna for a steam bath. Since they arrived together the staff gave them a couple's package. They shared a private steam room where they were supposed to be naked. However, Spock and Uhura opted for bathing suits. Still, Uhura's suit left nothing to Spock's imagination. Argelians's idea of a bathing suit consisted of little more than a few pieces of string holding small scraps of fabric together to cover supposedly private areas. Spock's own suit was what Nyota jokingly called a "banana hammock." Spock as not shy or self-conscious about his body but he was very grateful that their sauna was private.

"This steam is going to wreck my hair," Uhura said as she lounged on a bench. But my skin will be glowing. And this is what we're on leave for, relaxation."

"I am pleased that you are relaxing."

"You don't sound pleased. Don't you like steam?"

"It is more pleasant for you than it is for me. I am more used to a drier environment."

"Me too, I'm from Nairobi. We don't get much by way of humidity either even during the cool season."

"You rarely speak of your home."

"Maybe because you never asked. Mr. Spock, did it ever occur to you that we humans are as proud of Earth as you are of Vulcan?"

"It occurs to me every hour of every day. Starfleet and the Federation are quite Earth-centric."

"Well, perhaps that's because the Vulcans and other Federation member planets refuse to join up in Starfleet in any significant numbers."

"Or perhaps it is because the other member planets have their own exploration fleets? Earth is young and relatively new to space travel. Vulcan and the other founding members have been traveling and trading with their neighboring systems for many generations." Spock said.

"That might be the case, however, how are we ever going to become a more integrated society if everyone keeps to their own world and their own fleet? Starfleet is supposed to be a joint venture of ALL member planets to explore new worlds together. I doubt there is more than a handful of Vulcans in all of Starfleet. And the Tellerites? They flat out refuse to join."

"It is the Tellarite nature to be disagreeable for the sake of disagreement."

"True. Now the Andorians are much more pleasant."

"You think Andorians are pleasant?" Spock said in surprise. Of course, there was no mutual admiration between Andorians and Vulcans.

"Sure, and handsome too," She teased.

"I have observed that you have questionable taste in men."

"Sure I do, I like you don't I?" She joked.

Spock was silent.

"Let's not get all serious," Uhura said When Spock didn't reply to her comment. "Today is Spa day. After this, we'll have a message and then a mani/pedi and then I'm off to the hair salon. You should get a trim yourself."

"My hair is fine."

"I know its fine, but just for today try something new, let me treat you," Uhura said.

"If you wish," Spock said.

"I do. You know Sarek is quite handsome." Uhura said suddenly.

"Why do you mention my Father?" Spock asked suspiciously.

"I'm just thinking his hair has a bit of wave to it. You'd look handsome with a little body wave in your hair."

"No," Spock said with finality.

"Or how about a little goatee? Did I ever tell you-"

"If you are going to tell me about my counterpart in the mirror universe again, need I remind you he was a vicious fiend?"

"He was not! He was very handsome and just a little rakish, I guess you could say."

"You reported that he tortured Mr. Kyle." Spock reminded her. "And the captain said he put Checkov in an agonizer booth. I find that more than 'a little rakish'."

"Checkov had that coming to him," Uhura said. "He tried to assassinate the Captain. Besides, that's the way their world was. We can't judge them by our standards. And the captain said that the other Mr. Spock was as logical and as honorable as you are."

"I question the logic of their Empire and anyone who goes along with it."

"I'm surprised at your attitude towards our counterparts. Especially since I heard you got a little up close and personal with the other me," Uhura said.

"I am not certain what you mean by that."

"I heard from Sulu who heard it from Mr. Kyle that you kissed me or rather that other me, while we were switched."

"Ah," Spock said nodding.

"That's all you have to say for yourself, Mister?"

"You, that is, the other Uhura did indeed kiss me," Spock confirmed.

"And?"

"And it was just an innocent kiss."

"There is no such thing as an innocent kiss."

"Is that so?"

"Of course, when you kiss someone it means something." Uhura protested.

"You've kissed me several times," Spock reminded her. "What did it mean?"

Uhura sighed, "...What do you get when you kiss a guy?

You get enough germs to catch pneumonia..." She sang the lyrics from an old Earth song.

"That was a rather inelegant deflection. Are you suggesting your intent in kissing me was to 'catch pneumonia'?"

"Spock, it's just a song. I kissed you because it felt like the right thing to do at the time. I was being an illogical human woman."

"I agree with your assessment."

Uhura laughed. "Did I just win that argument or did you just insult me?"

"Neither."

Uhura just laughed louder.

The 'couple massage' was another awkward affair. Uhura had massages frequently on the Enterprise, not quite so as invasive as the one on Argelius, but she was still prepared for it. Apparently, Spock had never taken advantage of the Enterprise's spa facilities. Even with his shields up, Uhura could sense Spock was uncomfortable. That and his masseuse kept tsking and digging her elbows into his shoulders in an attempt to loosen him up.

"Mr. Spock, try to relax and enjoy. How often do you get to have a beautiful woman rubbing your body?"

"Not often. However, that duty is reserved for another," he said from his adjoining table.

"Who, I wonder?"

"My wife, of course," Spock answered.

"So you'd like to have your wife rub you down?" Uhura teased.

"If that was her desire."

"Oh, so she'd have to want to rub you. You wouldn't ask her for it?"

"I would not be so presumptuous."

"My grandma always said if you don't ask you don't get. So I guess you are never gonna get it."

"A pity. And what about you?"

"What about me? I'm not shy, I don't mind having a handsome man rub me down from time to time. It feels good." Uhura nearly burst into laughter when Spock actually frowned in disapproval.

"I fail to see the value or purpose of letting another male touch you intimately."

"This is not intimate, it's therapeutic."

"I see no therapeutic value in watching someone massage you."

"Don't be such a spoilsport. Humans actually need touch, we thrive on it. There is such a thing as being starved of human affection."

"Vulcans do not suffer that affliction. In fact, any skin to skin contact is considered intimate."

"Oh," Uhura said with disappointment and sat up from the table. "I'm sorry Spock. I hadn't thought of it that way. I guess I just touch you so casually I hadn't thought of it as being intimate. I've overstepped your boundaries again. If this is violating you your sense of propriety we can go."

"No. If you enjoy having this handsome man massage you, then by all means, do not let me stop you," Spock said sitting up on the side of the table as well.

"I was just teasing you. It doesn't matter who rubs me... scratch that, it didn't come out right. What I mean is, I enjoy a massage but it doesn't have to be this guy," She pointed over her shoulder to a very handsome Argelian man. "Do you want to switch? I'll take the girl and you can have my masseuse," Uhura said.

"Oh Yes! I'm game," Uhura's masseuse said while he licked his lips.

Uhura noted the way he was eyeing Spock and suddenly she decided they had had enough relaxation for one day.

"On second thought," she said, "let's go get dinner." She grabbed her robe and made sure to keep her eye on her masseuse. He looked utterly disappointed when Spock donned his own robe. She did sympathize with the masseuse though, Spock was rocking that speedo.

Chapter 22: Leila

Summary:

Will a blast from Spock's past jeopardize his future?

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Uhura was having fun just being with Spock as they wandered around Argelius. They were doing one of her favorite activities, shopping and it was something neutral they could both enjoy, well she was enjoying it and Spock was content to follow her lead.

Nyota insisted that they pick up souvenirs for all her friends on the ship. And she had a considerable amount of friends Spock noted as the bags and packages he had offered to carry became numerous. But he understood that Nyota had a kind and generous heart. She would not enjoy this shore leave if she could not bring back a little of her enjoyment for her friends to share. She had gifted everyone on the Enterprise a bit of joy when she brought the tribble aboard. That was just a bit too much joy but still, she had meant well.

And so he was standing in the sunshine of the crowded shopping district as Uhura went from stall to stall haggling with shop owners for Argelian treasure. Spock watched her with a swelling of pride he didn't know he was capable of feeling. He couldn't take his eyes off of his wife. They had spent an entire day together at the Spa, and yesterday they spent their time idly browsing traditional tourist spots such as the local museum while that night they attended an Argelian opera. Spock had never felt more content with his life. So, he should have known his peace was merely a calm before a storm.

"Mr. Spock!"

Someone called his name and he reluctantly looked around. There across the crowded alley stood a part of his past he had not expected to see here on Argelius or ever again. Leila Kalomi.

She walked towards him as graceful as ever with her big blue eyes shining and bouncing curls of golden hair. She was a vision of loveliness.

"Miss Kalomi," Spock said formally when she finally stood face to face with him.

"Miss? Why are you being so formal?" Leila asked.

Spock didn't answer.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw you at first. A Vulcan here on Argelius? But I couldn't mistake you for anyone else." She smiled at him. "Are you shopping?" She glanced at the packages he was holding.

Spock didn't know how to answer her. He was rarely at a loss for words but Leila had thrown him for a loop. What was she doing here?

"Yes," he finally said when he could think of nothing else.

"So, how have you been?" Leila said like they were old friends well met.

"I have been well. And yourself?"

"I have been well also," Leila mimicked his formal speech pattern. "So, what are you doing here on Argelius? Is the Enterprise in orbit?"

"No. I am here on leave." Spock looked over to Uhura still haggling with a stall owner.

She saw him looking and waved at him playfully.

Leila followed his gaze, "She's beautiful, Mr. Spock," Leila said as she saw the exchange. "Who is she?"

"She is my wife," Spock said.

"Your...wife?" Leila stuttered on the word and the smile died on her face.

"Yes."

"You're married? To..." Leila watched Uhura as she bartered with the shop owner, "she looks so human," she whispered to herself.

"She is very human," Spock said having heard her over the din of the crowd.

"But I thought... I thought you couldn't-" Leila was confused. Spock married? To a human!

Uhura approached them with another package for Spock to carry.

"I hate to burden you with another one, if it is too much we can just go back to our room and regroup," Uhura joked.

"It is no hardship, however, I believe we should return and unburden ourselves," Spock said cryptically.

"Oh, okay." Uhura noticed Leila staring at her. Not wanting to be rude, or outdone, she stared back. "Do I know you...Miss?" Uhura asked.

"This is Leila Kalomi. An old friend," Spock said.

Uhura looked up at Spock. His strange tone of voice did not escape her notice and there was something in the air that didn't sit right with her either.

"Lieutenant Uhura of the starship Enterprise," Uhura said as she held out her hand introducing herself. Leila looked at her proffered hand as if it were a snake about to strike but didn't move to accept it.

"Okay then," Uhura dropped her hand. Something was definitely off. "You look familiar Miss Kalomi, have we met before?"

"I was on the Enterprise once. You rescued our agricultural colony and I was a passenger aboard."

"Oh, well that explains it. Unfortunately, I don't have the perfect recall like this one," she nudged Spock. "Spock, you don't have to accompany me back to our suite. You stay and visit with your um... with Miss um... silly me I've forgotten already, Miss..." She gave Spock a questioning look but he just looked at her blankly.

"Kalomi," Leila said when Spock remained silent.

"Stay with your Miss Kalomi then, I'll be fine without you," She was smiling but the smile never reached her eyes. For his part, Spock knew this was a disaster. His wife was very upset. With him. As usual.

"No, on the contrary, there is no need for us to linger." He turned to Leila. "It was agreeable to see you again Miss Kalomi. I hope you are well and I bid you peace and long life."

He turned back to Uhura, "Shall we then, my WIFE," he said with emphasis. Before they could take a step Leila called out.

"Mr. Spock, please wait." Leila reached out to snag his arm. "Surely your wife can spare you for a few moments while we catch up?"

Uhura looked down at where Leila was holding Spock's arm and any pretense of a smile faded from her face.

"Perhaps another time," Spock said as he tried to disentangle himself from Leila.

"When? Who knows when we will meet again, if ever?" Leila begged.

"She's right Spock, stay and chat. I told you I will be fine without you." Uhura said and she turned and walked away.

Spock did not want to stay and chat with Leila Kalomi. Once again the universe was conspiring against him! He watched his wife storm off while he was left holding her parcels.

He turned back to Leila, "I suppose we shall have that chat now."

They found a dark and quiet cafe that offered soft music and candlelit tables, it seemed to be the only kind of restaurant available on Argelius. They took their seats near a back corner. If there was going to be a scene Spock did not want another disturbance where he would have to make amends. He had already paid a hefty sum of credits to settle things with the brothel owner in order to keep the incident quiet.

Fighting alongside his wife and running away into the night with her had produced a very pleasant feeling in Spock, especially when she agreed to allow him to carry her to his hotel suite. It had made him feel needed by his wife. It had been a perfect evening despite the chaos.

But those pleasant feelings were fading as he sat opposite Leila Kalomi in this intimate setting. He did not want to have the conversation that was to follow. There would be no easy way to say the things that needed to be said.

For her part, Leila could not believe her eyes. Spock, her Spock, was married. And to a human woman? How did this happen? How could he do this to her? He said he couldn't love her, that he couldn't give her what she wanted and yet he was married to this Lieutenant Uhura?

Spock had simply walked away from her. He had walked away from her on Earth when they first met, and he had walked away from her after the disaster on Omicron Ceti III when they met a 2nd time. And now today he would have just walked away from her yet again to follow his 'wife'. Had their love meant nothing to him at all that he could just walk away from her and leave her standing in a crowded street, alone with nothing?

"You bastard!" Leila spat at him angrily. How dare he!

"Leila," Spock said not expecting such an attack.

"Oh, it's Leila now? I noticed you called me Miss Kalomi in front of your wife. Does she know about me, about us?"

"There is no US," Spock informed her as gently as he could.

"How can you say that Spock? We loved each other." She still loved him.

"I know that you loved me-"

"You loved me too on Omicron Ceti III! I know you did! How can you sit there and pretend that we never loved at all?"

"Leila," Spock sighed. "The man that cared for you on Omicron Ceti III was not the man I am today."

"Then who was he, Mr. Spock. Who was the man who loved me?"

"He was a product of the spores and their influence. That version of myself was not behaving rationally."

"It was not the spores," Leila protested. "The spores only made you whole and happy. They didn't make you-"

"Love you?" Spock finished.

"No, they didn't! You were happy Spock, we were happy together."

Leila reached out her hand desperate to touch his but Spock drew back as if she burned him.

"No. I thought I knew happiness for a brief moment. But it was just that, a brief moment. Something artificial, induced by the Spores. it wasn't real. Real contentment is being at peace with one's self and one's choices."

"And are you happy now, with her?" Leila couldn't believe he was saying these cruel things to her.

"She is my wife. I am... satisfied." Spock didn't have the words to explain how Nyota made him feel and those words and feelings were not meant for Leila, they were for Nyota alone.

"That's all, just satisfied? After all these years you still can't love?"

Spock was silent.

"Then I feel sorry for her. If you can't love her then why did you even marry her? Why did you marry that woman when you couldn't marry me?" Leila demanded.

Spock didn't know how to placate Leila. No matter what he told her it would hurt her. The only thing he could offer her now was the truth. "Leila, when I met you on Earth, and again on Omicron Ceti III I could not accept your love or you. I was already committed to another," Spock confessed.

"What are you saying?"

"I was, what humans would call, engaged to be married when we met on Earth."

Leila shook her head in denial. She could not believe what he was saying. Spock had cheated on a fiancee to be with her? Impossible.

"What are you talking about? How? With who, that woman you call your wife?" Leila accused.

"No. Most Vulcans are pair-bonded at the age of seven in anticipation of marriage. My bondmate T'pring remained on Vulcan while I joined Starfleet. I regret that I did not tell you this before."

No! It couldn't be true. All the time she knew him Spock belonged to another? He had never belonged to her? All this time she had pined away for the love of her life, her first and only love and meanwhile, he had a fiancee and a wife? Were there others? How many other women could claim Spock while she had been denied?

"You regret not telling me? That's it? You regret it? Do you really Mr. Spock? Was there no time while we were on Earth or on the Enterprise together that you could have told me you were spoken for?" Leila said through angry tears.

"It was a private matter. I did not discuss my... betrothed with anyone."

"Not even the woman you professed to love?"

"I have told you I was not myself when I... behaved the way I did."

Leila shook her head, "You can't even admit that you loved me, even now. And yet you are married to a human woman? How did that happen?"

"It is a long and complicated story of how I became bound to Nyota. I cannot explain the details but I am indeed pleased by the turn of events."

Spock's words broke Leila's heart even more, hearing him say these things when he could never even hold her hand or allow her to touch him. "How wonderful for you. I guess I didn't please you? My love wasn't enough for you to marry me?"

Spock didn't want to hurt her any more than he already had but he could not lie either.

"No. It was not enough. Contrary to popular human belief, love is not all there is to life. Some emotions transcend love."

"So what? Do you have feelings for that woman that transcend love? Feelings that you didn't have for me?"

"Nyota is my Th'yla," Spock confessed to Leila though he knew the words meant nothing to her.

"What is that?"

"A T'hy'la is more than a friend, it is even more than a lover. I suppose humans would call it a soulmate though even that is an inadequate definition. To Vulcans, it is not necessarily a romantic sentiment. Nyota has become the other half of my soul. She...completes me."

"But does she love you?" And do you love her? Leila wondered.

Spock could not answer her question so he remained silent.

Leila laughed through her bitter tears. "Do you know Mr. Spock, since we parted, I've often imagined meeting you again? I imagined I would be with my own husband and perhaps our child and I would see you quite by accident. I would and introduce you to my family and I would watch your face to see your reaction when you realized that you'd lost me forever. Imagine my shock to have my fantasy thrown back in my face." Leila said. "How did I look?"

"I beg your pardon?" Spock asked.

"How did my face look, Mr. Spock? How did I look when you said you were married and I realized that I had lost the only man I'd ever loved?" she cried.

"Leila, I am sorry-"

"You're damned right you are. I thought you were different from other men but I guess I was wrong about a lot of things. I guess in some ways men are all alike no matter the race. But you're a complicated man, Mr. Spock. I hope your wife understands you better than I ever did."

"Yes, I believe she does."

"Well, I suppose that's something positive. And I suppose there is nothing left for me to say." She stood from her seat.

"Mr. Spock, I wish you and your wife peace and long life. And I wish you love, for all the good it will do you."

"Leila," Spock said to her retreating back. "Live long, and prosper."

Notes:

T'hy'la = a Vulcan word that can mean "friend," "brother" or "lover."

Chapter 23: Save Your Last Dance For Me

Summary:

Said it's been a minute since I had some
He's been actin' up
But he won't be the only one...

Beyoncé - Freakum Dress

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Uhura didn't feel like going back to their hotel suite alone after seeing Spock with Leila Kalomi. She wandered around the streets of the city aimlessly, her mind replaying what she'd seen. That woman Leila Kalomi was in love with Spock. Uhura could plainly see it in her face and hear it in her voice. And Spock obviously had feelings for her too, otherwise, why did he stay and 'catch up' when he was supposed to be spending time with Uhura 'solidifying their bond'? And Spock wasn't the type to reminisce, he didn't like chit chat and meaningless small talk. He was serious, and Uhura had no doubt that he and Leila were having a serious conversation right now.

But she had bags she needed to deposit and she was getting hot and sweaty walking around carrying all this baggage. If Spock was having fun with Leila then Uhura was going to have fun too. She took advantage of Spock's meeting what Leila to drop off her packages, and then she showered and changed quickly. It was to be their last full night on Argelius and though she had had fun shopping and doing the touristy things with Spock she wanted to cut loose and have fun on her own one last time. She got dressed in the only thing she had available, one of the dresses Spock bought for her the other day. It seemed like a million light-years ago that she pranced around the sitting area of their suite modeling clothing for him.

At the time, Spock had made her feel as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world. But Spock had known many beautiful women, like that Leila Kalomi. What were they to one another? Had Spock taken Leila to expensive hotels and bought her expensive clothing? Was that what he did with all his women? There was so much about him she still didn't know. Were there other women or was this Leila the only one? Uhura had thought herself so special that Spock was 'attracted' to her but apparently that was not the case.

It didn't matter. Spock was not the only man she had dated so it as only logical that she as not the only woman he had been with. After all, he was divorced from T'Pring. Still, it rankled Uhura to meet one of Spock's ex's face to face. He hadn't cared for T'Pring at all but Uhura could tell that he cared for this Leila. And that bothered her more than she cared to admit.

As she got dressed, she couldn't help but wonder about Leila. Had she and Spock been lovers? Did he still have feelings for her? If she had been available would he have married Leila instead? These thoughts would only lead to heartache and Uhura didn't come to Argelius for that. She came to relax and to have fun. And she was determined to do that on her last night, Spock or no Spock.

The dress she chose was skin-tight, low cut, and it had a slit up the side that stopped just below her hip showing off all her shapely leg. It was decadent and very Argelian and it suited her mood tonight. She put on her favorite repaired heels, also courtesy of Spock. She made up her face, pulled her hair back into a high ponytail and added some jeweled pins to decorate the style. One last glance in the mirror and she was ready to go. She looked damn good if she did say so herself. Spock still had not come 'home' but no matter. He was not needed, so he could have fun with his little girlfriend for all Uhura cared. She had on her 'freakum' dress and she was going to show these Argelians how Earth girls did it.

She told herself she was not jealous as she rode the lift down to the lobby hoping she didn't run into Spock on her way out. But as she left the lobby undisturbed she felt disappointed that she hadn't run into him. So he was still with Leila. Whatever.

The sun was just setting when she found transport and set off to the biggest tourist trap on Argelius for nightlife, the dancehall. The music was insanely loud and when she stepped out of the transport she had an urge to turn back around and tell the driver to take her home. But she couldn't do that. Spock was not there, and if he was there she didn't want to see him. So she mustered her strength and entered the crowded venue.

When she got inside it was overly warm, crowded, and the music was pumping a beat so loud that it vibrated in her chest that made her feel it would explode. She didn't feel like dancing so she pushed her way to the bar and ordered an Argelian ale. She hoped it was tame in comparison to some of the other drinks she had been offered during her week here. She sipped her drink slowly and gradually she began to relax and get into the rhythm of things. She sat at the bar and watched as a sea of bodies swayed and gyrated to the music.

Men and women approached her asking her to dance but she declined. Instead, she was content to just sit and watch the spectacle and nurse her ale. The Argelians did enjoy their pleasure and tonight was no exception. The dance floor was filled with every alien race in the Federation mixed in with Argelian men and women swinging and swaying and grinding to the beat of exotic drums. The dancers seemed lost to the music in a world of their own and Uhura felt sadly left out. She usually wasn't the wallflower type but tonight she felt off her game.

But it wasn't long before the DJ started playing songs that she recognized, perhaps in honor of all the Terrans that seemed to be in attendance. Not much of a drinker she set aside her glass and just watched the action on the dance floor with more enthusiasm.

She had never been the type to sit and mope for too long. What the hell was she doing letting a man bring her down and spoil her fun? When a handsome Argelian asked her to dance she gave in and soon she was on the dancefloor in the center of a sea of writhing bodies. Maybe she was drunk, she thought as she moved her body to the music. She didn't care, it felt good to just let loose, and move her body and enjoy human...well physical contact.

Uhura felt him before she saw him. Somehow Spock found her, again. She just knew he was nearby, she could feel an invisible thread pulling her towards the entrance of the club. Something deep inside called to her, commanding her to attend and she couldn't resist it.

She made her way through the dancers to the entrance of the club and there he was, standing patiently, waiting for her. As Uhura approached Spock, he didn't speak and he didn't move towards her, he just raked his eyes down her body from head to toe. Uhura stopped several feet away from him with her hands on her hips in a challenging pose, as if to say 'look what you made me do'. They both stood their ground for several moments when Spock finally gave in and stepped to Uhura first.

"It is not wise to stand here like this," he said, "perhaps we should move aside." His hand was wrapped around her bare arm and she heard every word he said, in her mind!

Spock tried pulling her towards the entrance but Uhura stood firm.

"I came here to dance," she shouted, "why are you here?"

"I came here for you," he said with his exasperated voice though his lips did not move.

"Well, you found me, mission accomplished." She tried to pull away again but his grip was like steel. He wasn't letting her go and she was not budging either.

What do you want from me? Uhura wondered as Spock stared at her with his intense eyes, making her feel exposed; as if he could see all her secret thoughts and emotions. Where was Leila? Why had he followed her here when he had another woman out there somewhere in love with him?

Spock pulled Uhura into his arms and rested his mouth just at her ear.

"I only have one woman. Why did you not wait for me today, my wife?"

Uhura tried to pull away but Spock's hands held her in place and she couldn't budge.

"Where's your friend?" She yelled above the din of the music.

"I do not know where she is and I do not care to know. I came in search of my wife."

"How do you keep finding me?"

"I'm bound to you. I can never lose you."

"More of your Vulcan mind tricks? Like speaking in my head?"

"It is no trick. If I lower my mental shields and open my mind I can feel you, I can sense when you are near me and when you need me. If you were Vulcan you could sense me too. It is how you would know when our Time approaches." Though they were in the middle of a crowded dancefloor Spock and Uhura stood still speaking in their private conversation.

"Our Time?" She asked.

"Yes, Our Time. I cannot survive it alone. I cannot live without my wife. Everything I have and everything I am I owe to you," Spock said to Uhura in her ear and in her mind as he touched her bare skin.

Nyota didn't know why but hearing Spock say that he could not live without her made her stomach flutter as if it were filled with butterflies. It wasn't a declaration of love or anything like it, but it was something.

"Shall we dance?" Spock asked, suddenly realizing they were impeding movement around them.

"Really? You want to dance? With me?" she couldn't believe her ears but then again she hadn't heard the question with her ears, it was in her mind.

"You came here to dance. I will accommodate you."

"Oh really? Think you can keep up with me?" She challenged him.

"I am here."

Uhura suddenly felt unsure again. Spock wanted to dance with her? Normally you'd have to pry him off the wall and threaten him with bodily harm to get him to dance. Was he just doing this for her? Did it matter?

"Alright, Mister lets dance." She pulled him deeper into the dancehall and when she felt she had a good spot she began to dance as she had before.

Uhura slowly got back into the swing of things and soon she as shimmying all around Spock. She rubbed her body all over him like she was a cat and he was her toy. She wrapped her body around him like a second skin and did her best to make sure he didn't see or hear or smell or know any other woman but her.

The DJ was human and he was playing throwback Terran music nonstop now that the club was full. It was mostly electronic dance music but then they queued up 'I'm every woman', from waaay back in Earth's past, some say the golden age of popular music. Uhura couldn't believe it. That was her song! She wasn't the only one feeling it as the crowd that was filled with humans went wild.

Spock didn't quite know what had come over his wife but he watched the spectacle with fascination. Uhura knew all the words and she sang right along with Whitney Houston. Spock watched her perform for him, spellbound. There was utter joy on Nyota's face as she sang and danced to 'her song'. This was the Nyota that drew him to her. This was the woman who attracted him like no woman ever had. When he as with Nyota no one and nothing else mattered. She was breathtaking.

Spock didn't realize it, but he was staring at Uhura with a bemused expression. Uhura looked up to see his stare and she suddenly felt like being naughty with her devil eared husband. Spock was so straightlaced, yet he had chased her into a disco where he stood out like a Vulcan in a comedy club. He had chased her to Argelius and found her time after time. She had once vowed never to chase Spock but here he was chasing her!

She stood on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. She thought to shock him. She thought he might tolerate her kiss stoically and then reprimand her for such a public display. But he didn't. He kissed her back. He kissed her hard and slow and long, and he lifted her off her feet as he did so. Well damn, his kiss took her breath away!

Uhura forgot about all the dancers moving around them. Spock's kiss made her forget everything except the feel of his lips pressed to hers, the rapid beating of her heart, and the warmth of their bodies grinding together in the crowded club. With Spock's mental shields lowered Uhura didn't know who was thinking and feeling what, but she felt overwhelmed with powerful emotions. All she knew was what she felt and what she felt was want and longing and desire. She wanted to be with Spock just like this forever and for the moment that was all that mattered.

When they finally separated, Uhura felt light-headed. She wiped her lipstick from Spock's lips and smiled. "I think I just broke your boundary rule."

Spock nodded. "It is of no consequence. As long as you meant it."

"Meant what?"

"The Kiss. Recall that you said there is no such thing as 'just a kiss'?"

"I say a lot of things," she confessed.

"Then say something now. Say anything. Just tell me what you want and I will do my best to give it to you."

"I don't think you can," Uhura said sadly.

"I have already given you a part of my soul. Does that not demonstrate that there is nothing I would not do for you and nothing I would not give?"

She didn't dare say it, but Uhura wanted everything. Maybe she was greedy and selfish but Uhura wanted all of Spock, not just a piece of his Katra. She didn't need his Katra, she needed his love. But she was afraid to ask for that. Grandma said if you don't ask you don't get, but she couldn't ask for something Spock didn't have to give. And that made her feel very sad. It made her heart ache with the weight of the feelings she had developed for Spock.

She didn't know it but she was crying. There in the crowded dancehall, with people jostling all around them Spock saw her tears and he gently wiped them away with the backs of his fingers and he kissed her again. He kissed her slowly and gently like she was the only woman in the world. He tried to say with his kiss what he could not say with words even in her mind. And then he scooped her up in his arms and carried her through the crowd and out of the club as if she weighed nothing at all.

"What are you doing?" Uhura shouted as she wound her arms tight around Spock's neck.

"I am taking my wife home."

"Your wife can walk!"

"Yes, but she keeps walking away from me. This will eliminate that possibility," he assured her.

"This is very caveman of you," She protested.

"I believe you enjoy it just the same. It is very 'rakish' is it not?" Spock used her own words against her.

"I do not enjoy it. Put me down, you're drawing attention!" she demanded with no enthusiasm.

Spock didn't put her down. He carried her out of the club and into the night. The air uncharacteristically clear and fogless and bright stars dotted the Argelian night sky. Somewhere above the Enterprise was in parking orbit waiting for everyone on shore leave to return. Spock had received the message when he arrived back at their hotel which had delayed him in catching Nyota. But the delay hadn't hindered his efforts to find her. The Argelians were always more than eager to tell him where his wayward wife had gotten off to. The lack of security and privacy on the planet was appalling but it had served him well on this leave. His wife could not escape him.

"What are you smirking about?" Uhura asks Spock as he carried her home through the streets of the city again. She really was exhausted so she let him have his way. Her feet were killing her, her head was pounding and she was quite likely tipsy from that one drink she had. Not only did these Argelians serve up strong alcoholic drinks but Uhura suspected they also slipped a little something into the air of their establishments to keep the party going, probably some aphrodisiac. It was either that or Spock had knocked her off her feet.

"I do not smirk therefore I am not smirking. Besides which, you cannot see my face or my smirk," Spock said.

"I can feel it. Through this marital bond or whatever it is, I can sense you are feeling self-satisfied."

"Indeed?" Spock was quite skeptical.

"Yes, you're feeling very smug, I think."

"Am I? You can feel that?" Spock asked. Then why couldn't she feel how much he cared for her?

"Yes. I can feel it. I wish I could put my thoughts in your mind the way you do to me. You have me at a disadvantage."

"I do not. You will simply have to learn how to mind speak."

"If it were possible for humans to learn telepathy I would think Amanda would have it mastered by now."

"Mother is psi-null and she does not possess Sarek's katra. You have a unique advantage over her and other humans."

"True, I am unique," Uhura yawned and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You are indeed," Spock agreed. His wife felt so light in his arms. She was also warm and soft and she smelled like heaven. He never wanted to let her go.

"So you think I can learn to speak to your mind?" Uhura asked. Spock felt her excitement. She was was always eager to learn something new and telepathy would prove a worthy challenge.

"I see no reason for you not to try. I recall that you insisted you could learn the ka'athyra when no other human had accomplished it."

"Yes, I did. Someone had to be the first, why not me?"

"Indeed, why not you?" Spock said.

"Mmm, I'm so tired though. I don't think I can learn anything tonight. You've worn me out with your smooth moves," Uhura yawned again.

"Agreed, not tonight," Spock said feeling warmth radiating from Uhura.

He would be pleased to teach her how to control her thoughts and emotions and how to communicate with him with her mind. Psi ability was not unheard of in humans, his predecessor on the Enterprise, Gary Mitchell had a high ESPer rating. Unfortunately, Mitchell had succumbed to outside alien forces and perished because of his enhanced telepathic and telekinetic powers. Spock would not allow that to happen to Nyota. He would train her himself. Of course, his own lack of training had led to them sharing a katra in the first place. He would need to seek additional training for himself as well. He must never put his wife in harm's way, he must always protect her, even from himself.

With that thought in mind, Spock was careful as he brought Nyota back to their hotel room. She had exhausted herself on the dancefloor tonight and he sensed she was also mentally drained. He understood some of her excitement and anxiety. Tonight was their last night on Argelius. Tomorrow the Enterprise would be in orbit and take them back to their reality aboard ship.

As Spock lay Uhura on the bed, he desperately wanted to join her there but she still had not invited him as her husband. Tonight was not the night. She was inebriated and she was in an odd mood brought on by his meeting with Leila. So Spock carefully undressed her, removing her tight dress, and held his desires in check.

Spock had felt Nyota's desire for him as they kissed, but he could also feel her insecurity. She had been trying to usurp Leila's place in his mind. But she needn't have tried as Spock had gotten Leila out of his system ages ago. Why couldn't Nyota feel his desire for her, his admiration and esteem? Hadn't he done everything he could to demonstrate how much he wanted this marriage? How could he ever make her understand how he felt for her? He was no closer to solving his problem than he had been before this shore leave began.

Spock made up his own bed on the floor beside his wife, but he didn't sleep and he couldn't meditate. Instead, he wondered what tomorrow and the end of their leave would bring.

Notes:

Ka'athyra= Vulcan harp or lute

Chapter 24: Woman to Woman

Summary:

You've come to tell me something, you say I ought to know
That he don't love me anymore and I'll have to let him go
You say you're gonna take him, oh but I don't think you can
'Cause you ain't woman enough to take my man

You Ain't Woman Enough
Loretta Lynn

Can you tell that I really love song lyrics?

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The next day Uhura awoke to an empty bed. She didn't know why but she felt disappointed. Last night had been incredible. Spock had found her and danced with her and he had kissed her as if the world was made for only the two of them. And he brought her home and put her to bed as if she was his greatest treasure. A girl could get used to treatment like that, she thought as she stretched.

But as usual, Spock was nowhere to be found this morning. His makeshift bed had been neatly put away and all evidence of him having slept beside her bed was gone. Today was their last day on Argelius, in fact, she should be up and packing for their rendezvous with the Enterprise. The Enterprise should have been in orbit for several hours now if everything worked out as scheduled and she and Spock could beam back aboard rather than taking a shuttle.

Uhura was just putting the finishing touches on her hair and makeup when someone knocked on the door to her suite. It couldn't be Spock, he would just let himself in, after all, it was his suite. He had taken up the habit of disappearing early every morning. Uhura suspected he needed some alone time to meditate. She understood that, so she let him do his thing. She was sure she worked his nerves overtime, she smiled to herself as she skipped to the door.

She palmed the door lock and it slid open to reveal Leila Kalomi standing on the threshold.

"Ms. Kalomi?" Uhura said in shock, her smile disappearing. Why the hell was she here? "I'm sorry, but Spock isn't in at the moment. You know he does more in one day than most men do in two. And I'm rather busy, I just got up myself. We had a rather late night," She said smiling again. Uhura didn't know why she implied she and Spock's late-night was due to conjugal activities but this Miss Kalomi got under her skin.

"I came to speak to you actually," Leila said.

"Me? Whatever for?" Uhura asked.

"I guess I was curious about the woman that Spock married."

Uhura could understand that. She had been curious about T'Pring once upon a time. Now she wished she had never met the bitch, but still...

"You know curiosity killed the cat," Uhura said playfully.

"I'm willing to risk it," Leila said still standing on the threshold waiting for Uhura to invite her in.

Uhura stepped aside and Leila stepped into the suite slowly. She took a good look around and was in just as much awe as Uhura had been in when she first saw the suite.

"Wow, you two spared no expense," Leila remarked as her eyes took in the scene.

"Oh well you know this is sort of our honeymoon," Uhura giggled. "And you know how Spock is, he's just spoiling me," she said. Why was she saying these things? Why was she being so petty and trying to make Leila jealous? Just something about Miss Kalomi rubbed her the wrong way.

Uhura ushered Leila over to a sitting area. "Argelians don't use chairs, so we'll have to sit on the floor."

Uhura led Leila to a group of pillows near one of the huge windows that boasted a spectacular view of the city. Once seated, Uhura came right to the point.

"So you wanted to speak to me?"

"Yes, as I said I was curious about you."

"Really? To be honest Miss Kalomi, I was curious about you too." Uhura said

"Oh. Curious about what?"

"Who are you exactly?"

"You mean Spock didn't tell you about me?"

"No, not at all." Uhura stared at Leila waiting for an answer.

"You didn't discuss me last night perhaps?" Leila asked.

"No. As I said we were otherwise engaged." Uhura smiled.

"Oh," Leila said with disappointment. "Well, Spock and I are old friends."

"Yes, you said as much yesterday."

"Yes, well we met back on Earth. I was a botanist for the Federation preparing for my first off-world expedition when I was liaisoned with a young Starfleet officer."

"Spock?"

"Yes. I liked him right away. He was a bit stuffy but he was so well briefed on our mission I was blown away by his knowledge of botany and everything else. He added many contributions to the arrangements for our colony. During that time, I fell in love with him. I suppose I'm not the first woman to do so, and certainly not the last. But I had hoped...Well, I thought he felt the same way about me."

Uhura remained silent leaving Leila to fill in the void.

"Well, I guess he didn't or couldn't love me in return back then. He told me yesterday that he was engaged to a Vulcan woman since childhood."

Leila waited and looked at Uhura expectantly. She was perhaps hoping to see some surprise at this news but she was again disappointed.

"Go on," Uhura said.

"We went our separate ways after we left Earth, but then we met again on Omicron Ceti III"

"Mmm-hmm." Uhura nodded her head still not hearing anything that mattered.

"And... I infected Spock with the Spores." Leila confessed.

"Oh, so you did that?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it was me. But you must understand, we were all under the influence of the spores."

"Yes, I was too. I'm not proud of the things I did back then." Uhura shook her head in remembrance of sabotaging the communications panel.

"So you understand?" Leila asked?

"Not really, but no matter, continue."

Leila fidgeted in her seat. This Uhura was giving her no quarter. She just stared at her blankly, drawing her out. It actually reminded Leila of Spock.

"So, under the influence of the spores, I thought Spock and I could finally be together. I thought he could finally love me back."

"And did he?" Uhura asked while masking the tumultuous emotions that were building up inside her.

"Did he love me, you mean?"

"Yes."

"I thought he did, he seemed happy. He laughed, he smiled, he could finally kiss me, he could hold me... On earth, he could not even touch me and on Omicron... I thought he finally wanted me as much as I wanted him."

Uhura was seething. She didn't want to hear about how this Leila and Spock had made love on Omicron Ceti III. She wanted to punch that smug little face of Leila's and scratch her eyes out of their sockets. How dare she come up in here bragging about how she drugged Spock and made him happy! I just bet you did, Uhura thought. Is this what Spock wanted? Was he still in love with this Leila character? Then why had he married her?

"Miss, Kalomi, what do you want with me? Did you come here just to tell me that you and Spock were lovers?"

"I guess I was wondering if Spock was really happy now. Are you and Spock happy together? Spock and I, we... well I thought I would ask his wife since Spock can't tell me himself," Leila confessed.

"You've got a lot of nerve Missy," Uhura said letting her anger go. "You have no right to ask me anything about Spock! So you loved him? Big deal. And you asked Spock if he was happy yesterday? So you didn't get the answer you wanted and you come to ask me? Why does it even matter to you anymore?"

"Because Spock and I loved one another once-"

"And?" Uhura asked.

"And I just thought... I wondered..." Leila stammered.

"You wondered why he married me and not you? Does he love me like he supposedly loved you? You wondered if maybe you still had a chance?" Uhura said getting even angrier.

"I didn't mean to come here and insult you or your marriage-"

"Well, your intentions don't reflect your actions Miss Kalomi. It doesn't matter why Spock married me. The fact is, we are married. And Spock is a Vulcan. If you loved him so much you should know him and know better than to ask if he's 'happy'."

Before Leila could respond Uhura continued, "And let me tell you something else, Miss Kalomi. Don't you ever ask me or anybody else private questions about my husband ever again! If Spock wanted you to know about me and him, he would have told you. You'd do better to worry about your own husband if you have one instead of worrying about mine. Now, I think you should leave before I lose my cool."

Uhura stood up and went to the door and she was fuming with anger. "Amanda warned me!" She said to herself. "I didn't believe it but she did warn me. Right in front of my face, they try to take your man," Uhura said.

"Who is Amanda?" Leila said getting to her feet.

"Not that its any of your business, but Amanda is Spock's mother. She warned me about women just like you."

"Oh, you've met Spock's mother?" Leila asked in surprise. She knew nothing about Spock's parentage or his life on Vulcan.

"Listen, little girly, I'm not gonna tell you again-"

Just then the door slid open and Spock appeared.

His shields were not in place and Uhura thought she saw a look of panic cross his face before he quickly schooled it. But deep in her mind, she felt it. Spock couldn't block the reaction that bombarded her with his unshielded thoughts.

If she didn't know any better she'd think Spock had said "oh Shit!" before he shielded his mind.

Chapter 25: With or Without You?

Summary:

Spock has had enough of Nyota's illogical behavior!

Notes:

Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails she makes me wait
And I wait, without you
With or without you...

With Or Without You
U2

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Oh, here he is now!" Uhura said while Spock stood in the doorway dumbfounded.

"Miss Kolumi was just leaving, and as a matter of fact," Uhura turned on Spock with angry wounded eyes, "you can go with her."

What in the world was Leila doing here? Spock wondered as he walked in on the explosive situation. And what had she said to his wife to cause this outburst?

"Leila? Why are you here?" He asked seeking answers from the offending party. That seemed to be the wrong thing to do as Uhura turned and stormed off towards the bedroom.

"Nyota, what is going on here?" He called to her.

She turned on him angrily and shouted out, "Ask your girlfriend!"

For her part, Leila looked repentant and sad. "I'm sorry Spock, I don't know why I came here. I just thought there was still something... I'm sorry!" She stormed out of the suit.

Spock watched her leave feeling very confused and conflicted. What had just gone on here?

"Nyota, why was Leila here?" he asked.

"Why don't you go and ask her? Ask her why she felt the need to walk up in here and ask me if I loved you and If I made you happy? Ask her why our marriage is any of her business at all!" Uhura yelled.

"Nyota-"

"Don't call me that! Only my friends call me that." She stormed into the bedroom and started pulling out her clothes to pack.

Spock followed her into the bedroom but he didn't say anything as he watched her pack. She was angry and behaving irrationally. He had learned the hard way to leave an angry woman alone for a while.

This was another fine mess. Why had Leila come here? To cause trouble in his marriage? What had she intended when she provoked Nyota? He would have never thought her capable of such machinations.

And now because Leila made Nyota angry Spock was in the so-called doghouse again. He was beginning to think women were nothing but pure trouble. How did the captain manage all the women he had loved before? No wonder Jim had a strict rule about relationships with crewmembers. It was a disaster waiting to happen if the women Spock knew were any indication.

Spock had never subscribed to illogical prejudices. Men and women were equal in value if differently-abled. However, when it came to matters of the heart women apparently were in a league of their own.

T'pring, Christine, and Leila were evidence that women played the game of love at a different level. They threw all logic, reason, and accountability out of the window in pursuit of their goals. Even his own wife and mother seemed hell-bent on driving him mad in the name of love.

Nyota was displeased with him? Again? And what had he done? He had not invited Leila into their suite, Nyota had done that all on her own. He had not encouraged Leila to chat with him in the city yesterday, Nyota had done that as well. He had not told Leila anything about their relationship except that Nyota was his wife and he was pleased. Yet somehow he was again at fault?

"Nyota," Spock said calmly.

"What?" She said as she gathered the last of her belongings.

"Please listen to what I must say."

"Okay, talk." Uhura crossed her arms over her chest and sat down on the side of her bed.

"Nyota, I believe I have been quite tolerant of your behavior for long enough."

She opened her mouth to protest but he silenced her with a command "Kroykah!" he said sternly.

She stared at him with her mouth agape.

"You will listen," Spock said. "I have tolerated your emotional outbursts up until this point. I have respected your request for 'space' to deal with our sudden marriage. I have respected your desire to continue on as friends until you decide what you are going to do about 'us'. But you have not afforded me the same courtesy."

"I have been trying!" She cut in.

"Have you? Have you respected the boundaries that I have set forth for our relationship? Have you respected my personal beliefs and cultural traditions regarding male and female contact?"

Uhura stubbornly held her tongue. She knew she hadn't but she refused to admit it.

Spock continued, "In fact, you have constantly touched me intimately in public and initiated physical contact of a sexual nature. You invited me into your bed when your intentions were unclear."

"I was trying to be nice! You make it seem as if I was trying to seduce you or lead you on or something," she said.

"Weren't you? I believe you were 'trying to have your cake and eat it too'," he said.

"That's ridiculous," she said.

"Nyota, I have acquiesced to all of your wishes and overlooked your transgressions because I acknowledge the great offense I have committed against you. I acknowledge that this is not what you asked for. I understand that this is new to you. But can you recognize and acknowledge that this is all new to me as well?"

"T'pring notwithstanding, I have not been married before. I have not been in a relationship with a woman that did not involve psychedelic spores, or hallucinogenic fevers, or my mind reverting to the primitive state." Spock said passionately.

"Why do you imagine I have this all figured out? You say you don't know how to be a Vulcan wife? Well, I don't know how to be a Vulcan husband! If Sarek is not an ideal role model then who do you expect me to emulate? Where is your ideal husband I am to pattern myself after to please you?" Spock asked.

Uhura sat dumbfounded. She had never heard Spock speak so openly and passionately. Had he been thinking and feeling this way the entire time they were married? Why had he waited until now to tell her how he felt?

"Spock-"

"No Nyota, you will listen. This is long overdue," Spock interrupted her.

"The say Vulcans do not express their feelings openly, but you have reminded me quite often that I do have feelings. And did you know my wife, my feelings can be injured as easily as anyone else's? Perhaps you should consider that before you accuse me of whatever offense you think I have committed with Leila."

"I did not invite Leila here to our suite. I did not encourage her. I, in fact, tried to release her painlessly. I told her in no uncertain terms that you were my wife and that I had feelings only for you."

"And I should also like to point out, when I was with Leila, it was under the influence of the spores. I broke off our association as soon as the spores wore off. Any feelings I may have had for Leila ended when the spores lost their power."

Uhura sat in silence. She had behaved foolishly and she knew it.

"Before I finish, I have one question for you."

"What is it?" Uhura asked as she struggled to hold back tears.

"Why are you angry with me? Is it because I took you from the Enterprise and you were forced to bond with me? Is it because I did not tell you about my impending Pon far?"

"That's three questions. But no. I'm not angry about that anymore."

Spock nodded his head in understanding. "Good. Then I assume you are angry with me because Leila has challenged your position as my wife?"

"No!" Uhura denied but even as she said it she knew it to be a lie. "She had no right coming here asking me about our relationship. I'm angry because every time I think we're making progress something or someone comes along and throws a wrench into it. I'm angry and I'm frustrated and I am tired of being angry and frustrated. I came here to Argelius to regroup and now I'm more confused than ever," She said sadly. "I never meant to hurt you. I hope you know that? I never imagined things could go this far out of control. I'm not myself and I don't like it."

"What do you want?" Spock asked Uhura. He wanted to comfort her but he couldn't. Everything she was feeling he was feeling too. He too was frustrated. He too was out of his element. Uhura may tease him about his 'ex-wife' but he had never been in a relationship before. Leila was an aberration. Besides their friendship on Earth, their relationship on Omicron Ceti had lasted little more than a day.

He had been with Uhura in one way or another for years. They had been through illness and injury and survived missions and adventures and hardships together. They had already shared a lifetime of experiences. They were more than just friends and had always been so. Couldn't Nyota see how much she was a permanent part of his life?

"Why do you not understand what you are to me?" Spock said sitting next to her. "Have I not tried in every way to show you how much I care for you?"

"What are you talking about?" Nyota asked confused.

"I am asking why you cannot see your own worth? Why can you not see your value to me? I have tried to show you how much I...feel. I have tried to demonstrate the caring I feel for you. My desire to bond with you did not occur out of biological necessity. I desired to bond with you because you were my dearest companion, because you have become necessary for me to live in contentment. Because since becoming acquainted with you, you have given me an abundance of friendship, comfort, and understanding. I wanted to bond with you because I thought you felt for me the way I feel for you."

"Nyota," Spock took her hand, "on my darkest days you have been my sunshine. But I will not force you to be with me if that is not your desire. I did not plan our bonding properly. I never told you about the consequences of bonding with me or of Pon Farr. I never asked you to bond with me in matrimony and I believe it time I remedy that."

Spock slid to the floor and took a knee.

"Nyota, I would like for you to be my wife and live with me as husband and wife for the duration of our lives. Would you do me the honor of being my bonded mate?"

Nyota was gobsmacked. Spock was asking her to marry him? Now?

"You do not have to answer now," he said when she did not answer right away. "I will give you time to think it over. If you decide you do not want to be with me I will respect your wishes and I will release you, forever. Until then I think it best that we separate. We have to work together but I think it best that we keep our relationship strictly professional until you decide what you want from me."

"What are you saying? You want to separate now?" Uhura was crying now. She could not believe this was happening.

"I did not say that. I have given you my proposal and now it is up to you to determine the status of our relationship. I took away your choice before and now I give it back to you."

He stood. "The Enterprise is in orbit and the crew is taking shore leave for the remainder of the day. Whenever you are ready you can return to the ship. This suite is reserved until the end of the day so you may take your time checking out. I will leave you now."

"Spock wait! This isn't what I wanted."

"I believe this is for the best. Decide what you truly want, and when you are ready I will accept your decision."

Spock took out his communicator and messaged this ship.

"Spock to Enterprise, one to beam aboard."

"Standby. Whenever you're ready Mr. Spock," Uhura heard Kyle say.

Spock turned to her.

"I'll see you on the bridge."

"Mr. Kyle, energize. Spock out!"

And just like that, he was gone.

Uhura could not believe what had just happened. She didn't understand it. Spock had proposed to her? But he also broke up with her?

Uhura didn't know whether she should laugh or scream or cry? That's how he was going to do it? That wasn't a proposal that was an ultimatum.

She threw herself on the big bed and sobbed. That bastard!

Uhura hugged her pillow and cried. She didn't want to decide. They were already married. She had the bride price to prove it! Why was Spock constantly giving her an out? She could take it and his money and be free, forever. But she would lose Spock, not only as her husband but also as her friend and her colleague. She would never be able to work with him if they were to divorce. She would have to transfer, and start her life all over again, without him. Was that what she wanted?

On the other hand, if she chose to accept his proposal this time, there would be no turning back. She would have to live with him for the rest of her life as his wife. She would have to go through Pon Farr with him again and again. She would have to have his children and probably live on Vulcan to raise them. She would be his clan matriarch one day. Why did that suddenly sound so appealing now when a few weeks ago it was the last thing she wanted?

This bed and this room felt so lonely without Spock. What if she had really lost him? What if he decided he didn't want to wait for her anymore? Could she stand to live like this forever? Spock said he could not live without her, but could she live without him?

Chapter 26: Not So Secret Lovers

Summary:

Nurse Chapel is a nosey busybody and an eavesdropper.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"You won't believe what I saw on Argelius," Christine heard someone whisper. She had been busy sorting through supplies in an alcove near the ship's science labs when she heard footsteps approach and like any good sneak, she ducked further inside.

"What?" another voice answered.

"Commander Spock and Lieutenant Uhura," the first voice said.

"So what? Everyone was down there on shore leave last night."

"So what? Was everyone down there all week hanging out in dingy cafes, huddled up in tête-à-têtes? Was everyone down there brawling with the natives?"

Christine recognized the voice of a nurse she worked with and her ears perked up.

"What?! Brawling? Who?" someone asked.

Yeah, who? Christine thought as she eavesdropped.

"Commander Spock and Lieutenant Uhura! It happened in one of those officers only kind of places, the ones marked off-limits to us plebs."

"So what were you doing in there?"

"RHIP, rank has its privileges," the nurse replied in a sing-song manner.

"What rank? You're an enlisted crewman just like me."

"Not my rank, my husband's. I escorted him to this place that was supposed to be wild and full of er...um... well never mind about that. We saw Mr. Spock and Miss Uhura there."

"No!"

"Yes! It was on the news blogs and everything, though the Argelians claim they couldn't find the culprits. But I heard that the Vulcans paid them off to keep it hush-hush."

"No! Why would the Vulcans do that?"

"Well, I heard that Mr. Spock has some kind of diplomatic immunity so he can't be touched. He's a diplomat brat like those weirdos who highjacked the ship with that Dr. Sevrin," the nurse said.

"Really? How do you know so much? Rank really does have its privileges hmm?"

"You bet your sweet ass it does. That's why I married up."

"You don't have to brag. Someday my captain will come along and I'll be getting into those exclusive clubs too. So that's all you did on shore leave, spy on Spock and Uhura?"

"Spy? Who had to spy when they were flaunting it?"

"What are you talking about? Flaunting what?"

"Girl, I was on the shuttle to Argelius with Uhura. She made it seem like she was going for a little R&R alone but guess who showed up that very same day looking for her?"

"Mr. Spock?"

"Yep. He was at the tourist office asking questions, and apparently, he found her." The nurse giggled. "My husband and I saw them a few times together while on Argelius. Mr. Spock was not hard to spot, he sticks out like a green sore thumb."

"That's not nice. Mr. Spock is the best officer I've ever seen."

"Well don't go pining away after him, he's spoken for."

"What do you mean?"

"Are you thick or something, he was on Argelius with Lieutenant Uhura the entire shore leave. And you know what Argelius is for, sex. Every time I saw them they were together. And if that doesn't seal the deal, I saw with my own two eyeballs, the Lieutenant and Spock were practically getting it on on the dancefloor of a nightclub."

"Oh my god! I can't even imagine it!"

"You know those Argeliands are sex-crazed and free-loving and anything goes there? Well, Mr. Spock and Lieutenant Uhura fit right in, I tell you! They were dressed like the natives and if it weren't for Spock's ears you would have thought they belonged there. Lieutenant Uhura did this dance... They were all hugged up and kissing and EVERYTHING on that dancefloor!"

"Oh my god really?"

"Yes, why would I lie? I could not believe my eyes. It was hot!"

"I cannot believe my ears."

"I know right? This is big news. Mr. Spock and Lieutenant Uhura are a couple," the nurse said.

"Wow! I cannot believe it. I don't believe it. Pics or it didn't happen," the other voice teased.

"You don't have to take my word for it." Christine heard the ruffling of clothing.

"I got some pics right here."

"I thought we weren't allowed cameras on Argelius?"

"I have my ways."

"You have too many ways!" her friend chided, "but let me see!" They both giggled.

"Ahem!" Christine said stepping out from the alcove and interrupting the little tete-a-tete. "I couldn't help but overhear your little conversation. Am I to understand that you broke regs and smuggled a camera down to shore leave and that you took photos of fellow crewmembers without permission?" Christine asked.

"Well nurse Chapel, it was all innocent fun," the young nurse protested.

"Fun? Do you suppose the captain will think it all innocent fun if the government of Argelius files a protest and we can't visit the planet again?"

"That wouldn't happen, they don't even know about it."

"I know about it, and I am duty-bound to report it."

"Aw C'mon Nurse, You don't have to do that, I'll destroy the photos I promise."

"No, I will destroy the photos and you will remember that as a member of the Enterprise crew, you represent all of us in Starfleet and the Federation. That planet has strict identity privacy rules to protect its citizens. As allies of the Federation, they have every right to impose any rules they like, and we are to respect them. That goes for any member planet in the Federation, is that clear?" Christine barked out.

"Yes, sir!" the nurses replied.

"Good, now hand it over." They placed the contraband into Christine's outstretched hand and then made themselves scarce.

Christine held the tiny camera in her hand and fumed. She was at once angry that a member of the Enterprise would violate so many rules and regs and she was also angry about what was supposedly on the camera. Pictures of Uhura and Spock whooping it up on Argelius?

She thought they couldn't stand to be in each other's company? Was it all an act? Were they just sneaking around behind everyone's backs and laughing about it? Well, she would soon find out.

That tiny camera burned her skin like a brand as she gripped it tightly. She was going to see with her own two eyes just what was going on. She couldn't wait for her shift to end before she headed to her quarters intent on viewing the offending photos. But on the way, she spotted Uhura. Well, well, well, wasn't this just a great coincidence?

Christine was struck with a moment of indecision. She had been avoiding Uhura for the past few weeks, ever since she learned about Spock and Uhura's supposed bonding. But now she burned with curiosity to know exactly what was going on. She had comforted herself with the knowledge that it appeared to be a marriage in name only, but now that she had supposed evidence that they were dancing together she didn't know how to feel or what to think. She could easily get those answers from the horse's mouth but she didn't know if she wanted to hear those words.

Fearing she would never have the courage again she walked up to Uhura who was waiting at the lift doors.

"Nyota I would like to talk to you about something."

"Oh, hi Christine. How are you?"

"Just fine, thanks for caring. But I need to ask you something." Christine said urgently.

Nyota looked pained and Christine's stomach tightened with worry. What was that look all about?

"Ok then. What is it?" Uhura asked cautiously.

"It is about you and Mr. Spock."

Uhura scrunched up her face and shook her hear. "Nope," she said and she turned and walked down the corridor in the opposite direction.

"What do you mean 'nope', just last week you were begging to talk about it," Christine said following her.

"Nope, not gonna happen. I did ask you to listen, I pleaded with you but you didn't want to hear it so now I don't care to talk about it."

"Ny, please, I know I was angry but-"

Uhura turned on her, "But what? Have you changed your mind? Am I not all those horrible things that you said to me?"

Christine stood silent. She was still angry or more to the point, heartbroken. She didn't know why she said those hurtful things but she couldn't bring herself to take them back either.

"Exactly," Uhura said and turned to go about her business.

"Wait, Ny, please just listen-"

"No, you listen, Chris. I wanted to be friends with you. I valued our friendship. I never wanted any of this and I sure as hell never meant to hurt you. I get it, you were hurt and heartbroken. I've been hurt and heartbroken a time or two myself and I know how it feels, but I am not responsible for your pain. So go talk to Spock about it but leave me out of it, okay? I've got my own problems to deal with!" With that Uhura marched off.

Talk to Mr. Spock? Never! Christine thought. She had humiliated herself for that man too many times and he was as cold to her as he was on their first meeting. He would never answer any personal questions especially about his marriage to Nyota. No, she had to deal with this another way.

She gripped the tiny camera in her fist and started thinking on how best to handle this little tidbit. She should just destroy it as she said she would, but she had to know what was going on with Spock and Uhura. She'd just take a look and verify there was nothing to the rumors going on and then she'd destroy the camera.

It seemed like a good plan to Christine. Once she got to her quarters she immediately put the camera on her main viewer and her heart stopped. Spock and Uhura were there on the screen dressed in native Argelian clothing and they were dancing. Slow dancing... They were bumping and grinding into one another... It was disgusting! But it was also beautiful and she was mesmerized by how good they looked together.

Damn, Spock had a nice lean body and the form-fitting trousers accentuated all his muscles. Uhura was in her usual tight dress with a long flowing skirt. But the skirt had a slit on the side that went all the way up her shapely leg and it was backless. Spock touched her all over her bare skin and it made Christine want to pound her viewscreen. That bitch! She didn't deserve Spock.

That wasn't her Spock! He wouldn't put on a public display like that. It was Uhura's doing. She was an exhibitionist. She lived for the spotlight. She was outgoing and outrageous but not Spock. Uhura was corrupting him.

That Spock on the video was a stranger to Christine. That wasn't the Spock she loved. He wouldn't touch a woman like that, rubbing and grabbing her all over. He wouldn't...

Christine cried. She would have given anything and everything in this galaxy for Spock to look at her that way and to touch her that way. If he would just give her a chance, she would worship and adore him, she wouldn't ignore him and punch him in the face and shame him the way Nyota did.

She had to save him from this. Christine realized she had treated Spock like he was special with Kidd gloves, but he was still a man and men had needs. Uhura appealed to men that way, that's how she caught Spock. So Christine would have to do the same thing. She'd appeal to that primal part of Spock that wanted a woman like Nyota and she would get him back before Nyota destroyed him.

Now all she had to do was figure out what it was that was driving Spock out of his mind and do that. How hard could it be to act like a tramp anyway? Nyota had it down pat.

Christine went to her closet and inspected her clothing. Everything she owned was mature and classy. She didn't wear the skintight barely-there clothing that Nyota preferred, and even if she did own something skimpy like that, she would never look as good filling it out as Nyota did.

She closed her closet door and sat down at her desk in defeat. Sexy dresses weren't going to win over Spock's affections. Spock had seen many beautiful women, a lot of them aboard this very ship. He even had a beautiful Vulcan wife before he came aboard the ship. No, Spock didn't care about how a woman looked, that would be illogical. But there had to be something, some reason he looked at Nyota like she was the only woman in the world. Christine had never seen him look at anyone else like that before. But there was something, some secret quality that Nyota had that attracted Spock to her and Christine intended to find out what it was if it was the last thing she did.

Chapter 27: Oops! I Did it Again

Summary:

Once again Nyota is caught up in some shenanigans and Sulu has had enough.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Since getting back from her shore leave, Uhura was having an awful time. She was constantly surrounded by reminders of Spock when she was alone and she was constantly with him at work. He didn't ignore her as he had done the first time they returned from shore leave together. He treated her as a courteous colleague and if possible that was even worse.

She had spent a week in close quarters with Spock and now she was used to him. She hated going back to her quarters because he wasn't there. She hated going to bed without his familiar presence sleeping beside her on his pallet on the floor. Eating alone sucked too. She never even realized that Spock had wormed his way into the marrow of her life and now that he was gone it left a hollow shell.

She missed him. Did Spock miss her too? Of course, she would never know because he didn't wear his emotions on his sleeve as she did. She felt like she'd lost her best friend in the whole world. But all she had to do was accept Spock's proposal and she could have him back. With strings attached, but those strings were starting to not seem so bad. She had tried to convince herself that she and Spock could go back to being just friends but there was no going back after all they'd been through together. There was only one way to go, forward. But with or without Spock? That was the question.

"All right Nyota what's wrong now?" Sulu asked as they loaded into the turbo lift together after their shift on the bridge. She had that old sad expression he was beginning to recognize as the "Spock" look.

"Nothing. Just personal stuff."

"Girl stuff again? Or better yet, Spock stuff?" he asked amused. He knew she meant Spock stuff so she might as well just come clean.

"Yes, Spock stuff but I don't want to talk about it."

"Ok. I understand. Your relationship is none of my business."

"There is no relationship!" She said suddenly and she broke into tears. "We're separated!"

"What?!" Sulu said. He turned the handbrake on the lift and it jolted to a halt mid-deck.

"Separated? How? Why? What happened?" Sulu asked as Uhura cried on his shoulder.

"It's all my fault. First I wouldn't sleep with him as his wife so he slept on the floor and then—"

"Wait, what!" Sulu said in outrage. No, that Bastard didn't!

"He broke up with you because you wouldn't sleep with him?" Sulu asked disgusted.

"No. No, I wanted to share a bed and he said he wouldn't share my bed unless it was our marriage bed! And then his girlfriend showed up-"

"What?! Spock has a girlfriend?! You mean that Vulcan woman?"

"No, a human woman. You probably met her. Leila Kalomi, she was from Omicron Ceti III."

"So what does she have to do with anything? How is she Spocks girlfriend?"

"She showed up on Argelius. I guess she works there or something. So she shows up on the street and says she and Spock are 'old friends' and demands Spock talk to her and next thing you know she shows up to our hotel trying to tell me about my husband! I almost lost my cool, Hik, but I said to myself 'no Yota, don't do it.' But then Spock showed up and he took her side!" Uhura cried hysterically.

"What!" Sulu felt he was out of his element. This story sounded crazy even for Spock and Nyota. Just what the hell happened on Argelius?

"So Spock broke up with you because of this girlfriend?" Sulu asked as he tried to figure out what the hell was happening.

"No," she sniffled. "He said he had been patient with me! Can you believe his nerve? He said I didn't respect his boundaries. Why, because I offered to share a bed with him? So I should let him sleep on the floor!? Or because I kissed him in public? He kissed me back! And so what, we got into a fight in a brothel? He's the one who started it. His ex showed up demanding I tell her about our relationship, not mine. I didn't ask her to show up. But somehow because I let her into our hotel room I'm at fault?! I'm done with Spock!"

"So you broke up with him?" Sulu asked.

"No, aren't you listening? He said we should separate. I'm done with him!"

"You don't mean that. You're crazy about him," emphasis on crazy Sulu thought.

"No, I'm not, I'm done! I can't be whatever it is he wants me to be."

"What did he say he wanted you to be?"

Uhura just sniffled and didn't answer.

"Ny?" Sulu nudged.

"What?"

"What did he say he wanted?"

"He didn't say anything exactly..."

"What did he say precisely as Mr. Spock would phrase it?"

"I don't know precisely I couldn't believe he was saying it. He said that he had never been a husband before and he didn't know what to do either. And he kinda proposed to me..."

"He proposed to you?" Sulu asked dumbfounded.

Nyota nodded her head sadly.

"Then why the hell are you two separated?!"

"Because he wants to be my husband!"

"He is your husband!" Sulu practically yelled losing his cool finally.

"Yes but-"

"But what?" Sulu wanted to strangle her. He truly felt Spock's pain and he realized that no matter how cute Nyota was, she was too much for him. He had dodged a bullet when he realized she wasn't attracted to him.

"Oh Hik, I just don't know what to do. I'm a mess. I'm the one being 'obstinate'. I'm just so afraid that I will fuck up this marriage that it's making me fuck up this marriage! I don't want to hurt Spock but all I can think to do is push him away. What the hell is wrong with me?"

"I don't know Ny, only you know why you're doing what you're doing. Maybe you should have another talk with the ship's new counselor?"

"Maybe I'm just like my mother. She can't keep a man either, she pushed my father away too."

"You don't know that. And you can have any man you want and you can keep him too if you'd just get out of your own way. But did you ever think this isn't all up to you? You don't have to make everything work, it takes two. That's what Spock was trying to tell you."

"You think so?"

"I know so. I think all of your fears could be addressed by just sitting down and talking with Spock. Have an honest and open conversation and tell him what you are afraid of. Don't hide behind your pride."

"That's the scariest thing you've ever said. I'd rather fight a Gorn."

"I know honesty is not easy, it's especially hard to be honest with yourself. But if the two of you want to be together and be happy then you'll have to be honest with one another."

"How do you know so much about marriage all of a sudden?"

"I don't know. I'm just going to watch you and Spock and do the opposite," he said.

"Hikaru! That's not funny." Then she laughed at the absurdity of it all. "Thank you Hik." Uhura hugged Sulu tight and wept on his shoulder some more.

"Just talk to Spock the way you're talking to me and you'll be fine. You should be crying on his shoulder, not mine."

"Okay, I'll try."

"Do not try, just do it. And Spock better not break up with you after all he's put me through. If he even tries I'll kick his ass myself."

"You'd have to take him to Vulcan and challenge him to a Lirpa fight." Uhura joked. "Vulcans used to fight duels to the death for their women in the past," Still do, she thought to herself.

"Is that so? It sounds barbaric."

"Hmm. It is barbaric. Winner takes all. What would you do if you won me?"

"If I won you I'd never let you go," He said hugging her tight.

Just then the lift started up and the doors opened to a corridor filled with people waiting.

"Uh-oh," Uhura said as she looked out at the sea of shocked faces, Christine Chapel among them. And Christine looked as if she could spit dragon fire.

Just great!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Uhura was mortified. Forget the gasps and the shocked faces of everyone who was waiting for the lift. Forget the whispers that were going around about her and Sulu being caught in the lift together. But she couldn't get over the fact that she had been caught out in public crying! She would never live it down. She didn't want people to see her vulnerable like that. She wanted people to see her as Lieutenant Uhura head of communications, not some weeping lily.

Spock was ruining her reputation! Okay, she was being dramatic but still, this relationship was putting a ding in her social standing. And poor Hikaru! He didn't deserve any of the gossip being flung his way either. All he was doing was being a good friend. And now the gossips were labeling him as a player. Well, maybe he didn't mind that but she did. She hated to do it but she was going to have to steer clear of Sulu for a while until the gossip died down.

And then there was Spock. He was on an away mission with the Captain and Dr. McCoy but what would she do when he returned? Would she have that long conversation they had been dancing around for the past few weeks? Every time she thought about it her stomach twisted in knots.

And what about Christine? She looked as if she had swallowed a turd and Uhura had fed it to her. Why should Christine care who Nyota hugged? She was just being her usual busybody self. The last thing Uhura needed or wanted was Christine meddling in her affairs. She had just gotten rid of one of Spock's women. Christine would be light work but Nyota didn't want to go there with her. So she was back to hiding out in her quarters and avoiding people. It was probably for the best. She still needed time to think and regroup. She had only been married a few weeks and she was already separated and they hadn't even been officially together! It must be a record or something.

Sulu was right, she needed to talk to Spock. But until then she had to consider his proposal. Spock had given her everything she had asked for including asking her to marry him properly. But he couldn't give her the one thing she was afraid to ask for. And that was the crux of her dilemma. Could Spock love her? And if he could not, could she live with him without his love or would she be brave enough to let him go?

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

This was the last straw! Nyota was supposed to be Spock's wife yet she was flaunting herself around with Sulu behind his back! When Christine believed their marriage was one in name only she ignored Uhura's fling with Sulu but now that she had evidence that Ny and Spock were lovers, at least they looked that way all cozy and kissing in a disco, she was not going to tolerate it. Spock needed to know the truth about his 'wife'. Nyota was a two-timing hussy and it was time she got what she had coming to her.

How dare Nyota embarrass Spock like this? Maybe nobody knew they were married but the whole ship was gossiping about the "love triangle" between Spock, Sulu, and Uhura, and Christine knew the gossip would only ramp up once the contents of that camera got out. Spock would be humiliated, cuckolded by Nyota. Christine was not about to let that happen.

She went to the recycler ready to toss the camera in and destroy it when she had a change of heart. Perhaps there was a way to use this against Nyota without hurting Spock? Nyota was the guilty party here so why should Spock suffer just because Nyota couldn't keep her hands to herself? She was always hurting Spock but he just couldn't see it and apparently neither could anyone else. He needed intervention, he needed Christine.

She suddenly had an idea. This was an abusive relationship if ever there was one and Spock was the victim. Nyota even punched him! And hadn't the captain and Doctor McCoy swept that under the rug too? Well no more. If the men on this ship were too dumb to see what was happening to Spock then Christine would have to save him herself.

She went to her console and pulled up the medical records and reports regarding Spock and Uhura. She found the case file she needed and forwarded it to Starfleet Command using their whistleblower code for secrecy. She was going over Kirk and McCoys heads but if they wouldn't act then it was up to her. One way or another the truth had to come out and it would set Spock free.

Chapter 28: Comrades in Arms

Summary:

Well, since Nyota had her confrontation with Leila, Spock might as well confront Sulu.

Chapter Text

 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Spock headed for the ship's rec room after the Captain returned from his mission and relieved him of the con. He didn't see his wife anywhere but he did spot Lieutenant Sulu sitting in a corner alone. Spock knew that since the recent incident in the turbolift with Nyota, Sulu had been persona non grata in certain circles. Spock didn't understand it since Sulu had done nothing wrong. As far as the crew was aware Sulu was single and so was Nyota. But somehow Sulu had been labeled a 'homewrecker' and a 'side piece' whereas Spock was just generally pitied.

Before he thought of any consequences, Spock went over to Sulu's table. "Mr. Sulu, do you mind if I join you?"

Sulu looked up from his glass. It appeared he was drinking alcohol. Alone.

"Not at all, Mr. Spock. Please join me." Sulu straightened up in his seat.

Spock sat opposite the Lieutenant and looked at him for a moment. Spock knew a lot about his crewmates. He knew they discussed his relationship with Nyota and they discussed Sulu and Nyota's relationship as well. He knew Sulu was on the outs with a lot of the crew after being caught in the lift hugging Nyota, but he also knew Sulu was one of the more popular crewmen so he was likely to get over social isolation rather quickly. Spock also knew that Sulu had romantic feelings for Nyota when the two first met. Unfortunately for Mr. Sulu, Nyota had been young and naive back then. She had not recognized Sulu's advances for what they were and ignored them, though Spock had noticed it all.

"Mr. Spock," Sulu said quietly. "Your wife is driving me crazy and I can only imagine what she is doing to your well-ordered mind."

"Indeed, Mr. Sulu?"

"Yes. She's got me in the doghouse and I am not even married to her." Sulu laughed.

"Why would she put you in a dog's house?" Spock asked.

"Mr. Spock you know what I mean. Proverbially."

"Yes, I know."

"Do you really? Because as far as I can tell you've been in Nyota's doghouse since the moment you whisked her off this vessel." Sulu waved it off when Spock raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Yes, she told me all about that. Well, maybe not all about it, I'm sure there are some things I don't even want to know. But she told me you're married and she told me you finally proposed to her properly on Argelius. That's what the hugging was about by the way. No reason to attack me with a lirpa," Sulu joked.

"It had not occurred to me to do so," Spock said seriously.

"Ny seems to think she is worth fighting for and I tend to agree."

"Do you indeed?" Spock said pulling himself up.

"Yeah, and I think you should be fighting for her. She's not as tough as she thinks she is. She might be pushing you away but it's not because she doesn't want to be with you. She's just running scared. You're gonna have to pin her down. And that did not come out right, but I hope you know what I mean?"

"I think I do. What do you suggest?"

"Don't let this separation go on too long. She will only worry herself to death and she is liable to take me with her." Sulu teased. "You should have given her a time limit. If I were you, I wouldn't let some woman run me ragged."

"But you are not me, Lieutenant."

"No, I'm not. You've got more patience than I do, I'll give you that. Nyota is my best friend but I'll tell you, she's a little bit too much woman for me." Sulu tossed his head back finishing the last of his drink.

Spock didn't know if he liked the direction this conversation was taking. Who was Sulu to tell him about his own wife? Spock thought bitterly and then he stopped short. He suddenly understood what Nyota must have been feeling when Leila showed up at their suite telling tales about him. "I believe I understand," he said thoughtfully.

"Good, because I'd hate to have to fight you, Mr. Spock. I may be no match for you but if you keep letting Nyota get hurt you'll have to answer to me and a long list of her friends."

"Is that so?"

"Indeed," Sulu said mimicking Spock.

Spock acknowledged that Sulu still had feelings for Nyota but they seemed to be feelings of friendship. He could live with that. He even went so far as pouring himself a drink to share with Sulu. He could afford to be magnanimous.

Captain Kirk, McCoy, and Mr. Scott came into the rec room and when Kirk spotted Sulu and Spock deep in conversation he decided to intervene.

"What's going on here?" The captain asked as he approached their table.

"Mr. Sulu and I were just discussing a personal matter," Spock said.

"We were talking about women," Sulu said.

"Ah, were you now?" Scott said. "A subject near and dear to me own heart. But Mr. Spock what would you be knowin' about that?" Scotty chimed in.

"Apparently not enough," Spock answered a jovial Scotty.

"Well laddy," Scott sat down at their table and poured himself a drink from Sulu's bottle. "Let me enlighten you."

"Perhaps another time," Spock said ready to bolt but McCoy sat down at the table as well.

"Nonsense Mr. Spock," Bones slapped Spock on the back, "I think this is just what you need." And McCoy also poured himself a drink from Sulu's bottle. Sulu eyed his bottle with dismay and then looked at his fellow crewmen. What the hell? He ordered another round.

Captain Kirk felt left out so he pulled a chair from a nearby table and joined in. He gave Spock a sympathetic look. He had not meant for this to turn out this way. He thought he was breaking up a tense situation.

"I am sorry Mr. Spcok, it looks like you are in for some miseducation from a table full of bachelors giving relationship advice."

"That does seem to be the case. Though I would wager the table will not notice my absence after 3 rounds."

"Logical as always Mr. Spock," Kirk said.

"Thank you, Captain."

"Now, let me tell you my three simple rules for handling women..."

Spock held in a groan. It was going to be a long night.

 

=-=-=

Once back in his quarters, Spock settled down to meditate to clear his mind and think about the events of the past few weeks. His mind immediately wandered to thoughts of Uhura. He imagined finally being able to make love to his wife and what their life would be like together when they shared a home permanently.

Like Sulu, Spock had been immediately attracted to Uhura's many charms. Aesthetically, she was very beautiful, however, it was her sense of innocence and wonder, and her guilelessness that Spock found utterly charming. She offered herself to him freely and she was not playing games or scheming for more than her share in life.

In fact, it was just the opposite, Nyota was constantly shying away from all the rewards she deserved. She deserved so much more and so much better than he could give her. But now that he had her he intended to keep her and protect her. The incidents with Riley and Sulu proved to Spock that Nyota needed him as much as he needed her. She was just too stubborn to see it but she would soon.

But words were meaningless, so he had tried to prove his worth to her with his actions, however, she was still holding herself back. If only she would let down her guard, let him in, and open her heart to him.

Spock's thoughts wandered back to their last night on Argelius. He had found Nyota in the club, he was getting good at finding her no matter where she might hide. She had looked like a goddess. She was dressed in the Argelian garb and she was dancing with abandon. Unfortunately, she was dancing with someone who was not her husband and that was unacceptable.

Some primal instinct urged him to call to her with his mind, to pull her to him where she belonged and she answered the call. She appeared before him ready to challenge his position as her husband. But in the end, she had acquiesced. His wife wanted to dance with someone so she would dance with him.

When he held Nyota in his arms all seemed right with the universe and nothing and no one could separate them. Until he did. He had offered her his hand in marriage and given her the time and space she needed to make a final decision. Spock normally did not second guess his decisions but tonight he wondered if he had done the right thing. He was not satisfied and Nyota did not look satisfied with the impasse. Sulu had intimated that she was miserable and therefore making Sulu miserable. But Nyota had to choose him of her own free will, he could not force her hand gain. She had to come to him this time.

Spock remembered the way it felt to kiss Nyota. She was always eager to kiss him and that night during their dance she had wrapped her body around his and kissed him as if he were the most important thing in the world, as if nobody was watching them, as if the world consisted of just the two of them. And he had allowed it because he had wanted it too. But he wanted so much more than just a kiss. He wanted Nyota mind, body, and soul and this proposal was his last-ditch effort to capture her before she slipped from his grasp forever.

With that in mind, Spock wondered where she was right now, and what she was doing? Was she getting the much-needed sleep she deserved? Was she thinking of him and their relationship? Was she with someone? He could let down his shields and reach out to her mind but he didn't want to violate their separation or her privacy. So he waited. He was a patient man, he would wait for what he wanted, and when he got it the victory would be all the sweeter.

Chapter 29: Phone Home

Summary:

Nyota gets a call from home.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Lieutenant, there is an error in your last report."

"Hmm?"

"Lieutenant?"

"Yes?"

"I said there as an error on your last report," Spock

"Oh. I am sorry Mr. Spock. I'll redo it right away," Uhura said looking over to Spock from her station

"There is no need. Just be more cognizant of the details on your next submission."

"Aye Sir," She said still just staring at him. Spock looked at her a moment longer and then pivoted back around in the Captain's chair.

He was holding down the con while the Captain was away on a mission with Dr. McCoy and Mr. Scott.

As far as missions went things were going smoothly and roughly on schedule. They should be back within the day. In the meantime, Spock had the ship's crew running routine reports for their departments. It as 'busy work' as the captain would call it but it would keep everyone on their P's and Q's and out of his personal business. It had not escaped Spock's notice that the entire ship seemed to be speculating on the nature of the relationship between Spock, Uhura, and Sulu.

The gossip didn't bother Spock, he was used to being the subject speculation, however, he worried about Nyota who seemed to be out of sorts. Spock knew she was still upset with him after his sudden proposal. She looked tired. She had mentioned the need for R&R back on Argelius but while they had shared a suite she had slept relatively peacefully. Now it looked like she hadn't slept in a while. He wanted to intervene but he had suggested they separate and he had to stick to that boundary. She needed to decide what she wanted. He had done everything he could and now it was up to her. Besides she had Mr. Sulu, Spock thought.

Spock was well aware of the rumors regarding Nyota and Sulu. Of course, he knew it was just so much nonsense, however, it still annoyed him on a primal level that another male was spending so much time with his wife while he had self-exiled himself from her.

Spock's mind wandered back to Uhura. He would have to keep his eye on her, separated on not. She was still his wife, at least for the time being.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Once again Nyota managed to make it through another shift without falling asleep at her station. That seemed to be the theme of her life, just getting by. She had never been so happy to see Lieutenant Palmer relieve her as she had been tonight. All she wanted to do was curl up on her bed and sleep for a week. She waited a good ten minutes after Sulu left before she could leave lest they get trapped in the lift together again. It was no use in telling people it was all an innocent hug. People had dirty minds, the busybody bastards.

When she returned to her cabin she had a message waiting for her. It was from Earth. Uhura immediately felt conflicted. She hadn't spoken to anyone from her family since she was kidnapped from the Enterprise by Spock and taken to Vulcan. They were probably worried about her and just calling to check-in. But if she spoke to anyone she would have to lie about why she hadn't called. Or she would have to tell the truth and explain that she was married and didn't tell anyone until now. Either way, she was screwed.

She listened to the message and tears sprang to her eyes. It was from Bibi, her grandmother.

"Hello my precious child," her grandmother said into the camera. "when are you going to call your Bibi? I know you're busy saving the universe but this is a bit much don't you think? Give me a call as soon as you get my message. I love you." The transmission ended and Bibi's calm serene face was frozen on the screen of Uhura's viewer.

Uhura couldn't take it anymore. She needed her Bibi.

She didn't care what time it was on Earth, she opened a channel and waited for her grandmother to appear on the screen.

She didn't have to wait long before Bibi was there smiling and happy.

Before Uhura knew what was happening she was spilling her guts and telling her grandmother everything that happened.

"Nyota Uhura, what did you just say to me?" Bibi asked in astonishment.

"I'm married, Bibi!" Uhura confessed through her tears.

"Okay, and why are you crying child? Has he hurt you?" Bibi asked getting ready to tear through the viewscreen if necessary.

"No. He hasn't hurt me, Bibi. I'm probably hurting him. I'm not a good wife."

"I don't believe it. Any man would kill to have you as a wife." Bibi said.

You don't know how true that is on Vulcan, Uhura thought.

For her part, Bibi was thrilled to see her baby girl's face but it broke her heart to see her child upset and crying. She was her precious pride and joy, the only girl in the family and she was so so far away from home where the family couldn't protect her.

Nyota had a habit of dropping surprises on them. She joined Starfleet after training in the performing arts all her life. She took off on a 5-year mission in deep space and hadn't been home since. And now she calls to say she's married. To an alien! This girl never did anything the easy way. What could she possibly know about Vulcans? And Bibi bet she knew who the Vulcan in question was too.

"You married that Vulcan Commander didn't you?" Bibi asked.

"How do you know that?"

"Mmm-hmm," Bibi nodded her head. "I knew it! He kept sniffing around asking questions about you. It was back when you got hurt and couldn't talk."

Uhura had never told her family the full extent of her illness back when Nomad wiped her mind. Firstly she didn't remember them and secondly, she didn't want to worry them. She figured if she had amnesia for the rest of her life there would be time to explain it while she was relearning her life. Luckily that was never necessary thanks to Spock.

Nyota's heart squeezed. "He did tell me he asked my family about me. He's the reason I got better Bibi. He did something that Vulcans do with their minds and he healed me," Nyota admitted.

Bibi nodded, "You love him very much I see."

"What? No!" Uhura denied it.

Bibi rolled her eyes. "Don't lie to me, child. It's written all over your face, you don't have to say the words to make them true. And he's crazy about you too. I could tell when he put up with all my storytelling." Bibi laughed. "He was enamored by the photos I showed him too, I could tell."

"What? You showed Spock those old school halo pics? Bibi no!" Uhura sighed and hid her face behind her hands. She had been a skinny gangly brat back then with braces on her teeth and a flat chest to boot. Those photos must be destroyed! She would see to it as soon as she got home.

"Grandma, how could you show those pics to a strange man?"

"He was not a strange man, he was your man."

"He wasn't my man back then."

"Wasn't he though? He acted like he was."

"NO! What makes you say something like that Bibi?"

"Well, then why did he call me and bombard me with questions about you? Why did he hunt down all your friends and family? Why did he heal you as you claim? Why did he marry you?"

"It's complicated," Uhura sighed.

"Life is not as complicated as you youngsters make it out to be. Boy meets girl, boy likes girl, boy marries girl. What's so complicated about that?"

"That's not how the Vulcans do it."

"Ooh, how do the Vulcans do it?" Bibi teased her.

"Grandma behave, please? Vulcans get engaged or bethrothed when they are like 7 years old and then they marry when they reach... a certain level of maturity I guess you could say."

"Is that so? So what happened with your husband and his Vulcan child bride? Did you steal somebody's husband?" Bibi asked concerned now.

"No, he got dumped," Uhura said.

"Lucky man." Bibi sighing in relief.

"You call getting dumped lucky?"

"He ended up with you didn't he? What would you call it?"

"Yeah, he ended up with me, some prize," Uhura said sadly.

"Now wait a minute young lady. Where is this coming from? You most certainly are a prize. You're a lieutenant on the most famous starship in the fleet. You're head of your communications department. You're a talented singer and musician and dancer and athlete. You're smart as a whip and you're not afraid of any challenge. And to top it all off you're my grandchild. If that is not a prize then I don't know what is. And I haven't even mentioned how cute you are. He's damn lucky. And he better act like he knows he's lucky because the Uhura's are not to be trifled with," Bibi said passionately.

"Okay," Uhura said without much enthusiasm.

"What is wrong with you girl? If I were a newlywed I wouldn't be moping around looking like Cinderella before the ball. I'd be honeymooning with my man. You're married. Where's your husband?"

"I don't know Bibi, probably somewhere poking needles into a Nyota shaped doll."

"Don't be so dramatic. You're still just a kid," Bibi said shaking her head. "You've hidden out on that ship of yours for so long you don't realize its well past time to grow up. When I was your age I had two kids and one on the way. But I know times are different, you're an astronaut, a space woman. Everybody wants to leave Earth in search of adventure out there in the vastness of space and marry aliens. But I'll tell you child, there are still adventures to be had right here at home on Earth."

Uhura rolled her eyes, she had heard this speech about space a thousand times before. "Bibi the Earth isn't big enough for all of us anymore. We have to go to space."

"Nonsense. I'm here in my house and there is not another neighbor in sight. You just couldn't wait to get out there and grab yourself a Vulcan. I always knew you'd wind up bring home some little green babies someday," her grandmother accused.

"Bibi no you didn't! I never liked any aliens before."

"You liked those Andorians an awful lot. I figured the babies would be blue but green is ok with me too. Bring your husband home on your next leave so I can get a good look at him in person. Don't make me come out there and find you two."

"Bibi you know you're never leaving Earth." Uhura's grandmother was adamant that the Earth was the cradle of human life and she was going to stay in that cradle until the grave.

"For you, I'll travel to the end of the universe, I won't like it, but I'll do it. I don't know how I'll get there but I'll get there, you just holler. You're my baby and don't you forget it."

"I know I am, I love you Bibi," Uhura said crying again.

"Okay, stop all that crying now. Just be good to your husband and he'll be good to you. He better, or else he'll have me to deal with."

Uhura shivered in mock horror. "I'll put the fear of Bibi into him for sure."

"You better. I love you."

"Love you too."

"Bibi out."

Uhura felt a lot better after unburdening herself to her grandma. She still didn't know what she was going to say to Spock but she was not so stressed about it either. Her Bibi knew about them now and she was somebody who had always had Uhura's back and always would.

"Damn it! I forgot to tell Bibi to keep her mouth shut!" Uhura thought as she got ready for bed. Hopefully, Bibi knew better than to tell Mama. She probably wouldn't. Bibi didn't like Mama and Mama didn't like Bibi. It was probably nothing to worry about. Nyota had a feeling everything would be alright now, so she drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 30: The Facts of Life

Summary:

Nyota and Charlene discuss the facts of life aboard the Enterprise and beyond.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Uhura and Spock were dancing like the Argelians, Uhura had her arms wrapped tight around Spock's neck and he had his hands press firmly against the bare skin of her back. They swayed slowly to the music that was blasting from the loudspeakers in the club and ignored everything and everyone else around them.

Uhura felt Spock's hands slide down lower and lower until he had cupped her ass and lifted her off her feet. She kissed him, marking him as her man for all the world to see. Fuck Leila! She thought as she ground her body into Spocks.

"I would prefer not to," Spock said to her in her mind.

"Oh, you can read my mind?" She asked after breaking the kiss.

"I cannot read your mind precisely, but I can sense some thoughts and emotions."

Uhura sported a devilish grin, "what am I thinking right now?"

"I cannot say for certain, perhaps a demonstration is in order?" Spock said.

"Let's go!" Uhura said breathlessly and Spock scooped her up into his arms and carried her through the club.

"Spock, hurry!" Uhura said as they fought their way through the crowded club. It seems that it was impossible for Spock to make progress getting her to the door.

"Spock!"

Uhura sat up in her bed, panicked. She looked around and realized she was safe and sound in her quarters. Alone. Her heart was pounding and she was drenched in perspiration. This had to end. She couldn't continue losing sleep like this.

Uhura had never been the kind of person who had a difficult time getting to sleep at night. She valued her beauty rest so much that she felt guilty when she had to work double duty on the bridge and had to miss her precious shut-eye. She used to be the kind of person who fell asleep as soon as her head hit her bunk. But lately, she found herself having a prolonged case of insomnia. Well, she could fall asleep but it was always interrupted by disturbing dreams that kept her awake half the night.

Since returning from her shore leave on Argelius, she found herself waking up in a cold sweat and aching for something she could not put a name to, or perhaps more precisely someone she didn't want to put a name to. She was beginning to realize just how difficult it was going to be avoiding a certain Vulcan officer and how unsettling it was to be separated from him.

He seemed so unavoidable. Uhura was beginning to question where her mind ended and where Spock's began since she learned that he could mind-speak to her. She even imagined she could hear him sometimes. Was he lurking somewhere in the back of her thoughts just watching, observing, and waiting? And then she felt foolish and chucked it all up to her overactive imagination.

Amanda had assured her that Spock could not violate her private thoughts in any way, katra or no katra, but still, she wondered. After all, Amanda and Sarek didn't share each other's katra, they didn't have the same Pon Farr experience she and Spock had shared. When Nyota had told Amanda about it she seemed to believe her but Sarek was skeptical that she and Spock could share dreams or delusions such as they had. But whatever the truth was, she was this bond they shared was still affecting her.

If she couldn't sleep she might as well get a jump on the day. She got up, made her bed, showered and dressed in her casual clothing. It was actually not that late so she headed for the rec room near the engineering section. That was usually deserted this time of the day and she had a better chance of avoiding Christine, Sulu, and especially Spock.

She was nursing her second large cup of black coffee in the mess and propping her head up on her hand when she was joined by Lt. Masters who was sipping on her own steaming cup.

"Where have you been hiding stranger?" Charlene asked sitting across from her.

"What? Oh, hi Charlene, how have you been?"

"I'm in ship shape, but you don't seem too hot. A lot of us in engineering have been worried about you girl. We haven't seen you below decks pestering Scotty, haven't seen you in the gym working out with Sulu, and haven't seen you at talent night singing with Mr. Spock. You just ghosted us. What are you doing after your shifts, hiding in your quarters, or should I say hiding in a certain commander's quarters?" Charlene raised both eyebrows theatrically.

"Charlene you know better than to believe in the rumor mill. There is nothing going on between me and Mr. Spock right now."

"See that 'right now' just proves there is definitely something going on between the two of you, just not 'right now'. You two used to be as thick as thieves a few weeks ago and now suddenly you ignore each other in public, you stopped playing and singing together in the rec, you don't tuck yourselves away in a corner and talk for hours like you used to, and you both pretend there is nothing 'going on' when everybody knows better. That all leads to the conclusion that there is indeed something going on. You might as well spill the beans and get it all out in the open as opposed to the ship's gossips who have already blown it all out of proportions."

"Charlene I wish you would drop it. I am in no mood to discuss Mr. Spock or anything else to do with him at the moment. In fact, all I want to do is curl up in my bed and sleep for a week."

"Well I hate to say it but you do look a hot mess, that's how I know something's going on with you. Look, you don't have to tell me all the sordid details, but you know you can talk to me if you need a shoulder to cry on. I know you can't talk to Chris about it since it has something to do with Commander Spock and you seem to be giving Sulu the cold shoulder lately too. But you still have me, and sometimes just talking helps, you know? Especially after Riley." Charlene said with a disgusted tone at the mention of Noyto's ex. "Girl, don't let these men get you down. We female astronauts have to stick together. For all the progress we've made it is still a male-dominated service."

"Thanks, Charlene. I know you mean well and I wish I could tell you what's going on but I don't understand it all myself. I'm just out of sorts. Lately, I can't tell dream from reality, I can't eat, and I can't even sleep through the night."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Hey, if you're really having trouble eating and sleeping why don't you talk to Dr. McCoy? I'm sure he could give you something to help."

"I would but I don't think it would do any good. I can get to sleep I just can't stay that way, I have strange dreams."

"Then maybe you need to talk to the new ship's counselor."

"Oh, not you too!" Uhura grumbled.

"What?" Charlene asked confused.

"Doctor McCoy already had me on the couch, fat lot of good that did. The thing is Charlene, I don't even know who I can trust anymore. This is about as personal as it can get and everyone who tries to help ends up getting burned."

"And you don't think you can trust the professionals?"

"Not with this, they'd have to take notes and write official diagnosis. This is beyond medicine and science. This is some mystical alien hoodoo... just too much!"

"Girl, you've got it bad."

"Yeah, but what is 'it'?"

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were lovesick," Charlene said with a knowing grin.

"Bite your tongue, if anything I'm sick of love."

"Come on Ny, you can't eat, can't sleep, can't think straight if you added that you were nauseous I'd even suspect you were pregnant."

"Oh my God!" Uhura gasped and nearly choked on her coffee. She set down her cup with a thud and stared blankly ahead. "No, it can't be that."

"Ny, what is it? Ny?" Charlene shook her friend's shoulder but got no response. "Ny, you're beginning to worry me," she pleaded. When Uhura still didn't reply Charlene stood up and grabbed her by the arm.

"Come on let's go."

Finally, Uhura snapped out of her stupor, "go where?"

"To sickbay," Charlene said pulling her out of the mess and towards the turbo lift.

Uhura stopped them in their tracks. "No! I can't go there, Christine might be on duty. I don't want to deal with her right now."

"Screw Christine, you have a right to the sickbay just like everybody else."

"NO!" Uhura dug in her heels.

"Nyota please, talk to me, do you think you could be pregnant?" Charlene whispered.

"No, I can't be...I mean I don't think so... I don't know," she hung her head.

"Oh my god! Is it Spock's?"

"Who else would it be?" Nyota snapped pulling her arm away.

"Nothing going on huh?" Charlene teased.

"Charlene I am not in the mood for jokes."

"Okay, I'm not joking. Let's go." Charlene snagged her again.

Uhura dragged her feet. "I am not going to sickbay."

"We're not going to sickbay."

"Then where are we going?"

"To talk."

"Charlene I can't..."

"Shut up Ny. This has gone far enough. I'm your friend. I'm not gonna let you go through this alone. I already told you we girls have got to stick together. Whatever it is, we will work it out."

They ended up in Uhura's quarters and Charlene made them both a fresh cup of hot tea and then they tucked together side by side on Uhura's small sofa.

"Now spill", Charlene demanded, "and don't you leave out a single drop."

Uhura sighed, she really did want to relieve herself of this burden and she knew she could trust Charlene. Maybe Charlene was the one person she needed at this time, she was more than a friend, she was the sister Uhura had never had.

"I don't know where to start."

"As always, start at the beginning."

"I don't even know where that is. I guess it began on Vulcan... no, it began before that, when Spock got sick on the bridge."

"Yeah, we all heard "officially" that he was sick with some rare Vulcan flu and had to be taken to Vulcan for treatment and that you accompanied him?"

"Yeah, that's not exactly what happened."

"I figured it was so much bullshit. People in the know say that Spock was out of his mind in sickbay after losing control on the bridge, and then he escaped, stole a shuttlecraft and you too?" Charlene ended with a question.

"Well I guess that's what happened technically, I didn't accompany him freely. The whole thing just defies belief. What I'm about to tell you can never leave this room, do you promise? I mean do you swear on all that is holy and sacred to you?" Uhura asked seriously.

"Ny, I swear I won't repeat a word of what you tell me. I've got your back. Now what really happened?"

"Ok, well, first, I guess you could say it all has to do with Vulcan biology."

"Biology?"

"Yes, you see about every seven years or so..."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"So," Charlene said finally, "you're either pregnant with Spock's child or you're possessed by Spock's Katra or Vulcan only knows what else is going on?"

"Yep, or I'm just plain crazy, but that sums it up nicely."

"You're right, it defies belief. But I believe you, and you're not crazy, you're stressed. Why don't you talk to Spock about all of this? Clear the air between the two of you."

"I can't, I just don't want to see him right now until I decide what to do. I need to work this all out in my head."

"And what if you really are pregnant?"

Uhura put her head in her hands. "I don't know Charlene, I just don't know. I can barely take care of me," and she began to cry.

"Oh sweetie, I told you no matter what, I will be here for you. Come here and cry, honey it's okay." Charlene held Uhura in her arms and let her cry on her shoulder while she rubbed her back and let Uhura's tears soak through her blue uniform.

What a mess, Charlene thought. She had no problem fixing a depleted dilithium crystal or a ship's wonky engine, but broken hearts were out of her element. Before you could fix something you had to run a diagnostic report to know where it was malfunctioning. Anyone with eyes could see that Ny was crazy for Spock and Spock obviously liked Nyota above all else. So why were they dancing around each other like a pair of hapless kids?

"Ny, what do you want for yourself?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you want to have a baby someday?"

Uhura sniffled. "I don't know, I never really thought about it. I didn't think it was possible."

Charlene looked surprised. Not possible?

"I mean I know biologically it was always a possibility... one day, but I'm an officer on a starship. 'The Starship Enterprise' I don't have room in my life for babies."

"What about Mr. Spock, do you have room in your life for him?"

"I just don't know Charlene. I am so confused. One minute I feel like I want to be with him and the next I can't stand him. Spock and I have always been hot and cold, you know that. First, we were friends, then he ignored me and now we're married but separated. This bonding thing just happened so suddenly."

"Ok, ok I understand that. It seems to me, you've reached a conditional construct. Down one path you have a husband and perhaps a family of your own. Down the other a successful career in Starfleet, perhaps a captaincy but you're alone. You have to look at the end of each path and decide which outcome you prefer. But it won't be easy because each path has rewards and each one has additional conditionals, and each one has sacrifices and rewards."

"That doesn't make it any easier to decide. I'm not a robot, I'm a woman. Why do I even have to decide? Why can't I have it all?" Uhura huffed.

"You mean the career, the husband, the kids, the whole nine yards? In the history of humanity has there ever been a woman who hasn't tried to have it all? No matter what we have, we always manage to find something we don't have and want that too." Charlene said smiling.

"I love being on a starship. I've wanted it all my life and I worked my ass off to get on the Enterprise. But now that I have it, I find myself looking for more too, longing for the things down the path I didn't choose. I envy you for having this choice." Charlene said.

"It's still so much easier for men, they can marry, have children, their families can stay on Earth or on a colony and wait for their tour to end. They don't have to lose years off duty having the child or raising it. They just keep on working. But we have to sacrifice precious career time raising a child when we could be working or vice versa," Uhura said.

"I know Starfleet command is thinking of refitting all galaxy class starships with family crew quarters so families can live on starships together, but who would want to raise a family on a starship? I mean it would solve one problem, that of working mothers, but it would just open a new can of worms, concern for your family's safety. Either way, we women sacrifice."

"There will be more women captains in the ranks soon so I guess we'll just have to wait and see how they manage their career and family life and follow their lead," Charlene said.

"Did I ever tell you about that Halkan mission when we were on that mirror Enterprise?" Uhura asked.

"Yeah, you said it really freaked you out."

"Yes, it did. Did I tell you that Captain Kirk had a woman living in his quarters on that Enterprise?" Uhura asked.

"NO!" Charlene said scandalized.

"Yes, an officer. She called herself the "Captains Woman". In fact, I think everyone was shacked up on that Enterprise."

"I can't believe Jim let himself have a woman, even in another dimension," Charlene said thoughtfully.

"JIM? Since when are you and the Captain are on a first-name basis?"

"Yeah, didn't I ever tell you that we dated back in the day?"

"What?! No! You mean you and 'The Captain Kirk' dated?" Uhura could not believe her ears.

"Mmm-hmm, well he wasn't a captain back then."

"No! Now you spill and don't miss a drop."

"Well..." Charlene hesitated. "There isn't much to tell. It was nothing serious, we were in the academy together. He was a very different guy then. He was serious and bookish really. All he cared about was becoming a ship's captain. But even then he had that reckless side, that part of him that is determined to win no matter what or maybe just more determined never to lose again."

"Really?"

"Yes, you know he had such a hard childhood. Raised by a single mother on that Earth outpost Tarsus. Remember that Kodos incident? That really affected him, seeing innocent people executed before his eyes while he could do nothing but witness it. That's why he takes it so hard when any crewman dies under his command. I mean, of course, he always cares, but that's why he gets so obsessed sometimes."

"I had no idea you two even knew each other besides professionally. You never even said a word."

"It was a long time ago, seems like another lifetime. I only mention it because you said his counterpart has a woman he keeps on the ship. I mean can you imagine Captain James T. Kirk of our Enterprise with a wife? He's married to this ship and that's that, no room for any woman."

"Is that what broke you two up?"

"No, we were both young and dumb. It just sort of fell apart." Charlene said sadly. "Plus as I said, he was already becoming the man he is today, he quickly moved on and found a replacement for me."

"Mmm-hmm, does it still hurt? Especially serving on the same ship?"

"No, not anymore, he's just a guy I used to date."

"Is he the one that got away?"

"Girl, they all got away. Remember Lazarus?"

"Lazarus? That insane traveler from another dimension?"

"Hey, he wasn't that bad, he was only half insane!"

"Don't tell me you had a thing with that guy?" Uhura could not believe the things Charlene was telling her

"Well, he had a certain jen'ais se quoi. But no we didn't, thank goodness. I mean it turned out he was two different people like your mirror universe Spock. There was one charming Lazarus and one insane Lazarus. I would never have known which one I'd slept with."

"Yes, you dodged a bullet. Anybody else I should know about?"

"Hmm, let me see, nobody significant. I mean there is DeSalle but-"

"DeSalle? Get out!"

"No, really it's just a 'friends with benefits' thing though."

"Oh my god, he's like only one of the sexiest men on the ship."

"You don't say?" Charlene said grinning.

"You know he is. So why just friends?"

"With benefits, don't forget the benefits. And why do you think, he knows he's sexy, knows he has options, he's not settling down anytime soon."

"So why would you hook up with a player like that?"

"He's not a player. He's actually a good guy, they all are, they just don't want to put a ring on it. At least you've got one that wants to put a ring on it, or whatever it is Vulcans put on you."

"Charlene! I didn't choose any of this. Sometimes it feels like Spock put a curse on me."

"Stop being so dramatic. I'm not trying to guilt you into being with Spock, but at least you are the one with the options. I mean he actually asked you to be his wife, that's more than a lot of us will ever get. The choice is yours."

"That's just too much pressure right now. I'm tired deep down in my soul." Uhura said. "And I still can't believe you had Capt. Kirk and Lieutenant DeSalle. No wonder DeSalle wouldn't give me the time of day, I flirted with that man like crazy when he first came aboard, but you already had him in the bag."

"I'm surprised he didn't fall for you, you are just his type."

"And what type is that?"

"Female and breathing," Charlene giggled.

"Stop it. I told you he never even flirted back. He must really like you," Uhura teased.

"Nah, I don't think so, there are just too many beautiful women on this ship for him to settle down with one. Like most career officers, he's trying to make captain one day, he's got no time for romance; besides if it was gonna happen it would have happened by now. You always hear those stories about somebody's life going in one direction until that special someone comes along and turns everything upside down. Kinda like you and Spock." Charlene said slyly. "But a pretty face will turn DeSalle's head just like any other man."

"Men are all alike, even Spock", Uhura said ignoring the "special Someone" comment. "You know he had a Vulcan fiancee and a human girlfriend. Bitches both of them! This little heifer Leila Kalomi even had the nerve to come to me making a play for Spock. Oh, and there was another one too, some tall skinny thing he was dreaming about during our bonding."

"You're calling somebody a bitch? That's not like you Ny. You're jealous." Charlene chided.

"I am not! Jealous of who? I had to get rid of his wife for him and his ex-girlfriend. And that little girl from Stratos was just a fantasy. It's just the way he dreamed about her that is weird. I wish you could see it. In his fantasy, she's barely dressed, just big green doe eyes and a smile and hardly anything else. She was fawning all over him too, even worse than Christine does. He told her about his 'affliction' too. This super-secret "Vulcans do not speak of it" private biological function and he's telling it to a girl he barely knows! Meanwhile, I've known him for years and he never said a word to me about it!"

"Oh yeah, you're jealous." Char grinned.

"I am not jealous, that's illogical!" Uhura said as she stomped her foot.

Charlene burst into peels of laughter. "You even starting to sound like him", she giggled. "It's so cute Ny. Oh god, I can just see your little brown Vulcan babies screaming illogical! illogical! during the terrible twos."

"Charlene stop it, I am not having a discussion about Vulcan babies, I can't right now."

"Aw, I know honey, I'm sorry, you've been through the wringer these past few weeks. Go and get dressed for bed and I'll sit with you until you fall asleep hows that sound? I have a late start tomorrow anyway."

"Would you? I feel a lot better after our talk but I wouldn't mind the company."

"Of course, I told you I've got your back. Then I'll sneak down to the sickbay and snag you a pregnancy test."

"Would you do that? Can you do that?" Nyota asked.

"Of course. What? Do you think this is the dark ages where they kill a rabbit? It's just a quick prick with a hypo."

"How do you know?"

"How do you think? Being a miss goody two shoes, I guess you've never had to take that long scary trip to the doctor. But I've been there done that a few times and no dead rabbits."

"I hate to ask such a personal question but..." Nyota let the question hang in the air.

Charlene shook her head. "It was negative and I was scared shitless. After that, I vowed to never get caught slipping up ever again. I'm surprised Dr. McCoy didn't give the two of you suppressants before you bonded."

"He did, that's why I just can't be pregnant. It's just that when you said it in the mess hall I was shocked and not thinking straight and the symptoms..."

"Well, we'll know for sure tomorrow. You just sleep tight tonight and lean on me for moral support. And if it turns out you are, there will be a shotgun wedding and I'll be holding the gun."

"I already had a lirpa wedding, and this whole thing is completely backward."

"You mean flipped and turned upside down like a good old-fashioned romance?"

"Charlene please!"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

It was raining, she didn't know where they were but she could hear the rain as it hit the roof and the windows. It pelted their shelter with force but she and Spock were safe from the storm. And they had a fire, there was a fireplace warming the room and taking the dampness out of the air. Spock didn't like damp, or cold. He was shivering now but Nyota was determined to keep him warm. That was her job, keep him warm, keep him safe, keep him alive. She was his wife and she was good at her job.

To that end, she wrapped her arms and legs around him. He was so hot. He was always so hot when she touched him. When would this fever, this burning ever end? All Nyota wanted to do was to make Spock better. She would do anything for him to be well. He belonged to her. She kissed his lips, his chin, his neck. She kissed him where ever she could. And Spock kissed her in return. And he touched her as well. He explored her with his lips, and his fingers, and his mind...

Nyota bolted up in her bed, her body covered in sweat, her heart racing, her body aching. Her arms felt so empty... What the hell, not again!

She looked around her quarters. In the other room, she could see the little coffee table had two teacups still sitting there. Charlene was nowhere in sight. Looking at her console she saw that she still had some time before her shift began. She rose from her bed and went to take a shower but before she could reach the bathroom door her main door chimed.

She went to the door and there stood Charlene with a cup of coffee and a small box.

"I come bearing gifts which do you want first?" Nyota eyed the small box guessing the contents and then grabbed the coffee.

"Procrastinate much?" Charlene teased as she pushed her way in and set the box on the coffee table and then cleared away the teacups from last night.

"I can't deal with major life changes before I've had my coffee," Nyota said taking a grateful sip of the hot brew.

"Ny is everything ok, you look a little shaky."

"I had another dream."

"Another? I know you said you couldn't sleep but you seemed fine when I left. You slept like a rock."

"Well, just now I had the dream."

"What dream?"

"Ugh, it's kinda embarrassing."

"What is it?"

"I keep dreaming that Spock and I are..." she couldn't finish saying the rest.

"You and Spock are...?" Charlene asked expectantly.

"We're... um... you know... sleeping together."

"Oh, that's all?" Charlene said taking a sip of her own coffee.

"That's all? That's all? I haven't had a good night's sleep since I got back from Argelius. All I do is have these crazy erotic dreams and wake up... feeling horrible."

"Why do you feel horrible?"

"I don't know, the dreams are so real, so intense, we're kissing and touching one another and then bam! I wake up right before anything happens."

"Oh, I see," Charlene smirked at her.

"You see what? What do you see that I don't?"

"You're sexually frustrated."

"What? No! Nope, that is not it. I am sleepy and exhausted and tired. I just want some rest and these damn dreams are driving me crazy."

"Because you don't finish."

"Don't finish the dream?"

"Well, the dream and the sex, you said you get all aroused in the dream and then nothing, you wake up. That would tick me off too."

"I am not ticked off because my sex dreams finish prematurely."

Charlene laughed. "Ny did you just hear yourself? 'my sex dream finished prematurely' you know who says stuff like that?"

"Don't even say it!"

"Spock!" Charlene finished anyway. "You've got it bad. What you need is to finish that dream. You need sex. I prescribe sex with your husband. Let him clean your pipes, get your juices flowing again."

"Yuck! Would you behave? That's the last thing I need. That's what got me in this mess in the first place."

"What? You act like sex is a four-letter word. We all have needs, we all get lonely. It gets cold out here in the vacuum of space, we all need someone to warm us up every now and then."

Charlene's words reminded Uhura of her dream, of her trying to keep Spock warm and she shivered.

"See," Charlene said, "you know its true. Look from what you told me last night, sleeping with Spock was not so terrible right? I mean he didn't hurt you or force you, you just didn't like how it all went down? No pun intended."

"No, he didn't hurt me," Uhura quietly confessed.

"But did you enjoy it, even a little?"

Uhura blushed. She didn't know what to say. "I don't really want to talk about it Charleen, it was weird I told you."

"I'm sorry for pushing. Look, I just want you to be okay with all of this. If you like Spock I think you should go for it. No matter what the rest of the world thinks or how weird it may seem. You have a right to your happiness too."

"At first I was angry about what happened. Now, I'm still angry but not for the same reason. Too many things have happened since then. I think I hate men a little."

Charlene choked out a laugh. "You don't hate men. Almost every friend you have on this ship is a guy. I'm lucky I can even talk to you. I think men are your favorite toys. You're just mad at one guy, the one that's got you all turned up."

"I am not all turned up. Whatever that means."

"Yes, you are. Ny, I like you, I don't want to see you make a big mistake. So I'm gonna do something I would normally not do, I am going to give relationship advice. Talk to your man. Have the long difficult embarrassing conversations that two grown-ups are capable of having and straighten all of this out before it gets out of hand. Don't tiptoe around this ship like a pair of school kids at your first dance. You both deserve better."

"Is that what you think I'm doing playing a game?"

"No, I think you're procrastinating and that's not like you at all. Now take this box, take this test, and then handle it no matter what it says."

"Gee thanks mom," Uhura said taking the box reluctantly.

"Don't you sass me, missy. Remember no matter what it says no matter what you decide I'll be by your side and so will all your friends. We love you, we're family. Trust that everything will be all right."

Uhura examined the hypo box, stalling. What did she want? Did she want a baby? Did she want to marry Spock? Was she angry at Spock or was she angry at herself? If she was honest with herself she would say that what happened on Vulcan was not the worst experience of her life, far from it. It was weird and frightening, but it was also exciting. She had had Spock all to herself and his life had depended on her. And just as in her dreams, she could have him again, he could be hers to take care of, to protect, to keep warm forever. Hell, they were bonded and they shared a katra, she couldn't escape him even if she wanted to and she didn't want to. That's what frightened her, that's what angered her. She wanted Spock so much it hurt.

Uhura opened the box and took out the hypo. Briefly, she read the instructions, loaded the test tube into the chamber and held it to her arm. No matter what happened next, this was going to hurt.

Chapter 31: Bad Case of Loving You

Summary:

Nyota is sick and tired and only Spock has the cure.

Notes:


Doctor Doctor, gimme the news
I got a bad case of lovin' you
No pill's gonna cure my ill
I got a bad case of lovin' you

Robert Palmer - Bad Case Of Loving You

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Negative! Nyota didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. She felt at once relieved and disappointed. It was a strange reaction for someone who wasn't even thinking about motherhood a few months ago. She didn't want to have a baby but she didn't 'not' want to have one either.

"Damn it!" she said and tossed the test hypo on her little coffee table. She began to pace and Charlene picked the hypo up. Do you mind if I look...?" she asked before reading the result.

Nyota nodded her head as tears began to accumulate in her eyes.

What the heck was wrong with her? This was good news, wasn't it? So why did it hurt so much?

"Well," Charlene said, "That's that." and she tossed the test back on the table. She stood and stopped Nyota from pacing and hugged her tight. "No matter what, remember I've got you," she whispered in Nyota's ear.

"Why does it hurt?" Nyota asked.

"I don't know," Charlene said. "It just does. I guess we're just wired that way as women. We want what we don't want."

"I really do hate men." Uhura moaned.

"No, you don't sweetie. You're just shaken."

"I'm so tired. I feel like I've run a race, came in last and there's nobody to cheer me at the finish line."

"I know you're tired. I think you should call out sick today."

"I'm not sick."

"Of course you are, Dr. Masters says you need bed rest."

"You're just full of medical advice aren't you?"

"No joking. I need you to be okay. So either you call out or I report you to Dr. McCoy. I still think you need to see him."

"No. I don't want to see anybody right now. You're right though. I do need some rest and a little me time. I just want to be alone."

"Are you sure? I could trade shifts and stay with you a little while longer."

"No, you've already done enough. I don't want to keep you from your work and besides, I think I just need to rest and zone out for a while."

"Okay. I still think you need to talk to Dr. McCoy or the ship's counselor. I'm an engineer, not a physician."

"You mean you can't fix broken hearts?"

"Not by a long shot." She kissed Nyota's forehead. "Hmm, you feel a little warm." She said with a worried look.

"I'm just tired and run down. I'll be ok."

"I'll stop by after my shift to check on you."

"No need."

"I'll do it anyway, so humor me," Charlene commanded.

"Alright, I'll be here. If I'm asleep or in the shower just let yourself in with the code." Uhura said yawning.

"Okay," Charlene turned to leave but stopped. "You know I love you right?"

"Yes, 'MOM' I love you too." Nyota teased.

"I told you not to get sassy. I'm serious. I love you and I want to see you happy."

"You're a good friend, and I really do love you too Charlene. And I want YOU to be happy too."

"Okay, catch you later."

Once Charlene left, Uhura slipped off her nightgown and took a much-needed shower where she used up all her allotment of water as she cried her eyes out. But once the water ran dry so did her tears and her energy. She barely dried herself off before tossing the towel on the floor and slipped nude into her bed. She as asleep as soon as her head hit her pillow.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Mr. Spock. Just the man I wanted to see." Captain Kirk said as Spock entered the bridge.

"Yes, captain?"

"Do you know where Lt. Uhura is?"

"No captain I do not. Is there a problem?"

"She did not report for her shift and we have not been able to reach her on the comm."

"Is that so?" Spock asked calmly but inside his heart lurched. Was Nyota in danger? Was she harmed or lying ill somewhere on the ship? His mind raced with possibilities.

"Do you mind going to her quarters and checking? I could send security but I thought-"

"No, Captain I'll check and report in," without waiting for a response he headed for the turbolift.

When Spock arrived at Uhura's door he felt a wave of nostalgia. He'd often stood right here waiting for Nyota to let him in during their off-hours when he would give her Vulcan lessons and spent hours in conversation. Those visits were always a highlight of his day and he cherished those memories, but those days were long gone.

He buzzed Uhura's door and waited for a response. After waiting several moments he buzzed her door again. He knew she was in her suite, he'd already done a scan of the ship with internal sensors and Uhura not responding set his nerves on edge. He could use his override codes to barge in but there was no need, she'd given him her access code years ago when they first began their lessons. She may have changed the code since then but he decided to try it first before using his security codes and alerting security of a problem.

To his surprise and relief, her code still allowed him entrance. Once inside, the first thing he noticed was that the lights were dimmed and set for evening mode. Then he saw the coffee table and immediately noticed the open hypo kit and coffee mug. Spock's keen eyes read that the box contained a pregnancy kit even in the dim lighting.

Moving deeper into her suite, he saw through the sleeping chamber curtain that Uhura was sleeping in her bed. Now he was torn. He could clearly see that she was merely sleeping, yet there were so many unanswered questions that this scene presented; the most pressing of which was the hypo kit sitting on the table in the sitting room. He didn't dare pry into her affairs by reading the result but his mind was burning with curiosity.

Spock stood still in that room paralyzed with indecision. Lately, he could not manage his emotions or center his thoughts where Nyota Uhura was concerned. His fine neatly ordered mind was in chaos, much like his life. And all because of this woman. How did he get here? How had his life come to this?

After a few more moments of indecision, Spock decided to leave, report to the captain and continue on with his duties. Uhura was fine, just sleeping, and he would not disturb her. He would have been blind if he had not noticed that she had been looking exhausted lately though he dared not approach her about it. Could her exhaustion be a symptom of maternity? Again, he could not interfere further.

But before he could bring himself to turn and walk away Uhura began to struggle in her sleep and moan. "Spock!" She cried out and sat up in bed.

Spock stood in her room and waited for her to notice him and scream. She was breathing heavily and he surmised she'd been having a nightmare about him.

So when she finally glanced his way he was prepared to withstand her shouts but she seemed barely surprised to see him and she lay back down panting.

"How long have you been standing there?" Uhura asked.

"Not long, a few moments."

"You mean you don't know precisely down to the second?"

"I have been standing here precisely 8.6-"

"Never mind, I was joking. So why are you here?"

"I came to check on your well being."

"Oh, now you care?" she said bitterly.

Spock drew in a sharp breath.

"Sorry, that was uncalled for Spock. I haven't been myself lately." Uhura confessed.

Spock had no reply to that pronouncement.

"Look, I don't want to talk to you right now, do you understand?"

"No, but I will respect your wishes."

"Of course you will," Uhura said frustrated.

"I am sorry I disturbed you."

"Yeah, okay."

He turned to leave but she called him back.

"Wait! Look, Spock, I don't mean to be... well... mean. I am just having a moment okay. It's a female thing. You've got your Vulcan biology and I've got my human biology."

"I understand," he said even though he did not but he desperately wanted to.

"No, you don't, you can't, you're a man."

"Well, I cannot argue with that observation."

"No, you can't. I just found out something that upset me and I am taking it out on you when I shouldn't. I'm sorry."

"There is no need to be sorry, you have not harmed me. The captain was worried about you and sent me to check on you and your whereabouts."

"Is that so? Why didn't he send security or a med team?"

"I did not find it necessary to challenge his request."

"I'll bet. Well, as you can see I am alive and well."

"Yes, you are alive, but are you well?"

"Oh don't you start. I've had enough of all the armchair physicians and psychologists questioning my health. I am fine, or will be if people would just leave me alone for half a second!"

Spock didn't know what to say to that except to take her at her word. "I will take my leave then." He turned but she called out stalling him again.

"No, wait." Uhura didn't want him to leave even though she still didn't know what she wanted to do about him.

"I know you have to report to the captain, but afterward can you spare a moment?"

"Of course."

Spock went to her computer console in the sitting room and contacted the bridge. He informed the captain that Uhura was indisposed and would not be at her post today, and then he informed the captain that he would be in her quarters if needed.

Uhura lay back on her bed and covered her face with her arm. Now everyone on the bridge would be gossiping about this too. But she couldn't worry about that. She had bigger fish to fry.

Spock came back into her bedchamber and stood at the foot of her bed at attention.

"You look foolish standing there like that. Have a seat."

"There is no chair."

"Sit on the bed," she said with a roll of her eye.

"I prefer to stand."

"Sit!" she commanded.

Spock sat perched gingerly on the very edge of her bed.

Nyota shook her head at his silliness. Whatever.

"Okay, I know you saw that test kit on the table."

"Yes, I did."

"Well?" She asked.

"Well?" he replied.

"Have you nothing to say, nothing to ask me?" She probed.

Spock had a million things to say and ask, but he said, "I would not presume to impose on your privacy."

"My privacy? Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"So you don't want to know if you are going to be a father? Okay, you can leave then." She turned her back to him and covered her head with her blanket. Uhura knew she was being an asshole but so was Spock. She knew damn well he wanted to know what was on that test, but he was being too Vulcan to ask.

Spock did not move. He sat perched on the edge of her bed torn. Of course, he wanted to know what was on that test result but he didn't want to pry. He had caused her enough grief, yet she seemed to want to tell him. She had asked him to stay-

Uhura turned to face him again. "Oh my god Spock, I can see the thoughts flying around in your head at warp speed. Can't you ever just relax? It was negative, I'm not pregnant."

Spock was stunned. All at once he felt relief and remorse. Why did he feel those things? "I'm... I don't know what to say."

"You? Speechless? Mark the record books, Commander Spock is speechless!"

Spock remained silent.

"I'm sorry Spock, I shouldn't joke, I was pretty speechless myself when I found out. I never realized how much it hurt to take a pregnancy test."

"I am sorry I am once again the cause of this pain."

"It's not all your fault, it takes two to make a baby."

"But I... you were not... you didn't have a choice in the matter."

"Is that what you believe? You did not force me or anything, Spock. I chose to help you and this was a consequence. And it's over now. We're not pregnant."

Spock felt his heart squeeze when she said 'we're'. It made him feel they were sharing something special, that they were truly a bonded couple.

"I'm still angry at you though. I don't know why, but I am. But if you don't mind, can you stay for a while? I'm exhausted and I need some rest. That's why I missed my shift. I forgot to notify the bridge. I am sorry about that, Sir."

So she was speaking to her commanding officer now?

"It is of no consequence Lieutenant, the cause was sufficient. I will stay for a while."

"Good. Will you lay down beside me Spock, you're making me feel weird, you sitting there all starched and spit-shined while I'm lounging in bed. I know this is violating your 'boundaries' but I need you to just be here for me. Besides, I trust you. In spite of everything, you are one of the few people in this world that I can trust completely. I know you won't try to pull anything. In fact, you'll probably break your neck trying to keep from touching me accidentally, won't you?"

"I will do no such thing."

"Good. Take off your boots and lie down. I have a feeling I'll sleep better with you nearby since you're my other half and all that." She joked and scooted aside on the bed making room for him.

"I believe the Earth expression is 'my better half'?"

"Is that so? So am I your better half?"

"I believe you are the best part of me."

"Aww, you silver-tongued devil." She slid back down under her blanket.

"Don't let me have any more bad dreams okay?" she pleaded.

"I will endeavor to do my best."

Spock meant his words and made them into a solemn vow. He would do his best for her from now on. No matter how difficult it was, he was going to do his best for her, his other, better half.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Spock watched Uhura as she slept. He watched as her breathing slowed and deepened and became steady. But he soon noticed perspiration forming on her forehead. He didn't think it was unduly warm in the room, he was actually a little chilled himself. Normally he'd be able to detect if Nyota were ill through their bond, however, he had been doing his best to block her feelings out of his mind to protect her privacy.

Now he doubted the wisdom of that decision as he worried about her health. Spock knew Nyota had been tired lately and she had complained of bad dreams. Now she was perspiring profusely, and she had never missed a day of work unless she was injured but she had overslept and forgot to report into the bridge. Something was not right here. He braced himself with a calming breath and lowered his shields.

Spock caught his breath as a rush of emotions bombarded him. Nyota's mind was in turmoil. How could she even stand it? This was most definitely not normal. He'd been in contact with human minds before, sick twisted minds that were in constant agony, and right now Nyota's mind was on par with the worst he had encountered. This was nothing like Nyota's peaceful gentle mind. This twisted feverish mind was more like...Plak-tow!

Spock couldn't believe it was happening. How was this happening? He pulled the blanket back from Nyota and discovered she was drenched in sweat. Nyota! He was afraid to touch her naked form but he had to. "Nyota, he shook her arm and she didn't stir. Please, Nyota, wake up!"

She was burning up! How had he not know? They were bonded! But he had been blocking her out. He had inadvertently done to her what T'Pring had done to him. T'Pring had forced him to wait until it was almost too late; until his need had become so great that she couldn't shield her mind from him any longer. But Nyota could not barge her way into his mind and demand attention the way he had done T'Pring. Damn it! Why did he keep messing things up between him and Nyota!

He jumped up from the bed and ran to the comm unit to call for Dr. McCoy.

"Sickbay! Doctor McCoy, there is an emergency in Lt. Uhura's cabin. Please make your way here at once, and Doctor please be discrete."

"Discrete? For an emergency?" McCoy groused over the line.

"It is a matter of extreme delicacy. I'll explain when you get here but please hurry, and tell no one," Spock said in a strained voice barely able to contain his own emotions.

He started to take deep calming breaths as he paced the tiny room awaiting the doctor. How could Nyota be asleep at a time like this? She said she would sleep better if he was nearby, was that it? Was he somehow keeping the madness at bay?

Or was she already too far gone? Spock nearly collapsed at the thought. Hurry Doctor!

He didn't know what, if anything, McCoy could do. The body had to release the hormones and endorphins that were building up and Spock didn't even begin to understand what something like this could do to a female let alone a human one.

Would he ever stop hurting Nyota? No wonder Vulcans shied away from love. It was dangerous. His feelings were killing his wife.

When McCoy arrived he let himself into Uhura's cabin and stopped dead in his tracks. Spock looked a mess, his emotions raw on his face. "Not again," McCoy groaned inwardly.

"Spock, what's happened to you? You look terrible."

"It is not me Doctor, it is Nyota, she is ill."

"What? What is it?" McCoy rushed over to Spock.

"It is the Fever," Spock said.

"What Fever? What are you talking about?"

"The Fever Doctor, the Plak-tow!" Spock shouted.

"Spock be serious-,"

"I do not joke Doctor. Nyota is in Plak-tow."

"Move," McCoy said stepping into Uhura's bedroom and approaching the bed.

Spock growled when McCoy touched her forehead. He felt an overwhelming desire to protect what was his.

"Goddamnit Spock, not you too! I'm a doctor I have to touch her."

"Hurry Doctor. I am trying... Just hurry!"

McCoy neared Uhura again and Spock managed to keep his growls to himself. He turned his back so that he did not see another male touch his woman.

"What the hell?" He heard Bones say.

"Spock we've got to get her to sickbay she's burning up and her vitals are off the chart!"

"I know that Doctor. But you also know there is no treatment for the Plak-tow."

"Then why did you send for me, to watch her die?"

Spock made a strangled sound. "I don't know what to do." He whined and it nearly broke McCoy's heart to hear it. This wasn't like Spock to give up.

"Well, neither do I! I haven't had time to study your medical records yet let alone a new case. How the hell did she get a Vulcan disease?"

"I infected her," Spock said. Now he was angry at himself. This was all his fault.

"Infected her with what? How? I gave her a thorough exam after your Pon Farr and she was fit as a fiddle."

"It is not a viral or bacterial infection, it is psychic."

"What in the blazes are you talking about?" McCoy yelled.

"My Katra! That must be the cause of this. I should have recognized the symptoms. She was angry, so angry and I didn't realize what was causing it. I'm supposed to know but I blocked her mind!" He raged.

"Spock, snap out of it!" McCoy said shaking his shoulders. Spock shoved McCoy away and the doctor flew across the room.

"Now look here," McCoy said as he got up. "I'm here to help you two damn it. You better control yourself."

"I... can't," Spock ground out. Every instinct he had said to protect his wife and defend her from anyone who threatened their bond. "Get out!" he roared at the doctor.

"Now you wait a minute you pointy-eared-"

"Get out now before I throw you through that door. I do not want to hurt you, Doctor."

"Spock, I'm not leaving Uhura here-"

"The longer you stay the more danger you are in. I can not-" Spock struggled to control his emotions. "Get out and do not allow anyone else in here, no matter what," Spock warned as he went towards Uhura's bed.

"Spock, are you out of your Vulcan mind!"

Spock turned to face McCoy and the look on his face sent chills down the doctor's spine. Yup. That was all the answer to his question that he needed before he turned tail and ran.

"McCoy to the bridge. Get me the Captain, private channel." He demanded as soon as he was clear of Uhura's quarters and made it to a comm panel.

"Mmm Captain Kirk," M'Ress said to the Captain. "Dr. McCoy is asking for you on your private channel."

"I'll take it here, M'Ress, thank you."

"Kirk here," he said once the frequency was open at his chair.

"Jim, we have a code green situation. I need you to meet me at my office stat."

"I'm on my way Bones. Kirk out."

Captain Kirk hopped from his chair like a fire had been lit under his heels and bounded to the turbolift.

"Mr. Sulu you have the Con," He ordered as the door slid closed.

Chekov turned to Sulu. "Code Green? What is a code green?"

"I don't know Pav but I have an idea."

"Vhat?"

"Notice both Spock and Uhura are absent?" Sulu pointed out.

"Yes, so?"

"So, haven't you noticed anything strange going on with them lately?"

"Yes, how can I not? Nyota attacked Mr. Spock."

"She did not attack him! I was there, it was an accident." Sulu protested.

"Ok, then what?"

"Have you noticed they are ignoring one another?"

"I suppose they have been. I asked Nyota about it and she nearly bit my head off. Most unlike her."

"Well," Sulu said. "It's all too familiar. Last time it was Spock biting people's heads off."

"Sulu you don't think...?"

"Pave, all I can say is you might want to plot a course to Vulcan just in case."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Spock was so angry, at himself, at his life. He was just as the other children said he was, a misbegotten bastard. He had played with mental arts he had no business dealing with. He infected Nyota with his katra and now she had a Vulcan disease her human metabolism was not equipped to deal with.

She was going to die if he didn't do something fast. But what did he do? If she was a Vulcan he supposed he would just have sex with her. But how would that work to relieve the fever? She was a human female. Hell, he didn't understand how the fever worked in Vulcan males let alone a female!

He couldn't let her die though. He gathered her up in his arms and carried her to the washroom and stepped into her little shower. He turned the shower on full blast as cold as he could stand it. Uhura didn't even wake up. Her hair was drenched and Spock though she would be pissed if it got tangled. He thought about how fastidious she was with her appearance, much like a Vulcan would be. He remembered how much she enjoyed the sound of rain as the water pelted them. "Wake up!" he cried. "Please wake up."

When her water allotment ran out, Spock stepped out of the shower with her still in his arms. He was soaked down to his skin, as he had not even bothered to remove his uniform. He carried her back to the bed and set her down gently and then he undressed. He found her towels and wrapped one around his waist. Now what?

He covered Nyota with a sheet and adjusted the temperature of the room to the lowest setting he could stand. Then he got on her comm.

It took a few moments for his mother to come onto the viewscreen.

"Spock? What a surprise. Is-"

"Ko-mekh! Mama! Nyota is dying!" Spock said in Vulcan. In his haste, he didn't even bother trying to translate into federation standard.

"What!" Amand screeched.

"She is dying Ko-mekh, please help me," he said panicking.

"Spock! Calm thyself! What is happening, why is Nyota dying?" Amanda asked in a panic herself. Spock looked a mess. He was topless and he looked wet. Was he crying?

"It is the Plak-tow! She has the Fever and she will not wake up!"

"How do you know it is Plak-tow?" Amanda asked.

"I feel it here," he punched his chest. "It burns," he wailed.

"Ok, ok. Oh my god, how is this happening? What do we do? Where are you?"

"I'm in her quarters. I put her in the shower but she will not wake up."

"Ok well, we already know there is no breaking that fever with cold packs or medicine," Amanda said.

"I know. She will die, it may already be too late," Spock said in despair.

"No. Listen to me, Spock. You are her Adun. You are going to have to help her."

"I can not-"

"You must!" she shouted. "Spock, you have to help your Aduna. That is your duty. Don't you feel the pull?" Amanda asked him.

"Yes! I do, but I cannot.

"Spock, if you let that girl die... Ooh, the beating I will give you!" Amanda yelled at the viewer in a panic. "Hold on damn it!"

The viewscreen went black. Had his mother abandoned him too?

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Sarek was listening with half attention as the speaker from their neighbor star system proposed a new trade agreement. They were expanding their trading routes into unexplored territory and offered Vulcan new resources. It was all standard negotiations that needed little of his input.

But his interest was piqued when a page approached T'Pau with what appeared to be an urgent message. It was unheard of for someone to interrupt council proceedings unless under the gravest circumstances. Whatever it was could wait until the council adjourned. That was T'pau's own rule. Unless something had happened to his Father? Sarek dropped his shields to allow mental contact with his family and he was bombarded with panic from Amanda. Something had happened to Spock!

Sarek wanted to bound out of his seat and go home, however, there was still decorum to maintain. With foreign dignitaries present he could not behave emotionally. And so he held still and exercised his calming techniques.

Luckily T'pau interrupted the speaker. She announced that there was pressing business she had to attend to immediately and the session would be adjourned until tomorrow. There were grumbles through the chamber but no one disagreed or dared challenge T'Pau. Once the meeting was officially adjourned Sarek rushed to T'Paus side.

"Come," she said wasting no time with formalities. Sarek took her arm and walked with her to her private office. Once behind closed doors she seated herself in front of her main view screen and opened the channel. Amanda appeared on one side of a split-screen and Spock on the other. And Spock looked as pale as a ghost and he was dripping wet.

"Spock-kan," T'Pau said. "What ails thee?"

"Ko'mekh-il! Nyota has the Fever, she is dying! Help us, please?" Spock begged in Vulcan.

"Kroyka!" T'Pau barked.

Spock wiped his eyes and stared into the viewer like a lost boy.

"Spock," T'Pau said, "thee alone can help thy Aduna. You must mate with her."

"I cannot! She is not well. She will not wake!"

"You must wake her from the Fever with thy body," T'Pau spoke to him as if he were a child. "Nyota is your Aduna, only you can save her."

"How?" Spock said again.

"Spock-kan, this is the Vulcan heart. This is the Vulcan soul. This is our way. It comes down from the time of the beginning, without change." As T'Pau spoke the ceremonial words something settled in Spock and knew his grandmother spoke the truth, but...

"But Nyota is not Vulcan."

"Thy Aduna feels as a Vulcan and burns as a Vulcan. She is Vulcan," T'Pau pronounced.

"She will hate me Ko'mekh-il" Spock said resigned to misery.

"Hate is illogical. Thy wife will live."

Notes:

Vulcan Language Dictionary (VLD)

Adun - Husband
Aduna - Wife
Ko-mekh - Mother
Ko'mekh-il - Grandmotehr

Chapter 32: Sexual Healing?

Summary:

Spock and Uhura have been doing this little song and dance around each other for far too long and now its time for some healing. They say laughter is the best medicine, but Vulcans do not laugh so they'll have to try the next best thing.

Notes:

There is a deleted scene from this chapter here
Vulcan Flu

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-

Spock broke the connection to Vulcan and went back to attend to Nyota. He could do this. He had to do this. He sat on the bed and gathered her up in his arms again. She was still wet. He had not dried her before he called his mother. So he took the towel he had dropped over her and began to dry her skin.

As he gently wiped the towel over her to dry her he noted how very beautiful his wife was. He loved the color of Nyota's beautiful earth-toned skin and how smooth her complexion was. That was one of the first things he had noticed about her. And her smile, she had the most radiant smile. It was mischievous and mysterious like that of the Mona Lisa. And her eyes. She had such rich dark brown eyes but they sparkled like the sky on a Vulcan evening. Everything about Nyota Uhura was appealing to Spock. She was a perfect beauty.

He dried her skin but her hair was a tangled mess. She had made two fat braids of it but they had not survived the shower. If she lived through this fever she would kill him for ruining her crowning glory.

Spock almost broke at the thought of losing her. There was only one way to save her, but that meant violating her again. And she would hate him for it. He would lose her anyway. She trusted him with her life and he had failed her. A wave of anger and despair washed over him. 'Fuck my life,' he thought making use of the colorful language he heard other crewmen use on occasion.

Either he let his wife die in agony or he violated her body without her permission. Some choice. Was this the choice his mother had given Nyota when they were joined during his Pon Farr? No wonder Nyota was angry at him. And now that the situation was reversed somehow, she was still going to be angry with him. But logic demanded that he live with her anger rather than live without her.

"Nyota, Aduna, please forgive me," Spock whispered in her ears as he took her in his arms and pressed their bodies closer together.

He kissed her forehead, and the tip of her pert nose and her stubborn chin. "Please forgive me," He said again as he began to explore her body with his hands.

"Okay," She moaned softly.

"Nyota!" Spock shouted in shock when she spoke. "Nyota!" He shook her again. "Aduna wake! I need you!"

"Not right now, I don't feel well," Nyota said in a drowsy voice.

"We must!" Spock insisted. "Wake up," he shook her shoulders.

"Spock, I'm tired, I don't feel good."

"I know Aduna. But please for me, open your eyes."

Nyota opened her eyes and looked up into Spock's face. She looked confused and annoyed at the same time.

"I'm sleepy, let me go to sleep."

"No. You cannot, you must stay awake, you must stay with me."

"Why can't I sleep?"

"You're ... we need to bond."

"Bond? Been there done that," she said and she tried to roll away from him.

"No, we must bond right now. Please Nyota, you need this."

"I need you to get off of me so I can get some sleep." She tried pulling away again.

"No!"

"What?" She opened her eyes at his shout.

"You are my wife, you will attend me. Now!" he commanded with his most arrogant vice.

"Spock! Have you lost your mind?"

Spock laughed without humor. "Yes! It is lost in you somewhere. Yes, I have absolutely lost my mind!"

"Spock, you're scaring me. What is happening?" Nyota struggled to sit and disentangle herself from Spock.

"I just want to make love to my wife, is that a crime?"

Uhura squinted her eyes in confusion, "You've never wanted to before. Why now?"

"What do you mean I have never wanted to? I have always wanted to."

"You did? But you never tried to...I thought... I thought you didn't want me," she said sadly.

"No," Spock said. "Of course I want you. I need you." He tried to hug her to him but she pushed him away.

"Nyota stop this nonsense now! I don't know how much time you have, don't you feel the fever burning in you? Don't you feel the desire to mate coursing through your veins?" he pleaded with her.

"I don't know what I feel, you're confusing me. I don't know what to think anymore!" she cried.

"Then don't think, just feel." He touched her psi points. "Feel what I feel in you," he said. "Just feel..." With his fingers on her psi points, he began his chant. "My thought to your thoughts. Your thoughts to my thoughts... Feel. Feel me in your mind. Feel the fire that burns for your husband."

"Yes!" She cried. "Yes, I feel it. It burns. It hurts. I' so hot."

Suddenly Nyota sprang up and pushed him on his back. "I need you." She said looking at him with fever-glazed eyes.

"Then come, take what you need," Spock said as he lay still on his back beneath her.

Uhura grabbed the back of Spock's head and brought his face close to her own. "You're mine!" She said and kissed him hard.

"Yes, yours," Spock said through their mind link. "Take what is yours."

-=-=-=-=-

Nyota awoke to the sound of rummaging in her dining area and the smell of food cooking.

Spock had prepared breakfast for her if her nose was any indicator.

She sat up and stretched her arms above her head and froze.

"Ouch!" She was so stiff. She must have slept the wrong way or something. Then she looked down and realized she was naked. She hurried to cover herself with her sheet.

Where did this come from? This was not the blanket she had on her bed earlier. Had Spock changed her bed, she looked around. The room was in order but some things were slightly different. Uhura noticed little things. Her sheets were different, her vanity looked too neat, everything looked too neat. Did Spock clean her room while she slept?

She lay back down and covered herself up as Spock came into her bedroom with a tray.

"Plomeek soup and toasted flatbread," Spock said placing the tray in front of her

"Is this special soup?" She asked as he sat on the bed and served her.

"Special?" he questioned.

"Yes, when I had breakfast with your mother on Vulcan she was very interested in learning about the soup you served me before. She wanted to know why and how you prepared it for me. I told her it was just because we often grab quick meals together but she seemed to think this plomeek soup was special, some kind of courtship ritual."

"Ah," Spock said.

"Ah, as in you know what she meant? There is some truth to her claim? This," she pointed to her soup, "has some secret meaning?"

"Plomeek soup is a traditional Vulcan staple meal and as such it does hold a special place in our culture. However, what my mother was referencing is the taboo of catering to someone who is not your own mate. If an unbound person were to serve another unbonded person, it could be perceived as a declaration of intentions to mate. Of course, the other party would also have to accept for it to be official."

"Is that so? So that's why you tossed Christine's soup in her face?"

"I did no such thing," Spock said indignantly.

"You did, she told me all about how you were sick and she brought you a bowl of homemade soup and you tossed it and her out of your quarters."

"I do not recall that incident, however, I was not myself at the time."

"Of course, when she told me what happened I couldn't believe you would do such a thing. But then we see how that incident turned out."

Nyota took a sip of the steaming brew.

"And I suppose all this time I've been accepting your soup and your declarations of intentions to bond while being none the wiser?"

Spock didn't answer.

"I'll take your silence as an affirmative. We're bonded now, so I suppose its a moot point. Thank you for the meal." She said as she rested her hand on his uniformed arm. Uhura felt a warmth spread through her body that didn't seem to come from the soup. It was the strangest feeling but she liked it.

"There is no need for thanks. It is also a Vulcan tradition for a guest to prepare the morning meal. I am merely performing my duties."

"As my guest or as my bondmate?"

"Both."

"Fair enough. So now what?"

"I do not understand your query."

"Now, what do we do? Go on with our lives as if this incident didn't happen? I'm still not sure where I stand with you. This nap was the first time in a long time I was able to sleep without interruption." She said as she devoured the rest of her meal.

"I'm actually quite famished. I feel like I haven't eaten in days. Either that or you're a good cook."

"I am no culinary expert," Spock said quietly. "Nyota I have something I need to tell you."

"Uh-oh, that sounds like you're gearing up for one of your confessions. What is it now?" she said as she finished her soup.

"I debated whether or not to tell you this. I decided that if I told you now, you would be very angry with me but if I withheld the information and you found out later you would be angry for both doing it and not telling you that I did it."

"Did what?"

"We slept together," Spock confessed.

"Yeah I know, you watched me take a nap, remember?"

"No... I mean yes... I mean I spent the night here but we didn't sleep."

"You spent the night? What time is it?" Uhura asked looking around as if she could gauge time by her surroundings.

"I will tell you the date in a moment-"

"The date? What about the date? What is going on? Did I oversleep?"

"No."

"No?" She asked with suspicion.

"No. Not precisely." Spock hesitated.

"Precisely what then?" she said becoming suspicious whenever he went monosyllabic.

"We slept together."

"You already said that!"

"Well... ahem... You know, we had intercourse," Spock said.

Uhura was quiet for a long time and there was a look of confusion on her face.

Finally, she said, "Oh. We did?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Spocks eyes got huge. "Yes, I am very sure."

"So it was real? It wasn't just some dream or mind meld or something?"

"Er... no... So you... remember... it?" he asked haltingly.

"I thought it was... I... Oh my god!" she stared at him in horror.

"Nyota I-"

"Spock, I am so sorry. I don't know what came over me. I just couldn't stop myself... I've been so horny lately and...what the hell is happening to me?" She cried. "I thought I dreamed that you and I ... that we-" She stopped short and slowly she turned suspicious eyes on him. "You!" She pointed at him. "Somehow this is your fault!"

"Nyota I am sorry-"

"You let me do all of that stuff to you?" she said with disgust.

"I was trying to help you-"

"Help me? How? Why? What is wrong with me?"

"You had the Fever-"

"No! No, your katra infected me with your horny sex disease and now I'm some kind of succubus!"

"What?" Spock could not believe his Vulcan ears. "Succubus?"

"You heard me, mister, I knew it. I knew you were too good to be true. I knew you Vulcans were hiding stuff. Sulu said it was secret tech, but I said no. No, it's just your repressed society. But it's worse than that. You're all sex demons. Well, I'm not like that. I am not down with that. I've never even-"

"Nyota please calm down," Spock pleaded. She was obviously still under the Fever spell and talking nonsense.

"Calm down? Calm down!" She looked as if she were about to blow her stack after that. Why had he said that to her? His mother had warned him to never, ever tell a human woman to 'calm down'.

"Get away from me you horny toad!" She said kicking her feet out to shoo him off her bed.

"Ny"

"Don't you 'Ny' me! I remember it now. It's all coming back. Oh my god, the things I did to you. And you just lay there. You must think I'm a-"

"Kroyka!" Spock yelled.

Uhura was startled out of her tirade.

"Nyota, listen to me. You didn't do anything wrong. We're married, bonded. There is nothing to be upset about..." he reached out to her.

"Don't touch me!" She shook his hands off of her. "I'm so ashamed. Why does this keep happening? What have you done to me?"

"I didn't mean for this to happen, I swear to you."

"Why didn't you stop me?" Uhura demanded.

Was she crazy? Spock thought. What man would deny his wife? But he knew better than to say that too.

"Nyota we had to."

"Why? Why would we have to do that?"

"I believe you were in Plak-tow.

"What is that?"

"That is the madness of Blood Fever."

"The 'Fever-Fever?'" she asked in awe.

"Yes."

"But why would I have that? I'm not even Vulcan!"

"Doctor McCoy thinks—"

"Doctor McCoy? He knows!?" Uhura squeaked.

"Yes, I asked him to check on you after... well after."

"Oh no. No, no, no." She shook her head.

"He is a doctor. He would never cause you harm or embarrassment. But he had to help you."

"Help me to do what? Tie you up?"

"Nyota please be--"

"What now? Am I going to be ok? How did I get Blood Fever?" she asked running right over whatever he was going to say.

"McCoy believes my Katra or our bond may have triggered this Plak-tow."

"So am I going to go succubus like you every 7 years now?"

Spock frowned. "Would you please stop saying that word?"

"What word?" she feigned ignorance.

"Succubus," Spock said annoyed to even repeat it.

"Why? It's just a stupid word."

"That it is."

Uhura looked Spock straight in Spocks eyes. "Succubus," she said.

"Nyota," he warned.

Defiantly she tilted her head side to side with every syllable. "Suc-cu-bus."

A feeling Spock had never experienced before came over him. His wife was challenging him! He wanted to... to...

He swiped the breakfast tray aside and it crashed to the floor. Then he pounced on top of Uhura throwing her back and pinning her hands above her head.

Uhura looked up at Spock with a shocked expression, her mouth shaped into a perfect O.

"Wife, you will attend me," Spock said.

Uhura didn't know what came over Spock but she wasn't about to take it lying down. Attend my ass.

"Suc-"

She never finished because Spock's lips crashed down on hers.

Uhura couldn't believe this was happening. Spock was kissing the hell out of her. And she liked it! She wanted it. She needed it. Oh god, how she needed this. She felt like she had been lost in the desert and he was the rain.

As Uhura kissed Spock back, he released her wrists and started to work the sheet down from between them. When she lay beneath him naked she threw her arms and legs around him. She looked up at him dazed.

"Spock," she whined. "What is happening?"

Spock didn't dare speak lest he should break the spell they both seemed to be under. Maybe he was wrong for doing this but he couldn't help himself. His wife was spread out beneath him like a feast and he could feel the fire still burning within her.

He started to work his pants down, clumsy as he worked with one hand while balancing himself above her on the other. Uhura started to kiss Spock again. She kissed his lips at first. And then she sprinkled kisses all over his chin and then moved to his neck. She loved the sandpaper feel of his stubbled skin as it brushed against her delicate face and it turned her on even more. She was on fire. Her nipples were tight and hard and she could feel herself getting wet and ready for him.

"Hurry up!" she commanded in his ear, as she impatiently waited for him to finish removing his clothes. Spock pressed her back onto the bed and then raised up to remove his shirt. And then he threw his naked body down on top of hers.

Yes! She thought. This is what I need. Spock pinned her down and she eagerly spread her thighs around him. "Hurry," she whispered and she writhed under him.

"Attend," he said.

Uhura's body went all a shiver at his command. Damn! She liked this sexy aggressive Spock.

He stared down at her for a moment and then asked: "Do you want this Aduna?"

Duh. Oh Hell Yes! She thought. But she demurely nodded her head. "Yes, please?" She begged.

Slowly Spock entered her body until he could go no further and Uhura nearly cried out with joy. Spock was still staring down into her eyes, watching her every expression, gauging her reaction to him.

Nyota wanted to close her eyes and hide from the raw honest look on his face as he watched her. Once again he had her at a disadvantage as he could read her like a book and all she could see was his determined Vulcan face.

But it felt so good to have him inside of her and on top of her surrounding her everywhere. She sighed in pleasure and gripped him tightly. Yes, this is what she wanted, all she ever wanted. She just wanted Spock to want her as much as she wanted him.

Spock was grinding into Uhura with a steady unrelenting pace and yet he seemed to be holding back and being gentle at the same time. She did not want that. She wanted all of Spock, both the Vulcan and the Human, just as she gave him all of herself. But she didn't know how to tell him that.

"Spock!" she cried out. "Please!" But he just kept gently rocking into her. She pulled his head down to her as hard as she could and buried her face in his neck. Why was he so damn stubborn?

Uhura raked her nails down his long lean back and she felt him shiver and rock into her deeper. Yes! That's it! That's what she wanted. Vulcans did not kiss in the human fashion. They bit their partners, and when Nyota nibbled at Spock's neck and jaw and his shoulder Spock reveled in the very Vulcan act. Then she nipped harder and really bit him and he couldn't hold back.

Spock looked down at her as if he were going to eat her alive and she loved it. That's right give me everything you've got. This is what I need. "Yes!" Uhura shouted when Spock changed angles and hit her in the right spot. There! Ooh, right there!

Uhura didn't realize that Spock could read her thoughts while they were joined physically like this. He didn't need to meld with her. He had dropped all his shields and was right there with her, joining in the pleasure their bodies made as they came together.

He knew Nyota didn't want him to be gentle and controlled but he was still Vulcan and he knew that he could injure her very easily if he ever lost complete control. He had to be careful even if she didn't want him to be. But when she bit him he couldn't help but thrust roughly into her and hold onto her as tight as he could allow himself.

Pleasure washed over him and he could feel through their bond that she was extremely pleased with herself when he pounded into her and released his seed.

Mmm... She felt so good, so happy. She never wanted this moment to end. If only for this moment in time, Spock belonged to her completely. She squeezed her body around his absorbing his heat and his life. Yes! she thought, Mine! And she cried out as the delicious tension broke inside of her and Spock rung the last drop of pleasure from her body.

Spock rolled them to the side with her body still wrapped around his. Uhura was feeling like the cat that just got the cream. Am I drooling? She wondered. And she drifted off to sleep with a smile on her lips tucked against Spock's body.

Spock could not believe that he finally had his wife where he wanted her, in bed by his side. He had never felt this way in his entire life. He felt alive and happy, true happiness, not induced by spores or drugs or fever. And he felt love. He didn't know if he was feeling Nyota's thoughts or his own but he felt it and it was delicious and amazing.

Spock watched Nyota as she slept. She was still warm but not as hot as she was when he could not wake her. He read the look on her face as contentment, there was no trace of the stress and angst she had been feeling for the past few weeks and he hoped she didn't have any more bad dreams or any more doubts about their marriage because he had no doubt in his mind that this was where she belonged until the end of time.

Sometime later, Uhura awoke in terrible pain and not the delicious kind of pain you felt after being well-loved with tired muscles. No, she hurt. "Spock!" she cried out gripping her belly.

Spock woke up immediately panicked. For the 2nd time in so many days, Dr. McCoy was summoned and had to rush to Uhura's quarters with his emergency medkit. And once again Spock was a nervous wreck.

"Spock, what did you do to her now? McCoy barked as he rushed to the bedside where Uhura writhed in pain gripping her middle. Spock stood there speechless. What had he done? He had done this. He hurt his Aduna. He was a bad husband. Spock could feel Uhura's pain and her fear. And he was terrified for her. What had he done to her?

Dr. McCoy administered a sedative and soon the pain subsided and she was resting comfortably again. He examined Uhura with a perfunctory scan and declared he could find nothing physically wrong with her, no fever, not even a trace of the Plak-tow remained. "It was probably just a muscle spasm," McCoy told her patting her hand.

Spock heard McCoy talking softly to Uhura asking if she would like to go to sickbay for a more thorough exam and she refused. He gave her another hypo with the standard fertility suppressants and declared her fit for duty whenever she was ready to return. McCoy tucked Uhura in and told her to relax and then he went to talk to Spock.

Spock was waiting in Uhura's sitting room when McCoy emerged from the bedroom. "Spock Uhura is fine. I examined her as best I could and I can find no trace of fever. Her vitals look good too. The pain was likely just a cramp brought on by the fever and dehydration. Just monitor her, make sure she eats something and drinks plenty of fluids and she should be fit for duty by her next shift." Spock heard the doctor's words and acknowledged that Uhura was safe but Spock's mind was made up. He had hurt Nyota and he was not going to touch her again.

Notes:

Who is a bigger drama queen, Nyota or Spock?

When I first wrote this story I planned for Spock and Nyota to be apart for most of it but every time I try to break these two apart and they just will not have it. I'm going to keep trying though because I'm an evil fanfiction writer. :-)

Chapter 33: Love and Happiness?

Summary:

Well, now that Spock and Nyota have gotten over the hump, its all downhill from here. But is that a good thing?

Notes:

And for love's sake, each mistake
Ah, you forgave
And soon both of us learned to trust
Not run away, it was no time to play
We build it up and build it up and build it up

And now it's solid
Solid as a rock

Solid
by Ashford & Simpson

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Once he had Nyota settled with another meal and a healthy helping of water to quench her dehydration Spock announced he needed to return to his quarters.

"What? Where are you going?"

"To my quarters. I haven't been there in a few days. I will need to change into a fresh uniform before going on duty," Spock said stoically.

"Oh okay, but you'll be right back, right?" Uhura pleaded.

"Do you want me to come back?" he asked in surprise.

What the hell? Nyota thought, of course, she wanted him to come back. What was he talking about? They needed to bond, they needed to stay together...

"Don't you want to come back?" she asked quietly.

"Nyota I think it would be best if I left."

"You can't leave me, Spock. I need you."

Spock walked back over to her.

"Nyota I do not wish to hurt you any further. I think I should go."

"You didn't hurt me!" She said reaching out to him. "You have never hurt me. What are you talking about?"

"I did hurt you, I keep hurting you and causing you pain," he said as if it should be obvious.

"No! Never!" She launched herself at him and hugged him. "Don't leave me." She cried. "Don't you dare leave me!"

Spock held his wife and he was devastated. He felt her fear come rushing at him and crushing him. She had been abandoned so many times. She was afraid of being abandoned again and here he was trying to leave her. He had separated from her causing this injury to her psyche.

"No. No, I'll never leave you. I promise you." Spock said soothing her.

"Promises don't mean shit," She said her voice muffled by his uniform as she pressed her cheek into her shoulder.

"I am a Vulcan and Vulcans do not lie. I will never leave you for as long as you live."

"Okay," she sniffled still not letting him go. Spock just held her until her fear subsided.

"Spock. I've tried living without you and it doesn't work. I'm tired of running. I don't want to live like this. I'm tired of missing you and hurting you. I don't want to hurt anymore either. If you still want to be my husband and want me to be your wife then I'll do it," Uhura said still gripping him tightly. "I'm not perfect. I'm gonna make mistakes and probably drive you crazy with all my illogical emotional outbursts. But please just bear with me, I'm only human you know?"

"Yes I know," he acknowledged.

"I've been running away from you and pushing you away because I was afraid. Not of you, but of US. I was afraid you would find out that I'm not all that special. That I've just been faking it. But you can teach me to be better. I don't want to be afraid anymore."

"Nyota," Spock pulled her away from him so he could look into her eyes. "I never thought you were a perfect human, but you have always been perfect for me. You have brought me nothing but pleasure even when you were driving me out of my mind." He smiled slightly at that.

"In fact, it is probably what I admire most about you. Do not forget I know you better than any man has known a woman and I find no fault with you, illogical outbursts and all." He brushed the tears that had escaped her eyes away from her cheeks.

"Besides, I too was afraid to tell you about the Pon Farr and Vulcan biology because I thought it would frighten you away. But you've seen the worst I can be and yet you still continue to only acknowledge the best there is in me. So if you will have me, I would be honored to have you as my wife. That is all I have ever wanted."

"Okay," Uhura said when he finished.

"Okay," Spock said too.

"Oh shit! We're married! We're really doing this?" Uhura asked as she looked at him with bright shining eyes.

Spock felt an avalanche of panic and joy wash over him.

"Yes Nyota, we're married. We're doing this."

"So now what?"

"I have no idea but I am sure we can figure it out together," Spock said honestly.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

After T'Pau had commanded Spock to bond with Nyota she contacted the Federation and Sarek left his mother to be with his wife.

When he arrived home Amanda was waiting by the entrance and she launched herself into his arms immediately and sobbed.

Sarek easily caught his wife and absorbed her tears and her angst. She would be fine in a moment.

"Sarek what are we going to do? Spock can't lose Nyota it will kill him!"

"Spock will not lose Nyota," Sarek said as he escorted his wife into their home.

"How do you know that? Nothing ever goes right for him, his life just seems to be one obstacle after another."

"Spock will bond properly with his wife and heal her," Sarek said with certainty.

"But how do you know Sarek?"

"Because Spock knows his duty, it is the only logical choice."

"That's not a guarantee. He's so stubborn what if-"

"My wife, calm thyself. All will be well."

"Oh Sarek, I am so frightened."

"I know. And I have other news."

"What is it?" Amanda said looking up at him hopefully.

"T'Pau has received word that the Enterprise is being diverted here."

"What!? Why didn't you say so?"

"When did I have time to say so?"

"You let me go on and on and you knew he was on his way home?"

"Yes."

Amanda sighed, sometimes Sarek was a jerk. "How did T'Pau arrange that?"

"Why do you say T'Pau arranged it?"

"Who else could do it? I am sure that Starfleet didn't just command the Enterprise to divert here for no reason. T'Pau must have persuaded them."

"Perhaps," Sarek said.

"Perhaps my foot. This is not going to endear Spock or Vulcan to the powers that be in Starfleet."

"It is of little consequence," Sarek dismissed her concern.

"How can you say that? This will affect both Spock and Nyota's careers. And who knows how this will affect relations with Vulcan and the Federation."

"It is of little consequence to T'Pau. Spock and Nyota are Vulcan citizens first. Their health and safety are of paramount importance to the future of Vulcan."

"Spock and Nyota are just two people. What happened to 'the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few'?"

"How does this violate that principle?"

"This just concerns the needs of Spock and his wife."

"On the contrary. This affects the future of Vulcan/Federation relations. If the Federation wants to recruit more member states in Starfleet they will need broader rules and regulations that make allowances for cultural differences. Vulcans cannot be expected to join Starfleet if they are forced to be separated from their bond mates or if they cannot receive urgent medical attention from our healers. Spock is a test case. How will the Federation and Starfleet accommodate a married Vulcan couple?"

"Sarek I don't like Spock and Nyota being used this way. They have enough to deal with. Besides I thought you didn't approve of Starfleet?"

"I do not approve of some of the methods employed but the goal of Starfleet is sound. I foresee a time when all sentient life will need to band together. As we venture further and further out into our galaxy and eventually into other galaxies we may encounter hostile parties and threats far greater than we can currently imagine. Starfleet needs Vulcans and Andorians and Tellerites in order to make their goals manifest."

"You sound like an Ambassador rather than a concerned father."

"The two are not mutually exclusive. If Spock wants to be in Starfleet then as his father and as the duly appointed representative of his homeworld I must do what I can to assist him in achieving his goals and thriving therein."

"Oh, Sarek. You are proud of Spock!"

"I did not say that."

"Yes, you did, in Sarek speak. And I am proud of you, my husband for finally admitting it."

"I did no such thing." Sarek protested.

"I heard it," Amanda said grinning. "When will the kids get here?" she changed the subject. "I cannot wait to see them again! They both deserve a spanking for the stress they have caused us. I might take my belt to both of them this time." She threatened.

"Amanda, do not threaten the children."

"Sarek I told you before, your way of rearing Spock didn't work out so well and now we will do this my way. I've got to go find that belt."

Amanda ran off leaving Sarek baffled as usual.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

They were married. Spock had never known joy or happiness until this moment. He had had moments when he thought he was happy. As a child, he had many moments with I-Chaya or his mother where he felt free to express such feelings but as he grew older he had learned to tamp those emotions down until they were virtually extinguished. And then along came Nyota Uhura who broke down his walls and made him feel again.

Having never been happy before, Spock didn't know how to be now. What did one do when one was happy? How could a Vulcan be happy? He should probably let his parents know that Nyota was safe. He had no doubt worried them. He sighed. He was not any better as a son than he was as a husband.

Spock went to Nyota's console and was about to call home when he saw a message that caught his attention. Nyota was in the shower steaming her sore muscles but the hot water should run out in a minute or so.

The message was from Admiral Komack's office.

Spock had a sinking feeling. What did Admiral Komack want with his wife?

Spock knew Komack was not pleased with him and Jim had warned him that the affair on Vulcan was not over yet. There were people in Starfleet and the Federation who didn't like Vulcans and the influence Vulcan had over things. They would use Spock and now Nyota to bring down all of Vulcan if they could, but Spock was their primary target. So what did they have in mind for Nyota?

Spock waited patiently until Uhura emerged from the shower. She glowed with happiness and Spock was determined to see her stay that way.

"What are you doing?" She asked when she saw him at her desk.

I wanted to send a message to my parents. However, you have a message waiting."

"Oh? What does it say?"

"I would not presume to read your private mail."

"Spock, let's not keep any more secrets okay? I'm sure there is nothing there you can't see. Who is it from?"

"Admiral Komack."

"Oh." She said her smile faltering. "What does it say?"

Spock opened the missive and read it aloud.

"Lieutenant Nyota Uhura of the starship Enterprise, you are ordered to report to Admiral Komack's office on Starbase 6 on stardate 63457.89 for a formal inquiry involving fellow crewman Commander Spock."

"What? Formal inquiry of what?"

"I think we can safely assume an inquiry into my actions in diverting the ship to Vulcan and Kidnapping you from this vessel."

"You didn't kidnap me!" Uhura protested.

"You are incorrect. You have accused me of such several times."

"I did not! Did I?" She was not sure of half the things she had done the past few weeks.

"You did," Spock confirmed.

"Oh well, that was then," Uhura said.

"And?" Spock asked in confusion.

"And this is now," Uhura said drying her hair. "I wasn't officially your wife then. You can't kidnap women who aren't your wife. But I'm your wife now and if you want to carry me off well... that's our business."

"That is highly illogical."

"I'm a highly illogical female." Uhura teased him.

"That you are," Spock agreed.

Out of nowhere, Uhura snapped him with her damp towel and Spocks eyebrows raised to the roof.

"Wife!" he said outraged. And didn't it feel good to call her that?

"What are you going to do about it?" Uhura challenged.

Spock waited a moment and then bounded out of her desk chair. But Uhura was too quick for him. She leaped out of the way landing face first on her bed. She tried to crawl to the other side but Spock caught her ankle and slowly dragged her back towards him.

Uhura squealed in mock terror. Spock flipped her over and pinned her down with his body.

"I've got you Aduna, now what am I to do with you?" he asked her old familiar question.

Uhura smiled up into his serious Vulcan face. "Anything you want."

Spock did just that and Komack was forgotten for the moment.

Chapter 34: Let No Man Put Asunder

Summary:

Spock and Uhura are together but someone is trying to pull them apart.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I will accompany you to your meeting with the Admiral," Spock said as they had dinner together in Uhura's quarters. They had been holed up in there for three days now. No one was allowed in and they were not allowed to leave per McCoys orders after he had to contact Vulcan. Spock did not object. He was determined to see that their bond was solidified and that Nyota never suffered from Plak-tow ever again. He also wanted to keep an eye on her until the healers on Vulcan could examine her and explain how she got the Fever in the first place.

They had been on their way to Vulcan when the word came that instead the Enterprise and crew had been ordered to Starbase 6 for an unscheduled layover. Diverting the Enterprise away from Vulcan after T'Pau had diverted it earlier could only mean one thing. It was a power play by Komack and the fight was on.

"No," Uhura said.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said no. I've got this. I'm a big girl you know? I'm a Starfleet officer and I've been summoned by my Admiral. I'll handle Komack. Alone."

"This is not about you Nyota, Komack is obviously after me," Spock pointed out as if she were dense.

"Yet he summoned me," She said sarcastically.

"Nyota-"

"Spock, what is your real given name so I can arrogantly say it while trying to bully you?"

"Humans cannot pronounce it. Spock will suffice. And I am not trying to bully you."

"You could've fooled me. Spock, have some faith in me. I can handle Komack. You're the only man I can't handle." She grinned.

"I think you handle me quite well, my wife. It is I who cannot handle you."

"You can handle me anytime and anyway you want," Uhura said and she suddenly thought of all the ways she'd like for her husband to handle her right now.

Spock picked up on her emotions and groaned. She was incorrigible.

"Aduna, I think we should retire to bed," he announced.

"Are you sure? Shouldn't we discuss this Komack situation..." she asked sweetly.

Spock held out his first two fingers to her. "My wife, attend."

Uhura hesitated a moment and then she sprang from her seat and joined her fingers with Spocks. There was the familiar spark she always felt when they touched bare skin to bare skin. She knew now that he was able to feel her on a higher level and it thrilled her.

Spock pulled her into his lap. "Aduna, I do not want you to confront Komack alone," Spock said earnestly.

"I do not want you to be there. I am your matriarch remember? Let me handle your business like a good Vulcan wife."

"I do not want a good Vulcan wife. I want you."

"Hey! That didn't sound like a compliment," Uhura pouted.

"Nyota if I wanted a Vulcan wife I would have married a Vulcan woman. I have told you before, I only want you just as you are, warts and all."

"That's not a wart, its a mole."

"What are you talking about?" Spock asked losing the thread of the conversation.

"On my butt. The little black dot, it's a mole."

"Nyota?"

"Hmm?" she said snuggling into him and squirming on his lap.

"Show me this mole," Spock said giving up on the conversation.

"Well, if you insist..."

"I do." Spock picked her up and carried her back to her bed, and Komack was once again forgotten.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Admiral Komack had had it with the Enterprise, her crew, and the VIP family members of said crew members. The Enterprise, and especially that half-breed Vulcan first officer Spock, was a royal pain in his neck. Once again Commander Spock had managed to divert the Enterprise from her mission. First, the Enterprise had been delayed on Argelius to collect crew stationed on leave. Kirk claimed it was a routine layover but Komack knew about the diplomatic incident involving Spock and his wife Lieutenant Uhura.

Once again the Vulcan council had swept the incident under the rug claiming Spock and wife had diplomatic immunity. Just like last time when Spock had stolen not only a shuttle but also abducted a fellow crew member and whisked her off of the ship to Vulcan for a so-called 'elopement'. It was supposedly very romantic. Not! Spock should be clapped in irons, not sitting in the first officer's chair of the flagship of the fleet. And now Vulcan had managed to get the Enterprise assigned to Vulcan gain. Well, not this time. This time Komack had put his foot down and the Enterprise was headed here instead.

Komack didn't know who these Vulcans thought they were or who they thought the federation was, but neither the federation, her ships, nor her crew were at the beck and call of any member planet, least of all the Vulcans. Yet somehow every time Commander Spock managed to screw up, start a brawl, commit mutiny, hijack a vessel, catch a cold, anything at all, Vulcan's council demanded inquiries, pushed its weight around, and defended their golden boy to infinity and beyond. And Starfleet brass always managed to find a way to accommodate them, pardoning Spock of treason, mutiny, insubordination, and a litany of other charges to boot.

As far as Vulcan and Starfleet were concerned Commander Spock was Teflon. Until now. Now Komack had him. Kidnapping, theft of an interplanetary vehicle, and the worst of all, sexual assault... try as they might Starfleet could not sweep this under the rug forever. Vulcan could not claim diplomatic immunity for the golden child of Ambassador Sarek, could not claim that he was acting in the best interest of Pike, or Kirk, or even Lt. Uhura. This time Commander Spock had fucked up and Admiral Komack had him. This time he had a witness! The victim herself.

All parties involved had submitted detailed reports of the incident including on-duty security officers, Kirk, McCoy, and even Spock himself. They had all issued reports with conflicting details. Spock's report was the most thorough but even he had conveniently left out crucial details like how he and the Lieutenant ended up bonding in a Vulcan marriage ceremony despite the fact that several security officers reported she did not leave the ship voluntarily. Or how said Lieutenant was on the sick/injured list for several days while on Vulcan with only Vulcan healers signing off on her illness. All very convenient for Spock.

But the Vulcans had not been thorough enough this time. The pieces of the reports submitted, put together, all fit into a narrative that would lead to charges for Commander Spock. Especially since Komack had it on good authority that Lt. Uhura was not happily married to Spock. In fact, Uhura and Spock had never publically acknowledged their marriage and were openly living separate lives. And there was something else Komack had just learned.

Now, all his star witness had to do was cooperate. She just needed to corroborate the sworn testimonies already on file and Komack would take care of the rest. He would make sure Spock went up on charges of assault and see him drummed out of the service for good. Yes, Spock had an impressive record, but he also had a number of blemishes that could be argued established a pattern. A pattern of instability that made him unfit for duty. Goodbye Mr. Spock and good riddance.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Lt. Uhura sat across the room from Komack and his assistant and looked around nervously. She understood the importance of the situation, she had been summoned and required to wear a formal dress uniform and everything. She wasn't wearing her sexy dress uniform either. She was taking this seriously so she wore the most conservative uniform she owned. Komack was after Spock she knew, and it seemed he was going to try to use her to get him. He must think her a complete fool but he was going to learn today.

Lately, it seemed she was little more than a pawn in the plans of everyone in her world. Well no more. She was her own woman and she was not going to be bullied by some blowhard admiral looking to strike a blow for humanity against the Vulcans. Sulu had warned her that there were those who would be more than pleased to see Spock fail for no other reason than his race.

"Now Lieutenant, I want to once again thank you for taking the time to meet with us today. I understand the Enterprise is granting leave on our station to the crew and that this is taking time from your...recreation. So we'll try to do this quickly and get you back to your life." Admiral Komack said to her smiling from behind his desk as if he wasn't the one who ordered the Enterprise here. There was a lackey standing to his side taking notes too, Uhura observed.

"Well, Admiral you intimated in your "invitation" that it was a formal inquiry?" Uhura said cooly.

"Yes, yes it is. I want to help you, Lieutenant. I understand that some time ago you had a run-in with Commander Spock on Vulcan?"

"A run-in?" she asked innocently. She did not intend to give anything away to this man. So today she was playing the role of Lieutenant ditz.

"Yes. Now I understand that this is a delicate subject and that you may have been...persuaded to uh...to... forgive and forget... But I have it on good authority that there was an assault committed against you on Vulcan?" Komack seemed genuinely nervous as he went into his line of questions. But no matter, he was barking up the wrong tree.

"An assault you say?" she said playing dumb.

"Yes, now I don't want to bring up unpleasant experiences but I have been going over the sworn testimonies filed by the Enterprise crew regarding the unscheduled 'visit' to Vulcan. And the conclusions I am coming up with are alarming. That a Starfleet officer was assaulted in her own cabin, abducted, and forced... forced! into a so-called 'marriage' in an alien ceremony-"

"Now just a moment Admiral! I don't see how any of this is your concern-"

"You don't see how? Lieutenant, you are an officer under my command. The Enterprise is under my command. Everything that happens to that ship and its crew is my concern. If there is an unstable element on one of my ships I need to know about it and stop it." Komack was visibly agitated but he managed to rein in his anger to continue.

"Now as I stated, I understand that this is an upsetting situation, maybe you are afraid to come forward with the threat of the Vulcan government-"

"Admiral, you forget yourself. Vulcan is a founding member of the federation, hardly an unknown alien race. Their customs and culture may be different from that of Earth but that doesn't make them illegitimate. And I was not forced to do anything while on Vulcan. In fact, Vulcan is soon to be my home, I am a Vulcan citizen now." Uhura said her voice rising through her speech.

Komack was taken aback by the passion coming from the Lieutenant. He had expected her to be meek and cowed in the face of all that had happened. He had heard that she was not on speaking terms with Spock and had not acknowledged their union to the rest of the Enterprise crew. There were rumors she was flat out hostile towards him and in fact, she already had a human lover. She did not seem likely to defend him or Vulcan yet she was doing just that.

"Lieutenant, I understand that this is an emotional issue for you", he tried again. "And I have no intention of dragging you into any long investigation nor do I want you to feel that you would be involved in an interplanetary incident. The investigation is already complete. All you need to do is corroborate the findings. Your sworn incident report along with those of your fellow cremates tell the whole sordid story."

"And what story is that?" she asked angrily. She had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that Komack was going to say something nasty.

"Look, I am trying to spare your feeling Lieutenant. But if you want it spelled out for you here are the facts.

Fact: You were in your private crew quarters on stardate 86753.09 when Commander Spock, who had escaped from the sickbay, while under heavy restraints mind you, entered your quarters illegally and assaulted you mentally and or physically and carried you through the ship to the shuttle bay where he further assaulted a bay maintenance worker and stole the Galileo shuttle with you unconscious and in tow.

Fact: on the planet of Vulcan you were forced to 'bond' with Commander Spock in some kind of barbaric Vulcan marriage ceremony where parties have been known in the past to be killed in duels to the death.

"Oh yes, in spite of Vulcan's best efforts to keep these practices secret we have our ways of finding these things out. We know what goes on out there, what they're ashamed of letting others know. We know they're powerful touch telepaths though they try to play that down too, they don't want us to know they are reading our minds. For all their supposed logic they're just barbaric animals like the rest of us. They say Vulcans don't lie but they sure do bend the hell out of the truth. And that's what I want from you lieutenant the truth!" Komack said forgoing his mister nice guy routine.

Komack slammed his hand on his desk making Uhura jump in her seat.

"What truth Sir? It sounds to me like you are not looking for the truth, just some dirty titillating tale to take back to Starfleet command and have Spock and I mocked, ridiculed, and expelled from service."

"This isn't about you Lieutenant-"

"This is everything to do with me! No sir, I won't corroborate your sordid story. Yes, Spock and I are married under Vulcan and Federation law. And you should know as his wife I cannot be compelled to testify against my husband. I would think you of all people would know the law. And you can ask anyone on the ship about Spock and me. We've been seeing each other for years, we just hadn't made our relationship public since we're both bridge officers. But since Star Fleet is so concerned about our relationship then let me make it perfectly clear. I am Spock's wife and bondmate in every sense. Whatever we did on Vulcan is our own business. Now Admiral, may I be dismissed?"

Komack stared hard at Uhura and tried to gauge how far he could push her. She was right about a few things. She was now a citizen of Vulcan and a member of Ambassador Sarek's family. She now had the same immunity as Spock. Damn it! Those Vulcan were good. Just what had they offered her to go along with this phony marriage in order to cover up her abduction and rape Komack wondered? No matter, he had one more card up his sleeve.

"Ok Lieutenant, you say Spock never assaulted you. Fine. Have it your way. That just leaves one more matter to clear up," he grinned.

"And what is that?" she asked angrily.

"The matter of your domestic abuse against Commander Spock. I understand you broke his nose in front of witnesses." Komack leaned back in his seat with a smarmy smile.

"What! That was an accident!"

"So you do admit it?"

"What! No! What are you trying to pull?" Uhura hadn't expected this.

"I'm not trying to "pull" anything. I am trying to help you if you would just let me. I understand you were only trying to protect yourself and you have every right as a Terran woman to defend your honor. I told you this isn't about you. You won't be charged if you just sign this complaint against commander Spock. I'll handle everything after that."

"No! Never! I did hit him. I confess. So charge me. But I am never going to sign that filthy report!"

"I don't want to charge you! Lieutenant, don't you understand I am doing this to protect you? To protect other Earth women and all of humanity from-

"Admiral Komack, I don't see how an Earth woman marrying a Vulcan male constitutes a threat to humanity. I'm not even the first woman to do so. Spock is only half Vulcan after all, his own mother is Terran. I will never betray Spock or Vulcan so charge me and be done with it."

"I don't understand you, Lieutenant, I don't know what the Vulcans have over your head but it's your problem now. You're on your own. Just remember I tried to help you," he said defeated. "Go back to your ship and your Vulcans. You're dismissed."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Uhura was quite shaken as she left Komack's office, though she didn't dare allow him to see it as she walked away. With her back ramrod straight she stepped through the sliding door of his office into the reception area. She only released her pent up breath once she heard the door swish closed behind her. Standing out in the breezeway she faced the floor to ceiling windows that graced her with a magnificent view of space and tried to steady her nerves. It took a moment for her to realize that someone had been sitting on a chair beside the door she had just come through. He stood when she had exited and now he was standing just behind her.

"Are you all right Lieutenant?"

"Spock, what are you doing here?" She had told him she could handle this alone.

"I came for you, my wife."

Uhura stood looking at him for a moment then she began to shake.

Spock looked into her eyes and saw the tears swimming there, once again caused by him and his failure to protect her.

He drew her into his arms to comfort her just as she fell apart and a flood of emotion overwhelmed him. Love, tenderness, and fear. Spock decided he would never let her down again, to finally be the man, the husband she deserved. He scooped her up into his arms effortlessly just as the door beside them opened. Admiral Komack stood in the doorway and looked at the two of them with an ill-concealed expression of distaste. Spock, already in an emotional state because of Uhura, felt anger roil through him.

This man had attacked his bondmate, and threatened their bond! The primitive emotions coursing through him could not be disguised as he stared at the Admiral for a long hard moment. Spock could not address him now, now he must attend to his wife. But Admiral Komack would be made to regret the harassment of a Vulcan bondmate.

Nyota didn't know how she had ended up in Spock's arms but she was glad she was there because she didn't think her legs could hold her. Since bonding with Spock, her life had become a roller coaster ride and she just wanted off. No mission, not even the most life-threatening situation, had been as stressful as this marriage so far. Missions ended but this marriage was forever and it wasn't off to a promising start. It was really sinking in what it meant to be married to Spock and to be of Vulcan. Spock had enemies, and therefore she now had enemies. People who would try to destroy them simply because they were different.

As she felt herself calm down she realized something else was wrong. Spock was angry. She could feel it spilling through their bond. He was murderously angry.

She looked up into his face to see the same calm expression he always wore but she could feel the burning anger seething within him and his eyes looked as cold as ice. Just then he reminded her of the other Spock sans the goatee. But though that dark Spock had frightened her with his predatory expression, this Spock, her Spock bore no such expression, and yet he seemed the more dangerous of the two. He may be controlling his emotions on the surface, but he was feeling them. That was her fault too, his loss of equilibrium.

"I'm sorry Spock," she said and reached up to touch his face. "Please don't be angry."

"You did nothing for which to be sorry."

"I hit you. That's what started this."

"I started this. And I will attend to it," he said as he stared at Komack.

That didn't bode well for Komack but fuck him, Nyota thought.

"Well, you can at least put me down. I was a bit shaken but I'm fine now."

"No," he said pressing her tighter against his chest.

He seemed very determined to protect her and at that moment it did not seem wise to argue with an angry Vulcan.

Spock turned abruptly away from Komack and marched purposely down the breezeway. Nyota didn't even bother to ask where he was taking her. From now on she would just follow him. No matter what. "Yeah, this is my life now," she thought as he carried her away.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"So that's it? We just let him get away with it?" Komack's aide asked.

"No. No, I'm not done with Spock yet. I see now that getting the Lieutenant on board with our plans was a long shot. She's in too deep with him now. Notice Vulcans don't say they are married? They're 'bonded'. There is some kind of Vulcan bond that we don't know about, and it can't be broken. Everyone who gets mixed up with those Vulcans falls under their spell."

"Yes, they do seem to breed loyalty in their colleagues."

"Hmmm. Not everyone falls for it though. There are some people still loyal to humanity in the fleet." Komack said stroking his chin.

"But who? And how does that help us in this instance? Everyone on the Enterprise supports Spock and Uhura. The testimony and log entries alone won't convict Spock of his crimes."

"There is somebody on that ship willing to tell the truth," Komack said. Someone had tipped him off to the domestic violence incident and Komack intended to find out who.

"We've interviewed everyone involved with the incident. Spock, Uhura, McCoy even Captain Kirk. They all stick to the same story. Spock and Uhura were married while Spock was on Vulcan being treated for his illness," the aide said.

"Illness?" We both know there was no illness. The Vulcans are hiding something. Something about their species that they keep well buried. I've heard the rumors about mysterious fevers, Vulcans losing their minds and hasty trips to the home planet for more mysterious treatments. And they have the Federation covering for them too. Passing laws and rules to protect Vulcan secrets written into the very articles of our constitution. But they don't fool me and they don't fool a lot of us loyal humans. They should have never let those aliens into our fleet." Komack pounded his fist on his desk.

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"First, we have to take down Spock."

"How?"

"I want you to go over those logs and affidavits with a fine-tooth comb. Talk to our people, find out everything you can about the crew of the Enterprise. There is somebody on that ship who knows something, somebody saw something that implicates Spock. And it doesn't have to be about Spock alone. Dig into Uhura as well. She's hiding something too. What do the Vulcans have on her? I gave her a chance to get out of it. She wants to stay with Spock so she can go down with him."

"Yes, sir." Komack's aide scrambled out of his office to do his bidding.

"I'm going to get you, Mr. Spock. You and your whole damn planet."

Chapter 35: No Laughing Matter

Summary:

Nyota and Spock have some alone time on Starbase 6.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Spock took Uhura to a hotel room on Starbase 6. This time it was not a fancy room but more practical and less sex-oriented than the suite on Argelius. He had carried her the entire way through the base, causing turned heads and speculation. Uhura just buried her face in his shirt and hoped nobody recognized her. Fat chance of that! Who else would Spock be carrying around like a damsel? She would have no street-cred at all when he got done with her.

"Put me down now!" she commanded when they entered the room.

Spock ignored the command and took her to the bed where he gently deposited her. He stood above her and stared down at her while she was leaning up on her elbows.

"You enjoyed that, didn't you? You like going all caveman any chance you get."

"I did not 'go caveman'. I was seeing to your wellbeing. You were shaken after your encounter with Admiral Komack." He said.

"Shaken maybe, but not stirred. I told you I could handle Komack."

"Yes, I see how well you handled him," Spock said.

"I did handle him. He wanted to charge you with rape! And me with domestic violence. He is out of his mind."

"What did he say to you?"

"He said he had all our testimonies about our unplanned trip to Vulcan and he knew that I was forced to marry you and that perhaps the Vulcans were 'persuading' me to lie about it or something. I flat out refused to cooperate when he wanted me to sign a complaint against you."

"I see," Spock said deep in thought.

"And when I refused he pulled out his secret weapon. Said someone reported me for domestic violence and that if he wanted to, he could charge me. I knew he was bluffing, you'd have to sign a complaint against me as well and I knew you wouldn't. So he let me go."

"For now," Spock said.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think he diverted the Enterprise all this way just to threaten you and let you go? He thought you would cooperate but now that you have defied him, he will go after you too."

"So? Let him charge me with domestic assault. I have an exemplary record, the most I would get is a slap on the wrist and mandatory rehabilitation."

"That is not the most you would get. You could be court-martialed for assaulting a superior officer."

"Well, that sounds serious," Uhura said sitting up.

"It is very serious."

"What are we going to do?" She asked looking up to him as if he held all the answers. Spock felt the weight of a thousand suns crashing down on his back. What was he to do indeed?

"I do not know... yet."

"Why does Komack have it in for you? What'd you do, sleep with his daughter or something?" Uhura joked.

"This is no joking matter, wife."

"Stop calling me 'wife' like that. I have a name you know?"

"Ah yes, a name only your friends may call you," he recalled her tirade on Argelius.

"Precisely. You may also call me that other name you used, aduna? Is it a term of endearment?"

"Aduna. It is Vulcan for a female mate or life partner," Spock said and it caused Uhura to grin.

"I like that. Female life partner. And how do I say 'male life partner'?"

"Adun," Spock said.

"Adun. Come sit down." She patted the space beside her.

Spock sat down and Uhura took his hand entwining their fingers.

"Adun, why can't people just leave us alone?"

"I do not know, however, I am sorry that you are affected by my actions in this fashion."

"Stop apologizing. We're in this mess together." She leaned her shoulder into his. "I have to be honest with you though, Komack frightened me. He sounded unhinged. He hates Vulcans."

"It is most illogical."

"He seemed to think he was saving me and human female virtue from Vulcan males."

"Fascinating. Human/Vulcan relationships are not a common occurrence. In fact, interspecies relationships of any kind are still quite rare within the Federation though the numbers are rising. There especially is not an abundance of Vulcan males stealing away with human brides, Sarek and myself be being the clear exception."

"Yeah, it sounded very personal. Are you sure you didn't do anything to him? Or maybe Sarek?"

"I do not know and I do not care. He has crossed a line. He must answer for his actions." Spock said stiffly.

"You sound like that other Spock," she said with worry.

"I thought you preferred that other Spock and his rakish ways?"

"I told you, I say a lot of things. That Spock was right for his world, but he doesn't fit here any more than you or I fit there. He had to hold his own in that violent environment but here he would be dangerous."

"I have tried to convince you many times that I am dangerous," Spock said.

"I believe you, that's why I am worried. I want to say don't do anything foolish but then I realize it's you I'm talking to. You don't do foolish things. But then again..." Spock cut her off.

"Nyota," He pulled her onto his lap held her in his arms when he felt her anxiety through their bond.

"You promised to never leave me. You better not lie to me." She said as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Vulcans do not lie."

"Good." After a while when her nerves were settled she sat in Spock's lap and listened to the rhythm of his deep calm breathing. She rubbed his back and felt his strong muscles through his uniform. As her hands wandered over his back a thought occurred to her.

"Are you ticklish?"

"No."

"What if I tried tickling you to see?"

"I would not recommend it."

"Why not?"

"The Vulcan nervous system is different than yours."

"So? What does that mean?"

"Vulcans generally do not laugh. I would, however, likely react to such stimulus."

"But how?"

Spock was stubbornly silent.

"Okay then, I'm gonna have to tickle you now and find out." Uhura threatened.

"Please, do not," he said but he didn't seem to mean it as he made no attempt to escape her embrace. What kind of game was he playing? And why the hell was a Vulcan playing a game, to begin with?

So she tickled his neck lightly near his jaw.

"Aduna," Spock warned. "I asked you not to do this."

"But you didn't say it with any conviction. You can stop me at any time."

Next, she tickled his armpit, which was always a good spot for her.

Spock remained stoic but he looked tense. Aha, she was getting to him. She trailed her fingers lower and went or his ribs, a nice sensitive area for humans. She tickled his ribs for a moment and stopped.

Spock still didn't laugh but Uhura knew she affected him. She definitely felt something being stimulated in his pants.

Ooh. This was very interesting. She tickled him some more and he grabbed her wrists to stop her.

"That is enough. I think you should stop now Aduna," Spock said through clenched teeth.

"Why?" Uhura asked innocently. "I'm trying t find your spot."

"You found it."

"No. That isn't it, you didn't laugh." She tried to pry her wrists free but his hold was solid.

"Vulcans do not laugh," he warned again.

"But what happens when you tickle a Vulcan?" She asked so sweetly.

"This." Spock flipped her over on the bed and pinned her with her wrists bound above her head. He ground his hips into hers. "Is this what you want Aduna?"

Oh hell yes! She thought.

Spock held her hands above her head with one hand and with the other he grabbed the hem of her tunic and tugged it up. All the while he stared down into her eyes.

Nyota was thrilled by his actions. This was a part of Spock only she got to see and it sent her pulse racing. His stare was intense and she was certain he would ravish her as thoroughly as he would with any task he set his mind to.

He didn't pull her shirt all the way up though. He stopped at her stomach and then he did something purely evil. He tickled her belly.

"Stop that!" Uhura squealed and squirmed trying to get away as she laughed uncontrollably. "No!" she cried. "Oh my god! Don't you dare!" she said through her laughter.

"Spock! Adun! I yield! You win! Oh please!" she cried.

Spock stopped and she tried to catch her breath.

"You think you're funny, don't you?" She said when she finally settled down.

"It would never occur to me to be funny."

"Haha. You know what I meant. Why did you do that?"

"Turn about is fair play, is it not," he asked.

"Yeah, but I didn't make you laugh," she pouted.

"No, you did not. I have not repaid you equally." Spock said with his deep sexy voice.

"No, you did not," She said breathlessly her excitement rising.

Spock lifted her tunic again and this time he didn't stop at her stomach, he pulled it over her head. He didn't make her laugh again either but he did make her cry out his name and he was content with that.

Chapter 36: Keep Calm and Keep on...

Summary:

Charlene and Uhura have some girl talk.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"I'm not speaking to you," Charlene grumbled as she sat down beside Uhura in the rec room a few days after the Enterprise left Starbase 6.

"Charlene! What's up?" Nyota exclaimed.

"You tell me, stranger. You ghosted on me again!"

"I'm sorry Char. I've been going through some changes."

"Yeah, I know. It's all over the ship, you and Spock are fucking."

"What! Charlene language!" Uhura chastised her.

"What? I'm just repeating what I've heard. I came to check on you that day after my shift and was informed by a guard outside your door that you were quarantined. And the last time anyone saw Mr. Spock he was headed off to your quarters to check on you. Next thing you know he's MIA too. So, the two of you were quarantined and MIA for 3 days? Conclusion? 'Fucking'."

"That's not what happened!" Uhura protested.

"Then what happened?" Charlene asked concerned.

"Well," Uhura looked around. "I can't talk about it here."

"Well, I would say let's go to your quarters but I don't know if it has been disinfected yet."

"Charlene!" Nyota said scandalized.

"What? If you were really sick I don't want it. What did you think I meant?"

"Nothing," she said blushing and shaking her head at her own foolishness.

"Mmm-hmm. Let's go to my place then," Charlene said.

They grabbed their coffee and went to Charlene's cabin for some good old fashioned girl talk.

"So, spill," Charlene said as soon as they took seats on her sofa. "What happened after I left you that day? I remember you did feel warm, were you really sick?"

"Well, Spock came to check on me and he saw the pregnancy test kit."

"And?" Charlene leaned in for the story.

"And I told him I wasn't pregnant. And I asked him to say until I went to sleep because you know I hadn't been sleeping well."

"Okay, and?"

"And the next thing I know I wake up with him on top of me," Uhura said trying to remember what exactly happened.

"What!?" Charlene screeched.

"Well, not like that. I mean yeah like that, but not how you think."

"How was it then?" Charlene said getting angry on her friend's behalf.

"I was sick with that same fever Spock had that time."

"Oh my god! How?"

"We don't know, that's why I have to go back to Vulcan. But according to Spock and Dr. McCoy, I was going to die unless Spock and I...you know..."

"So you had to have sex to live?"

"Yes," Nyota said blushing again.

Charlene thought she had heard some crazy things in her day but this took the cake. "Are you okay now?" she asked with concern in her voice.

"I don't know. I am trying not to worry about it until I know there is something to worry about."

"And what about you and Spock?"

"We're together. I mean we decided to just be married from now on. It seems the only logical thing to do," She shrugged her shoulders as if it was no big deal.

"I bet. So then the rumors were true! You spent the past few days fucking?" Charlene asked just to make sure she had the story straight.

"Charlene! Will you stop saying that?"

"Am I wrong though?"

"No, but stop saying that word," Uhura said annoyed.

"What word? Fucking?" Charlene feigned ignorance.

"Yes! No wonder Spock was upset with me."

"Upset about what now?" Charlene was getting tired of all the drama between these two idiots.

"I called him a succubus! He didn't like it."

Charlene laughed. "You're too much, girl. What in the world... Why a succubus?"

Uhura laughed, "I said Vulcans were sex demons because of that damn mating fever," Uhura said dramatically. "Anyway, he didn't like it. He said it was a stupid word."

Charlene shook her head at her friend's antics. "It is a stupid word."

"Oh, hush you. In my defense, I was half out of my mind with fever at the time."

"Only half?" Charlene teased. It was good to see Nyota happy and practically glowing. This was the Nyota Uhura she knew and loved. Not that nervous wreck of a girl she had seen the last time they met.

"Yes. But apparently, I'm alright now. I hope."

"And you and Spock are good now?"

"Yes, I told him how I felt just like you suggested," Uhura said honestly. "And he told me how he felt too. It was nice." She said sweetly and grinned broadly.

Charlene saw the dreamy look on Uhura's face. "Hey there, you with the stars in your eyes..." Charlene sang an old Earth ballade.

"Huh?"

"Its a song from the olden days. You're sitting there looking like you are head over heels in love. You should see your face. Love looks good on you."

"I'm not in love," Uhura protested automatically.

"Ugh, not this again. I am not about to argue with a fool in love."

"I'm no fool either. I'm just not stressing anymore that's all."

"Let's drop it okay? So you and Spock are good and you're all married and booed up? It's too cute." Charlene grinned.

"Booed up? Where do you get this stuff?"

"Books. So you and Spock are booed up? Now what?"

"We are not booed up, whatever that means."

"It means the word you don't like. So where were you on Starbase 6 during shore leave?"

Uhura blushed. "We just hung out together."

"Where?" Charlene prodded.

"We just hung out in a room there."

"Oh my god look at you! Finally getting those pipes cleaned! I'm proud of you." Charlene teased her.

"Okay, let's drop it. No more sex talk."

"Fine, fine. I can see you're no fun."

Uhura tilted her head and said softly. "I am honored."

Charlene slugged her with one of her small sofa pillows. "He's corrupted you completely I see."

"No, he hasn't. I was just joking. You know I've always had fun with Spock though. We always used to talk for hours."

"Yeah, I know, you're the only person I know who could have 'fun' with a Vulcan."

"It's not that hard. I just don't take him as seriously as some people do. You just have to know how to push his buttons."

"I bet you pushed his button."

"Charlene, you are incorrigible."

"I am honored." Charlene mimicked Uhura and her Vulcan mannerism and then they broke into laughter.

"You look so happy," Charlene said.

"I feel happy. But..."

"Uh-oh. But what?"

"But of course, there is always trouble brewing. We went to starbase 6 because Admiral Komack summoned me. He wants to charge Spock with assault and mutiny and gods know what other charges he can trump up."

"That sounds serious."

"It is serious. And I don't know what Spock will do. He sounded kind of ominous when we talked about it. He said he would make Komack answer for his actions."

"That sounds like a typical male protecting his woman."

"But Spock is not a typical male. He can be dangerous. I know I said he would never hurt me but I can't vouch for what he'd do to another person."

"Vulcan's are super strong compared to Humans, both physically and mentally. He could easily kill a human with his bare hands and not even break a sweat. Only their logic prevents Vulcans from being flat out violent and barbaric. With their emotions in check, they are fine but if Spock were to lose it I fear what he could do. And he's only half Vulcan, its really the human half I worry about. I think that's the part of him that goes off half-cocked and tries to save the day alone."

"Ny, I can see this is eating you up. But this is the kind of thing married couples deal with together. As long as you two stick together you'll be alright. And I still have your back. If you and Spock need me you got me. But why does Komack have it in for Spock?"

"I have no idea. I asked Spock if maybe he slept with the man's wife or daughter because this sounds personal."

"You know that movie they make us all watch at the academy? The Final Frontier?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, remember there was something about a terrorist organization who hated aliens? Maybe Komack like that."

"Terra Prime?" Nyota said trying to remember that old film.

"Yeah, I think that's it."

"That got disbanded years ago. Besides I can't believe people would still hold such xenophobic views. I thought we had outgrown such prejudices."

"Girl, we're still only human with all the foibles that go along with it. I'm sure every species has some xenophobic elements. Even the Vulcans as logical as they appear to be, have xenophobics views. You said yourself that Spock, as a hybrid, was teased and taunted as a child because of his mother and still does not fit into Vulcan Society."

"Charlene, just when I think Spock and I have overcome an obstacle something else rears its ugly head. We need to spend time together bonding so that I don't get sick again and yet now we have to think about Komack and people like him who want to destroy us just because we are different. It's ludicrous. We've been involved with Vulcans for generations and they have never harmed humanity. Yes, they keep to themselves but you see what happens when they mingle with us? Dr. McCoy teases Spock mercilessly. They may be good-natured jabs but it still points out how Spock is different!"

"Ooh girl, you got it bad. Look at you defending your man. These haters better watch themselves, The Champ is in the building!"

"Charlene I'm not fighting anyone for Spock. He can defend himself better than anyone in Starfleet. I just don't like bullies."

"Mmm-hmm like Boma? Or Hernandez? Or Stiles?"

"They were out of line but I'm not worried about them. They are just small players. I'm worried about people like Komack who are high up in Starfleet and the Federation. They could hurt us. I can't lose Spock now that I finally got him."

"You won't lose him. And he's not alone in this. He has all of Vulcan behind him and everyone on this ship too. The Enterprise has never failed a mission and we are not going to start now. Whatever Komack has planned will fail. And it will expose whoever or whatever is behind this anti-Vulcan nonsense too. You and Spock just concentrate on bonding and let your friends and family handle Komack and his ilk."

"Charlene, I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. Just keep calm, and keep on-"

"Shut up Charlene!"

"I was not going to say 'Fucking'. That one's on you." Charlene grinned.

"Ugh," Uhura sighed in defeat. With friends like these...

Chapter 37: My Best Friends Bonding

Summary:

Spock and Uhura are bonding and Kirk is brooding.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The Enterprise was back on course for Vulcan in an unhurried pace, and in the meantime, it was business as usual for her crew. Spock and Uhura had not made any announcement of their marriage yet and so they were forced to resume their separate quarters. As much as Admiral Komack had caused her grief, Nyota was sad to leave Starbase 6 and the little room she and Spock shared there.

"Good morning Mr. Spock. Did you have a good night?" Uhura asked while smiling up at Spock from her station. Last night was the first night they had spent apart since her Pon Farr and she didn't like it one bit.

"Lieutenant," Spock said in his usual calm business-like fashion. "My evening was agreeable."

"Really? Only agreeable? How did you sleep, Mr. Spock?"

"I slept very well, Lieutenant," he said very politely as if she asked him a casual question. "Now if you will excuse me?" Spock went to his station.

The morning seemed to drag on and Uhura was feeling antsy. Usually, she found something of interest in her work but not today. Today all she could think about was Spock. She was forced to spend a cold lonely night in her bed all alone and it sucked. It was odd to think that a few days ago she had lived just fine without Spock but now she didn't think she could live without him.

During a lull on the bridge when everyone was enjoying a cup of coffee brought up by a yeoman, she wandered over to Spock's side of their console.

"Mr. Spock, I'm glad to hear you are sleeping so well. I wish I could say the same," She said casually leaning back on the console.

"Indeed Lieutenant? What disturbs your sleep?"

"Lately, I feel like I am being kept up all night by something. Have you heard of a succubus?"

Spock stifled a coughed and he was sure he heard Mr. Sulu choke on his coffee. "Indeed?"

"Yes, you know its some kind of sex-demon alien or something. It's an old Terran legend. It sneaks into your room at night and sexually harasses women."

"I believe you mean an incubus, a male sex demon. The succubus is a female demon, and I am unfortunately quite familiar with such a creature." Spock said leaning a hip on his console as well.

"Oh, my mistake. An incubus you say? Imagine such creatures being loose on the Enterprise," she shivered with mock horror.

"I cannot imagine it, Lieutenant. And our sensors have not picked up any unusual readings. Perhaps your sex demon was just a bad dream?"

"Perhaps. You haven't had any interesting dreams lately have you?"

"Dreams, please specify?"

"Yes, like sexy succubus dreams?"

"No, Lieutenant, I have not had any particularly interesting dreams of a sexual nature or otherwise. Though if you are having trouble sleeping perhaps you should seek assistance from Dr. McCoy?" he said.

"I don't think the good doctor has a cure for what ails me. Besides, if there is a cure for it, I don't think you want the doctor to give it to me," She smiled at him.

This woman! What game was she playing Spock wondered? "If you don't want the cure then the illness must not be too serious?"

"Well, I didn't say that. It's just that sometimes the cure is far worse than the disease."

Spock and Uhura had forgotten they were on the bridge and had leaned into one another to continue their chat.

"Perhaps the cure simply requires special administration." Spock offered.

"Maybe I'm overreacting," Uhura leaned in closer to Spock. "Are you sure you didn't have any dreams or thoughts about me last night?" Uhura whispered.

"Lieutenant as you know, Vulcans require very little sleep compared to humans, also Vulcans rarely dream. I do not recall any of my dreams recently."

"Are you sure?" she looked suspicious now, she couldn't be the suffering this bonding nonsense alone?

"Vulcans do not lie. However, I was thinking of you last evening."

Uhura smiled, "Oh, so you were, and just what were you thinking?"

"I don't know what he was thinking, but I am thinking that you two should go get a room," Captain Kirk cut in from behind them. They had been so engrossed in their conversation that they had not heard him approach.

"Captain why should we 'get a room'?" Spock said. "We are occupying a room now are we not?" Spock asked knowing exactly what the Captian meant.

"It's an old earth expression that means take your intimate adventures somewhere private so the rest of us cannot see it."

"Intimate adventures?" Spock asked in shock standing up to his full height.

"Yes. In case you two didn't notice, you are still on company time. Save your flirting for off duty. Now if you don't mind returning to your stations?" Kirks looked sternly from Uhura to Spock.

"Right away, Sir," Uhura said returning to her seat on the double, her cheeks burning in shame.

"Mr. Spock," Kirk said staring at him for a moment.

"Yes, sir?" Spock asked calmly as if he had not been caught in a compromising situation.

Kirk shook his head. "You have the con," and he turned and headed for the lift.

"Aye sir, and may I ask where you will be?" Spock asked.

"Sickbay, for a headache," he said and disappeared behind the turbo lift doors.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

In the sickbay, Kirk sought out Doctor McCoy.

"Bones I need to talk to you."

"What's the matter, Jim? You look stressed."

"In your office Doctor," he said when he saw Christine hovering nearby.

In McCoy's office, Bones asked him, "All right now, what's up?"

"What have you got for a dull throbbing headache?"

"What happened, you run out of those pills I gave you before?"

"They are in my quarters and they take too long to work. What else have you got?"

"Is it that bad?" McCoy asked with concern.

"Its annoying, isn't that enough?"

Dr. Mccoy prepared a hypo and administered it to the captain. "There, that should have you fit for service in a few minutes. Just sit here and let it settle in."

"Thanks. Bones you were right," Jim said after a few moments.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" McCoy said and went to his desk rooting around for something, he pulled out a hologram camera.

"What's that?"

"Its a recorder, I wanted to film this moment for posterity."

"Bones this is no joking matter," Kirk huffed.

"You're serious? What's the matter?"

"You were right about Spock and Uhura, they've been nothing but trouble lately."

"What? What happened, what did that green goblin do now?"

"Its both of them. They are driving me crazy. They are a distraction. You should see them. They sit on the bridge making eyes at one another all during their shift."

"Wait, what? Spock making eyes? I don't believe it. I won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes."

"Believe it. I just caught them whispering behind my back when they should have been working."

"Caught them doing what now?"

"Whispering, talking quietly, in hushed tones. You know, whispering?" Jim said with annoyance.

"And?" Bones questioned.

"And? And like I said making eyes."

"So you caught them talking softly and 'making eyes' on the bridge?"

"Yes!"

"And what else?"

"What else? Isn't that enough? They were practically... I mean the way he was leaning and hovering all over her... I told them to get a room."

"Jim, you didn't!" McCoy was outraged.

"Bones if you had seen it you would have agreed."

"No, I would not! Jim, they are married remember? And they just started speaking to one another again. Of course, they are going to talk on the bridge. I can't believe you would say that to them. Why, I've seen Scotty with his head so far up Lieutenant Palamas' ass that he nearly got us all killed. And you didn't reprimand him did you?"

"No. But Bones this is different."

"Yeah, it is. Spock and Uhura are actually married and trying to make it work after a rough start."

"Yeah well, they can be married on their own time. We have a ship to run. Bad enough we have to take another detour to Vulcan because of them. And the ship is full of gossips talking about them. Komack is after them. Do they have to go and make eyes on the bridge?!"

"Jim if I didn't know any better I would say you were against them. But that cannot be true, can it? You're the one who said this would be a good thing, that they deserved to be happy."

"Yes, well like I said I was wrong. This whole thing is wrong."

"Well it's too late now, they are married and in case you didn't know, Vulcans mate for life. So let me give you some valuable advice, don't interfere with Spock and Uhura's marriage, you'll regret it."

"What are you talking about Bones? Why would I interfere?"

"I'm talking about you and Spock being best friends. When a guy gets married his single friends are left behind. It's natural. It happened to me when I was young. One by one my friends started to get married or pair off and the next thing is you don't see them or hear from them for longer and longer periods. They have families, responsibilities-"

"This ship is Spock's responsibility, we're his family." Jim protested.

"We were his family. He has Uhura now, and he has Sarek and Amanda again too, in no small part thanks to you. This is what you wanted Jim!"

"Yes. I need to mind my own business and stop meddling," the Captain grumbled.

"Yes you do," McCoy agreed, "but your meddling brought a family back together and brought about a marriage. You did good Jim, don't ruin it now by being jealous."

"Bones what are you talking about? Jealous of what?"

"Of Uhura and Spock. As they get closer he needs you less right? You're afraid he won't need you at all? But Jim, you're still his friend, he just needs his space, dare I say it but our Spock is growing up." Bones joked.

"Growing up? He's older than I am!"

"In Earth years maybe, but by Vulcan standards, he's just an adolescent. Even I can see how much he's grown over the past few years. He's more confident, more in command of himself. He's not that obnoxious young officer I met when I first came aboard, not that I will admit that to him."

"Bones-"

"No, Jim listen. If you start interfering now you will lose him. He walked away from his own father when Sarek stood in the way of what he wanted. As much as he may care for you, if you force him to choose you'll lose."

"How do you know that Bones? Spock has risked his life for me a dozen times. He-"

"I know," Bones cut him off, "and deep down inside you know it too. He won't just give Uhura up, not after what he went through to get her. Just give them time. This is a period of adjustment for everybody."

"Bones what would you do if your best friend suddenly got married and didn't have time for you?"

"I'd wish you well and be happy for you," McCoy said slapping his shoulder.

"You don't have to ever worry about me on that score. I'm a love em and leave em kind of guy. Marriage is for suckers."

"Uh-huh. That shot must be working, its numbed your brain."

"Don't you start Bones. You know I'm not a marrying man. The Enterprise is my only mistress."

"Yeah I know, man and machine. You know Dr. Noel is available for counseling."

"For what?"

"For you and your intimacy issues."

"What are you talking about Bones I don't have any intimacy issues." Jim shook his head in denial.

"Jim..." Bones shook his head. "You've been through a lot in your life. You've lost loved ones, crewmen and women, romantic partners--"

"That's the life of a ship's captain. Loss is a part of the deal."

"Not even you can go through so much unscathed." Bones pushed.

"Drop it Bones! I can handle it."

"Sure, but Jim you don't have to handle it alone."

"I'm not alone Bones, that's why I have you and Spock. Besides as captain I can't afford to show any weakness, especially when my first officer is busy bonding. Now, if you will excuse me, Doctor, I think I'll get back to minding my business and I advise you to do the same."

With that Captain Kirk exited the McCoys office leaving the doctor with a troubled look on his face.

Chapter 38: Friends & Lovers

Summary:

Nyota has a knack for driving men crazy but not in a good way 😀

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"I still can't believe I have a husband," Nyoa said as she plopped down on the sofa in her quarters. "I'm married!"

Sulu and Charlene were seated at her dining table sharing a drink to commemorate the moment.

"It's like a dream. I'm a Mrs. I never even got to have a real boyfriend and now I'm an old married lady," she complained.

"What do you call Riley?" Sulu asked.

"A mistake," she answered without missing a beat.

"I don't even know what you saw in him," Charlene said, "he was totally not your type."

"And just what is my 'type'?"

"Tall, dark, and Vulcan." Charlene teased.

"Me?" Sulu said grinning

"Pooh to both of you. I never had time to develop a type. I never had time for dating before and now its too late. And I had all these things I always wanted to do with a boyfriend too."

"You mean torture?" Sulu said.

"No mister smarty pants. Things like long walks on the beach, holding hands as we sightsee different tourist spots, dinner and dancing and moonlit evenings--"

"Riots?" Charlene asked reminding her of the brawl she and Spock started on Argelius.

"As I said, sounds like torture," Sulu said.

"You two are supposed to be here to support me," Uhura groused. "I'm pouring my heart out here."

"Okay, sorry we're just teasing," Charlene said.

"Yeah sorry Ny. You know we love you." Sulu chimed in.

"Its never too late," Charlene said. "Do those romantic things with Spock. Drag him down the beach and through the streets of strange cities. I'm sure he'd find it 'fascinating'."

"What? We're already 'bonded' Nyota said making air quotes, "that ship has launched."

"So what? You're not dead. If you want to date, date Spock. Besides what better way to get to know someone? And it's logical. I mean you're already stuck with him, he might as well make himself good for something," Charlene teased.

"I agree with Charlene. You and Mr. Spock are in a relationship like it or not. Might as well make the best of it. Think of it as an assignment. You're a communications specialist. You've made the first contact now its time to build the means of understanding one another.

I think it would be fun. Just think, you already know where the dating is going to lead, it takes all the pressure off of you. You don't have to try to impress him or wonder what his intentions are. You can actually be yourself and have fun getting to know another being without all the games and subterfuge."

"I don't play games. And we already know one another, in the biblical sense no less," Uhura said hiding her blush. Uhura was still getting used to the idea that she had slept with Spock.

"Well, then what's the problem? Date him, let him buy you dinner and flowers, and expensive gifts like that harp he gave you. He owes you at least that much."

"I can't imagine Mr. Spock dating, he's just not the type. He's the throw you over his shoulder and carry you off type," she grinned.

"You know you liked it," Charlene accused.

"What makes you think he can't date?" Sulu asked. "He has already demonstrated his willingness to court you in the Vulcan fashion, let him do it properly this time."

"I don't know. Why does this feel like a bad idea?" Uhura said to no one in particular.

"Because you didn't come up with it yourself and you can't stand not being in control," Charlene answered

"That's not true, I'm a Starfleet officer, trained to follow orders. I don't need to be in control all the time."

"It is true. You said it yourself, you had your whole life planned out even before you joined Starfleet. And now that Spock has come along he has upended all your perfect plans. You may have gone along with the bonding but you resent that it wasn't your own plan," Sulu said and Charlene nodded in agreement.

"Life is unpredictable," Sulu continued, "but you still have some control. You may have had no choice in marriage but you do have a choice in how you live with your husband. You can decide how your relationship will move forward. And for what it's worth he is a much better choice than Riley."

"Riley was not a choice. I just felt sorry for him at a moment of weakness and I fell into his trap."

"Why are you so bitter about Riley? If you ask me you dodged a bullet when he uh... left," Charlene said diplomatically avoiding the word "dumped".

"I just feel stupid for even giving him any of my time. I could have ended up with him." Uhura shivered.

"You were lonely and he was needy, that's what bad relationships are made of. Just be happy you escaped without too much drama. And I doubt Mr. Spock would have let you make that kind of mistake, he would have stepped up sooner or later," Sulu said. "Spock has a way of getting what he wants and he clearly wanted you."

"Sulu why do you insist on painting Spock as my suitor?"

"Because he is your suitor!" Sulu was so tired of her denial.

"You make it sound like he had the hots for me or something."

"Well, I don't know how hot Vulcans can get but he certainly had feelings. You make Mr. Spock seem like some kind of neutered robot. He is a man just like I am, and believe me, I know when a man is interested in a woman," Sulu said.

"Well, I'm a woman and I know when a man is interested in me."

Charlene almost spit out her drink. "Do you Ny?" she asked when she got her coughing under control.

"Of course, I do!" Nyota protested.

Sulu and Charlene gave each other doubtful looks.

"Do not sneak looks at one another. Of course, I know when someone is interested in me."

Sulu and Charlene shared meaningful looks again.

"Stop it! What are you two trying to not say?"

"Ny," Charlene said, "you don't have a clue."

"I don't have a clue about what?"

"About men," Sulu said.

"Oh come on, I've got two brothers, and countless cousins, uncles, and my dad. I know all about men."

"No, you just think you do. You don't know how men think and behave when they are pursuing a woman. Otherwise, you'd have noticed half the men on this vessel have had eyes for you."

"Oh, that's different. I know how men look at me, most of it is just harmless flirting. I flirt all the time too, it doesn't mean I'm interested in anybody."

"Ny, you may think it is harmless flirting, but some men take it seriously, at least until they get to know you better. When a man flirts with you and you flirt back they think you want something too. You've crushed a lot of hearts." Sulu said.

"What! like who?" Nyota was horrified to think she may have hurt someone's feelings.

Sulu was quiet and dropped his eyes.

"Awe Hik, not you?" Nyota ran over and sat next to him at the table and hugged him. "Did I do that to you?" she asked in disbelief.

"Its all right now, I think we're better off as friends."

"Did you really have feelings for me?" she asked in shock.

"I may have, once, when we first met. But you were oblivious to my advances. Eventually, I realized that was just the way you are. When I finally got up the nerve to kiss you it was already too late," he confessed.

"You make me sound awful," she said sadly. "I wasn't even thinking about boyfriends back then fresh out of the academy and new on this ship."

"I know, all you talked about was the Enterprise. It didn't take me long to realize you were more interested in my brain than my body."

"Oh Hik, I had no idea," she said squeezing him tightly. "But if I had a type it would be you."

"Oh no you don't," Sulu said extracting himself from her embrace. "Don't take pity on me. That is what got you mixed up with Riley. Guys will make you feel guilty for rejecting them. Its a scumbag tactic unscrupulous men will exploit."

"Amen," Charlene said. "Didn't your brothers ever warn you not to give a guy an inch?"

Nyota scrunched her face. "Is that innuendo?" she asked. Knowing Charlene something dirty was coming.

"No, but it should be. Give a guy an inch he'll take your virginity." Charlene teased.

"Ew," Uhura said covering her ears.

"You're just too innocent Ny. Its what draws people to you. You have pure intentions so you believe everyone else does too. I think you're too good for me, actually. I would have corrupted you," Sulu said.

"You're out of your mind. You and Charlene should date, you two have sex on the brain."

"That's not where my sex is," Sulu joked.

"Loosen up, you're a grown-ass woman, a female astronaut! Stop being such a goody goody," Charlene complained.

"I'm no innocent goody-goody."

Sulu and Charlene exchanged glances.

"Would you two stop that!"

"Ny, you're as straight-laced and as goody-goody as they come."

"I am not," she said crossing her arms.

"No? Alright, but you have a kind heart, and that gets you into trouble sometimes."

Uhura still sat unconvinced.

"Don't sweat it," Sulu said. "I still love you. As a friend."

"I love you too, as a friend. I hope that's okay?" Uhura asked apologetically.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. You're spoken for and I don't poach. The crew would probably skewer me if I tried. Besides, I don't think I could handle you."

"What do you mean you can't handle me, what's to handle? I'm just a simple African girl."

Sulu and Charlene shared another look.

"Didn't I tell you two to stop doing that? What's wrong with me now?"

"Well," Charlene said, "I think you're the baby girl from a family of men, you're used to being catered to."

"And," Sulu said, "you're a lot to deal with. You're a rising officer in the fleet, you're gifted and talented, you're adventurous and outgoing, you're a people pleaser and therefore people seek you out, you're a perfectionist and you like things to go as planned-"

"Ok, ok, I get it. So I'm spoiled and bossy and a perfectionist and I do too much?"

"Did we say spoiled and bossy?" Sulu asked.

"You are what's called 'high maintenance'. You're used to being the center of attention and you're used to having your own way. You've got Spock skipping to your tune and you don't even know you're doing it. It's kinda fun to witness actually," Charlene grinned.

"I am not high maintenance and I am not doing anything to Spock."

"Ok girl, calm down. You're not perfect you know? And maybe Spock deserves a little comeuppance after the way things happened on Vulcan, nobody is faulting you for being standoffish after all that. Just don't forget he's your bondmate or whatever; you'll have to live with each other one way or another. So I advise if you're going to live with him eventually, then forgive him now and cut him some slack. He wants to make it up to you, so let him."

"Let him take you on those beach walks and moonlit rendezvous and buy you tribbles if that's what it takes to make you happy. Make him earn you."

"You mean I should date him?" Uhura asked.

"Yes, Nyota date him!" Sulu and Charlene said in unison.

"Alright, you should have said that in the first place." Nyota grinned.

Sulu and Charlene just stared at one another in awe.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Later that night in her quarters Uhura confronted Spock with her request.

"Mr. Spock I have it on good authority that you and I have never dated properly," she said.

"Dated?"

"Yes, when two people meet, form an attraction to one another, and decide to spend time together getting to know one another."

"Ah yes, dating, human courtship rituals. I believe we have already completed such rituals. We are married," he explained patiently to her.

"No, we have not. We were just friends. Friends and lovers are two different things. You hang out with friends, you date your lovers."

"And so you want to date so that we become lovers?" Spock asked in confusion. They were married. Marriage trumped friends and lovers.

Oh my god, this man! Uhura thought in frustration. Sometimes Spock could be so dense. She was being as clear as could be.

"We're married!" she stated. "Obviously, we're lovers."

"Nyota what do you want? What is the answer to my question?"

"What question? You want me to answer if we should be lovers?" Uhura asked in astonishment.

"Yes," Spock said becoming frustrated himself.

"Yes, what? What exactly am I supposed to say?" Uhura asked.

"Yes, I want us to be lovers?" Spock answered her question.

"Well ok, if that's what you want, I'm willing," She grinned in triumph.

"That is not precisely..." Spock sputtered wondering where this conversation went so wrong.

"Hmm, you mean you don't want to?" She said feigning sadness.

"Nyota you know what you did," Spock accused.

"What did I do?" she asked innocently.

"You have maneuvered me into saying I want us to be lovers."

"Well, don't you?"

"I do," he said still not understanding what she was up to.

"Then what's the problem?"

She had a point. Spock had a feeling his human wife was going to outmaneuver him every now and then, and he quite enjoyed the prospect.

"Indeed, what is the problem?"

"Where are you taking me on our date?"

"You expect me to take you on a date?" Spock asked.

Uhura sighed dramatically. "What have we been talking about all this time?"

"Aduna, I have no idea."

Chapter 39: Bros Before Bondmates!

Summary:

Nyota is teasing Kirk and Spock, while Bones is the only one making any sense.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Nyota S'chn T'gai-Uhura was precisely 8.35 minutes late for her assigned shift on the bridge today. It was the longest time that Spock had ever observed her to be late. When she finally arrived he noted her taking her seat discreetly and when she looked his way he raised his brow in question at her tardiness.

Before he could say a word Captain Kirk said, "Lt. Uhura I've never known you to be this late before, care to explain?"

"I am sorry Captain," she giggled subconsciously and then looked pointedly at Spock.

"I had a rough start this morning, commander Spock practically wore me out last night on our date."

Now both of Spock's eyebrows were raised at her audacity.

"Spock? Our Mr. Spock?" Kirk asked in astonishment.

"Yes, Captain. Our Mr. Spock," she said innocently and turned back to her station.

Kirk turned to look at Spock along with all the other bridge crew.

Spock could see the smirk on Uhura's face but he remained stoic.

"Mr. Spock, I am surprised at you," Kirk exclaimed.

"Why is that Captain?" Spock asked.

"Well... er, well because... that doesn't sound like you."

"Should I not take my uh... the Lieutenant dancing?"

"Dancing?"

"Yes, Captain," Spock said simply.

"Oh, you two were dancing last night?" Kirk asked.

"I believe that is what I just said," Spock answered the Captain.

"Right, right, so you two were only uh..."

"Dancing," Spock said and then looked at Uhura for confirmation.

"Yes, Captain dancing, what did you think I meant?" Uhura asked innocently.

Kirk realized he was the victim of Uhura's teasing. She knew damn well what he thought she meant.

"Of course I thought you meant dancing or something like that," he said. "I'm glad to see my officers getting along so well," Kirk said.

"Spock is an amazing dancer," Uhura said, "he has exquisite technique, strength, and stamina."

"Is that so?" Kirk said feeling a bit like a third wheel as Uhura and Spock looked at each other, Uhura grinning and Spock stoically trying not to.

"Yes, Sir. Of course, I shouldn't have expected anything less. He has a perfect physique and his rythym...mesmerizing!"

"Mesmerizing did you say?" Kirk asked while looking at Spock in disbelief.

"On the contrary," Spock chimed in, "It is you Lieutenant who is the gifted dancer. You displayed an abundance of grace, fluidity, and flexibility in your movements."

It was Uhura's turn to blush. "Thank you, Mr. Spock."

Kirk looked between the two of them with his mind blown. He wasn't positive that they were not talking about dancing, but he was damn sure they were thinking about something entirely different.

"Ahem," he interrupted them. "well all right you two, I think we've spent enough time on the topic of dancing. Lieutenant try not to be late again."

"Aye Captain," Uhura said turning around in her seat.

"And Mr. Spock," Kirk said with an exhausted sigh.

"Yes, Captian?"

"Try not to uh, wear the Lieutenant out before her shift."

Spock gave one of his half-smiles. "Aye captain."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"They what?!" McCoy shouted.

"Bones keep your voice down," Kirk said to Dr. McCoy who was seated at the desk in his office.

"Keep my voice down? Jim, you just can't waltz in here and tell me something like that and expect me to keep my voice down."

"Bones it was just a bit of ship's gossip I didn't expect to raise your blood pressure."

"Dancing!?" McCoy could not believe it.

"That's what they claimed," Kirk took a seat across from McCoy's desk.

"Spock dancing?" I need to visit the bridge more McCoy thought.

"Yes, Bones. Is that so hard to believe?" Kirk asked in exasperation.

"Yes Jim, Yes it is. How? why?"

"Uhura said it was a 'date'. I didn't ask anymore. I was a bit shook myself. I know I said I would give Spock and Uhura their Space but..."

"But what?"

"It was a bit strange hearing them talk about 'dancing' and the way they looked at each other..." Kirk shook his head.

"How did they look?" Bones asked.

"Like they weren't talking about dancing. I can't explain it, but I felt like a peeping tom; like I was intruding on something...intimate...private."

"Well," Bones said, "you were."

"What do you mean?"

"Just that Vulcan bond mates share a telepathic link."

"Yeah, I've heard, so what?"

"So I've noticed that you and Spock share some kind of bond as well." Bones explained.

"What?" Jim asked confused.

"Don't tell me you never noticed it, how Spock can finish your sentences and anticipate your actions?"

"Yes, but that's just because we work well together. He's a good first officer. The best in the fleet."

"You and I work well together and I don't know what goes on in that thick skull of yours half the time."

"Well, thanks."

"Jim, I'm serious, you and Spock share some kind of psychic bond, probably quite natural for a telepathic race with all those brain waves floating around."

"Maybe," Jim said. He had never thought of Spock as being especially telepathic. He had asked Spock on several occasions to use his talents but he never thought much about how Spock used them when not ordered to. It dawned on Jim that he didn't know nearly enough about Spock as a friend should.

"No maybe about it. I imagine that you feel a little left out of whatever new bond Spock and Uhura have now."

"It sounds like you're saying I'm jealous of Uhura or something and it's not the first time you've accused me."

"Well, are you?" Bones asked searching Jim's face.

"No!" Kirk denied. "That's ridiculous."

"Mmm good. Because it will only get worse before it gets better. They're newlyweds after all. The same thing happened to me when I got married. I tuned out everyone except my wife. I kinda regret it now." McCoy said.

"Why is that, Bones?"

"I tried so hard to make the marriage work that when it fell apart I didn't have anything or anyone to fall back on," McCoy said momentarily lost to his memories. "Jim, I know it feels kinda lonely now that Spock has someone else in his life but don't let that get in the way of your friendship or your bond. Give him and Uhura some space and some time together, and remember he is still your best friend and the best first officer in the fleet."

"You're my best friend too, Bones. We still have each other" Jim joked.

"Aw, that's sweet Jim, what do we do now kiss?" Bones asked wickedly.

Jim gasped, "God no! Bones what is wrong with you?"

"Maybe we should dance then?" he said really laughing now.

"Bones I am gonna need more than pills for these headaches you and Spock are giving me."

"How about some Saurian brandy, doctors order?"

"Now your making sense."

Chapter 40: We Can't Be Friends

Summary:

Christine and Nyota's friendship is tested when they confront one another. Is this the end, or the beginning of something else?

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-

Uhura had been walking around with her head in the clouds and feeling like she was ten feet tall since she returned from Starbase 6. Her whole life had changed from what it had been just a few weeks ago and she could not remember ever being so happy. It was hard to believe she had been so angry and depressed that she contemplated transferring off the Enterprise and leaving Spock and now the thought of living without him was imaginable.

She was practically skipping through the halls when she ran into Christine and the smile fell from her face. Christine looked miserable. And although it was not entirely her fault, Uhura still felt guilty for Chris's pain. After all, she was happily married to the man that Christine claimed to love. She at least owed her an explanation.

"Christine," she said as she caught up to her. "Can we talk?"

"Nope," Christine said and sped away.

Well, I deserved that Uhura thought as she followed Christine down the corridor. "Wait Chris, I know I avoided you before but I want to explain now."

"I'm not in the mood for your lies," Christine shouted over her shoulder as she tried to escape Uhura.

"Then answer me one question. Why do you love Spock?"

"I beg your pardon?" Christine stopped in her tracks. She had been carefully avoiding Uhura after their last run in and it had been working until today.

"You keep telling me and everyone else that you love him so much, but why? I want to know why you think you're in love with him?" Uhura asked.

"You ought to know, Mrs. Spock," Christine said with emphasis on the misses, "you're married to him after all," she tried again to get around Uhura and again Uhura, agile as a snake, blocked her. She was taller than Uhura but Uhura ranked her and she was solidly built and combat-trained to boot. Not to mention Christine had spied several times while Spock and Uhura trained in the ship's gym, sparing and doing some type of Vulcan martial art. She didn't think for one minute she would be able to overpower the little hussy though she would dearly love to get in a good jab.

Lieutenant Uhura, I'm done with my shift and I'm done with you, good day. She turned around and headed in the other direction with Uhura hot on her heels. This was insane. Christine was avoiding people, hiding in her cabin, and now on the run from the sickbay, on her own ship! It wasn't fair, she was being beaten at every turn, having Uhura and Spock's relationship shoved in her face and she was running? What about Spock and Uhura? They were going about their damn business as if nothing had changed. Everyone on the ship knew they were seeing each other.

Oh at first they made a show of avoiding each other to prevent gossip but now they were flat out flaunting it, dining together in the mess, sparing together, dancing, and only the gods knew what all else. They disappeared for days at a time. It was rumored that Spock even carried her around on Star Base 6. It was enough to make her sick. She was sick of the whole damn mess. She had put in for a transfer. Enough was enough.

"Christine! Christine, please! Wait."

She just made it to the turbo lift and was about to command a medical override to shut the door in Uhura's smug face when Uhura made a diving leap and jumped inside just as the doors closed.

Great, Christine thought now I'm trapped with her. She commanded the turbo lift to the deck where the commissary was located. She was hoping a public place would discourage conversation from Uhura. Christine just wasn't ready to make nice with Uhura and Spock.

"Christine, can we please talk about this?"

"You can do whatever you want, I am going to get dinner."

"Please just give me a chance to talk to you, I need to understand..."

"You need to understand?! Ha!" she laughed viciously. "You need to understand! Understand what? Understand stealing Spock from under my nose? Understand how it feels to be humiliated and rejected in front of the entire crew? What would you know about that, little Miss Lieutenant?"

Christine got right in Uhura's face. "You may outrank me on this ship Lieutenant but on my off hours, I don't take orders from you. Now if you will excuse me." She tried to sidestep Uhura to leave the lift.

"Christine, can't we just talk as friends? If you'll just let me explain maybe you'll understand what has been happening. I never meant to hurt you, you have to believe that." Uhura pleaded.

"I don't have to believe anything you say. Right now when I look at you I see a liar and a thief and it makes me sick. I feel sick. You make me sick do you understand that? Now leave me alone," Christine cried.

Uhura had had enough of this. Things were changing so fast, she didn't want to lose a friend like Christine if she could help it.

"Christine, please I'm asking one last time, let me explain. I'll tell you everything you want to know, and if after I explain you still want to hate me then at least I won't be the one who walked away. I'll answer all your questions no matter how difficult if you'll answer mine."

Christine was torn. She still had not managed to piece together the full story of Spock and Uhura's bonding. Oh, she knew only the official story that the Captain and the Doctor had put out, but she also knew that that story was bull. She had been in the infirmary when they had forcefully brought Spock in and she was there when he made his escape with Uhura. She wanted, needed to know what had happened on that planet but she didn't want to hear it from Uhura. She also knew the likelihood of Spock ever telling her anything so personal was zero to none. If she couldn't get McCoy to talk even after repeated tries and plying him with the best alcohol she could get from Scotty, then she would never get the story. Unless she talked to Uhura.

So, resolved, she agreed to talk.

"Ok, I'll listen while you talk, but after that leave me alone and stay out of my life."

In agreement, they went to Christine's quarters, she didn't want to have this conversation in a public forum. She wasn't sure she could handle what was about to happen and she didn't want to be made any more of a public spectacle than she had already experienced.

Christine couldn't read anything from Uhura's expression or body language as they sat facing each other. In times past she could always tell when Uhura was happy or sad or in a playful mood but now she couldn't read a thing. Spock must be rubbing off on her she thought, and then she got angry at that too. Everything made her angry nowadays.

"What is it you need to say?" She didn't bother with any niceties like tea or a snack as they settled on the little sofa in her quarters.

"First I need to ask you a question. Why do you love Spock?"

"Why do I love Spock! How dare you? I don't need to sit and explain anything to you, its the other way around remember, you were going to explain everything to me?"

"I know I agreed but I just need to know, I think im entitled to know why you're in love with my husband."

"Entitled?! Your Husband! You just came here to rub it in my face, didn't you?" Christine screeched.

"No, Christine, that's not why I'm here and I'm not rubbing anything in, I'm just stating facts. Spock is my husband now. So why do you love him?"

"Why do I love him? Why do you love him?" she threw back at Uhura.

"I never said I did," Uhura said calmly.

"But you married him!"

"He married me," she said.

"What's the difference, you've got him all to yourself."

"Choices. I didn't choose for any of this to happen, we had to get married. I never set out to marry Spock or hurt you."

"So if you don't want to be married to him then get a divorce."

"It's not that simple, I can't leave him."

"Sure because you want to stay married to him now don't you? You waltz in here asking me why I love the man I love but you're really just flaunting yourself now that you have Spock."

"That wasn't my intention."

"What was your intention then? You said you would explain so explain. Explain to me why you're married to the man that I have loved for as long as we've known each other." Christine demanded.

"I really don't know how to explain it all properly, its a story that simply defies belief. But you already know most of it. Spock was sick with a fever that only Vulcans get. He needed to go to Vulcan for...tratment. While in sickbay he escaped and came to my quarters and kidnapped me."

"Kidnapped? You mean you didn't go willingly?" Christine asked skeptically.

"Kidnapped! He did one of his mental things and knocked me out cold. But that's not the point. I woke up on Vulcan and his family was there and they said it was a wedding and if I didn't agree Spock would die. So I agreed, to save him." Uhura watched Christine's face to see if she understood what she was saying.

"How convenient," Christine said angrily.

"It was very inconvenient for me, I didn't want to marry Spock I told you that already. Spock would be the last person I'd choose to marry actually."

"And why is that? What's wrong with him?"

"You tell me. You're the one madly in love, why? What's so great about him?"

"I've already told you I'm not going to defend myself. I cannot explain love it just happens."

"Ok, but what do you think being married to Spock is like? Did you imagine love songs and romantic rendezvous?"

"I didn't imagine anything, I just wanted him to-"

"To what? Love you? He's a Vulcan!" Uhura said.

"So what?! I love him just the way he is, I don't want him to change. I can't believe you're talking about Spock this way."

"Chris, Spock doesn't love you, he doesn't love anyone, he doesn't care about you—"

Christine cut her off. "How dare you! You may be married to Spock but you don't speak for him. You just tricked him into marrying you, and now you won't let him go!"

"He won't let me go! I can't go! I never wanted to hurt you, never wanted this but it is what it is and you need to let go of Spock for your own sanity. Spock can't love you." Uhura tried to explain.

"I don't need to do anything. And Spock can speak for himself."

"He already made his choice Chris and I sorry it hurts you. Believe me, I know what you're going through. I was heartbroken when Riley left me. I cried, I fought it, didn't believe he would treat me that way, but I got over it and moved on and so must you," Uhura advised her.

"Easy for you to say with Riley a million miles away. Spock is here, right here on this ship flaunting his WIFE in my face."

"Christine, you know Spock isn't like that."

"So now you're defending him? You don't fool me anymore."

"I'm just trying to be honest."

"Oh my god, what a joke. You? Being honest? When have you ever been honest? Let's be real here good buddy. You have been hot for Spock since the day I met you. Deny it all you want but I know you Nyota. You want some honesty? I'll be honest with you. I knew all along you were into Spock. You found every reason you could to be around him. But I never thought you'd trick him into marrying you. I got to hand it to you, you're slicker than I ever imagined."

"I didn't trick anyone. I didn't have to trick Spock. We've been friends for years and you know it. And if anybody was hot for someone he was hot for me!" Uhura shouted. This whole conversation was going sideways. Couldn't Christine see it was a lost cause? Uhura had told her how it was.

"Shut up your lies!" Christine yelled. "You're not even his type."

"Oh no? What is his type? You? How'd that work out for you?" Uhura said angrily.

"Ooh, It's all coming out now. You think you're all that. How did Spock ever get caught in your web?"

"Christine, I didn't want this to be this way. I wanted to explain to you what happened with me and Spock-"

"I don't want to hear any more of your lies. I'm just hoping Spock comes back to his senses before you ruin his life."

"Why the hell would I ruin HIS life?"

"Oh, girl, like you haven't left a string of broken men in your wake."

"What?" Uhura couldn't believe her ears.

"Don't play dumb, it doesn't suit you and it doesn't fool me. You know what? You're too pretty for your own good. You think you're good enough for Spock? To be his wife?" Christine laughed bitterly. "Not Ever! He'll realize he made a mistake, mark my words."

"And then what? He'll come to you? Pour his heart out and declare his undying love? Haul you back to Vulcan so you can meet the folks? You don't really know him, do you? He's such a private man you don't really know him nor anything about his life, his family, or Vulcans for that matter."

"I know enough, more than you do, remember? You didn't even know the first thing about Vulcan culture until I became interested in it. And where were you all the times Spock needed comfort, someone to mend his wounds and patch him up? Where were you when he was burning with fever and raging out of his mind or lost deep in a healing trance? I was always by his side not you, and yet you're his wife now?"

Nyota thought Chris had no idea what she'd actually gone through with Spock during his Time, or all the other times Spock had indeed come to her with his hurts and anxieties. But it didn't matter anymore, she was going to learn today.

"That's your job Chris, you're a nurse and he was your patient-"

"No, it was more than that and you know it. He needed me!" Christine pointed to herself. "Me, not you."

"Maybe it seemed that way to you but not for Spock," Uhura said feeling sorry for Chris.

"Mr. Spock can speak for himself, can't he?"

"Certainly. I'm not here to argue over Spock actually."

"Then why are you here?"

"I'm here because of us, I miss our friendship and I hate the way things are between us now, but most importantly I hate the way things are for you on the ship. I know you put in for a transfer and I wanted to talk to you about it."

"Why? It has nothing to do with you."

"I think it has everything to do with me, and Spock, that we're responsible-"

"Responsible? Yes, you should feel responsible. If you hadn't stolen Spock-"

"Please Chris, let's make one thing clear I didn't steal anything or anyone. Spock didn't belong to you and if anything he stole me-"

"He stole you?! From what did he "steal" you?"

"From this ship, from my life, from my future plans..."

"Ooh that's rich, I see you're still on this ship living your life, I didn't happen to hear you request a transfer-"

"Actually, I did, Captain Kirk refused to process it."

"What, why on earth would you do that?" Christine didn't believe what she was hearing.

"I didn't want to be here, didn't want to be near Spock and anybody who knew about us. I was angry," she confessed. Uhura had never told anybody about that stupid request and she was glad the Captain had shot it down immediately.

"Again, why? Why bond with him if you hate him so much that you'd want a transfer?"

"I didn't hate him. I hated the situation. I wanted to leave because I was embarrassed! And angry. It wasn't supposed to be like this," She said bowing her head. It was the truth, Uhura realized. She had been embarrassed. She didn't do anything wrong, yet when she walked into a room whispers started and conversations ended abruptly. People avoided her gaze in the halls. And she hadn't done anything to deserve it! People gossiped about her and claimed she was two-timing Sulu and Spock! So she knew how Christine felt if only she would listen.

"Embarrassed? Well, you should be, you ran off with Spock under all of our noses-" Christine said again.

"No, Chris, that's not what happened. Spock was ill, you know that. He needed a bondmate quickly and he sort of just chose me."

"Lucky you," Christine snarled not believing a word of this story.

"Yeah, real lucky, I didn't even ask for the job."

"You're kidding me, right? Again why did you marry him? You could've said no."

"I told you I didn't have a choice. He needed me-"

"Again how convenient for you."

"It was convenient for Spock. Christine, I wish I could tell you everything that happened to me on Vulcan but some things I just can't speak of, I just can't verbalize it, it's personal. It would be a betrayal of Spock and of Vulcan and it would be a dishonor for me to tell it all, it's incredibly private. But I feel I owe you, my friend, something of an explanation if you would just listen."

"I've been waiting but you're not saying anything that I want to hear."

"Okay. First of all, Yes. I liked Spock just like everyone else on the ship. He was kind to me, he was patient with me, and when Nomad wiped my memory he was there for me, helping to retrain me and he melded with me several times imparting memories that would have been lost forever. Plus, we naturally had a lot in common from the very beginning, you know? He shares my passion for music, he taught me how to play his harp. He also gave me a lot of advice on my career, how to be a better officer and honestly before I understood it we were becoming really close..."

Uhura didn't realize she had that look on her face, the one she got only when she was speaking of Spock but Christine saw it. Nyota was in love with Spock and it broke Christine's heart.

"I get the picture. You were clever I give you that, I never even suspected what was happening right before my eyes." Christine shook her head. She didn't want to hear any more. She knew about the harp and the tutoring but she had never seen it as anything but innocent hobbies. Nyota was popular, she hung out with all the guys on the bridge. Christine never imagined that such hobbies would lead to Spock and Nyota falling in love and bonding. And it happened right before her eyes. She thought Nyota was her friend, somebody on this ship she could trust. She had been a fool all along.

"There was nothing to suspect," Nyota said. "I had no idea that Spock was interested in anything more than friendship. Believe me, it was a total shock when I found myself on Vulcan... I even wondered why me and not you. But I wouldn't wish that experience on you or anyone else," she shivered in remembrance of the experience of sharing her mind, her deepest secrets and desires as well as her body with Spock in that cave.

"I'll bet." Christine didn't buy this victim act for a minute. If Vulcan was so horrible, if Spock were so horrible then how did Uhura explain their marriage and their current thick as thieves behavior? "Being married to Spock sounds like such torture for you. I wonder why you didn't follow through and leave?"

"I can't leave him! I can't, not ever. I don't think I can live without him," Nyota said quietly.

Oh, Christine would give her an award for acting. She played the victim so well.

"Oh, of course, you can't sweety. Being married to Spock is horrible but you just can't let go once you've got your hooks in him can you?"

"It's not like that Christine. You just don't understand our bond-"

"I understand perfectly? Riley managed to slip your grasp but not this one right Ny?"

"Let's not talk about Riley."

"Oh yeah wouldn't want to hurt your feelings, would I?"

"I didn't come here to talk about Riley!"

"Then get to the point. This is giving me a headache."

"Christine, when you discovered Roger was dead and his psyche was in that android how did you feel?"

"Don't you dare bring up Roger, you know I was devastated," Christine said angrily.

"But not long after that, you proclaimed your love for Spock?"

"I had always cared about Spock, after Roger, I felt free to pursue him."

"Yes, I know. So you could love Roger and care for another man at the same time?"

"What's your point Nyota?"

"Spock is a lot like Roger. He appeared to be one thing on the surface but when you get to know the real man he's not what you think he is. You never got to know the man Spock truly is. You just saw another Roger, someone you could admire for his brilliant mind. Spock was just a replacement."

"No! The situation with Roger has nothing to do with this. He was already dead when the Captain and I beamed down. That...that thing we found wasn't Roger. I know exactly who Roger was."

"No, it wasn't Roger. You lost Roger long before you and the Captain beamed down to that planet. But you searched for him for years, changed your whole life, you switched careers just to find him. And when you found what you thought was Roger he wasn't the man you thought he was. He wasn't the man you had built up in your mind."

"Christine what you loved was the memory of Roger even though he was long gone. Memories tend to be whitewashed and all the rough edges smoothed away. Likewise, you're in love with this ideal Spock, not reality. He's not what you think he is! Spock is as insecure, damaged, and as imperfect as the rest of us. You loved your idea of Roger and you loved your idea of Spock too. Not the real Spock, not the complicated being who is Vulcan and Human and as frail, as illogical, as flawed as the rest of us!" Nyota argued.

"I know what Spock is" Christine defended "and I know what I love, why I love him. You just don't understand Spock, he is a good man and you're trying to paint him as some kind of common loser. So Riley hurt you. But Spock is not like that. He could no more hurt you or me than- he would never harm a sentient...You said it yourself how he helped you, taught you, and you stand here attacking his character-"

"You don't know him! None of us really did. This illness that he kept a secret was just the tip of the iceberg. He kept his parents a secret, his family, hell did you know his Grandmother is the head of the Vulcan council? Do you really know what he is capable of being or doing? He may not want to harm anyone but he is capable of it. You know it too. You saw how he was in sickbay before he escaped Christine. You saw him take me from this ship, saw what he did to the guards that tried to stop him. You don't know what Vulcan males are capable of. And Spock is no ordinary Vulcan, Christine, he has both Vulcan and Human emotions!" Uhura said passionately.

"You think Vulcans are not capable of violence? Of Deceit? Of aggression? Of taking what they want? Spock could crush us if he so chooses without breaking a sweat. Spock and all the rest of Vulcan just happen to rebuke violence and chose the path of peace but make no mistake Christine, they are a brutal warrior race. How do you think they have thwarted being conquered by their neighbors? By the Romulans and Klingons and Andorians?"

"You're twisting things, Spock isn't like that..."

"I've seen it! I've seen him out of his mind and so have you! He threw that soup in your face remember?"

"You're wrong!"

"Christine, I don't want to argue, that's not what I wanted. I wanted to clear the air with you. I hate how things turned out for you and I hate the way things are between us. I know how you feel-"

"Do you really Ny? Do you just hate how things turned out for me? Poor Christine, she must be devastated they say. She threw herself at Mr. Spock and now he is with Uhura. You have humiliated me and you hate how things turned out for me?! You hussy. What did you do? How did you trick Spock into falling for your ploys? Did you let your dress slip while he was giving you harp lessons? Convince him you were just little ol' helpless Nyota as you fell out of your seat every chance you got on the bridge? I know how you act, I know the routine you put on for men."

"That's enough! I can't believe I was willing to break a confidence in order to help you. What you just said not only dishonors me and Spock but yourself. Do you want to know something, Christine? I knew you would be hurt and jealous and you're right, I do feel sorry for you. Everyone did see you throwing yourself at Spock with no shame. He noticed, how could he not? Spock just wasn't interested and I am sorry about that, I truly am. But you don't get to insult me, not after what I've been through, what I had to do to save the man you say you love. I don't care how hurt you are. I am not your punching bag."

"I was your friend Christine, I really wanted you to be happy. I wanted you to find Roger. I even wanted you to have Spock if he would have had you. That's the kind of friend I am. I thought you were my friend too, but I see now that you are not. Because if you were my friend you would have come to me and asked what happened without accusing me of all kinds of nonsense. You would have asked how I was doing and listened to my story instead of throwing tantrums all over the ship!"

"And news flash, you were not lied to, you were not two-timed, you were not jilted. You and Spock were never a couple and he never belonged to you! So yeah, I flirted with Spock the same as any other woman on board but I never chased him or threw myself at his feet. I didn't make up a relationship with him that didn't exist except in my head. He came to me, he kidnapped me. I didn't have to chase Spock, or learn his culture, or patch his wounds or serve him soup that he doesn't even like, by the way. You were so busy playing his nursemaid, maybe you should have tried being his friend. It might have gotten you further."

Uhura reached Christine's door and turned. "And oh, by the way, Fuck You!" with that Nyota stormed out of Christine's quarters before anything more could be said.

"Why that little bitch!" Christine yelled at the closed door. How dare she? That little thieving trollop! Christine was going to show her. Christine had been resigned to leaving the ship as soon as she could get her transfer to go through but now she had other plans. She was not going to give up without a fight. She was not walking away empty-handed this time. This ship was not big enough for the two of them now and Christine was determined she was not going anywhere anytime soon. But Uhura was.

Chapter 41: Naked Time

Summary:

Spock knows just how to soothe Nyota's savage breast.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Uhura was royally pissed off when she stormed out of Christine's quarters. She had genuinely wanted to help her ex-friend. She was willing to tell Christine everything and try to let her down easily. But now she saw there was just no way to reason with a woman who's heart was broken. Christine didn't hear a word she had said. All she wanted was an excuse to berate Uhura. Well, fuck her, she thought again as she stormed through the halls of the ship.

She must have looked like hell on wheels the way people were getting out of her way. She wasn't in the mood for chitchat anyway. She couldn't believe Christine. She was still after Spock even knowing he was married! These women were outrageous! Amanda had warned her and she didn't really take it seriously at the time, but she was married less than 3 months and 3 different bitches had already tried to take her man!

"Unbelievable!" she announced as she barged into Spock's quarters. He was seated at his desk but he immediately went to Nyota's side when he saw the expression on her face. He dropped his shields and braced himself to receive his wife's emotions. She was very upset, which was obvious. She was also angry and hurt and sad, he picked up throuth their bond.

"Aduna, what has happened?"

"Christine!" she said and then all the hurt she had been supressing spilled over and she broke down in tears.

Spock gathered her into his arms. "What has Christine done?" Spock asked gently. He knew Christine would pose a problem eventually, but he didn't know what she would do.

"She said terrible things to me. She accused me of stealing you from her! I'm done with her. I tried to explain, tried to make nice with her but she just hates me. So be it. I hate her too."

"No, you do not. Hate is illogical. You are upset because you care a great deal about Christine. She is hurting and in turn, she has hurt you."

"Well, I don't care anymore. I can't be friends with her. She thinks I'm a succubus."

"Did she say that?" Spock asked in surprise.

"No, not precisely," Uhura admitted "I just like that word. It fits our situation." She was recovering from her initial outburst as she hiccuped and sniffled.

"It does not."

"Christine thinks I lured you in with my magic sexual powers, what would you call it?"

"Foolish," Spock said. "Nyota..." Spock pulled her over to his couch and brought her down on his lap.

"Christine is hurting. I am sure she did not mean any hurtful words she said."

"Don't you dare take her side."

"I am not taking sides, I am only being logical."

"Now is not the time for logic. I'm hurting. I need you on my side."

"I know you are hurting. I feel your pain and I grieve with thee."

"Grieve?" Uhura asked in confusion.

"Yes. You are grieving the loss of a friendship, are you not?"

"I guess so," she said and rested her head on Spock's shoulder. "I just don't understand what I did that was so wrong. Why is she attacking me? What about you? You're married too and yet she ignores you."

"She knows she cannot hurt me."

"She said some terrible things."

"What did she say?"

"I don't even want to repeat them. She's off her rocker."

"Aduna?"

"Hmm?"

"Show me?"

"Show you what?"

"Show me what transpired between you and Christine."

"You mean you want to look into my mind?" She asked.

"Yes, if you will permit me?"

"Sure. Just be aware, it's ugly. I said some things I'm not proud of too."

"Show me," Spock repeated.

Uhura sat up and Spock arranged them on his couch so that she straddled his lap. He touched her psi points and concentrated. "Show me," he said again and soon he was there, in Christine's quarters witnessing the conversation and the argument at the end. It was indeed ugly. He could see that Nyota was still not at ease about their marriage. Before he left Nyota's mind he chanted 'be at peace' and sent calming thoughts to her. He used the same techniques his father had used on him when he was a boy, too young to control his emotions. Gradually he felt the tension leave her body. When he removed his fingers from her psi points he dried her tears. Nyota lay her head on his chest and sighed, all the fight had left her.

"Thank you," she said.

He was about to say thanks are unnecessary when he thought better of it.

"You are welcome, Aduna," he said and he held his wife until she slept.

/*-/*-/

Nyota woke up beside Spock and realized right away they were both naked. She looked around for a sheet or anything to cover herself but could find nothing nearby. She would need to leave the bed and prance around his quarters in her birthday suit in search of her clothing.

"What troubles you, my wife?" Spock asked with a deep husky voice.

Nyota looked down into Spock's bright eyes. He looked very pleased with himself which she supposed was to be expected. She pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Where are my clothes?"

"In the sitting room where we left them."

"Where are your bed coverings?"

"I don't use such coverings."

"Ok then..." She looked around the bedroom.

"Are you uncomfortable? Should I raise the temperature?"

"No, no nothing like that." It was already pretty warm in there. "I'm just feeling a little exposed."

He sat up and raised his brow in that arrogant way of his. "I am also exposed, and I have seen you bare before."

"Yeah, but that was different."

"How so?"

"It just is," she knew she was being illogical, of course, he'd seen her naked but it was either in a darkened cave or she usually had a sheet or something to hide behind after. This was the first time she'd spent the night in Spock's bed in his quarters. Before they had been in her bed or on Starbase 6.

Spock lay on his side and propped his head upon his hand.

"Vulcans are not concerned with nudity as a culture, we don't share your concept of shyness."

Yeah, she could see that. He was laid out in all his naked glory.

"I'm not shy... I just feel...I don't know. It's illogical as you say." She released a pent up breath.

"Yes, it is. You are very pleasing to look at, there is no need to hide yourself from me."

She wanted to snap that she was not hiding but the way she was folded up on the edge of his bed said otherwise.

"What do Vulcan women look like?" she asked suddenly.

He gave her the look that said it was an illogical question.

"You know what I mean, I mean you look like a normal human male, are Vulcan women built like human females?"

"Vulcans and humans are anatomically very similar in appearance outwardly, though we are arranged rather different internally."

"I know, but am I different from a Vulcan woman physically?"

She looked at him and Spock could see that Uhura was insecure about her appearance. So illogical. She was perfect. "I do not know, I have never examined any naked Vulcan females up close."

"Never? You said Vulcans are not shy."

"Yet I never had the occasion to inspect naked Vulcan women for anatomical similarities to humans."

"Not even T'pring?"

"Especially not T'pring, we were bonded in name only. Nyota, I don't want you to be uncomfortable, I will gather your clothing."

"Nevermind, I'm just being silly. If you're good I'm good and besides, I've never been the shrinking violet type."

She unfolded her legs and stood up on the side of the bed and placed her hands on her hips. "So go ahead get a good look."

And Spock did. He started his examination at her eyes and held her gaze for a moment before his eyes lowered and he slowly took in her measure.

"Quite acceptable," he said, still roving his eyes up and down her beautiful body.

"Why don't you take a halo-pic it will last longer," she said exasperated at his prolonged examination.

"Excellent idea," and he turned towards his side table that held several data PADDS.

Nyota jumped on the bed to chase him. "You better not!" she screeched and landed on top of Spock's chest. She looked down at him and he gave her a wolfish grin that stopped her up short. Spock seemed to have a smile he reserved only for her and she liked it.

"You're right, I do possess eidetic memory. I'll never forget," he said.

"I don't know if that's any better."

"This is how we shall always sleep, skin to skin. It is the Vulcan way." He said holding her.

"Is it really the Vulcan way to sleep naked or just the Spock way?"

"It is illogical to get 'dressed' for bed. Vulcan is hot, the skin should breathe. However, as a concession, I will procure bed coverings for you."

"Oh, you will? You're so sure I will be sleeping here again?" Uhura joked.

Spock froze beneath her. "Will you?" He asked. "Will you share accommodations with me?"

Uhura rolled over and lay flat on her back and folded her hands over her stomach while looking up at the ceiling.

After a moment she answered seriously, "I don't know, moving in together is a big step. I mean we only just started dating."

Spock stared at her, speechless. Dating!?

"I was just teasing," She said and rolled over to face him again. "You know what I always admired about you Spock? You are so direct and forthcoming even when it made other people uncomfortable."

"Have I made you uncomfortable?"

"You bet you have Mister. Uncomfortable and conflicted since the moment you took me off the Enterprise."

"I deeply regret causing you discomfort, that has never been my intention."

"Exactly what were your intentions then? You've been apologizing for everything but that's not like you. You do what you deem necessary or logical and you don't apologize for logic. If you disobey a direct order or commit mutiny it is because you have a damn good reason."

She sat up, "Look at us, Spock." She waved her hand back and forth between their two nude bodies. "How did I get here? How did we get to this moment? Is this what you intended?"

"Yes, it is. Perhaps not how I intended, but I always intended for us to bond someday."

Uhura nodded her head. "Sulu said as much to me but I didn't believe him. I said he was crazy. And just how long has this been brewing in that scheming brain of yours?"

"From the first moment that we met, I was attracted to you. But it was not possible for us then. You were a fellow bridge officer and under my command. And there were other considerations."

"Like your wife T'Pring? Or your girlfriend Leila?" She asked with a sharpness to her tone.

Spock ignored that bit of pettiness. "No, like the duty to my new Captain, and to my Vulcan heritage, to the Vulcan beliefs that I chose to follow as a child. Having you was out of the question at that time."

"So you wanted me? Why did you think you could just have me? Suppose I didn't want you? Did you ever think of that?"

"No," he said as if the very thought never crossed his mind.

"So arrogant," she shook her head.

"Perhaps, but as you say I usually get what I want."

"And this is what you wanted, me naked in your bed?"

"Indeed. I told you Vulcans rarely dream but when I did dream it was of you just like this. I dreamed I would peel your uniform off of you and reveal your beautiful body and then I would kiss you," Spock said moving to hover over her and kiss her.

"Ooh. And then what?" She asked breathlessly.

"And then I would touch you, like this," and he touched her body gently, gliding his fingertips over her tawny skin causing Uhura to shiver.

"No wonder..." She said and sighed.

"No wonder what?" Spock asked but at this point, he didn't care what.

"Every time I was with you and fell asleep I would wake up naked. I never sleep naked."

"You do now. It is the Vulcan way."

"I'm not Vulcan."

"You are now, you are my wife," he said with some pride as he continued to explore her body.

"So that means I have to seep naked?"

"Yes." He said as he nibbled a sensitive spot.

Uhura moaned. "Ooh, alright then..."

Chapter 42: Hell Hath No Fury

Summary:

Nyota and Spock might be happy about their bonding but nobody else is.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Christine sat in her little nurse's office lost in thought as she sipped at her now tepid plomeek tea. She didn't even like the stuff, she just drank it because of Spock. Because it was Vulcan. But Nyota claimed he didn't even like it. Now she couldn't even stand the smell of it. She felt like flinging it across the room. Instead, she went out to the food synthesizer to request good old fashioned earth coffee.

Dr. McCoy was there getting the same.

"Morning Christine, I didn't know you were on duty?"

"I'm not, not yet at least. I was just trying to catch up on my studies." She poured out her tea and requested coffee hot and black.

"How are you holding up?"

Ugh, the last thing she wanted to do was explain how she was 'holding up' as if somebody died. She only lost her best friend and the love of her life. That was not such a big deal, was it?

"Fine doctor, why do you ask?"

"Chris you know we're all worried about you, we know you've been down lately. I wish you would talk to us, let us cheer you up."

"I don't need cheering up I need off this ship, have you processed my request for transfer yet?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't think you really want to transfer. I think you are trying to run away and that's never a good idea."

"That's my business doctor."

"Look, you are on this ship because you abandoned a promising career in biomedical research for Roger. Now you're on the fast track to becoming a ship's doctor. Do you want to give that up because of a man again?"

"I'm not giving up anything. I can study medicine on any other ship." Christine said.

"But your career is here, your friends are here-"

"What friends? You mean friends like Nyota who steal your man! Or the friends who are whispering and laughing at me behind my back! Those kinds of friends?"

"Christine, Nyota did not steal Spock from you. If you would just let her explain-"

"Not you too Doctor! I don't want to hear more of her lies. It sounds like you're on her side so I guess you're not my friend either. Fine, approve my transfer and you can be rid of Christine the troublemaker and Debbie Downer," she nearly shouted.

"That's not what I meant at all. I'm on nobodies side, there are no sides in this." McCoy tried to reason with her.

"Yes there are, you're either on the side of the hussy who stole Spock right out from under my nose or you're on my side."

"Christine-"

"Did you know?"

"Know what?"

"Did you know what was happening between them? Did you know and not say anything to me while she slithered her way into his bed?"

"Christine, do you hear yourself? You know damn well that that's not what happened."

"All I know is my 'best friend' is married to the man I love, the man I have been patiently waiting for, showing attention to, catering to for years. And do you know the worst part? Nobody seems surprised. Nobody is shocked. There is no outrage. Everyone just accepts it as the way things are, the way things are supposed to be. Well, this is not the way it's supposed to be! I am the one he was supposed to turn to, me, not Nyota."

"But I never had a chance did I? Not when little miss Uhura was sashaying around the ship nipping at Spock's heels like a helpless puppy every chance she got; singing and dancing, more like gyrating around him. Always falling out of her chair and right into his lap I suppose and I was none the wiser? I was so stupid. Telling her all about how I felt and all the time she must have been amused. They must have been meeting at night in bed laughing at stupid Christine who was still chasing Spock when he was already with Nyota. It just sickens me to think my own friend was screwing around behind my back." Christine cried.

"Christine, it was nothing like that," McCoy said.

"How do you know Doctor? Were you there? Why didn't he come to me if he needed a wife? It should have been me!" she screamed as she ran from the sickbay leaving her coffee in the synthesizer abandoned and unwanted.

McCoy went to his office, his coffee abandoned as well and got out his special brew, saurian brandy. He poured himself just a few fingers, he still had a full day of work ahead of him after all. But he was in need of its medicinal powers. After taking a sip of his drink he thought about the situation. Spock sure did have an effect on women. Christine was scorned and Uhura was running around with his Katra suffering from Vulcan fever. "And I'm staying out of it," McCoy thought as he raised a toast to bachelorhood.

-=-=-=-=-

There was no place on this ship Christine could go and get away from Spock and Nyota. They were the hottest gossip topic and since everybody knew she and Nyota were friends and that she was also in love with Spock when she entered a room the conversations stopped and a hush fell over the crowd.

Yeah, real subtle, she thought as she took a seat at an empty table in the ship's only restaurant. It was really just a rec-room converted to look a little less recreational. It had darker lights and a bar. And that's what she needed, a drink.

She ordered red wine when the attendant came to take her order. He gave her a weird look but she was getting used to it. Too early for drinks? Maybe but so what. She was just getting started. She was on her 3rd glass of wine when the room got hushed again. She turned towards the door to see what the commotion was about. And there stood Spock and Uhura. Together. Uhura was grinning up into Spock's face and it made Christine sick. How dare they!?

Spock must have sensed her staring at them and he looked her way. He whispered something to Nyota and she looked at her next. Then Uhura did something outrageous. She smiled at Chris, took her two fingers and held them out to Spock. Spock hesitated a moment and then touched his fingers to hers and Uhura led him over to an empty table.

That was it! Christine had seen enough. Her first thought was to go over there and toss her drink right in Nyota's face. But she wouldn't give that hussy the satisfaction of accusing her of assault. Instead, she swallowed her drink and her pride and stumbled out of the restaurant before anyone could see her crying.

-=-=-=-=-

Komack was livid. Every time he thought about Spock and Lieutenant Uhura outside of his office he saw red. Another human woman in the arms of that Vulcan, being manhandled by him. Didn't she know how dangerous they were? You don't lay down with Vulcans and walk away. You were trapped for life. Komack knew the Vulcans held some sort of sway over humans he just didn't know what it was exactly. Was it their mind-melding telepathic ability that mesmerized foolish women and led them down the path of destruction?

But, it wasn't just women, men too got caught up in those Vulcans. Komack watched as friends and colleagues who were assigned to Vulcan started acting strange, quoting Surak and talking about logic. Logic! Logic didn't get humans this far, it was faith, perseverance, and hard work. Logic be damned!

Lieutenant Uhura was a fool but she would see, only it would be too late when she did. She'd end up like the Vulcan ambassadors wife following her husband around like his little lap dog while he treated her like garbage. It was already happening, someone on the Enterprise had it in for Lieutenant Uhura. He'd received another anonymous report. It contained little evidence to convict Spock but what it did contain was pieces of the puzzle. The captain and the doctor were covering up for Spock and his crimes. So they were in on it too. Anyone who played nice with the Vulcans got burned and it was their own damn fault.

His opinions were not as popular as they once were. There was a time when you could openly discuss your dislike for the alien element in Starfleet without raising any ire, but not anymore. Every day there were more and more non-humans joining their ranks and taking up positions of power. Soon there wouldn't be room for humans, the very race that founded the federation!

Komack went to his desk and opened his file on the Vulcan Spock. The half breed. He was outstanding in every way even scoring higher than any Vulcan they had ever tested. He was obviously the result of selective breeding to get the most out of both human and Vulcan. And they were probably going to do the same thing to Miss Uhura and any offspring she had.

The first salvo in creating a super race was Spock and Uhura's marriage. Human eugenics had been outlawed long ago on Earth but there was no law prohibiting Vulcan and Human genes spliced in the guise of fertility treatments for interspecies couples. It was up to Komack to stop them before they further contaminated the Human gene pool. Spock would be the last of these supermen if Komack had any say in the matter. And as far as Komack was concerned, he had a lot to say.

Chapter 43: Propositions

Summary:

Spock and Nyota are openly dating and Nyota learns she was the one who put the moves on Spock first.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Spock sat at the table with Uhura feeling very uncomfortable. He understood that Nyota was still upset about her argument with Christine but her actions were unwarranted considering that she had Spock and Christine did not. "Nyota," he said as he watched Christine leave the restaurant clearly upset.

"Hmm?" Uhura asked sweetly as she ordered a glass of wine and took the menu a waiter handed her.

"I do not think we should flaunt ourselves in front of Christine."

"And I told you I am done with her. We didn't do anything wrong. Why should we continue to hide our relationship? According to Charlene, we're all anybody on this ship can talk about anyway. You want me to move in with you but I can't be seen in public with you?" Uhura asked crossing her arms over her chest.

Spock could tell from her body language she was ready for a fight and he didn't want to argue with her.

"No, we should not hide our relationship. And yes, I think you should reside with me. But--"

"But what? I don't want to talk about Christine. We're on a date remember? Let's not talk about some other woman. I've got bigger problems than her anyway." Uhura thanked the waiter and started sipping the wine he brought her. Spock was fine with just water.

"And what problems do you have, my wife?" Spock asked when the waiter stepped away.

"Like when are we getting to Vulcan so these healers can check me out?"

"The Enterprise has been diverted to a colony in need of vaccines. We should be back on course for Vulcan in a day or so," Spock informed her.

"All the ships in Starfleet and the Enterprise has to make a vaccine run?" I smell a Komack sized rat.

"All the ships in Starfleet and the Enterprise has to make a Uhura run?" Spock countered.

"Ha-ha. I didn't ask to get Pon Farr. I didn't plan on going back to Vulcan anytime soon either."

"Indeed?" Spock asked.

Uhura sighed when she realized she had struck a nerve with Spock. "Look, Spock, I didn't mean it like that. When I left Vulcan I was still unsure of what my future would be but I certainly never dreamed of returning under such circumstances."

"Under what circumstances did you envision?"

"I didn't envision any circumstances to be honest. I know I promised Amanda I would give our marriage a chance, but I thought I would do it on the Enterprise and then if it worked out maybe on Earth or an outpost. But I honestly never imagined myself living on Vulcan for the rest of my life," She said honestly.

"I see," Spock said.

"No, you don't. I can't explain it. Vulcan seemed a million miles away from me at the time, like another reality. I never imagined I could belong in that reality. It was so surreal when we were there. Suddenly I was married to you, I found out I had your katra, I was suddenly a matriarch, I was challenged by T'Pring, and I had to put on a show for your family. It was all so surreal. I would almost put it on par with the mirror Enterprise I found myself on. I couldn't get off of Vulcan quick enough."

Spock sat quietly.

"I'm sorry." She reached out a hand to him. "I don't know what else to say. This is still new for both of us, more so for me since as you say, you've been planning this almost since we met. I know I sound like I'm on repeat but just give me some time to adjust? I told you I am willing to live as your wife. And I don't like it when we're apart, so if I have to live on Vulcan I'll manage."

"Nyota, I never said we should live on Vulcan. As you say, we could make our home on Earth or any of her outposts or even on some of our Vulcan colonies. And I find it disagreeable when we're apart as well which is why I think we should share quarters."

"I understand, but it's still a big decision. Besides my quarters are larger than yours. You should move in with me."

"Your quarters are larger because your quarters are meant for the first officer."

"So, there you go." Uhura grinned. "You must have really liked me to give up your quarters for me."

"I did not give up my quarters for you. I was already established and comfortable where I am and I saw no need to rearrange my living quarters just because I acquired a new position," Spock defended.

"Okay, sure if you say so. It wasn't because you had a crush on me." Uhura teased him. "But you can drop by anytime you like and visit, consider it an open invitation."

"Yes, that kind of open invitation is what got us here," Spock said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your open invitations. You propositioned me constantly."

"I never proposition you! I've never propositioned anybody in my entire life!"

"You did," Spock assured her. "Do you recall our first visit to Vulcan, the night I was divorced from T'Pring?"

"I remember that night, you came to me talking about some other woman then too," She said shaking her head.

"I did not talk about 'some other woman' T'Pring was my ex-wife."

"Whatever, I remember that night. I was so upset with you that day. I didn't know why at the time, but when you said T'Pring was your wife on the bridge, it shook me. I can admit it now, but I had a little crush on you back then, Mr. Spock."

"Only a little Miss Uhura?" he asked.

"Yes. I was kind of into you but you were an untouchable."

"An Untouchable?" He questioned.

"Yes, Janice and I dubbed you and the Captain untouchables. Pretty to look at but something you can't have," Uhura sipped her wine and smiled thinking off all the mischief she used to get into with Janice egging her on.

"I thought it was great fun to flirt with you but I always knew it would go no further than that. Boy, was I wrong huh?"

"You were indeed incorrect. Your flirting yielding the desired results."

"What desired results?"

"You procured me as a husband," Spock said with ill-concealed pride.

"I wasn't trying to procure you at all."

"Then what were you trying to do?"

"I don't know, it was for fun. I guess I thought I was loosening you up. If anybody needed loosening up it was you. You were so uptight and strict back then. But Sulu says you used to smile all the time when Pike was captain."

"Nyota, I notice Mr. Sulu seems to occupy a great deal of your mind."

"No, he doesn't, he's just been my best friend lately."

"I thought Christine was your best friend or Lieutenant Masters?"

"Are you jealous of Sulu?" She asked. She was very surprised by the notion of a jealous Spock.

"Are you jealous of Leila?" he countered.

"Don't try to flip the script, that's not the same at all. Leila was actually your girlfriend. Sulu and I have always been just friends."

"Not by Sulu's choice," Spock said.

"How do you know that?" Uhura asked. Did Spock see something in her mind? How did he know about Sulu's feelings for her?

"I know when a man is interested in you even when you do not," Spock answered her unspoken question.

"Really? Why does everybody keep assuming I'm some kind of airhead when it comes to men?"

"I do not assume that. As I said, you did procure me, that demonstrates some level of skill," Spock proclaimed smugly.

"I did not! You chose me, you said it yourself."

"Let us say we chose each other. It was mutual."

"How do you figure that?"

"Nyota, you and I have been bonded for quite a long time now. Since our Time, the bond only grows stronger and stronger. Our futures are entwined, our destinies are one," Spock informed her.

"I guess sharing a Katra will do that huh?"

"No, I do not believe it is due to you possessing my Katra. Remember, my grandmother didn't bond us. When T'Pau melded with us at the place of Kun-et-Kalifee our minds were already joined."

"Because of your Katra," she insisted.

"No. You asked me why I sacrificed myself to heal you? I believe it was because I was already bonded to you at that time."

"What do you mean? How?"

"Telepathic bonds can form organically without a healer's intervention. If two people are compatible and they frequently spend time together a natural bond can form as it did with us. I hadn't realized what was happening at the time, but even if I had known I would have been ill-prepared to stop it."

"But you were already bonded to T'pring," Uhura protested.

"Indeed I was, but the bond was a weak one. T'Pring and I never cultivated it the way you and I have. We lived light years apart and we rarely spoke to one another. And T'pring was involved with another man as well. You and I had to remain close to strengthen our bond. T'Pring and I were never close and therefore the bond could not solidify so it failed."

"So?"

"So when I saw you injured by Nomad, I could not stand by and do nothing. Our bond demanded that I intervene. It was the same instinct that drove me to act when I learned that Captain Pike was injured and I risked my life and career to save him. Or when I see the captain in danger and I reflexively intercede. Instinctively, I had to do all I could to save you. So do you understand now? My efforts to heal you did not bring about our marital bond. Our bond drove me to heal you, my bondmate."

"Oh my god!"

"I am sorry Nyota."

"Are you telling me we were married by Vulcan tradition well before we went to Vulcan?"

"Yes, I beleive so."

"And even when you had your first Pon Farr we were bonded?"

"Yes."

"So technically I broke the bond you shared with T'pring?"

"That is not precisely what happened-"

"Well, what then? You were engaged. Then you weren't. Because of me!" Uhura felt shame that she should be the cause of a relationship breaking up, even an arranged one like Spock and T'Pring's.

"T'Pring and I did not break up because of you. T'Pring and I didn't cultivate the bond and it weakened and failed. My fight with Jim finished off any last remnants. You are not capable of initiating a bond with me, therefore, it was I who sought out your mind and bonded with you. I take full responsibility for everything that has occurred between us."

"Christine was right, I'm a man stealer."

"Christine was not right. I never belonged to T'pring. Our parents wished us to bond but neither one of us wanted it for ourselves. T'pring took the first opportunity to release herself from our union. If left up to her, I would have died, or Jim would have. I do not regret that our association ended."

"When?"

"When what Nyota?"

"When did it happen, when did you know?"

"T'Pau told me before we left Vulcan. When she told me that you possessed my katra she melded with me to determine if she could repair it. She has since consulted with healers and they informed her that our bond is too strong to be new. They believe a bond of such depth takes years to forge. It is similar to the friendship bond that Jim and I share only much deeper."

"Oh. Well, I guess it makes sense that you share a bond with the captain, you two are always in sync with one another. But I never felt anything. I mean, yes we shared a friendship but it never even went as far as you and the captain or even you and Doctor McCoy."

"No, it went much deeper than those bonds. Deeper than any friendship bond I have ever experienced."

"But how could we be bonded without either of us realizing it?"

"I do not have a great deal of experience with such bonds. All I can decipher is that I was drawn to you and you were drawn to me. We were attracted to one another. Mutually."

"This is unbelievable! Why are you telling me all of this now?"

"Because you still labor under the impression that I randomly took you from the Enterprise and nothing could be further from the truth. I came to you that day because you were already bonded to me."

Uhura took a moment to absorb what Spock was saying. Apparently, they were an old married couple bonded since who knew when. "This does explain one thing at least." She said finally.

"What is that?"

"The night you went to Vulcan to meet T'Pring." She stated.

"Yes, what about it?"

"I was not myself that entire day. I was in a sorry state and I didn't know why. I was so upset and I even cried because of you," She said.

"I am sorry that happened. I did not know about our bond then. However, I recall that once I had concluded my business on Vulcan with T'Pring I could think of nothing else but seeing you. That is why I came to visit you that night."

"Yes..." she said remembering that visit.

"We spent the night together talking," Spock finished her thought, "And that is when you propositioned me..." he said.

"I did no such thing! Stop saying it like that." She looked around in case someone was eavesdropping.

"Perhaps I prefer it like that."

"I just bet you do Mister," she said smiling at him.

"You served me tea and said you were mine," Spock recalled fondly.

"I meant as your friend."

"Friends do not serve an unbonded male in their quarters after hours. You unwittingly propositioned me that evening and I accepted."

"No!" She shook her head in denial.

"Yes," Spock nodded his head. "Mother told you that serving an unbonded person has special connotations. Your actions were tantamount to a proposal."

"I really am no better than Christine. And why didn't you throw that tea in my face like you did her soup?"

"Because I wanted your tea," he said with a quirk to his lips. "And you."

"You could've fooled me. You always blew so hot and cold with me. One moment we were inseparable then the next you couldn't get away from me fast enough. Do you know how many times you broke my heart?" Uhura confessed laughing bitterly. "I really was just like Christine, pinning away for a man I thought I could never have. And now you tell me we've been bonded to one another this entire time?"

"I am sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I only recently put the pieces together myself."

"Don't be sorry Mister. Be better. You better not ever play with my feelings ever again do you hear me?" Uhura demanded.

"I do."

"Good. And you promised you would never leave me. You better keep your promise, Mister." Uhura pointed her finger at him.

"I will," Spock said.

"Good," Uhura emphasized with a nod of her head. "And if our bond is so old why did we need to strengthen and solidify it? Why was I driven into Pon Farr?"

"I do not know. The healers on Vulcan will have to explain it to us."

Uhura looked around the restaurant nervously and leaned in closer to Spock. "Spock," she whispered.

"Yes, Nyota?" he whispered in return.

"Um, how does The Fever know...?" she couldn't finish her question.

"How does it know what?"

"How does it know when to stop? I mean, you have to mate or die right? How does it know that you've mated? Does, um... a physical release trigger something and if so what?"

Spock was surprised by the turn of conversation. "That is a very interesting question."

"So what's the answer?"

"I have no idea. Pon Farr is of utmost importance for my race and yet very little is known about it publically. I am hoping the healers employed by T'Pau will be able to explain it all to us."

Uhura sat back in her seat, "I think I understand you a little better now. You have this ticking timebomb waiting to explode inside of you. You don't know when but sooner or later you'll get the fever and you can't control it or yourself. Now I have it too."

"Nyota," Spock said gently, trying to comfort her. "I am hoping it was just a one-off incident brought on by the stress of our separation."

"Hope, Mister Spock? Human emotion?"

"You and Dr. Mccoy remind me often I am half-human."

"You sound as if you've learned to accept it."

"It is illogical to deny that which is a fact of life."

"Mmm-hmm. Like the Pon Farr? Or our marriage bond?" Uhura asked thinking of the facts of her own life.

"Yes." Spock agreed.

"Spock, I'm suddenly not hungry. Let's go home and I'll make us some tea."

"Are you propositioning me, Miss Uhura?" Spock asked with surprise.

"Yes," she said with a mischievous grin.

"Your quarters or mine?" Spock asked as he stood extending his first two fingers to his wife.

Uhura joined her fingers with Spocks. "Whichever one is closer. As long as we're together it's home."

Chapter 44: Mad, Bad, and Dangerous

Summary:

Nyota needs to get to Vulcan but everything seems to be conspiring against her.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Their routine vaccine run was taking longer than expected. The government of the colony wished to speak to Captain Kirk about security measures and emergency procedures for the outpost since it was so close to the neutral zone. Kirk agreed to meet with them and he was taking along various crew members from different departments for consultations.

"Lieutenant Uhura, Ensign Chekov, join me in the transporter room. Mr. Spock, you have the con," Kirk said as he hopped into the turbo lift.

"Aye, sir," Spock said. He gave Uhura a long lingering look as she joined the Captain on the lift. He didn't know why but he felt apprehensive about Uhura going on an away mission without him. It was quite illogical. Though the vast majority of her missions had been routine, incidents like the mirror Enterprise and the Triskelion affair left a bad taste in his mouth, to use a human phrase. But this was hardly a hostile planet, it was a Federation outpost. She would be fine. Still...

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Uhura was assigned to assist the colonists with their communications array. She gave them advice on how to boost their signals and how to cut through atmospheric interference with the latest information available from Starfleet engineering. As the consultation with the communication engineers was winding down one of the colonists approached Uhura with additional questions. He said he would be in charge of the array's maintenance.

As the other field agents walked ahead, Uhura stayed behind to answer the Chief's follow up questions. Geological technician Fisher had even volunteered to stay behind with her and take some readings of the area surrounding the array while they talked.

"Lieutenant Uhura, you are a very beautiful woman," Chief communications engineer Rogers said to her as his hazel eyes roved up and down her body. Uhura was used to men checking her out but this felt very inappropriate. She was there on serious official business.

"Thank you, sir. But you said you had some additional questions for me?" Uhura asked trying to steer the conversation back to the business at hand. She was feeling a tad annoyed now. This engineer said he had follow-up questions but so far all he had done was stare at her and ask questions she had already addressed in her presentation.

"Yes, I do. But I understand the Enterprise will be in orbit for the next day or so. How would you like to have dinner with me tonight and discuss things then?" He asked moving into her personal space.

"No." She said taking a step back. "I'll be busy. I suggest you get your questions answered now as there will not be another chance."

"Come on now. Don't be shy," He moved in close again. "I'm sure you've noticed this outpost is short on female colonists. I would really like to have dinner with a beautiful woman for a change. It may not look like much but we do have some excellent food here. All grown fresh, farm to table as they say," the chief said. He was a tall man and Uhura supposed women would find him attractive, however, she did not. He had dark hair and hazel eyes which reminded her of the Captains but his eyes were cold where the Captains were warm and rich. This guy was just a handsome jerk.

"Chief Rogers, I am sure your food is excellent, but I am just not interested. I am not available. Now if that was all you really wanted to ask me I'll be joining the rest of my landing party."

Uhura turned to walk away but Mr. Rogers was not done with her yet. He grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Now wait a minute Miss-" he said pulling her up short.

"Take your hand off of me right now before you lose it," Uhura said finally reaching her boiling point with this jerk. How dare he touch her!

"Now hold on, you can't talk to me like that. I just asked you out for dinner. You think you're better than me because you're in Starfleet? They got you thinking because you wear that little uniform that you're above the rest of us civilians? I know you female officers only join up looking for husbands anyway. Well, what's wrong with me? Ain't I good enough for you little Miss Lieutenant?" he yelled at her and shook her arm.

"What's going on here," Uhura heard Technician Fisher ask but his voice seemed to come from far away. Suddenly all her training kicked in and her mind focused on one objective. Protect. Before she knew what was happening she had pivoted, flipped chief Rogers onto his back and proceeded to kick the shit out of him. Maybe she felt one of his ribs crack but she didn't care, he had threatened her and she had to protect herself.

Uhura knew she was out of control. She was angry, angrier than she had ever been in her life. It washed over her and she could do nothing to control it. Red hot rage consumed her and she let it have its way. How dare he touch her! She who belongs to Spock!

Someone grabbed her from behind trying to restrain her and she fought them off too. Finally, the security detail that had beamed down with the landing party restrained her enough for Dr. McCoy to administer a hypo and sedate her.

By the time Captain Kirk came running up on the scene, Uhura was still straining to get to Chief Rogers.

"Bones get her to sickbay," Kirk said.

"Kirk to Enterprise two to beam aboard, medical emergency."

M'Ress, who was manning the communications station in Uhura's absence took the call and ordered Mr. Kyle to beam the party up.

Spock had been manning the con and when he heard there was a medical emergency he was alarmed. What was the emergency? Who was injured? It was not Jim, he had given the command. So was it McCoy? Nyota?

Spock kept his shields in place for both his and Uhura's protection when she was on duty but he was tempted to let them down now. He recalled her scolding him for not showing emotion when a crew member was killed during an away mission on planet M-113. She had been disappointed in him and reminded him that the fatality could have been the captain, his closest friend. But Spock could not allow his emotions to cloud his judgment or interfere with his job. It would have been illogical to react emotionally until he knew all the facts. Now he was sorely tempted to do just that.

Instead, Spock waited patiently on the bridge for a report. Captain Kirk appeared on the bridge a short time later and approached Spock at his chair.

"Mr. Spock, would you accompany me to sickbay, please? Mr. Sulu, you have the con."

Spock had a sinking feeling Nyota was the one in sickbay and he was ready to bolt off in search of her but Jim restrained him with a hand to his shoulder.

"Mr. Spock, don't... um...do whatever it is you do. Uhura is not hurt." Kirk said as he ushered Spock onto the lift and steered it to the sickbay.

"Where is my wife?" He asked trying to remain calm.

"She's in sickbay. Doctor McCoy is with her. And she's not hurt." Kirk reiterated. "I just thought you would like me to escort you so you keep your... uh... control," Kirk said.

Spock started walking quickly towards the sickbay as soon as the lift door opened. A conversation could wait until he saw to the needs of his wife.

When he entered the sickbay doors he was slammed with a wave of anger. In his haste to reach Nyota, he had lowered his shields.

"Spock are you ok? What's wrong?" Kirk asked.

Spock had unwittingly staggered back into the captain when the emotions hit him.

"The anger," he said. "So angry. How dare he touch me!" Spock said.

"Spock, pull yourself together." Kirk shook him. "Uhura needs you to be calm," Kirk said.

Yes. Spock thought, control. "I must regain control." He did the exercises his father taught him when he was a boy on the verge of a meltdown. Calm. Peace. Control. He gathered himself and proceeded into the examination room.

Uhura was on the exam table with wrist restraints on.

"What is this?" Spock demanded of McCoy who was hovering nearby reading the display above Uhura's head.

"I did this so she wouldn't hurt anyone," McCoy said.

"What happened?" Spock demanded.

"One of the engineers attacked her and-"

Spock let out a growl but Jim ignored it. "And she defended herself. A lot," the captain explained.

"She kicked his ass, Sir!" Spock heard someone say from behind him, but he only had eyes for Uhura.

"You get back in that bed Fisher! I'm not done checking you." He heard a nurse say. "And watch your language."

"But she did, I've never seen anything like it." Technician Fisher said. "I didn't even have a chance to pull my phaser..."

Spock tuned out the useless chatter and approached his wife.

"Careful," McCoy said "she's upset."

Spock ignored McCoy and reached out to her. He gently touched her face brushing away a tear from her cheek. Uhura opened her eyes. They were bright with anger for a moment and then when recognition struck she looked terrified and tried to sit up.

"Doctor, please remove the restraints," Spock said never taking his eyes from his wife.

"I don't know Spock. She was out of control a moment ago-"

"Remove them. I will...take full responsibility."

"Okay, it's your neck..." McCoy approached carefully so as not to startle Uhura. She was staring into Spock's eyes and neither one of them seemed to notice McCoy as he loosened the restraints from Uhura's wrists.

As soon as the restraints were gone Uhura lunged at Spock and he caught her in his arms.

Jim and McCoy were ready to step in and rescue Spock but he had it all under control. He held onto his wife as she sobbed into his chest.

"Let's give them some privacy Jim," McCoy said.

He and the captain backed away and closed the divider shutting them off from the rest of the sickbay.

"Let's go to my office," McCoy said.

When they were settled in his office Mccoy produced a flask of Saurian brandy. He poured two shots and passed one to Jim.

"What the hell Bones!" Jim said after downing his drink.

Bones frowned. "I have no idea what I just witnessed. Uhura was out of control. Like a wild animal."

"What the hell is going on?"

"Jim, I tell you I don't know. It must have something to do with Spock and his damn Katra."

"His what?"

Bones explained what a katra was.

"Is it contagious?" Jim finally asked as he took it all in.

"No, I don't think so, near as I can tell it happened when he was healing her from the Nomad attack. Somehow he infected her then. Uhura said it was permanent."

"So why the hell is it only affecting her now?"

"I don't know Jim, I'm no expert on Vulcan medicine especially something like this psi business."

"What about Dr. M'benga? He's our resident Vulcanologist."

"He's not here, he went to some conference. As soon as he returns I'll be sure to inquire but in the meantime, I have to contact Vulcan and see if the healers there know what's going on. But you know how tight-lipped they are. We might have to transport Uhura to Vulcan for this one. No more delays."

"Gods Bones will we ever escape Vulcan?" Kirk asked as he poured another round of drinks.

"We don't have to go, Jim. She can go on medical leave. I'll write up the report."

"Spock is not going to let her out of his sight. If I've observed one thing during my stay on Vulcan its that Vulcan men protect their marriages with their lives."

"Of course," McCoy reflected, "the wives protect their husband's life as well."

"Why didn't you tell me about this katra thing sooner?"

"Why would I tell you? If they wanted you to know I'm sure Spock would have told you. As far as I'm concerned it is a private medical matter. In fact, I didn't believe Uhura when she told me she had a piece of Spock's soul. I ran every test you can run on a human Jim, and ones we have for Vulcans too. I never found any evidence of this Katra. But then she caught the fever. Something is there and since I can't find a thing physically wrong with her it has got to be psychological."

"I wish I never allowed her to marry him," Jim said shaking his head.

"What do you mean? You had no say in the matter."

"Sure I did. I'm her captain. I could have stepped in and put a stop to it. I could have fought Spock again."

"And you think you would have won? Think we could have tricked him twice? Besides this is Uhura we're talking about not some random woman he found. She has a piece of his SOUL, Jim. And you've seen with your own eyes, they're in love. You couldn't have stopped them if you tried so don't beat yourself up about this. You did nothing wrong. It's just a hell of a mess that's all. Par for the course with our resident Vulcan I suppose."

"Yeah, I guess," Kirk said still unconvinced.

"Jim, Spock and Uhura are adults, you said it yourself. And now that they've reconciled nothing and no one is going to come between them so don't even think about it. I already warned you, you'll lose. Whatever is happening we'll deal with it. We'll find a cure and have Uhura as right as rain in no time. You have to believe that."

"Bones you keep saying I'll lose them, but what if we already have lost them? What if Uhura has to stay on Vulcan for treatment? You said it, Spock will not leave his wife. So Spock will stay too. What then?"

"Then we'll deal with it, if and when it happens. Until then we have a crisis to deal with right here on the ship. Uhura is still my patient and I still have some tests to run before getting to Vulcan. I suggest you figure out what we're going to tell Starfleet about this incident." McCoy said finishing his own drink. "I'll sign off on whatever you write up."

"She was within her rights to defend herself. That's all Starfleet needs to know. I'll demand a reprimand for that Rogers fellow too. Thank goodness Fisher saw the whole thing else it would be a case of 'he said she said'" Jim explained.

"Good. You take care of Starfleet and I'll take care of the Spocks" McCoy said.

"Spocks?" Jim asked.

"Well, I don't know his last name do you?" McCoy grumbled.

"You know Bones, I never asked him," Jim admitted. "Isn't it in his personnel file?"

"Nope. He's actually listed as Spock of Vulcan as if that says it all. Let's just call them the Uhura's. It'll serve Spock right for not having a last name." McCoy said.

"Maybe Spock is his last name Bones. Either way, I'd like to be there when you call him Mr. Uhura." Jim smiled for the first time since the incident.

"Bah! He'd probably think it was logical. He's no fun."

"No, not lately he isn't," Jim said with a note of sadness.

"When has he ever been?" Bones asked in surprise.

"He can be interesting," Jim said.

"I bet. He's plenty interesting now that he has a wife. Making eyes and dancing and growling. He's a real barrel of laughs. If this thing wasn't affecting Uhura I'd say it was a fascinating experiment to see Spock in love, but its no laughing matter." Bones said.

"No, it isn't," Jim said soberly. "I don't know about you Bones but I'm worried. Nothing is working out the way I thought it would."

"How did you think this was going to work Jim?"

"I don't know, I guess I thought they would end up like Sarek and Amanda, a nice stately couple." The captain confessed.

"Well, they may get there yet. But for now, they are just a young confused couple. And besides, you do know Ambassador Sarek is over a century old? He has two lifetimes of experience compared to Spock. Sarek and Amanda probably went through similar growing pains and it'll be good for Spock and Uhura to talk to them and learn how to control... whatever this is."

"Do you think they can learn to control...whatever this is?" Kirk asked.

"They had better learn, or else I don't know if they'll be able to return to the Enterprise. I won't say they're fit for duty until I know neither one of them will fly off the handle in a fit of rage over a minor offense."

"You think this was a minor offense?"

"Jim, we both know the beating Uhura gave that man was excessive. I even had to treat a couple of security guards who subdued her for minor injuries. And Fisher has a black eye. She was out of control. She can't serve aboard with a temper problem like that."

"I agree with you Bones. I guess that'll teach that Rogers fellow not to mess with a Vulcan's wife though."

"Maybe that's part of the problem," McCoy thought aloud.

"What?"

"Nobody knows they're married. They still haven't announced it to the crew. I know Uhura wanted to go back to her normal life after Vulcan but things have changed, everything is different now. Being married and together is the new normal. Maybe they need to get it all out there in the open before some other fool tries to 'mess with a Vulcan's wife' as you put it."

"Bones that's their personal decision. But I agree with you it may be for the best if it is announced. I'll speak to Spock about it."

"Good, and in the meantime, I'll run more tests and try getting a hold of M'benga or somebody on Vulcan who knows what's going on, but Jim we have to get Uhura to Vulcan, Starfleet, and Komack be damned."

"I know Bones, I know. I might have to call in a few favors but I'll get her there." Kirk promised and he left McCoy's office to make it so.

Chapter 45: Uhura's Hero

Summary:

Spock saves the day!

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Are you injured?" Spock asked Nyota. He was seated on the side of her biobed still holding her in his arms. She had finally stopped sobbing and now he only heard a sniffle every once in a while.

"No," she shook her head.

"What happened?" He asked her gently.

"He touched me," Uhura said, her voice breaking.

Spock immediately felt rage roil through him but he tamped it down. He could not afford emotion. His wife needed him to remain calm.

"How did he touch you?"

"He grabbed my arm and tried to stop me." She said sitting back on the bed and looking up at Spock with big frightened eyes. "He shouldn't have touched me like that. I warned him."

"No, he should not have done so." Spock agreed with her assessment.

"And I just lost it. I am so sorry. I didn't mean to do all of that but I just got so angry-"

"Shh," Spock stopped her before she let her emotions get the better of her again. "You were within your rights to defend yourself."

"But why couldn't I stop? I didn't mean to keep hitting him but I just couldn't stop."

"I do not know," Spock said. "Would you permit me to join with your mind?"

Uhura didn't even hesitate. She sat up and leaned forward for Spock to touch her face. It reminded Spock of the other mirror Uhura when they melded. She also seemed quite comfortable with Spock sharing her mind. Back then Spock never imagined that there would be such an intimate relationship between this Uhura and himself. And now she willingly gave herself over to him. He was humbled by her trust and he vowed that her faith in him would never be in vain.

He touched her psi points and easily joined their minds. He was there with her inspecting the communications array. He saw the landing party move on and one engineer, Chief Rogers stay behind to ask questions. And then Spock witnessed the incident. The Chief was looking at Uhura as a hungry wolf would eye a lamb. Uhura noticed it and tried to steer the conversation back to the communications array but the Chief wanted to have dinner with her and when she declined he became aggressive and grabbed her arm. How dare he touch a Vulcan woman!

Spock didn't know if the thought belonged to himself or Nyota but the sentiment was shared. Rogers had crossed a line. Spock saw through Nyota's eyes as she deftly maneuvered Rogers and laid him out flat on his back and then kicked him repeatedly. Spock broke the meld when he felt Nyota becoming distressed.

"That is enough Lieutenant," Spock said, taking an official tone.

"You did what you felt you had to. I will request Rogers be brought up on charges for assault."

"But I attacked him," she said.

"No, he had no business touching you. Nyota," Spock said calmly. "I know you do not understand this, but on Vulcan to touch another uninvited is a grave offense especially someone else's spouse. As we are sensitive to touch it is a personal affront. I believe you were picking up on this from me somehow. As our bond grows stronger I am sure you will pick up on my stray thoughts. I have been remiss in my duty to you. I should have taught you how to shield your mind from me."

"It's not your fault," Uhura said hugging Spock. "I've been distracting you. You were going to teach me telepathy, remember? We just haven't had time with all of this er... um... bonding."

"Yes, quite true," Spock agreed. He was just glad to have her safe in his arms. He wanted to take her back to his cabin and ensure she wasn't harmed and then he wanted to make her forget all about that idiot Chief Rogers.

"Aham! Ahem!," Spock heard Doctor McCoy clearing his throat dramatically outside of the divider. "You two okay in there?"

"Yes, come in Doctor," Spock said while never letting go of Uhura.

He heard the doctor enter. "Well, we've run a few basic tests and everything checks out. I can't find anything wrong with you Uhura. I suspect it is stress but I can't sign off on that until I run some more thorough tests. I'd like to take a blood sample and run more lab work if you don't mind."

"Of course, Doctor," Uhura said. She reluctantly released Spock and sat back on the biobed. McCoy approached her bedside with a hypo.

"Now, this won't hurt a bit," he said as he administered the hypo and drew her blood. "There now, that didn't hurt did it?" McCoy said gently.

"No, it didn't. You have an excellent bedside manner," Uhura assured him.

"Thank you, my dear. Now I want you to get some rest." Normally McCoy would have patted her on the shoulder or arm to comfort her but he didn't dare with either Spock or Uhura liable to toss him across the sickbay.

"Doctor," Spock said, "I'd like to take my wife back to my cabin."

"Oh, um, sure Mr. Spock. I guess that's okay. These test results will take some time. Make sure she gets some food and plenty of rest and she's off duty until further notice. I officially release her into your custody."

He looked at Uhura, "Don't worry Mrs. Uhura you're in good hands with your husband here," McCoy assured her and smiled.

"Mrs?" Uhura questioned him.

"McCoy grinned. "Yeah, Jim and I debated what to call you two. Are you the Uhura's or the Spocks?"

"Neither," both Spock and Uhura said in unison.

"Well, you'll have to choose something, its traditional to call a married couple by their family name."

"We are a non-traditional couple," Uhura said.

"Yeah, I can see that," McCoy said looking at the two of them.

"Look, the Captain will discuss all this with you two but Jim and I feel its time to let the cat out of the bag."

"What cat doctor?" Spock asked.

"Its a figure of speech, it means you two are still keeping your marriage under wraps."

"Our marriage is our business Doctor." Spock started.

"Now don't go getting ahead of me. I told you the captain will discuss it with you later when you're more uh...settled down. Right now just take your little wife on home and I'll call you when I have the test results." McCoy turned and left the cubby.

"Okay, Doctor," Uhura said to McCoys retreating back. When McCoy closed the divider she took Spock's hand and rubbed it, distracting him from McCoy.

"You heard the doctor, take me home," she said to Spock.

"Yes." Spock looked around her area and collected her gear. In the meantime, Uhura had hopped off the biobed and was waiting patiently for Spock at the cubby entrance.

"I think this is everything is it not?" Spock asked holding her tricorder, phaser, and communicator.

"Yeah," she said quietly. She turned to the entrance but did not exit.

"Nyota?" Spock questioned.

"Hmm?"

"What troubles you?"

She bowed her head. "I'm so embarrassed Spock. I don't know how I'm going to walk out there and face everyone."

"You did nothing wrong, there is nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Easy for you to say. You didn't flip out on a mission."

"I have, as you say 'flipped out' several times aboard this very vessel as you know very well."

"Yeah, but you're Vulcan, things like that don't bother you. You just stick up your nose and look down at us silly humans for noticing your emotional lapse," she joked.

"You are also Vulcan, my wife. And these 'silly humans' are our friends and colleagues. They likely only want to know that you are well." Spock touched her chin and tilted her face up to his. "So show them that you are well and that they do not control your emotions. You do."

Uhura smiled up at her husband. "That was a lovely pep talk."

"Did it accomplish its goal?"

"No. But there is an old Earth saying, fake it until you make it. I feel as if I've been faking it all my life. Can't stop now, right?"

"Nyota you do not have to fake anything. You are in control. You always have been."

Uhura hugged Spock and absorbed some of his warmth and strength. "Okay if you say so. But just in case, here's the plan." She pulled back to look in his eyes. "You hustle me out of there as if you're in a hurry. If anyone stops me or tries to chat and ask questions you just command me to attend you, okay?"

"I thought you did not want to be commanded by your husband?" Spock said in confusion.

"Oh Spock, if you don't know me by now..." Uhura shook her head. "That's a conversation for another time. Just do as I ask, okay? Command me!"

"Won't people find it strange that I am commanding you to attend me? Will, it not 'let the cat out of the bag?'" He asked.

"I'm sure I sound very illogical, but I can't think straight right now so that's the plan. Unless you have a better idea?"

"Why do you need a plan? Why not just walk out of here without fear or shame because you have done nothing wrong?"

"That sounds very logical but I'm not there yet. Please, just back me up here? Let me behave illogically and just have my back?" She pleaded with him.

"Nyota, I will always, as you put it, have your back. I hope you will never doubt that or me? I will never allow any harm to come to you if I can prevent it. I only want what is best for you. Do you believe that?"

"I do."

"Good, then we will implement my plan."

"What plan is that?"

Spock swept her up into his arms.

"Oh no!" Uhura protested, "This is not the plan!" Uhura whispered, tightly holding on to his neck and burying her face in his chest. Spock did not hesitate a moment before he took her out into the open sickbay and purposely strode towards the door.

Uhura missed the looks of surprise and amusement on the faces of the doctors and nurses. But no one dared approach Spock as he carried her out. When they made it out of sickbay to the lift Uhura finally lifted her head as they waited. "Spock put me down now. I can't believe this was your plan! What were you thinking?"

"You are out of the sickbay, you were not approached by anyone, and there is no loss of face."

"You don't think being carried around like an injured child is losing face? God only knows what everybody thinks now?"

"I do not care what everybody thinks and neither should you. You are ill and I have been ordered by Doctor McCoy to take good care of you so please allow me to do so." Spock said just as the lift doors opened. A group of people exited the lift, but thank goodness there was nobody she knew or cared about. Spock entered the lift with her sill in his arms and maneuvered it to his deck.

"I feel pleasure radiating from you," Uhura said after a moment. "I really think you enjoy tossing me around caveman style, don't you?"

"Nyota, if you do not know me by now..." Spock shook his head mimicking her words from earlier.

"Spock," she said looking up at him. She wanted to kiss him so badly but it would be breaking a Vulcan taboo against public displays of affection.

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

The lift door opened and he strode quickly to his quarters still ignoring any crewman who may have been in the hall. When they got to his cabin Spock opened the door but he stood in the doorway and hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Uhura asked after a few moments.

"It occurs to me that we have neglected a very human marriage ritual."

"What is that?"

"I have never carried you over the threshold."

"Oh. Sure you have. On Argelius, on Starbase 6..." she recounted.

"No, I have never carried you over the threshold to our home."

"Aww. Well, what are you waiting for?"

"Are you ready?"

"Spock, I don't know what you're really asking me but I told you I'm your wife, you just command me and I will attend."

"Are you sure?" he asked very seriously.

"Spock," Uhura said looking around at the crewmen who seemed to be loitering around watching them. "In case you haven't noticed, we're attracting attention."

"I do not care. Are you sure about this Nyota?"

"Yes, Spock. Yes! yes! yes!" She would agree to anything so long as he took her inside.

Spock carried her over the threshold and inside his cabin and the door closed behind them shutting the rest of the ship out.

"Welcome home," he said.

"Oh no!" Uhura said realizing what he meant. "I haven't agreed to move in here yet."

"Yes, you just did. I believe the tradition is to carry one's wife over the threshold of their marriage home?"

"No, Spock I don't think we're ready for that yet."

"We shall have to fake it until we make it." He said as he sat down on his bed with her still in his arms. "This is where you belong from now on."

"Is that a command?"

"No, but it is my greatest wish."

"Aww, Spock. I should have known better than to go along with any plan of yours. I forgot, you always get what you want, don't you?"

"Not always. I keep hurting you and I never wanted that."

"You haven't hurt me, not intentionally. If anything, I've hurt myself. Besides whatever this is that is going on inside my head, if you want me to be better, you'll figure out a way to make me all better. I know you will not stop until you find a cure."

"Indeed, you know me very well. Therefore, I must leave you for a while. I want to consult with Dr. McCoy. Will you rest here until I return?"

"Of course, your wish is my command."

"I wish you to be well," Spock said seriously.

"You're so bossy," Uhura teased him but she noted the serious look in his eyes and softened her tone. "I'll be fine. Go. Save the world and the girl."

"Hmmm?"

"It's a reference to a character called Superman. He comes from another planet and he is bigger and stronger and faster and smarter than humans and he can fly and he is nearly indestructible." Uhura explained. "I loved superheroes stories as a girl."

"He sounds like he should be called Impossible Man."

"Or Vulcan Man," Uhura quipped.

"Vulcans do not fit the description of this Superman."

"Maybe not precisely but you do possess superhuman qualities. And Superman was always trying to save the world, but he had a girlfriend named Lois and she was always in danger and he often had to save her and the world at the same time. Anyway, go be super." She shooed him away. "I'll be right here waiting for you," Uhura assured him.

Uhura lay back on Spock's pillow and tried to relax closing her eyes. Before he left her, Spock removed her boots and dimmed the lights. He stood by the bed and made sure she was resting comfortably. So many emotions filled him he couldn't even single one out or give a name to them. He had to find out what was happening to Nyota. She was calm now, but without knowing what had set her off she would not be allowed to return to duty. She would be considered a danger to herself and to the crew and that would devastate her. As he left his suite, he wished he was this Superman character. He desperately needed to save his wife and he didn't know if he had the strength to do so and unlike Nyota, he couldn't afford to fake it.

Chapter 46: Second Opinions

Summary:

Nyota suffers from a mysterious illness.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Spock was worried, there was no other word for it. He was very concerned about Nyota and her emotional outbursts. It was not the first time she had lost control since their joining. It was not normal, it was like nothing he'd dealt with before.

He needed to know what was wrong with his wife so he could fix it and protect her from it. To that end, he needed to speak to the doctor immediately. He found McCoy in the ship's med labs with his head buried in his data scanner.

"Dr. McCoy, could I speak with you a moment?"

"Of course, Mr. Spock. I was expecting you eventually."

"Is there anything you can tell me about my wife's condition?"

McCoy sighed. "No. Nothing new to add to what I've already said. I've run ever human test I can think of and a few Vulcan tests we have too. However, though Uhura may have this Katra of yours she doesn't have Vulcan DNA or Vulcan physiology so those tests are useless. I cannot explain why she got the fever or why she is so emotionally unstable."

Spock crossed his arms over his chest in thought.

"I have no explanation for it either doctor. As you know Pon Farr is a taboo subject even in Vulcan society. I do not know very much about it besides what I learned from my own father. Vulcans are not prone to gossip as humans are so there was very little to learn from my peers, such as they were. I do not know if this is normal or abnormal."

"I understand Spock. And I want you to know I am doing everything I can do to figure this out. For the time being, until we can get to Vulcan, try to keep her calm and comfortable. This could be a side effect of the fever, or it could be stress-induced. As you know we prescribed rest and rehabilitation for Uhura when she went to Argelius but we see how well that worked out. I heard you two got into a few scrapes?" McCoy teased.

Spock ignored that dig about Argelius. "Doctor, as you know on Vulcan to rest is to cease activities and conserve energy. Argelius is hardly the place I would send someone for relaxation."

"Spock, maybe Vulcans can't relax there but we humans like to have fun. Fun makes us feel relaxed and refreshed. Too much rest of your kind is sometimes just as bad as too little."

"Yes, you did seem to prefer the shore leave planet where you all ran around living out your fantasies."

"It was rough going at first but once you know the rules it was excellent R&R. You should have joined in. I'm sure even Vulcans have fantasies, don't you? Or is that too illogical?"

"Doctor whether Vulcans have fantasies or not is indeed illogical and unimportant to the matter at hand. My wife is my primary concern. She is ill and I want to know why and what we can do to cure her. Or are you suggesting that I run around having 'fun' with my wife as a treatment?"

"You're right Spock. I'm sorry, but I'm running out of ideas. If the illness isn't biological then it must be psychological. And the only clue we have is your Katra and your bond. I don't know what it is or how it works or how it may be affecting Uhura. The only thing I know is what she told me when I examined her on Vulcan. She said you infected her with your Katra, your soul. But even if that were true that means she has had this Katra for years. Why would it only affect her now?"

"I do not know Doctor. There are no documented cases of our situation. The closest I can find is the instance T'Pau told me about with Captain Archer and Surak's Katra."

"Yeah, I never believed that legend either. Oh, I heard rumors about it in medical school but it was never proven either way. Our professors thought it was nonsense. There were a lot of rumors about Vulcans going around at the time, and now I wonder what is true and what is false. Truth has proven much stranger than fiction. You Vulcans keep your cards so close to your vest but secrets have a way of coming out eventually. You can't keep this Pon Farr a secret forever, especially if more Vulcans decide to join Starfleet."

"I do not care about other Vulcans right now Doctor. I am only concerned with my wife. I don't care if everyone knows about Pon Farr." Spock said becoming agitated.

McCoy looked concerned. "Okay, Spock I didn't mean to, um, to... I didn't mean anything by it. I was just thinking aloud. I want answers just as much as you do. Believe me, I care about Uhura too. She's not just another patient, she's my friend's wife."

"I understand Doctor. I am sorry for my lapse." Spock said.

"Spock, we've been so busy looking for something in Uhura's blood that I didn't' think to check yours. Are you feeling alright? Perhaps I should run some tests on you and make sure this Pon Far business is long gone. Maybe she is picking up something from you?"

"I am willing to try anything doctor even your potions."

"Okay then. I'll send word to sickbay to run some bloodwork. In the meantime, try to get some rest and relax. You and Uhura are the athletic types. It couldn't hurt to keep her busy with physical exertion." McCoy suggested with a smile.

"I'll take it under advisement Doctor."

"Good. Right now, all I can do is keep looking and wait until I can talk to the healers on your planet for answers. I've even put out a call to Dr. M'benga but I can't reach him either, he is at some conference on Vulcan, that is all I can gather."

"Understood. Keep me posted, please." Spock said and turned to depart.

"Will do," McCoy said with a twinge of worry in his voice. Spock made his way to the lab door when McCoy called out to him.

"Spock, don't lose faith, we'll figure this out."

"Thank you, Doctor."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Come in," Kirk called out in answer to the door chime of his cabin. He had been sitting at his desk trying to work out a way to get Uhura and Spock to Vulcan without further delay. But now they had to deal with the fallout of the incident on the planet surface. The government was demanding Uhura be charged with use of excessive force. Of course, Kirk had made demands of his own that that loser Rogers be charged with assault. It was a diplomatic mess.

"Captain you wished to see me?" Spock said.

"Yes, come in Spock, sit down."

Spock pulled up a chair opposite Jim's desk and waited.

"Spock. I just got word from the planet surface they are requesting that I reprimand Uhura for use of excessive force. And though I do not agree with it, I need to get you and Uhura to Vulcan and I can't do that if I'm stuck fighting with the government below."

"I understand Captain."

"I'm sorry Spock, this will have to go on her record, at least until Bones can give me an official medical reason why it shouldn't."

"I understand," Spock said quietly. Kirk didn't like the way Spock was behaving. He was being unusually quiet and contemplative. When Spock got quiet, mutiny and mayhem were sure to follow.

"Spock, do not go off half-cocked and do something you'll regret later. Uhura is fine. Doctor McCoy is working overtime to find out whatever it is that is bothering her, and I'm working to get you all to Vulcan so the healers there can weigh in with their expertise. It will be fine."

"Thank you, Captain."

"Spock talk to me. I am your friend. Please, tell me what's bothering you?"

"This is all my fault, Jim. Dr. McCoy believes it is a psychological condition. I am almost certainly the cause of all of this grief for Uhura."

"What grief? What are you talking about? Besides the incident today she's looked pretty content, in fact, I would say she's been downright bubbly with all the teasing and pranks she's been pulling lately."

"The fact remains that I have caused her grievous injury by forcefully taking her to Vulcan and bonding with her."

"Oh, Spock lets forget about that, shall we? Hasn't she forgiven you for that?"

"I do not know. She seems...fine with our relationship. I thought she was happy."

"And I tell you Spock when I see you two together I can't help but see two happy people. A happy couple. And that brings me to what I want to discuss. You and Uhura asked to keep your relationship a secret from the crew but is that really necessary now? I know some of your friends know you're married and Nurse Chapel knows. It's only a matter of time before more people figure it out that you two are married, especially when you two aren't exactly being discreet."

"What do you mean Jim?"

"What I mean is, perhaps if people knew you two were married, that is, if you put it out there that Uhura is a married woman, men will have little reason to approach her the way that Rogers fellow did today. I don't mean to blame you and Uhura for this. Unfortunately, some men will be jerks no matter what. But-"

"But you think we should make an announcement to the crew?" Spock questioned.

"I don't know what you should do. I've never been married," Kirk said and Spock flinched imperceptively.

"But I think perhaps telling more of your friends and not keeping it a secret would be beneficial to you both. I talked to Bones and he thinks Uhura could just be under stress. Women are strange creatures, perhaps not having an official title could cause her stress. You have to know there are quite a few rumors going around about the two of you, and Sulu too for that matter. It could spare all of you some grief if word got out. If just a few of your friends know and are allowed to maybe tell a few of their friends..." Kirk left the rest unsaid.

"I understand Captain, you imply that the Enterprise crew's proclivities for gossip would take care of itself?"

"Well in so many words, yes. You don't have to rush to make an announcement it's just a thought. If you and Uhura intend to make this thing permanent then it is inevitable, isn't it?"

Spock thought the Captain's words were dubious. If they intend to make it permanent? "Captain, Lieutenant Uhura and I have reconciled our differences and we have every intention of our marriage being a permanent one. Vulcans mate for life."

"Is that so? Well, that's good to know Spock. Like I said you two look happy enough. I always thought you and the Lieutenant would make an excellent pair if you got over your, uh, differences. I mean you had a rocky start and you're not out of the woods yet with this Komack business but... If Uhura's on board then I'm on board with it too 100 percent. You have my support."

"I did not doubt your support, Jim," Spock said. That is, until now, he thought. "You've given me much to think about."

"Good," Kirk said patting Spock on the shoulder. "And Spock I want you to know I'm doing everything in my power to get you two to Vulcan. Once I square away business down on the surface we'll be on our way, barring any other incidents."

"Nyota will be pleased to hear it," Spock said and he left the captain with more questions than he had answers.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

After his meetings with Bones and Jim, Spock went to the science labs with his mind in turmoil. He had always naturally assumed his two closest friends would be supportive of his relationship with Nyota but now he found he had reason to question that support. Apparently, Dr. McCoy believed Spock's Katra or the marital bond was causing the symptoms Nyota was suffering from and Jim had doubts about the longevity of his marriage because of its 'rocky start'.

Spock understood the obstacles that both he and Nyota had to overcome to get to the place of reconciliation and their current state of harmony. He didn't want to believe that anything could separate them ever again. Nyota had said she couldn't live without him and he knew he could not live without her. Every day that passed their bond grew stronger and deeper.

Spock was finally beginning to understand the depth of the devotion shared between his parents. He had often questioned his mother's continued love and support for his father who was often cold and unapproachable. He had wondered why his mother tolerated Sarek and his indifference. He had vowed never to treat his own wife thusly whether she be Vulcan or Human and fortunately his wife was very Human and very much deserving of such devotion.

Therefore, Spock could not afford to allow anyone to come between Nyota and himself. Not Jim, not Bones, not Komack, not Nurse Chapel, not anyone. He had to make it very clear that Nyota belonged to him permanently. Forever. Until death. That was the Vulcan way.

Chapter 47: With A Little Help From Friends

Summary:

Spock and Charlene have a little talk.

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Lieutenant Masters, I require a woman," Spock said to Charlene down in the auxiliary control room.

"Well, Mr. Spock, I am very flattered, but I'm not interested. And besides, don't you already have a woman? A wife in fact who happens to be my best friend. You better not be playing her because Charlene Masters doesn't play that," Charlene said getting up in Spock's face defiantly.

Spock was taken aback by her vehemence. He had never had much interaction with Lieutenant Masters but he knew she was one of Nyota's closest friends. Apparently, unlike Christine, she was also a very loyal friend.

"You misunderstand me, Lieutenant, I require a woman's opinion. We are out of communications range of Vulcan at the moment and I believe this is a matter of some urgency."

"What's this all about?" Charlene asked still defensive.

"Is there someplace we could discuss this privately?" Spock looked around the control room. There weren't a lot of engineers present but what he wanted to discuss was private and confidential.

"I have an office, come this way." Charlene led Spock into a small office that was decorated in what some might call earth tones. It was quite pleasant looking.

Charlene sat at her desk and Spock stood at attention with hands behind his back.

"Have a seat Mr. Spock. You wouldn't be trying to intimidate me, would you?" Charlene asked.

"Of course not," Spock said still standing.

"Then, do I make you nervous?"

"No."

Charlene looked at him as if she didn't believe him.

Spock took a seat and wondered what brought him down to the bowels of the ship on this fool's errand.

"Lieutenant..." he began and then stopped at a loss as to where to start.

"Commander?" Charlene said askance. She had a smirk on her very attractive face. Spock noted there were quite a few similarities between Charlene Masters and Nyota Uhura. They were both intelligent, confident, and competent women in their fields. But Spock felt there was a hardness to Masters, a world-weariness that Nyota didn't have. Lieutenant Masters was mature and she seemed to have experience beyond her years whereas Nyota still possessed an innocence that should have been muted by time but had remained resilient.

"Commander, are you going to sit there staring at me or are you going to talk?"

"Forgive me, Lieutenant. I was just thinking of my wife."

"Oh, that's so sweet. How is she? I heard there was an incident but I haven't been able to get in touch with her. I left several messages."

"She is well. She is currently residing in my quarters."

"Oooh, so you two are finally all boo'd up huh? About damn time." Charlene said.

Spock looked flustered and Charlene laughed.

"Don't mind me, Mr. Spock. I've been told I have a wicked tongue." She grinned. "It must be serious if you came all the way down here to see me, so shoot."

"Lieutenant, I am concerned about Nyota. I'm not sure how much you know about the incident but Nyota had a lapse in judgment and caused some minor injury to an attacker."

"I heard she kicked his ass," Charlene said frankly.

"Yes, quite so."

"So what's the problem? He had it coming to him. He's lucky it wasn't me because he'd be eating through a straw instead of sporting a few bruised ribs and ego."

Spock almost cracked a grin in spite of rigid control. "I completely agree with you, Miss Masters. He should not have touched my wife and he got his comeuppance. But it has been brought to my attention that no one is aware that Nyota is married and therefore situations like this could occur again. I intend to rectify that."

"And why do you need a woman's opinion?"

"I am at a loss as to how to rectify it. I am unfamiliar with Terran marital customs. There are as many customs as there are varieties of humans. I would like the opinion of one of Nyota's closest friends since we are far from home and family."

Charlene was quiet for a moment or two and then she broke out into a huge grin. "Oh my god! You mean you want to put a ring on it?!" She spun her chair around and clapped her hands with joy.

"It's about time you did the right thing by my girl. I heard all about that shoddy wedding she got on Vulcan." She sobered up and glared at Spock. "Had it been me, you'd be eating through a straw or in your case breathing through one," Charlene said obviously referring to the unfortunate incident when Uhura punched Spock in the face breaking his nose.

Yes, Spock thought Miss Masters did indeed have a wicked tongue.

"Then, Miss Masters, it is indeed fortunate that Nyota has a friend such as you to point out the errors of my ways and advise me on how to make appropriate amends."

"You're as charming as Nyota thinks you are. You wouldn't happen to have any brothers would you?"

"In fact I do," Spock stated truthfully, "however, can we come back to the question at hand?"

"Okay, okay, I'm just busting your chops. You know you put Nyota through a bit of hell?"

Spock knew it. "Yes, I know, that is why I am here."

"Okay, so long as you know. You'll have to make this a big deal. First of all, you'll need a ring, and the rock has to be as big as her head for all the drama you caused."

"That sounds very impractical."

"Okay as big as her fist then. It's not supposed to be practical, its a symbol of your love and devotion. I know you're Vulcan, but it's the thought that counts and the thought behind the ring is that you want everyone to know she is your woman. The ring represents what she's worth to you. It's not really a wedding ring I'm talking about, its the engagement ring. The actual wedding ring can be a simple band."

"We are already married, why do we need an engagement ring?"

Charlene sighed. "Because you're doing this Earth-style now. The engagement ring is the announcement. That's why it has to be big and gaudy. It has to make both women and men take notice, make all the women jealous of her and the men jealous of you. This is psychological warfare."

"Warfare?" Spock questioned.

"Yes, haven't you ever heard the expression 'love is a battlefield'? You Vulcans fight for your wives don't you?" Charlene said ignoring Spock's look of discomfort. "Well, you need to let everyone know Nyota is off the market. This may sound crude to your Vulcan sensibilities, but a big ring says she's bought and paid for and you others can't afford the credits. It's much like your Vulcan bride price. A show of force and power, if you will."

"She told you of the bride price?" Spock asked in awe that Charlene knew so much about the matter.

"I know pretty much everything," Charlene sat back and stared at Spock challenging him to say something about it.

"I see," was all he said.

"Do you Mr. Spock? Nyota told me because she needed to tell someone. You not only had your family but you had Jim and Leonard on Vulcan with you and by your side every step of the way. Who did Ny have with her? Did she have any of her friends or family? Anyone at all who wasn't really there to ensure you had a perfect marriage and survived?"

"No," Spock confessed feeling like a chastised child. Spock had the strangest sensation. He felt the way he did whenever Amanda was disappointed in him. Charlene was as fierce as a mother goose protecting her chick.

"I love Nyota and I am not about to let you or anyone else hurt her. I think you love her too which is why you're down here suffering my abuse." Charlene smiled at Spock. "So let's agree to put our differences aside to help the woman we both love." Charlene held out her hand for Spock to shake on it but he just stared at her appendage.

"It would be inappropriate for me to touch you thusly," he said finally.

"Okay, I get it. You're spoken for. How about a fist bump?" She tased him raising her eyebrow.

Spock couldn't help it. He had been so wound up with stress and this woman was the last 'straw' so to speak, he barked out a brief loud laugh/cough.

It shocked the shit out of Charlene. Had she broken Nyota's husband!?

"Are you alright Mr. Spock?" Charlene asked cautiously.

"No. But I think I will be, with your help?" he held out his fist to her and Charlene nervously bumped it.

Spock gave her one of his rare smirks and Charlene could see why Nyota was head over heels in love. He was kinda cute when he took the stick out of his ass.

"So, tell me about this brother of yours..."

Chapter 48: Quid Pro Quo

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Uhura looked at Spock's sleeping face in awe. It wasn't often she got to see him this way. Sleeping, calm, vulnerable. On rare occasions, he would fall asleep with her after they made love but she always awoke with Spock up and ready to go or with him awake and staring at her as she slept. She finally had him at a disadvantage and could look her fill at him.

And look she did. He still insisted that they sleep without clothing so he was gloriously naked. He had compromised and procured her the promised covering but they had kicked that off the bed during the night. Spock kept his quarters toasty warm befitting his Vulcan biology and comfort and Uhura had to admit this was the more logical way to sleep.

He had been working double overtime in the science labs, a feat even for Spock who practically lived there anyway when they were not on a mission. Since she had been relieved of duty he had been absent much of the time. He was no doubt looking for an answer to her dilemma. What was causing her continued emotional outbursts?

She had had another incident, though she didn't tell Spock about it. She had become extremely angry when she learned she had been put on report for defending herself from that Rogers fellow. Before she knew what was happening she had smashed her data PADD. The incident shook her and she disposed of the remains of the PADD before Spock returned that evening.

Spock was under enough pressure. He was determined to find the answer and heal her all by himself if need be. He was so sweet, sometimes she thought she didn't deserve him. Uhura found her husband so fascinating to use his own word. As she studied him she drank in his alien beauty.

From the tips of his elegant ears, her eyes traveled across his light olive-skinned face that had a hint of five o'clock shadow. She had never seen Spock look disheveled or unkempt. Even when they had spent several days in that darkened cave he still looked like Spock the officer. Of course, he had a scruffiness to his chin in the cave that she found utterly sexy but it was so dark and she had been so distracted with other things she never got a good look at caveman Spock in all his glory.

Uhura giggled to herself. Caveman Spock? That seemed to fit the situation. Every once in awhile that primitive Spock would rear his head and take over, usually when he perceived a threat to herself. Spock seemed to have no problem with his caveman side asserting itself if it was for the good of his wife. This caused Uhura to smile as well. She was Spock's wife. She still had to pinch herself to believe it. She was laying beside Spock naked and it felt as if this was where she always belonged. What had taken them so long to get here?

Uhura sighed. They had both been very foolish, that's what. The more time she spent with Spock, the more they confessed to their secret feelings and their fears concerning those feelings. Was this what love was all about? Uhura didn't know. She had never really believed in all that love and romance stuff. Sure she had a crush on Spock and she had been infatuated with him like every other woman on the ship but she never thought it would ever lead to marriage and certainly not love with a Vulcan. That was just fairytale mumbo-jumbo. But here she was Spock's wife and with all the baggage and benefits that went along with it.

After looking him over for a while she noticed she urgently had to pee. Gingerly, she tried to leave the bed without disturbing his rest. She could tell he needed his sleep, after all, he wasn't really Superman as she had teased him he was.

She made her way to the washroom and took care of her business. Since she had been relieved of duty she had been resting a lot too. Oddly enough it didn't really bother her as she thought it might. She found that she really needed the rest. But today she felt refreshed and ready to go. She decided to take a shower and see what she could get herself into. She had some projects of her own that she had put off since her erstwhile marriage and now was as good a time as any to resume them.

She had only been showering for a moment when the door opened and Spock stepped into the stall.

"Spock! What are you doing?"

"I think it would be wise to conserve water do you not agree Aduna?"

"Oh, sure that is very logical."

"I have neglected to put in a request for your room assignment to be changed. Once I do we shall have double the water rations."

"Will we also have double the space? I haven't agreed to move in here either. You tricked me." Uhura pouted playfully.

"I gave you every opportunity to disagree, Aduna."

"I didn't know what I was agreeing to."

"That is unfortunate but it does not void your verbal consent."

Spock took the buff-puff she was using to bathe herself and turned her so he could proceed to lather her back and shoulders.

"Mmm, well at least you're good for something," Uhura said as Spock continued to lather and wash her body. When his hand wandered down to her nether region she grasped his wrist.

"I can handle that."

She took the puff and lathered it again.

"Turn around and I'll scrub your back."

Spock turned his back to her and Uhura slowly dragged the puff over his broad shoulders.

Uhura didn't know why but Spock never looked so big and sexy in his uniform. But now as she washed his back she noticed that his shoulders and back were defined with muscles. As she went lower he had a trim waist and firm buttocks that led down to lean long legs. She must have gotten distracted because Spock spoke and she nearly jumped.

"Aduna, are you finished?"

"No, not yet." She reached around his waist and pressed herself into his back. She rubbed the puff over his wet chest and dragged it down his taut abs and finally, she reached his nether region but he did not grab her wrist to stop her.

"Mmm-hmm," Uhura said as she dropped the puff and all pretense of bathing Spock.

"Aduna," Spock said in a strained voice as Uhura stroked him. "We do not have much time" Spock admonished her.

"Then we better be quick," she said and she wrung another moan from him.

Spock spun around and pressed her against the shower wall.

"This was not my intention when joining you."

"What was your intention?" She asked looking up into his eyes as the warm water pelted down on them.

Spock shook his head as if it didn't matter. He grabbed her about the waist and easily lifted her up. Uhura quickly wrapped her legs around his hips and Spock slowly lowered her back down until their bodies were joined as one.

Uhura gasped when Spock entered her. She loved the feeling of being filled by her husband. It was the most incredible feeling in the entire galaxy and for those all too brief moments, Spock felt like he truly belonged to her. Not only their minds, but their bodies were joined as one and she was reluctant to let the moment end too quickly despite what she said earlier. She wanted Spock to take his time and love her right.

Of course, Spock could read these thoughts and he shared her sentiment. The times when he made love to Uhura were the best moments of his life. It was the only time he could allow himself to operate on pure instinct and emotion, the only time when he was neither Vulcan nor Human; when he was just a man.

The water ran out before they finished but Uhura didn't care.

"Oh sugar, I meant to help you get clean, not help you get off." She smiled and then groaned in Spock's ear as he slowly lowered her to her feet.

"I much prefer the latter," Spock said. He noted that Uhura was reluctant to let him go and she seemed to be in a dreamlike state. Spock started the sonic blower that quickly dried their skin and then he scooped her up and carried her out of the shower room and back into the bedroom. He gently lowered her onto his bunk and sat beside her.

"Nyota, Aduna," he softly called to her.

"Hmmm," she moaned.

"Are you alright?" Spock asked. She still looked dazed.

"Oh, sure honey. I'm just tired. You've worn me out." She sighed and stretched. "A girl could get used to this. That's some morning routine you got here Mister."

"Indeed Aduna?" Spock smiled at her very satisfied antics. That was what he liked to see, a well pleased and happy Nyota. It made his heart swell with pride. He bent and kissed her forehead.

"Rest my wife. I must finish dressing and then I will attend to you before I leave."

"You've already attended to me," she practically purred.

"I will feed you," Spock said getting up and finding his uniform.

"Oh. I could eat. I'm suddenly famished."

Spock hastily finished his morning routine and then prepared Uhura's meal as promised. He brought a tray to the bed. Uhura was fast asleep. He hesitated to wake her but he needed to know she had eaten before he left for the day.

"Nyota, Aduna?" He gently shook her shoulder.

Uhura opened her eyes and greeted Spock with a smile.

"Your breakfast, k'hat'n'dlawa."

"Umm, thank you," she said sitting up digging into the meal of fruit and cereal.

"k'hat'n'dlawa? What does that mean? I am unfamiliar with the term." Uhura asked.

Spock was quiet for a moment debating. "It is equivalent to my beloved," he said finally.

Uhura stopped eating to stare at him. "Really? I never suspected Vulcan to have such words. I have so much to learn about you... mpendwa wangu," She resumed eating her fruit.

"Mpendwa wangu? Is that Swahili?"

"Yes, it means my beloved as well. I think you should learn Swahili if I'm to learn Vulcan."

"I agree and I have an excellent tutor in mind."

"Do you now?" she asked.

"Yes, k'hat'n'dlawa. Will you teach me?" Spock asked the question very sincerely and Uhura felt perhaps he was not speaking only of her native tongue.

"Of course, mpendwa wangu. There is so much for both of us to learn from one another. I think it will take a lifetime to learn everything."

"It is indeed fortunate that we have the rest of our lives to spend learning."

"I hope so," Uhura said somberly thinking of her strange outbursts and what they could mean.

"Nyota, do not worry. We will find what is ailing you and we will treat it successfully. You will die a very old lady."

"Oh gee, that makes me feel so much better!" she teased.

"I thought it would," Spock said.

"Get out of here Mister. You'll be late for your shift and the Captain will blame me."

"He would not do so." Spock took her tray back to the kitchenette.

He returned to her once again. He retrieved the bed cover that had fallen to the bottom of the bed and covered her.

"What will you do today?" Spock asked as he tucked her in.

"I don't know," she said and yawned. "I was going to do some work in my office but now that I've eaten I think I will take a little nap. Then I'll have to go to my quarters for a change of clothing."

"I will return to escort you during my break."

"You never take breaks."

"Then I am due a very long one."

"You don't have to escort me to my quarters. I know the way and I promise not to break any ribs along the way."

"That is not humorous."

"No, it isn't. I am not an invalid and I am not a danger to myself or others. Yes, I lost my temper but I feel fine now. Please trust me?" she pleaded.

"I trust you with my entire being, Aduna. I want to protect you. I need to know that you are well and safe. Do you understand?"

"No," she said stubbornly. "But I will wait for you, I don't want to argue." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Go on now. I'll be right here waiting for you."

Yes, in my bed where you belong, Spock thought. He held forward his two fingers to her and Uhura touched her fingers to his. "Until I return my wife, be well."

Spock left a moment later and Uhura fell back onto the bed and fell into a fitful sleep.

Notes:

I got the Swahili from google translator I hope it is correct, and the Vulcan from the Vulcan Language Dictionary.

*k'hat'n'dlawa = half of each other's heart & soul

*mpendwa wangu = beloved

Chapter 49: Naughty Nyota

Summary:

Will these lovebirds ever make it to Vulcan? Who knows? Just sit back relax and enjoy the ride :-)

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Uhura was bored out of her fecking mind! She didn't have any more work to catch up on. No codes to break, not balls to bust in the communications labs, nothing! She had spent the past few days burning through the backlog of communications reports and now she was all caught up, done, finished. She needed an outlet for her pent up emotions and nervous energy.

Spock was gone most of the day, either in the science labs or on the bridge or doing his rounds on the ship. Her friends were likewise engaged. Either they were working their shifts or spending their off-duty hours pursuing personal interests that didn't seem to include her. Or maybe she'd alienated too many of her friends lately? It was all she could do to keep her temper in check. She had snapped at more people these past few days than she had her entire time on the Enterprise.

Christine was out of the question of course. Charlene would have been her go-to for companionship but she seemed to be avoiding her lately too. So much for having my back, she thought and a flash of anger went through her before it subsided. Uhura couldn't stay mad at Charlene. She really was a true friend and she deserved a break from Uhura's marital drama. And maybe she was miffed because Uhura had been spending so much time with Spock? But Sulu was giving her the cold shoulder too. Sure she had ditched him first for his on good to quell the gossip about them, but now she needed a friend to lean on damn it!

Chekov? Scotty? They didn't respond to her calls. Nobody seemed inclined to just hang out with her. What Uhura didn't know was that most of her male friends had gotten the not so subtle side-eye from Spock when they had inquired about her whereabouts and health. And Charlene, well, she and Spock had recently been seen in tete a tete meetings deep in the bowels of the ship in auxiliary control.

Gossiping tounges were wagging again about what was shaping up to be the romance or the scandal of the century. What was going on? Was Mr. Spock a player? It was rumored that Uhura was shacked up in his quarters while he was running around with Lieutenant Masters. Was he with both women at once? Was he two-timing Uhura with Masters? Spock's love life was the most exciting thing to happen on the Enterprise since forever. And once again when Uhura entered a room full of people a hush fell over the crowd and rapid whispers soon followed.

Screw this! She thought as she left the rec room in a huff. Crewmen scrambled to get out of her way as she stormed through the halls to her quarters. When Uhura arrived back at her quarters she immediately saw her console with the blinking light indicating messages waiting. He hadn't bothered to have her messages forwarded to Spock's place. One because she hadn't planned on staying as long as she had, and two she hadn't really been in the mood for whatever it was people wanted to say. But the messages were staring her in the face now so she had to deal with them.

She saw several messages from Charlene who was at first worried about her and then finally Charlene had claimed to disown her for her continued ghost act. There were also several good wishes from her fellow crewmen. Her mother left a brief message and so did her Bibi.

Uhura felt awful but she didn't want to speak to her family right now. Whenever she was sick or injured she tried to keep it from them until she knew she would recover. She hated to worry them with unknowns and right now her mood was a major unknown. She especially couldn't risk speaking to her mother who could push all of her buttons and she might not be able to control her reaction.

She looked around the room for something, anything to amuse herself. She went to her closest and started to rearrange it. It was stuffed full of items she purchased on Argelius that she hadn't gifted to her friends yet. And it was full of all the clothing Spock had purchased for her. She started to open the garment bags and she was surprised once again at the generosity on display. Spock had spared no expense for her wardrobe. And each outfit was complete with undergarments to match.

Spock was an enigma to her. His taste in clothing closely matched her own or at least the clothing he had chosen for her was just what she would have chosen, some even more provocative and brazen than she would have dared to wear. But the underwear was what really caught her attention. It was all barely-there lace, seethrough, peekaboo types of garments. What was he trying to tell her? She smiled to herself. Spock was kinda kinky. He did insist that she sleep nude claiming that was the Vulcan way. Sure right, Spock, Uhura thought, shaking her head.

She went through the packages and found several negligees. She got a little travel bag and packed those up to take back to Spock's quarters. She would wear one for him and if he didn't like it he could remove it from her...very slowly. She couldn't help but grin thinking about him and their relationship. She never would have imagined Spock would be so sexual. Of course, she had fantasies about him back in the day. She often imagined what it would be like if Spock were attracted to human women like her? What would it be like to make love to Mr. Spock? Would he be caring and gentle or would he be rough and passionate?

The reality turned out to be better than any fantasy. Spock could be a gentle caring lover but sometimes if she pushed him enough he could be passionate and even a bit rough. And Uhura loved it all, especially when she had driven him to the extreme and he took her urgently and passionately as if he could never get enough.

Thinking of Spock this way was making her hot which was often the case lately. She couldn't wait for his shift to be over. He was working so hard. He deserved a special treat when he got home. But he was spending so much time in his science lab. He needed to take a break, preferably with her.

Suddenly she had an idea of what his 'treat' should be. She gathered a few more personal items and shoved them into her travel bag. Then she went back to her closet and found a large cloak. This will do, she thought with a wicked grin.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Spock was hard at work in his personal laboratory. He was hunched over a scanning microscope looking for anything out of the ordinary in Nyota's bloodwork. He was deeply engrossed in his work and he had blocked out all distractions, so his normally keen ears did not hear someone enter. He only knew he was not alone when he felt someone wrap their arms around his shoulders hugging him from behind.

Spock instantly relaxed when he recognized his wife's clean fresh scent and the fragrance of her hair.

"At ease Mister," She said in his ear and then nibbled the lobe for good measure.

"Nyota, what are you doing?"

"I'm here to relieve you," she whispered and she let her hands wander down over his chest and then down his abs to caress his crotch. "Mmm-hmm. Just as I suspected. You're very tense. I think you should take a little Nyota break."

"Oh!" he said as he felt her squeeze him. "What is a Nyota break?"

She released him and stepped back. "Turn around and see."

Spock turned from his scanner and took in his wife dressed in an old Starfleet cloak.

"Are you cold my wife?" he asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. Our bed is cold and lonely when you're not there. And I can hardly keep warm with the outfits you bought for me."

"What outfits are you referring to?"

"This." Uhura untied the belt of her cloak and opened the flaps to reveal the outfit. A very skimpy matching bra and panty set.

"Nyota what are you wearing?"

"One of the Argelian outfits you bought for me. Do you like it?" She dropped the cloak and did a slow pirouette modeling the ensemble.

"It is um... quite... Yes. But why are you wearing it now?"

"You don't like it?" she pouted.

"No, I did not say I do not like it. I bought it because I thought you would look very pleasing in it."

"And do I look very pleasing?" She asked.

"Indeed you do." Spock nodded in agreement with himself. "But Nyota this is hardly the place to wear such a garment."

"Oh? Why not?"

"I am working, this is a working laboratory. Someone could come in and see you like this."

"So? What's wrong with the way I'm dressed?" She asked innocently.

"Nyota you know very well that it is inappropriate for the work environment."

"But I'm not working. I am on medical leave. I can't wear my uniform so I thought I'd wear some of my beautiful gifts and show you my gratitude. I never got to thank you properly back on Argelius." She stepped away from her cloak and sauntered up to Spock.

"Thank you," she said and she reached up and kissed him.

Spock couldn't resist snaking his arms around her trim waist and then sliding his hands down to palm her bottom.

"Nyota..." he murmured.

"Hmm?"

"We cannot do this here. Someone could come-"

"Shh." She interrupted him with a finger to his lips. "Someone will definitely come. I took the precaution of locking the door and setting the do not disturb. There's no need to worry. Sit back and let me thank you properly."

"I do not think this is... um..."

"Spock don't think. That's your problem, you think too much. Just feel. I just want to make you feel good. Okay?"

Spock thought about his predicament. Why was he fighting this again?

"Okay," he agreed.

She kissed him again long and slow. "Now you just sit back and relax and enjoy the show."

"What show?" he asked.

Uhura went to the comm unit and pulled out a special program tape that was tucked into her bra. She inserted the tape into the console and soon the sound of rhythmic music filled the lab.

Uhura went back over to Spock and pulled a string from her hair which was used to hold her hair up in a thick puff. She spun his chair around and clasping his hands behind his back, she looped the string several times securing him in place.

She ran her fingers through his hair messing it up while she massaged his scalp.

"I'm gonna blow your mind sugar," she whispered in his ear and gave the lobe a little nibble and then she spun the chair back around to face her.

Spock sat in awe and watched as his wife started a slow seductive dance. She was incredibly graceful and lithe. She rolled her hips and swiveled her body as if her back didn't have a spine. Spock thought his wife looked incredibly beautiful as she did her little dance for him. Never in his wildest imaginings did he think he would ever see Nyota perform for him in this way.

She dipped down on her knees and crawled up in front of him pushing his knees apart.

Uhura quickly opened his trousers and pulled out her prize.

"Don't you move a muscle," she scolded when Spock inhaled sharply. Uhura nuzzled his erect flesh. "I've got you now," she said and she kissed the head.

Oh yes, she did have him! Spock thought as his body was slammed with pleasure.

"Mmm, I remember the first time I saw this big boy," Uhura said as she stroked him. "I believe I cursed your mother."

"Aduna, this is not the time to discuss my mother."

"Yes. Right now it's just you and me mume mpendwa." she whispered in Swahili.

Uhura gave Spock's penis a long slow lick from root to tip.

"Mmm, mpendwa mpenzi" She murmured as she took him into her mouth.

Spock couldn't keep still as his wife commanded. His hips bucked forcing his penis deeper into her mouth.

"K'diwa!" Spock said catching his breath again and then letting it out in a hiss. His hands strained against the restraints and he struggled not to thrust. He didn't dare risk hurting his wife who was busy 'thanking him properly'.

Vulcans were taught from an early age to always control their bodies and their minds. It was dangerous for a Vulcan to lose control of their volatile emotions and loss of command of one's body could be the difference between life and death in a hazardous situation. training for the Kas wan was all about adapting and surviving in a hostile environment where one would have little to no control of the elements. And right now Spock felt as helpless as he had the night of his Kas wan. Only he was not at the mercy of the forge, he was at the mercy of his beloved wife who was doing things to his body that weakened his defenses. He was not in command of his body. Nyota was playing him just as she did the ka'athyra.

The red alert klaxon suddenly sounded but Uhura didn't miss a stroke. She swallowed Spock deeply and then shallowly, bobbing her head to the rhythm of the music still playing in the lab.

"Mr. Spock, report to the bridge immediately," M'Ress announced over the ship's intercom. Uhura didn't want to let go of her prize and she held Spock captive with her tender ministrations.

"Nyota! I must... I have to go." Spock said with a strained voice.

"Not yet," she said and continued her task. Spock could easily break the restraints but he didn't dare. He couldn't disobey his wife, not when she had worked so hard just to please him.

"Nyota! Please!" he begged as he strained not to overpower the bonds holding his arms behind his back. And Nyota did please him. She seemed to be driven to finish the task at hand and nothing would deter her. Not the klaxon, not the intercom calling for Spock on the bridge and not Spocks protests. Nyota would not stop until Spock could hold back no longer.

The bridge called for him several more times and finally, annoyed by the interruption, Spock freed his hands and slapped the button on the console. "Spock here," he said on a gasp. "Tell the captain I am coming! Spock out!"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Spock, where the devil have you been?" The captain demanded when Spock finally arrived on the bridge a short while later. "We've been trying to reach you for the past 10 minutes!"

"I am sorry Captain," Spock said as he went to his station. "I was...uh... tied up in the lab."

Notes:

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Swahili

Beloved husband = Mume mpendwa

Sweetheart = Mpenzi

Vulcan

Beloved = K'diwa

Wife = Aduna

Chapter 50: The Love Bug

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-

Christine was shocked to see Spock standing outside of her cabin door presumably waiting for her arrival. She was just getting home from a long and tiring shift in the sickbay and she was not looking forward to another night dining alone in her cabin so anything different was welcome.

"Mr. Spock, this is a pleasant surprise," Christine smiled up into his handsome face nervously. "Were you waiting for me?"

"Miss Chapel, I believe you and I must have a talk," Spock said in his serious manner.

"Okay..." She said unsure of where this was leading. Nyota must have blabbed about their fight.

"Do you mind if we adjourn to your quarters for a private chat?"

"Of course," She punched in her lock code and waved for Spock to proceed her inside.

He stood just inside her sitting area. "Miss Chapel, it has been brought to my attention that you are at odds with Lieutenant Uhura."

"At odds? Is that what you call it? Did she tell you about our discussion?" Christine asked defensively.

"Indeed, Nyota told me that you know of our marriage and that you are unhappy about it."

"That's an understatement. So what? Are you here to reprimand me?"

"On the contrary, I am here to make amends."

"Amends? Why? How?"

"Nyota and I are the cause of your pain and I wish to try to alleviate it."

"The only way you can alleviate my pain is to tell me it isn't true, that you are not married to Nyota and that you don't care anything for her."

"I cannot do that as it would not be the truth," Spock said earnestly.

"Then why are you here? To rub your marriage in my face?"

"Nurse, I am not here to hurt you. I would like to explain my actions so that you no longer feel slighted."

"Okay then explain," she said crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nurse Chapel, what do you know of Vulcan marriages?"

"I don't know much, there isn't much in the media that Vulcan shares."

"Are you aware that when a Vulcan male reaches a certain age of maturity he undergoes a transformation? We contract an untreatable fever which I believe you have witnessed me suffering from."

"Yes, I know you had a high fever twice."

"And once a Vulcan male contracts this fever he has to return to Vulcan for the cure."

"Yes? So?"

"So, once on Vulcan, males suffering from the fever must be married," Spock said. "This marriage is needed to relieve the fever."

"So what does that have to do with me or Nyota?"

"You are angry at Nyota for marrying me but she had no choice in the matter. I required a wife and she accompanied me to Vulcan to fulfill that duty."

"How wonderful for you both," Christine said feeling angry all over again. "But forgive me if I don't congratulate you."

"The marriage was necessary Nurse Chapel. My life depended on it." Spock tried to explain.

"Mr. Spock, if as you say your life depended on your obtaining a wife, why did you seek out Nyota? I was in the sickbay with you that day, I would have happily volunteered to help you."

"I know that you would have but I did not want to burden you with my illness."

"But you had no problem burdening Nyota?" she accused.

"Nyota is my friend. She was available, she knew of my affliction, and she agreed to assist me. It was very generous of her."

"Yeah, I'll bet she is very generous."

"Nurse, I detect a note of hostility. That is why I am here. Nyota was kind enough to marry me in my time of need. She did not marry me to anger you or hurt you. I would ask that you take your anger out on me and not her. She has done nothing wrong."

"Nothing wrong?! Mr. Spock, you don't know what you are saying. She is using you. If you needed a sympathetic friend to help you, you could have come to me. I would have been happy to assist you in your time of need. I am a nurse, I could have cared for you better than Nyota ever could have."

"Nurse Chapel, as you say, you are a nurse. During that time, a man does not need a caregiver he needs a willing woman. He needs the kind of assistance only Nyota could provide."

"Oh, and just what kind of assistance is that?"

"That is of a personal nature," Spock said.

"I can guess. I know what she's done. I know the kind of woman Nyota is. She seduced you and made you think you needed her kind of 'care'. But Mr. Spock, Nyota isn't the only attractive woman on this ship. I could fulfill any need you have if you would just let me."

She walked up to Spock and placed her hand on this chest. "Mr. Spock you know how I feel about you, how long I've loved you and wanted you? If you would just give me a chance to show you, I know I could make you happy. I'll be anything you want me to be. I'll do anything for you. I can do anything Nyota can do." Christine pleaded.

"Vulcans do not feel happy..." Spock said looking uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation.

"I don't believe that. I've seen you happy, I've seen you smile and laugh. I've seen when you were glad to see the captain alive. I held your consciousness inside of me before, remember? I know you have feelings."

Spock swallowed nervously, "Nurse Chapel please, you forget yourself." He tried to push her away.

"Mr. Spock, I know you're Vulcan and you think you can't love me, but I love you enough for both of us. If you would only let me, I would love you so well." She raised her hand to touch his face. "Let me love you."

"Nurse Chapel--" he protested and grabbed her wrist.

"No Spock, listen. You don't have to say a word, you don't have to do anything, I'll do it all. Just let me love you," she took his hand and pulled him over to her bunk. "You don't need anyone but me," she said as she lay down in the bed and pulled Spock down with her.

"Only me..." she whispered.

Christine was jolted awake by the red alert klaxon. Damn! It was a dream? It had seemed so real as if Spock were really here with her. She hopped up from her bed and hastily dressed then checked herself in the mirror before she dashed out of the door for the sickbay.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Dr. McCoy had followed Captain Kirk into his quarters where he was intent on discussing their lastest vaccine run. Jim had been busy trying to secure passage for the Enterprise to Vulcan and settling the last incident involving Uhura and he hadn't had any interest in boring administrative tasks. He hadn't had much personal time for recreation either and he had just finished a self-defense demonstration in the gym when Bones finally cornered him.

They were talking in Kirk's quarters discussing the vaccine drop while Jim was busy changing out of yet another torn shirt. Normally the sight of Jim out of uniform was no big deal for Bones, it was almost an everyday occurrence, but today something was different.

Jim's skin was slightly marred by faint scars from previous encounters with various hostile aliens. Though their healing technology had come a long way, some tissue scaring was still inevitable. Those scars were barely noticeable to McCoy normally, but today every one of them stood out in stark relief against Jim's tanned skin.

Jim's skin was glistening with perspiration from his recent workout which had caused the torn shirt. His taut muscles flexed and stretched as he retrieved a fresh uniform shirt from a drawer, a low drawer which he had to bend down to open.

McCoy had never been attracted to men but he could see why the women on the ship went crazy for the Captain. He was a beautiful specimen of manhood, McCoy thought as he admired the view of the Captain's ass.

Jim straightened up and easily slid the shirt over his head and McCoy felt disappointed that his view of that beautiful tan skin was hampered.

Jim noticed the strange way Bones was looking at him.

"What's up, Bones?"

McCoy smiled giving Jim his old country doctor charm. "What's up? My blood pressure if you hadn't put that shirt on."

"What? Bones are you feeling alright?" Jim asked in shock.

McCoy sauntered up to him, "I don't know Jim, why don't you tell me how I feel?" He cornered the captain next to his dresser and was standing far too close for comfort when they both looked deep into each other's eyes for a long moment and then they freaked out.

Bones jumped back and shook himself like a wet dog. "What the hell was that Jim?" he asked.

"I don't know Bones, I just suddenly felt--"

"Yeah, me too."

A moment ago they were gazing into each other's eyes and now they tried looking everywhere except at each other.

"Um..."
"Well..." they both started awkwardly.

The intercom sounded asking the doctor to report to sickbay and McCoy promptly left Jim's cabin without a backward glance. Jim finished changing and reported to the bridge. On his way, he noticed strange behavior from the crew in the halls. Now, the Enterprise crew were known for their eccentric behavior but never to this extent on an ordinary workday.

Women and men were holding hands, touching, rubbing, kissing one another and all in plain sight. He made it to the turbo lift and the doors opened to interrupt a couple taking things a bit too far.

"Gentlemen! Report to sickbay on the double!" Kirk ordered.

"Right away sir," The two security officers looked sheepish and hurried off. Kirk continued to the bridge and when he got there he was relieved to see his officers at their stations.

"M'Ress go to yellow alert and patch me through to doctor McCoy."

"McCoy here. Jim, what is going on? I've got people in here behaving oddly, to say the least."

"Like with us earlier Bones?"

"Yes," McCoy admitted.

"Any idea what is causing it?"

"None. People are reporting feeling extremely amorous and a lot of them say it woke them up out of their sleep where they were having graphic dreams." Bones reported.

"Could it be the area of space we're in?" he asked aloud. He looked over and realized Spock was not at his station. "Chekov, check the scanners!" he ordered abruptly.

"Again, I couldn't tell you what's causing it, Jim, I don't even know what it is yet. I'm conferring with Dr. Helen Noel for a psychological cause and we're running scans now. I'll let you know when we have a hypothesis. McCoy out."

"M'Ress locate Mr. Spock, he should be reporting in by now."

"Aye, sir. Reports are coming in from all decks."

"Reports of what?"

"Well MMM," M'ress purred, "reports of nudity, public indecency, a few fights in the rec rooms."

"Get security down there, and sound the red alert. All nonessential personnel is to report to their quarters and remain confined until we get a handle on this thing."

"Aye Captain," M'ress purred again. She slowly uncrossed her legs and then slowly crossed them the opposite way showing a glimpse of furry thigh before she did his bidding.

Kirk looked at the rest of the bridge crew. Sulu and Chekov seemed to be holding steady. Chekov looked adorable as he bent over that scanner, Kirk thought, then he shook his head to clear it. Sulu was sweating like a bridegroom but otherwise looked composed. Others at their various stations were fidgety. Kirk felt aroused himself but he tamped it down viciously and got back to business.

"Where is Mr. Spock M'Ress!"

"Unknown Captain, I am hailing him in his cabin and his science lab but there is no response."

"Check with Lt. Uhura, I know she is off duty but she may know where he is."

"Aye, ai, ai," M'Ress said and giggled.

Kirk shook his head, "Keep trying Lieutenant!"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"I am sorry Captain," Spock said as he rushed through the lift doors to take his spot at his station. "I was...uh... tied up in the lab."
The apology sounded lame even to Spock's own ears but the captain didn't seem to care.

"Forget it for now. I need information about this sector of space. Crewman all over the ship are reporting strange psychological symptoms."

"Psychological?" Spock asked intrigued.

"Yeah, men and women all over the ship are acting weird... exhibiting signs of extreme arousal and amorous behavior."

"Amorous?" Spock questioned.

"Yes," Jim said with annoyance. "Amorous. Sexual arousal. Public exhibitions and displays of affection. Some jealous fights breaking out too. Its madness. Like nothing we've seen before."

"Indeed Captain? When did the symptoms begin?"

"Well let's see, Bones and I were talking in my cabin and next thing you know... let's just say we noticed something. Shortly after he was called to the sickbay. I would say about 30 minutes ago."

"Hmm." Spock hummed as he peered into his scanner. He didn't voice his concerns about the matter. Nyota seemed to be stricken with similar symptoms around the same time. It was too much to be a coincidence.

"Captain a preliminary scan of the sector shows nothing out of the ordinary. However, I believe I should report to Doctor McCoy as well."

"What for? Spock, I need you here working on finding out what's causing this thing."

"I believe I may have some important insight for the doctor as I too fell victim to the symptoms. My efforts would be better spent coordinating with the good doctor."

"Alright, Spock, I trust your judgment. Just find out what it is, whatever it is. I can't have my crew running around with this... this love bug."

"Lovebug Captain?" Spock questioned the name.

"Well, we have to call it something. Right now I'd say it's pretty apropos."

"Aye Captain," Spock said as he exited the bridge.

Notes:

Thanks for sticking with me so far! Posting will probably slow down now that I'm all caught up with reposting all the chapters from fanfiction.net. I'm going to wrap up Beyond Antares in the next few chapters and start another story based around Spock and Uhura's married life. I'm not sure where to end this story and where to start the next one yet but some big things are coming up.

It is tentatively titled The Vulcanians. I've already written dozens of scenes from their life together and it's filled with more space opera drama. The saga continues...

Chapter 51: The Sex Demons

Summary:

I don't know why I wrote this, but since I did let's see where it goes 😀

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Kirk was livid. He had been angry with Spock before but this was too much! Spock was missing while the ship was in turmoil and he didn't even have a logical excuse for his absence except that he was attending his wife? Kirk had tried to be patient, he tried to take Bones' advice and not interfere with Spock and Uhura and their 'bonding' but he could not let them interfere with the smooth functioning of his ship. The Enterprise came first and foremost with Kirk and there was a time when he thought she came first with Spock as well.

Now, Kirk was no fool, he understood a man couldn't put his job before his wife. That was one reason Jim planned to never marry so he never had to make such a choice. But as the first officer, Spock had made a commitment to his captain as well as to Starfleet. And as a Vulcan, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one. But Spock was no ordinary Vulcan and right now he was behaving more like a lovesick teenager rather than the ship's reliable first officer.

The crew of the Enterprise had just experienced some kind of mass psychic phenomenon. There were reports from all over the ship of people having oddly vivid erotic dreams and other crewmembers suddenly taken with feelings of extreme arousal. There wasn't a person on the ship who wasn't affected in some way.

Bones and the medical staff were running tests on the crewmembers who were most affected by the phenomenon, but as soon as the symptoms wore off there was no lingering trace to study. They were not sure how to even log the events that occurred. Sure the Enterprise had come across some odd things during their mission, they had experienced giant single-celled organisms, doomsday probes, sentient androids, and more energy beings hell-bent on sucking the life out of them than Kirk cared to count. Whatever this thing was, it didn't seem to suck the life out of you, rather it made you want to suck someone else, Jim thought wryly.

"What is this thing, Bones?" he demanded during his briefing with the chief medical officer.

"Jim, I tell you I don't know. I've run every test imaginable and everything comes up normal, not even a trace of hormonal imbalance. Whatever it is it's not viral or bacterial, we detect no new forms of radiation, no foreign particles or chemicals in the atmosphere or unusual energy signatures, nothing. Spock has been sweeping the ship with sensors and he detects no further unusual activity. Whatever it was it vanished like a ghost." Mccoy snapped his fingers.

"A ghost you say? Or maybe a sex demon?" Kirk thought out loud, rubbing his chin.

"A what?" Bones asked baffled.

"A sex demon, Bones, like a succubus."

"What in the world are you talking about?" McCoy demanded.

"A succubus or an incubus. I overheard Spock and Uhura talking about it on the bridge the other day. Remember I told you about it. They were whispering and making eyes at one another."

Bones rolled his eyes, "So? What does that have to do with this situation?"

"The succubus Bones, it's a mythological sex demon that sucks the energy out of people by seducing them in their sleep. Legend has it that the incubus or succubus work in tandem with the female demon extracting the semen out of men and the incubus, the male demon impregnates unsuspecting women with it."

"What! Why in God's name would anything do that?" McCoy asked with disgust.

"They can't reproduce or something, because they are demons, because they can. Bones who cares why? It's just a legend. The question is, could something like that sex demon be aboard this ship?" Kirk asked.

"Jim, why would we have a sex demon aboard? Where would we have picked it up? We've barely been on any missions lately. We've been to Vulcan, Argelius, Starbase 6, and that vaccine run. None of those places reported anything unusual like this and we haven't visited any uncharted planets or systems to pick up a supernatural hitchhiker."

"Maybe not Bones, but its the only clue we have."

"A legend that two horny newlyweds were whispering about is not a clue," Bones groused.

"Spock was not horny." Jim protested.

"Aw, that's nice that you're defending your friend, but you haven't seen him the way I have when he's got that fever. When he's with Nyota he's definitely horny."

"Let's forgot about 'Horny Spock' and get back to business."

"No, Jim lets not. I think you may have something here." McCoy said as his eyes lit up with the embers of an idea.

"What?"

"Horny Spock."

"Bones--" Jim protested.

"No, Jim hear me out. Spock gets the fever, right? He gets driven to mate at the cost of his life. Vulcans are telepathic and Spock and Uhura are bonded in some telepathic link that we can't even begin to understand. So what if this thing is catching, remember Uhura had the fever too."

"But you said she caught it from Spock because he implanted some psychic thing in her? His katra? Are you suggesting that he has somehow infected everyone on the ship with it?"

"I don't know. We don't even know anything about the fever let alone the psychic bond Vulcan couples share. The Vulcans are so tight-lipped you can't even access their medical records without being on the planet or on their private networks. Believe me, I've tried and I ran into red tape at every turn."

"So what then?"

"We get Spock and Uhura in for tests first thing and I try reaching my contacts on Vulcan. M'benga is on Vulcan at a conference on xenobiology and interspecies virology. Since he's on the planet he should have access to their records. And I'll see if Ambassador Sarek or Amanda have any input on the matter if possible."

"Alright, but Bones, don't tell Spock and Uhura what we're testing them for."

"I don't even know what we're testing them for." Bones complained.

"Still, keep this to yourself for now." Jim insisted.

"Why? They have a right to know, besides Spock is not stupid, he'll figure it out."

"Be that as it may, I don't want to upset Uhura. She's been through enough already and she and Spock are finally settling down."

"Alright, I'll get them in here and try to come up with a plausible excuse."

"Good Bones, because right now they're the only clue we have."

Chapter 52: Insatiable?

Summary:

Everybody is thinking about sex. What's going on?

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Spock and Uhura underwent further tests in sickbay along with several other crew members who had fallen especially hard for the 'lovebug' as it had been dubbed. But again nothing unusual or out of the ordinary was uncovered so McCoy released them back to their quarters.

"Aduna, we must discuss your behavior today," Spock addressed Uhura once they were back in his cabin. It had been a long day for him. Spock had spent additional time in the science labs trying to pinpoint the cause of today's mass hysteria.

Nyota was dressed in her normal civilian clothing, a brightly colored kaftan. She had been confined to quarters for the day along with the rest of the nonessential crew and she was still feeling antsy.

"I know," she said woefully, unable to meet Spock's eyes. "I went too far didn't I?"

Spock nodded his head in agreement. "As your husband, it is my duty to... discipline you."

Uhura's head snapped up, "Excuse me?!"

"Nyota, as a Vulcan wife you must sometimes follow your husband's lead."

"Uh-huh? Like walking three steps behind you?" She crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

"I know it is not the human way, however, as you know Vulcan males can be rather volatile. Our wives are very important to us therefore we have such strict rules to protect you."

"I guess I know that. But I don't understand what the big fuss is. We had fun. You enjoyed it didn't you?"

"I did indeed appreciate your efforts, however, your behavior could have put others in danger. The ship was in red alert and the captain needed me but I was--"

"Tied up?" she cut in.

"--otherwise engaged." He finished.

"Was the captain very upset with you?" feeling a bit contrite for causing him trouble.

"I imagine so, but he didn't question me about it... yet."

"I'm sorry Spock. I just don't know what came over me." She broke into a mischievous grin, well at the end there you came all over me but--"

"Aduna! This is serious and you are being incorrigible," Spock said shaking his head though he couldn't bring himself to be cross with her.

"I know, but I think you like that about me?" she asked.

"I do," he conceded taking her into his arms. "Do not worry about the captain. But we must discuss your behavior. I want you to feel free to enjoy our marriage bond, however, there is a time and a place for such activities."

"Oh really, like where and when?"

"There is no set time or place, just not when either of us is on duty or in public. What we do is private. I do not want to share you with anyone. I cannot. Do you understand?"

"No, but you can teach me how to be a good Vulcan wife. I won't promise to be perfect at it but I'll try."

"That is all I can ask. And likewise, you must teach me how to be a good husband."

"A good Vulcan husband or a good Human one?"

"Both, for I am neither one nor the other."

"So, did you at least enjoy your gift?"

"You already know that I did."

"Do you want a command performance?" she gave him a cheeky grin.

Spock shook his head, "Aduna, you are insatiable. However, I still owe you a proper punishment."

"Oh," she said with disappointment.

He extended his two fingers to her. "You will attend me, wife," he commanded and Uhura immediately complied by joining their fingers and following Spock into his bedroom.

"Do not look so sad, I believe you will enjoy your punishment." He sat down on the side of the bunk.

"Really?" she perked up again. "Are you going to spank me?"

"No! Never," Spock guided her to sit beside him. "Nyota I will never lay a hand to you in violence, not even in play. I cannot," Spock told her vehemently.

"Okay, I'm sorry I mentioned it. Have I offended you?"

"No, I understand humans enjoy such play but even if it were not against the teachings of Surak, I could never rais a hand against you in violence. You are to be cherished," he said touching her cheek gently.

"Aw, Spock," Nyota threw her arms around him.

"So what is my punishment?" She mumbled into his chest.

"We will recite the teachings of Surak."

"What?! I thought you said I would enjoy it?" she said pulling away from him.

"And you shall. There is much for you to learn about the art of self-control. Once you can control your mind you can train it. You said you wanted to learn telepathy? It begins with the disciplines passed down by Surak."

"Adun, pardon my French, but fuck Surak." Nyota stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest.

Spock looked scandalized at the very notion. "Aduna, that was not French. I notice you have developed a distasteful habit of using inappropriately colorful metaphors. I think you should put your mouth to much better service." Spock informed her.

"Oh? Like what?" she asked slyly looking at him from the side.

Spock slowly peeled the kaftan from her shoulders to reveal smooth brown skin.

Nyota sighed and unfolded her arms to help the progress of lowering the gown from her body, "Well now you're speaking my language."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Several hours later the Enterprise seemed calm but Captain Kirk still had everyone confined to quarters. Until they could figure out what had happened he couldn't trust his people to run free on the ship with the threat still unknown. There was already going to be fallout from what happened today as people had to live down the unusual things they had done. Unlike the polywater intoxication or the happy spores of Omicron Ceti III where people were mostly able to forget what they had done while intoxicated, this illness left memories of their inhibitions vividly intact.

In the meantime, Kirk was having a much-needed drink with Bones as they contemplated the problem and brainstormed a solution.

"What I can't understand is how you managed to be immune to it Jim?" McCoy said as he sipped his most cherished vintage of brandy. "Why didn't it affect you like the rest of us? I could barely concentrate after I left your quarters."

"Bones honestly... the truth is... I'm always er...stimuilated that way. So it was just another day for me," Jim confessed.

"What!" McCoy almost spat out his precious Saurian brandy before he caught himself. Instead, he inhaled it and started to cough.

Jim slapped him on the back. "I said I'm always that way. I think about sex probably ten times a minute. How can a guy help it with all the beautiful women prancing around this ship? But I learned to control myself. The captain isn't allowed such luxuries."

McCoy got a hold of himself and replied, "What luxury? Everybody needs somebody sometimes Jim, even you. You can't be the only one on the ship not getting laid, hell even Spock is getting it."

"How do you know Bones?"

"How do I know what?"

"How do you know that Spock is "getting it"?" Jim asked.

"Well, let's see," McCoy said scratching his chin. "Spock and Uhura were locked in quarantine in Uhura's cabin for three days in Pon Farr induced fever. They've practically been sleeping in the same quarters every night ever since our trip to Starbase 6, they've been seen all over the ship together 'making eyes'. I'd say he's 'getting it'." McCoy said. "Besides he told me himself that he and Uhura were also affected by the 'Lovebug' thing today."

"He was?" Jim was shocked.

"You sound disappointed Jim."

"Well, I just thought if anybody on this ship could resist such a thing it would be Spock."

"Jim, do you think you could resist it if you were married to someone like Uhura?" McCoy asked.

"Well..." Jim was momentarily lost in unbecoming thoughts.

"I'll answer for you and say no. Spock's a person Jim, not a robot though I like to tease him that he is one. He has the same urges and impulses as any man."

"Does he really, Bones?" Jim wondered.

"Sure, why not?"

"He's a Vulcan," Jim stated the obvious.

"So?"

"So, I thought they could only... you know... mate during the pon farr?"

"Jim, I know next to nothing about pon far but I don't think any species as complex as humanoids could perpetuate itself with such a slow mating cycle of once every seven years. It's just not practical or logical. But who knows? I'm just speculating here."

"I guess," Jim seemed deep in thought. "You know, it dawns on me that we don't know much about Spock outside of work."

"Oh, it just dawns on you?" Bones asked sarcastically.

"No, I've been thinking about it for a while now," Jim said. He went to the intercom, "Mr. Spock report to Dr. McCoy's quarters on the double."

"Aye Captain," Spock replied after a moment.

"Jim, what are you up to now?"

"Nothing. I just want to have a talk with our friend, off duty."

"Ah-ha, meddling." McCoy nodded his head in understanding.

"No. I'm curious about Spock and so are you so don't deny it."

"I don't deny it. I've been trying to suss out details about that pointy-eared bugger for years with no success. Spock is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma."

"Yeah well, I don't like mysteries. So just follow my lead, I know how to handle Spock."

"You do? That's news to me." McCoy laughed and his door chime sounded a few moments later.

"Enter!"

Spock entered the cabin looking his normal cool calm collected self.

"You wanted to see me Captain?" he said stiffly standing at attention.

"At ease Mr. Spock. This is a friendly visit." Jim said.

"Indeed? I thought you might want to discuss my behavior earlier?" Spock said as he looked around McCoy's cabin as if looking for a trap.

"No. We will attend to that later. Right now we're off duty and Bones and I were just having drinks and some friendly chatter. Please join us."

Spock looked between the captain and the doctor and wondered if they were still suffering some ill effects from earlier.

"C'mon Spock, take that stick out of your rear and join us." Bones passed him a glass. "I know it has no effect on you but humor us. We hardly see you anymore."

"You see me every day, gentlemen."

"We mean we hardly see you casually, off duty. I can't remember the last time you and I played chess," Kirk said.

"I apologize Captain. I have been otherwise engaged lately." Spock said.

"I understand. You're a newly married man with other priorities." Kirk said a bit sadly.

McCoy picked up on the tension in the air and decided to try a different tact. "Spock, now that you are a fully matured Vulcan and officially married we can have an open and frank discussion."

"What is there to discuss?" Spock asked.

"Like, how is married life?" McCoy asked with a grin.

"It is fine. I have been married for some time now and I have no complaints."

"I know, but you and Uhura are really official now. The two of you have been dancing around each other for ages and you say 'fine'?" McCoy wanted details damn it!

"It is quite agreeable," Spock said to clarify.

"No, Spock what I mean is--"

"What the good doctor wants to ask is, as a Vulcan, do you have any uh... any issue with pleasing your new bride?" Jim asked fully invested in the conversation now.

McCoy grinned "Yeah, Uhura's quite a woman, a whole lot of woman. I bet she keeps you on your toes," McCoy teased him which irked Spock but he remained stoic.

"Gentleman, I can assure you my wife is very well pleased. She is a very fortunate Earth woman."

"But... I mean... Spock you and Uhura, you uh..." Kirk stammered at a loss at how to proceed without causing offense.

"We what captain?"

"Well, I mean with you're being Vulcan... And with Uhura being very Human... um... I mean, I understand that during pon farr you had to...to... that is to say..."

"What he means Spock" Bones cut in, "is that as a logical Vulcan how can you square away making love to your lovely human wife every night? The very act would seem to be illogical."

"Ah, I see gentlemen." Spock nodded his head in understanding. "Well naturally we Vulcans are highly logical people, and you are correct that the so-called 'act' outside of Pon Farr would 'seem' illogical to a Human. However, Vulcans are also very practical people. We understand and appreciate the natural world and the necessity of respecting our biological functions. When our bodies require food, logically we eat. When the body is tired we rest. If one becomes aroused it is only natural and logical to alleviate that state if at all logically possible."

"What?" McCoy said dumbfounded. "That was a long way of saying very little."

"You see Bones what he means is," Jim said picking up where Spock left off, "when he or his good wife requires sex he does his logical duty. Isn't that right Spock?" Jim slapped Spock on the back as if he had just solved everything.

"Is that what you meant Spock?" Mccoy looked at him askance.

"Precisely, it is my duty to assure all of my wife's desires are met."

"I just bet. Now you wouldn't happen to enjoy that duty, would you?" McCoy asked with a grin.

"Well Doctor, the act naturally has a pleasurable aspect as biological functions go. I do appreciate that it would be a chore otherwise." Spock answered and took a sip of his brandy. He found himself in need of the warmth the beverage would provide as his 'friends' grilled him for marital details.

"A chore!? Sure, sure, Spock. You're just doing your logical duty." McCoy said not believing a word of it.

"See, there you go Bones," Jim slapped Spock on the back again. "Spock is a dutiful man. Don't go trying to stir up trouble where there is none. They're fine. He's fine. Everything can get back to normal."

For Jim back to normal meant the efficient and familiar functioning of the Enterprise. For Spock things were far from normal though he didn't voice his concerns to the others.

As Jim steered the conversation to another area and Spock responded automatically where necessary, he thought of his predicament. He was engaging in sexual relations with Uhura quite frequently and she seemed very satisfied but he was still concerned. Was it adequate, was she happy? Was he pleasing his wife to the best of his abilities? Why had she felt the need to visit his lab today?

Not for the first time he wondered about his parent's marriage. No child wants to think of their parents having sex but Spock could not help but wonder how his parents managed their marriage. Did Sarek and his mother engage in sexual relations as frequently as he and Nyota did? Sarek had tried to tell Spock while he was on Vulcan that it was his duty to please his new bondmate and Spock had assured Sarek he could do it. Was Sarek trying to warn Spock that human women had sexual appetites that a Vulcan male would find distasteful? Spock could find nothing distasteful about his wife. In fact, he found her too attractive which was proving to be a distraction.

He often found himself thinking of her when they were separated, such as now. When he should be engaging in the conversation between Bones and Jim he was thinking about Nyota and their sex life. Perhaps such behavior was normal for a human male but Spock was not a Human, not completely. He needed guidance but he didn't know quite where to turn. One thing was for certain, his two friends, though well-meaning, were no help at all.

Chapter 53: Constant Cravings

Summary:

Spock is having doubts and Komack is on the hunt. Why?

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

After the impromptu 'guys night' in McCoy's suite, Spock couldn't stop thinking about their earlier conversation and he decided to visit Dr. McCoy again in his office and confess to the concerns he has been having. Though he was loath to admit it, he needed professional assistance.

"Well, what's the trouble, Spock?" McCoy smiled as he greeted Spock in his office first thing the next day.

"Doctor, I wish to continue the discussion you started earlier. It is about my marriage to Nyota."

"Why? What's the matter, Spock? I thought you said it was 'quite agreeable'. Can't you er, uh, perform?" McCoy said jokingly.

"Yes, Doctor," he answered tightly, "I can, as you put it 'perform'. The trouble is that I was not aware I would be driven to 'perform' quite so often. It is not something I anticipated."

McCoy smiled to think of Spock as being sex-crazed like the rest of humanity. He tried to tell Jim that Spock was a horny bastard.

"I see. So you think this um... new sex drive is um... a problem? What does Uhura have to say about all of this? Has she complained?"

"No doctor my wife would not complain, she does not seem to be disturbed by it at all. In fact, she seems quite pleased as I said before." Spock said still ill at ease with the subject matter.

"Then what's the problem? You have a very attractive wife Mr. Spock. Any man in your shoes would be hard-pressed to leave her bed every morning. And you're newlyweds, this seems only natural if you ask me."

"I am asking you, Doctor. Perhaps you are correct, any man in my shoes would be content, but I am not any man, I am a Vulcan."

McCoy rolled his eyes. Here we go again with Spock insisting he was Vulcan and ignoring the fact that he was also half-human. "Have you considered asking another Vulcan about this, like... say your father?"

Spock stared blankly at McCoy. "No Doctor, and I do not intend to ask Sarek something like this, that is why I am asking my doctor."

"Well, I'm not an expert on Vulcans and their um...sexual habits. Perhaps Dr. M'benga could be of more assistance?"

"Doctor, the delicate nature of this inquiry leaves me reluctant to consult M'benga. I now find myself regretting consulting you." Spock rose to leave.

"Now, now, Spock hold on a moment. You can't just throw a problem like this at me and expect me to instantly have the answers. Your problem is unique, as usual. How many Vulcan-Human hybrids do you think are running around after all?" McCoy grumbled.

"Approximately 18."

"18 is an approximation?" McCoy asked.

"There may be some I am not aware of and some may have perished but I am aware of eighteen individuals with Vulcan-Human heritage," Spock said.

"Well, still in all the history of human\vulcan relations there are damn few of you and I'd wager each one of you is unique."

"True, the ones I have encountered were more human in appearance and temperament."

"Is that so? What do you all do, have a convention or something?" McCoy teased him.

"No Doctor, but the majority of the ones I have met also happen to be the offspring of diplomats and we have had the occasion to attend mutual events."

"Oh, well, I guess that makes sense. But back to your issue Spock, I don't see a problem unless this increased libido is interfering with your everyday life? I thought you Vulcans just controlled this sort of thing like you do your other emotions?"

"I thought so too Doctor."

The resignation in Spock's voice called to the healer in McCoy. "Why don't I examine you again, see if there's anything out of whack I might have missed. There may be some holdover from the last Pon Farr that I didn't notice?" he offered as he prepared a hypo. "By the time we're through with you, you won't have any green blood left" McCoy joked as he drew another sample from Spock.

"Very well Doctor," Spock conceded.

McCoy didn't know if this was a physical problem or a psychological problem. He'd seen Spock with women before, on the ice planet Sarpeidon when they were trapped with Zarabeth, and when Spock was infected with spores by that Miss Kalomi. Spock was naturally or rather it seemed Vulcans were a very sexualized race. That Spock didn't recognize it was disturbing. This is something he should have learned in his youth, perhaps at home or at the very least as part of his extensive education. The fact that Spock knew little about his own reproductive processes was alarming. McCoy intended to consult with M'Benga whether Spock approved or not. It was a medical issue now and M'Benga was a professional who was an expert on Vulcan physiology.

McCoy thought about all this as he calibrated the scanners for Spock's unique hybrid physiology and he assured Spock that he would leave no stone unturned and get back to him as soon as he had any new answers. In the meantime, when McCoy finished the exam he released Spock to go about his normal duties.

As soon as he left the sickbay Spock knew he had made a mistake. There was nothing Dr. McCoy could tell him about Vulcan sexuality. This was a subject that required a different kind of expert. But there was a real snag. Vulcans were very protective of their medical data. Even Spock, a Vulcan citizen could not access their databases without being on Vulcan Prime or without special permission to remotely access the system. So that meant he would need a Vulcan contact on the inside. He went to his private office in the science department to make a call home.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Admiral James Komack of Starfleet Command was a busy man. It was his duty to manage the fleet of Starships under his command but he always had time to hear updates on his least favorite ship, the USS Enterprise. Though he had not received an official report from her Captain, Komack had been made aware by his informant that the ship had experienced an unusual mass psychic phenomenon that nearly rendered the crew helpless. They didn't go into too much detail, but they didn't have to. Just the knowledge that there was an unreported incident raised red flags for Komack.

Komack was not an unreasonable man. He was sure the majority of the Enterprise crew was first-rate as the majority of Starfleet officers were throughout the fleet. However, even in the elite echelons of Starfleet officers there was bound to be a bad apple now and then.
Captain Tracey of the USS Exeter and Commodore Matt Decker of the USS Constellation were but two of the most recent ne'er-do-well examples. They gave the service a black eye and Komack was determined to ensure another rogue officer didn't run amok in his fleet.

To that end, he had established a team of covert operatives on every ship who regularly reported any unusual activity. It was perhaps a bit unethical but a necessary evil. And speaking of evil, he could bet his last credit that the devil eared Vulcan officer Spock was behind the latest Enterprise incident.

Komack buzzed for his assistant who sat just outside his office door. A moment later the handsome man entered and stood at attention.

"Westervelt, I need you to contact our man on the Enterprise. Find out everything you can about this latest incident. I need official reports if you can get them. And see if you can find out how this all ties into Commander Spock."

"Aye, sir." Komack's assistant yeoman Westervelt said before darting back out of the office.

The pieces were all falling into place. Komack thought as he gazed out of his office window. "Soon Mr. Spock, soon."

Chapter 54: Better Man

Summary:

What have our favorite friends been up to lately?

Notes:

Take your ass home
And come back when you're grown

Jerome
Song by Lizzo

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-

"So?" Sulu said to Nyota as they sat down at the dining table in his quarters for one of their friendly lunches. Sulu had prepared a very light meal of stir-fried vegetables and hearty soup for his friend.

"So what?" Nyota asked.

"So how's married life treating you?" He smiled at her pretty face.

"Well you know, it's got its ups and downs," She answered waving her hand in a demonstration.

"I'll just bet it does," he said wagging his brows up and down comically making her comment sound lurid.

"Sulu stop playing. You know Spock and I are just settling down. It seems like we get past one crisis and another one rears its ugly head. But we're good for now," She smiled with a dreamy look.

"Mmmhmm," He said nodding. "There's something different about you today."

"Oh, and what is that?"

"It's subtle but you seem more confident."

"I've always been confident," she countered.

"Not always. In some ways yes," he conceded, "but there was a time after Riley left that I thought--"

"Let's not talk about him. This is supposed to be a light lunch to shoot the breeze not dig up old crap best left buried."

"Gee, tell me how you really feel about him," he said but the sour look on her face made him relent. "Ok, ok! As I was saying you seem lighter, freer, just content. I don't know, I cannot put a finger on it--"

"And you better not try either. My husband is very protective of me," she joked with a mischievous smile on her face.

"See, your smile is different and I never thought I'd hear you call Spock your 'husband' so casually."

"Well, he is my husband. Sulu you know I'm just relieved that the drama is over and we can get back to living our lives."

"Sure, I guess. But it's more than that. I'd say you're glowing. You're in love."

"I wouldn't say that. We're just getting used to one another really."

"I'll say it then. You're in love and what's more, you look like a woman in love. Deny all you want." Sulu said as he sipped his soup. He watched with a practiced eye as Uhura carefully sipped her own soup and then had some of the vegetable stir fry. She looked like a cat that had got the cream and he didn't think his cooking was the cause of that bemused look she wore on her face all the time now.

He couldn't help but push the issue. "But seriously there is a change in you and it's beautiful. You're beautiful."

"Oh, Sulu stop," She blushed. "I'm just the same ol' Nyota."

"No Ny. If you had looked at me just once the way you look at Spock I would die a happy man."

"Hik!" Uhura said with surprise that he was bringing this up again. "I'm a married woman." She reminded him.

"I know you are, and I don't blame Spock for being protective of you either. Nyota, just let me say this. If I thought for one second that you felt for me even half of what you obviously feel for Mr. Spock I would have done anything for you. I would have ripped this ship apart with my bare hands for you. But you don't feel that way and you never have and I accept that."

"I just didn't want to go through the rest of my life with the regret that I never confessed to you properly. So now that I have confessed we never have to mention it again. I accept that you are happily married to Spock and I am happy for you. That's all I want. I hope we can still be friends after saying that?" He asked.

"Oh, Hikaru," Nyota said and she ran around the table to grab him in a fierce hug.

"Yes! Of course we can still be friends. You're one of my best friends in the world and I don't know what I would have done these past few years without you by my side." She pulled away from him to look into his eyes. "I hope you know I never meant to hurt you or lead you to believe we could be... well more than friends. I just--"

"You just could never see anybody else besides Spock." Sulu finished for her.

"No. Sulu why do you insist on thinking there was something between me and Spock before we got married?" Nyota went back to her seat across from him and took a drink of her water.

"Because there was, and to continue denying it is dishonest. I'm your friend Ny. You can be honest with me if you can't be honest with yourself. Call it what you want but you're in love, and you and Spock are a thing and have always been a thing probably since the moment the two of you met. You had your ups and downs and spent the past four years yipping at each other like a couple of puppies but you're married now. Own up to it already."

Oh, how Uhura wanted to deny it. But though she could easily lie to herself, it wasn't fair to lie to Sulu. Not when he just stuck his heart on his sleeve and confessed to her so bravely. She couldn't lie to her friend.

She and Spock had been 'a thing' for a long time. Spock said they had been bonded in some way or other first as friends and then as bondmates for a while now. Long enough for him to seek her out when he was in his Time of need. Long enough for her to have a piece of his katra stuck deep in her mind. Long enough for her to be crazy in love with him.

"Hikaru, I didn't mean for any of this to happen." She hid her face in her hands. "I can't love Spock," She said shaking her head in shame.

"Oh, sweetheart why not?" Now it was his turn to leave his seat and wrap his arms around her shoulders.

"Cause he can't love me back," she cried.

Sulu rolled his eyes as he patted her shoulder. Here we go again.
"Nyota I am getting tired of hearing you cry about some other man on my shoulder. You're married to the man. And despite what I said before you're not a damn puppy. You're a grown woman and a Starfleet officer. If you truly love Spock then love him, who cares how he feels? I loved you and you didn't return the feelings, so big whoop! I'm still here. I'll deal with it because I'm an adult. One-sided love is still love."

"But--" she started.

"No Buts! Spock goes out of his way for you, probably bending every Vulcan tradition he has for you. When has he ever not cared for you or shown you anything but love? What more do you want?"

"I don't know..."

Sulu sighed. He had noticed before that there was a deep hurt in Nyota. A great emptiness that all of his love and friendship just could not fill. She needed something he could not provide and though it pained him, he had to let her go and figure it out on her own. So he grasped her arms and pulled her to stand. "Get out." He said ushering her towards the door.

"What?"

"I said get out. And don't come back until you are honest with yourself and me and are ready to admit your feelings."

"But Sulu I just--"

"I don't care anymore. Until you can be honest we have nothing more to say to one another. I'm always honest with you Ny. I'm gonna tell you when you're being a twit, like now. So get going, and come back when you're ready to talk like an adult and I'm more to you than just a sponge for your tears."

Once he had her firmly on the other side of the threshold to his cabin he hit the door release let it slide closed between them and locked it.

He didn't want to use tough love like that but she needed it. And honestly, he needed a break from all this romance drama, especially as he was not the one getting any love.

Lord, why do fools fall in love? He asked as he went to his pantry and pulled out a bottle of his finest Saki. His parents sent it to him for his birthday last year and he was saving it for a special event but damn it, he needed a drink.

"She's not even my wife and she's driving me to drink," he thought as he sipped his drink alone and in silence.

The next time he fell in love he hoped it was with someone very mature and very sensible. Someone not like Nyota Uhura. Thinking about it now, Sulu loved the Lieutenant Uhura who wore the shortest uniforms without a care and who didn't take nonsense from any crewman. He liked Uhura most when she was holding things down on the bridge while shamelessly flirting with Spock. He liked her when she sang and danced and entertained everyone in the rec room. He liked the Uhura who was the life of a party and was kind to tribbles and children and was the first to volunteer to help in a crisis. But this vulnerable, insecure, emotional Uhura? She was more than a handful and he was not prepared to deal with her trauma.

"Spock, you really are a better man than me," Sulu said as he lifted his glass in salute thinking of the stoic Vulcan. He didn't begrudge Spock his wife one bit. Maybe Spock was the only man on this ship who could handle hurricane Uhura.

Notes:

Hello!
So, it's been a while, hasn't it? I have had the worse case of writer's block. Actually, I never believed writer's block was real but something was blocking me. I still don't know what to think, but the characters that usually talk to me and show me their story just stopped coming to visit. 😢

Anyway, for the past few weeks I got into a new thing, BL dramas, and voila the creative juices are flowing again and I 'hear the voices" once more. So I've relapsed into writing fluffy fanfic. All that to say, this is a chapter that just popped into my head recently. I hope it fits the story narrative cause I honestly forgot where I left off with these characters. And it's just filler/fluff until I get back into the actual plot. I've got plenty of future chapters already written but they need something to tie them all together. I've probably written at least 20,000 more words of this story and its sequel. So if anybody is still here after a year of silence, please be patient. More is coming.

Chapter 55: Nothing In The Dark

Summary:

If dreams are a wish your heart makes when you're fast asleep, then what the hell are nightmares?

Notes:

A man we passed just tried to stare me down
And when I looked at you
You looked at the ground...


Who Is He (And What Is He to You)?
Song by Bill Withers

*****

I get a lot of inspiration from music, can you tell? 😀 I was listening to this song and I thought it sounded like something Dark Mirror Spock would say to Uhura if he and she were walking through the halls of the ISS Enterprise and someone tried to stare him down. Yep, these are the weird thoughts I have and it leads to writing stuff like this chapter...

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

/*/*/*/

Spock walked through the halls of the ISS Enterprise surrounded by his most loyal and trusted Vulcan guard. Everyone was on high alert. Things on the Enterprise were changing since Kirk had been assassinated and Spock had taken over, but he still could not trust the majority of his crew and he still had to look over his shoulder for some misguided idiot looking to move up in rank the hard way.

Today was a rare occasion when his exalted wife accompanied him as he made his way through the ship. It was their anniversary and though it was not known among the crew that they were indeed husband and wife, it was well known that Uhura was the captain's woman. And so to honor her and to assert his possession of her he was taking Nyota for a stroll and then to a lavish meal in one of the ship's better recreation halls.

It was not unusual for the crew to either turn their heads away in fear or look down when Spock and his procession passed them. No one wanted the undue attention of Captain Spock. Therefore the look that a crewman gave Spock as they passed him in the hall disturbed him greatly. The man stared at Spock with ill-disguised hatred and disgust. Even though Spock was surrounded by his personal guard, he felt trepidation. He did not worry for his own safety but for that of his lovely wife. But when he looked over to Nyota to ensure her well-being she was studiously staring at her feet instead of proudly holding her head aloft and walking with her usual confidence.

Curious. What was this? Spock wondered.

He looked back to see the crewman's retreating back but he was not soothed. He sent a silent message to his closest companion in the guard to investigate the man further and bring him answers.

He confronted Nyota back in their quarters.

"Tell me Nyota. Who was that man?"

"What man Spock?" She answered guilelessly.

"The man we passed who challenged me with his glance? Who is he and what is he to you?"

"Challenged?" Nyota laughed nervously. "Do not be silly beloved. Why would you think that?" she asked flippantly but it was the wrong thing to say and Spock was not amused.

"I do not think it, I know it. Now then, who is he?"

"I do not know Adun. He is just some foolish crewman. He should not have challenged you."

"Indeed he should not. Nevertheless, the deed is done. Now, who is he?" Spock asked a final time. He did not intend to ask again. When his wife did not respond he continued.

"Vulcans lack your so-called intuition but we make up for it with logic, and my logic tells me you are deceiving me, which greatly disappoints me, wife."

Nyota finally found her voice. "No Spock, my love, I would never deceive you." She shook her head.

"Indeed?" He stared at her for a long moment. "You will attend me now." He held out his fingers to her and Uhura nervously stepped towards him to join her fingers with his.

"Spock. Adun. I am not deceiving you," She whispered with a shaky voice.

"Then you will not object to a meld?"

"Spock, love that is not necessary. I am telling you, I would never ever deceive you."

Spock nodded as if he agreed with what she was saying but he brought his other hand up to gently cup her cheek.

"You are very beautiful Aduna," he said as he tenderly stroked her cheek with his thumb. "And I want nothing more than to believe you. Because you promised me you would never lie to me."

"And I have not." She said with tears forming in her eyes.

"It does not matter. I will have the truth from you one way or another. And that man, whoever he is, you may forget about him. He has already been neutralized."

"What!? Why?" she cried.

"He coveted you and he challenged me," Spock said coldly.

"He did not. I tell you I do not know him. It was nothing..."

"What was nothing?"

Uhura remained silent.

Spock nodded again. "We shall see." His gentle caress turned firm as he placed his fingers on her psi points and he began the ritual of entering her mind.

Nooo!

Spock sat up in his bed and looked around the room. It was dark and quiet, so quiet he could hear his own heart pounding in his torso. Beside him, he felt Nyota sit up and place her hand on his arm.

"Spock what's wrong?" she asked.

Spock hesitated in answering, he was so shaken. He didn't like the idea of his counterpart harming Nyota even in a dream. "Nothing," he said finally.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Uhura asked.

Spock remained silent. What could he say to her? That Vulcans don't have bad dreams? Well, that would be a lie since lately he had been waking up from the most unusual dreams. Dreams that one could consider 'bad'. But he did not want to burden her with his dreams which Vulcans would definitely consider irrelevant.

 

"Spock," she shook his arm. "Tell me."

Spock took a deep cleansing breath and released it slowly. When he felt he was under sufficient control again he responded. "Yes, Nyota. I had an unpleasant dream. But I am recovered now."

"Aww, I'm sorry. I know how it is. Dreams can seem so real sometimes can't they?"

"Indeed." But was it a dream? Spock wondered.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Okay. But come lay down with me. I'll hold you until you fall back to sleep." She tugged on his arm to pull him back down into the bed.

"That is not necessary."

"I know it's not necessary. I want to. So humor me. Please Adun?"

Spock could not resist her pull so he lay down with her and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Do you know Spock, I used to be afraid of the dark? And when I was little I had terrible night terrors. Sometimes Bibi used to have to rock me in her arms all night before I would go back to sleep," she confessed to him. "Even when I was much too old for it, I still had dreams that would drive me from my room at night and I ended up sleeping with Bibi and Babu."

"And how did you overcome this terror?" Spock asked her.

"Well, I guess I just grew out of it I suppose. But do you know what really helped?"

"No, what?" he asked softly.

"My Babu told me 'There is nothing in the dark that is not there when the lights are on'. I guess when your mind matures enough you realize how true that is. There are no boogeymen in the closet or monsters under the bed. There's nothing in the darkness that isn't there in the daylight."

"Perhaps there is not," Spock thought. But there was something out there waiting for them. He just didn't know what it would be and where it would come from. All he could do was hold his wife and wait for the morning to come.

Notes:

I was so tempted to make this the last chapter of the story and close it with Nyota singing 'Beyond Antares' to Spock as she rocked him to sleep. I think that would be a nice sweet ending to their story. But then I thought, Nah, it's not over yet! This story Does Not end with a whimper 😈

Chapter 56: House Call

Summary:

Amanda receives an unexpected call from the Doctor and what she hears does not make her feel good.

Notes:

And teacher
There are things that I don't want to learn...

One More Try
Song by George Michael

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Lady T'Amanda, Dr. McCoy of the starship Enterprise is on the line via subspace for you."

"Oh? Dr. McCoy?" Amanda asked her assistant. Her heart grew heavy with sudden worry as she looked up into the serene face of her loyal assistant.

"Yes, he is on hold now. Shall I put him through?"

"Thank you T'Rel. Yes, I will speak to him, please transfer the call now. And can you please close the door and do not disturb me until I call for you again?"

T'Rel looked surprised by the request but bowed respectfully and left the room.

Amanda took a moment to compose herself. She thought of reaching out to Sarek but she didn't know what was going on yet. No need to involve him if there was no emergency. However, the last time she got a subspace call from the Enterprise in the middle of the day, Nyota was in Pon Farr and Spock was having a meltdown so...

She activated the viewer and saw Dr. McCoy's smiling face which immediately put her at ease. It couldn't be too bad if he was smiling right?

"Dr. McCoy. This is an unexpected call. Are Spock and Nyota alright?" Amanda couldn't help but asked cutting right to the chase.

"Well, Mrs. Sarek I'd like to answer your question honestly but I don't exactly know. That is why I'm reaching out to you. There have been a few incidents aboard the ship and I was wondering if you or your husband could shed some light on the matter."

"Me and Sarek? Why? What's wrong?"

"Well as I said there have been some incidents. I don't know if Spock has told you any of this, but Nyota has been on administrative leave for the past few days due to violent outbursts."

"What? No, he has not told me anything of the sort. When did this happen?"

"About a week ago. She was on an away mission to one of the outposts near the neutral zone and a male colonist attacked her."

Amanda's blood ran cold at the very thought. "Oh my god! Is she all right?" If she was not, there would be hell to pay!

"Now Mrs. Sarek don't get your hackles up. Uhura's just fine, at least physically. He didn't injure her at all. She actually defended herself and injured her attacker."

"Serves him right. And what about Spock is he okay?"

"Again, I don't know for sure. This is why I'm reaching out to you. But I must ask, what made you ask about Spock when it was Nyota who was attacked?" McCoy assumed she was just looking out for her own child but her answer surprised him.

"Because Spock is a Vulcan."

"Meaning?" McCoy frowned with confusion.

"Vulcans don't take it well when their loved ones are threatened Doctor, especially when it's their wives. Vulcans are very logical people but they can find a logical reason to... let's just say... take care of things when necessary."

"Really? And when would they find it necessary?" McCoy wanted to know.

"When they deem it logical of course," Amanda answered seriously. Normally she wouldn't spill secrets about the Vulcans but McCoy was a family friend, sort of. He was also a doctor sworn to maintain confidentiality. Besides, he already knew about the Time and that was the biggest taboo of them all.

"That is very vague. You could make an argument to do anything nefarious under the guise of logic."

"True Doctor, which is why it's not recommended to get on a Vulcan's bad side."

"They have bad sides?"

Amanda grinned. "Doctor, you accompanied Spock to Vulcan for his first Pon Farr, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did."

"Then you've seen him at his worst, what he is capable of. A single-minded focus on one goal and no one and nothing will get in their way."

"Yeah," Mccoy nodded in understanding. "I've seen him at his worst and not just during Pon Farr." McCoy recalled the incident on Sarapaiden when Spock was willing to kill for Zarabeth. Or on the mirror Enterprise where that Spock was just as bloodthirsty as the rest of the bunch. "I have to ask Mrs. Sarek, that doesn't bother you that Vulcans can be so um... passionate?"

Amanda grinned broadly. "Passionate? I like that. And no, why should it bother me? It's Vulcan nature. We, humans, have our quirks too."

"I think single-minded determination to kill or die trying to mate is more than a little quirk," McCoy countered.

"I suppose it's a matter of perspective Doctor. But you didn't call to ask philosophical questions about Vulcan's passionate nature, did you?"

"Actually I did. I called to find out if there is anything in Vulcan nature that would cause Nyota to lash out violently? And is there a correlation with Spock also behaving out of character recently."

That statement kicked Amanda out of her jovial mood. "What do you mean by out of character?"

"Well, technically I am under strict patient-doctor privilege and should not divulge details of Spock's condition to you. However, you are still listed as his next of kin and you and Sarek are the only people I've been able to reach in order to find out his medical history. Besides if this thing is mental he may not be able to make sound judgments for himself."

"Mental? What is happening? What do you need to know Doctor?"

"Has Spock ever had any incidents in the past of psychological disturbance? Outside of pon far of course."

Amanda was quiet for a long while and McCoy thought she was not going to answer when she finally spoke. "YOu know Doctor, Spock is a special child."

"Of course, he is. Every parent thinks their child is special."

"No Doctor, this is not parental pride. Spock really is special even for a Vulcan. He's a rare Vulcan/human hybrid who was born without genetic intervention. We conceived him naturally. And he has more Vulcan traits than any hybrid ever studied, and they studied him a lot. His childhood was not an easy one. He was often ill and he spent a great deal of time in medical facilities. He didn't get a chance to do a lot of things his peers did until he was much older. But when he did participate he excelled beyond our wildest expectations."

"I didn't know that. Spock doesn't talk about himself much at all. We only learned who his parents were when you came aboard the Enterprise on that trip to Babel."

"Yes, I know. And I don't begrudge him his privacy. He's the son of Vulcan's highest-ranking ambassador and the Grandson of Vulcan's current ruler. Anonymity is a form of protection. So I'm sure he wouldn't want me to tell you this and neither would Sarek but if Spock is ill then you need to know his medical history."

"I understand Mrs. Sarek. I won't tell anyone what you tell me. Doctor's honor." McCoy held up three fingers like the old boy scout salute.

"Please call me Amanda." She took a deep breath and began her story. "Doctor you know that Vulcans are telepathic through skin-to-skin contact?"

Mccoy nodded his head.

"Like many Vulcans, Spock also has enhanced psi abilities beyond touch. In fact, it's a trait that runs in his family. Believe it or not but Pon Farr is not the only thing Vulcans consider Taboo. They are not very keen on discussing their telepathic abilities with outsiders. Some eschew the practice altogether or believe it only necessary to be used in certain situations. But sometimes it cannot be suppressed. Like during Pon Farr."

"But what does this have to do with Spock and Uhura? More of this Katra business?"

"Possibly. There are some illnesses unique to Vulcans due to their psi ability and when Spock was younger he had some problems controlling his emotions. He would get terribly angry at the children who teased him and lash out violently just as you say Nyota did."

"That seems normal for a kid to fight back against a bully."

"It was not normal, Doctor. Not for a Vulcan raised to control his emotions practically since birth. And even for a human child, it's not normal to go into a murderous rage."

"Goodness! Did Spock ever--"

"No Doctor! He didn't hurt anyone, well not too bad but the point remains he did attack them. Luckily Vulcan kids have thick skulls. But you can see why he could not be raised on Earth."

McCoy suddenly felt very sorry for Spock and the childhood Amanda described. "Is that the only thing you can think of that relates to Nyota and Spock's behavior?"

"I am not a physician nor a healer so I cannot tell you much more. You'll need to speak to Spock's childhood healers. They would be able to tell you the medical terms for the various illnesses unique to Vulcans and what symptoms accompany them. And remember Doctor, Spock left home when he was still very young. Anything more would be in the Star Fleet academy records."

"Mrs... er Miss Amanda. There is one more thing."

"Yes, what is it?"

"It's something of a very delicate nature. I thought I'd be able to get through to Sarek but he was not available."

"Well as I am available just ask me."

"As I said it's delicate and has to do with... er... Vulcan sexuality."

"Oh, I see." Amanda nodded her head.

"I am not sure you do since I haven't asked you anything yet."

Amanda grinned to see Dr. McCoy was blushing like a schoolboy which she thought was adorable. "Well, ask away. I'll be happy to answer your sex questions."

McCoy loosened the collar of his uniform as if it was trying to choke him. "I do not have any sex questions!" he objected.

"Don't be embarrassed. I am a teacher. I'll be happy to explain anything you need to know."

"Miss Amanda..."

"Just Amanda. Or T'Amanda. Vulcans are not sticklers for honorifics."

"Amanda," McCoy said regaining his composure. "Spock has mentioned something to me and I was at a loss as to how to respond without any previous knowledge of Vulcan..."

"Sexuality? Well, what is it?"

"Well, in a nutshell, Spock thinks he and Nyota are being a bit too... um... amorous."

"Ooooh la la 'amorous'," Amanda teased him. She was happy to hear that Spock and Nyota were busy working on those grandbabies. "Is that all?"

"Yes well, he was quite concerned about it. He seems to feel it's unusual for a Vulcan to engage in... well to engage quite so often."

"Silly boy. I guess I can see why he wouldn't want to ask his parents about something like that. Although, if he had asked me I could have told him it was quite normal. Vulcans have normal sex drives just like any other species in the galaxy."

"Oh?" McCoy smiled. "I'm sure that will be a relief to him."

"I'm sure it won't," Amanda said.

"Why do you say that?"

"Vulcans are not shy about most things, in fact, they are rather shameless. Except when it comes to Pon Farr and anything related to it. Then they suddenly develop lockjaw and won't talk. I mean Sarek loves sex but I have to practically--"

"Tut tut tut!" McCoy waved frantically at the viewer. "Please don't go on." He so did now want to hear anything about his friend's parent's sex life. "So what should I tell him then?"

"Tell him I thought Sarek gave him 'the talk'. Then tell him to call his mother and I'll set him straight," Amanda grinned.

"I don't think I will tell him that."

"Don't worry Doctor. Now that I know his problem I'll call him myself. Or better yet I'll have a talk with Nyota. I suppose there are some things you do not want to hear from your mother."

"Indeed there are." McCoy agreed and he was fairly certain Nyota didn't want to hear it from Spock's mother either but that was her problem.

"Doctor. Thank you for taking such good care of the kids."

"You don't have to thank me, it's my job. And they are my friends, so of course, I'm going to help them."

"Well, thank you anyway. For being their friend. Spock never had many friends growing up. I'm glad he has them now."

"Well, don't you worry Amanda, he is in good hands. And we're doing everything we can to get him home to Vulcan so his doctors can look him over. Well, be there soon."

"Good. I look forward to meeting you again. Until then, Live Long and Prosper."

McCoy returned the gesture as best he could and the connection went out.

Amanda slumped down in her chair and swiveled around, deep in thought. The doctor didn't call her out of the blue just to ask for Spock's medical history. He could have gotten that from the healer's office or the Academy. He specifically wanted to know about Spock's mental health or more likely his psychic health.

Amanda sighed as if she had just run out of steam and deflated. "Oh, Spock! What have you done now?"

Notes:

This was almost chapter 55 but at the last minute, I switched them around. Now we end on a cliffhanger...😈

Chapter 57: Diagnosis!

Summary:

Alright! After a whole year of thinking and fretting and wondering how I'm going to continue this story, I finally found the solution to the lovebug epidemic after researching on the awesome site Memory Alpha. It only took about 5 min to find the answer after a year of writer's block 😀. Luckily the Enterprise Crew are smarter than me and they are about to solve the mystery of the 'lovebug' in only a few days.

Notes:

These dreams go on when I close my eyes
Every second of the night I live another life--

These Dreams
Song by Heart

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

/*/*/*/

Uhura awoke to the sound of Spock's heart beating fast and steady in her ear. She had fallen asleep with her head resting on his chest and her hand settled over his heart which resided lower down his torso. It was an odd sensation. Not due to the placement of his internal organs but due to the fact that she got to wake up with this magnificent man in her arms every day. That they were lying next to one another naked with limbs entangled and bonded to one another in a way she could never have imagined just boggle her mind.

It was rare for her to wake before Spock. Normally he slept a few hours at a stretch, but for the past few days he had been sleeping all through the night and their alarm had to wake him. Well, most of the night because lately he'd been waking up abruptly interrupting their sleep and it was apparent he was suffering from nightmares, something else that was unusual.

Uhura didn't dare move for fear she would disturb his well-earned rest. It was still hard to believe that she was married to anyone let alone to Mr. Spock. She had imagined herself married one day far--far in the future. She imagined herself when she was much older having lived a full life and retired from Star Fleet. She would reside on some exotic planet with a husband and perhaps two children and a dog. But the husband she imagined was just some non-descript male, perhaps some older man she met by chance on a mission or a fellow Starfleet officer. Perhaps someone like Scotty who, like herself, had lived a life full of adventure in the fleet and was now retired from life in the fast lane and was ready to settle down.

But never in her wildest imagination did she envision herself married and mated to a Vulcan, especially Spock. Never had she imagined herself waking up in his arms everyday and sharing her body with him every night not to mention sharing her mind and her life with him. Somehow she had obtained the unobtainable and quite frankly it frighted her. But she had made peace with so many changes, surely she could make peace with this? She had to because the alternative had now become unthinkable. She loved this man and she couldn't imagine a life without him.

They had easily figured out the physical aspects of their relationship but marriage was more than sex wasn't it? She had always heard people say that the best relationships are based on friendship and she and Spock had been friends long before they bonded. She and Spock were now so much more than friends, they were lovers. She loved Spock. There it was. She loved him and it was freaking her out.

It was okay to have a crush on Spock and to even flirt shamelessly with him when she was certain he would never return her feelings. That made him safe to play with. But she had miscalculated. He had flipped the script and pinned her to the mat, so to speak. He had called her bluff. He actually responded to her flirting and wanted her also.

Amanda claimed that Spock was capable of loving her but still she doubted. Sulu thought it didn't matter whether or not Spock could love her back, only that she loved him honestly. If she were to be totally honest she did not want to be in love by herself, it felt like a lonely place to be. Sulu claimed one-sided love was still love, but was it really? Or would she one day grow tired of waiting for Spock to return her feelings? Did it even matter at this point? She was already in too deep and if there was a way out she didn't want it.

These disturbing thoughts swirled around and around in her mind until she fell back into a fitful dreamless sleep of her own.

/*/*/*/

"Captain."

"Yes?" Spock responded to the head of his Vulcan guard.

"I have a report on my... assignment."

"Who is he?" Spock wasted no time asking.

"He's a geological technician and he was vetted by Kirk when he came aboard. He mostly stays below decks with the other techs."

"What is his relationship with my wife?"

The guard felt uncomfortable relaying this information to his Captain. Would it be welcomed news or would the messenger be the unfortunate victim of an emotional response?

"Sir, they appear to be something humans refer to as 'friends'."

"Friends?" Spock asked.

The guard nodded very slowly. "Yes sir. I interrogated him thoroughly and could find no evidence of malfeasance with her. He believed himself her confidant and savior. In my opinion, he was in love with your wife and thought that if he eliminated you he would have a chance to have her for himself."

"I see. And did my wife betray me with this 'friend'?" Spock said the word as if it tainted his lips.

"No sir. I did not find any evidence in his mind of a liaison with your wife. It was an unconsummated and unrequited relationship."

"I see. And where is Mr. Fisher now?"

"I took care of him personally. He will trouble you no more."

"He never troubled me. You are dismissed."

"Aye, Sir." The guard hurried away.

After the guard left, Spock stood alone in his ready room and took a moment to collect himself. He had suffered a lapse in logic, that was clear. He had accused his wife of betrayal and he had invaded her mind in order to ascertain the truth. He had found no evidence of deception and yet he still did not truly trust what he found in her mind.

His wife was innocent, and his rival such as he was, had been eliminated. But he was still not at peace. Why had his wife sought out another male as a friend? The mere idea of her seeking out anyone other than himself niggled at him.

Did he not fulfill all of her needs properly? Did she find fault with him in some way? Did he not strive to provide all that a woman could desire? No other man could provide better care for her. Nyota belonged to him!

Uhura was the Captain's Woman. How dare this Fisher think he could ever have her? And his wife, Nyota. She had claimed she did not know him and yet according to the guard, Fisher believed them to be friends? Something did not add up. Someone was lying, Spock thought as he paced the floor of his room. He should have interrogated Fisher himself but he preferred to leave such unfavorable tasks to his guard. Now he questioned that decision. Who did he trust? His wife or his guard? The wrong decision would cost him everything.

/*/*/*/

"Hey! Why don't you watch where you're going!" A young ensign shouted at a lieutenant who had just bumped into him in the narrow corridor of the engineering deck.

"I don't need to watch where I'm going. I know the way, it's you who needs to step aside when you see me coming," the Lieutenant replied.

"Why would I step aside for the likes of you?"

"Because I outrank you plebe," the Lieutenant sneered.

"Plebe? Who are you calling a plebe, you Dunsel?"

"I'll show you a Dunsel!" The lieutenant came at the ensign and the two men began to grapple with one another in the middle of the corridor.

"Hey! Hey! What is this?" Scotty said trying to break the two men apart.

"He started it! Stay out of my way!" The two yelled at each other as they shoved Scotty aside.

Scotty realized he couldn't handle these two alone so he went to the nearest intercom and called for security to handle the scuffle.

/*/*/*/

"Mmm... Captain,"

"What?" Kirk barked out and then caught himself. "I mean what is it Lieutenant M'Ress?" He didn't know why he just did that.

"Reports are coming in from all over the ship. Fights are breaking out, people losing their tempers. Security is stretched thin."

Kirk sighed. "What now! Sound red alert, confine non-essential personnel to quarters, and get McCoy and Spock up here on the double!"

"Aye Captain," she said turning back to the console.

What was happening on this crazy ship Now? First, everyone was overcome with mass arousal, and now anger? Was the ship bipolar? It wouldn't be the first time the ship went rogue but... No, it wasn't the ship. The ship's computer systems would be going crazy and mechanically they were fine. And the ship could not cause this type of behavior in the crew. This was a psychological phenomenon. Extreme emotional mood swings... Mass hallucinations... Could it be telepathy?

"Belay that last order M'Ress, have Spock and Mccoy meet me in the sickbay."

Kirk hopped up from his seat and headed for the lift. He heard M'ress suck her teeth in annoyance. "You could've told me that first," she mumbled.

Kirk ignored the outburst and let the lift doors close without reprimand. He was going to get to the bottom of this incident tonight. M'Ress' insubordination could wait. Right now he had to nip this episode in the bud and that meant dealing with a potentially unstable Vulcan.

/*/*/*/

 

"Zanthi Fever!" Bones announced to Jim as they conferred in the doctor's office after a thorough examination of Spock for every known illness in the galaxy.

"Zanthi? What the hell is that?" Kirk asked.

"It is a virus that apparently targets some species with psi abilities. In empaths, it can cause them to project their own emotions onto others in their surroundings but it usually affects those close to the infected."

"So how did Spock get this virus and why didn't you catch it earlier?" Kirk was annoyed with the whole damn situation.

"Now that's the interesting thing, Jim. It only targets those races with inherent telepathic abilities. It's not a threat to humans even those with latent psi traits so we don't normally screen for it and we don't carry the antidote aboard."

"Of course we don't," Jim sighed. "So can you formulate the antidote Bones?"

"No, we need chemical compounds our replicators cannot duplicate."

"Then where can we get the antidote?"

"Well, the best sources would planets where the illness is likely to occur."

"And where is that?"

"Vulcan for one, but we're already headed there. Another planet would be Argelius in the opposite direction. You'll recall they have some traces of telepathic abilities in the females. I cannot be sure but it may be where Spock picked up this nasty little bug. And last, there is a planet called Betazed in the Beta Zeta system, also know to be inhabited by telepaths. It's also a detour but not as far off course as Argelius."

Kirk had to decide where to go. Betazed was closer but would delay their arrival to Vulcan which also had the antidote. It would seem logical to go directly to Vulcan but what if the next outburst was something more serious. How long could Spock hold out?

"Bones, how serious is this virus? Is Spock in any danger?"

"Well, Jim, as far as I know, the illness is not life-threatening just a nuisance, maybe the human equivalent to chickenpox."

"To what?" Kirk asked. "Chicken pot what?"

"Chickenpox was a highly infectious viral illness that humans suffered before a vaccine was discovered in the twentieth century. Before that, humans could be expected to be infected in early childhood. The symptoms were usually mild including an itchy rash of raised bumps. It was eradicated on Earth but they still cover it at the academy medical school."

"So it's not likely to cause any permanent damage to Spock?"

"I don't think so, but with Spock, you never know. I had a chance to talk to his mother and she forwarded his childhood medical records to me. As she puts it, Spock is special. He doesn't always react as expected to traditional Vulcan treatments. His physicians had to be creative."

"Great. So let's shoot for Vulcan. As you said we're heading there anyway so as long as the threat is not urgent that seems like the most logical choice."

"Agreed Jim. And by the way, you've said 'logical' a few times now. Are you sure Spock is not projecting onto you right now? I thought you out of all of us was immune to his suggestions."

"You tell me Bones. Is Spock projecting his emotions right now?"

"It is impossible to say. As far as I can tell the symptoms are strongest the closer you are to the infected and they seem to get stronger when the recipient of the suggestion is also stressed."

"So until we get to Vulcan we just need to keep Spock calm and distracted?"

"Correct."

"The latest incident involved anger and the first one arousal. I can take a guess as to what triggered the first incident but what set him off this time? Did he seem angry to you Bones?"

"Your guess is as good as mine Jim. Normally Spock is in control of his emotions so who knows what really goes on in that mind of his."

"There is one person who should know Bones," Kirk said thoughtfully.

"Uhura?"

"Precisely. Get Uhura in here!"

Notes:

This was one HUGE chapter but I broke it into 3 parts. I think I will be evil and release them a day or two apart, what do you think?

Chapter 58: R&R

Summary:

Nyota has strict orders to keep Spock calm and relaxed and she takes her orders very seriously.

Notes:

When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love--

To Make You Feel My Love
Song by Bob Dylan

Chapter Text

/*/*/*/

Uhura accompanied Spock back to their quarters from the sickbay just as he had done a few days earlier with her. There was no reason for him to remain there and neither of them wanted the crew to know that Spock was ill or the cause of the emotional outbursts that were happening to everyone.

"Dr. McCoy says you are officially off duty until further notice and you are to get plenty of R&R," She told Spock as they entered his cabin.

"I am aware," Spock said. He stood just inside the door looking around the cabin as if he were a visitor. He looked a little lost and that broke Uhura's heart. She took him by the hand and led him into their bedroom.

And when did I start thinking of Spock's cabin my quarters and our bedroom, she wondered?

"Come on," she said as guided him to the bed. "Sit down and have a rest."

"I am not in need of rest."

"Dr. McCoy disagrees and I am inclined to agree with him. You've been so busy trying to find a cure for me and this entire time you were the one who was ill. I feel terrible that you were worried for me and all the while you were suffering."

"I did not suffer and you did nothing wrong."

"Neither did you. I know you feel... that is to say... I know you were not pleased to learn that this virus is causing the strange outbursts of the crew. But Spock, it's not your fault ok? It's the virus's fault. You've been through this before."

Spock was silent so Uhura sat down on the bed beside him and took his hand in hers.

"Spock, do you feel alright?"

"The disease produces no physical symptoms only empathic ones," he said by way of answering.

"That is not what I asked you. How do you feel?" She pressed.

Spock hesitated for a moment and then answered, "I am well."

"Are you feeling any emotions?"

"I am in control of my emotions," he said a bit tightly.

Uhura sighed. Why was it that when a male was ill, no matter the species it seemed, they wouldn't admit it?

"Spock, we need to talk."

He looked over at her thoughtfully. "Yes, Nyota?"

"Don't look so worried, it's nothing bad." She patted his hand.

"I am not worried."

"Spock, I'm not a telepath and I cannot read your mind but I can read you. I know you're worried and I don't think any less of you for it. It's normal. I'd be worried if you weren't taking this seriously. But what I want to say is that I'm in this with you. We'll get through this together. Luckily, I'm off duty too so we can spend the trip to Vulcan together doing whatever you like. I think we could both use a break from outside distractions."

"I suppose." He said but didn't offer anything more.

"Spock, if your projected emotions are the cause of all these incidents, then what were you so angry about earlier?" Nyota was genuinely perplexed by that question. She knew what caused the first incident, she had seduced Spock and that projected his arousal all over the ship. But this last incident happened when they were both sleeping. Why was he so angry in his sleep?

Again he hesitated to answer but Nyota deserved the truth. If he was the cause of her illness then she needed to know so she could protect herself somehow. "Nyota, I do not know why I was angry but I suspect it has something to do with the dream I had."

"Dream? What dream?"

"The dreams I've had lately have centered on my counterpart from the parallel mirror dimension in which you were trapped."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"What were the dreams about?"

Spock was ashamed of his counterparts' behavior which was illogical and violent. Nevertheless, he needed to tell his wife what he knew.

"In the dream, my counterpart suspects that his wife, you, have betrayed him with another man and he takes action to remedy the situation."

"Oh," Uhura said squeezing his hand tight. "And is this the nightmare you woke from the other night?"

"Yes, part of it. My counterpart was convinced you were unfaithful even though you swore otherwise. He initiated a mind-meld with you and he forcefully entered your mind."

"Oh. Spock, I don't know what to say. But that wasn't you and it wasn't me. It was a dream. I know you would never do that to me. And you are not that man from the other dimension. Everyone there was cruel and violent, even me. You cannot think that you are anything like that Spock except superficially."

"Jim said he thought I was very much like that Spock."

"No. He just meant that the other Spock was similar to you in regards to your integrity, which the other Spock also had. You're nothing like him otherwise."

"But I believe you were attracted to him, were you not?"

"Well, he does look just like you," She grinned.

"Not quite, I believe you said he wore a beard?"

"True, he did. A sexy goatee, I'll admit that. But I work around handsome men all day and only one has caught my attention so far."

"Really, who?" he said without thinking.

"You, silly! You're the most handsome man I've ever met."

"Hmm." Spock made the neutral sound without further response.

"So that dream or the thought of me betraying your mirror twin made you angry?"

"I do not recall being angry, only that I had an unusual dream where I caused you harm. Perhaps I was angry at myself."

"It wasn't me, it was the other Uhura. And besides, it was just a dream so no Nyota's were harmed during the making of that nightmare," she reassured him, and then she stood up. "Spock, take off your clothes."

"Why?"

"I'm going to help you relax."

"Nyota, I don't think I will be able to 'relax' at the moment. I am sorry."

"Really Mister? I just want to give you a massage to help you sleep. Why did you think I wanted you naked?"

Spock knew Nyota was teasing him now and he felt a little better about the situation.

"I thought you might want to engage in sexual intercourse," he answered bluntly.

"Oh, did you?" She laughed.

"Yes."

"And you don't think you would be able to 'relax'?"

"No, I don't."

"Why not, Spock?"

"I think we... that is... I should remain calm and not let myself become over-stimulated until I have the antidote to the virus. It is a logical precaution."

"Oh pooh! We've had sex since that last incident, several times in fact, and there were no unusual reports of amorous crewmen running around. So I think we are good on that front."

"Be that as it may, I do not feel it is wise."

"Well, we'll deal with that when we come to it. For now, take off your clothes and lie down. I going to make you feel so good you'll forget all about that silly ol' virus and whatever else is bothering you."

Spock complied, removing his clothing and then laying face down on the bed.

Uhura fetched a bottle of her favorite body lotion from her night table and then climbed on the bed to perch herself atop Spock straddling his thighs.

She poured some cream into her hands and rubbed them together to warm it up first, though she doubted Spock would be bothered by cold cream hitting his skin. She massaged the cream into his back, her slick hands gliding over the taut muscles and smoothing out the tension she felt beneath his pale skin with its olive hue.

"Spock do you ever tan?"

"What do you mean?"

"Does your skin get darker when exposed to excessive sunlight?"

"Yes. Under certain conditions. The Earth's sun has little effect on me but prolonged exposure to Vulcan's sun will cause damage. I am rather sensitive to Eridani's radiation. I favor my mother in that regard," Spock said thoughtfully.

"You mean you are prone to sunburn?"

"Yes. I have to take some minimal precautions when in the Vulcan sun, but my skin can also tan."

"Mmm-hmm. You have beautiful skin but you are a bit pale. I bet the ship's sunlamps are not calibrated for you, are they? When we get home, I'm going to make sure you get plenty of healthy sunlight." Uhura said and she kissed his shoulder.

It surprised Spock to hear Nyota refer to Vulcan as home and it produced a warm feeling in his chest.

"Thank you, Aduna."

"For what?" She resumed her massage.

"For staying here with me. For caring for me. For everything."

"Of course I'm staying with you and taking care of you. Where else would I be when my husband is sick?" She bent down again and pressed her chest to his back and her cheek against his. "What kind of wife do you think I am anyway?"

"I think you are the best kind, Aduna. You are mine," Spock said.

"Thank you too, for being the best kind of husband."

"Am I?"

"Mmm-hmm," She hummed. Nyota didn't bother to lift herself from being draped out over Spock's back but she sighed into his ear, "Mine.'

Nyota wasn't heavy but the feel of her dress fabric against his bare skin combined with her body heat was causing a bit of discomfort for Spock.

"Nyota?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you quite comfortable?"

"Mmm-hmm, are you?"

"Not quite."

"Oh? How do you feel then?"

Spock didn't answer. Instead, he asked her, "How do you feel?"

"You tell me." She rubbed herself against his back. "How do I feel?" She whispered and then nibbled his ear.

"Nyota..."

"Spock..."

"Are you trying to seduce me?"

"Is it working?"

"Nyota you know we must not..."

"Why must we not? You need to relax, don't you? I'm trying to relax you."

"You are supposed to be massaging me."

"I am going to massage you, so turn over," She commanded as she rolled off his back and started to undress.

"You are supposed to massage my back, why should I turn over?" he asked but he complied with her command.

"I massaged your back already, now I'm going to finish the rest of you."

Spock's breathing hitched as he watched Nyota slowly disrobed and toss her dress aside.

"Relax Mpenzi, let me take good care of you." Nyota crawled towards him slowly and take good care of him she did.

=-=-=-=
Sweetheart = Mpenzi

Chapter 59: Yes Man

Summary:

Nyota is taking good care of Spock and he has decided to let her.

Notes:

Then let me blow your body dry
Kiss the tears from your sexy eyes
And as our passion begins to rise
We'll lay hypnotized by the pleasure inside

If you just say yes...

Say Yes
Song by The Whispers

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Nyota, do you know geological technician Fisher?" Spock asked out of nowhere. He and Nyota were lying in bed and feeling very relaxed as sweat cooled on their bodies after their "massage".

"Who?" Uhura asked with a drowsy voice.

"Technician Fisher?" he repeated.

"Fisher? Oh, the tech who witnessed my um... incident with that communications chief?"

"Yes, that is the one."

"Well sure, we were on that way mission together and he had to pull me off that jerk. I think I gave him a black eye. I guess I owe him an apology and a thank you. I'm glad you reminded me."

Spock was not glad he reminded her about Fisher but he continued. "And that is all you know of him?"

"Should I know more?"

"No..." Spock hesitated. "I was angry with you and Fisher, that is what caused the incident earlier," he said finally.

"Angry with me and Fisher? Why?"

"In the dream, it was Fisher who challenged me for you, and I ordered his execution."

"What? That's what your dream was about?"

"Yes." Spock was ashamed of his behavior in the dream even though logically he knew it was not reality. "I have behaved disgracefully and I apologize."

"Spock I don't have to tell you how illogical this all is? It was a dream. It was not real and it certainly was not you doing those things. I'm sure Fisher is alive and well in both this dimension and the other one. Well, maybe not in that one, you know how that ship is. But you didn't hurt Fisher or me."

"But I wanted to," he confessed.

"In a dream! Do you know, that after the Captain let Khan and his people go scot-free I was pissed off at him? They held us hostage and nearly killed us all and he just let them go! And I hated Lieutenant McGivers for her betrayal. It took me a long time to get over those feelings and stop dreaming of doing her grievous bodily harm. It's natural to feel angry after a traumatic event or when someone hurts you."

"But you and Fisher did not hurt me."

"But to your dream self we did. Look, you're having these dreams because you're sick with a virus. Normally you sleep a few hours at night and are back to work. I should have realized something was very wrong when you were sleeping so much. I should have taken better care of you," Nyota said in apology.

"It is not your duty to take care of me. I am an adult and I can take care of myself."

"Since you're sick, I'm going to let this nonsense slide. But you listen to me, Mister. We are a bonded pair. If you're sick then I'm sick, and if you need help then I'm here to help you. I'm your wife. Don't shut me out. Please?"

"I am sorry to disappoint you."

"You don't disappoint, not as long as you don't push me away okay?"

"Yes Aduna."

"So," she said thoughtfully. "Me and Fisher?" She made a frowning face of distaste. "He's not even my type."

"I did not know you had a type."

"Well, I do. My type is a tall drop dead gorgeous Vulcan with a stubborn streak."

"Ah, then it is a good thing you seduced me." Spock said without a hint of humility.

"So you admit you're stubborn?"

"So you admit you seduced me?" he shot back.

"I didn't seduce you."

"You did Aduna, but I am not complaining."

Uhura sat up enough to lean over and pin Spock's shoulders down on the bed. She looked at him pointedly, "You better not Mister. Not when I brought my A-game."

"Ah, I did not realize this was a sport."

"Not a sport but it does require a degree of physicality and you know I'm very competitive. I play to win."

"And what did you win?"

She bent her head down to gently kiss his lips and then say, "You. You challenged me, you know. You said you would not be able to relax and so I had to prove you wrong."

"You were right Aduna."

"Spock, you should record that and play it back every time I tell you something."

"I do not think a recording will be necessary, I have perfect recall."

"Good. You better recall this moment."

"I will. I will recall it and cherish it forever."

"Awwe." She swiped the sweat-dampened strand of hair from his brow.

"Spock, when I said I was in this with you and that when you're sick I am too, I really mean that."

"I know you believe it."

"I don't just "believe it", it's true. You didn't cause those telepathic incidents all by yourself. I had a hand in it too. I seduced you in the lab and caused you to drop your defenses. And even that dream you had, it was the thought of me betraying you that made you so angry. Just like on that colony it was the thought of someone touching me without YOUR permission that made me so angry. Whatever it is that's happening to you, it's happening to me too. So you are not alone okay? And don't apologize for needing me to care for you. That's not something extra I do. That is my duty as your wife just as you have your duty to me as a husband."

"Yes Aduna," Spock said agreeing with her and feeling duly chastised.

Uhura reseted her head on his shoulder again. "Hmm. Your agreeing with me has left me at a loss for words. I think this is the most productive conversation we've had in a long time."

"Yes Aduna," he agreed.

After a while she asked, "Are you still relaxed?"

"Yes Aduna."

"You want to go for round two?" she asked while she leisurely rubbed his legs with her feet.

"Yes Aduna."

"Good answer," she said bringing her A-game back into play.

Notes:

In the TOS episode The Enemy Within, it always bothered me the way Geological Technician Fisher called for help using his full entire title. Like just call for help and give your location dude! Anyway when I needed a generic crewman he is top of the list for being so extra.

Chapter 60: Who's That Girl?

Summary:

What did Uhura find in Spock's drawers? 😳

Notes:

Fellas
There's a jealous girl in our town
Ohh, baby...

Jealous Girl
New Edition

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Since Uhura and Spock were forced to spend time together in his quarters in what she was coming to think of as their "second quarantine", Uhura decided to do some tidying up. Somehow a lot of her belongings had made their way into his rooms and it was beginning to look a bit cluttered for her taste. She was trying to rearrange Spock's dresser drawers to make room for her unmentionables when she stumbled upon something unexpected. This was the last thing she expected to find in her husband's drawers among his underwear.

"Mr. Spock!"

Spock looked up from his data PADD where he was seated at his desk and responded with equal formality. "Miss Uhura?"

"Who is this?" Uhura held up a holo pic of a beautiful woman, tall and slim with long blonde hair and emerald green eyes. She looked inhumanly svelte.

Spock glanced briefly at the holo pic and then went back to work at his computer. This is an unfortunate discovery, he thought but he simply said, "That is Droxine."

"Mmm well, I know that. It says Droxine right here in the description. Droxine of Stratos. What it does not say is who and what is she doing in your drawer?" Uhura said calmly, too calmly to Spock's comfort.

He looked up from his computer again. "Aduna, do I detect a note of jealousy in your tone?"

"Don't you Aduna me, and don't try to distract me from the subject at hand. Now start talking Mister." She smiled in a rather vicious way that told Spock this was a trap and he was caught without means of escape. All he could do was tell the truth.

"She is the daughter of the head Adviser of the planet Stratos. If you will recall we visited that world on a mission precisely 3.68 years ago."

"Yes, I recall our mission to Stratos. Captain Kirk started a bit of a diplomatic incident there."

"Yes. That was an unfortunate incident," he agreed hoping that was the end of it.

"And yet it still does not explain your possession of this holo pic." She had approached his desk now and was hovering over his shoulder.

"It was a gift from Droxine." Spock said.

"I see... a gift. Why?"

"Why what?" he tried to sidestep this conversation but Uhura was not to be misdirected.

"Why would she gift you with her holo pic?"

"You would need to ask her 'why she bestowed it upon me."

"Well I'm asking you, so speculate Mr. Spock," Uhura pressed on.

"I would presume the young lady presented it as a souvenir to commemorate our visit."

"That must have been some visit. You must have made quite an impression on the young lady?"

Spock could tell his wife was becoming impatient with his curt replies but he really had no logical explanation for keeping that holo pic. He sighed in resignation. "I believe the young lady was curious about Vulcans. She gave me this as a memento and invited me to visit her when I have shore leave."

"Did she now? Sounds like she was interested in you and wanted a romantic relationship."

"Yes, I believe she did," Spock said as if it was the most logical thing in the world.

"Mmm-hmm, I see. And were you also interested in pursuing a relationship with the young lady?"

Spock hesitated a beat too long before answering. "No... not precisely... perhaps under different circumstances..." he said finally.

"That is an imprecise answer, Spock. Did you want a relationship with her-- I mean a sexual relationship?"

"I beg your pardon?" He had not expected her to ask that.

"You heard me, have sex, a physical relationship. She is quite attractive."

"Yes, she is but--"

"But would you have liked to pursue her romantically? There is nothing wrong with that, you're a grown man, everyone has desires, even Vulcans."

"Nyota--"

"Don't 'Nyota' me, just answer the question. I will not become upset."

"You already appear upset," Spock said abandoning any pretense of working to look up into her eyes.

"I've seen her before," she changed tact.

"Have you?" Now his curiosity was piqued.

"Yup, in a dream, more precisely in your dream."

"You did?" Spock was growing more uncomfortable. What had he dreamed now?

"Yes, so I already know you had a prurient interest in her."

"Did I?"

"Yes, indeed Mr. Spock. Like I said we all have desires. Would it surprise you to know that I too have been attracted to men before we bonded?"

"No, it would not," he said not liking where this was leading.

"No, I guess it wouldn't. You probably know more about my past than I do, seeing as how you restored my past memories."

Spock had not exactly restored her memories when Nomad had wiped her mind. He had melded with her and tried to rekindle those memories for her and when that failed he imparted all the memories of her that he possessed and also a small part of his own Katra with it.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's ok to have a past, you don't have to hide it from me, or pretend it didn't happen."

"Nothing happened," Spock stated flatly.

"If you say so." She looked deep into his eyes and he unflinchingly stared back. After a long moment, she released a pent breath and touched his cheek gently. "Spock, I am sorry I pried. It did bother me that you felt a need to hide it, but we are both entitled to have some secrets I guess."

"No Nyota. We agreed to have no more secrets between us. I was very attracted to Droxine. She reminded me of... my own youth, of experiences I missed, paths not taken. I had been betrothed to T'Pring practically my entire life. I went to Earth and attended the academy and while there I studied and worked with females who were beautiful, intelligent, confident, and for me, untouchable. I was a young man watching my peers pursue romantic interests and I...could not. Droxine reminded me of those girls, and I was newly divorced at the time... She appealed to my ego. She possessed innocence and lack of guile that I found refreshing."

"Then why did you not pursue her?" Uhura asked with genuine curiosity and no hint of anger.

"She was also spoiled, ignorant of her people's suffering, and prejudiced, though she did show a desire to learn about her world and its realities. But the attraction was quite superficial and ...indeed prurient in nature as you said."

Uhura wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned over his shoulder to press her cheek to his. Her skin was so soft and she smelled of body lotion and her own personal scent which never ceased to arouse him and he forgot all about Droxine.

"Uh-huh. I know that kind of attraction very well. Like how sexy that other dimension Spock was," she said with a dreamy tone.

Spock did not like to talk of the 'other Spock', the one whom Uhura seemed fixated on from the mirror dimension and who had recently haunted his dreams. "I don't think it is the same at all," he said.

"Sure it is. I was very attracted to him in a very prurient way but he also frightened me. He was violent and cruel. Dangerous." She shivered.

"He was a product of his environment as you said."

"So now you defend him?" she said teasing and then pecked his cheek before stepping away.

"I don't condone that other's behavior but I think I understand it now that we have been through so much turmoil."

"Well even though I found him VERY attractive, if I had to choose between the two of you, I'd choose you. There is far more to you than a handsome face, far more."

"I am honored, my wife. And I feel likewise. I was given a choice and I chose you."

"Why?" She asked not for the first time. "Why did you choose me out of all the women on this ship, out of all the women who pursued you and who you were attracted to?" It still defied logic that she was married to Spock.

"Because you are the only one I wanted for a wife. You are the other half of my soul, not because you possess a part of my Katra but because when we are together I am whole. When you touch me I am nearly overcome with emotion. Because when I envision a life without you as my wife I see a bleak and solitary future."

"Aww, Spock." Uhura rushed back to him and sat in his lap draping her arms around his neck again. "So you don't want this very tall, very thin, very pretty girl in the holo pic anymore?"

"I never wanted her. Why would I when I already have a very tall, very thin, very beautiful wife? Why would I want another?"

"You can be very charming when you want to, you know that?"

"I have been told I have my moments." He said and he gently kissed her to prove it.

Uhura broke the kiss to look into his eyes again. "Yes, you do. That's why I am not going to be angry that you told this Droxine about Pon Farr but never told me."

Damn! "Well, as to that, er..." Spock was caught off guard again with that statement.

"Don't sweat it, I am not upset," Uhura said.

"You do not sound 'not upset' about it."

"No? How do I sound?" she asked sweetly.

Spock knew that he had gotten himself into another corner. Uhura had managed to pry one confession from him and then led him to believe it was forgiven only to reveal the true crime for which he had no defense.

"Nyota, Pon Farr is not a secret per se... it is just not spoken of..." he tried to explain.

"McCoy your doctor didn't know, Captain Kirk your best friend didn't know, I, the girl you've been stalking and possessing with your Katra, didn't know, yet sweet little Droxine knows?"

"Again I didn't tell her, she asked me about it."

"And you were only too eager to tell her all the details."

"I didn't tell her any details. Nyota I already confessed I was attracted to her--" he tried to backpedal to safer ground.

"So you weren't attracted to me enough to tell me? Is that why you never mentioned it?" She sounded so disappointed.

"No--" he said slowly

"Then why?" she pleaded. "Why was I the last to know?"

"I was afraid," Spock confessed.

"Afraid of what?" Nyota was stunned by his confession.

"I was afraid that if you knew... if any of you knew, you would be disgusted. That it would be just one more alien thing to set me apart from humanity. I was afraid that if you knew it would frighten you away or...I couldn't risk it. I didn't care if Droxine knew she was just curious about Vulcans, any Vulcan. But if you knew and you didn't accept me..."

"Oh please shut up Adun! Don't say anymore." She hugged him tightly. "I really am sorry I pried. I was just being jealous as you said. Do you forgive me?"

Spock hugged her back. "There is nothing to forgive. It was foolish of me to keep such a secret from you. You deserved to know what I am."

"I know what you are. You're a good man. We've known each other for years but we're still just going through that getting to know you stage. That's why we needed to date and not rush into cohabitating."

"We have already dated if you consider all the time we spent together even before our bonding. Cohabitating was the logical thing to do. We belong together."

"You already put the cart before the horse. We never dated officially, and that sneaky courting you did doesn't count."

"I was not being 'sneaky', you were simply oblivious to my intentions."

"Yeah right whatever. I know when a man likes me."

"No, you do not, and for that I am grateful."

"Why grateful?"

"You were not distracted by anyone else." He said.

"How do you know that? Nevermind, you know everything don't you?"

"It is good you acknowledge it, Aduna."

"Hush. No more arguing, I'll arrange our next date. We have nothing else to do until we get to Vulcan anyway."

"I was not arguing, just stating facts."

"When your facts disagree with my facts, that is called arguing in my book."

Her 'book' sounded highly illogical but Spock wisely kept that opinion to himself because somehow he found himself in her embrace and that was the only place he wanted to be.

"Oh, by the way," she whispered in his ear, "who's Zarabeth?"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Notes:

I wrote this scene a long... long time ago and it was supposed to be for a sequel to this story I was planning. But IDK, it seems to fit here more than some future story. I actually found at least a hundred new scenes/chapters I wrote for that future story I was gonna call The Vulcanians but a lot of it doesn't coincide with events of this story anymore. Anyway, since I hate to throw any writing, I'm shoving this scene in now and there is a lot more to come. 😀

Chapter 61: Komack

Summary:

Komack has a plan to stop Spock, Vulcan, and the Federation for some reason.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

 

 

*/*/*

Admiral James Komack paced his office with an angry gait and read the daily reports he received from the fleet when the door quietly opened and his assistant entered.

"Well, what do you have for me on that special assignment?" He demanded.

"Nothing new sir. The Enterprise is maintaining radio silence, there is no news."

"What do you mean there's nothing? There is always something with that ship," Komack said.

"Nothing that we do not already know," Westervelt clarified.

"There must be something we can pin on that bastard and his band of hapless traitors?" Komack stated.

"I have heard nothing new. The Enterprise is on a humanitarian mission to Vulcan for medical aid."

"What humanitarian mission? Vulcan needs no help from Starfleet, they have their own ships and supply lines."

"The Enterprise is not delivering aid, it's going there to receive it," Westervelt said.

"Receive medical aid from Vulcan? What does Vulcan have that any of our starbases don't?"

"The last report we had was of a strange mass hysteria of unknown origin plaguing the Enterprise. They offer no more details than that but apparently, either Vulcan or Betazed has the antidote and Vulcan was the closer option."

"Mass hysteria? A mental illness of unknown origin? That doesn't sound suspicious at all to anyone? Why isn't Starfleet medical handling it? What do our eyes on the ship have to say?"

"They've gone silent, Sir."

"That's not good enough. If the Enterprise is allowed to reach Vulcan we'll never get our hands on that misbegotten alien. The Vulcans are master manipulators. They'll purge the records or have them sealed if they haven't done so already. We need to get Spock and his accomplices before all the evidence disappears."

Komack went to his desk and pulled up Spock's personnel records again. He hated the smug look on Spock's face that reflected back at him from his viewer.

"Have the Enterprise diverted to Betazed instead of Vulcan and when she gets there arrest Spock," Komack said.

Westervelt looked stunned. "Under what grounds, sir?"

"Conspiracy to commit mutiny, sexual assault, domestic assault, bioterrorism, stealing chickens! I don't care under what grounds, just get him here so I can interrogate him. It doesn't matter what excuse you trump up, just stop him! Comb through the Enterprises logs and the reports from every crewman involved with every incident involving Spock. And lean on our informant. I'll bet dollars to donuts that whatever unspecified illness is plaguing the Enterprise has something to do with that Vulcan. Find out what it is and arrest that bastard!"

"Yes sir, right away." Westervelt saluted Komack and quickly departed his office.

"Good... very good," Komack said as he stared at Spock's face on the viewer. He released a sigh of relief at the thought that his plan would finally come to fruition. Spock and his kind had to be stopped. Komack did not trust a Vulcan as far as he could toss one from an airlock. He knew their plans for humanity and what it meant for the future of the galaxy. Vulcans played the docile conciliatory role, the sage and wise pacifists of the galaxy that pretended they wanted peace, but what they really wanted was supremacy and they used a lion disguised as a lamb style of diplomacy to achieve their goals. They had the wool pulled over the eye of the Federation, but there were some who could still see Vulcan for what it really was.

Humans were destined to control this galaxy. Humans outnumbered every other race, and their numbers were growing exponentially. They'd conquered hundreds of barren planets and asteroids, turning them into an oasis. Vulcans, Tellarites, Orions, Andorians; they were all weak and unwilling or unable to branch out to the furthest reaches of the galaxy. But humans were not afraid. Earth needed to shake the shackles of the Federation off and explore the galaxy in search of new horizons. Vulcan had held them back for too long. The sun was setting on the Vulcan era, and now it was the Terran Empire's time. If the Federation had to be destroyed in order for that to happen, then so be it, but the first domino to fall would be Vulcan. Spock and his family were the keys to all Komack and his compatriots were trying to achieve here. Spock must fall.

Notes:

This is a short update to show I have not abandoned the saga that is Spock and Nyota. I went through my notes yesterday and found dozens of chapters that need to be rewritten or edited that total at least 70,000 more words left to go. But since I write without an outline a lot of what I have written doesn't fit the current plot. I'm thinking of just putting them up as stand-alone one-off stories because I hate to delete or abandon even one word. There's no point in writing it if it just collects dust, right?

Chapter 62: Something

Summary:

Something is wrong. Can Spock figure it out?

Notes:

Something in the way she moves
Attracts me like no other lover
Something in the way she woos me
I don't want to leave her now...

Something
The Beatles

Chapter Text

*/*/*

Being cooped up with Spock in his quarters for days was supposed to be relaxing, but it was anything but. There wasn't much to do except work or make love, and they did that a lot. Sex was not the problem though. It was afterward when they were quiet and relaxed and suddenly Uhura's mind ran rampant on all the things she had not had a chance to digest in the past few weeks. Like how she felt about her new husband and her role as a wife or what their future would be. Instead of being relaxed, she was more anxious than ever.

Therefore, today she needed a break from all the thinking aka worrying she had been doing. Dr. McCoy had given them permission to leave their quarters so long as they didn't return to duty or put themselves under any stress. Just relax. For Uhura, not thinking meant moving her body. So she was in one of the ship's private gyms trying to do a bit of exercise to calm her frazzled nerves while Spock had a conference with the Captain and McCoy. She had been out of commission for far too long for her liking and she needed something to take her mind off of Spock for just an hour or two.

Normally she would pester Sulu to be her workout partner as he was a fellow athlete, but since he had kicked her out of his quarters he would not respond to the messages she had sent him unless she 'confessed'. "Ha! Fat chance Sulu!"

Dancing usually cheered her up; listening to good soulful music really got her body moving and once she worked up a sweat she was in a zone. But today the exercise was not going as well as Uhura expected. It seemed during the past few weeks she had neglected her physical conditioning and she was really paying for it now. Her joints were stiff and her muscles were weak, and she felt unusually uncoordinated. It took her longer than usual to warm up and finally feel a little like her old self, just enough to perform some of her old routines. Once she was finally in the zone, the cares and worries of the day were temporarily forgotten.

Spock watched from the observation window in the door of the gym while Nyota executed a fairly intricate-looking dance routine. He knew his wife was an accomplished athlete, and that she had extensive training as a dancer, but he had never seen her perform like this before. She was exquisite. Though she was not as tall and lean as some classical dancers, she had shapely legs, and the way she moved her body was mesmerizing. Her lines were beautiful and her movements were precise. Spock allowed himself the indulgence of emotion. He felt proud to be married to such a phenomenal woman.

Soon the music ended, and Nyota fell to the floor in an exhausted heap. She rolled over on her back and lay spread-eagle, trying to catch her breath as the room spun around her. Dancing had never tired her out so much before, she thought as she panted, trying to catch her breath. She was out of shape!

She heard the door open and though she couldn't see who had entered her private workout space, she could sense that it was Spock. That was a neat trick she had discovered she had. She just knew how Spock felt when he entered a room. The energy that surrounded him, and the unique smell that was purely Vulcan and Spock, enveloped her. In her imagination, he smelled like sun and wind and sand.

"Mmm, they should bottle you up," she said aloud, not bothering to sit up or even look at him. She felt him sit down beside her on the mat.

"Are you well Aduna?"

"I'm fine, just a bit tired and winded. I have been neglecting myself lately and I'm kinda out of shape." She patted her belly playfully. "My abs are shot but with all this free time we've got, I can work out and I'll soon remedy that."

"Are you sure you are well?" He asked with concern. With all the things that have happened to Nyota and himself in the past few months, Spock didn't want to take any chances. What if the virus he had contracted was communicable to humans after all?

She sat up. "Yes, I'm just not used to putting myself through the paces like this. I didn't realize I missed dancing so much. I've been aboard the Enterprise for nearly five years can you believe it? And in that time I've let myself go." She bemoaned and mimicked the voice of an older woman, "I'm not as spry as I used to be sonny."

Spock stood and assisted Nyota to her feet. "You are as spry as ever. I watched you dance, and you were magnificent. You are as graceful as a swan."

"Why would you compare me to an aquatic fowl?" She joked the way Spock often did when he feigned ignorance of human metaphors. He just stood there staring at her as if at a loss for words.

Nyota giggled. It wasn't often she caught Spock without a comeback. "Anyway, you're biased. I'm only 30 years old and here I am huffing and puffing through a dance routine. I need to get it in gear and get back to my fighting weight."

"You are at an ideal weight for your height and age demographic," Spock reassured her.

"It's just an expression, but now that you mention it..." Uhura contemplated him for a long moment. "Spock, you wouldn't lie to me about something important, would you?" She questioned him.

"Vulcans endeavor to speak the truth on principle, however, the truth can be subjective," Spock answered cautiously. He wondered where his capricious wife was steering this conversation.

"How can the truth be subjective?"

"If you were to ask 10 different people what color a certain star is, you would likely get 10 different answers, all of them the truth, from a certain point of view."

"I see. Well, I was going to ask you something but now I'm not sure if I will receive a nonsubjective answer."

"For you lieutenant, I will endeavor to answer your questions without subterfuge."

"Ok then," Uhura spun herself in a mock pirouette, "does my butt look big? Or my thighs? I know I'm curvy but I've had too many people say I "fill out my uniform" a little too often lately."

Spock stood dumbfounded. He had not expected such a question. But he had learned from very good authority, his mother, that one must never tell a woman the 'truth' when she asks such a loaded question about her appearance. It was a trap, and he had walked right into it.

"Well?" she asked while swaying her hips and twirling around. "I really do feel like I may have put on a little extra weight recently." She rubbed her hands up and down her thigh while bending over to give Spock a better look at the posterior in question.

He had promised to tell the truth, but if he told the unadulterated truth he could hurt Nyota's feelings and also any chance he had of pleasing her. But Spock had never intentionally lied to Nyota. He valued her friendship and honesty and he could be no less honest with her now.

"Aduna, I believe you look, quite... um... attractive."

"Attractive? That's not the kind of answer I expect from you. I expect you to know my measurements to the nearest centimeter and can determine my weight to the nearest ounce."

Spock indeed knew her measurements and weight, but he was not foolish enough to admit it. "What is the purpose of this question?"

"The purpose is to determine if you think I look fat," she huffed and shuffled over behind a barrier where she changed her clothes. "And you are stalling Mr. Spock."

"Nyota-"

"You promised," she cut him off.

"So I did. Very well. Lieutenant, I find your appearance to be aesthetically pleasing. However, I have noted an increase in your weight. It is not just in your posterior but there is an increase in your, ahem, your breasts as well."

"Really? My breasts?" She looked down at her chest. "You girls getting a little out of hand," she giggled while cupping her breast. Then she sobered "Spock, be honest, is my uniform and the way I dress... distracting? Unprofessional?"

"Of course not. Your uniform fits you properly, you carry yourself professionally at all times. If someone is distracted by the appearance of your uniform that is their failing, not yours. Who has complained about your appearance?" He asked.

"Spock. Nothing fits anymore." She stepped from behind the divider. When she reappeared, she was wearing her uniform, much to Spock's surprise.

"Your uniform looks adequately tailored." He told her.

"Not my clothes, my life, me. I don't fit. Nothing is the same."

"How so?"

"I don't know. Usually, you're the one with all the answers," she said going over to sit on the small bench in the gym. "Since returning from Argelius I have not felt the same. It's not just our bonding either, it's been brewing for a while now. Since Vulcan, I think. I'm different. You see it, don't you?"

Spock sat beside Nyota, extending his first two fingers and she eagerly joined them with her own. "Lieutenant, do you believe you are suffering ill effects from ... our bonding... or the virus?"

She shook her head. "Nothing new, just old stuff. You already know about the dreams and mood swings..."

"Yes, the shared dreams and mood swings appear to be a side effect of our stronger than usual bond and the virus seems to enhance the effect. That is why you must learn to shield your mind from mine for your own safety."

"Yeah, you don't do anything by half measure, do you? Sometimes I feel like I don't know where I end and you begin."

"Nyota, you know that I never intended to-"

"Yeah, yeah," She stopped his speech. "I know you didn't mean to infect me with your Katra or have this virus affect us. It wasn't an accusation, but an observation; you're just intense. I understand that. I like that. What I don't understand is why I feel this way now? Same uniform, same ship and crew, same job, but somehow I don't know where I fit in anymore. Sulu won't talk to me. Christine hates me. She said I was spilling out of my uniform, and Riley-"

"Kevin Riley?" Spock asked, surprised to hear that name from her past.

"Am I a tease?" She asked suddenly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"A tease. You know what it means. Did I attract you with my appearance? Is that why you chose me to bond with?"

"Of course, I am attracted to you. However, your appearance is not why I wanted you as my wife. You are very beautiful, Nyota. But you are also very intelligent, and brave, and kind, and you possess qualities I cannot even put a name to. All of these things attracted me to you. There are many beautiful women on this ship. I've encountered beautiful women all over the galaxy, but none of them are you. None of them compare to you."

Nyota leaned over and kissed him. "Thank you, Spock. I think I needed to hear that today."

"I am always at your service," he said. Spock accompanied her back to his quarters and when she had put her workout clothing in the recycler, she turned to him. "So, you think my breasts are too big, huh?"

"I did not say that," he corrected her.

"Well, what do you think of them?" She pulled his hands up to cup her breasts.

"Aduna, I don't think we should..." his voice tapered off as he felt her nipples tighten beneath the tight red fabric of her uniform tunic.

"What? I'm asking you a simple question for an objective opinion. Did you think I was seducing you?" She flashed a wicked grin that boded ill for Spock.

"Well... they do seem... Um..." Spock didn't know how to answer without incriminating himself.

"Well?" she whispered impatiently.

"In my opinion... I do not think your breasts are too large at all."

"So you like them this size?" She asked looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Um... What I prefer doesn't matter..." Spock didn't know why his hands involuntarily squeezed the aforementioned breasts and his thumbs slid over the solid nipples protruding through the fabric of her dress.

Somehow he found himself walking her backward towards their bed. Nyota fell gracelessly down on the mattress with a bounce and Spock followed her down.

"Aduna," he whispered breathlessly. Before he knew what he was about, he was kissing her very gently and he unfastened her dress and peeled it from her body. Nyota started clawing the shirt off his back and raking her nails across his skin. They scrambled frantically to remove their clothing and once they were naked Spock went back to kissing Nyota and he made it his job to give her magnificent breasts the attention they so richly deserved.

Spock could find no logical reason for him to be ravishing his wife in the middle of the day. His reason often flew away when Nyota was concerned, but in the back of his mind her words plagued him. Something was off about her. Something didn't fit. Was he that something?

Chapter 63: Group Therapy

Summary:

Spock learns about the mental health of the crew

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

 

*/*/*

Uhura loved being able to just spend her leisure time working on personal projects and of course spending time with her husband, but she was an extrovert and she was used to spending time on the bridge with the crew or having fun in the rec rooms with her friends. This isolation was starting to make her feel left out of the action. Life moved on as normal for everyone else on the ship while she and Spock waited on pins and needles for the cure to the virus he had contracted.

It was times like this she needed to be around people. There was one place she could go where she wouldn't be asked awkward questions or gossiped about.

So she put on her uniform and was just brushing her hair up into a simple bun when Spock asked where she was going.

"There is a support group meeting for the crew that I attend sometimes. It's been a while so I thought I'd stop by."

"Support group?" Spock questioned.

"Yes, support meeting, group counseling, what have you. A group of crew members gets together to work through different issues they face in the service." She looked at Spock with surprise. "I can't believe something happens on the Enterprise that you don't know about?"

"I know that Dr. Noel and Dr. McCoy have advocated for such psychological health services. However, I was unaware that you attended them."

"Well, you wouldn't know who attends them unless you actually go yourself. It's supposed to be discrete. I mean it's no secret the meetings exist but I'm sure some attendees want to remain inconspicuous."

"Is that so? I would think private counseling would prove more anonymous. However, I will leave you to your meeting."

Uhura noted a change in Spock's temperament. He suddenly seemed stiff and closed off. Now, what was this all about? "Is there something the matter? Did you... want to join me this evening?"

"No. No, if this is something you do regularly..."

"Well, I wouldn't say regularly, just sometimes; especially after a tough mission. Just because the danger is over and the captain orders us on to the next planet, that doesn't mean we all are ready to leave events in the past. For some of us, it takes time to cope." She explained.

"I see." That was all Spock said.

Uhura hated nothing so much as when Spock retreated into his curt sentences. Something was clearly bothering him, but typical Spock was attempting to fob it all off.

"What is it Spock, I know something is bothering you about my attending these meetings, so what is it?"

"Forgive me Nyota, I hadn't realized... I suppose it is quite logical for you to pursue therapy for your trauma."

Nyota narrowed her eyes. "What trauma are you referring to?"

Spock looked away. "Something has been bothering you since our return from Vulcan. I suppose this is because of our forced bonding and the events that have transpired since?"

"What? No! Why would you ever think that?" She asked, truly surprised.

"It is generally known that they prescribed such therapies for... for survivors of physical or sexual assault..."

"What? And you think you assaulted me?" Uhura couldn't believe what he was saying.

"I do not merely think it. That is the nature of the Pon Farr."

Spock's responses baffled Uhura. He thought he assaulted her? Hadn't they hashed this out already?

"Spock, look at me." She stood her ground with hands on her hips. "If you had assaulted me in any way, shape, or form do you think I'd be here talking to you right now? Do you think I would have stayed on Vulcan with your family and performed in ceremonies and defended you from T'Pring! Do you think I would have tolerated your company let alone let you make love to me?" The more she thought about it, the angrier she became "Spock I don't believe you! You should know me better than that at least! Do you even remember what happened in that cave?"

"You know I do not possess total recall of those events. But it doesn't matter. I... you did not know what you were agreeing to. And I also infected you with my Katra..."

"Well, I do remember what happened, and if anything I violated you, you could not even give consent with the fever raging."

"Consent was implied in our bonding..." He said automatically.

"Ick! Stop! There is no such thing as implied consent. Married or bonded or whatever, you have a right to your own body and so do I. Look, Spock, I knew what I was agreeing to and what I needed to do to save you. What happened during our bonding was not an assault. It was consensual and I'm not traumatized by that or anything that's happened since then. Okay?"

"But you were different afterward. You were very angry with me, you broke my nose, you ran away from me to Argelius... " Spock listed her many transgressions.

"Of course! I'd just had my life turned upside down. I was suddenly married to you and in a bond that can't be broken because you're in my head. One minute I was on the ship minding my own business and the next thing I know I'm on Vulcan, bonded and your new matriarch, and we hadn't even had a proper date!"

"But that's beside the point." She continued, "don't you think for one moment that I would ever tolerate abuse from you, Mister? If you do something to hurt me I'm gonna let you know, and I hope you would do the same to me."

Uhura softened her tone as she saw his expression of disbelief. "Yes, I was angry after our bonding. I leaped before I looked, but that was my own decision and my problem to work out. I told you, I hurt myself more than you have ever hurt me."

"And believe it or not, these meetings help with more than just trauma. It's not just for victims of sexual assault or violence on missions, it's support for whatever's bothering you. We see death and destruction and often times we witness millions of innocent victims of the most horrible things. These missions can be stressful and nights can be awfully lonely. On a ship full of strange people, strange food, strange quarters, for many it's the first time so far from home, and add to that, missions that tax you physically, mentally, and emotionally. Sometimes you just need somebody to lean on."

"If you have a near-death experience, who do you talk to when your family is a million miles away? What if you lose a loved one while the ship is on radio silence? Who grieves with you? Who wishes you a happy birthday?" She asked.

Spock had experienced all of those things while serving on the Enterprise and he had done so alone. That is, until he met Nyota. She had served him hot chocolate and plomeek tea when he was ill and had dished out her unique brand of sympathy and compassion whenever he was hurting. But who did those things for her? It had not occurred to Spock that Nyota might need tea and sympathy sometimes too. As a Vulcan, he felt ill-equipped to offer such emotional support, yet another failure on his part.

"Nyota, I apologize. I was-"

"I know what you were," Uhura said gently. "You were punishing yourself for sins not committed. You've been carrying around this guilt all this time, and I probably just piled on the guilt with my erratic behavior. I am sorry it happened, all of it, the misunderstandings, the anger, the fear. If we'd just talked to one another... Anyway, I think you should come to a meeting and see what it's really all about."

"I doubt I would be welcomed."

"All are welcome, that's the point, crewmen helping each other."

"As a Vulcan, I don't see what I can contribute-"

"As a Vulcan officer, you can learn something about human emotions and perhaps your own emotions, too. That's what we do there, discuss our feelings and learn how to cope with them from each other. Vulcans are not immune to trauma. I know you have fears, I know you have feelings even if you can't acknowledge them openly. I think you'll be surprised by what you learn. Come with me. Please?"

Spock would do anything to make Nyota happy, so he reluctantly agreed to attend the support group. His eyebrows rose in surprise when he observed some of the other attendees of the meeting which took place in the ship's auditorium. Mr. Scott was there, seated in a quiet nook as were Mr. Kyle and Mr. Chekov, who Spock was beginning to see as a young protege. Nyota explained that one rule of these meetings was to just listen and not judge. You didn't acknowledge your professional relationships or rank in the group, this was personal and the things said here were private to the group.

Spock listened as crew members talked about their day-to-day lives, their struggles with their assignments, the stress of being away from their families and friends, and the worry of what the future would bring once the current mission was at its end.

Mr. Scott spoke about his most recent brush with death and his recurring dreams about the Nomad probe killing him. Nyota joined Scott and told him she understood his struggle with coping and recounted her own dealings with Nomad, losing her memory, and the fear upon waking up to a room full of strangers and seeing a stranger in the mirror as well.

Others in the group offered words of support and understanding when Lieutenant Kyle revealed that his father had just passed away and he was unable to attend him at the end of his life or attend his funeral.

Spock listened to the testimonies in awe. That these people whom he worked with day in and day out should harbor such feelings, and were dealing with such issues. The ensign whose mother was ill, and the engineer grieving for a friend lost on the last mission. Nearly everyone spoke of something that was troubling them except Spock. Though he could understand the human need to share experiences, he couldn't bring himself to expose his own to these people, fellow crew members or not. It simply was not the Vulcan way.

However, he did gain a better understanding of his human shipmates. He was perhaps often too hard on them, expecting them to perform their duties minus emotion despite the circumstances, but now he saw that humans could not simply turn off their emotions and behave logically when the need required it or when the emergency was over. They were constantly in emotional turmoil. Much like himself.

Spock had foolishly thought that by restoring Nyota's memories after Nomad's attack, she would simply put the incident behind her and move forward with her life as usual. Now he learned that she would never be "over it". The experience was now woven into the fabric of her life, shaping her personality and her responses until the next life-altering event occurred to weave a new pattern.

And Nyota was magnificent, offering support, comfort, wisdom to those who spoke. She didn't testify about her recent marital issues, but she offered empathy to everyone who gave testimony. Spock noted that when she confessed to sharing similar feelings, others in the group seemed soothed. It seemed to Spock they believed, "If Lieutenant Uhura can overcome it, then so can I".

Spock realized that Nyota had a talent for empathy. Her powers were limited, but she definitely had some psi ability. Perhaps that is what drew him to her, not just her graceful form, or her lovely voice, but also her exquisite mind. From the moment that she stepped aboard the Enterprise, he had been attracted to her. He had been drawn to her like an insect to a flame, knowing he would be burned, but willing to risk destruction for a chance to bask in her warmth. He had fought his attraction to her until the fever had rendered him incapable of resisting any longer, and he had burned in her flame.

As he thought these illogical thoughts, the meeting was winding down and participants were beginning to leave. Uhura stayed behind to speak to a small group of her most devoted admirers, Chekov, Scotty, and a new ensign in the communications department. She smiled and patted them on the back and spread her warmth. He was proud of her, proud to call her his wife. Jim and Lieutenant Masters were correct. It was time for them to announce their marriage to the crew.

"Aduna, the hour grows late," Spock said to her, much as Sarek would have called Amanda to his side. Was this what his father felt for his mother? This overwhelming need to protect, to possess? Was this what it meant to be a Vulcan male, alert, aggressive, the need to defend what was his at all costs? Spock wanted to snatch her up and carry her to his cabin and claim her as his own over and over again.

He extended his fingers in the Ozh'esta. She beamed her bright smile at him, bid her friend's goodnight, and came to him, hips swaying, eyes laughing, and touched her fingers to his. And at that moment Spock indeed felt like that Superman who could save the world with his girl at his side.

Uhura felt as if she were walking on air as Spock accompanied her from the meeting. Something had changed in him. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but he was different. Perhaps the meeting was good for him, even if he hadn't taken part. He seemed settled, at peace with himself. If possible, he seemed even more confident than his usual arrogant manner. Whatever it was, she liked it.

"So," she said as the door slid shut to their quarters, "how was it?"

"It was very enlightening."

"Specify?" Uhura inquired.

"I discovered humans are equally resilient as they are fragile," Spock told her.

"Is that so?" she asked. "Am I equally resilient and fragile?"

"You are especially resilient, and yes you are also fragile. Fortunately, you have me to protect you." Spock said, and he led her into their bedroom.

"That sounds rather arrogant, Spock."

"Of course it is. I'm A Vulcan and you are my wife."

"Yes, I am," she answered, bringing their lips together to end any further discussion.

Notes:

I'm just posting some of these chapters that don't advance the plot much but were fun to write. At this point, I'm thinking plot? Who needs a plot?

Chapter 64: Nocturnal Admissions

Summary:

Spock and Uhura have some interesting pillow talk...

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

 

*/*/*

The closer the Enterprise got to his homeworld, the more tense Spock became. The last time he was home he had been hastily bonded; there had been chaos at his clan's gathering with T'Pring, and he and Nyota were not on the best terms back then. It was hard to believe that was only a few short months ago. Before that, he had only been home long enough to be challenged by T'Pring and depart, believing he had killed his best friend. He had not seen his parents at all during that disastrous visit. In fact, he had not seen his parents together in several years, not until their journey on the Enterprise to the Babel Conference.

Now he was going home for an official visit as a married adult with his wife. Yes, he was seeking medical treatment for himself and Nyota, but they would visit Vulcan as a bonded couple and for Spock, this was a big deal. This visit might decide their future, where he and Nyota would settle down after the Enterprise was decommissioned, at least until a new ship was ready. He had never thought of living on Vulcan again. When he was planning to go through with his marriage to T'Pring, he thought he would at most visit her there for his Pon Farrs and then live on the Enterprise alone. And once the five-year mission was over, he thought to return to Earth to work at the Academy or some other role within Star Fleet until the ship was ready to travel again or until his Vulcan nature called him home to mate once more.

Never had he imagined himself living on Vulcan with a human wife by his side. But once he had bonded Nyota his mind strayed down that path. He wondered if he could have the life of a normal Vulcan man? Could he and Nyota live on Vulcan with his family and perhaps start one of their own? What kind of life would that be?

He had lived half of his life off-world and among humans. His wife was human. Would he and Nyota be accepted into Vulcan society or would they be shunned as he had been as a child? What would they do for careers? Where would they live? Would Nyota be happy? There were so many things about Vulcan Nyota did not yet know and would not understand. The exotic mix of innovative advanced technology with non-emotional, logical thinking inhabitants who also held steadfastly onto tribalistic tradition.

For example, this virus he had contracted that targeted the empathic races. Spock had never heard of it and therefore he assumed it must be rare for Vulcans to contract it contrary to McCoy's belief that it was a common illness among telepaths. Yet he knew there was a faction of Vulcans who shunned telepathy and psi practitioners and tried to suppress the teaching of it. It would not be unheard of for this virus to be a well-kept secret, one that good Vulcans did not discuss. Or perhaps he was just one of the rare Vulcans with enough psi abilities to be vulnerable to the virus. Vulcans may be a telepathic race but they didn't celebrate it and although everyone had some degree of psi sensitivity, not everyone indulged in telepathy or found it a reliable means of communication. And then there was Sybok.

"Nyota, I have something I must discuss with you, something that I would ask that you do not share with others," Spock said as he lay awake next to Nyota in their bed.

Nyota's head rested on his chest, but she lifted it to look into his troubled face. "Oh boy, what is it now? It sounds serious."

"For a Vulcan, it is very serious. If we are to live on Vulcan even temporarily, there are some aspects of Vulcan society that you must learn. There Are some Vulcan taboos and traditions that will be illogical, there is no other way to put it."

"Illogical Vulcan traditions? Honey, surely nothing can beat Pon Farr or the koon-ut-kal-if-fee?"

"You would be quite surprised. I do not know how to adequately explain the Vulcan mind or the extent to which Vulcans will go to avoid conflict or to avoid causing harm to others," he explained.

"I know Vulcans don't like to use force or violence even towards the smallest of creatures. I know that you will put your own life at risk to save another. Some people say Vulcans are the harbinger of peace," Uhura said.

"That is what we Vulcans would like to believe in ourselves. However, Vulcan is not a utopia. My own childhood, filled with racial taunts and bigotry bears that out. Vulcans are like any other people with their illogical... tendencies."

"I know, and I am so sorry that you had to endure that, Adun. I wish I had been your friend back then. I would have given those bullies a piece of my mind."

"I believe you would have. I still get the odd look from Lieutenant Boma which I attribute to your scolding of him on my behalf." Spock said with fondness in his voice. "And how ironic your choice of words considering that I have inadvertently given you a 'piece of my mind'."

"You didn't mean to," she dismissed his claim, "besides if you hadn't restored my memories I might not be here now."

Spock thought perhaps no truer words had ever been spoken. If he had not infected her with his katra she might not have become his bonded mate and bride laying in his arms now.

"You've asked me several times about my telepathic abilities, about how I restored your memories, and about whether I can speak to your mind, or interact with your dreams?"

"Yes, I still do not understand Vulcan telepathy and this virus is just another thing I do not understand."

"The truth is, I do not understand it all myself. I do not know if I can interfere with dreams. I have never tried to do so, but I probably can and I probably have. I was never formally trained in the telepathic arts because my father did not approve. He, like many other Vulcans, believes telepathy to be untrustworthy, unscientific, and at times unethical."

"Really? I just assumed all Vulcans practiced telepathy, at least with one another if not outsiders."

"No. It is a practice performed between the most intimate of acquaintances only. Rarely between strangers and certainly not with off-worlders. Some Vulcans believe telepathy to be dangerous and my father is one of them. I do not think he is not incorrect in that assessment but he has his logical reasons. In the wrong hands, telepathy can be a powerful weapon," Spock said. "My predecessor, Gary Mitchell is a testament to that notion."

"Oh yes, I've heard the stories about him, he died shortly before I came aboard. These quarters used to be his. I was told you refused to take over the first officer's cabin out of respect for his passing?"

"That is what the crew thinks. I simply didn't see the logic in moving." Spock said.

"Sulu thinks you assigned the big cabin to me for some special reason," Uhura teased.

"I based your cabin assignment solely on availability," Spock said simply.

Uhura shook her head but said, "Sure, sure. I know you wouldn't play favorites. You don't have favorites and besides, you'd have had to like me from the moment we met in order for you to do so." She looked at him askance.

"Indeed," Spock said cryptically.

"You won't admit you liked me, will you?"

"No," he answered stubbornly.

"Good. I wouldn't want people saying I got the best cabin on the ship out of favoritism. They already have enough fuel for gossip about the two of us."

"Nyota, does it disturb you that we are fodder for ship's gossip?

"I'd like to say it doesn't, but I'm human. It does bother me to think of what people say about me behind my back. However, I'd also be a hypocrite if I didn't admit that I've indulged in gossip myself, so I guess I have to take it all in stride."

Spock understood her dilemma all too well, but for different reasons. "My mother would often advise, "what other people think of you is none of your business". However, being a telepathic society makes it difficult to ignore what other people think of you. Especially for some unfortunate few with above-average psi ratings. Most Vulcans must maintain physical contact with the subject of a telepathic link. However, I discovered very early in life that I could read some thoughts without physical touch. I could even send my thoughts telepathically to others if I concentrated."

"I see. And this is your secret? That you are more telepathic than the average Vulcan?"

"Yes. I learned very early never to divulge this talent. That it would be frowned upon. It was just one more aspect of myself that set me apart from others. Vulcans do not approve of the use of the mind-melding except between intimate partners, or close family members. Healers may use them but only after rigorous training to maintain privacy. The practice of mind-melding on strangers, especially without consent is one of the highest violations on Vulcan. A mental assault carries some of Vulcan's harshest penalties."

"I understand, and I'll keep your confidence. Does anyone else know about your psi abilities?"

"Captain Kirk has seen me mind-meld with others. He has even asked me to do so occasionally when a mission was critical. He knows the risks, so I am certain he would never betray my confidence. My parents know and T'Pau knows. She has given me some minor instructions before I left for Star Fleet because she wanted me to protect myself." Spock reflected, and then he took a deep breath. "And my brother knows."

"Your brother? Spock, you have a brother?" Nyota asked in shock.

"Yes, a half-brother to be precise. Sybok left home when I was very young. He too possessed unusually strong psi abilities. It caused him to clash with my father often because Sybok did not keep his talents secret. Sybok held beliefs that were in direct conflict with my father's adherence to the teachings of Surak. He did not think Vulcans should practice complete control of their emotions. He thought that some emotions were beneficial to our mental wellbeing. He felt logic should only play a minor role in our everyday life."

"An emotional Vulcan without logic?" Nyota whispered in amazement. She had witnessed Spock when out of control and could not imagine an entire planet like that.

"Yes," Spock said gravely.

"Where is your brother now?"

"I do not know. He left Vulcan many years ago. Like me, Sarek would not speak to him so long as he lived outside of tradition."

"I'm sorry, Spock, it must be... difficult knowing you have a brother somewhere out there and not knowing where or how he is."

"Indeed, it is troubling, especially for my mother."

"Oh, yes poor Amanda, to lose a son... Wait, I don't understand! How could Amanda have a son old enough to leave home when you were a child?"

"Sybok is the child of my father and a Vulcan priestess, born before my parents bonded. My father actually had a bondmate before my mother. Sarek was even younger than I was when he bonded. His wife joined a religious order and left my father with the care of Sybok."

"When Sarek wed my mother, Sybok was already an adolescent, but my mother considers him her son too. Before he left, when Sybok lived with us, we were a very close family. And it was Sybok who taught me some things about life perhaps I shouldn't have known at such a young age." Spock almost smiled in memory, thinking of his brother.

Uhura thought there were some stories of the two brothers she should like to hear someday. To think Spock had an older brother! Oh! And it was odd to think of Sarek having another wife before Amanda. Sarek and Amanda were soulmates; if ever the word could apply to anyone, it was them.

"I thought Vulcan bonds were forever, unless?" She said, suddenly wondering what that meant for her own bond with Spock.

"Of course, ideally, they are. However, the bond can be broken, a wife need only invoke the Kal-if-fee to be free."

"Oh my god, does that mean your father?" She couldn't even finish the thought. It was too grim.

"I do not know. Pon Farr is not spoken of. Nevertheless, he was free of the bond and he yet lives. One can only assume he was challenged and he prevailed."

"That's awful. I can't imagine anything so horrible. Why? Why must someone die? Why can't logical people just agree to end their bond before it comes to Kal-if-fee? Why must there be a fight to the death?"

"The time is not logical, it is primitive hormone-induced madness. Without a bondmate, a man will go insane and die. If his bondmate chooses the Kal-if-fee he will fight to live and either kill or be killed. That is the Vulcan way, that is our nature, Nyota. A nature I have tried to protect you from." Spock hung his head.

"Spock, I understand, I do. You can't control your biology. We humans have tried and failed time and time again and nearly destroyed ourselves in the bargain. So I understand what you're thinking. I don't have to like it though. And all this time I thought having my period was annoying," she laughed. "Your period beats mine by a country mile."

"Indeed, it does," he said, soothed by her words of acceptance.

"So, you're a powerful telepath, you have a brother who is also a rebellious telepath, your father may or may not have killed someone during his Time, and of course your grandma is the de facto ruler of Vulcan and probably the Federation too. Anything else you'd like to tell me about our family?"

"Not at this time, no." Spock felt elated at Nyota's use of the term 'our family'. She really was accepting this revelation calmly.

"Okay. Well, just remember this when you meet my side of the family. I don't know if the Uhuru's can compete with all that you have going on, but trust me they will give it a try."

"So, you accept everything? You are not frightened of my abilities? You don't want to separate?"

Uhura rolled her eyes. "Spock, what is wrong with you?" She touched his forehead checking for a fever. "Why wouldn't I accept it? You haven't told me anything horrible. You haven't done anything to be ashamed of. It is who you are, who your family are. You're the same man I thought you were 10 minutes ago before you told me. Maybe just a little more interesting, a little more human. And as long as we're confessing secrets, I want to confess something too."

"You don't have to make any confessions. This was something I thought you needed to know about me considering I seem to be vulnerable to telepathic illnesses."

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. It is a secret that is between us that I don't want there."

"Alright," he conceded.

"Well, then... Spock," Nyota cleared her through nervously.

"Yes, Nyota?"

She sighed. "It's about a touchy subject and I know you don't like to dwell on it."

"What is it?" he asked, beginning to worry again.

"Well, it's about our bonding and Pon Farr."

"What about it?" Spock asked the tension in his voice tightened.

"Nothing bad," she rushed to say. "In fact, I hope you consider it a good thing. I think it is anyway."

"What is it Nyota?"

"Well, I wasn't exactly completely straightforward with you either. I mean, I have my own secrets, you know?"

"Yes?" he said, getting more concerned with her stalling. What could be so bad that she couldn't tell him? Was she finally going to tell him that he had hurt her?

"You see... I was kinda, sorta... a virgin when we bonded." She rushed out the last few words. "There I've said it."

"Ah," Spock nodded his head in relief.

"That's it? That's all you have to say?"

"I am uncertain what else I should say Nyota." He was looking at her as if she had just told him the sun was hot.

"You already knew, didn't you?" She said, feeling foolish all over again. "Of course you knew. You know everything about my past. I'm so stupid." She turned her back to him and closed her eyes.

"You are not stupid Nyota. Never say such things. It was simply logical."

"And why is that?" She was getting irritated that he was not taking her confession seriously.

"Well, during our melds, you didn't have any memories of sexual encounters with anyone, not any other so-called 'boyfriends' from your youth. I would think for human females those kinds of memories would be significant."

"Oh," Nyota said feeling like an idiot, anyway. Of course, he knew all her most intimate memories. How could she have forgotten that she had a piece of Spock's Katra and he had a piece of her memories too?

"I'm sorry Nyota," Spock said when he realized he was not reacting as she expected.

She turned back over to face him. "Why are you sorry? If not for you I'd have no memories at all, significant or otherwise."

"Because this upsets you. I am sorry your first sexual experience had to be with me and under such undesirable circumstances."

"Nevermind, I'm not sorry about that," she dismissed.

"Then what is bothering you?" he was truly dumbfounded now.

"I don't know. I just thought... It was significant to me. I thought it meant nothing to you because you didn't know when it meant something special to me."

"I see. But it does mean something special to me. I am extremely grateful that you agreed to bond with me and save my life. I am very honored that you were willing to make such a sacrifice. I was not worthy of you and for that, I will be forever sorry."

"Spock, you've nothing to be sorry about, as has been pointed out many times, I agreed to bond with you. I chose you just as much as you chose me. You know I've always been attracted to you. I was just embarrassed about the whole thing I guess."

"Why would you embarrassed?"

"Lots of reasons," she said shyly. "The whole thing is embarrassing Spock. I never intended to be a virgin at my age, it just happened. I just never wanted anybody the way I wanted you. But you needed a partner to guide you through Pon Farr and I was obviously a poor choice. You could have died if anything had gone wrong."

"But it didn't go wrong, and you were a perfect choice for a bondmate. I only would wish that our bonding had been under better circumstances. You deserved better."

"I suppose you must think I'm a terrible prude or something?"

"I have never had any such thoughts about you. I always believed you to be a very level-headed female, except perhaps for certain lapses in logic concerning tribbles or Kevin Riley."

"Yeah. Apparently, everyone else on the ship thinks I'm some kind of tramp sleeping with every guy I've ever flirted with or something. They would laugh their asses off if they knew the truth."

"Everyone thinks nothing of the sort. Besides, it does not matter what anyone thinks. What others think of you is none of your concern," Spock repeated his mother's advice.

"That's easy to say but Spock people are judgmental sometimes, and it hurts. I'm here because of my education and talent, not because of how I fill out a uniform nor because of my romantic involvements. I worked hard to get here but that's not what they think when they see me."

"Nyota, I have noticed you seem overly concerned with your appearance lately. You are perfect, just as you are. And your romantic involvements are no one else's concern and have no bearing on your skills and position on this ship. What happens between a bonded couple is private and not open for judgment from others. Do not think of it further."

"Easy for you to say. It wasn't your first time in that cave," she grumbled.

"It was indeed my first Time."

"I mean, it was not your first 'sexual experience'."

"Wasn't it?" he asked in surprise.

"Well, I was there. You didn't seem inexperienced to me."

"I was also there. And if I recall correctly you had to, um... take matters into your own hands and initiate the proceedings. And besides, you have nothing to which you can compare my performance," he reminded her.

"But what about all those women, like Leila, you thought of her in your dream?"

"Lela and I had a relationship very much like you and Kevin Riley. When I knew her on Earth I dared not pursue a physical relationship as I was still bonded to T'Pring. And we were not on Omicron Ceti III long enough to go much beyond what humans would call making out."

"Really?" Just the thought of Leila touching Spock made Nyota dream of scratching her eyes out if she ever saw the girl again. "Okay, so what about that Zarabeth, you thought I was her at one point and you seemed to know her quite intimately?"

Spock nodded his head gravely, "Yes. I do recall that memory."

"Ah-ha!" Uhura said with an accusing tone.

"But Zarabeth lived five thousand years ago. I don't remember all the details of what happened between us in that timeline, though I know I behaved shamefully primitively. In any case, the Spock who may have been intimate with Zarabeth was not the man who is intimate with you. He was a throwback to my ancient ancestors, a thoughtless primitive, both savage and brutal. I didn't recognize him at all. Dr. McCoy could tell you more about that Spock than I could. I have little memory of those events."

"But you remembered Zarabeth so vividly in your dream. You must have slept with her?"

"I truly don't remember. You would have to ask Doctor McCoy. Unsurprisingly five thousand years didn't affect his mind at all."

"Alright, and what about the Romulan Commander you 'captured'?"

"No. I was just meant to distract her," Spock said unreservedly.

"So as far as you know, I was your first?"

"Yes." He said and hoped that reassured her.

"Mmm-hmm. And you're sure there's been no one else? I don't think you touched that Droxine girl?"

"Indeed, you know I did not. There have been no others," he stated with confidence.

"Huh. Well, why didn't you? What were you waiting for? Is that a Vulcan thing?"

"I do not think it is a Vulcan practice. T'Pring certainly did not wait for me. I was waiting for my bondmate."

"Oh. I guess I was too, I mean, waiting for my husband. But what would you have done if you didn't marry? How long would you have waited?"

"All Vulcan males must marry or die trying," He reminded her. "But if I had been spared that aspect of my Vulcan biology, I suppose I would have exercised my freedom, eventually. What about you, my wife? What if we had not married?"

"I guess I would have settled down and married somebody or 'exercised my freedom' eventually too, or become an old maid ship's captain," she grinned, feeling a weight lifted from her shoulders. She was glad she only belonged to Spock and he only belonged to her. "Spock, you and I are not normal. We're a mess, aren't we?"

"I see nothing amiss with us," he said.

"Yes there is," she said, ignoring his deliberate misunderstanding. "Charlene says we're like a couple of kids with their first love."

"Charlene is very wise. On Vulcan, we would indeed be a very young couple."

"Very young? That's nice. I think I might like Vulcan after all." She settled down next to him and closed her eyes again, this time she felt very content.

"I think you will not like some aspects of it. Though we are married, and you are technically a matriarch, you are still quite young measured in Vulcan years and will be treated as a child by some of the older Vulcans who view all humans as immature. I believe you opined that we view you like pets?"

"I'd like to see them try it," she said getting her dander up. After a moment of silence, she said, "Spock thank you. For my memories, my life, for everything."

"Your gratitude is quite unnecessary. It was my duty and my honor to heal you if I was able. I could not live with myself otherwise. It is I who am grateful to you for not rejecting me after the way I've treated you."

"I didn't have a choice. I didn't want to lose you, and I still don't want to. I didn't want to give you up even when I wasn't ready to accept you one hundred percent. Seeing you with Leila sort of pushed me over the edge."

"I must attempt to thank Leila then. Perhaps we shall name our firstborn after her," Spock teased.

"Oh, hell no!" Nyota said. She rose up to straddle Spock and pinned him down to the bed. "Do not even joke about such things." She warned him.

"I do not joke," he said, taking umbrage at her inference.

"How about you don't talk about other women while in bed with me, hmm?"

"Agreed." Spock kissed her lips and assured her that she had him as long as she wanted one hundred percent.

Notes:

Lieutenant Boma was the douche who was insubordinate to Spock in The Galileo Seven episode. I need to write a story just to abuse him :-)

Chapter 65: Lies and Secrets

Summary:

Domestic bliss? Not so much. Uhura and Spock still have a lot to discuss on their journey to Vulcan and to knowing each other.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

*/*/*

Uhura looked over the messages piling up on her DataPadd and tried truthfully to answer the inquires she had received about why she and Spock were both again off duty. She couldn't tell anyone the truth, but she hated to lie to her friends, so she had to get very creative with her responses. Recently she found herself lying and keeping secrets and it was making her feel awful.

"Adun, why do you suppose people lie to each other?" she asked offhandedly.

"Vulcans do not lie," Spock answered her without looking up from the DataPadd he was perusing.

"We both know that for the lie it is. Didn't you say Vulcans tell some subjective truth or something like that?" She asked.

"Of course, the truth is subjective, but if I had my choice, I would prefer to tell the unadulterated truth," Spock answered diplomatically. "Why are we discussing this again? Has something happened? Are you bothered by our discussion from last night?"

Uhura sighed and turned away from the desk. "No. I have to lie to my friends and I don't like it."

"Then do not lie to them," Spock advised.

"Easy for you to say, "you don't lie". But some of us have to lie sometimes and it's not as easy as you would think."

"You always have a choice, Aduna. Tell me, why must you lie to your friends?"

"Well, what else can I do? They want to know why we have been relieved of duty. Together. I cannot tell them about your virus or the incidents it has caused."

"You can simply tell them the truth, that doctor McCoy has placed us on medical leave. That is all they need to know."

"Some of your subjective truth?"

"Yes," Spock said simply.

Uhura shook her head. "How little you know Charlene and Sulu and Chekov and Scotty and..." she started ticking off the names of her friends on her hand.

"I get the idea," he said, interrupting her. "You have many friends. However, if they are truly your friends, they will accept your explanation until such time when you can provide more details."

"I hope so. I guess lying is just a necessary evil."

"It is unnecessary. Humans lie with very little provocation," he observed not for the first time.

"Really? If I had a credit for every secret you've kept from me, I'd be as rich as a Horta," Uhura said.

"Nyota-" Spock began to say but she cut him off. "By the way, you distracted me yesterday from our conversation."

"What conversation is that?"

"When I asked if my uniform is too tight?"

"Ah, I see. I believe we concluded that your uniform is within regulations."

"Mmm-hmm. But what is your opinion on my uniform length? Is it too short for your personal taste? I want to know what your thoughts are."

Spock was silent for a long moment. Why was she always asking about her appearance lately? "I prefer your uniform to be the length you are comfortable wearing. My personal taste does not bear scrutiny, as I do not have to wear your uniform."

Uhura stared at Spock from eyes framed with thick long lashes, which she batted at him flirtatiously. "Aduna? I'm never gonna get the truth out of you, am I?" She grinned.

"That is the truth," he protested.

"Yeah, right," she dismissed him, swinging around in the chair to face her computer console again to finish her correspondence. After a while, she asked, "Spock, what do you suppose people will do when they find out we're married? Do you think our friends will understand that we lied to them?"

"I did not lie to them," he reminded her. "But Vulcans tend not to care what others think of them. Our egos can withstand valid criticism."

"Sure Spock." Uhura gave him a disbelieving smirk.

"I am being sincere. If I have done something offensive, I would want you to tell me. It would not shatter my sense of self to hear my faults," he assured her.

"Ok, I believe you believe that. But for as long as I've known you, you've always taken great pride in being a Vulcan and you make sure to point out our little human foibles compared to you."

"I do not take pride in being Vulcan."

Uhura couldn't believe Spock would even utter such nonsense. "No pride? Ha! But you do admit taking little digs at us wee fragile humans?"

"I don't think so."

"Oh, you are unbelievable! You told me yourself Vulcans think of humans as being just above pets."

"I was using your own words, Aduna. I do not think of humans as pets. Humans have many fine qualities to recommend them. Am I not married to a human? Isn't my own mother a human? You are most certainly not a pet to me, Aduna. Mother is certainly not Sarek's pet, but his most valued bondmate." Spock said, defending his family's honor.

"Why are we arguing?" she asked in a heightened tone.

"Yes, why are we?" Spock asked. He knew something was bothering his wife, and he was learning she did not come straight to a point. She danced around it until she was ready to confront it. "Nyota, is there something you want to tell me?"

She looked away unable to face him. "Spock, I hate to disappoint you, but I am not Vulcan. Sometimes I lie and keep secrets."

Spock stilled and asked calmly, "Have you lied to me, Aduna?"

She looked up at him then. "No! Never! Well... I don't think so... It depends." Uhura settled on.

Spock's proverbial heart sank. His wife had lied to him.

"Don't give me that look." She said when he said nothing right away.

"I am certain my facial expression has not changed," he said maintaining his composure.

"I can read you, Mister. You cannot hide from me, so get used to it."

Spock would not be deflected from the subject at hand any longer. He asked straight out, "Aduna, what have you lied to me about?"

"It's no big deal, just some little things I guess."

"Such as?"

"Well... like um... I didn't tell you before, but I had a few incidents with angry outbursts before the one that affected the entire ship," she admitted.

"Nyota, why did you not tell me this before?" Spock asked. He was not disappointed with her so much as he was worried about her wellbeing.

"I didn't want to worry you. See, I was sparing you the truth to protect your feelings. That's why I did it. But now I think I could have delayed you from being diagnosed sooner," she said sadly.

Spock held out his two fingers to summon her towards him, "Attend."

She left her seat and slowly walked over to his side looking at his calm face as she sat beside him on their bed. "Please tell me you are not angry or disappointed with me?"

"I am never angry with you, Aduna. And I am not even disappointed. You were reacting on human instinct and I cannot fault you for it. However, suppose we make a pact. You and I shall henceforth never lie to one another nor keep secrets that will affect the other? Agreed?"

Uhura touched her two fingers with his and smiled. "Agreed."

"Now is there anything else you want to confess?" he asked?

She shook her head. "No, that's it. And how about you, Adun? Do you have any more secrets?"

Spock did not say a word, but Uhura felt him tense up beside her. He looked as if he had been caught in his own trap. "Okay. Start talking Mister!" she commanded, and he did.

Notes:

I love writing dialogue and I just can't help but write about these two in their verbal sparring. But all good things must come to an end, and I think this is the last chapter of their domestic bliss for a while.

Chapter 66: Angry Young Man

Summary:

Spock doesn't "like" anyone, but he really doesn't like Kevin Riley.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

 

*/*/*

Everyone thought Lieutenant Kevin Riley was the luckiest man on the Enterprise because he was dating one of the most beautiful women on the ship, Lieutenant Uhura. She was the finest thing on two legs aboard the ship according to a lot of the men and some women too. Not only was she gorgeous, but she was smart, talented, and friendly; the total package. So what was she doing with a guy like Kevin Riley a lot of people wanted to know? There was no way Riley was hitting that!

When Riley and his friends got together to hang out or have drinks, inevitably the conversation would end up on relationships and sex. Riley would smile and joke along with the guys and gossip about their dating life, but deep down inside he was not happy at all. Sure he was dating one of the prettiest girls aboard the Enterprise, but he was not hitting anything except the bottle of gin he was nursing at the ship's only pub.

Uhura was a beautiful and sweet girl, but she was not at all what he thought she would be like as a girlfriend. She was very hands-off and haughty. She liked to flirt and tease him but she was also gentle and caring too. When the water intoxication incident occurred and everyone on the ship turned against him, Uhura stood by his side and fiercely defended him against any detractors. That was just the kind of girl she was.

And damn she had a beautiful body! But she didn't know how to use it or rather she refused to use it on him. Basically, she was all looks and no action. Uhura was a good girl and that was just too bad.

Riley laughed to himself as he downed another shot, but deep down inside he was seething with resentment that his girlfriend would not even touch him or allow him to touch her other than to hold her hand. Sure she had kissed him on several occasions, but whenever he tried to move things further along, she backed away or found some excuse to stop. He didn't even know why he bothered with her. There were plenty of other women on the ship who were also pretty and he was willing to bet more willing and able to fulfill his needs.

Someone across the room shouted loudly, "Hey Riley! Sing us a song? One more time!" and the group raised a glass to toast him.

Riley jumped from his seat and ran across the room to dish out some justice for himself. He didn't know who said it, but it didn't matter. He was going to settle it once and for all. Maybe Uhura wasn't letting him 'hit it' but he was going to hit somebody tonight.

When Spock entered the ship's pub, a rare sight greeted him. There was a full-on melee going on between several officers, and Lieutenant Riley was in the thick of it all.

Someone must have called for security already because shortly after Spock's arrival the ship's security team swarmed in to subdue everyone. Spock did what he could to help by giving the fighters nearest him the neck pinch that knocked them out peacefully.

When the guards finally got the fight under control, Spock ordered the perpetrators to line up and stand at attention. He took a moment to stare at each and every one of his wayward officers. They looked a sight. The Captain would be disappointed if he saw his crew behaving in such a manner. Luckily Captain Kirk was on an away mission while Spock was 'minding the store' as Kirk often phrased it.

"Alright, gentleman. Who is responsible for this altercation?" he requested in his sternest voice.

No one stepped forward or volunteered a response. He looked down the line of men and women in their torn uniforms with their bruised and scratched faces. Some were wiping blood from their lips and noses.

"No one is going to be dismissed until I know who is responsible for this. And I can assure you I am capable of standing here all night. My patience is long and I do not require sleep."

Still, no one came forward. Spock knew humans well. Even in his academy days, there was the saying "snitches get stitches". He understood the desire to protect a fellow officer even one who had started a fight. But he was counting on his infinite patience and their self-preservation to win the day.

As the time ticked by and the maintenance crew arrived to put the pub back to rights, he could tell that some of the crewmen were starting to crack. It didn't take telepathy to know that they just wanted to go somewhere and lick their wounds. He rarely lowed his mental shields while on duty for fear of inadvertently picking up stray thoughts, but on this occasion, he made an exception and lowered them just enough to get a sense of who might crack first.

There were some sniffles from the female crew members, but he sensed they were more angry than hurt, and none of them were likely to have started the brawl with the more angry males. There was a lot more resentment coming from the men. Some were simply in pain and ready to be released to the sickbay, but some had revenge on their minds. They had not caused the fight but were just willing participants. It was just a joke, can't people take a joke anymore? Spock picked up the stray thoughts.

Spock also sensed a deep-seated resentment emanating from the end of the row, and his eyes fell upon Lieutenant Riley. Riley stared back at Spock with eyes ablaze and defiant. Spock instantly knew who his culprit was, but he didn't like to use his skills unfairly. He wanted his crew to trust him and obey his orders.

"If I do not get a confession, I will have to put all of you on report with the Captain and revoke your next shore leave," he said as an incentive for cooperation.

There were grumbles at this announcement. The Enterprise was scheduled to arrive at Wrigley's pleasure planet in a few days. Soon the eyes of the disheveled crew turned to the end of the row and toward Lt. Riley. They didn't say a word. They didn't have to as everyone in the pub looked at Riley. Spock nodded.

"Everyone except Lieutenant Riley is dismissed. Report to the sick bay and have Dr. McCoy check your injuries. Security, please see that your fellow crewmen arrive safely and without further incident?"

The red shirts gathered around the ragtag crew and escorted them to the nearest turbo lift.

"Mr. Riley, come with me please," Spock said turning his back in total confidence that Riley would follow. When he reached the pub door, he did not hesitate to exit and headed for a lift in the opposite direction from sickbay. Riley followed behind him like a wounded pup.

Spock had neglected to shield himself again and before he could do so he was hit with a wave of strong emotion from Riley. This was Uhura's fault. She was the reason he was a laughingstock of the ship! She owed him. Tonight she was going to pay up. When she saw his bruised and battered face, she would go out of her way to take care of him and nurse his wounds. He would ask her to spend the night in his cabin and when she did...

Back in his own office, Spock took a seat at his desk while Riley stood at attention.

Hearing Riley's stray thoughts about Uhura caused Spock's blood to boil in anger. He hadn't felt like this since he was a boy and his classmates were teasing him about being different. Back then he didn't have the discipline to control his quick temper and he was often caught in scraps with his classmates. In this regard, he and Riley were alike. He had often been the one to initiate a physical altercation after being goaded. However, unlike Riley Spock has learned to control his emotions before joining the Academy.

Spock always hated himself after he had calmed down from a fight and realized he had played right into his bullies' devious hands. All his life it had been that way while he lived on Vulcan. He thought if he tried living with his mother's people, it would be different, but it was even worse. On Vulcan, he was too human; on Earth, he was too Vulcan. His parents had told him he was free to choose his own path and decide his own identity, yet they constantly pulled him in opposite directions. In trying to please both parents he ended up disappointing both instead. It was this identity crisis that pushed Spock to decline the invitation from the Vulcan Science Academy and attend the Starfleet Academy on Earth instead.

But whereas on Vulcan he had his parents and clan members to rely upon for companionship, on Earth he was on his own. His first few weeks on his mother's homeworld had been a difficult change for his fragile self-esteem and his tenuous command of his emotions. His one saving grace had been meeting his mother's sister. Amanda's sister had welcomed him into her home once Amanda had contacted her and let her know that her nephew was on Earth alone.

Spock had not intended to meet or speak to his mother's family because as far as he knew Amanda and her parents were estranged. Spock knew his mother had a sister, but he was unaware that they still spoke to one another regularly. Back then Spock was an angry and isolated young man. He often ignored messages from his mother and his aunt. He declined invitations to join his aunt for dinners and preferred to stay on campus and study alone. Otherwise, he spent his days off traveling around the globe visiting the major major tourist attractions and landmarks.

It had taken Spock a long time to come to terms with himself. That he was a part of this green wet world just as much as he was a part of the arid planet of his father's people. Eventually, he came to think of the Earth as his second home, though he would never admit that aloud to anyone, not even his mother.

It took a while, but Spock had learned how to bend, how to compromise just enough to navigate the barrage of human emotions he had surrounded himself with while living among them. He allowed himself to meet new people and make friends with his fellow students. Ironically, it was among his mother's people that he finally learned to control his Vulcan emotions fully. The angry young Vulcan had grown up to be a calm Vulcan man.

Spock sat at his desk thinking of these memories as he practiced the skills taught to him by his father in order to get his emotions back under control once more. He did not dare speak to Riley until he could do so without revealing his anger.

He did not want to lash out at Riley in a rage as he often did when he was a child. And he could only discipline Riley for the pub fight, not his wayward and offensive thoughts about Uhura. He had no right to defend her honor, as she was not his woman. And he could never act on nor acknowledge information he had gained from another's private thoughts. That was why he must remain disciplined. That was why he had to maintain control and shield his mind from others at all times.

"Mr. Riley, do you care to explain what happened in the pub?"

Riley scowled. "Why do you assume I started it?"

"I did not say that you did. I merely asked you to explain what happened."

"I was minding my own business when someone across the room shouted at me and I took offense," Riley said sitting across from Spock with his chin poked out and arms crossed defensively.

"I see. What did they shout that would cause such a lapse in judgment?" Spock asked.

"You wouldn't understand, Mr. Spock, but ever since I barricaded myself in the engine room and stopped the engines, the crew have harassed me. They do it in the guise of jokes, but I don't find it funny! I'm the laughingstock of this ship! And why? Everyone went a little crazy that day. I am not the only one. But I'm the only one who cannot live it down."

Spock nodded. He knew about the heckling that Riley received, and he did not tolerate it in his presence. He didn't particularly feel any empathy for Kevin Riley, though. Most of the issues he faced were self-inflicted because of poor choices. However, regardless of his thoughts on Riley, Spock had a duty to the ship as the first officer and he had a crewman to deal with. He needed a solution that would be fair and advantageous to all parties involved.

"Mr. Riley, I think I have a logical solution to all of your problems." Spock made Riley an offer he would be a fool to refuse.

Notes:

I threw this extra chapter in here too since Riley might come up again in the future. Plus, it kinda fits in with secrets and lies. I haven't decided if Spock confessed to this one or not?

Chapter 67: A Bit Rough

Summary:

One more chapter of domesticity from our favorite couple and more stress for our favorite captain.

Chapter Text

*/*/*

"Mmm, Captain we are receiving a transmission from Starfleet command on a priority channel, audio-only."

"What is it M'Ress?"

"New orders Captain. We have been instructed to divert to Betazed immediately."

"What? On whose authority?" Kirk asked.

M'Ress asked for further clarity and responded with a silky voice, "The directive comes directly from Admiral Komack, Sir."

"Komack!" the Captain asked. "Why the devil..."

"That is all they will say, Captain. We are to continue on to Betazed and remain in radio silence. When we arrive at Betazed we will receive new orders."

"Don't they know we are on a mission of grave medical importance and time is of the essence?" Kirk demanded.

"They broke transmission and do not answer, Captain," M'Ress informed him.

"What in the devil is Komack up to now?" Kirk wondered to himself. He didn't have any way to file a formal protest, he was ordered to maintain radio silence, and he was already on thin ice with the admiral since their last encounter on Vulcan.

"Helm set a course to Betazed at fastest possible speed."

"Aye captain!"

Now he had to break the news to the happy couple that they would not be returning to Vulcan anytime soon. But first, he needed to talk to Bones. He was starting to wonder if they were trapped in another dimension, one in which their journey to Vulcan was delayed forever.

*/*/*

Spock routinely shaves his facial hair precisely every 24 standard hours and has done so since the day his mother kissed his cheek and remarked that "her little boy was growing scruffy". Most Vulcans would not have bothered with such a vain and time-consuming routine, however, his father and their clan were one of the rare, more hirsute lines of Vulcans. Sarek took it upon himself to groom his facial hair for conformity's sake, and so Spock had followed suit. Though it was highly illogical, Spock had always followed his father's example when he was young. And when he entered Starfleet Academy, being cleanly shaven was a requirement for first-year cadets, so he continued the practice even when he wanted nothing more to do with his father.

Many years after his mother's observation, he still practiced this morning ritual, even though regulations regarding personal grooming habits were more relaxed for officers of his rank. So Spock had been clean-shaven his entire adult life.

Now that he shared his quarters with Nyota, he found the practice of shaving to be ever more time-consuming and tedious. Not because he had more hair, but because he had a woman in his life now. Nyota also had to share his bathing facilities and his allotted time in the said facility was growing shorter and shorter. This morning Nyota had invaded his private grooming time by shoving the door open and peeking her head inside.

"Almost done sugar?" she asked sweetly.

"I've yet to complete my ablutions," he told her.

"Are you shaving?" she made a frowning face.

"Yes, I do so every day as you well know."

"Yes, I know. But do you know, you could skip it once in a while? You are off duty, and I think you'd look very handsome with a rakish bit of scruff."

"I don't believe Starfleet would appreciate a ship's first officer looking 'rakish'."

"Oh, I don't know. I liked that devilish goatee you had on the ISS Enterprise. It was badass." She grinned.

"That was not me on the ISS Enterprise, and I prefer to be clean-shaven."

"How do you know you prefer it if you've never been anything else?" She stepped fully inside the bath suite and pressed herself beside him at the mirror. "I mean, you are so handsome already, but a change might suit you just as well." She reached up to stroke his freshly shaved cheek. "Besides, you know I like it a bit rough."

Spock stopped what he was doing to look down into her sweetly upturned face. "I am not sure how I should take that remark."

"You take it however you want it," she said, grinning seductively now.

"You are incorrigible," he said turning back to his task.

"Are you blushing, Adun?" she teased him.

"Vulcans do not blush," he informed her in a tone that said she should know better.

Uhura rolled her eyes. If she had a credit for all the things Vulcans did not do... "Oh, they don't? How do you know this? Is this something that Sarek told you or do you have empirical evidence of the phenomenon? Because I've seen you, with my own two eyes, blush at least a dozen times in my presence. Now being one of those times."

Spock stopped what he was doing to address this affront. "You may have seen me, when suffering from an illness, show the symptoms of flushed skin caused by fever. However, I would say I do not blush when confronted with social embarrassment or discomfort."

"Like now?" she asked.

"I am not embarrassed. If I am flushed, it is because it is rather warm in this room with both of us in such a confined space."

"Mmm-hmm, this room temperature is considered mild for Africa and it would be downright chilly for the average Vulcan," she pointed out.

"I am not your average Vulcan."

"No, you are not, lucky for me." She reached up and kissed his cleanly shaven cheek. "I'm glad I have such an effect on you, anyway. I won't tell you the effect you have on me." She pressed her body against his.

"I believe I already know," Spock said continuing to shave.

"Have you already showered?"

"I have."

Uhura pouted. "Why didn't you wait for me to join you?"

"Because I want you to rest and I didn't want to disturb you."

"I wish I could go back to work. What's taking us so long to get to Betazed now?"

"We're making good time. We had to answer a distress call yesterday that took us quite a bit off course but we are back on the correct heading now."

"I miss knowing what's happening up on the bridge. I never realized how uninformed you become when you're considered non-essential personnel."

"There is nothing non-essential about you, Lieutenant. You are merely on an extended leave. You'll be back on duty in no time. However, in the meantime, I suggest you enjoy this brief respite."

"Hmm, I'd enjoy it a lot more if you could join me in a brief respite," she smiled seductively.

Spock shook his head. As much as he appreciated his wife's attention, she was starting to worry him. She was not her usual energetic self, and he was beginning to think their confinement was taking an unusual toll on Nyota's health. Healthy libido aside, Nyota didn't do more than sit around reading journals, watching vids, and sleeping. That was not like her at all.

"Nyota, why don't you go back to bed and rest a while longer? I want to talk to Doctor McCoy about my prognosis and treatment once more before we get to Betazed, and when I return you will be fully rested."

"I'm okay. I think I'll try to get some work done."

"No," he said hastily. "I would prefer it if you rest. You and I must still go to Vulcan. When we get there, you'll need all your stamina to deal with the harsh climate."

"I need all my stamina to deal with you anyway," she joked. "But okay, I'll go back to bed. Your wish is my command." Uhura stumbled back to their bed and lay down. Her eyes were closed as soon as her head touched the pillow.

Spock found the covering he had procured just for her and placed it over her as she napped. "My wish is simply for you to be well. Aduna."

Uhura said with a sleepy voice, "That's what I want for you too. I want us both to finally be okay." Then she drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 68: Inconvenient Truths

Summary:

"I'm all alone
xitim kowl solo
I'm all alone
oui mi sif kawl solo"

Belter Song, The Expanse

I wish I could post a link to this song on YouTube. This song is so sad but I imagine Kirk listening to it as he sits alone in his cabin at night thinking about his bleak future.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

 

*/*/*

Captain James T. Kirk was a simple man. He had wanted to be in the space force and join Starfleet since he was a young boy when he and his brother were rescued by a starship from the Tarsus IV colony.

The scrawny kid who had nearly starved to death had worked hard, studied every book he could get about Starfleet, exercised daily, and trained in self-defense to achieve one goal. With the help of some friends of his father, he made it into the academy on his first attempt.

He didn't stop once he got into the academy, either. He was always at or near the top of his classes and during those early days, if you saw James Kirk on the campus you saw him with a DataPadd in his hand, studying in the library, or somewhere practicing. He had forsaken all the partying and wild antics that went along with being an upperclassman at the academy and instead took internships every chance he got. That was how he got assigned to the best ships. That was how he became the youngest captain in the fleet.

He had sacrificed everything so that he could travel among the stars, and explore strange worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations, and go where no one human had ever gone before. He did not do all that just to be a glorified ferry captain shuttling spoiled diplomats to conferences, delivering vaccines to stranded outposts, and most especially escorting two of his sick crewmen to Vulcan for an antidote.

Though he cared about Spock deeply, this wasn't a job for a starship. He wasn't running an ambulance service or a medical ship. He was a starship captain, damn it! He slapped his hand on the armrest of his chair and then caught himself. He needed to remain calm. They didn't know what set off Spock's empathic incidents, and he was taking no chances, especially since Spock had always been so in sync with him.

He spun his chair around to the back of the bridge. His first officer and head of communications were missing from their post, and in their place were Lieutenant Arex and Lieutenant M'Ress. Fine officers in their own right, but not his top officers, not his friends.

Somehow things had ended up just as he had feared. The fear that he would lose Spock and Uhura to their relationship had come to fruition. Bones had tried to tell him that all this was just temporary while they were ill, but Kirk knew better. Even when Spock and Uhura were cured, things would never be the same. Things hadn't been the same since their bonding on Vulcan. Things would only get worse as far as Kirk was concerned. The five-year mission was almost over and the ship would be drydocked for repairs and upgrades in just a few months. In that time, who knew what would happen next?

Already nearly half the crew that had started out with him when he took command of the Enterprise had changed. Some crew had been promoted or transferred off ship, some had married and retired from service to start families, and of course, some had perished during one misfortunate event or the other. Life on a starship was constantly changing, but during the five years on this deep space mission, Kirk's one constant was his main bridge crew comprising Uhura, Spock, and Sulu. And of course, his best friend and chief medical officer Bones had been there from the start as well. But Kirk had an eerie feeling that when the ship docked and the gang took their leave, they would go their separate ways forever. That feeling of foreboding, of dying all by himself in the vastness of space just wouldn't leave him alone.

And the premonition was coming true even before the mission ended with his two officers out of commission. Kirk jumped from his seat. "Mr. Sulu, take over. I'm heading down to sickbay."

"Aye Captain." Sulu's rich baritone voice responded, and the rest of the bridge crew went about their duties without remark.

Kirk headed for the lift while Sulu took the chair. As the lift doors closed Kirk couldn't help but think that Sulu actually looked good in the seat of command. No doubt Sulu would be a captain in his own right one day soon. It was just a matter of time before he lost another excellent officer.

*/*/*

"Well, well, well, look who it is. Are you haunting the sickbay or something? I usually have to trick you to come down for a physical and now you're in here practically every day," Bones said when he spotted Jim entering his office.

Kirk plopped down in the seat across from McCoy's desk. "Bones, you say you can cure a rainy day but what have you got for the blues?" he asked, only half-joking.

"The blues?" McCoy's eyebrows rose high on his forehead. "Jim, in all the years I've known you, I don't think I've ever heard you say you were blue or depressed. Oh, sure I've seen you grieve for the loss of your family, I've seen you self-doubt when a crew member was killed, and I've even seen you angry and obsessed with something but I've never seen you truly sad. What's wrong?" Bones asked with genuine concern. "No, never mind, let me guess. Spock and Uhura?"

"You guessed it in one, Bones." Jim let out an exhausted sigh.

"Jim, what is going on with you lately? I already told you they will be A-OK once we get Spock the antidote."

"Are you sure Bones? What about Uhura? Are you sure the virus is the cause of all this drama with her too? Am I being foolish to worry? Or could it be that Spock is projecting his emotions onto me right now?"

"Jim, you know I can't tell you that. There is no way to know what emotions Spock is feeling, when he's feeling them, or if he is projecting them onto others. And you know Spock has no control over this virus, it's not his fault. All we can do is hope they will both be fine once Spock has the treatment. He just got sick, Jim. People get sick, even Vulcans."

"Bones, they didn't just get sick. They got sick on my watch. This happened because they got married to each other. I should have never let it happen." Kirk said for the dozenth time. He was beginning to sound like a broken record tape to McCoy.

"Jim, I've told you already. You had no control over who Spock married. He had to marry, and who he married was his own choice."

"Was it, Bones? Spock was not in his right mind when he took Uhura from the ship, and I'm starting to think she wasn't in her right mind when she agreed to marry him. A contract made under duress can be challenged in court," Jim said, thinking out loud.

"What court? Jim, you're talking crazy. Uhura decided for herself and you were there. Besides, those two have been flirting with each other for years. I remember when Spock was possessed by that Medusan Ambassador, Kollos. Remember how he started reciting poetry to Uhura, I should have guessed then what was up with him. Jim, you couldn't have stopped them from marrying if you tried. And if you had tried, we might not be having this conversation with you in one piece."

"Well, I didn't try. I actually encouraged them, and now look." Kirk said in frustration.

"Jim, if you had interfered, you would have lost Spock anyway. He had to marry or he would have died."

"We could have fought again, Bones. Or why couldn't Spock's parents find him somebody else like T'Pring? A nice Vulcan girl he could bring along with him back to the ship. Or better yet, leave her on Vulcan and visit her when he needed to? Why did he have to kidnap Uhura!"

"Jim, what the hell are you talking about?" McCoy sounded completely scandalized by what the Captain was saying. "Nyota doesn't belong to you and neither does Spock. They are your friends, and they are in trouble right now. You should be focusing on how we can help them instead of feeling sorry for yourself."

Kirk calmed down and even managed to look both sad and chastened at the same time, which caused McCoy to soften his position. "Look, Jim. I think I understand where you are coming from. You've lost your family, and you have spent most of your life in service to Starfleet. These people, the crew you work with day in and day out, become your family and you don't want to lose them. I get it. I joined Starfleet for much the same reason as you, I think. It was the only choice left after I lost my wife. I didn't have anywhere to go and no one to care for back on Earth. So I joined up." McCoy said with a wistful smile.

"Imagine a guy like me, an old country doctor afraid of the transporter and prone to space sickness volunteering to join a starship. But it was the best decision I could have made. I have made some wonderful lifelong friends, I've made scientific discoveries I never would have dreamed of back on Earth, I've seen things I'll never be able to even describe to anyone besides the crewmen who were with me when I saw it. By god, I've lived! And if I should die tomorrow, I'll have few regrets."

"Few regrets, not no regrets?" Jim asked, intrigued by Bones' story.

"I'll regret it if I don't see my daughter again. And I'd like to see Natira again and figure out if there is anything left between us," he said softly.

Jim didn't say anything more after that. He and Bones shared a few drinks in silence, and then he left to return to his quarters. His visit to the good doctor actually made his mood worse. Bones may not have realized it, but he just rubbed it in Jim's face that he has someone out there waiting for him. He had a daughter and a young wife that he could reconnect with when the mission was over, while Kirk had nothing and no one waiting for him.

It looked like his worst fear would come to pass. He really was going to die all alone in space.

Notes:

I could never find a definitive answer on how Kirk's parents died, so I assume they died at the hands of Kodos the Executioner. Since my story is based mostly on TOS and The Animated Series which never mentions his parents, my guess is as good as any.

Chapter 69: The cure is worse than the disease

Summary:

Spock is cured but his troubles are only just beginning.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

 

*/*/*

The Enterprise may have been diverted to Betazed instead of Vulcan but at last, they finally arrived at a destination! Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy were on the bridge of the Enterprise when they made their first contact with the planet and its representatives.

"Captain, may we ask that only the patient beam down to our facilities?" The head neuroscientist from Betazed's most prestigious hospital asked. Kirk had not met a Betazoid before, but he was not surprised to see that the doctor looked like an ordinary humanoid male in his late twenties or early thirties.

"May I ask why, Doctor?" Kirks said.

"As you know, we Betazoids are a telepathic race. Though we can communicate verbally as I am with you, many choose not to. I worry your crew may be uncomfortable with our silent method of communicating, unless... Do you have other telepaths among your crew?" the doctor asked expectantly.

"Doctor, we have contacted telepaths before. I'm sure communication will be no problem." Kirk reassured him.

"With all due respect Captain, we have had incidents with humans before. This request will prevent any further problems."

"Doctor, if you will forgive me, I do not feel comfortable sending a sick crewman to the planet surface unaccompanied. If there should be some emergency..." Kirk stopped talking when it became apparent the doctor was no longer listening.

The doctor was silent for a long moment and his eyes were unfocused. Jim had the feeling he was silently communicating with someone off-screen. Finally, the doctor nodded. "We understand Captain. The patient may beam down with ONE companion. Betazed out."

Kirk turned to confer with McCoy. "Well, what do you make of that, Bones?"

"I don't make anything of it. They seem to think their telepathy will creep us out, and to be honest Jim I don't disagree. It was obvious the doctor was using telepathy while talking to you. And having had Spock in my head before, I can tell you it was not a pleasant experience."

"But that was not OUR Spock. And it was a mind-meld, not simple telepathy. Do you think they are hiding something?" Kirk asked with a worried frown.

"Like what Jim? We're here for humanitarian aid, this isn't an official diplomatic visit."

"I don't know Bones. You're the expert on these people, you tell me. Are they friend or foe?"

"I don't know anything more than you do, and that is just what was available in the ship's records. They are an associate member of the federation, they are one of the KNOWN telepathic races along with Argelians and Medusans, and they are one of the more um... shall we say the more liberal-minded societies. I hear their weddings are even more exciting than a Vulcan one." Bones smiled broadly.

"I don't care about their weddings Bones. I want to know if it's safe for Spock to beam down there alone?"

"Jim, they are the only people who have the antidote, and they understand this virus far better than I do. From the medical documentation they sent over, Spock needs to be examined telepathically by one of their neuro specialists. Now, I can administer the antidote, but I cannot give him the scans he needs to make sure it's working. We just don't have the equipment on the ship or the experience. He needs to beam down."

"If that's your medical opinion, then I can't help but comply. I'll go with him," Kirk decided.

"No Jim, I think I better go. I'm his doctor after all, and this is a chance for me to learn all I can about telepaths and the diseases they are susceptible to. You never know when it may be needed again in the future."

"I don't like this, Bones. What if something goes wrong?"

"What if it does? Are you going to perform neurosurgery?" Bones asked. "Look, I know you want to go with Spock, but be logical Jim. He's sick, and if only one of us can go then it should be the one who can keep an eye on things medically."

Jim looked defeated but he agreed. "Okay Bones, I trust your judgment. When can you beam down?"

"Just as soon as the patient can get to the transporter. I'll collect some equipment and meet him there."

*/*/*

When Spock and Dr. McCoy beamed down to Betazed the medical staff and the Betazed Ambassador to the Federation greeted them with standard verbal communication, apparently for McCoy's benefit. The Chief Medical Officer of the facility offered to give McCoy a tour, and answer any questions about the procedure he may have while a neuro specialist administered the antidote to Spock. And then they would allow McCoy to observe the neuro exam, though they warned him there would be little for him to see that he would understand.

Once Spock was alone in the exam room, the doctors had done nothing but speak to him telepathically. It was an unusual experience. Though he was no stranger to telepathy, Spock had little occasion to practice it. The way the Betazoids casually spoke to him in his mind, as if he was just another Betazoid patient not an alien with different biology, beliefs, and abilities fascinated him. He didn't know why, but he felt at peace. Like he was at home and it wasn't long before he was totally relaxed.

"Mr. Spock?" a gentle voice spoke to his mind.

"Yes?" he answered the telepathic inquiry.

"How do you find living among humans?" He felt that the question was coming from the physician operating the scanners.

"I find it is challenging sometimes, but mostly there is no issue. I am also half-human myself."

"I see. You seem very much like the Vulcans I've met previously."

"Have you had many Vulcan patients?" Spock wondered.

"We have had some Vulcan visitors, mostly diplomats, and fellow medical scholars," his doctor smiled. "I think we disturbed them with our openness. But you seem to take everything all in stride."

"Vulcans can be reserved upon meeting, but I am grateful for your generosity and willingness to provide the antidote for my illness."

"We are grateful to you as well. Starfleet keeps this sector of space free of conflict. It is a mutual benefit being part of the Federation."

"Agreed," Spock said.

"Tell me, Mr. Spock, how does Starfleet treat you?" the doctor asked.

"I don't understand the question. Can you specify what you mean?"

"Well, I've been thinking of joining Starfleet, but my parents are against it. They think Starfleet would be unwelcoming to a Betazoid. They think humans and other non-telepathic races are biased against us. How do you fare?"

"Ah, I see. I am the only Vulcan assigned to my ship, and that is a difficult situation. I have no other Vulcans to converse with or practice cultural ceremonies or remembrances with. To use a human phrase, it can be lonely. However, I am also human and I find it sufficient to commiserate with them."

"Yes, but what about being a telepath? Do most humans find you frightening? Disturbing? Invasive?"

"I do not practice telepathy with anyone on the Enterprise except my wife. In fact, very few know that I have telepathic abilities."

"Oh, so you've concealed it?" The doctor nodded in understanding. "Just as I suspected."

"Do not misunderstand. I do not know of any open prejudice to telepathic races within Starfleet or the Federation."

"Open prejudice? Mr. Spock, Vulcan is one of the very few telepathic races in the Federation, and you one of the few in Starfleet. Surely you would know the situation for us better than anyone?"

"I do not identify as a telepath," Spock confessed.

"Why is that Mr. Spock?" a fresh voice entered his head. He recognized it as the Betazed Ambassador he met earlier.

"Sir," Spock said, acknowledging the new participant. "I do not think of myself as a telepath, though I do possess some psi ability"

"Only some? You seem like a normal telepath to me. My colleagues tell me your psi rating would put you at the upper percentile even for a Betazoid."

Spock didn't answer. Was this a medical exam or an interrogation?

"Humans seem very uncomfortable with psi abilities," The Ambassador took a different tack, "how does your wife feel about yours?"

Spock became alert and tense at the mention of his wife. "She has no issue with my abilities or lack thereof."

The doctor and ambassador nodded. Were they discussing him even now? Apparently, his psi ability was not strong enough to sense any personal conversation between them.

"I see," The Ambassador continued, "so she is aware of your skills and is not put off?"

"No."

"Do you think other humans are as understanding as your wife?"

"I believe they are. My Captain knows of my abilities as well and he has no issue. We Vulcans believe in infinite diversity in infinite combinations. I believe the Federation and Starfleet will welcome Betazed into our union as a valued member."

"Let us hope so, Mr. Spock. And I suppose I should put your mind at ease. Though most Betazoids are telepathic, not all of our citizens are as skilled in shielding their thoughts from others as you are. We are a very open society used to other telepaths. I thought it best to limit human exposure to us until our people can become better acquainted, and we learn not to invade your privacy with our probing.

"And my son here" The ambassador pointed to the doctor attending Spock and grinned, "he wants to marry a human. I had to be sure... And Vulcans are known for their truthfulness. I hope you understand?"

"That is quite understandable, Sir. Humans are open to new experiences and will willingly seek them out, but they are by and large psi null and are protective of their private thoughts. They would consider it a grave violation for someone to read their minds without prior consent, but with consent all is possible."

The Ambassador nodded. "I see. And you have no such concern with us, do you?"

"As you stated, I can detect your telepathy and shield my mind from you," Spock said, letting the ambassador know he was aware of his attempt to probe his mind.

The Ambassador laughed. "Good! Just as I suspected. Mr. Spock, my people welcome you to Betazed and my son will administer the antiviral to you immediately. I am sure you would like to resume your life without the hassle of this pesky illness?"

Spock agreed.

"By the way, I was surprised to learn that a member of a Federation starship had contracted Zanthi Fever. It is usually contracted by our middle-aged females. Unfortunately, the virus mutates quickly so there has not been a successful vaccine available. Perhaps with the combined knowledge of the federation's medical facilities, we can finally eliminate it."

"Indeed, one can hope," Spock said.

"Father, I think you should leave my patient alone now. He has answered your questions, and more gracefully than I would have in his place." The doctor inserted himself into the conversation again.

"Yes, I'll leave you to it." The Ambassador departed, and the doctor administered the antidote.

"Mr. Spock, thank you for answering our questions. I apologize for the pretense."

"It was enlightening," Spock said.

"How so?"

"Your father loves you very much, and he risked his career to question me on your behalf."

"How do you know that?"

"Though the ambassador was unsuccessful in probing my mind, I was not unsuccessful in probing his," Spock said.

The doctor erupted into laughter. "How do you like that! That will teach him to mind his own business," the doctor said.

"I highly doubt that," Spock said, causing the doctor to laugh even harder.

*/*/*

"Well, how do you feel, Spock?" McCoy asked when he was allowed to visit Spock who was now resting in a private waiting room.

"I did not feel ill before. My physical condition has not changed."

"Good. Good. They tell me your viral count is next to zero and your neuro scans look good. I didn't understand the scans, but I transferred them to your healers on Vulcan and they are looking them over now. Once they give the all-clear you're free to go."

"That is welcome news. I find it tiring to converse with the Betazoids and constantly shield my mind from their relentless probing."

"Probing? What do you mean?" McCoy asked.

"Betazoids are not just telepathic, but they are also empathic. They are constantly probing my mind trying to read my 'feelings'." Spock explained.

"Well, they could have asked me about your feelings. I would have told them not to bother. You don't have any," McCoy joked.

"Doctor. I find your attempt at humor tiring as well."

"Is that so? Are you sure you feel alright, Spock?"

Spock quirked a brow at the good doctor for his word choice. "You know what I mean. Are you in ship shape?" McCoy rephrased the question.

"I am fine. What is the delay?" Spock said, sounding irritated, which concerned McCoy.

"I don't know. Vulcan should have approved those scans by now." McCoy opened his communicator and called the ship. "Enterprise. What's the word on those scans? Are we free to go? Enterprise? Come in, Enterprise?"

The door to Spock's room burst open and a federation security team entered, accompanied by someone Spock recognized. Lieutenant Westervelt, Komack's assistant.

"They will not answer you, Doctor. They would not be able to assist you if they could. They've been ordered to stand down and I have a warrant for Mr. Spock's arrest."

"Arrest! For what?" McCoy demanded.

"Abduction, assault, illegal commandeering of a Starfleet vessel. I'm sure we'll find more charges in the course of our investigation."

"What in the blazes is going on? What investigation?" McCoy asked while trying to block their view of Spock in his bed.

"Do not interfere Doctor." Westervelt turned to the guards and then pointed to Spock. "Gentlemen, arrest that man!"

Notes:

I think there is only one more chapter left to go. We'll see how things end for our favorite ship and crew.

Chapter 70: Where is Spock?

Summary:

This story is taking a turn I didn't expect so it's not over yet. Let's see where it goes.

Chapter Text

Dr. McCoy beamed aboard the Enterprise alone and his heart nearly broke when he saw the faces of both Uhura and Jim, who were anxiously waiting for Spock's return in the transporter room. He knew how much both of them loved Spock, and it was going to be hard telling them he had left Spock alone in the hands of Starfleet goons.

"Dr. McCoy, what the hell happened down there?" Jim demanded before he could even step off the transporter pad.

"Doctor, where is Spock?" Uhura asked with a trembling voice.

Shit! Of course, they didn't know anything. They probably thought Spock was... "Now don't you two go thinking the worst. Spock is ok, for now anyway." He tried to reassure them.

"For now? What does that mean!" Jim asked.

McCoy looked around at the transporter crew, who was studiously pretending to not listen. "Not here. Let's go to my office, please Jim? You too Lieutenant Uhura. We need to talk."

Uhura looked to be frozen in place, so Kirk took her by the shoulders and lead her to the lift following McCoy's lead. He wondered what the hell was going on? Where was Spock? Why did Bones come back alone? Kirk looked down at Uhura. She was trembling in his arms. Bones better have a damn good explanation for coming back without Spock.

When they all marched into McCoy's office and settled down in the seats facing his desks, Bones went to his personal "medicine" cabinet and poured all of them a drink.

Uhura turned her nose up and pushed her glass away as if the smell made her sick. "Doctor, I don't need a drink. I need to know where my husband is. Where is Spock!" she demanded.

Jim had no such complaint about the drink presented to him and he downed it quickly, fearing he would need the liquid courage for what Bones would tell them.

McCoy downed his own drink as well, and then sat down to face his friends. "Ok, you two. I know I panicked you by coming back alone, but I had a good reason. First, Spock is alive and well. The antidote worked and he was fine when I left him."

Uhura deflated in her seat with relief, but Kirk was not satisfied by that answer. "Why did you leave him? Where the hell is he?" he shouted.

"He's somewhere down on Betazed in Starfleet custody."

"In custody? On whose authority? What the hell happened down there, Bones? Stop stalling and start talking?" Kirk demanded.

"Spock received the antidote, and the doctors assured us it cured him. We were just waiting for some brain scans from Vulcan to come back so they would medically clear him for release."

"And?" Jim asked with impatience.

"There was some kind of delay. They put him in a waiting room to rest and while we were talking, in walks one of Admiral Komacks's goons with a security force in tow.

"What!?"

"They arrested Spock and took him into custody," Bones said.

"Arrested for what crime. He couldn't have done anything illegal while being treated on Betazed." Jim said.

Bones looked at Uhura who hadn't uttered another word and just sat in her chair looking shocked. He didn't know how to break the news to her except to be straightforward. "They arrested him for the kidnapping and assault of Lieutenant Uhura, plus the unauthorized commandeering of a Starfleet vessel with more charges yet to come, I'm sure." Bones said.

"You've got to be kidding, Bones. That stuff happened months ago. I thought the Vulcans took care of it with the Federation? Why are they coming after Spock now?"

"That's a good question, Jim. I've told you all the information I could gather. I'm afraid the Betazed government is cooperating with Komack's people. They hustled me out of there as soon as the security team took Spock into custody."

"I knew something was fishy about this whole setup. Why divert us to Betazed in the first place? Komack must have planned this from the start. They never had any intentions of allowing us to reach Vulcan." Kirk said getting up and pacing back and forth in the small office space.

Uhura stood up too. "Where is my husband? I have a right to see him. Where is Spock!" she shouted.

Kirk stood next to her and took her into a firm embrace. "I don't know Lieutenant. I don't know, but I intend to find out."

*/*/*

Spock listened to the charges being read against him with his usual calm facade, but he was seething inside. He immediately knew that Admiral Komack was behind this arrest. It had been foolish to think that Komack would just forget about him after he left Vulcan. That Starfleet would just ignore the fact that he had kidnapped a fellow crewman and stolen a shuttle. But he had been so focused on his relationship with Nyota he had paid little attention to the political atmosphere in the federation and the factions behind the scenes that were actively working to undermine Vulcan and himself.

Komack was part of a group of Starfleet officers who thought Starfleet was the Earth's purview. Let other federation members build their own fleets, never mind that Starfleet was built from the combined resources of those federation planets that anti-alien groups hated.

Spock had no intentions of being the federations poster boy for diversity and inclusion, but he believed it would take people like him, non-humans joining the ranks of Starfleet, to wrestle the organization out of the hands of people like Komack who wanted Starfleet for humans only. Infinite diversity in infinite combinations was a philosophy the humans, and especially Komack needed to learn.

Those goals were all well and good, except for the fact that right now he was in the hands of Komack and his followers. He was not worried for himself, but what would they do to those who had helped him. Nyota, Jim, and Bones were in danger of falling victim to Komack and his witch hunt, especially Nyota. She had been named in the complaint. She would be their star witness. But there was no way in hell Nyota would testify against him, not willingly. But what would they do to her if she refused to comply?

The best defense for Nyota, Jim, and Leonard would be to cooperate with the prosecution and testify against him. It was the only logical way they could save their careers, and very possibly their lives. But Spock already knew they would refuse to cooperate. So he would have to help them make the logical decision, whether they liked it or not.

*/*/*

It took a lot of work and he had to call in every favor owed to him, but Kirk found out where Spock was. They had transported him on Komack's personal shuttle headed back to starbase 6, Komack's current home base. Komack had intended to hold an inquiry hearing there where he would preside as president of the court and no doubt unilaterally rule against Spock. But Jim could play the same games as Komack could.

With help from the Vulcan ambassador to the federation, they arranged for Spock to be held on relatively neutral territory, Starbase 11. It was a central port of call and there was always a large contingency of command rank officers available to serve as officers of the court. Whatever Komack was up to, he'd have to crawl out of his little rathole on starbase 6 and travel to Starbase 11 instead. Now if only they could get this phony inquiry out of the way before Komack made another move, they would be square.

The Enterprise would be arriving at Starbase 11 only a few hours after Spock's ship was scheduled to arrive. Captain Kirk still had a lot of work left to do in that time. He had a few more friends to reach out to and favors to promise, but by the time he saw Spock again, he wanted to have all the pieces in place to spring him from this trap. In the meantime, he hoped that Spock was sitting tight and waiting for the cavalry to arrive and rescue him. Most importantly, he hoped Spock was not planning some ridiculously elaborate plot that would only make matters worse.

Chapter 71: Plot? What Plot?

Summary:

Spock plots a ridiculous plan that only makes matters worse and Uhura is not happy.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The Enterprise arrived at Starbase 11 in good time, and Captain Kirk made it his first priority to visit Spock and enlighten him on the plans that were in motion to save him. He found Spock in his cell meditation and he wasted no time getting down to business.

"Good news Mr. Spock, I've found an excellent lawyer to represent you during your hearing."

"Captain, I am grateful for your continued support and help during this troublesome time. However, I do not require a lawyer because I waive my right to counsel. Furthermore, I have waived my rights to a hearing and have requested immediate court-martial. I intend to throw myself on the mercy of the court, and simply tell the truth and accept the consequences of my actions."

"Nonsense, Mr. Spock. This isn't going to be like your staged court-martial for the Talos incident on the Enterprise. This is real life and death we're talking about. There's nothing simple about the truth. I've been in your place, remember? I know what it feels like to have the full force of the Starfleet command barreling towards you at warp speed. Star fleet will pull out all the stops to convict you, for the so-called 'good of the service'."

"Captain, we both know that I am indeed guilty of the charges levied against me."

"It's not a matter of guilt. You're entitled to defend yourself against the charges, to present your side of the case. Your defense is not only a right, it's a necessity. Unlike me Spock, Star fleet cannot afford to give you a quick trial and brush you under the rug to maintain their image. You're one of the few non-humans in a high-ranking position. If they push you out without a fair trial, it will give Starfleet a black eye and look bad to the non-human federation members. So they'll be careful to make sure this looks legit. They will throw everything they can at you and they will be thorough to make sure the charges stick and remove any doubt that you're not fit to wear the uniform. We need to plant that doubt."

"Contrary to what you may think Spock, there were extenuating circumstances for your actions. You were ill and not of sound mind and body when you absconded to Vulcan. You may be guilty of the act but you're not responsible for the actions you are accused of while in that medical state."

"I beg to differ Jim. I am responsible for my actions both before and after the incident and must be held accountable for them. It is time I paid for my sins."

Kirk drew in a long-suffering breath. Spock was forever willing to sacrifice himself for the good of the many. "Don't argue with me, Mr. Spock. You're not a sinner. What happened was an unfortunate series of events, but nobody was harmed, and the potential punishment does not fit this particular crime. We have all done crazy things while under the influence of something or other."

"Captain, I appreciate the sentiment. I understand you are trying, in your own way, to help me. But we both know I am guilty, extenuating circumstances or not. I took Nyota and the shuttle illegally from this ship. I did bond with her unknowingly and without her consent. She had no choice but to marry me. I cannot let her be harmed by my actions."

"Spock that is not how it happened-"

"Starfleet cannot afford to look the other way every time I decide to commit mutiny and kidnapping. I am guilty twice over." Spock said.

"Spock, you're facing twenty years of hard labor on a penal colony if found guilty. You have to fight this!" Kirk tried to persuade his best friend.

"I am sure the guilty never believe their punishment fits their misdeed. I accept what I have done and am prepared to face the consequences."

"Well, I am not prepared to see you disgraced. I've hired you a defense attorney, and a brilliant one I might add." Kirk said stubbornly.

"Captain, I do not need a defense attorney," Spock said and then he changed his tone. "Jim, you have been a good friend, and you have proved your loyalty to me time and time again. It is my wish that you continue to be the exemplary commander that you have been to me. It has been an honor to serve you but I must inform you that I hereby resign my commission effective immediately."

"Absolutely not! I refuse to accept it." Kirk said, anger dripping off every word.

Spock calmly continued anyway. "You cannot refuse Captain. It is my right."

"Spock you can't do this. You're throwing in the towel before the first round is fought. We can beat this rap-"

"Captain, WE cannot do anything. I must face this so-called 'rap' alone. I refuse to involve my friends and family any further in my disgrace. I resign."

Kirk was so angry he was seeing red. Spock was just throwing his life away, the life that he and Bones and Sarek and T'Pau and Amanda and most especially Uhura, had sacrificed and fought for? He was just going to resign? Tuck tail and let Komack and his goons win? For the first time in his life Jim Kirk did something that went against every bit of training and self-control he had. He punched Spock in the face.

"You coward!" he yelled at Spock. Then he stormed out of the cell before he could do or say anything else he would regret.

Once Jim was gone and Spock was alone in his cell once more and rubbed his jaw. The punch did minimal damage to his flesh but the sentiment behind it was painful. He had hurt Jim badly, so he supposed it was only fair that Jim have his pound of flesh.

This was not what Spock wanted. He would gladly fight back against Komack and expose him and his cohorts, but this was the way it had to be. To protect those he cared for, he had to act alone and not wait for their consensus or approval. He hoped they would understand why he did what he did someday. For now, he had to endure their disappointment.

"One down, one to go," he thought as he sat on his bunk and awaited his fate.

*/*/*

Spock rose from his bunk when the cell door opened once again. Uhura marched in with murder on her mind. "You self-sacrificing son of a bitch!" Uhura hurled at Spock as soon as the door closed behind her in his holding cell. "What were you even thinking? Were you just going to let them take you away from me without a fight?"

"Nyota," Spock said her name as if it pained him. "I did not want you involved in my troubles."

"Didn't want me involved? Oh well, too damn bad. I'm involved, Mister. I'm involved up to my neck. I'm your wife, remember! I'm the woman you're accused of kidnapping and raping!"

Spock flinched at the intensity of her anger. "That is true. But remember very few people on the Enterprise or even in Starfleet are privy to the fact that we are bonded. I hope to keep it that way indefinitely."

All the anger from a moment ago had drained out of Uhura, leaving nothing but a hurt expression on her face. "What? Why? Are you ashamed of us? Of me?" she asked.

"Of course not Nyota. I could not be more pleased to be married to you. I only wish to protect you."

"I don't need you to protect me. In case you haven't noticed I'm a big girl and I'm not the one in the brig facing 20 years of hard labor!"

"Precisely. I want you to remain separate from this affair. I will stand in judgment for my crimes. Alone."

"Spock, you are not standing alone. You are my husband, of course, I will stand with you. We'll fight this together." She said, with some of the spark back in her voice.

"No," he said stubbornly.

"No? How dare you? How can you do this after all we've been through to be together?"

"Nyota, please understand. I do not want you tainted by my crimes. A trial will be invasive. They will investigate every aspect of my life. There is an element in Starfleet that is out to destroy Vulcan's image and turn sentiment within the Federation against us. And they are going to use me and this trial to do it. Everyone connected to me will be brought under fire to achieve that goal. The fewer people who know about you and about us, the better for you. When I am convicted, I want you to have nothing to do with it. I want you to continue your career and your life. I want you to be happy, and you cannot do that if you are tied to a criminal." Spock took a deep breath. "I want you to be free, therefore I release you from your bond."

"No." She said stubbornly.

"Nyota-"

"No Spock! I am so tired of you making unilateral decisions that affect both of our lives. We agreed we were going to make this marriage work. We are a team, remember? There is no more I or you, only us and we," She pleaded with him.

"I know what we agreed, but circumstances have changed-"

"No, they have not. Nothing's changed. Just because someone in Starfleet has decided to take leave of their senses doesn't mean anything has changed between us. I know you don't love me but can you really just walk away from me so easily?" she cried.

Spock's heart crumbled with the knowledge that his wife thought he did not love her. There were no words in either of their languages that expressed the depth of feeling he had for her. That was why he must protect her at all cost. "Nyota, how little you understand the Vulcan male. How little you understand me. Do not believe for one moment that I will ever allow hardship to befall you. It is not within my nature to let my wife suffer where I am able to prevent it. I will protect you with my very life, even from myself. Your suffering is the greatest punishment I could ever receive. Therefore, I am formally releasing you from your promise and our bond."

"No! I don't believe you! You have been trying to push me away from the moment we stepped out of that damn cave on Vulcan. And do you know what? I give up? I am tired of trying to hold on to a man who doesn't want me." Uhura wiped the tears that were freely flowing from her eyes.

"You're a fucking liar, Spock." She said with a shaky breath. "You promised you'd never leave me, but you lied!"

Uhura walked back to the cell door, but she turned back to Spock before she left. This time her voice was like steel when she said, "You're going to regret lying to me," and then she left him alone.

"I already do," Spock said to himself. I already do.

Uhura stormed out of the brig in an angry huff. She didn't know what to do now that she was alone. Spock didn't want her anymore. She stood there in the waiting area and her eyes welled up with tears. What was she supposed to do now?

"Uhura?" Dr. McCoy grabbed her by the arm and pulled her close. "What's wrong?"

She let loose a torrent of pent-up tears. "Spock," was all she could say before she broke down. McCoy pulled her away from the guards standing in front of Spock's cell.

"What's wrong with Spock?" He asked urgently.

"He... he... He broke up with me. He doesn't want me anymore," she sniffled.

"Oh, hush now. Spock wants you. He's crazy about you." McCoy tried to reassure her.

"No. He told me. He doesn't want anyone to know we're married. He wants to go to jail."

"That's crazy talk. Why would Spock say something like that?"

"He says he's protecting me. Fuck him!" She said, suddenly trying to pull away from the doctor.

"Now, now, don't be like that. That just proves he loves you. He's just being stupid. I'll have a talk with him."

"Don't bother. Jim told me Spock resigned his commission and intends to plead guilty. He doesn't care about anybody but himself."

"Uhura, you know that's not like Spock. If he's done something stupid, it's probably for a damn good reason. Just because we don't understand his Vulcan logic doesn't mean his intentions are bad. He's just not human."

"Don't make excuses for him, Doctor! He's hurt me, he's hurt you, he's hurt Jim. He's an asshole."

"Yes well, I can't argue with you there. I've been saying that for years. But he's our asshole and sometimes he doesn't know what is good for him." McCoy told her as he tried to blot away her tears. "He may have a human mother but he still hasn't learned what it is to be human."

"I don't care anymore. I'm so tired," Uhura said, her voice sounded defeated. "I'm going home." She pulled away from the doctor and headed back to the transporter.

She got back to their quarters and was ready to call it all off and pack her shit when she noticed a message was waiting on the viewer from Vulcan.

Probably from Amanda. How did she know already? Did Spock tell his parents he was 'releasing her'? Nyota wasn't in the mood to talk to Spock's mother, but maybe she could talk some sense into her son before Nyota killed him. Besides, what did she have to lose?

It surprised her to see Sarek appear on the viewscreen, not Amanda when she played the message.

"Greetings, my daughter. I hope you are well and are not suffering any ill effects from recent events with Spock? Your Captain and I have arranged for Spock to be held on Starbase 11 for trial, but there is little else I can do in an official capacity without suspicion of favoritism. Therefore, I must recuse myself from any further involvement in this matter."

Uhura rolled her eyes. Typical. Spock was just like his daddy. She was about to shut off the annoying message when Sarek continued.

"However, I wanted you to know that you have our clan's unreserved support and anything you should need outside of Starfleet's purview is at your command. I know that my son can be stubborn, a human failing, unfortunately. He will not accept any assistance from me, therefore it will be up to you, his matriarch, to make arrangements for him."

"Remember, my child, you are the head of your household, and Spock must comply with your wishes in matters of family. It is an interesting quirk of Vulcan culture, is it not?"

"Live long and prosper my child." Sarek made the gesture and then said, "Sarek out."

Nyota sat in stunned silence for a moment. What the hell... She ran to the bookcase in Spock's bedroom and pulled out the huge tome that Amanda had given her to study. She hadn't had a chance to read it since her trip to Vulcan. Life had been moving at warp speed since then, and she had forgotten all about it. But she recalled seeing something about family matriarchs in there.

She carefully thumbed through the pages. It was an old book and probably worth her life savings in credits if she damaged it, if it even could be replaced or repaired at all. But she finally found what she was looking for. She read the passages pertaining to matriarchs at least three times to make sure she had it all sorted in her mind.

"Ah-ha! Sarek you old devil!" She closed the book with a triumphant thump. Vulcan was indeed an interesting and highly illogical culture.

She left the book on the shelf and headed back out to find the captain.

People got out of her way as she marched through the decks of the ship on her way to the captain's ready room. She heard hushed whispers behind her back in her wake, but she didn't care. She was on a mission to save Spock, whether he liked it or not.

The captain had been holed up in his office since the ship docked in orbit around the starbase 11. He had been making calls and wheeling and dealing on Spock's behalf for the past few days. And even though Spock had resigned his commission, the captain had refused to accept it and was still trying to save Spock's bacon.

Uhura entered Captain Kirk's office without announcement and declared, "Captain, I hereby invoke my rights as Spock's guardian according to Vulcan laws and clan traditions."

"Uhura, what's this all about?" Kirk asked.

"I withdraw Spock's resignation and I am pleading not guilty to his charges."

"Uhura, you can't do that. I know you want to help him, but Spock's a grown man and as he reminded me, he has the right to waive counsel."

"Well according to Vulcan law he doesn't." Uhura went to the captain's computer console and pulled up the relevant code.

"There, see for yourself." She pointed at the screen. "In the absence of his clan matriarch Spock is subject to the decisions made by the highest-ranking female relative. Me."

"But-" Kirk began

"No Captain, no buts. The federation and Starfleet must recognize Vulcan law. I will make the legal decisions for Spock from now on, just as I did on Vulcan."

She went to a 3d chessboard that was set up on a table in Kirk's office and moved the queen piece next to the king. "Checkmate, Mister smarty pants!" she declared.

"Uhura, that's not where that piece goes," the captain informed her.

"I'm not playing by the rules anymore." She said to him stubbornly.

"Alright then," Kirk said. "Let's get to work."

Notes:

Every time I try to get out, they pull me back in! I was going to end this story and start a new one but I keep finding new things for the characters to say to each other. There is no plot here, just drama, but my Spock and Nyota are drama queens.

Chapter 72: Who's The Boss?

Summary:

The rules have changed and now Uhura's in charge.

Notes:

I was so right, So right
Thought I could turn emotion
On and off
I was so sure, So sure
But love taught me
Who was, who was, who was the boss!

~The Boss - Diana Ross~

Chapter Text

*/*/*

Spock was deep in meditation, trying to calm his turbulent emotions when he heard the shields to the brig drop once again indicating he had another visitor.

"Vulcans don't lie, but humans do, don't they Mister Spock?"

Spock's eyes shot open. Nyota was back and for a moment he allowed his heart to swell with hope before he brutally snuffed it out. "Nyota, why are you here?"

"Answer my question first," she demanded.

"What is the question?" confusion was written all over his face.

"You always say Vulcans don't lie, but you also acknowledge you're only half-Vulcan." She walked over to where he was sitting on his bunk. "I was wracking my brain trying to figure out how my VULCAN husband could lie to me, and I realized you were using your human half against me." Uhura accused him.

"I did not lie to you." He told her.

"You're lying now, either to me or to yourself. You said you would never leave, me no matter what." She said. The pain in her voice made Spock feel like a failure. All he wanted to do was to protect his wife and all he managed to do was cause her pain.

"I have not left you Nyota. I am asking you to leave me."

"Semantics, which amounts to the same thing. Lying to your wife is a grave insult."

"Nyota-"

"Kroyka! Spock, I am so tired of this hot and cold routine of ours. We agreed to be together, and that is what we will do, for richer or poorer in sickness and in health until death us do part."

"Those are the traditional vows pledged in a human marriage ceremony."

"Exactly, and you owe me a wedding. We've done things your way and look where it's gotten us." She gestured to the cell they were now occupying. "Now we do things my way. We are married and we are staying that way. I didn't plan on getting married but now that I am, there is no way in hell I'm getting divorced! Besides, I couldn't leave you even if I wanted to, and I don't want to. So put your big boy pants on and fight. Fight for us damn it!"

After that speech, Nyota lost steam and asked softly, "Don't you want me?"

Spock left his seat on his bunk and came to her, taking her hands in his. "Of course, I want you. I have never wanted anything more, except for your happiness."

"Then fight for me! You once said I keep walking away from you, but you're the one walking away now."

"Nyota, you must understand that I want nothing more than for you to be safe and happy? I do not want any harm to ever befall you, and that includes being associated with me. If only temporarily, I believe we must part ways."

"Temporary? Why didn't you say that before?" She pleaded, gripping his hands tightly.

"I needed you to believe it. I wanted you to be free if that is what you truly need. If I should be convicted, I wanted you to be able to walk away and never look back."

"I'm not going anywhere and neither are you, so you might as well get that in your thick Vulcan skull. I'm your pid kom and I decide when it's over and what we do from here on out."

Spock was surprised to hear her say this. "Who told you about the pid kom?"

"I'm a smart girl, I figured it out." She said slyly.

Spock looked at her in disbelief, so she admitted, "Sarek may have dropped a hint. And now I am telling you, I'm not going anywhere. It's not over between you and me, not by a longshot. I didn't beat off Christine and T'Pring and Leila and Droxine, only to let Komack have you. Absolutely not! Besides, we cause more trouble when apart than when we're together."

Spock could begrudgingly agree to that. They had indeed caused each other considerable heartache when they were separated for any period of time. Planning to set her free was the hardest decision he had ever made. "Alright, Aduna," Spock said simply.

"Alright?" Nyota had not expected him to agree so soon. She was ready to put up a fight and argue logic with him. "Well, good then." She pulled him over to sit on the bunk side by side, then rested her head on his shoulder. "Now what?"

"I do not know. You are the pid kom, what is your plan?"

"The captain is working on something. Don't worry." She looked around his cell, at a loss as to what to say. Her visit would be over soon, and there was not enough time to say all the things they needed to say. Until the inquiry was completed, they would have to be separated. Starfleet refused to release Spock to the Enterprise because he was a flight risk. Until he was free, this was about as close as they could get.

"How about a conjugal visit?" she looked at him and raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"Nyota, there is no privacy here. I am under constant surveillance."

"So? Let's give them a show?"

"No." He said, pulling away from her.

"Aww, you're no fun." She pouted.

"You know me very well."

"No, I don't. I almost let you get away with this scheme. Luckily Sarek set me straight."

"So I have my father to thank for your disobedience?"

"I do not obey you, Mister." She took him in her arms again. "We are equal, but sometimes I'm more equal, especially when I'm being your pid kom."

Spock relaxed into her embrace. "Aye, Aduna."

"I like that, you better get used to saying it a lot."

"Aye, Aduna."

Uhura kisses Spock gently at first, but just as she tried to inch his shirt up, Spock pulled away. "Aduna, the surveillance," he reminded her.

"Screw them!" she said and tackled him back on the bunk to take his lips again.

Chapter 73: A Ship is not a Home

Summary:

Both Christine and Uhura discover that the ship doesn't feel like home when they're all alone.

Notes:

A chair is still a chair

Even when there's no one sitting there

But a chair is not a house and a house is not a home

When there's no one there to hold you tight

And no one there you can kiss goodnight

 
~A House Is Not a Home - by Luther Vandross~

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 

*/*/*

Christine sat alone in her cabin curled up on her sofa and sipped a mug of hot plomeek soup. She had taken to drinking the beverage years ago when she discovered it was a staple of Vulcan cuisine. Back then she had been obsessed with learning anything and everything she could get her hands on concerning Vulcans. Because she had fallen madly in love with a Vulcan, and she wanted to impress him. She laughed bitterly to herself. She didn't know how foolish that idea had been back then. You couldn't impress a Vulcan with something as illogical as soup. But she hadn't known that back then, and even if she had, it wouldn't have mattered. Spock was too attractive to ignore. She had simply wanted him. And she would have done anything to get his attention, even learn how to make soup.

But Spock had thrown her soup in her face and rebuffed her every attempt at a relationship with him. It was a shame because she would have been such a good girlfriend, lover, and wife. She would have taken such good care of him, worshiped the ground he walked on. But he rejected her in favor of Uhura. And look where it got him. In jail! Arrested and carted away like a common criminal. His career and life were on the line and all because of Nyota Uhura.

Christine wasn't surprised though. She knew it! She knew Nyota would be the downfall of Spock. She just never imagined Spock would be on trial for his life. Christine wished there was something she could do to help him, but nobody would tell her anything. Dr. McCoy was being tight-lipped as usual when it came to Spock, and she couldn't go to Uhura for information since they weren't friends anymore and she'd rather choke on this soup than ask Uhura for anything.

Her door chime sound and Christine wondered who could be calling on her at this time of night. The ship was docked for some minor repairs while they were at the starbase awaiting Spock's trial, so a lot of the crew were on shore leave and not on board. There was just a skeleton crew keeping the ship running and a few other essential personnel working their shift, but for the most part, it was eerily quiet.

So she didn't think twice about answering the door without asking who it was and when the door opened, there was a stranger standing there filling in the doorway.

"Excuse me," she said. "Who are you?"

"Nurse Chapel?" a deep rich voice asked, and Christine looked up into the face of a very handsome man.

"Yes?" she asked while she fumbled to straighten out the bathrobe she had been lounging about in to make herself look more presentable.

"My name is Lieutenant Westervelt, from Admiral Komack's office." He gave her a business card.

Christine took the card and read the embossed lettering on the old-fashioned cardstock. Pretty fancy for a Starfleet officer. "Oh? What can I do for you, Lieutenant?"

"May I come in, we have some business to discuss."

Christine looked past Westervelt to see if anyone was in the hallway behind him and then she stepped aside to allow him entrance.

Westervelt took a seat on her sofa, and when Christine joined him, he got right down to business. "I want you to testify against Commander Spock," he said.

"I beg your pardon?" Christine couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. Why would she testify against Spock?

"Nurse Chapel, I want you to be our key witness against Spock. I have your official report on the incident involving the Commander regarding the night of his so-called 'illness'. Your testimony might prove vital in convicting him."

"I cannot testify against Spock," Christine said. "I think you should leave." She stood and walked back to her door to show him out.

Westervelt gave chase and stopped her hand before she released the door lock, "Why is that, Nurse?"

"Because I just can't. I won't. Spock is innocent. He was delirious with a fever when he did those things."

"Lieutenant, that is not what the report you wrote shows. Moreover, I also have several anonymous communiqués from this ship's medical department, which I believe I can prove are from you as well."

"What communiqués?" Christine asked, as if she didn't know.

"Communiques reporting Lieutenant Uhura for domestic violence. Communiques reporting Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy for covering up evidence of that crime. there are other accusations I am certain you would not like me to mention." Westervelt said with a smarmy smile.

Christine held her ground. "If you say these communiqués are anonymous, why are you talking to me? They could have come from anyone."

"We have our ways, Nurse Chapel. Nothing is truly a secret in Star fleet, even coded messages can be deciphered and traced."

Christine crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest. "I don't care what you think, I won't testify against Spock. You'll have to find another snitch."

"Then we'll subpoena you, and your 'anonymous' messages will be submitted into the official court records. Your colleagues will know you've been spying on them."

"I wasn't spying on anyone, I was just-"

"You were just tattling on your rival. It doesn't matter to me why you did it. What matters is that you provided vital evidence that Kirk and McCoy were complicit in the actions of Spock and his wife."

"It would be much easier for you if you just cooperate. Do you think Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy will want you to remain on the Enterprise if they found out you've been reporting on them behind their backs?"

Christine couldn't believe her ears. She was being blackmailed into testifying against Spock! She hadn't meant for Spock to get hurt. She had been trying to protect him from Uhura. And now if she did not testify against him, her career on the Enterprise was over? She'd have to leave the ship in disgrace and lose Spock forever. But if she did testify against Spock, his career would be over.

"I can't testify against Spock, he'll hate me," she whined. "Everyone will hate me."

"Oh, come now Nurse Chapel. Mr. Spock is a cold-blooded Vulcan. He won't care one way or the other." Westervelt looked her up and down dramatically. "And you don't seem to be too popular, anyway. It's Saturday night and you are sipping soup alone on the Enterprise so you won't be losing much. But if you refuse, you can kiss your career in starfleet goodbye."

Westervelt pressed the door release and let himself out. Christine returned to her seat and buried her face in her hands. Everything was falling apart. Sure she had been miserable here lately, but she didn't want to leave. This was still her home. She liked her work. She didn't want to start over somewhere else, on a different ship, with a different crew. Maybe she had kept to herself lately, but she did have friends here. She didn't know what to do. She had fucked up, and now Spock was going to pay the price for her jealousy. Why was it that every time she tried to win Spock over, her plans blew up in her face? And this time she didn't have anyone to blame but herself.

 

*/*/*

Spock may have been cured of his virus on Betazed, but in all the chaos of his arrest, Uhura still had not been medically cleared for duty. So she was still on medical leave. It didn't bother her as much as she thought it would. There was so much going on with the preparations for the hearing that she didn't have time for anything else. And she really didn't feel like facing the crew and answering uncomfortable questions about Spock, so she spent most of her time in her cabin.

After she and Spock made up in his cell, she returned to the Enterprise alone. She sat in his quarters and looked around the room at all the little things that reminded her of her husband and their time together. They had a routine. She would sit at the nightstand and brush and braid her hair before bed. Spock would always tidy up the cabin and put away their clothing. And when that was done, they always ended up making love before they drifted off to sleep. Spock didn't require eight hours of sleep and so he would wake hours earlier than Uhura and meditate in the dining area of the cabin.

Uhura knew he used to meditate on a spot just at the foot end of the bed, but he had moved his meditation mat to the other room in deference to her comfort so that he would not disturb her sleep.

She had tried sleeping in that bed without Spock for a few nights, but she couldn't do it. It was cold and lonely without Spock there to hold her tight or make love to her until she lay in an exhausted heap. So she packed a few of her belongings, including the Big Book of Vulcan, and headed back to her own quarters. She hadn't been in there for a while except to grab belongings to take to Spock's cabin. It was strange being there now for extended periods of time. Nothing had changed. Everything was just as she left it, but at the same time, everything felt different. Same, bed, same desk and dresser and mirror. But as she stood in her bedroom looking at herself, she felt like a stranger in a strange place. She should feel at home in this room that she had lived in for the past four years but she didn't. Without Spock, no place felt like home anymore.

Now Uhura had a new routine. She would practice playing the ka'athyra, read the Big Book of Vulcan, and then cry herself to sleep holding a pillow that should be her husband. When she did find the strength to leave her cabin she just moped around. There was no spring in her step, no smile on her lips, no twinkle in her eye the way people were used to seeing her. She looked miserable, which just gave people more reasons to whisper about her behind her back.

Without Spock, everything seemed dull and gray. But she still had to live. She still had to eat and drink and breathe. Charlene had come by and dragged her out of her quarters one evening against her better judgment.

"C'mon girl. What's the point of moping around here for Spock? You think he'd want you holed up all alone like this?" Charlene asked.

"I don't care what he wants. He's gone," Uhura said.

"I know you care, so stop moping. I know you're worried about him, but guess what? He is getting three square meals a day and there is no more secure place to be than a Starfleet bring. It is not a five-star resort but I think he'll survive." Charlene said. "It's you I'm more worried about now."

"Char I'm fine. Like you said Spock's the one in the brig while I'm here living it up."

Charlene looked around Uhura's room. There was nothing to remark on. Everything was neat and tidy. Too tidy. No clothes scattered about, no sheet music on the tables, not even any music playing on the sound system. Nyota loved music. She loved to dance and sing. Now she was just dragging around like a lost puppy.

"I have an idea. Let's grab some drinks in the ship's bar and do some karaoke?"

"I don't want to have drinks. I want Spock." Uhura pouted.

Charlene rolled her eyes. One minute the girl couldn't stand the man, now she can't live a few days without him? "I can't believe what I am seeing."

"What are you seeing?" Uhura asked.

"I'm seeing my good friend and best buddy being beaten and defeated by Starfleet. Just laying down and playing dead."

"I am not. I just don't feel like partying and having fun while my husband is fighting for his freedom." Uhura corrected Charlene.

"And what are you going to do? Wait like a widow until he is free? You need to get out there and show people you're not worried. That you know he's innocent and will be coming home soon."

"But what if he isn't?" Nyota asked.

"Then we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, I want you to get up, take a shower, put on your 'freakum' dress, and let's go show this ship who's the boss."

Uhura reluctantly got up to do Charlene's bidding but before she did she said, "The captain is the boss," and stuck out her tongue.

Charlene slapped Uhura's behind playfully. "Girl, get in that bathroom before I really show you who's boss."

Uhura yelped and ran into the shower.

They ended up going down to the starbase since the ship was pretty much a dead scene. It was Saturday night, and everybody had the same idea as Charlene. Every pub, club, disco, and restaurant on Starbase 11 was filled to the rafters with crew members from different ships in the fleet. When Uhura and Charlene entered what they thought would be a quiet karaoke bar, the place was packed.

The music was loud and the man who was currently singing sounded like a wounded animal in pain, but it was the best choice they had found so far. As they pushed their way through the crowd, Nyota noted ship insignias from all over the fleet.

"What is going on here? Is it a fleet week or something?" she yelled to Charlene, trying to be heard above the din.

"Hey hey, pretty ladies!" A Uniformed officer said to them as he blocked their path. "Haven't you heard?"

"Heard what?" Charlene yelled.

"That Vulcan Commander from the Enterprise is on trial. They say it's going to be the trial of the century. Ships from all over the sector are making excuses to put in port here to view the spectacle." The guy yelled back.

Charlene grabbed Uhura around the waist and pulled her aside to keep her from popping off on the stranger. "Oh? We're here for that too." She said.

"Oh yeah? What ship?"

"Enterprise," Charlene said.

"Oh, then do you girls know the commander?" The guy asked.

"No, Charlene said, we're from the lower decks. Just out for a night on the town."

"Well, if you're interested, there is a betting pool over there. Odds are better than even that the Vulcan will be convicted. I heard there were a couple of Vulcan D'Vahl ships headed this way, too. Rumor is they are going to try and spring their boy if he goes down. I'd like to see them try that."

"Why would Vulcan ships interfere with Starfleet business? We're all federation members. The Vulcans would never do something like that." Charlene said.

"Yeah, WE are federation," the stranger said, waving his hand between the three of them. But the Vulcans think they have some kind of say in Earth business. It's time somebody knocked them down a peg or two."

"Oh Yeah?" Uhura finally said, loosening Charlene's grip.

"Yeah! Say, what are you two, some kind of Vulcan lovers?" He laughed at his own joke but neither Charlene nor Uhura laughed. Before either, one of them could say anything more, Chekov slid from out of nowhere between the two parties.

"There you are. I've been looking everywhere."

"Hey, you." The guy protested. "I was talking to these ladies."

"These ladies are vith me, my dates," Chekov said.

"Bullshit, little man! You couldn't cop one of these-"

"Paval!" Charlene exclaimed. "Where have you been? Ny and I thought you stood us up. This," she looked the guy up and down "person has been trying to talk shit about the Enterprise. Can you believe that?"

"Vhat?" Chekov asked. "The Enterprise is the greatest ship that ever was or ever will be. Pity you'll never serve vith us." Chekov took Uhura and Charlene by each arm and guided them to a secluded table in a corner.

"What was that all about?" Chekov asked once they were seated.

"That jerk was talking smack about Spock. Said people were betting against him." Uhura said angrily.

"Don't worry, I bet my credits on Mr. Spock," Chekov assured her.

"Oh thank goodness then," Uhura said, voice dripping with sarcasm. She stood up. "I can't do this. I'm going home."

"No, wait Ny. You shouldn't be alone up there. Stay and have at least one drink." Charlene insisted.

Uhura shook her head. "No. I don't need liquor. I'll be fine. You and Pavel enjoy yourselves and don't worry bout me. I'm just tired and need some rest." She bent down and kissed her friends on each cheek and left.

She didn't go back to the Enterprise though. She found herself back at station security.

"I'd like to visit Commander Spock," she said sweetly to the officer in charge.

"Visiting hours are over." The guard informed her.

"Yes, but couldn't you make a little exception for an old friend? I just found out he was here. It'll only take a few minutes."

"Come back tomorrow during visiting hours." He said, not even bothering to look up.

"I could have been in and out of there already. My ship is leaving soon and we may never see one another again. Please?" She leaned over the security desk and looked at the guard with her best pleading smile. And it didn't hurt that she had on her "freakum" dress. She was pretty sure the guard was not looking at her big brown eyes as he stared down at her.

"Ok, but make it fast. It's almost lights out." The guard dropped the force field to Spock's cell.

"Oh, I will sugar, cross my heart." She drew a cross over her chest, drawing attention to her cleavage again. "This will just be a lil quickie." She winked at the guard and then stepped into the cell.

Spock was laying in his bunk, but he sat up when the force field was deactivated. Before he could utter a word, Uhura rushed over to him and hopped into the bunk beside him.

"Hush! I've only got a few minutes so we better be quick." She threw her arms around his neck and pushed him back on the bunk.

Spock tried to pry her off. "Nyota, what are you doing?"

"I can't sleep without you. I'm used to you being pressed against me all night keeping me safe and warm."

"Yes. I've become accustomed to your presence as well. But we have to be apart," he said. "At least temporarily," he added.

"But it's not right. We're supposed to be bonding together." Uhura said as she tried snuggling down in the bunk with Spock.

"I agree, but we must endure this separation a little while longer. If all goes well with the trial we will be able to bond properly again." He tried to reassure her while he let his hand slide down the length of her body. "Aduna, what are you wearing?"

Uhura sat up. "Oh, this old thing. Charlene tried to take me out for drinks to get my mind off everything. But I don't want to talk about that. I don't need drinks, I just need you. You better do everything you can to get out of here."

"I promise to do everything within my power."

"Good." Uhura settled down next to Spock again. They lay quietly like that for a few minutes, just holding one another. She had this desire to tell him she loved him, but she was afraid to say it. She had never said it to a man before. Oh, she'd said it to her friends playfully, but not in the way she felt it now. She sat up and looked down at Spock's calm handsome face and he looked up at her with inquisitive eyes.

She took a deep breath to gather her courage. "Spock-"

The force field dropped, and the door opened. "Alright, Miss. Time's up!"

"Nyota?" Spock asked as he looked up into her eyes.

She dropped a tender kiss on his lips. "Another time. Sleep well." She rolled out of the bunk and straightened her little dress, and sauntered out of the cell, leaving both Spock and the guard staring after her.

Notes:

ka'athyra - Vulcan lyre or harp

Chapter 74: Lawyered-Up

Summary:

Get ready for the Court Martial Chronicles! All our favorite characters from the ship get interrogated aka grilled and raked over the coals for the sake of entertainment. But first Spock will need some help to get out of this mess.

Notes:

Can't wait to get out and move forward with my life
Got a family that loves me and wants me to do right
But instead, I'm here locked up

Locked Up - Akon

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 

*/*/*

Captain Kirk arranged another meeting with Spock in his holding cell. He hadn't seen his friend and first officer since their 'disagreement' and he was unsure how Spock would react to seeing him now. Actually, he wasn't sure how to apologize for his uncharacteristic act of violence. His behavior had been uncalled for. Spock was just being his usual insufferably logical self.

When Kirk entered the cell, Spock was standing at attention and stared straight ahead.

"At ease, Mr. Spock," Kirk addressed him formally.

"Captain," Spock said and bowed his head. It was the closest to humble Kirk had ever seen his friend.

Kirk took a deep breath. "Look Spock, I'm so-"

"Apology accepted," Spock said before Kirk could complete his sentence.

The captain smiled. "You don't know what I was going to say."

Spock looked relieved and responded, "Yes, I do. And I must offer my apologies to you, Jim. My wife informs me that I have behaved like a self-sacrificing son of a bitch, which is not entirely inaccurate. But I assure you I had a good reason for my actions."

"Apology accepted. And Uhura sure does have a way with words sometimes. Luckily, I was not on the receiving end of her sharp tongue this time. However, she set me straight about your legal standing." Kirk grinned with a twinkle in his eyes. He was always glad to get one over on Spock.

"Did she, Sir?"

"Yes, she did. I've been made aware that the Lieutenant is now your legal guardian." The captain told him.

"Yes, it seems Nyota is more familiar with Vulcan clan traditions than I was aware of. I believe I have my father to thank for that." Spock said.

"I always did like that Sarek," Kirk said.

"No, you didn't," Spock replied, catching Kirk in a blatant lie.

"No," Kirk admitted with a sheepish grin, "No, I didn't. But I like him now. Sarek has been a great help to you since you ran off with Uhura and Starfleet property. He's the reason you're on Starbase 11 instead of in one of Komack's dungeons on Starbase 6."

"Komack doesn't have access to a dungeon and I highly doubt Starfleet would allow the mistreatment of a prisoner."

"Spock, must you always be so literal?"

"Yes," he said with a deadpan expression.

The captain shook his head. "Alright then, we don't have time to debate it. We've got to get you ready for your trial." Kirk made his way to the cell door.

"Captain-" Spock started to protest but Kirk interrupted him.

"Don't bother Spock, I'm taking my orders from Uhura on this one." He opened the cell door and an attractive female entered. "Mr. Spock, may I present Miss Areel Shaw, attorney at law?"

Spock stood at attention. "Miss Shaw, I believe we've met," Spock said as he greeted her with a Vulcan salute. "You were the prosecutor on Jim's court-martial for the death of Lieutenant Commander Finney."

Areel returned the gesture of greeting. "Yes. You are correct. Jim and I go way back and he has persuaded me to defend the innocent for a change rather than prosecuting them." She smiled.

"Do the innocent often need defending? Isn't a suspect innocent until proven guilty?" Spock asked.

"Actually, there is no such thing as innocent Mr. Spock, just guilty or not guilty. I'm not going to prove your innocence, I'm going to prove you are not culpable."

"I would think a man's innocence would prove he is not culpable," Spock stated.

"You sound like a man who believes in the system or his innocence. However, justice is blind. A trial is just two sides presenting arguments, trying to make order out of chaos. We argue degrees of guilt and culpability. Innocence has nothing to do with it."

"But the law metes out justice does it not?" Spock asked.

"Justice, like the truth, is subjective. Mr. Spock, your captain hired me to help get you exonerated of the long list of crimes you've been accused of. I don't care if you are or are not innocent. Guilty or not guilty is what the court will decide. My job is to make a convincing argument to mitigate the evidence being presented by the prosecution. Whoever has the strongest argument wins. Justice is a fool's game but rest assured I play to win." Miss Shaw informed Spock.

"Now, I am taking this case as a favor for Jim, but one thing I must have is your full cooperation, Mr. Spock. The things I may need to do during the course of the trial may be disturbing to one such as yourself who believes in things like "truth, honesty, and fair play". I may need to ask uncomfortable questions of you and your friends and expose private affairs. Your defense may require sacrifices."

"The practice of law is a game that requires strategy and sometimes you have to sacrifice your pawns to win. But I can assure you, Mr. Spock, that I never sacrifice my client's wellbeing in the pursuit of a victory. A win at the expense of the client's life is a hollow victory, don't you agree?"

"I do," Spock said, feeling flustered by all that was happening and everything that was at stake.

"And do you agree to the terms of my taking on this case? You won't interfere with my judgment or methods? You'll trust that I have your best interest at heart?" Miss Shaw asked.

Spock looked at his captain. Kirk trusted this Miss Shaw. They were old friends and she had proven herself to be an excellent prosecutor for the captain's own court-martial. If Spock stood any chance of preserving his career and protecting his family, he had to rely on her.

"I agree."

"Good." Miss Shaw pulled out a DataPadd and took a seat at a small table. "Now let's get started. Tell me everything that happened and leave nothing out."

Notes:

Okay. Next is a huge subsection of the story called The Court Martial. It's really, really long so I've decided to break it up into chunks. But it's all one long chapter.

Chapter 75: Court Martial: Uhura

Summary:

Pre-Ramble:

Okay let me just get this out of the way, I am not a lawyer, nor a service member so I don't know what a hearing or court-martial like this would actually look or sound like. There are only two episodes of TOS I can base this on. So take this for what it is, melodramatic space opera. Everything I know about lawyering I learned from watching TV dramas. While writing this I got carried away and forgot the point of the trial, but it was fun to grill all the characters and see the story from their point of view. I hope it is fun to read and not a boring chore. But, if you don't like it just skip everything labeled Court Martial. I don't think you will miss any major plot developments. Warning though, so far the Court Martial Saga is about 15k words long so I broke it up into sections :-)

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Hearing Room - Starbase 12

Commodore Stone presiding

-Lieutenant Uhura-

 

"The prosecution calls Lieutenant Nyota Uhura to the stand."

Uhura took a calming breath before she approached the stand and placed her palm on the ID scanner. The computer confirmed her identity and read her service record for the court.

"Lieutenant Uhura, let me get right to the point," Lieutenant Wyatt, the prosecuting officer said. "What is your relationship with the defendant?"

Uhura looked over at Spock, who sat stiffly at the defense table. She stared at him a long moment before she gave her answer. There was no turning back. "He's my husband."

A cacophony of whispers broke out in the hearing room, which was packed with spectators from ships from all over the sector. The base had to turn ships away for the first time in its history because of overcrowding. No one had predicted the amount of attention this trial would garner, but the prosecution seemed to relish the publicity. Lieutenant Uhura had just made him famous.

"Is that so?" He said pretending to be surprised. "Congratulations are in order. It is a recent marriage, isn't it?" Wyatt asked dramatically.

"Yes, you could say that," Uhura responded.

"When and where exactly were you married, Lieutenant?"

"We were married while Spock was on medical leave on Vulcan."

"I see. During the same medical leave in which the defendant is accused of abduction, assault, and theft?"

"Yes, that's the one," Uhura grumbled.

"So, where were you on the night of your abduction, Lieutenant?"

"Objection!" Miss Shaw interjected.

"Where were you on the evening that Mr. Spock took his unexpected medical leave?" The prosecutor rephrased the question.

"I worked my regular shift on the bridge of the Enterprise and then retired to my quarters for the evening."

"And on that evening, at some point, were you taken from the Enterprise by Commander Spock?"

"Taken?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes. Did Commander Spock enter your quarters and physically remove you from those quarters to a shuttle bound for Vulcan?" the prosecutor asked again.

"Well, if you put it like that, yes Commander Spock took me to Vulcan on a shuttle that evening."

"Did you volunteer to accompany Mr. Spock to Vulcan?"

"Did I Volunteer? No."

"Well, did you agree to accompany Mr. Spock after he asked you that evening?"

"No, he didn't ask me to accompany him to Vulcan as far as I can recall."

"Then if you didn't volunteer, and you were not asked to visit Vulcan with Mr. Spock, how did you end up there, Mrs. Uhura?"

"I don't recall exactly, it's all a blur."

"According to the ship's logs and personnel reports from several Enterprise officers, you were seen being taken from the Enterprise on a shuttle solely operated by Mr. Spock."

"So I've been told," Uhura replied in a bored tone.

"So Lieutenant, again, if you did not voluntarily accompany Mr. Spock to Vulcan, one can only assume that someone took you involuntarily without your consent. Isn't that correct?"

"No."

"No?!" Wyatt asked in disbelief.

"No! You could assume anything you like. One could also assume that I seduced Mr. Spock and lured him to Vulcan," Uhura teased.

"Mrs. Uhura, do you expect this court to believe that you seduced Mr. Spock and somehow piloted a shuttle to Vulcan without him overpowering you at some point?"

"Stranger things have happened on the Enterprise. But no. I expect you to believe what I already told you. That I don't know how we got to Vulcan. I only know what I was told. I honestly don't remember."

"Well luckily, several of your fellow crew members do remember that night very well. And I have their sworn affidavits stating that they saw Mr. Spock carrying you through the corridors of the ship. Do you still wish the court to consider that you somehow lured Mr. Spock?"

"I never said I lured him, only that it could be ASSUMED." She said pointedly, crossing her arms over her chest in an angry motion.

"Well then, Mrs. Uhura, let us logically assume that you did not lure Mr. Spock to Vulcan. Can you tell the court, knowing that Mr. Spock carried you to the shuttle bay, is it reasonable to conclude that he abducted you against your will?"

"I suppose that could be considered "reasonable", but Mr. Spock did not abduct me from the ship."

"So you mean to tell the court that you deny being removed from the Enterprise against your will despite sworn testimony of your fellow crewmen?"

"No man is going to make me do anything against my will without me putting up a fight."

"Lieutenant, please answer my question. Are you testifying that Commander Spock had your consent to leave the Enterprise and travel to Vulcan? Need I remind you of the penalty for perjury?"

"He didn't not have my consent," she hedged.

"Let's not play games, Lieutenant. Either he had your consent or he didn't, which is it?"

"Then I guess he did."

"Lieutenant Uhura, we have sworn testimony of several crew members stating that they saw the Commander carrying your unconscious body through the corridors of the Enterprise to the shuttle bay! Do you mean to sit here and testify that he did that with your consent?"

"Objection! Asked and answered," Miss Shaw stated.

"No, I'll answer again," Uhura said, staring at the lawyer. "Spock knows me better than just about any person alive. I trust him completely. So if he needed to carry me off somewhere, then I'm going. Without him asking," she said pointedly.

"Is that so? You would just blindly follow him wherever he commanded? That doesn't sound like free will to me." Wyatt pontificated.

Miss Shaw objected, "Argumentative." and it was sustained.

"Then tell me, how did Mr. Spock enter your quarters that evening?" Wyatt asked.

"I don't know."

"Did he have your consent then, too?"

"Sure," Uhura said. She really didn't remember how he got in, and she didn't care.

"So you invited him to visit you that evening?"

"No, I didn't invite him. He was supposed to be in the sickbay."

"Did you open the door for him when he called?"

"No, I didn't," Uhura said. These questions were bugging her.

"So you didn't let him in and you didn't invite him to enter? Then how did he get in, Lieutenant?"

"Why don't you ask him?"

"I will, Lieutenant, I will. But first, is there anything else you remember about that night?"

Uhura smiled sweetly. "No."

"Mrs. Uhura, your marriage to Mr. Spock was a sudden one, wasn't it?"

"I guess you would say that."

"Is that what you would say? Did you plan on getting married while on Vulcan?"

"No, I didn't plan to go to Vulcan."

"What was your plan?"

"There was no plan, it just happened."

"Were you married before or after Spock's treatment for this undisclosed illness on Vulcan?"

"Um, before."

"Why did you marry so suddenly? Why not wait until he was well?"

"Well..." she tried to think of a good reason without saying they had to marry or else Spock would die.

"Mrs. Uhura, did Spock force you to marry him?"

"Absolutely not! It was just a spur of the moment thing."

"Um-hmm. How long was your engagement to Mr. Spock before your marriage on Vulcan, then?"

Uhura had not expected that question to come up. She looked over to the defendant's table where Spock was seated. He looked like his usual serious self clothed in his dress blues, but she could tell he was as uncomfortable as she was. And he only had eyes for her. She wished she could tell him everything was going to be alright. She could do this, for him. She was his Aduna. She turned back to the prosecutor. "Well, that's an interesting question."

"And why is that Mrs. Uhura?"

"Because it's actually a funny story. You see, according to Vulcan customs and traditions, I proposed to Spock about a year ago."

"Really? I take it he accepted your proposal at that time?"

Uhura grinned while she looked over at Spock and gave him a wink, "Apparently."

Her answer caused Mr. Wyatt to scowl. "Then no further questions."

Uhura was relieved and was ready to leave the stand but before she could make a move Miss Shaw approached her. "Lt. Uhura you said that you didn't let Mr. Spock into your secure quarters but do you have any idea how he could have entered? Did he override the circuits on your door? Or did he blast his way in with a Phaser?"

Uhura shrugged, "He probably used my lock code."

"How did he obtain your code? Did he use his security clearance to override the lock as the first officer?"

"Of course not! I gave Mr. Spock my door code ages ago," Uhura scoffed.

"Why did you give Spock the lock code to your door?" Miss Shaw asked.

"Why not? Why does anyone give out a key, Miss Shaw? So he could unlock the door and enter."

"Why would Commander Spock need to enter your quarters with a key?" Miss Shaw asked and a wave of murmurs went through the room.

"Why does that matter?" Uhura asked with growing annoyance.

"Please humor the court, Lieutenant. Why did you feel the need to give Commander Spock your door lock code?"

"I wanted him to have it, just in case," Uhura said.

"In case of what?"

"Why does it matter? I said I gave it to him, he could enter whenever he needed to."

"And did he?"

"Did he what?!" Uhura said, losing patience.

"Did he enter your quarters whenever he NEEDED to?" Shaw asked.

Uhura didn't answer. She didn't like where this line of questioning was leading. She looked over to Spock again and told him with her eyes they were going to have a chat about these questions later.

"Lieutenant," Miss Shaw asked again, regaining her attention, "did Mr. Spock use your lock code on more than one occasion in order to enter your quarters?"

"Probably. Who keeps track of such things?"

"People ordinarily keep track of who enters their personal quarters."

"Well, so do I, but I didn't count how many times he let himself in if he ever did; like I said it was for just in case, not an everyday thing."

"Mmm-Hmm. So would you say he let himself into your cabin at least once?"

"Ok, sure."

"How about five times?"

"Maybe, again I didn't keep track."

"Then would you say, although unusual, it wouldn't be unheard for Commander Spock to enter your quarters unannounced?"

"I wouldn't say unannounced. He would ring the buzzer and then let himself in with my permission. Mr. Spock is very polite and also very punctual. If I invited him over and maybe I wasn't home yet or wasn't ready, I didn't want him just waiting outside the door so I gave him permission to let himself in. Is that a crime?"

"No. Miss Uhura, it most certainly is not a crime for your apparent fiancee to enter your quarters with your lock code. By the way Lt. who else did you give your lock code to?"

"Objection! Immaterial." Wyatt said.

"Your honor, I think it fair the court knows how "secure" the quarters in question are. After all the prosecution claims the Lt. was 'kidnapped' and 'abducted' from secure quarters. I think it only logical to establish just how secure was the facility my client is accused of breaking and entering."

"I'll allow it. Lieutenant, you are instructed to answer the question." Commodore Stone said to Uhura.

"Lt. Uhura, how many people did you give your lock code to?"

"I don't recall, a few."

"Well, how about an estimate? We know there is Mr. Spock. Was there anyone else?"

"Sure."

"Okay, so how many people?"

"I don't know off the top of my head. Just a few friends."

"Shall we say, five friends?"

"I don't know! Maybe. I mean, I wouldn't give my door code to just anybody."

"Why not?"

"I mean... well, anybody could enter if they have your code. The ship is already a close-knit environment. We work rubbing shoulder and elbow against one another all day long. At the end of your shift, you need a private place to retreat to. You don't want just anybody barging into your quarters at all times."

"So five friends having your lock code is too many?"

"Yes. I think so..."

"Ok then, was it maybe three friends?" Miss Shaw pressed.

"I don't know."

"Is three still too many?"

"Look, I don't recall giving my code to anybody else except-"

She stopped short.

"Except who Lieutenant?"

"I guess there were a few people. There was Lt. Masters and Lt. Riley and--."

"Lt. Riley?" Shaw asked, stopping Uhura. "I don't believe I know of a Riley on board the Enterprise."

"He isn't. He transferred to the Farragut."

"Ah. So this friend, this Lt. Riley he had your lock code too?"

"Yes, I suppose I gave it to him," Uhura said softly.

"You only suppose? You don't know for sure?"

"Yes, he had the code," Uhura said with annoyance.

"Ok then. So Lt. Riley and anyone else?"

"Yes. But I really wouldn't give it out willy-nilly you understand."

"Of course. You value the privacy of your quarters, is that right?"

"Yes, that's right." Uhura agreed.

"And you only give out the code to a few special friends?"

Uhura looked suspiciously at Miss Shaw. "Yes, I guess so."

"Good. So Lt. what kind of friendship did you have with Mr. Riley?"

Uhura didn't answer. She knew these questions were leading to trouble.

"Lieutenant, do you need me to repeat the question? What kind of relationship did you have with Lt. Riley?"

Uhura looked over at Spock again. She hoped he could read her mind, because she was definitely gonna give him a piece of it when this was all over. She did not want to talk about Kevin Riley. "Lt. Riley was... my friend at one time." She answered finally.

"Just a friend? Perhaps a very close friend?"

"Perhaps."

"Would you say an intimate friend?"

"Objection! That is completely irrelevant. Is counsel trying to besmirch the character of the witness?" Wyatt asked.

"Now, why would I do that? This is my client's wife. Surely anything that reflects negatively on my client's wife reflects poorly on his character as well?" Shaw argued.

"Counsel, where are you going with this line of questioning?" Stone asked.

"Your honor, I'm coming to the heart of the matter now, if you will allow me a little leeway?"

"Make your point counsel, quickly."

"Yes, your honor." Shaw turned back to Uhura. "So again, Lieutenant, was Riley an intimate friend?"

Nyota blushed and looked over at Spock. Of course, Spock knew all the intimate details of her life, but still, she didn't relish telling her business in open court.

Spock's unrelenting stare was not comforting in the least, but as the staring match continued between them he raised his arrogant brow. Is he challenging me? She was the PID KOM, she had forced this trial after all. She couldn't back down now. "Well," she stammered, "we were not exactly 'intimate'."

"What do you mean 'not exactly intimate'?"

"I mean... um, well we dated for a while but I wouldn't call it "intimate" exactly."

"You were dating but not intimate?" Shaw asked.

"That's what I said. We dated, but it just ended. He turned out to be a real jerk if you must know."

There were gasps in the crowd. It was rare that you heard anyone from a starship put down a fellow officer. "I'm sorry, but he was a jerk," Uhura said, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly again.

"Lieutenant, I'm sure he was. Now, it seems, we've established that Mr. Riley and Mr. Spock had the lock code to your quarters, is that correct?"

"No. Don't make it seem like I only gave my code to men. There were females too," she insisted. "Like Charlene and Christine..."

"Nurse Christine Chapel?" Shaw asked.

"Yes, she and I are... uh... We were close friends."

"Lieutenant, judging from the list of people who had your lock code; your female friends, your not-quite boyfriend, and Mr. Spock. Would it be safe to say these four shared a rather intimate or 'very close' friendship with you? Close enough you felt safe with them having free access to your living quarters?"

Uhura didn't like the word 'intimate' being thrown around, but she couldn't dispute it and not hurt Spock's case.

"I suppose so."

"So would you say that Mr. Spock did not have to break into your quarters on the night of the incident in question because he had the code and implicit permission to enter when necessary?"

"Correct, he had my permission to let himself in whenever 'necessary'," Uhura emphasized. She wasn't a hussy after all.

"And just one more question. Has Mr. Spock ever entered your quarters using your code without our consent?"

"No! Never!" Uhura nearly jumped out of her seat in outrage.

"Objection your honor, again I question the purpose of this line of questioning?"

"The purpose is to show that my client did not break and enter into Lieutenant Uhura's quarters. Let the record shows that Mr. Spock was given the lock code of Lt. Uhura's quarters along with implicit consent to enter the lieutenant's quarters whenever he deemed it necessary."

"So noted," Stone said. "Now shall we move on, Counselor?"

"Of course, your honor."

"Lieutenant Uhura, we've established Spock had permission to be in your quarters whenever 'necessary'. But the charges also state that he forcefully and unlawfully removed you from the ship and took you to Vulcan. Is that what happened?"

"No. No, Spock never forced me to do anything."

"So you willingly accompanied Spock to Vulcan where you were married?"

"More or less."

"More or less? Lieutenant, did Mr. Spock forcefully remove you from your quarters? Yes or no?"

"No."

"Did he threaten you or coerce you at any time?"

"No, of course not."

"Then did he physically assault you or intimidate you?"

"No! I don't recall that night very clearly, but I know he would never hurt me. Period."

"Then how did you get to Vulcan?"

"I don't know, I can't remember that part."

"What do you remember about that night?"

"I just remember Spock was in my sitting room. I think I had just gotten out of the shower. He said he needed my help... I think. I don't remember. I knew he was sick. I had seen him in sickbay earlier that day..."

"You saw Spock in the sickbay that day? Why were you in sickbay?" Shaw asked.

"Yes, I saw him in the sickbay. I had stopped by to check on him after my shift, to see if he was okay."

"Did you discuss anything with Spock at that time?"

"I didn't actually visit with him. It was too busy, but I did see that he was under restraints and resting."

"And that was the last time you saw Mr. Spock before you saw him in your quarters that evening?"

"Yes."

"When you discovered Spock in your quarters, were you frightened?"

"No, I was more surprised."

"Why were you surprised if he had the code?"

"Well, I'd seen him in restraints not long before that. I was sure he'd still be in the sick bay recovering or being treated."

"Why didn't you call security when you found him in your quarters?"

"Why would I?" Uhura asked with a defiant tone.

"According to the prosecution, Spock had escaped sickbay. There was a general alert for his capture and return."

"Well, I didn't know that. As I said, I was off duty and getting ready for bed. Even if I had known, I probably wouldn't have called security."

"Why not? Isn't that proper protocol?"

"He was my friend. I would have contacted Dr. McCoy or the Captain directly rather than sic security on him while he was ill."

"Okay then, Lieutenant, so you discovered Spock in your sitting room, then what happened?"

"I said I don't remember. I was surprised to see him. Maybe he asked me for help. I don't remember exactly, and then the next thing I remember is waking up on Vulcan."

"And you didn't think that odd to have such a blackout?" Shaw asked in shock.

"You'd be surprised at what I consider odd," Uhura joked.

"Dr. McCoy examined you shortly after he arrived on Vulcan and his medical report states that there was no physical evidence of abuse of any kind and there were no foreign substances in your system; meaning you were not drugged. Do you corroborate that finding?"

"Yes, I do. Spock never physically harmed me in any way, ever. I woke up on Vulcan feeling fine, just a little confused."

"Didn't you think it strange to wake up on an alien planet with Mr. Spock?"

Uhura laughed. "Anyone who has ever served on the Enterprise is not easily surprised by strange situations. Having previously, been physically and mentally assaulted by aliens, as well as being nearly asphyxiated on the bridge, waking up on Vulcan with Spock was the least of my worries."

"Thank you, Lt. no further questions."

"I have a few follow-up questions, your honor," Wyatt said.

"You may proceed Mr. Wyatt."

"Lt. You say Mr. Spock did not physically assault you in any way?"

"That's correct."

"However, Mr. Spock is a Vulcan, and it is perhaps a little-known fact that Vulcans are capable of mental manipulations, a kind of telepathy."

"Objection! Assumes a fact not in evidence." Shaw said.

"Sustained." Stone said.

"Let me rephrase. MRS. Uhura," Wyatt said, emphasizing the misses. "Are you aware that Vulcans possess PSI abilities and are capable of communicating mind to mind?"

Uhura hesitated before answering. "Yes."

"Mrs. Uhura, is it possible that Mr. Spock used this, er... mental ability, to subdue you and remove you from the Enterprise against your will?"

"No, Spock would never harm me," she reiterated.

"I didn't ask if he "harmed" you. I asked if he could have subdued you telepathically?"

"I don't know. I'm not an expert on Vulcan telepathy. And I'm not aware of any Vulcan ability to cause harm using their minds. Vulcans are pacifists."

"Are they really? No further questions."

Notes:

Is anyone even still reading this thing? Let me know what you think of this Court-martial or if you prefer to skip it?

Chapter 76: Court Martial: McCoy

Summary:

Dr. McCoy is being his usual cantankerous self.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

-Leonard McCoy-

 

"Dr. McCoy, you examined Mr. Spock in the Enterprise's sickbay just prior to his escape to Vulcan, didn't you?" Mr. Wyatt asked.

"Yes, I did."

"And what were your medical findings that day?"

"Well, he was suffering from, uh... an acute metabolic crisis with a high fever and experiencing delirium. He needed immediate treatment."

"What was the actual diagnosis? Was it a known illness?"

"Well, that information is confidential. Mr. Spock's medical records are private. I can't divulge his medical diagnosis without his permission."

"Dr. McCoy, this is a trial. Commander Spock's career is on the line and we're trying to ascertain whether or not he is responsible for high crimes against the Starfleet. Surely you understand that the circumstances deem it necessary to divulge this vital information?"

"No, I don't. This trial is a farce if you ask me. Lieutenant Uhura isn't pressing charges against her HUSBAND, so why are we even here?" McCoy complained.

"We're here to learn the truth, Doctor. Isn't that what every trial is for?"

"I highly doubt this truth you're looking for will serve any good purpose. I'll confirm that Spock was ill and the symptoms, but I cannot disclose the details of my patients' diagnosis without an order from the Federation Council and Starfleet Command. And even then I wouldn't tell you. If Doctors were to go around telling tales out of school about all their patients, where would civilization be? A man has a right to some dignity and privacy! There are some things a man can share with his doctor that he can't tell anyone else. That falls under doctor-patient privilege. Surely Starfleet hasn't sunk so low as to disregard basic Federation rights?" McCoy ranted.

Mr. Wyatt was thrown off course by McCoy's passionate speech. "Very well then Doctor... Let us move on. Are you familiar with Vulcan physiology?"

"Yes, I have some small knowledge, but I'm by no means an expert."

"And why is that Doctor? You have a very impressive record. You are the chief medical officer of the Enterprise. You're one of the most decorated and well-traveled doctors in the fleet. You have a Vulcan patient in permanent residence aboard your ship. In fact, you've treated two Vulcan patients, as records indicate, you've performed surgery on the Vulcan Ambassador Sarek. Isn't that so?"

"Well, Vulcans are private people. They don't share their medical records without good cause and there is still a lot we humans don't know or understand about their complex physiology."

"Do you think it normal for an entire race of people to hide their biological history? What are they trying so hard to hide?

"I don't know if they are trying to hide anything. What makes you think you have the right to know their biological history?"

"They are founding members of the Federation. Surely they would want to share such knowledge with their friends in a beneficial exchange of ideas?"

"I can't speak for the entire Vulcan race. However the Vulcans I know are honorable people who respect other's privacy and sovereignty, and I think it no hardship to return the favor. If you're so interested in knowing Vulcan biology, couldn't you, you know, just ask them?"

"Your honor, I object." Miss Shaw stood up to address the judges.

"These questions are incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial. Could you please direct my esteemed colleague to ask questions that pertain to the case at hand? I don't see what Vulcan biology has to do what this trial?"

"Your honors, Vulcan biology has everything to do with this case. Mr. Spock's illness is being blamed for his actions. I'd like to know what kind of illness causes a man to kidnap and assault a crewmate!"

"Mr. Wyatt, please! Objection is sustained." Commodore Stone decided.

"Very well. Tell me, Doctor, are you familiar with the Vulcan practice known as the mind meld?"

"Yes, I know of it. I studied Spock when he practiced it on an escaped prisoner who was suffering from psychosis. Spock was able to communicate with him and find out he was actually Dr. Van Gelder when our conventional medicine couldn't yield results. We were able to learn the patient's identity and the reason for his manic condition."

"Did you witness any other times where Mr. Spock used this mind meld technique?"

"Yes, on a few missions. I recall he used it on a Horta on the mining colony Janus VI."

"Any other occasions?"

"I also witnessed him meld with Lt. Uhura on several occasions when she was recovering from a traumatic brain injury that was the result of an assault by an artificial life-form called NOMAD."

"Ah-ha, so he used this "melding" technique on his own wife?" Wyatt asked smugly.

"She wasn't his wife back then, but yes," McCoy answered calmly.

"Why would this "mind-meld" be sanctioned as a medical procedure?"

"As I stated, it was as a last resort for extreme circumstances. The lieutenant had lost all her memories and Mr. Spock thought the technique could be useful in helping her regain them."

"Why would he believe that, Doctor? Is that usual for mind melds?"

"Why don't you ask him?" McCoy grouched.

"Oh, I intend to Doctor. But right now I'm asking for your medical opinion. Why would the Vulcan technique help with a case of memory loss or psychosis?"

"I can't disclose the details of my patient's private medical diagnosis. I can say that Lt. Uhura was injured by an alien life-form and Mr. Spock believed he could help where conventional medicine could not, just like in the Van Gelder case."

"And was he successful?"

"Well, they're married now, aren't they?" McCoy laughed to himself, "But yes, Lt. Uhura regained her memory much faster than we had predicted possible with conventional treatment."

"And you supervised these "melds" doctor?"

"Yes, I insisted on it. I wanted to document the procedure in case it worked and we could glean meaningful data. I felt that it should be done in a professionally controlled environment for that reason." McCoy said.

"What did you observe during these "melds" if you don't mind my asking and if it won't violate your patient's privacy?"

"Well I'm not a Vulcan and I don't know how such things work but I observed that Spock must touch the person he is treating. He touches their face here," McCoy touched his own face with his fingertips, "to establish a link. In the case of Lt. Uhura, he probed her mind for memories buried deep in her subconscious."

"Dr. in your professional opinion, could Mr. Spock use this technique to mentally or telepathically restrain a person or render them unconscious?"

"I'm not qualified to say. I don't know how the technique works or why it works, just that it does work."

"And yet you allowed him to perform this undocumented medical procedure, this... "mind meld" on a vulnerable patient in your care without knowing what it does or if it would be successful?"

"He had the consent of the patients." McCoy insisted.

"Doctor McCoy, you testified yourself that the patients were unable to communicate, thus the necessity of Mr. Spock's meld. So just how did they provide consent?" Wyatt asked skeptically.

"Now look, not every medical procedure requires an express written or verbal consent. Van Gelder was an emergency case, lives were at stake. We needed to know the information trapped in his mind. And the Horta was an alien life-form so different from us we didn't even register it as being sentient. In the end, the Horta had no trouble communicating with Spock, and if she had disagreed, she had the power to burn him to a crisp."

"And Lt. Uhura?" Wyatt asked.

"Lieutenant Uhura is a Starfleet officer." McCoy dismissed.

"So?" Wyatt asked.

"So in Starfleet, you give up your right to make certain decisions. If your captain orders you to your death, you follow orders. If you're ordered to shoot you shoot."

"Are you saying that someone ordered Lt. Uhura to submit to a mind-meld?"

"No. I'm saying in such situations we have to consider what is best for the patient, the crew, or the mission. Spock and I both felt it was safe and practical to try probing her memories if there was the slightest chance she could be cured, and Captain Kirk agreed. He made the final decision but Uhura consented."

"A patient who by your own words had a traumatic brain injury consented Doctor? Do you honestly believe the patient had the capacity to give consent?"

"Yes. The injury didn't take away her ability to reason, just her memories. Besides, Uhura and Spock had a long-standing relationship. He'd melded with her before. She trusted him to help her."

"Doctor please testify only what you know to be facts or witnessed firsthand."

"That's a fact. When Lieutenant Uhura saw Spock after her injury, he was one of the few people she didn't fear or mistrust. She didn't have to let him touch her, but she did."

"So he had full access to her mind?"

McCoy frowned. "I suppose so."

"Thank you. I have no further questions," said Mr. Wyatt and he took his seat, leaving the floor to Miss Shaw.

"Dr. McCoy, you just said that Mr. Spock melded with Uhura before her injury. How do you know that, were you there?"

"He told me."

"And you believed him?"

"Of course, Vulcans don't lie."

"Dr. McCoy please just state facts."

"That is a fact I know to be true! Vulcans do not lie. Besides, why would Spock lie about something like that? This was Uhura's life at stake!"

"And that meant something special, that it was Lieutenant Uhura's life at stake?"

"Of course it meant something special. She's something special to all of us, especially to Spock."

"Alright, Doctor. So you believe Mr. Spock when he said that he and Lieutenant Uhura had melded previously. But you hadn't observed those other mind-melds?"

"No."

"Do you know the circumstances of the previous mind-melds?"

"No."

"Why not? You insisted on observing Spock when he performed the meld on Van Gelder before and when healing Lieutenant Uhura. Why not any other times?"

"Those other times were none of my business. What Spock and Uhura get up to in private is their own affair."

"Mmm-hmm. Very well. Doctor, would you say that a mind meld is an invasive procedure?"

"Yes, I would."

"Would you characterize it as an "intimate" act?" Shaw asked.

"Intimate? Well, I suppose you could call it that. I mean for someone to probe your mind, see your thoughts, your secrets, know your memories, that's pretty personal. It's downright disturbing," McCoy shivered at the memory of his own meld.

"Doctor McCoy, have you ever had your mind-melded with Mr. Spock?"

"Well..." McCoy rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Not exactly, not with this Spock, no."

"What do you mean 'not with this Spock'?"

"Well. I think the answer is classified information." McCoy told her.

"I see. Is it more of your patient-doctor privilege?" Miss Shaw smiled at the doctor.

"No. Starfleet classified. Need to know, and you don't need to know." McCoy told her bluntly.

"Alright doctor, without revealing Starfleet classified information, can you explain what a meld is like."

"No, I can't explain it to someone who hasn't experienced it. But it is quite intense, incredible..."

Shaw quickly asked, "Pleasurable?"

"Wait what!? I don't know about that. I suppose it could be if the practitioner wanted it to be."

"How about... SEXUAL?" Miss Shaw asked eagerly.

"Objection! Irrelevant!" Mr. Wyatt demanded.

"Sustained! Counselor, you are on thin ice." Commodore Stone stated.

"One more thing, doctor. Why do you suppose, in your medical opinion, that anyone would consent to a mind-meld, something in your own words that is invasive and disturbing, outside of a medical emergency?"

"I have no medical opinion on that. You'd have to ask a Vulcan, after all melding is part of their culture."

"So as far as you know, if Spock performed a mind meld on Uhura in private he was not violating any medical, ethical, or Starfleet rules, he was just practicing an intimate part of his culture?"

"Yes," McCoy smiled and agreed. "Why would anyone think otherwise?"

"Why indeed? Thank you, Doctor."

Notes:

So glad to know people are still reading this story. That keeps the pressure on me to keep writing it until it's done.

Chapter 77: Court Martial: Christine

Summary:

It's Christine's turn on the hot seat. Does she do more harm than good for Spock's case?

Notes:

I've read and reread and edited this thing so many times I'm sick of it. So I release it to the world, warts and all.

Christine is hard for me to write about because I don't like her character. But I know people love her and I wanted to be fair and not drag her for no good reason. I did my best.

Chapter Text

-Christine Chapel-

 

Christine was nervous as she took the stand and avoided glancing at anyone from the Enterprise who was seated in the gallery. She didn't dare look in Spock's direction, either. She was just here to do what she had to do.

"Nurse Chapel, for the record, how do you know the defendant?" The prosecutor asked.

"We're colleagues in the science department of the Enterprise."

"Just colleagues? Nothing else?"

"Yes, just colleagues."

"Nurse Chapel, I have entered into the court record the sworn testimonies of several Enterprise crew members stating that they heard you or saw you on more than one occasion, declare your love for Mr. Spock. Is that testimony accurate?"

"Irrelevant!" Shaw objected.

"What is the point of this testimony, counselor?" asked the Commodore.

"I'll come to my point, your honor if you will allow me to continue?" Wyatt smirked at Shaw.

"Come to the point fast please Mr. Wyatt." The Commodore wished he hadn't offered to officiate this trial.

"Yes, Commodore. Permission to treat the witness as hostile?"

"Granted. Please proceed," he said with impatience.

"Nurse Chapel humor the court, please. Do you love Mr. Spock?"

"Why does it matter?" Christine asked angrily.

"Nurse, are you in love with Spock?"

Christine didn't have any choice but to answer in front of everyone. "Yes." her voice was soft as a whisper.

"Lieutenant Uhura testified that the two of you were friends, is that correct?"

"Yes, we were close friends once."

"Were you friends before she married Spock?"

"Yes."

"So she would have been aware of your feelings for Spock?"

"Yes, she was aware," Christine said, and she sent an annoyed look Nyota's way.

"And Nurse Chapel, how did you feel when you discovered that Commander Spock was married to Lieutenant Uhura?"

"I was shocked! I couldn't believe it."

"And why is that, why couldn't you believe it?"

"Well, because he's Spock. I mean, he's never shown any interest in anyone like that. And then poof! He's married to Uhura?" Christine blurted.

"So you had no inkling of a romantic relationship between Spock and your good friend, Lieutenant Uhura?"

"None."

"How do you know he was never interested in anyone like that? I mean you said yourself your only relationship was that of colleagues. Did Mr. Spock confide to you he wasn't interested in a romantic relationship with anyone else?"

"No, he did not tell me anything like that. But he's Vulcan. He just didn't seem interested in anyone romantically."

"So to your knowledge he was not in any relationship with Lieutenant Uhura before their surprise marriage?"

"No, not to my knowledge."

"What did you think when Spock and Lieutenant Uhura left the Enterprise and went to Vulcan together?"

"I didn't know what to think. It didn't make any sense. Mr. Spock was supposed to be in the sickbay."

"Surely you had some opinion, some concern for your friend, perhaps?"

"Well yes, I was worried about Uhura."

"Oh, you were worried about Lieutenant Uhura, not Mr. Spock?"

"I was worried about both of them." She quickly corrected her statement.

"But why were you worried about Uhura specifically?"

"Because Spock had taken her from the ship!"

"But according to the defense they were in a relationship and engaged. Surely the pair leaving the Enterprise together should have been no cause for alarm?"

"I don't know anything about them being engaged. I know Spock was sick. He wasn't in his right mind to go gallivanting across the galaxy."

"So you were very concerned about Lieutenant Uhura's safety with Spock?"

"No, not necessarily. I don't know. I mean, Mr. Spock was behaving out of character because of his illness..."

"And you thought this illness could cause him to harm the lieutenant?"

"Objection!" Miss Shaw shouted. "Nurse Chapel was not privy to my client's medical condition."

"Mr. Wyatt, please rephrase your question," Stone asked.

"Nurse Chapel, why were you personally worried for your friend, Lieutenant Uhura's safety in Spock's care?

"Because Spock was in sickbay with a fever before they left. They brought in him because of an angry outburst on the bridge. He shouldn't have been let loose to fly a shuttle. They could have crashed or gone off course, anything!"

"Ah, I see. You had an opportunity to observe Mr. Spock prior to him escaping from the sickbay, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did."

"And in your professional opinion, when he was admitted, did the Commander seem incapable of making sound judgments? Was he intoxicated, delirious, or otherwise mentally compromised?"

"No. He just seemed out of character."

"Exactly how was he out of character, how Nurse?"

"He was furious. They had to restrain him."

"You mean he was violent?" The prosecutor asked in mock surprise.

"Well, he was not in his right state of mind. He was emotional. He wouldn't have done those things if he were normal. He just lashed out because of the fever, which was why he was ordered to sickbay by the Captain."

"And is it safe to say that his behavior, his furious emotional state led you to be concerned for your friend Lieutenant Uhura's well-being, but it didn't cause worry for Mr. Spock's wellbeing?"

"Yes, I mean...," Christine thought about what Uhura had said to her previously. She didn't really know Spock or what he was capable of at all. "I didn't really know Spock or what he was capable of in that state. The Spock they brought to sickbay wasn't the Spock I was used to or in love with. That Spock was a stranger."

"Nurse Chapel, do you suppose that out of character Spock could have assaulted a woman?"

"Objection!"

"Withdrawn. No further questions. Thank you, Nurse."

Miss Shaw approached the witness.

"Nurse Chapel, have you ever been in a romantic relationship with Mr. Spock?"

"What do you mean by that?" Christine asked.

"Well, the usual. Have you two dated? For example, have you had dinner together privately?"

"No."

"Do you and Mr. Spock share any common interest or have you engaged in activities outside of work together?"

"No."

"In fact, on more than one occasion, Spock has told you he was not interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with you, is that correct?"

"Yes," Christine said sadly.

"So it is safe to say Mr. Spock never returned your declarations of love?"

"Well..." Christine hesitated.

"Well what, Nurse Chapel? Did Mr. Spock ever reciprocate your feelings in any way?"

"Yes. He did once." She mumbled, looking down at her hands in her lap. Hush comments of surprise spread throughout the room. Uhura looked at Spock with a surprised expression from her seat in the gallery, but he just stoically looked forward, ignoring the hubbub.

"Nurse Chapel, when did Mr. Spock reciprocate romantic feelings for you?

Christine looked as if she would not answer but then she said, "Once when I drugged him." The room erupted into loud chatter this time. People just couldn't believe a nurse would drug a fellow crewman.

"Order! Order in the court!" Commodore Stone declared.

"You drugged the defendant?" Miss Shaw asked as if it scandalized her.

Christine looked down at her hands in her lap which she fiddled nervously. "Yes, but it is not one of my finer moments." She admitted.

"I'm sure. And what drug did you use?" Miss Shaw asked.

"It was a so-called love potion manufactured by a prisoner we were transporting."

"An illegal substance?"

"Yes."

"What happened after you drugged the defendant with your illegal love potion, Nurse Chapel?"

"Spock acted as if he was in love with me, for a while at least," Christine said.

"And that was the only time he ever expressed any feelings for you? While he was drugged?"

"Yes."

"Did Mr. Spock report you for drugging him or press any charges against you?"

"No, he did not. I guess he forgave me."

"Were there any repercussions at all for your actions, Nurse Chapel?"

"Well, a side effect of the drug is that as it wears off, the emotions it invoked turn from love to antipathy."

"So, in other words, Mr. Spock actively disliked you afterward?"

"Yes, but I disliked him too because of the drug. It was mutual." Christine said.

"So the love potion and declaration of feelings never resulted in any relationship of any kind between you and Mr. Spock after it wore off?"

"No! And you don't have to rub it in." Chapel said in annoyance. What was this lawyer getting at now?

"What about with anyone else?"

Christine lifted her head quickly to look at Miss Shaw with slitted eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"Did you ever observe Spock in a romantic relationship with anyone else?"

"No!"

"What about Lieutenant Uhura?"

"What about her?"

"Did you ever observe Spock and Uhura, perhaps having dinner with one another?"

Christine bit her lip. She didn't want to answer, but she had to. "Yes, I've seen them in the rec room eating together. But everyone on the ship eats in the rec rooms from time to time."

"I see. Did you observe the pair together at other times?"

"Sure. They work side by side on the bridge after all." Christine said.

"What about other times when they were not working on the bridge or dining together in the rec room?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I said. Have you observed Mr. Spock and Miss Uhura together at other times when not on duty?"

"I've seen them perform together."

"Perform?" Shaw asked.

"Yes, Uhura sometimes sings while Mr. Spock plays an instrument. They often perform for the crew in the rec room."

"So Uhura and Spock worked side by side, they dined together frequently, and performed music together frequently. Presumably, they would also have practiced together privately?"

"I suppose so." Christine agreed.

"That could be characterized as a romantic relationship, couldn't it?"

"I wouldn't use the word romantic. They are... were just friends."

"Just friends? Like Spock and Captain Kirk?"

"Yes."

"So it never occurred to you, despite evidence to the contrary, that Spock and Uhura could be more than just friends?"

"No. Never," Christine said adamantly.

"One more question Nurse Chapel. Did you actually see Mr. Spock take Uhura from the ship?"

"No, but-"

"To be clear, you didn't actually witness Mr. Spock carrying Lieutenant Uhura anywhere or putting Lieutenant Uhura on the shuttle, forcefully or otherwise?"

"No, I didn't see it personally."

"Thank you, Nurse."

Mr. Wyatt requested to reexamine the witness.

"Nurse Chapel, you stated that the Spock they brought into the sickbay was a stranger to you, and he made you worry about the safety of Lt. Uhura?"

"Yes. How many times do I have to say it?"

"So when you heard rumors that Spock abducted the Lieutenant from her quarters, you believed it?"

"I... I did."

"And you believed it because of the unusual behavior you witnessed in sickbay, not because of any supposed romance with the Lieutenant?"

"Yes."

"Were you worried about Spock, the man you proclaimed to love?"

"Yes, of course, I was worried about him too."

"But not as much as Lt. Uhura?"

"Well, I knew as long as Spock got to Vulcan he'd be ok."

"Oh," Wyatt looked surprised. "How did you know that?"

"Because he'd had this illness before, and he was cured on Vulcan."

"Is that so? But I have sworn testimony from Dr. McCoy that not only did he not know the name of the illness but that he did not know how to treat it?"

"That's true, we don't know anything about the fever Mr. Spock suffered from. That was why it was imperative to get Spock to Vulcan where they could treat him fast."

"And the Vulcans couldn't send the treatment to the Enterprise?"

"No. I would think if they could have they would have. Apparently, the treatment is only available on Vulcan."

"Apparently? How convenient. Did Lt. Uhura accompany him on that prior trip to Vulcan?"

"No."

"She didn't? Why do you suppose that is?"

"Why would she? Dr. McCoy and Captain Kirk accompanied him on his previous trip."

"I see. Ship medical logs indicate that you were present when the Captain and Dr. McCoy returned to the ship from Vulcan on that occasion. Is that correct?"

"Yes. I met them in the transporter room."

"And can you describe Captain Kirk's condition when he returned from Vulcan that first time?"

"Well, he was uh... he wasn't conscious."

"Not conscious? And what of his physical appearance?"

"What about it?"

"Nurse, this is all on the transporter logs. How did the Captain look physically?" Wyatt asked.

"Well, his shirt was torn, he was scratched, and bruised up."

"And he was unconscious?"

"Yes," Chris said, annoyed.

"There seem to be a lot of unconscious people around Commander Spock," Wyatt quipped.

"Objection!"

"Mr. Wyatt," Commodore Stone sent him a warning look.

"How did the captain become unconscious?"

"Objection! The witness was not on Vulcan and can't testify to what happened there." Shaw stated.

"According to entry logs, shortly after the Captain and Dr. McCoy returned to the Enterprise Commander Spock beamed back aboard. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"And he immediately reported to sickbay, where you, Dr. McCoy, and Captain Kirk were present. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Nurse Chapel, can you tell the court what happened when Commander Spock arrived in the sickbay?"

"He... uh, well... he turned himself in."

"Turned himself in? For what?"

"He said he was guilty of a crime," Christine said with a frown.

"A crime?" Wyatt looked around the courtroom dramatically. "Really? Did he say what he'd done?"

"No. Not exactly."

"Nurse Chapel, what exactly did he say?"

"He uh, ordered Mr. Scott to take command."

"Now, why would Engineer Scott need to take command? Wouldn't that only be necessary if both the Captain and the Commander were dead or incapacitated?"

"I suppose so."

"It is so. You testified that the Captain arrived aboard unconscious and then Spock arrived and declared himself a criminal unfit for duty?"

"Yes."

"One might then conclude that Mr. Spock caused the Captain's injuries, couldn't one?"

"Objection!"

"What happened after Spock ordered Mr. Scott to take command?"

"The captain walked out of the adjoining exam room."

"And what was Commander Spock's reaction?"

"He seemed surprised to see the Captain."

"Why would he be surprised to see his own Captain whom he presumably saw just moments ago on the planet?"

"Objection!"

"Sustained. Mr. Wyatt, please constrain your questions to knowledge the witness will have."

The prosecutor tried a different tack, "Nurse Chapel, what did Mr. Spock say when he saw the Captain?"

"Well, uh, he didn't exactly say very much; it was a more emotional reaction."

"Okay then, Nurse please tell the court, what exactly was his reaction?"

"Well... uh, the captain came in and Spock said, 'Jim!'"

"That's it, just "Jim"?"

"Well, it was the way he said it." She insisted.

"So what was so special about the way he said "Jim"?"

"It was very surprising. I mean he was um... he was..."

"He was what Nurse?"

"He was smiling."

"And that was surprising?"

"Well, of course, Vulcans don't usually smile."

"I see, so first Spock declared himself a criminal, then he ordered Mr. Scott to take command of the Enterprise, and then he smiled uncharacteristically, is that correct?"

"Yes, but-.

"No further questions for this witness.

Miss Shaw recrossed Christine.

"Nurse Chapel, you say Vulcans do not usually smile. How do you know this?"

"Well, it is a well-known fact that Vulcans don't express any emotions," Christine said.

"Yes, Vulcans generally do not express emotion but they are not incapable of it," Miss Shaw said. "So then, seeing Mr. Spock smiling surprised you because you assumed that he could not or did not choose to smile?"

"Yes, I guess so."

"Would it surprise you to know that Mr. Spock does indeed smile when warranted and has done so on several occasions while serving aboard the Enterprise?"

"Yes, it would."

"Nurse Chapel, why were the Captain and Dr. McCoy on Vulcan that first time Mr. Spock suffered from his illness? Were they on official medical business? For example, was Dr. McCoy needed to assist in Mr. Spock's treatment?"

"No, the Enterprise was only planning to drop Mr. Spock off. We were already late for a rendezvous at Altair 6. They accompanied Spock as his friends."

"Ah, I see. Would you say that Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock are very close friends?

"Yes, everyone knows that they're the best of friends."

"And you testified that when the captain was beamed aboard he was unconscious. What were his precise injuries?"

"Well, his injuries were superficial, a few scratches and bruises but he was oxygen deprived which caused labored breathing. Oh, and I believe Dr. McCoy gave him a muscle relaxant to help with that. He wasn't used to the thin atmosphere, heavy gravity, and extreme heat of Vulcan."

"So it would only be logical to believe that Mr. Spock thought the captain was still incapacitated when he beamed aboard. And then seeing his very close friend was in fact recovered, smile in relief?"

"Yes, that would be logical," Chapel said, smiling herself, happy she had not put Spock in a bad light.

"No further questions, Your Honor."

"The witness is excused." Commodore Stone announced.

Christine left the stand and looked over to where Spock sat. She hoped he understood she did not want to testify, but they had forced her to do so. Unfortunately, Spock just stared ahead blankly and did not even bother to look her way. She took a seat in the back of the gallery, just another spectator waiting to learn Spock's fate and feeling like a traitor.

Chapter 78: Court Martial: Riley

Summary:

Guess who's back, back again? Riley's back. Tell a friend!

I'm sure Riley's a nice guy, but I needed somebody to break Nyota's heart, and I didn't want it to be any of the main crew. So he drew the short straw. Sorry, buddy.

Chapter Text

 

-Kevin Riley-

 

"Prosecution calls Kevin Riley."

The court gallery was surprised to hear that name, and they chatted with excitement at the fresh development. What had Kevin Riley to do with this case? He wasn't even an Enterprise crewmember anymore; they whispered.

"Mr. Riley, how do you know the defendant?"

"He was my superior officer while I served aboard the Enterprise," Riley answered nervously. He did not know why he had been subpoenaed to testify against Mr. Spock. The Farragut had been on a deep space mission for months and only got back to port at the station a few hours ago. The prosecution immediately summoned him to testify but they didn't tell him what the charges were.

"Were you familiar with the Commander personally? Were you friends?" Wyatt asked.

"Friends? No, you don't make friends with Mr. Spock."

"What about the Commander's wife, Lieutenant Uhura?"

"Wife?" Riley asked in shock as his eyes snapped to Uhura in the crowd.

"Yes, you didn't know that Lieutenant Uhura and Commander Spock are married?" Mr. Wyatt asked with a crooked smile.

"No," Riley answered while he stared in wonder at Uhura. "No, I didn't know. There were rumors... but there are always crazy rumors about something in the fleet." Riley said while looking confused.

"So then Mr. Riley, I understand you are quite familiar with Mrs. Uhura?"

"Yeah, I knew her quite well," Riley regained his composure and was now settling into his seat to testify with a defiant glint in his eyes. Hearing Wyatt call her Mrs. Uhura was pissing him off.

"According to Mrs. Uhura, the two of you briefly dated, is that correct?"

"Briefly, huh? Yeah, we dated."

"Would you say that your relationship with Mrs. Uhura was intimate, Mr. Riley?"

"Objection! irrelevant." Miss Shaw protested.

"Your honor, counsel introduced the relevance when the Lieutenant testified about the character of the witness."

"I'll allow it but tread carefully, Mr. Wyatt," Commodore Stone warned.

"Mr. Riley was your relationship with Mrs. Uhura intimate?"

"Well, we did date," he said, smiling wolfishly.

"How long did you date?"

"Just a few months, long enough," Riley said.

"Describe your relationship for the court if you will please?"

"Well, we started out as friends. MISSES Uhura is a VERY friendly woman and very approachable. She's also very beautiful, and she seemed to like me so I asked her out."

"You said she seemed to like you? Are you implying she didn't?" the Prosecutor asked.

"Yeah. As I said, we dated but it never got too serious. I started to realize that I was more interested in Uhura than she was interested in me."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, she was always busy with other guys and doing things that didn't include me."

"Really? Such as?"

"Well, Uhura was friends with just about everyone on the ship, but she had a particular thing for Mr. Spock now that I think about it."

"What do you mean 'a thing'?"

"She and Mr. Spock were always doing something. They were always chatting about some old nonsense nobody cares about, or practicing weird music, or he was supposedly "mentoring" her on Vulcan. That kind of stuff. Oh, and they were alone in the rec rooms having meals together a lot too. Things like that. I should have seen the writing on the wall. He was always commandeering her time, now that I think back."

"That doesn't sound very favorable on his part, does it?"

"No, it doesn't." Riley agreed.

"Mrs. Uhura characterized you as being a jerk," Wyatt informed Riley.

"Oh she did, did she?" Riley asked Wyatt.

"Yes, she did. And how would you characterize the Lieutenant?"

"Objection!"

"Overruled."

"Hmmm, well I think I'd say she was a frigid tease." Again, everyone in the gallery whispered about this new revelation of an apparent love triangle.

"Your honors I object. The lieutenant is not on trial here and neither is her character. She is the supposed victim." Miss Shaw stated.

"Sustained."

"Mr. Riley, how would you characterize the Commander, who is on trial?"

"Well, he's a Vulcan, isn't he? To be honest, at first, he appears as if he's all stiff and professional and logical to a fault. A real stickler for the rules, he was."

"Only appears to be?" Wyatt asked.

"Yeah, but now that I know the truth, I see him for what he really is."

"And what is that, Mr. Riley?" Wyatt grinned.

"A cockblocker!" A flurry of gasps and whispers broke out in the courtroom again, and Mr. Wyatt smirked at Miss Shaw.

"Your witness," Mr. Wyatt said, strolling back to his seat with his chest puffed up.

"A 'cockblocker' Mr. Riley?" Miss Shaw asked, unfazed by the reaction of the court.

Riley looked defiant as he addressed the courtroom. "Yeah, that's what I said."

"Commander Spock is one of the most highly decorated officers in the entire Star Fleet. He has won numerous awards and commendations for valor and excellence isn't that correct?" She asked Riley.

"So?"

"So, Mr. Riley, what about your record? Do you have any awards or commendations?"

"Objection, irrelevant."

"It is relevant, your honor. I think it fair that we know the character of the witness who is testifying against the character of the defendant."

"Overruled. Mr. Riley, you'll answer the question," the commodore ordered.

"No, I don't have any awards or commendations."

"In fact, you have several reprimands on your record, don't you?"

"If you say so."

"No, I don't say so Mr. Riley. Your record says so. And one of those reprimands was written up by none other than Commander Spock wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was," Riley answered in a tight voice.

"Did the Commander write you up while performing his duties as a 'cockblocker'?"

"Objection!"

"Withdrawn." Areel conceded with a smirk of her own. "What was the reprimand for?"

"It was for taking over the engineering department and shutting down the engines while the Enterprise was in a decaying orbit around an imploding planet."

"I see. And during that incident, the Enterprise was very nearly destroyed because of your sabotage, wasn't it?"

"Yes, but-"

"And you only received a written reprimand, not a dishonorable discharge, or even more appropriate, a court-martial?" she asked while staring at the judge's advocates.

"There were extenuating circumstances. Nearly everyone on board was infected with an illness caused by something brought from the planet. I lost a good friend because of it!" He yelled angrily.

"Nearly everyone, including Mr. Spock?" Miss Shaw pushed on.

"Yes, I think he was infected too."

"So, while you were both in an inebriated state, you nearly destroyed the Enterprise and all crew aboard, while Commander Spock came up with the formula that restarted the engines and allowed you all to escape unharmed. Isn't that correct?" Shaw asked.

"Yes, that is correct," Riley had to admit.

"Mr. Riley, what is your current assignment?"

"I'm currently the conn officer on the USS Farragut."

"How did you qualify for a transfer to the Farragut, which included a promotion, I might add, with your record?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, He sat up straighter and fidgeting in his seat, feeling a gotcha coming.

"I mean, your record is not very good. You were reprimanded for a very serious offense. There were surely more qualified officers up for promotion before you, and yet you were promoted and transferred despite a glaring blot on your record."

"I guess I'm lucky," Riley joked nervously. "The luck of the Irish."

"Lucky indeed. In order to qualify for the promotion, you needed a character recommendation from a superior officer, didn't you Lieutenant?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"And who gave you that recommendation?"

"Well, I assume it was Captain Kirk. He signed off on my promotion."

"Would it surprise you to learn that Mr. Spock recommended you for promotion?"

"Yes, it would," Riley said. He turned in his seat to stare at Spock this time.

"One more thing Mr. Riley, how did your romantic relationship with Lt. Uhura end?"

Riley shrugged his shoulders. "It just ended. We didn't mesh."

"Could the Commander have had anything to do with your "not meshing"? Perhaps Mr. Spock and Lt. Uhura's close friendship caused a rift between the two of you?"

"There was no rift between us." Riley denied.

"Lieutenant Uhura called you a jerk during her testimony. Was she the one to break things off?"

"No, she didn't break things off," Riley said.

"So you ended the relationship?" Shaw pushed.

"Look, I said we just ended. I was promoted and transferred to the Farragut."

"Oh, so the two of you mutually decide to end things because of your transfer?" Shaw pressed.

"No, not exactly." Now Riley didn't seem so confident now that he had to explain himself.

"Well, Mr. Riley, kindly tell the court what exactly ended your relationship with the Lieutenant?"

"Nothing happened. I got a transfer, and I left."

"You just left? Without telling Lieutenant Uhura that it was over?"

"I guess so."

"So your breakup was because of you alone, not because Lt. Uhura was a 'frigid tease' or because Mr. Spock was a 'cockblocker'?"

"Objection!"

"Withdrawn. Thank you, no further questions."

Commodore Stone called a recess while the court spectators whispered furiously, trying to digest all they had learned and tried to keep score.

*/*/*

"Damn Jim, she's good," Bones said as he and the captain walked out of the courtroom.

"I know it Bones, I only hire the best," Jim said proudly as if he had committed some brilliant feat in hiring his past acquaintance as Spock's attorney.

"She's even got me questioning reality. Painting a pretty picture of Spock and Uhura as long-time lovers. Next thing you know I'll be believing Uhura ran off with Spock."

"That's what an excellent attorney does Bones, plant doubt into the minds of the judges. All we need is that shadow of a doubt to get Spock exonerated."

"And how do you like that Riley showing up to testify against Spock? Who asked him anyway?"

"The prosecution. They're pulling out all the stops to make Spock look bad. I guess they figured he'd badmouth Spock for stealing his girl."

"And boy did he. Cockblocker! I never heard anything so moronic in my life. As if Spock would do something so illogical."

"I don't know Bones. You know Spock can be ruthless when it comes to achieving a goal. If he wanted Uhura away from Riley, then Riley didn't stand a chance. Spock's recommendation to promote Riley makes perfect sense, looking back. He gave me some logical reason it would work, but now I see it was purely personal. That son of a gun."

McCoy laughed. "Yeah, I can just imagine what he said to Riley. No wonder he shipped out quick, fast, and in a hurry. And now that we know the truth about Riley, I can admit I never liked the fellow. I'm surprised he hasn't steered the Farragut into the sun by now."

"Well, he hasn't... Yet." Jim joked. "But give him time Bones. I wonder what else the prosecution has up his sleeve? They're doing everything they can to make Spock look like an asshole."

"They didn't need a court-martial for that, could have just asked me," Bones made his usual joke but Kirk stopped laughing.

"Bones, this is serious. Everything is on the line for Spock."

"I know Jim. Spock may be an asshole, but he's our asshole, and he's still the finest officer in the fleet. We all get a head full of steam and break the rules every once in a while, but Spock has never done anything to harm Starfleet interests. He didn't hurt Pike, and he didn't hurt Uhura. He was sick, Starfleet has got to understand that."

"Starfleet isn't behind this farce, it's Komack and his ilk. They don't like Vulcans or any of our other non-human allies. They want Starfleet for humans only. We can't let them win, not today and not in the future. Starfleet will only survive if we work with other races, not against them. We've already encountered races that are far more advanced than humanity or Vulcan and the other member races combined.

One day we'll run into a hostile species more dangerous and relentless than the Klingons or the Romulans. Hell, we almost got beat by that kid Trelane. We'll need allies in the Fleet from all our federation members not just protecting their own interests but the interests of their fellow members too. This galaxy is big enough for all of us if we just work together as one."

"What happens if Spock is found guilty? What does it mean for the Federation? What will the Vulcans do?" Bones wondered, concern tingeing his voice.

"Let's hope we never find out Bones, let's hope we never find out."

Chapter 79: Court Martial: Recess!

Summary:

A recess may be called, but the drama doesn't stop during Spock's court-martial.

Notes:

Didn't they tell you that I was a savage?

F*ck ya white horse and ya carriage

Bet you never could imagine

Never told you you could have it

Rihanna – Needed Me

Chapter Text

Recess

 

Since they called a recess in the trial, Uhura was free for the day and she wandered around the station alone. It didn't make sense to beam back to the ship when she'd could be needed to return to the hearing room in a few hours. She didn't want to be holed up in her quarters all alone either. She didn't care about seeing any of the sights or shopping during the shore leave, and unfortunately she wasn't allowed to visit Spock while the hearing was going on. So she was adrift.

The captain had a private room reserved in the crew section of the station, which he invited her to use whenever she needed to. He had little use for the room himself since he preferred being on the ship whenever he wasn't needed on the station. Spock might be his best friend, but the Enterprise was his true love.

So Uhura ended up in a less-trafficked area of the station near a bank of lifts that led to the crew living quarters when she spotted Lieutenant Riley walking towards her with a lazy gait. She looked around trying to find some alcove to duck into or some way to avoid him seeing her, but he caught up with her before she could escape.

"So," Riley said, blocking her path ahead. "You finally did it, huh?" Uhura tried to sidestep him in the corridor leading to the lifts but he slid in front of her.

Uhura huffed in frustration. Okay so, I guess we're doing this now; she thought. Fine. She smiled politely as she would to a stranger. "Finally did what Mr. Riley?"

"You finally landed that big fish you were always angling after, right?" He asked her angrily, ignoring her body language which said she didn't want to do this.

"I beg your pardon? What 'big fish'?" she asked.

"You heard me. Did you think I didn't notice? Did you think I didn't know I was never good enough for you? I knew it. But I see you finally got what you wanted. Commander Spock, right?" Riley spat the words at her.

Uhura shook her head in disbelief. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about Riley. Now if you will excuse me..." She tried to sweep past him again, but he stopped her.

"No, I will not excuse you. You know very well what I'm talking about Uhura. You and Spock are married? I guess you can't gloat too much, seeing as he is only the first officer. I always thought you were holding out for the Captain. What happened? You couldn't turn his head? I bet it wasn't for lack of trying though." He gave a nasty sneer as he racked his eyes up and down her body.

"I wasn't trying to turn anyone's head. And we didn't work out because you ghosted me, not because of Spock."

"Bullshit! I watched you. I saw how you were with the others," he accused.

"There were no others Riley! Only you, and you walked away without a backward glance."

"Oh, no sweetheart, there were others. You never fooled me. Scotty, Sulu, Spock, the Captain. Do you think I didn't notice how you chased them? How you teased them and flirted with them, smiled, and stroked their... uh, egos? You never were that interested in me, were you?"

"No, I'll answer for you," Riley continued before she could answer. "I wasn't enough for you. No rank, no power. But Spock, he was good enough? He's not even human! Apparently, men like him just take what they want no matter what though. But I think you bit off more than you could chew there, huh Nyota?"

"You don't have the right to call me that. Only my friends call me by my name. You can call me Lieutenant." Uhura snapped angrily.

"Lieutenant? Don't you mean Mrs. Spock? Isn't that what you go by now? Or didn't he bother to give you his name? Does he even have a family name or is Spock the family name? I never could work that out." He scratched his chin in mock thought.

"You could never work out a lot of things Mr. Riley." Once again she tried to turn and leave. But he ran around to block her path.

"Ooh, sassy as ever I see? Well, your husband is not here to protect you now. All that sass might get you into trouble." Riley said, and he leaned in closer to her.

"I don't need Spock or anyone else to protect me from you, Riley. You only get to hurt me one time," She held up her middle finger to emphasize the number one, "but never again."

"I never hurt you, NYOTA. At least I don't have to kidnap women to get them," he laughed.

Now Uhura was fuming. "You believe that, don't you Kevin? What do you think transferring out without telling me did? Do you think ghosting me was fun? Did you think I enjoyed finding out you were transferred through the grapevine? You think I don't have feelings!" She shouted. She felt just as angry as she did that day when she went to his quarters, only to find it empty.

"I didn't think you'd notice. You never noticed me before I left," he whined like a brat.

"Are you kidding? We were dating!" she yelled and then remembered they were in public and were drawing attention. "Look," she took a calming breath. "I was there for you, Riley. When Kodos' daughter tried to kill you, I was there right by your side while you recovered in the sickbay. When you sabotaged the engines of the ship and nearly killed us all, I was there defending you when nobody else would give you a second chance. But how about you, hmm?" She asked standing her ground now with her hands on her hips.

"Where were you when Nomad tried to kill me or when Khan's thugs assaulted me, huh? Gone! But you know who was there for me? My real friends were there! The ones you hate so much. Scotty nearly died trying to protect me. Where the hell were you? Whenever I've needed someone to have my back, Spock had it. Even when you and I were together he was there when you weren't. So for once in your life you're right. I didn't need you then, and I damn sure don't need you now. Go live your life, Riley. Be happy and keep doing whatever it is you do best." She turned to leave once and for all, having said her piece, but Riley grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"You're right about one thing, Nyota. Mr. Spock was always there even when I was with you, always between us. You think I liked hearing Spock's name come out of your mouth telling me HIS opinion on everything? You didn't care about my opinions. If I said I didn't like your hair, you'd asked Spock if he liked it!"

"That's right! Because Spock never tried to tell me how to wear my hair or how much makeup to use, or how to dress, or how to act! He never tried to... never mind. I don't answer to you, Riley."

Riley laughed. But there was no humor in the sound, only bitterness. "No, you never answered to me. But now you answer to Spock. You've got him all to yourself just like you always wanted. So congratulations Mrs. Uhura, well done. Hard work really does pay off." He yelled at her.

Uhura was so angry she didn't notice the people in the area staring at the scene like it was a movie, nor did she hear anyone approach them. "Iz there a problem here, Nyota?" Chekov asked, breaking the angry silence and making his presence known to the arguing pair.

"Nyota? Hmm, who is this? Another one of your little minions?" Riley asked as he raked his eyes up and down Chekov.

"I'm Lieutenant Chekov, navigator on the Enterprise; and who are you, Mister...?" asked Chekov.

"My replacement?" Riley grinned. "Oh no, that would be Spock. This must be another one of the little hangers-on that you keep on your hook in case of emergencies, right Ny?" Kevin said while leering at Chekov.

"That is enough, Mister," Chekov said and he shoved Riley back away from him and Uhura. When he got a whiff of Riley's breath, he said, "You're drunk. I suggest you go somewhere and sleep it off." Uhura yanked her arm out of Riley's grasp while he was distracted by Chekov.

"I think I will. Would you two care to join me?" he asked, looking at Uhura and Pavel suggestively.

"Get away from me," Uhura said with disgust.

"Oh, I forgot. Little miss frigid doesn't like the touch of us mere humans, do you? Only the big strong Vulcans will do, is that it? Is that why you couldn't sleep with me, because of Spock? I'm not surprised by you, but Spock? I can't believe he would sink to your level. Who would have thought that a tight uniform and a big um... smile would turn the Vulcan's head? Wonders never cease." He laughed.

"Shut up!" Chekov shouted and pushed Riley back again. "You will not speak of the Lieutenant or the Commander that way. You do not know anything about them. Shut up and get out of here!" Chekov took Uhura by the wrist and turned to leave. "Let's go," he said angrily, and lead her away from the scene.

"And you better hope that the Commander never hears you speak to his wife that way," Chekov said over his shoulder to Riley. "You would regret it."

Chekov pulled Uhura along through the crowd of pedestrians like a misbehaving child. Uhura's anger at Riley turned into amusement at Chekov's rescue. "Pavel, stop," she said, trying to pull her hand free all the while trying not to draw more attention to them. She had been the subject of way too much attention and gossip, as it was. "Chekov!" she said under her breath, but he kept marching her along.

"You shouldn't have been talking to that Cossack! He had no right speaking to you in such a manner." She could tell Chekov was fuming mad. Uhura thought it would be cute if he wasn't towing her along like a tugboat through the busy halls of the Starbase.

"Alright Pavel, calm down." She told him while she affectionately patted his shoulder. He finally stopped when they came to the closed doors of a lift.

"How can I remain calm when someone attacks my friends? I would have taught him a lesson, but he was clearly drunk; that tosser. But you," he scolded her, " you should not have been alone with that man."

"I didn't mean to be. He sorta cornered me in that walkway." She explained.

"That is serious, he attacked an officer!" Chekov said, tugging her along again in a different direction.

"Chekov, he didn't harm me, at least not physically. He just said some hurtful things. I thought he was better than that. I guess I was wrong."

"You dated that cretin?" he asked with disbelief while he stopped to look around for someplace to go.

"Yes, but don't hold it against me," she said sadly.

"Then it is a good thing Mr. Spock has taken you in hand." He nodded his head emphatically and headed off again.

"Spock has not taken me 'in hand'." Uhura pulled away from him. "Look, I appreciate your timely intervention. But if one more male tries to tell me what's best for me or what I ought to do, I think I will scream. I am not a damsel in need of rescue. I'm not a victim of kidnapping, I haven't been brainwashed, I'm not trapped in a diplomatic marriage of convenience, or any other crazy conspiracy theory that is going around the subspace channels. And I am sick of everyone blaming me for their own shortcomings and prejudices!"

"Perhaps you could use a vittle drink?" Chekov asked, having now calmed down in the wake of Uhura's tirade.

"Ya think?" she said and grinned at her friend.

Chekov hooked his arm with Uhura this time and they walked side by side to one of the space station's pubs where they found seats at the bar. Now that the excitement was over, Nyota stewed. How dare Kevin Riley confront her? How dare he accuse her of being unfaithful or disingenuous? She had taken their relationship seriously while she was with him, too seriously. She gave him the benefit of the doubt when everyone else on the Enterprise had written him off as a bad investment. She stood by him through ridicule and gossip. She hadn't needed to do that. She did it because... Well, she had done it because she felt sorry for him, if she was being honest with herself. Kevin had needed her, and she couldn't resist helping him. She liked being needed. Kevin had called Pavel one of her 'hangers-on' but it was Riley himself who had been hanging onto her all the time they were together like a remora fish.

Nyota had been fine before she met Kevin Riley, and she was just fine after he transferred off of the Enterprise. While they dated, she had tried to find ways to boost his self-esteem. She had tried to find ways to reassure him that he wasn't the screwup everyone thought he was. But now she realized she had just been wasting her time. He was a screwup and there was nothing she could do about it.

As she sipped her drink, she began to feel much calmer. And with calm came clarity. Fuck Kevin Riley! She never loved him anyway. Hell, she barely even liked him. He was just a distraction. Seeing him again made her realize how lucky she was that he transferred to another ship when he did. She really dodged a bullet with his ghost act. She could have stayed with him out of pity and missed out on someone better. Someone like Spock. Spock was ten times, no a hundred times the man Kevin Riley would ever be. Why the hell had she wasted a single tear on that jerk?

Because she's too nice, she thought. She should have popped him in the mouth as soon as he opened it back there. If she ever saw his weasel face again, she would give him something he could feel.

As she sipped her drink, she felt herself becoming more relaxed, and she breathed easier. But all too soon the alcohol seemed to go to her head and her vision blurred. It was just one drink, and it wasn't even a strong one. Just a little ale. But suddenly she felt as high as a kite.

She turned to Chekov, and the motion made her dizzy. "Pavel,"

"Yes, Nyota?" he asked as he sipped his own drink.

"I don't feel well." That was the last thing she said before she fell off her seat and into his arms.

 

*/*/*

 

"What's the last thing you ate, young lady?" Dr. McCoy asked Uhura as he ran a medical tricorder over her again. She was laid out in the sickbay wearing one of those skimpy gowns everyone hated. How the hell did she get here? What had she eaten today?

"Um..." She couldn't remember. Since Spock's arrest, she had been so busy trying to save him she didn't have time to think about herself. Plus, she had been dieting ever since she discovered her clothes were fitting her just a little more snuggly than usual.

"You're dehydrated and malnourished," McCoy told her. "What are you trying to do? We're already worried about Spock. Now you add yourself to the list? You want to turn my hair completely gray?" he joked with her.

"I don't know, doctor. But I think you'd be a sexy silver fox." She teased McCoy, but she didn't have the energy to even flirt properly.

"Uhura," McCoy said gently and placed his hand on her forehead as if checking her for fever the old-fashioned way. "What's really going on? I've never known you to neglect your health. You usually have a healthy appetite, but replicator records show you haven't been consuming the recommended calories and nutrients. Are you okay? Do you need to talk to someone about it?" His tone was one part concern and one part pity.

"It's not what you think, doctor. I'm not doing anything on purpose. I just haven't been very hungry since the trial began. And anyway, I figured I could stand to lose a few pounds. Spock says I'm fat." She pouted playfully, trying to break the tension in the room.

"What?" McCoy asked in shock. "I don't believe that pointy-eared-"

Uhura sat up and patted his arm. "No, no. He didn't say it like that. I was joking. But you know nothing gets past his observation. He noticed I put some extra weight and so have I. I was just trying to cut back."

"Well, Spock is not a doctor. I am. And you don't cut back unless your doctor tells you to, Missy. You know our diets are strictly monitored just so something like this doesn't happen? What if you fainted while away on a critical mission or while the ship was on red alert? Now we'll have to monitor your diet even more stringently to get you back in ship shape. But for now, we'll put you on an IV. Just sit tight and I'll have a nurse hook you up." McCoy was about to walk away when Uhura pulled him back.

"Doctor, is Christine here?"

"No. I wouldn't do that to you. She's off duty until this travesty of a trial is over and we figure out what to do with her."

"Why? Because of her testimony?" Uhura asked. That didn't make any sense. The testimony was embarrassing for everyody but not that bad for Spock.

"That and some other things that have been brought to light. Nothing for you to worry about. The Captain will handle it."

"Okay. Thank you, Doctor."

"Don't thank me, just take care of yourself." Before he left something stopped McCoy and he turned back to Uhura and bent down to kiss her forehead like he used to kiss his daughter Joanna good night. Something about Uhura just looked small and vulnerable, he supposed. And as usual, everyone was rallying around Spock while Uhura had been left to her own devices and nearly worried herself to death.

"Nyota, you know you're not alone in all this? If you need anything, and I mean anything no matter how small, you come straight to me. And that's an order. Are we clear?"

"Aye Doctor," she saluted from her bed.

"Now get some rest. Tomorrow is another big day and if you're not at the trial Spock is liable to lose his logic or something. We don't want that now, do we?"

"No." She said thoughtfully. "Doctor?"

"Yes, darlin'?"

Uhura shyly asked, "Have you ever been in love?"

McCoy smiled fondly. Has he! "More times than I care to remember." He said, patting her hand.

"Well, how did you know? What are the symptoms?"

"Symptoms? Well, now... I'd say if you have to ask then you've never been in love or maybe it's only your first time? But usually, you don't even realize it until it's too late."

"What does that mean?"

"You're usually so far gone by the time you realize it, you'll do just about any darn fool thing to get em, or keep em. Like not eating," he teased her. And just to see how she'd react he added, "or snatching them off a ship."

Uhura snatched her hand away and turned her back to him. "Good night Doctor," she grumbled.

McCoy laughed. "Good night Lieutenant," and he kept right on laughing all the way back to his office.

Chapter 80: Court Martial: M'Benga

Summary:

The prosecution is leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of the truth. Now it's Miss Shaw's turn to shine some light on the subject.

Chapter Text

~Dr. M'Benga~

 

"Defense calls Dr. Jeffrey M'Benga to the stand." Miss Areel Shaw announced.

The court broke into hushed but excited chatter. Spock's side of the court gallery consisting mostly of the crew from the Enterprise was surprised by the announcement. What could Doctor M'Benga possibly add to the case? Even Spock was unaware of Miss Shaw's defense strategy. He had declined to testify on his own behalf and instead left the job of defending him up to his attorney's skill.

Dr. M'Benga's record was recited, and then Miss Shaw got to work. "Doctor, how do you know the defendant?"

"I serve with Mr. Spock aboard the Enterprise."

"Are you friends with the defendant?"

"No. We are colleagues in the science department and I have treated Mr. Spock several times for both major and minor injuries inflicted during the course of duty. But that is about the extent of our interactions."

"Doctor, are you familiar with the events that took place on the stardate that Spock is accused of abducting Lieutenant Uhura?"

"Not really. I only know what I have learned after the fact."

"Did you attend to Mr. Spock while he was in the sickbay that day?"

"No, I did not."

"Did you witness Mr. Spock depart the Enterprise with Lieutenant Uhura or the ship's Galileo shuttle?"

"No, I did not."

Mr. Wyatt stood to object. "Your honor, if it pleases the court, may I ask what is the relevance of this witness?" The prosecutor asked.

"Your honor, my client is entitled to a defense, and the doctor is a defense witness."

"The witness barely seems to know the defendant or anything about the incident," Wyatt muttered.

"Miss Shaw, please continue," Stone said.

"Dr. M'Benga, what is your assignment on the Enterprise?"

"I am an attending physician specializing in xenobiology."

"Oh, I see." Miss Shaw shared a conspiratorial smile to the gallery and then said, "In layman's terms please, doctor?"

Dr. M'Benga smiled in acknowledgment. "In layman's terms, my specialty is alien medicine."

"Doctor, an alien is a relative term, isn't it? Just who are these aliens you attend to?

"Yes indeed, alien is a rather inaccurate and human-centric term. Though the majority of the Enterprise crew is human, there are over a dozen non-human races accounted for among her number. I specialize in medicine pertaining to non-humans."

"And within that specialty do you have a further concentration?"

"I suppose you could consider me a Vulcanologist. I have advanced training in Vulcan science and medical practices." M'Benga answered.

"How did you obtain this advance training?"

"I studied at the Vulcan Science Academy, and I did a brief medical residency on Vulcan where I was trained by traditional Vulcan healers."

"May it please the court. Defense moves to have Dr. M'Benga admitted as an expert on Vulcan biology."

There were no objections, and so Miss Shaw proceeded to question Dr. M'Benga. "Doctor, you are aware of the charges against Mr. Spock?"

"Yes, of course."

"We've heard testimony from your colleagues, Dr. McCoy and Nurse Chapel, that on the day Mister Spock left the Enterprise without leave, he was suffering from an unspecified illness. Can you tell us anything about this illness?"

"Well, I didn't examine Mr. Spock at the time."

"But you are an expert on Vulcan medicine?"

"I wouldn't say I'm an expert. I just have some training in the field."

"Don't be modest, I'd wager you have far more experience treating Vulcans than the average Starfleet doctor?"

"I suppose so." Dr. M'Benga said.

"In your expert opinion, knowing Mr. Spock's symptoms, could Spock be held responsible for his actions?"

"Objection! The doctor is not a legal expert."

"Your honor, he is giving medical testimony not legal opinions."

"Miss Shaw, contain your questions to the witness's area of expertise."

"Dr. M'Benga, in your MEDICAL opinion, in his MEDICAL condition was aware of his actions?"

"No, I don't think he was. You see, Mr. Spock suffered from a fever brought about by extreme hormonal disturbances. He was uncharacteristically emotional because he could no longer control his conscious thoughts. He was operating on pure emotion and instinct."

"But if he was, as you say, operating only on instinct, how was he able to abduct a crew member and pilot a shuttle to Vulcan?"

"I don't know," M'Benga said.

"No further questions." Miss Shaw yielded the floor and Mr. Wyatt cross-examined the doctor.

"Dr. M'Benga, you say Mr. Spock was suffering from a hormonal imbalance?"

"Yes."

"Can you elaborate on the cause of this hormonal imbalance?"

"The cause?" M'Benga looked puzzled.

"Yes. What would trigger Mr. Spock to suddenly suffer from this hormonal imbalance that would cause the utter loss of control of his faculties?"

"Well, there are several conditions that could trigger it."

"Well, why don't you tell the court which one caused Spock's?"

M'Benga took a deep breath. "From the medical records I've seen, Mr. Spock suffered from a normal cyclical elevation of certain male hormones unique to the Vulcan race."

"Is that a fact? So this condition was something unique to Vulcans, it was not contagious or a threat to any humans aboard the Enterprise?"

"No, his condition was endemic to Vulcans."

"You stated you don't know how Spock could abduct a woman and pilot a ship? What makes you think that he couldn't?"

"I believe I said, I didn't know how he would be able to commit the crimes he was accused of while suffering his condition."

"In your expert opinion, can you speculate?"

"I cannot."

"Mr. Spock was under restraints in the sickbay that day and yet he managed to escape. Do you have any explanation for how he escaped his restraints?"

"Again I cannot say how he did it. However, Vulcans tend to be several times stronger than humans so it would not surprise me if he just used superior strength to free himself."

"Superior Vulcan strength, huh?" Mr. Wyatt looked shocked.

"Yes. It is well known that Vulcans on average have at minimum twice human strength."

"What else do Vulcans have that is superior to humans?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Well, for example, do Vulcans have any other superior advantages over Humans, such as better sight, hearing, etc.?"

"Yes, I suppose you could say some Vulcans have superior vision, and hearing compared to some Humans. But like Humans, Vulcans come in many different shapes and sizes, and abilities. There are some Humans who also possess superior senses and strength."

"Dr. M'Benga among these other superior abilities do Vulcans possess the power of suggestion?"

M'Benga smiled and shook his head. "No. Although some people believe their politicians do."

"You said no so quickly. Why is that?"

"I have never heard of any such power in all my years among Vulcans. Logic is their superpower."

"But if such a skill existed, I imagine it would be like the art of hypnosis. Couldn't they use it to persuade a person to do just about anything?"

"If anyone possessed the skill of persuasion, I suppose they could try. However, that power would still depend on the victim's ability to resist. Not everyone is susceptible to hypnosis."

"If a person were susceptible; could they, for example, be persuaded to leave the safety of their cabin, travel to another planet, and perhaps even marry someone against their will?"

"Objection. The doctor's specialty is Vulcan medicine, not psychiatry," Miss Shaw stated.

But a Starfleet medical doctor must be well versed in all areas of medicine including psychiatric medicine." Mr. Prosecutor countered.

"I will allow it." Commodore Stone decided. "Dr. M'Benga, please answer the question."

"Well, I suppose if someone were susceptible to hypnosis they could be persuaded to do some things within reason, like quitting a bad habit. However, with hypnosis, the subject remains in control of their body and they are aware of what's being asked. If you don't want to do something you're asked to do under hypnosis, you won't do it."

"Dr. M'Benga, in your medical opinion, why doesn't Mrs. Uhura remember the events from that night?"

"I don't know."

"So if we use your own description of hypnosis, Mrs. Uhura would not forget those events unless she chose to?"

"If she were hypnotized, and the suggestion to forget was put in her mind. But she could have had any number of reasons for not remembering."

"Such as?"

"Fever, traumatic brain injury, drugs, alcohol..."

"But there was no sign of that or any trauma when McCoy examined her on Vulcan."

"That is correct."

"Thank you, doctor. I think we get the picture. No further questions"

"Just a few more questions, doctor," Miss Shaw said. "In your expert opinion, could Lt. Uhura have been under any special Vulcan hypnosis or some other kind of Vulcan mind manipulation?"

"There is no Vulcan mind manipulation I know of that would make her do something she didn't want to do." M'Benga insisted.

"So as far as we know, based on the medical records available, Lieutenant Uhura married Mr. Spock of her own free will not because of any hypnotic trance?"

"That is correct."

"No further questions for this witness."

Chapter 81: Court Martial - The Captain

Summary:

The captain is the last star witness for the defense.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

~The Captain~

 

The defense finally called Captain James T. Kirk to the stand as a character witness and after the computer read Captain Kirk's long list of accomplishments, Miss Shaw asked him a few questions to establish that he and Spock were not only colleagues but also close friends.

Kirk sang Spock's praises and concluded by saying, "There is no one I would rather have by my side on the bridge or under any circumstance riding into unknown danger with me than Commander Spock."

Then it was the prosecution's cross-examination, and it was not unexpected. "Captain Kirk, you sing Spock's praises now but tell me, how did you feel when he took unlawful command of your ship?"

Miss Shaw objected, "Assumes facts, not in evidence."

"Okay," Wyatt said, Captain Kirk, did Mr. Spock ever take command of the Enterprise without your knowledge or consent?"

"He did."

"And how did you feel about Spock, your friend, when he committed such a betrayal?"

"I knew Spock must have had a good reason to do what he did."

"And what was the excuse he gave you?"

"I'll just say I agreed with the reason he gave me and found it sufficient. Evidently so did Starfleet."

"Yes, Starfleet. Are you familiar with Starfleet's General Order Seven?"

"Yes."

"And what exactly is that order for those who may not be up on regulations?"

Kirk recited, "no vessel under any condition, emergency or otherwise, is to visit Talos IV."

"And if someone were to break general order seven and visit Talos IV, what is the penalty?"

"The penalty for breaking general order seven is death. It's the only Starfleet regulation in existence that still carries such a harsh penalty." The captain dutifully explained.

"Captain Kirk, to your knowledge, has anyone ever broken General order seven?"

"Objection, your honor this is irrelevant," Shaw interjected.

"Your honor, I intend to establish that the defendant has a history of breaking Starfleet regulations. Please direct the witness to answer?"

Commodore Stone responded, "Captain Kirk, please answer the question? To your knowledge, has anyone broken the order?"

"Yes," Jim answered.

"And who exactly broke the directive?" Wyatt asked.

"The Enterprise broke the directive by visiting the planet."

"Captain Kirk, are you testifying that you led the Enterprise to Talos IV, breaking the Starfleet law?"

"No, I did not command the Enterprise at that time." Jim retorted.

"Then who commanded the Enterprise?"

"Mr. Spock."

"Mr. Spock? Captain Kirk, how did Mr. Spock come to be in command of your ship? Why were you?"

"I was here on Starbase 11 at the time." Jim begrudgingly admitted.

"Is that so? Why were you on Starbase 11 instead of on the Enterprise?"

"The Enterprise received a message from the base requesting our immediate presence," Kirk explained.

"How does that explain your absence from your own ship while it was breaking the law?"

"When we arrived, I learned that there was no communique sent from the base. While I attempted to investigate that incident, the ship left orbit without my knowledge."

"Under whose authority did the Enterprise leave Starbase 11 without her captain?"

"The ship left orbit under Spock's command using fabricated orders from Starfleet."

"But your Dr. McCoy testified to this very court that Vulcans do not lie. How do you reconcile this contradiction?"

"Spock is the most honorable man. And while it is true Vulcans are not known to lie, there are some occasions where anyone on a starship may be called to do so. Under pressure, in the heat of battle, you may have to bluff your way out of a confrontation or use subterfuge to achieve a goal or save a life. Mr. Spock has been required many times to use deception in the cause of justice. For a Vulcan like Spock, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one."

"How convenient that the biggest crime in Starfleet history, the mutiny of a starship, and the only crime that draws the death penalty was committed by none other than Commander Spock."

"Objection!" Shaw said. "Assumes facts, not in evidence. My client has never been found guilty of any crime, certainly not a capital offense."

"Your honor I would like to submit the sworn affidavits of the crew aboard the Enterprise during the time that Mr. Spock was in command. The sworn testimonies show that Mr. Spock held Captain Pike in the sickbay against his will while he absconded with him to Talos IV."

"Is there sworn testimony from Captain Pike that Spock held him against his will?"

"No, your honor."

"We will let the record show that Spock was in command of the Enterprise when it entered Talos IV space. Nothing more."

"Yes, your honor." Mister Wyatt said, but he was not pleased with that ruling. Still, he pushed on.

"So Captain Kirk, according to your testimony, Commander Spock committed a mutiny of your ship?"

"Objection! Improper Characterization, my client is not on trial for the mutiny of the Enterprise and has never been charged or convicted of such a crime."

"I will withdraw the question, your honor. Captain Kirk, do you know Captain Pike?"

"We've met briefly."

"Do you know where he is now?"

"I am not at liberty to say, why don't you ask him?"

"I would if I could find him. However, he seems to have disappeared without a trace; from Starbase 11 I might add."

"Is that so?" Kirk asked.

"Yes, it is so, Captain. And did you know that the last known sighting of Captain Pike was aboard your Enterprise while commanded by your friend Mr. Spock?"

"I am aware of some reports of Pikes whereabouts at the time."

"Oh, it's more than just "some reports" Captain. I'm sure you know your own chief medical officer filed a report on Pike's condition when he was beamed aboard your ship. So do you still intend to testify that you don't know where Pike is now?"

"I did not say that. I said I am not at liberty to say where he is. His location is classified."

"Classified? How convenient? Just as your ship's mission to Talos IV has been classified, it seems whenever Mr. Spock commits a crime against humanity it is classified."

"Objection! your honor, I don't see how these questions pertain to the case."

"Your honor, Captain Kirk is a character witness for the defendant. He is Spock's commanding officer and best friend. If anyone knows the true character of Mr. Spock is James Kirk!"

"Not even his wife, Mr. Wyatt?" Miss Shaw asked.

"Not professionally, no." Wyatt countered.

"Mr. Wyatt, make your point without the theatrics." Stone said.

"Your honor I have here a subpoena from Starfleet command. It verifies the prosecution's request to have the Talos IV incident declassified. I move to submit exhibit A into the record."

"So ordered," said the Commodore. "Now please move on."

"Captain Kirk, would it be true to say that Mr. Spock took command of the Enterprise on stardate 3012.8 and escorted Captain Pike and crew to the forbidden Talos system on his own without orders from you or Starfleet command, breaking General Order Seven?"

Kirk sighed. Why was Wyatt harping on this old incident? "To the best of my knowledge, yes that is what happened," he conceded.

"Then did Captain Pike return safely from the Talos system with you Captain Kirk?"

"No, he did not."

"So again I ask you, where is Captain Pike?"

"Again I tell you I do not know!" Kirk responded, finally losing his temper.

"Then where did you last see him?"

"On Talos IV."

"Where you left him?"

"Yes."

"No further questions."

Shaw approached the witness stand. "Captain Kirk, just a few more questions. How do you know that it was Mr. Spock who took Command of the Enterprise without orders from Starfleet or the Federation?"

"I don't follow you?"

"Why Spock and not some other officer?"

"Well, no one else had the skill and ability to do so. And... he confessed."

"Did he really?"

"Yes, he admitted to me that he fabricated the tapes with the falsified orders."

"So, though a bit delayed, Mr. Spock did in fact tell the truth?"

"Yes, he did." Kirk eagerly agreed.

"And what was the reaction of Starfleet command to these actions? Surely such a confession merited punishment to the fullest extent of the law?"

"Starfleet command closed the case to their satisfaction and labeled the incident classified."

"So Starfleet command brought no charges against commander Spock for any so-called mutiny including breaking general order seven?"

"That is correct."

"And with the records sealed and classified, technically it's as if the incident never officially happened?"

"That is correct."

"No further questions for this witness."

Captain Kirk left the stand wondering what both sides were playing at. What did the Talos IV incident have to do with Spock's assault charges now?

"Your honor I would like to submit an entry into the record, from Captain Christopher Pike, the so-called victim of Mr. Spock's mutiny and abduction from Starbase 11."

"Objection! Captain Pike is not here to be sworn in or cross-examined and even if he were, he is physically incapable of testifying. The last medical records for him show he is little more than a lump of flesh."

While Miss Shaw and the prosecutor argued their points, Spock was left stunned at the defense table. He was not satisfied with the way the proceedings were going. Under no circumstances did he want Captain Pike brought into this sordid affair. He was the guilty party, not Pike nor any of his friends who had testified to defend him. When Miss Shaw returned to her seat at his side, Spock told her this. He did not want his former captain and mentor involved.

"Don't worry, Mr. Spock. Remember, you are to trust me? You agreed to let me defend you to the best of my ability. Let me do my job. Just watch."

A view screen was lowered from the ceiling and after a moment or two of subspace interference, a video feed with Captain Pike appeared. But not the battered disfigured Pike from their last meeting. This was the vision of Pike as Spock remembered him when he was his commanding officer. Strong, tall, and smiling broadly, and there was the girl Vina, standing at his side. She was holding an infant in her arms, and another toddler stood clinging to her skirt.

Spock had not known the fate of Pike since he left him on Talos IV, since communication with the planet was forbidden. He had no idea if the man was indeed able to adjust to the illusions and eke out a life for himself with Vina but by the looks of them, it appeared that he had. They looked like a happy family.

Captain Pike addressed the court stating his name, rank, and relationship to Spock. He testified that Spock was a good and honorable friend and confidant. He explained he knew no finer officer than Commander Spock, and Pike expressed gratitude to Spock for delivering him "safely if unexpectedly" to Talos IV, where he could receive very "experimental" Talosian treatment for his injuries.

"And I just want to finish by saying that Commander Spock is a credit to both the Vulcan and the Human people," Pike said and then his expression turned serious.

"Spock, I can never repay you for my life and that of my family. I am forever in your debt. So, if you should ever need me for anything, for any reason at all you know where to find me." Pike grinned mischievously again while he turned to Vina wrapping his arm around her, hugging her close. "Isn't that right little Spocky?" Pike patted the downy head of the baby Vina was holding.

Someone in the crowd guffawed at the mention of the baby's name. No doubt McCoy could not contain his amusement, but Spock didn't care. He couldn't take his eyes off the screen and the man who was like a father to him when his own father had turned his back on him. If he were not a Vulcan, Spock suspected Pike's praise would move him to tears. Still, he was affected enough to raise his hand in the Ta'al and he hoped his mentor knew just how much his words meant to him.

The screen went dark, but Spock continued to stare at it while Miss Shaw stood to announce that she rested her case.

Notes:

That's it, folks. The end of the Court Martial Saga. I spent a long, long time working on this court-martial section, but now it's time to move on. Even though I have a lot of ideas for what happens next, the updates will slow down again. I need to give some of my other stories some love too.

Chapter 82: Back At One?

Summary:

Spock realizes that kidnapping his wife was the simple part. Keeping her was another story.

Notes:

I'm too tired to put the lyrics to Back at One by Brian McKnight here so just sing it to yourself :-)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"Not guilty!" Admiral Stone announced.

Spock was exonerated. It didn't take the judges long to come to their decision and as soon as the verdict was read, the courtroom crowd erupted in cheer. Kirk and McCoy reached Spock first, as they had been seated directly behind him the entire trial as a show of support. They eagerly slapped Spock on the back, congratulating him. Jim even kissed Areel sweetly on the cheek to thank her for her efforts. But Spock barely noticed any of the excitement going on around him. He searched the crowd looking for his wife.

Uhura had to push her way through the crowd of people surrounding Spock, but she finally made her way to his side and wasted no time throwing herself into his arms. Public spectacle be damned. Spock was free! She wasn't a Vulcan like her husband, so she gave in to the emotion of the moment and cried freely. Spock held her tight with one arm and with his free hand he touched her face to wipe away the tears streaming down her cheeks. For Uhura, the crowded room melted into the background like shadows, and there was only the feeling of Spock holding her against his solid body and a sense of peace she had not known in the past few days.

"They almost got you," she said, and she knew he could read her thoughts as he touched her.

"They failed, Aduna," she heard in her mind.

"Spock, I'm so tired of everything. I just want to go home."

Spock withdrew from her mind and with his touch, he took the calm and peace she so desperately needed with him. He looked over Uhura's head and wordlessly signaled to Jim that they were ready to head back to the ship. A pair of redshirt security officers from the Enterprise came forward and acted as escorts for the group as they made their way through the crowd of spectators. People were desperate to get a look at Spock and Uhura together as a couple. Reporters and photographers were trying to get shots of them walking out of the courtroom, arm in arm.

The trial of the century had come to an end, but the revelations were just beginning to make headlines in all the gossip news publications. With the release of the official transcripts from the trial, everyone on the Enterprise and the rest of Starfleet now knew for certain that Spock and Uhura were more than just friends and were actually married!

Once they beamed aboard the Enterprise together, it all began. The technicians operating the transporter controls congratulated them as soon as the transporter pad stopped humming. Mr. Scott slapped Spock on the back and shyly gave Uhura a peck on the cheek by way of congratulations.

And it didn't end there. As they strolled down the corridors to their quarter's random crewmen congratulated them or smiled and nodded knowingly to them. Uhura sensed that Spock was uncomfortable with all the attention, though you could never tell by his outward appearance. Meanwhile, Uhura simply felt overwhelmed. Nobody seemed hostile or showed any negative reaction to their revelation. In fact, everyone seemed genuinely happy for them and wished them well, but she felt overexposed.

Of course, they were not the only married couple on the ship. Romantic relationships happened fairly regularly in Starfleet. People working closely together in tight quarters were bound to develop strong relationships of the romantic type. The fact that one of those relationships involved an aloof Vulcan first officer didn't happen every day, but besides that, they were just an ordinary couple. Which meant they were in for the regular ship celebrations, gag gifts, and pranks visited upon all newlywed shipmates.

Uhura looked sideways at Spock. Did he even know what they had opened themselves up to? Some crewmen prided themselves on upholding the post-marital traditions no matter what. If the captain himself were to show up on the Enterprise with a wife, he would be hazed.

Uhura supposed this was all her fault. She was the one who insisted on returning to the Enterprise as if nothing had changed after their bonding on Vulcan. She had insisted they behave as if they were still just Commander Spock and Lieutenant Uhura; friends and colleagues. Now people would have all kinds of questions and make all kinds of speculations that they probably would not have made if she and Spock had just announced their elopement to the crew like normal people. Uhura looked at Spock and couldn't help but smirk to herself though. There was nothing normal about her and her husband.

When they reached Uhura's quarters there was an awkward moment of indecision. She wanted to escape the scrutiny of her shipmates and hide in her room for a while, but did she invite Spock to join her? If she didn't there would be gossip about that too. On the other hand, she didn't feel up for talking right now. She just wanted to unwind and unpack all that had happened to her recently. She was glad Spock was free, but once again she had returned to the Enterprise with a new reality. She and Spock were officially married and everybody knew it. What now?

As she stood staring at her door, deep in thought, Spock said, "Nyota, I will take my leave of you now. When... if you wish to see me I will be..." he hesitated before he continued, "in my quarters until I return to my duties."

"Spock wait." She grabbed his arm. "It's not that I don't want to be with you. We're okay. It's just that I need a bit of time to get myself together and sort things out. We're official now. I know, we've been bonded for months, but to the rest of the crew we're newlyweds and everyone will have questions and expect to throw us parties and I just need some time to get ready for it all. I hope you understand? I told you on the Starbase that I'm in this for the duration and I meant that. But I am still me, and I sometimes need me time. Do you understand that? Will you help me?"

"Yes, Nyota I'll help you in any way that I can."

"Alright then, let's meet in rec room A in 4 hours and have dinner together. We can hash out the rest of our lives together then. That'll give me time to shower and maybe take a nap. I'm actually pretty exhausted. I didn't get a lot of sleep during the trial."

"I regret that I have caused you so much inconvenience."

Nyota rolled her eyes heavenward at his unnecessary apology. "It wasn't your fault, Spock. I blame Komack for this entire ordeal." She reached out to him with her two fingers. "Until dinner, Adun."

Spock touched her fingers, and with his keen hearing heard someone down the hall giggle. He didn't bother to look. He didn't care who it was, this moment was just for him and Nyota, his wife, who once again was walking away from him. But all he could do was say, "Until dinner, Aduna," and watch as she entered her quarters without him.

*/*/*

The first thing Spock did when he returned to his own quarters was to message his parents to let them know the outcome of the trial. Amanda was beside herself with relief, while Sarek maintained his usual stoicism.

"And where is Nyota?" Amanda asked, looking hard at the viewscreen.

"She is resting in her quarters," Spock said.

"Her quarters? Why? I thought she was living with you in your quarters now?"

Spock took a moment to think about his answer. He didn't know the reason Nyota was in her own quarters instead of where she belonged in his.

"Spock, what's happened?" Amanda asked, with concern in her voice.

"Nothing's happened, Mother."

"Then where is your wife, why isn't she with you?" Amanda demanded.

"Amanda," Sarek tried to calm his wife, "the boy has been through an ordeal. I am sure there is a logical explanation for Nyota's absence." Then Sarek also looked at Spock for that logical explanation.

"We beamed aboard the Enterprise together after the verdict," Spock explained to his parents. "And then Nyota asked to have some time to herself to rest."

Amanda shook her head. "Go get her," she said.

"Mother-"

"Nope. I don't like it. She should be celebrating your victory with you. You two have been separated for several days. I know what I'd be doing if my husband had just been let out of prison," Amanda insisted.

"I was not in prison. It was only a few days in the brig."

"Whatever it was, it was too long to be separated from one another in the early stages of a marriage. Go get your wife and bring her home."

"She is resting, Mother. We have plans to meet tonight."

Amanda frowned. "Meet? It sounds so formal. Sarek, tell that boy to go get his wife and bring her home."

Sarek had been silently listening to his wife scold their child, and he was content to stay well out of it. But now she had dragged him into the fray. He agreed that Nyota should be with her husband. However, it was not his place to tell Spock how to handle his wife. Spock must decipher that on his own. "My son, do what you think is logical," Sarek said finally.

Amanda pinched his arm. Not enough to cause any damage or pain, but just enough to show her displeasure in his answer. "My wife, your propensity for violence is both illogical and unworthy of your otherwise gentle personality."

But Amanda was having none of it. "Oh pooh! I didn't injure you, you thick-skinned-"

"Mother," Spock cut in before Amanda could finish. "I believe I also require rest after my ordeal. I was not able to meditate properly while in the confines of the brig." That was not entirely true, but it was not a lie. He needed some time to himself as well. He had a lot of time to think about his life while in the brig on the Starbase. With the help of the captain and Dr. McCoy, Spock had made explicit plans for his and Nyota's future no matter what the outcome of the trial was. Now it was time to put one of those plans into action.

"Do not worry Mother. I will bring Nyota home soon. Spock out."

*/*/*

Notes:

When I wrote the summary for this chapter, it occurred to me it pretty much sums up the entire story so far. Then I went back to see what the story summary actually is since I forgot what I wrote. Apparently, I promised Uhura's family? Why!

Anyway, I do have stuff written about them. So don't worry, this story isn't nearly over yet. And wait until you meet The Uhura's (tease, tease) lol.

Chapter 83: Girlfriends, Gossip, and Good D!

Summary:

WHAT IS BEST IN LIFE?

Conan the Barbarian: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women.

Charlene Masters: Girlfriends, Gossip, and Good D!

Notes:

And when we both get older
With walking canes and hair of gray
Have no fear, even though it's hard to hear
I will stand real close and say
Thank you for being a friend

~Song by Andrew M Gold~

Fun fact, this is the Golden Girls theme song. Who else knew it had more verses? Go check out the whole thing, it's actually quite beautiful.

Chapter Text

*/*/*

Shortly after Spock dropped off Uhura at her door, the chime rang, and Uhura braced herself. Was it already beginning?

When she opened the door, Charlene was standing there with a huge grin on her face.

"Oh, it's just you," she sighed and walked back into her quarters.

"Well, hello to you too!" Charlene followed Uhura in and let the door close behind her. "Everyone on the ship is talking about you and Mr. Spock. Where is he?" She looked around.

"Why?" Uhura asked as if she didn't already know.

"Why? Why the trial of the century, my girl! Your testimony was the stuff of legend." Charlene said.

"How does everybody know what I said? The courtroom wasn't even big enough for everyone from the ship to attend."

"Girl, the trial is a matter of public record now. Everyone listened to the transcripts as soon as they were released. News articles published the highlights. You're famous!"

"Oh my god! I am so tired of being the subject of ships gossip. Now all of Starfleet is talking about me?"

"Well, then you need to stop having men abduct you and carry you off for nefarious reasons, and then have them put on trial for said abduction," Charlene joked.

"It's not funny Char. None of that was my fault! And it's nobody else's business. Why do people even care what Spock and I do? You'd think everybody who cared knew all about that incident before the trial. Gossip hasn't stopped about me since the moment it happened." Uhura huffed and sat on her sofa.

Charlene sat down next to her. "We didn't know all the juicy details that led up to it. For example, people were very interested in you giving Mr. Spock your door lock code, allowing him entry to your suite anytime he 'needed' to, day or night."

"So what, is that so unusual? You have my lock code!"

"It's not unusual to give your code to your lover, no." Charlene teased.

"Spock and I weren't lovers!" Uhura said in frustration.

"Well, now you were. At least that's the prevailing gossip, that you two have been getting it on for years. People swear they saw Spock coming and going from your quarters at all times of the day and night. Some say they even caught the two of you." Charlene grinned and raised her eyebrows suggestively.

Uhura couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Caught us? Caught us doing what?"

"Don't act naïve now, you know."

"Yeah right. Nobody caught us doing anything because we didn't do anything. We were just friends. I mean, we're talking about Spock! He wasn't using the code to sneak into my quarters for sex!"

"Then why did you give the code to him?" Charlene already knew why, but she wanted to know if Nyota knew.

"I don't know, it seemed convenient at the time."

Charlene rolled her eyes. Her friend was so clueless. "Yeah, convenient for your not-so-secret rendezvous, so they say."

"There was no secret rendezvous! Charlene, you know me better than that."

"I know you, but tell that to the crew. Though I warn you, no one will believe it after the testimony you gave. "I'd do anything for Spock, he didn't need to ask" Charlene quoted Nyota. "You really laid it on thick. Nobody believes he kidnapped you and forced you to marry him against your will now, not that anybody who knew you believed it. They all think you two were together for ages and just ran off to get married on the down-low."

"Well, he didn't kidnap me!" Uhura insisted.

"Really Ny? You and I both know the truth."

"He didn't, not really. I told the truth at the trial, technically." She hedged.

"Technically? Is that a new fancy way of saying you lied?"

"I didn't lie. I just told the subjective truth."

"What's the difference between a lie and subjective truth?" Charlene wanted to know.

"About 10 to 20 years of hard labor on a penal colony," Uhura admitted.

"Ny!"

"Look I never asked for any of this. This whole situation was way out of control. I never wanted to be taken to Vulcan, never wanted to bond with Spock, and I certainly never wanted to press charges against him or have a court-martial! It should never have happened. I told Komack and that prosecutor that I would not go along with their plans. No matter what Spock did or didn't do, it was between me and him."

"Starfleet thinks otherwise," Charlene told her.

"Well, fuck Starfleet!" Uhura said angrily and stood up pacing the room.

"Oh, Ny. I get that you're angry. But Starfleet isn't wrong. They don't think officers taking off with Starfleet shuttles and fellow officers is appropriate behavior for an officer. They wanted to make an example of Mr. Spock for the good of the service, and some people won't be happy with his exoneration." Charlene tried to explain.

Uhura stopped her angry pacing. "Why not? They got their pound of flesh. They put him on trial, aired all his business, showed the fleet that nobody is above the law, not even the son of the Vulcan ambassador. They went a lot harder on Spock than they did Tongo Rad, the son of that Catullan ambassador. He not only stole a space cruiser but hijacked the Enterprise and attempted to murder us all!"

"Yeah, but the Federation prosecuted on that incident. Besides, Spock is a Starfleet officer who answers to Starfleet. Tongo Rad was just a kid from a low-level planet. If the Vulcan government wanted to sweep the incident under the rug they could have. I'm sure if the trial had ended differently they would have stepped in."

"I don't think so. Spock and his father don't exactly see eye to eye about Starfleet. And Spock was prepared to serve time; that idiot!"

Nyota's outburst shocked Charlene. "Idiot? Mr. Spock?"

"Yes, that self-sacrificing son of a bitch!"

"Ny! What has gotten into you?"

"It's true. He would have lost everything he'd worked so hard for if he had pleaded guilty. And it wouldn't have just affected him, it would have affected everyone involved, everyone who cares for him and tried to help him. All our hard work would have been for nothing. I didn't do what I did just so he could end up in prison. He promised not to leave me!" Uhura ended her tirade and cried.

Charlene jumped to hug her friend. "Well, lucky he has you now, right? And he won't leave you now."

"Yeah, lucky for him, but what about me? I can't keep up with him. He's always going to do this, sacrifice himself for someone or something. But what about me?" Uhura cried.

Charlene listed to the fear and sadness in her friend's voice and she understood it well. Nyota was just coming to the realization that she could lose someone she loved. "You're taking this all pretty well, considering. I thought you would be a nervous wreck or be a hostile witness, but your testimony was very convincing. You're entitled to let loose now."

"I was just telling the truth. And I had Spock there. He helped me be strong." Uhura confessed as she cried on Charlene's shoulder.

"I'm glad you two are still getting along so well."

"Yeah. I almost left his ass, but Sarek changed my mind. I discovered Spock was just being Spock." Uhura let go of Charlene and found a tissue.

"What do you mean?"

"Spock was playing martyr as usual and resigned his commission. He wanted to 'release me from our bond' so that I wouldn't have to testify and possibly incriminate myself or ruin my career. He thought he was doing the logical thing despite knowing how much our separation would hurt me."

"So how did Ambassador Sarek change your mind?"

"He reminded me about Vulcan culture. Once you know Spock, you know he will hurt himself before he allows anyone he cares for to be harmed. Knowing that I realized he was just being self-sacrificing for me and the only way to repay him was to stand beside him. Someone has to save Spock once in a while too. Even Superman needs support."

"So who are you, his Wonder Woman?"

"Damn right!" Uhura said, regaining her composure.

"And would that make Jim his Batman?"

"I suppose so."

"Then who am I in all this drama?" Charlene wondered.

Uhura grinned. "You can be Catwoman!"

"Ooh, a bad girl? I like it."

"You would."

Charlene changed subjects, seeing that Uhura was in a better state of mind. "Ny, while we're on the subject of bad girls..."

"What about bad girls?" Uhura frowned.

Charlene sat back down on the sofa and got serious. "Have you heard about Christine?"

Uhura took her seat too, though she was not interested in more gossip. "No, what now?"

"She's having a rough time. They reprimanded her for helping the prosecution." Charlene told her.

"Why, she got subpoenaed just like I did."

"No," Charlene shook her head. "She did more than that."

"So, what did she do?"

"She was snitching to Komack's office the entire time. She told them about your punching Spock."

"So that's how Komack knew so fast? I almost got charged with domestic violence!" Now Uhura was angry again.

"Yep. That's how he knew. God only knows what else she was feeding them. I think she shared Spock's medical records. Luckily McCoy didn't document the actual cause of the fever Spock had."

"How do you know all this, Charlene?"

"It's all out there on the ship's gossip forums. Look, I know Christine has been a bit much lately, but she doesn't deserve all the abuse she's getting."

"So, what do you want me to do? I got my own mess to deal with."

"What mess is that, young lady? Your husband just got off scot-free from a litany of crimes you and I both know he committed. In fact, you ought to be with him right now celebrating. Why are you sulking in your room with me?"

"I'm not sulking. I'm thinking."

"Uh oh," Charlene sighed dramatically.

"What?"

"When you think too hard, it causes a headache for your friends."

"Girl, shut up!" Uhura pushed Charlene's shoulder playfully.

"It's true. Matter of fact, I heard another rumor."

"And what is that, Miss Busybody?" Uhura asked.

Charlene leaned into Nyota's side and whispered, "Well there is this rumor going around that says, 'Good Dick rots your brain'."

"What?" Uhura couldn't believe what she just heard.

Charlene howled with laughter. "Judging by your recent behavior I think it's true."

"Charlene, will you be serious?" Uhura was not amused by her little joke.

"I am serious. Since you came back from Vulcan 'bonded' to Spock, you haven't been the same."

Nyota seemed to deflate in her seat hearing that. "I know I haven't. I haven't felt the same since I got back. I've got Spock in my head all the time. I have weird dreams, I'm angry, moody, horny, sad, tired, sick. If that's caused by 'Good D' then you can have it."

Charlene held up her hands as if backing away from something dangerous. "Girl, I'm not even gonna touch that. You can keep it to yourself, please. But seriously, I think you should talk to Dr. McCoy about your symptoms. Something sounds suspicious to me."

"Suspicious? How's that?" Nyota wondered.

"Seriously? That 'Good Dick' really is rotting your brain. Ask Dr. McCoy." Charlene insisted.

"I already talked to him. He prescribed a healthy diet and rest. Apparently, I'm not taking care of myself, but how can I when I'm worrying about Spock all the time?"

"Well, Spock's safe now, so worry about yourself more. I want you to go back to Dr. McCoy and demand that he run every test in the book on you, okay? That's an order."

"You don't outrank me," Uhura protested.

"I'm older and I have more experience," Charlene said. Then she softened her expression. "I'm worried about you, Ny. You don't want me to end up in the sickbay right along with you, do you? I've already got gray hairs because of you."

"Of course not, Char. You're the best friend I've ever had."

"Then go get yourself checked out. I'll bet if the doctor really puts his mind to it he can figure out what's wrong with you."

"You really think something is wrong with me?"

"I really do, but I'm not a doctor. McCoy is."

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

"Good girl." Charlene patted Uhura's hand.

"I guess I better start getting ready for my date with Spock."

"Date? You two are married."

"So, didn't you and Sulu tell me to date Spock?"

"Girl, that ship has sailed. You're an old married couple now."

"Nevertheless, we have a date tonight. I might even get lucky and get some of this 'Good D' you've been talking about."

"Honey, you've got a good man. That's worth more than all the dick in the world." Charlene stood to leave, but Uhura stopped her.

"Hey Char, did you know Spock has a brother?"

"Nope! No thanks. I'm not wasting any more of my life on men. Introduce him to Christine, she could use a friend."

Uhura ignored that suggestion."Actually, we don't know where he is... But I'm going to find you a nice Vulcan man. Then you can see what it's like."

"No thanks. I see what it's like and you can keep it. You are a better woman than I am."

"You say that now. Don't knock it until you try it."

"I'll say it a hundred times. I don't need a man. But you do. Go get ready for your date." Charlene pulled Uhura into a hug and kissed her forehead.

"Aye, Aye Captain Masters."

"Someday," Charlene whispered. "Someday."

*/*/*

Chapter 84: What You Wish For

Summary:

Nyota hopes to get lucky on her date tonight. Christine wishes Nyota would drop dead.

Notes:

Stay in my arms if you dare
Or must I imagine you there
Don't walk away from me
I have nothing, nothing, nothing
If I don't have you, you

~I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston~

Chapter Text

*/*/*

Uhura dressed in the plainest dress she owned as she got ready for her date with Spock. The last thing she wanted was to draw any more attention to herself than necessary tonight. She was prepared to have a nice, quiet dinner with Spock where they would talk about the next phase of their lives. But when she stepped through the doors of rec-room A, she stopped short. Spock was sitting in his usual spot at the back corner of the room strumming the strings of his Ka'athyra. As she stood there, she noticed that the room was filled with a lot of familiar faces and everyone had lowered their voices to hushed conversations. There were quite a few sets of eyes focused on her, and yet others surreptitiously glancing at Spock. The cat was already out of the bag about their marriage but it still chaffed that everyone on this ship knew her business and felt comfortable gossiping about it.

So this was the moment of truth. There was no point in keeping up the charade any longer. She had to admit, she just wanted to be with Spock, and she really didn't care who knew about them anymore.

She looked at her husband. He was so handsome. Her heart skipped a beat the same way it had the first time she ever saw him. Mind made up, Uhura marched boldly over to sit beside Spock in her usual seat. In this little corner of the room, they had shared hours of conversation, played their ka'athyra's together, and Spock had accompanied her as she sang for him. It dawned on Uhura as she listened to his song that she and Spock had been a duet for a very long time now. This wasn't just his corner, this was 'their corner' and she belonged there just as much as he did.

Uhura listened as Spock made his Ka'athyra sing, watched as Spock's elegant fingers glided across the strings. She had always loved to watch him play, which was why she had commandeered a seat right next to him years ago. It was a mesmerizing display, and from the first moment that she heard this gentle sound, it had captivated her. She had been drawn to the man, as much as the music, on that first evening after her first full shift on the bridge.

Sometimes Spock's songs were so sad they moved her to tears. Sometimes the songs were wistful and transported her to far-off places in her imagination where she could just drift and relax. But sometimes, when he acknowledged her playful mood, Spock played something fun and flirty and she felt compelled to sing along, making up nonsense lyrics to the delight of the audience.

Uhura became lost in her thoughts. Memories of all the times they shared right here in this corner in this room came rushing back. On that first night, others in the room ignored the beautiful music Spock was making, and she couldn't believe they were taking it for granted. She had known that Spock was not a friendly sort. He pretty much kept to himself back then and his conversations were the soul of brevity. But his music was something else altogether. His music told her all the secrets Spock would never reveal about himself.

As a new officer on the ship, Uhura understood the wistfulness and longing in his songs. Space service was such a lonely job. She had joined the service right out of secondary school as most recruits did. And she had skipped many of the milestones that marked the rights of passage of the average Earth adolescent. She studied hard in school and worked harder after school on her physical training to prepare for the Starfleet Academy entrance exams. She never had time for dating or any of the other frivolous activities that her brothers took part in. She didn't have time to hang out with the school friends she had grown up with. Uhura had tried to keep in touch with her friends while at the academy, but slowly they drifted away while she pursued her goal of serving on a starship. She had made that dream come true but she had sacrificed a great deal to do it, and Spock's songs echoed her story.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she became aware that Spock had stopped playing and was quietly contemplating her, waiting for her next move. Without thinking, she stood up, leaned over him, and then she did something that shocked the entire room including Spock and herself. She grabbed his head, cupping those sexy ears of his, and lowered her mouth to touch his lips with her own giving him a long deep kiss. His expression when she finally pulled away was priceless. Spock's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. Then she compounded her faux pas by wiping her lipstick from his mouth very slowly with her thumbs.

Spock sat still in his seat and his heart was racing with uncontrolled emotion. Nyota had physically claimed him in front of everyone! If they were among Vulcans, they would consider her actions a flagrant declaration that Spock was her consort now. Did she understand what she was doing?

While Uhura very publicly touched Spock, she tried her hand at projecting her thoughts through their bond to him. "Forgive?" she thought. That one word was a question, a promise, and a command.

"Forgive," Spock agreed, feeling like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. Nyota was willing to forgive him and everything was going to be all right.

The kiss was a terrible breach of Vulcan etiquette and Uhura was aware of all the eyes in the room focused on her and Spock, but she didn't care. "That's right you busybodies, suck it all in and then spread that gossip," she thought.

She saw the moment when Spock heard her thought. His composure slipped slightly, and the corner of his mouth tipped up in a subtle smirk. "That's right, Mister. Let them eat it," she thought to him too.

Some of the crew in the room stared in open-mouthed shock, while others openly laughed and still others pretend they hadn't noticed Lieutenant Uhura practically mauling Commander Spock! The room was abuzz with excited whispers. Uhura couldn't tell what they were saying, but she bet Spock knew. The way everyone was acting, you'd think she had whipped out her breast and gave him a motorboat with her cleavage or something! She had just kissed her husband!

Spock must have heard that silly thought too because he coughed and looked as if he struggled to suppress mirth. "Aduna," he said, "I believe that will do."

"Spoilsport," she grinned down at him.

"Indeed," he agreed.

She wanted to kiss him again just because she could, but she restrained herself for his sake. She took her seat again and urged him to play another song. She wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, and she hoped the rest of the crew would get bored with staring at them and get back to their own lives.

But instead of playing another song, Spock set down his instrument and looked at Uhura. "I have a gift for you, Aduna. It is long overdue."

"A gift? What is it?" She frowned, wondering what gift could he possibly give her that was better than his freedom?

Spock stood tall and then knelt down on one knee. Uhura's eyes nearly bugged out in disbelief when he pulled a small jewelry box from his pocket. Her mouth formed a perfect O, and she shook her head back and forth. No, no, no! This is not happening now!

The room exploded in cheers, applause, and catcalls of encouragement. "About damn time!" someone who sounded like Charlene shouted. Nyota couldn't tell because her ears were ringing and her vision was blurred by the tears that were forming.

"Spock, what are you doing?"

"I believe the correct term is putting a ring on it?" he said. "Nyota, I would like us to spend the rest of our lives together. Will you accept this ring as a token of my promise I will never leave you again?"

Uhura couldn't talk. Her throat was choked up with emotion, so she held out her hand and allowed Spock to slide his ring on her finger. Then she threw her arms around Spock's neck, nearly toppling him over. But he caught his balance, gathered her up in his arms, and stood.

"I'll take that as a yes!" Spock said loud enough to be heard over the din. The room had gone crazy with well-wishers cheering and applauding. All of their friends were present in the rec room tonight as planned by Spock, and they were all happy to see their friends finally acknowledging their relationship, but Uhura saw none of them. She just buried her face in Spock's neck and cried. Spock sensed that Nyota was in no mood for a party, so he walked towards the exit with his wife in his arms.

"Take me home," Uhura said when they left the noise of the rec room behind. Spock granted her wish and took her to their home where she belonged.

*/*/*

Christine bolted from her seat tucked away in a little corner of the rec room with a look of both shock and disgust on her face. She simply could not believe what she had just witnessed. Spock and Uhura kissing in public! Uhura flaunting herself in front of everyone, and Spock had allowed it! He had even seemed amused by it. This was wrong, all wrong! Mr. Spock didn't smile into women's faces, he didn't grin and smirk and allow them to take liberties with his person! That was not the Spock that Christine has come to know and love.

When Uhura wiped his lips seductively, Christine got up and left the rec room before she could witness any more of the travesty. She actually felt sorry for Spock to allow Ny to embarrass him like that in public. What was she thinking? And why hadn't Spock stopped her? If Christine had tried something like that he would have told her in no uncertain terms to keep her hands to herself as if she had committed some crime. But there he was practically drooling, for Mr. Spock at least, like some kind of idiot. What kind of power did Nyota have over him?

Christine stormed through the corridors in a huff. It was mind-boggling. Just weeks ago they were practically at each other's throats. Nyota had literally broken his nose. And did he report her for striking a superior officer? Was Nyota written up on the report for her infraction as she should have been? No, Doctor McCoy and the captain had swept it all under the rug and labeled it an accident. Accident my eye!

But the captain had no trouble putting Christine on report and reprimanding her for disclosing Spock's private medical information to General Komack's office! And they had warned her to leave Spock and Uhura alone or she could face harassment charges. What kind of topsy-turvy galaxy was it where she was being punished for doing her duty while Spock gets away with mutiny, kidnapping, hijacking, and Uhura gets away with striking a superior officer?

It just wasn't fair! Uhura flaunting her supposed relationship with Spock in front of the crew? She didn't care what they tried to make people believe in that trial. Spock and Uhura were not in love! Uhura admitted as much to Christine the day they had their fight. And Christine had seen Spock in love when she had drugged him with the love potion. He had been hopelessly devoted to her then. It had been a dream come true until the dream turned into a nightmare.

No, he wasn't in love with Nyota. Not like he had been in love with her that one beautiful day. Spock was just in lust. Christine supposed even Vulcans got horny and could be wooed by a pretty face. After all, even Spock's father was married to a beautiful woman. But what did Spock see in Nyota? Yes, she was cute and petite, but she was nothing compared to Christine's classic beauty. Tall, long-legged, blonde, blue-eyed, and buxom. What did Nyota have that Christine did not?

"She's got a lot of nerve," Christine thought. And she's got Spock, for now. Christine didn't know why she didn't just give up on Spock, but she wasn't a quitter. You didn't win in life by bowing out to women like Uhura. It wasn't about who got Spock first. It was about who got him at long last and kept him, and that someone was going to be Christine. It was all she wanted.

Chapter 85: Ring The Alarm

Summary:

Nyota has a ring on her finger and a husband in her bed. What more could a girl want?

Notes:

Out in public, make a scene
I don't cook; I don't clean
But let me tell you how I got this ring!

~WAP by Cardi B~

Chapter Text

*/*/*

Spock carried Uhura home as she commanded him to after his public proposal. He effortlessly carried her down the corridors of the Enterprise, but as they approach his quarters Spock did not slow down, which piqued Uhura's curiosity.

"Spock, where are you going?" she asks as he went right past his door.

He didn't answer but continued to walk with determination, so Uhura just went along with it as she always did until they reached her own cabin door. She was both surprised and disappointed. When she said "let's go home" she had meant their home, his quarters where she had been spending most of her time, anyway. When he walked past his room, she thought maybe he was taking her to some special location for another surprise. But this was not what she expected at all.

He stood at the door's threshold and asked her to unlock the door with her code. Reluctantly, she punched it in and the door slid open to an almost unrecognizable room. It was her cabin, but everywhere she looked she saw signs of Spock. His wall hangings now shared a wall with her own and she looked deep into the cabin to spy his meditation mat and lamp nestled in a far corner near the bed. And all around the bedroom someone had hung old-fashioned fairy lights. Surprise indeed.

"Did you move into my quarters?"

Spock nodded. "Yes. I hope I didn't overstep myself? You have reminded me several times that your quarters are larger than mine and so it is only logical that we share this suite instead of my smaller one. You did agree that we would share a home," he said with some tension in his tone.

Technically, Uhura didn't think she had agreed, Spock had maneuvered her into getting his way. But she didn't care. This is what she wanted too, so she just smiled up at him.

"You're a good husband." She kissed his cheek. "And I already told you before, as long as we're together, it's home. So what are you waiting for? Carry me over this threshold."

Spock didn't hesitate this time. He carried her to their bed and settled her down gently. "Welcome home, Aduna."

*/*/*

"Good morning Mrs. Uhura!" a voice rang out over the comm.

"What do you want, Charlene?" Uhura asked the woman who was smiling at her through her view screen bright and early the next morning. She was still sleepy, and it was making her grumpy. Spock was long gone, but she could still feel all the little marks he left on her body as a reminder of last night's homecoming.

That did not put Charlene off in the slightest. "Is that any way to greet your friend?"

"No. I'm sorry," Uhura said with a yawn. "What do you want, Charlene?" She asked with an even grumpier voice this time.

"Well, since you and Spock are officially married and out of the closet, I think it's about time we got a few things out of the way."

Uhura sat up, suddenly at attention. "A few things, like what?"

"You know what happens when someone gets married on the Enterprise." Charlene reminded her.

"No," Uhura said and lay back on her bunk, hoping to end the discussion.

Charlene began to explain anyway. "Oh? Well, what we do is-"

Uhura sat back up. "I mean NO! As in, I'm not doing any of that nonsense."

"Nonsense? How dare you! We're talking about tradition. You deprived everyone of partaking in your wedding. The least you could do is let us throw you a party."

"I didn't deprive anybody of anything. You can take that up with Mister kidnap and marry 'em."

"Look Ny, I know how you feel about all the attention you've been getting, but you better just prepare for it, whether you like it or not. Either you let me throw you a party or somebody else will, and it won't be as nice if they do."

"Who else is wrongly thinking of throwing me a party?"

"Sulu, Scotty, Chekov, Arex," Charlene ticked off the names on her hand.

"Tell them to stop." Uhura insisted.

"You think they'll stop just cause I tell them to? They're your friends and they want to be in on the celebration of your marriage. It's the least you can do after an elopement. And I know, you didn't technically elope, but the ship doesn't know that. Remember, everybody thinks you did."

"Sulu knows better."

"Sulu is trying to book strippers as we speak. And do you want him telling Scotty or Chekov that Spock really abducted you?"

"Hell no! They'll tear Spock apart, or at least they'll give it a try." Uhura sighed. "So when and where is this party gonna be?"

"Atta girl. I knew you'd be logical. And I haven't decided yet. I have to speak to Spock's best man first."

"What best man? It's just a party, not a wedding."

"It's both. You cheated us out of a wedding so we're doing it right here on the ship."

"Oh no we're not. I'm already married!"

"So what? Spock already proposed to you on Argelius too, didn't he? Two proposals, two weddings. Don't bother to argue with me. We're doing this."

"Oh, are WE? Are WE going to marry Spock again too, because I won't be there?"

"Ny, don't be that way. Just let me plan everything for you and Spock. It will satisfy everybody on the ship who feels slighted. They think you and Spock have been seeing each other secretly and ran off to get married without us. People are happy for you, but there are some hurt feelings too. A lot of people love you, you know?"

"Okay, I get it. But damn it, I just want my life back!" She pounded on the pillow.

"And you shall have it back. Just put on this little show for the good of moral, and I swear to you people will get sick of you and Spock and move on to something else."

"I hope so. I just want to be Lieutenant Uhura again."

"Nyota, sweetie, you're gonna have to reconcile the fact that you're Mrs. Uhura and Lieutenant Uhura. They are both you now."

"I guess," she said, looking at her hand and the ring Spock put there. She had refused to take it off even for a minute. She never wanted to take it off. She supposed she was well and truly "Sprung", as the saying went.

"Charlene, have you ever been in love?" She asked suddenly.

"Don't ask me that Ny. Anything but that." Charlene was serious for the first time in their conversation and Uhura looked at her in the viewer.

"I'm sorry." Uhura could tell she touched a nerve with her friend. Lately, she was seeing signs that Charlene was not the always sassy, confident person she pretended to be. Something, or rather someone had hurt her. Uhura hoped that someday Charlene would trust her enough to share her story, but until then she wouldn't push.

"Charlene, you know I love you, right?"

"I do. And I love you too. Now go back to sleep. You look like Spock just rode you hard and put you away wet." Charlene said, getting right back to her annoying perky self.

"Yuck, I don't like how that sounds."

"Bet you liked how it felt, though," Charlene snickered.

"Goodbye Charlene," Uhura slapped the viewer off and closed her eyes again. Charlene got it all wrong. She had been the one to ride Spock hard and wet all night. She didn't care if her brains rotted away and she fell asleep with a smile on her lips.

Chapter 86: Woman in Love

Summary:

Alright, let me just get Christine out of the way so she can leave Spock and Nyota alone and move on with her life.

Notes:

I hope Y'all don't think I was bashing Christine too much in this story. I needed an antagonist, and she was the logical choice. Her character is a bit 'problematic' though. Sure, she was a woman in love, but she did some messed up stuff on the show that if a man had done it, he'd be locked up... But I digress. I hope I redeem her honor and dignity a little bit here. If not, meh! I tried. Also, her story takes a surprising turn after this.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 

 

I am a woman in love
And I do anything
To get you into my world
And hold you within
~Woman in Love by Barbra Streisand~

 

Woman in Love

Today was Spock's first day back to work since he had been exonerated, and he had gone right back to working overtime in the ship's science labs. Nyota still had not been cleared for duty and would not be until Dr. McCoy was certain Spock's Katra was not interfering with her health. They were still not sure how and why she had suffered from that Pon Farr fever or her other emotional outbursts. It seems so long ago that those events happened, but they were still trying to reach Vulcan for answers to Uhura's health issues.

Life on the Enterprise should settle down to a normal pace again soon. Spock and Uhura were an openly and happily married couple now. Mrs. Uhura was even walking around with a ring on her finger that Spock had presented to her in front of everyone. There should be no more doubts about the nature of their relationship.

Christine had left the rec room before she saw the spectacle, but to hear others talk about it, Spock made a big show of it. No doubt trying to make their sham marriage seem legit, she thought. Marry in haste repent at leisure, as the saying went. Why else would Spock be avoiding his new bride and working overtime if he was as happily married, as the gossip claimed?

No, Christine believed nothing she heard from the gossips. She knew this marriage was doomed from the start. Spock was a logical man and to marry Nyota Uhura out of the blue was an illogical act. Nyota was not even Spock's first wife. She was his second one. And if his first marriage was anything to go by, Spock and Nyota would live their married lives separately until such time that Spock had another one of his 'fevers'. At that time, he would seek out a new wife, Christine speculated.

She didn't fully understand what went on at these Vulcan weddings, but she was fairly certain that was how it all happened. Spock went into something equivalent to heat, and being divorced, he sought a replacement wife and stumbled upon Nyota. If it happened once, it could happen again. To her knowledge, Spock suffered these fevers about every two years. Well, that was the time between his first and 2nd bout with the fever while on the Enterprise. That meant that Christine had to do whatever she could in the meantime to convince Spock to choose her the next time his blood burned. She had to make sure she was in his vicinity so that the next time he needed a wife, he stumbled upon her instead.

Christine still believed she and Spock were meant to be together, no matter what anyone said. And this time she was not going to let anything stand in her way, especially not Nyota Uhura. She blamed Uhura for her failure with Spock before, but perhaps she had been too subtle in her pursuit of him. She had offered Spock love, but he was an emotionless Vulcan. Maybe she should have been offering something more physical.

She should have been more like Nyota, who was more direct with what she had to offer. Nyota was assertive and outgoing. She had all the men on the Enterprise wrapped around her little pinky. And how did she do it? She appealed to their baser instincts. She stroked their egos and pretended to care about their work and hobbies, hopes and dreams. But most importantly, she flaunted her sexuality. She wasn't shy about showing her sensuality, all while leading men to believe they might have a chance with her.

Christine had noted more than once that Nyota even had the nerve to touch Spock casually as if she had a right to do so. And he didn't flinch and pull away from Nyota's touch the way he did when Christine dared touch him. He was taken in by Nyota's charm like all the others. Well, Christine could play that game too. She could be sensual too.

Right now Spock was in his research lab trying to catch up on his neglected work. It was well after hours, a time when the majority of the crew were on their sleep cycle so there would not be many people roaming about down there below decks. It was quiet and the ambient lighting was set for the evening.

While he was hunched over a scanner deep in concentration, Spock felt someone touch him, boldly massaging his shoulders. He immediately stiffened and straightened his back, turning to see who had dared such an assault on his person.

"What are you doing, Nurse Chapel?" he demanded.

"You looked tense, Mr. Spock I was just trying to help." Christine smiled as sensually as she knew how.

"Nurse Chapel, this is quite inappropriate. Why are you here?"

"What? Can't two friends help one another relax?"

Spock was prepared to say that they were not friends, but he knew that would hurt the woman's feelings, and according to Nyota, Christine was already in a great deal of pain. Still, this sort of behavior was intolerable, and he chose his words carefully.

"Nurse Chapel, I value your contributions to the medical sciences on this ship. I respect you as a colleague and would like for us to continue sharing a professional relationship. However, anything beyond that is impossible. I am married to Lieutenant Uhura and I have no desire to change our status."

"Yes, I know you're married," she said bitterly. "That's all anyone on the Enterprise can talk about. 'Spock and Uhura eloped right under our noses', 'married in secret', the 'romance of the century'! Tell me, Mister Spock, just how long was your relationship with my dear friend Nyota going on behind my back?"

"Nyota and I have done nothing behind your back. What Nyota and I do now is our own affair and has nothing to do with you or anyone else aboard the Enterprise or anywhere else." Spock replied calmly.

"I don't believe you. I don't believe any of the stories I hear either. They say you and Nyota have been secretly dating since she came aboard the Enterprise, but you and I both know that isn't true. You were married to a Vulcan woman until two years ago and I know there were other women too, like that girl on Omicron Ceti Three. Ny may have made a play for you, but you never showed her any interest beyond friendship. I would have seen it," Christine insisted.

"Meanwhile, I have always been there for you, Spock. You knew how I felt, how I still feel about you. I've never made any secret of it. I've fought for you, sacrificed for you, I begged the Captain to take you to Vulcan when you were sick and dying of fever that first time."

Christine's expression changed and became menacing and in a lowered voice she accused him, "You came on to me! You wanted me before you went to Vulcan and came back divorced. I know you did. Do you deny that?"

Spock sighed inwardly. He knew this would not be an easy conversation, but he had delayed it long enough. Christine would not make it easy for him to let her down gently. He told Nyota that he would prefer to tell the unadulterated truth, but now he realized a lie could indeed be more convenient. However, he was a Vulcan first and foremost, and he would not lie to Christine.

"No, I do not deny it. However, I never meant to encourage your continued infatuation with me. At that time, I was not myself. I was not in control of my emotions or my actions. Still, it was no excuse for my behavior that day and for that, I beg your pardon." He said, gathering his thoughts.

He supposed she deserved to know the truth about what he was. "Christine, as a nurse, you must know the stress my body was under because of the chemical imbalance I was suffering from. That fever is a cyclical condition every Vulcan male must endure. It is a time of Vulcan mating. During that time, a Vulcan male must bond and mate to preserve his life. Under most circumstances, we seek out the one we are bonded to in childhood. However, if a bonded mate is not available, we will often seek out an alternative, another available female or whoever is convenient."

Spock searched her face for any hint of understanding, but all he saw was anger and resentment.

"Christine, by playing servant to me that day, by being in my private quarters unchaperoned, you made yourself vulnerable to me. When I was under the influence of the fever, I could have done you great harm. It was unwise of you to visit my quarters alone. So yes, I would have used you had the need become great enough, but I would not have remembered it afterward and it would have changed nothing. It would have been nothing more than a physical act of fulfilling a biological urge. I would not have bonded with you."

"So you admit you wanted me that night?" She said, desperate hope gleaming in her eyes.

"I needed a female, and you made yourself available. If I had not had a wife waiting for me on Vulcan, and if I had not maintained my faculties, things could have gone very badly for you, Christine. I would have regretted hurting you just as I regret it now."

"You wouldn't have hurt me, Spock. You couldn't have-" Christine reached out to touch his hand but Spock drew away from her quickly.

"I could have and I would have," Spock insisted. "Because to that fever crazed beast, you were just a means to an end. That is my Vulcan nature. One I've tried to protect you from. Because the beast within me would have used you, but the man in me would not have accepted you as a wife. I do not care for you Christine, not in that way. I never have and I never will."

"No!" she cried, slamming her fist on the console. "If what you say is true, then why did you take Uhura to Vulcan? She wasn't convenient or available. I was in sickbay that day too! I was available and convenient for you then too! Why didn't you take me and use me then?" she demanded.

"A Vulcan will always seek his bonded mate first. If it was not T'Pring, then it was Nyota."

"But you and Ny weren't bonded then-"

"Not formally, no. However, a bond had formed and had been growing between Nyota and myself for quite some time, even before my first Pon Farr. In my mind she was mine. The pull of the bond was irresistible to me. Nyota is my wife. She and I have shared a bond since before Nomad attacked her. I desire no one else."

"But she doesn't even want you!" Christine spat out cruelly now that her feelings had been hurt. "She struck you! She's been playing you ever since the two of you returned from Vulcan. You're just wasting your time with her. Everyone knows underneath all that tight uniform she's just a tease. Even Riley said-"

Spock cut her off. "Christine! Please do not say these things."

Christine continued anyway. "You could still have me, Spock. I won't run from you. I won't tease you and then push you away. Just give me a chance to show you," she reached out for him again, but Spock backed away. "I could give you what you need. Nyota can't love you the way I do," she pleaded.

"I don't want your love, Christine. You are correct. Nyota does not love me the way that you do. She does not see me as some exotic prize. She doesn't hold me up as a paragon. With Nyota I am just a me. She-" Spock stopped himself from revealing any more. "She is my wife. Please respect that."

"No! I can't believe you want to be married to that harpy. She has treated you like crap and you just take it. What is wrong with you! Why would you let her hit you and touch you and kiss you in public? You're a Vulcan prince, yet she treats you like trash. If I were your wife I'd worship you, Mr. Spock. I would please you day and night. Where is your Vulcan dignity? Where is the man that I love?"

Spock had tried to explain, but she would never understand. "Nurse Chapel, that man does not exist. He never did."

"No!"

"Christine, Nyota treats me the way I want to be treated, as a normal man. That's all I want. I am not a prince, Vulcan, or otherwise. I do not want to be worshiped as a deity." I just want to be loved, he thought, but he didn't dare say that to Nurse Chapel who thought she loved him.

"Then what do you want?"

"I only want Nyota. She is all I have ever wanted." Spock said gently.

Christine did not want to believe it. How could he say these things to her? But Vulcans do not lie. He didn't want her. "Did you ever feel anything for me at all?" she asked, feeling resigned.

"No," Spock said with finality.

Christine felt gutted! She had loved him for so long. Didn't he even care? Did he even have feelings?

"But you do feel something, don't you? You feel for Nyota?" Chris asked with a choked voice. She knew she was pushing it, asking such personal questions, but she needed to know once and for all.

Spock straightened even further. At first, she thought he wouldn't answer, but then she saw his expression change subtly, his face softened and he looked dopey. Christine knew.

"I do," he said as if confessing to a crime for which he felt no shame in committing.

Christine had always dreamed he would say those two words to her one day, but never like this. This was it. She'd seen Spock's emotions before when he was sick and out of his mind with fever. She'd seen him in the sickbay enough times to know just by looking at his stoic face just how sick or in pain he really was, even though he denied it. She'd seen him show grief at the loss of the Intrepid and seen him smile in joy when he discovered Captain Kirk had not died by his hand. But she'd never seen him while he was in his right mind show as much emotion as he just expressed. That little slip, that softening of his usual blank expression told her everything she didn't want to know. He felt for Nyota, in a way he didn't feel for anyone else, at least not her. He was in love with Nyota.

"So you do care for her," she said, wiping her tears. "I guess that's all I really need to hear. It was right in front of my face but I just refused to believe it. I thought maybe... No. It doesn't matter what I thought. I'm sorry, Mr. Spock, for the way I've behaved. It was undignified wasn't it?" Christine said, recalling Spock's remarks to her previously.

"No offense is received where none was intended. But perhaps you should not waste your apologies on me for whom they are meaningless and unnecessary. I am certain they could be put to better service."

Christie tried pulling herself back together, straightening her uniform and smoothing her hair back into place. "You mean apologize to Nyota?"

"Yes."

"She will never forgive me, not after everything that's happened. I've said and done some terrible things to her." She laughed bitterly, "I just tried to seduce her husband."

"I think you will find her most receptive if you truly wish to make amends."

"I do. I never meant to hurt her or you. It's just that I was angry and took it out on her, instead-"

"Instead of on me?" Spock finished for her.

"Yes, well," she said, "my anger would have been wasted on you, wouldn't it?" A bit of that anger crept back into her voice.

"Indeed, it would have. I have a human mother and now a human wife, yet I will never understand the workings of the human female mind."

"Don't even try to understand us, Mr. Spock. Just enjoy the mystery," she advised with a laugh, and then a tear spilled from her eye again.

For the first time in a long time, she felt at peace. She'd lost Spock, but according to him she never had him anyway. She just had to accept that it was never meant to be between them. Five years was a long time to waste pining away for a man who only thought of you as a colleague and who would never look at you twice, except when he was injured or delirious.

She had wasted five years of her life, the best years of her life, first searching for Roger and then waiting for Spock to notice her and fall in love. But here he stood, practically telling her he thought no more of her than that of a piece of gum that got stuck to the bottom of his shoe.

And maybe Christine always knew deep down inside but didn't want to admit it, but looking at Spock now while he seemed so pleased with himself, she realized he was an asshole. No wonder he got under McCoy's skin. He looked as smug and as arrogant as his ambassador father, and as aloof and unfeeling as all the rest of his race. Why did she even fall for him? "Mr. Spock, I think I will hate you for just a little while."

He raised his brows in surprise at her declaration.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything else to bother you or Nyota. Just stay out of my way for a while. I think I need a long break from you."

"I seem to evoke that sentiment in people," he said honestly.

Yeah, he was an asshole. "Mr. Spock?"

"Yes, Nurse Chapel?"

"Please shut up," Christine said, turning her back and marching out of the lab without a backward glance.

Notes:

Note: Do you think Spock should tell Uhura about this incident? Or should he forever hold his peace? Yes or no?

Chapter 87: Mrs. Uhura

Summary:

Nyota has a huge secret. Will this girl ever learn?

Chapter Text

Mrs. Uhura

 

"Hey girl, let me see it!" Charlene said when she came to visit Uhura the next day.

"See what?" Uhura asked as she raked her fingers through her hair with her left hand, which showed off her ring to perfection.

Charlene snatched Uhura's hand from her head and ogled the ring.

"Oh My God! Girl, it's beautiful," they both started giggling and squealing over the ring together.

"I know right," Uhura twisted her hand this way and that way so that the jewels caught the light.

"He didn't take my advice though," Charlene thought out loud.

"What do you mean?"

"Spock came to me some weeks ago asking how he could make you happy after your impromptu bonding and I suggested he put a ring on it," Charlene said.

"Oh, so that's where he got that expression? I should have known." Uhura shook her head. "But what advice didn't he take?"

"I told him to get you the biggest ring he could afford," Charlene answered and then asked with a gentle voice, "unless this was the best he could do?" She looked up into Uhura's eyes.

"Charlene, this ring is perfect. See these little aqua-colored stones? They are called Vokaya and they're very rare and valuable minerals found on Vulcan. And then the diamond represents Earth. This ring is our two worlds together on one infinite circle representing the universe."

"Oh, I see," Charlene nodded. What she really saw was the sappy look on her friend's face as she gazed lovingly at her ring. "It is perfect. It suits you and really says something about you and Spock."

"What does it say?" Uhura asked.

"I don't know, you have a rare, sparkly, indestructible kind of love I guess."

"Love?"

Charlene prepared for battle. "Girl, are you still pretending you and Spock are not in love with each other?"

Nyota shook her head. "No. I know I falling in love with Spock but..."

"Girl, but what?" Charlene asked.

"But does he love me?" Uhura wondered.

"Does it even matter? You're wearing his ring."

"It matters to me. I don't want to be in love by myself."

"Why? If you love him, maybe that's enough. Are you happy?"

"Yes. But..."

"Ny, don't overthink it. You met a good man, fell in love, got married, now you're about to..." Charlene caught herself, "to spend your lives together. That's more than some of us will ever have. Just enjoy it. Don't miss right now in pursuit of what you think you want tomorrow. Besides, if Mr. Spock ever mistreats you, there is a ship full of people who will kick his ass."

"Spock would never mistreat me. He cares for me, in his own way. I can feel it."

"Well, there you go. And look at all the trouble he's been through to be with you. He's stuck by you through all your tantrums, he even let me grill him when he asked me for help. If that's not love then I don't know what is. Just savor this moment. And how romantic was it for Spock to give you a ring in front of the entire crew?"

Uhura twirled around, doing a happy dance and grinning like a loon. "It was pretty romantic. I didn't think he had it in him."

"Well, he did. He planned the whole thing himself. He invited all your friends to the rec room and asked us to wait for you to arrive like a surprise party. I think he wanted our blessings. And while he was proposing to you, he arranged for some crewmen to move his personal stuff over here. He's so good to you." Charlene said with a dreamy voice.

Uhura saw the look on her friend's face and said, "You know I'm still working on a cousin for you?"

"Spare me your matchmaking Ny. Spock's good for you. Not all of us could handle a Vulcan."

"Charlene, you just told me you handled Spock fine. You just have to be yourself with him."

"Him who?" Charlene asked with suspicion.

"I don't know yet. They pair most Vulcans off as children, but more and more families are breaking that tradition. Younger generations flat out reject it. How do you feel about a younger man?"

"I don't believe in robbing the cradle."

"Well then, what about much older men? I bet there are some widows we could introduce you to. Vulcans live hundreds of years, so they'll be the ones robbing the cradle. I think Spock's father is like a hundred or something but his mom is middle-aged."

"Ny, thanks, but no thanks. Why is it that as soon as a woman becomes a matron, she decides all her friends need to be married too? I'm trying to focus on my career right now. I had to put my career on the back burner for a long time. I'm just trying to catch up to my peers."

"I'm sorry Char. I just want you to be happy. If you don't mind my asking, why did you have to put off your career?"

"Family stuff. It's a long story. I'll tell you about it someday."

Uhura sensed there was indeed an interesting story there, but she didn't press her friend for details. When Charlene was ready she would share. Until then, Uhura would be a good friend, just as Charlene had been to her.

"Okay then, what are your plans for MY wedding party?"

"It's a secret, but I assure you I talked Sulu out of the strippers."

"Thank goodness for that. But please make it something simple and understated. You know, maybe just our closest friends for a few drinks and some cake."

"Don't worry your pretty head about the party. Just get ready for the gifts."

"What gifts? I've already got everything I need." She looked at her ring again. "Tell people to keep their credits."

"Will you stop trying to sidestep all our traditions? There will be a party and there will be gifts. And you better be glad there will be no strippers from Argelius or Wrigley."

"Okay, I guess I have no choice but to leave things in your capable hands."

"Exactly. Now how have you been feeling lately?" Charlene changed the subject to something more interesting.

"I feel fine." Uhura dismissed the question.

"No more weird symptoms?" Charlene asked while watching her friend's face closely.

"Nope. Just a little tired. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, though." She smiled like a Cheshire cat.

"Mmm-hmm. I bet you didn't. You should tell me everything that happened." Charlene smiled.

"I don't normally kiss and tell, but if I did, I would tell you... none of your business."

Charlene swatted at her. "You're no fun anymore."

Uhura bowed her head like a Vulcan and said, "I am honored."

"Ny, please don't go changing to try and please Spock. You're perfect just the way you are."

"Thanks, Char, but.."

"But nothing. You're Mrs. Nyota Uhura, not Mrs. Spock. Don't try to be him. I'm sure he didn't intend to marry himself. He married you, flaws and all."

"What flaws?" Uhura spun around, looking at herself dramatically.

"C'mon Ny. Don't be silly. You know you're all that." Charlene pulled her down in the seat next to her.

"I feel all that and then some," Uhura patted her hips.

"What did McCoy say?" Charlene asked, leaning in for the answer.

Uhura rolled her eyes. "Char, I haven't gone yet. I just got married."

"You've been married for months."

"Well, we just had our honeymoon."

"You've been living together for months too."

"Well, I haven't had time. Spock just got home!"

Charlene could see her friend would try any excuse. "Okay, okay. Just go soon. You're on leave and Christine is off duty so there is no excuse not to visit sickbay soon."

"Okay MOM," Uhura said as a joke but Charlene didn't smile.

"You know I'm not nagging you for my own health or to be bossy? I love you. And speaking of moms-"

Uhura shook her head vehemently, "Uh-uh, Let's not talk about moms today."

"Why?" Charlene had not seen Uhura get so upset so fast before. She looked utterly terrified. "What's wrong?"

"Charlene, what am I going to tell my family?"

Charlene frowned. "What do you mean?"

"This trial of the century stuff? What do I tell them? Sooner or later they are gonna call seeking answers."

"So tell them the truth. Spock was exonerated. I'm sure they'll be happy for him."

"I'm sure they won't." She covered her face with her hands.

"Girl why not? Don't they like Spock?"

Uhura didn't say anything.

"Ny, do your parents not like Spock?" Charlene asked again gently. That would be a whole other drama her friend did not need at this time.

Uhura looked up. "Well... they haven't met him yet."

"Yeah, but what do they think about him so far?" Charlene had a bad feeling about this. Were they xenophobic or something?

Uhura looked guilty as hell when she said, "They don't know about him. At all."

"Girl, why!?" Charlene couldn't believe it.

"Charlene, don't start, please? I'm happy today, don't be a buzzkill."

"Buzzkill? Guurlll, you gonna be in trouubllle..." Charlene sang the words like they used to do when she was a kid in the playground.

"What trouble? I'm a grown woman and I can do what I want." Uhura folded her arms stubbornly.

"Okay then, get on the viewer and call your folks. Just let them know you're married. I'll wait." Charlene challenged her.

"If you're going to be a buzzkill you can get out. I'll tell them when I'm good and ready."

"And when will that be, at the christening of your firstborn child?" Charlene asked. It wasn't that far-fetched considering what she suspected.

"I'm going to tell them. Just not today."

"Then when? As you say, news travels fast. Even light-years away they're going to find out. Better they hear it from you than from the gossip rags. The longer you wait, the harder it will be."

"It's already too hard," Uhura whined. "Maybe you're right. I'll just call, say 'hey y'all i's married now' and cut the transmission." Uhura snapped her fingers. "My Bibi knows. I'll ask her to tell them."

"You will not. Bibi didn't marry Spock, you did. Since "you're a grown woman" you can tell your parents all about your new husband. And please record that conversation so I can see the looks on their faces."

The look Uhura gave Charlene caused her to cackle. "Girl you cause more unnecessary drama."

"If you're not going to be of use, then get the hell out," Uhura said.

"Oh, I'm going. I've got to plan this wedding reception. Should I invite your folks?" She burst into a new bout of laughter. "Oh my god girl, you're too much!" Charlene's stomach hurt from the belly laughs.

"It's not funny!" Uhura yelled.

"Oh, yes it is. You did this to yourself." Charlene said and then she tried to sober up. "But for real, you're not the first person to elope. Just tell them. Whatever you are imagining, it won't be that bad." She wiped away her tears of laughter.

"You don't know the Uhura's."

"Girl, if they are anything like you, I cannot wait to meet them."

"Oh?" Uhura smiled. "Well, in that case, I've got two older brothers, both single."

"Oh, no!" Charlene backed away.

"Oh Yes! Omari and Jabari. Twins." Uhura rubbed her hands together wickedly.

Charlene ran for the door. "Goodbye Ny!"

When Charlene was gone, Uhura sat back in her seat and sighed. She didn't know what was worse, going back to the sickbay for more pokes and prods or telling her family she had been married for months to a Vulcan that they never met. And she was having such a good day today.

"Buzzkill!" she yelled at the door, and she would swear she heard Charlene cackling down the hall.

Chapter 88: Let's Do It!

Summary:

Uhura couldn't catch a hint even if it dropped directly into her hands, falling from an inch above. Or maybe she just doesn't want to know?

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Birds do it, bees do it

Even educated fleas do it

~Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love) by Cole Porter~

 

*/*/*

 

"Hello there Stranger!" Uhura said to Sulu when she stepped into the ship's greenhouse.

"Oh my!" Sulu looked up from tending his garden. "Well, look who has pulled her head out of Mr. Spock's derriere long enough to take a breath."

"That's disgusting Hikaru! I don't have my head up anyone's anything. You know how things are around here. I've been keeping a low profile, especially since the trial began. You should be thanking me for taking the heat off of you."

"Thank you? For what? For all the stress you've caused me and everyone else, or for ditching me after you finally hooked up with your boo? My flying solo is all on you." Sulu said to her as he continued tending to his flowers.

"My boo? You must've been talking to Charlene. She says Spock and I were 'booed up'," Uhura said, shaking her head.

"Well, Charlene is a GOOD friend," Sulu said as if to emphasize that Uhura somehow was not.

"Yes, she is. I'm a good friend too. I've just been busy. Besides, you told me not to talk to you," Uhura said sadly.

"I told you not to bother me until you can talk to me like an adult. Can you do that?"

"I am an adult. I'm married and I've got the ring to prove it." She held up her hand, flashing her ring.

"Oh ho! So that's why you're here? To show off your ring?"

"Well, who else am I gonna show but my best bud? But, no, that's not why I'm here. I need to apologize for all the drama I've put you through. I was miserable, so I made you miserable too. Now I'm happy and I want my friends to be happy too. I'm sorry I dragged you into my marriage drama."

"You didn't drag me anywhere I didn't want to go, and apology accepted. Now, do you admit you love Spock?"

"Sulu, will you give it a break?"

Sulu shook his head in disbelief. Here she was wearing the man's ring and still pretending. "Nope. Get out." He pointed to the exit.

"Fine. Have it your way." She marched to the door, but she stopped before it opened. Why was Sulu being so stubborn? Why was she? "Yes," she said to the closed door.

"What's that?" she heard Sulu say.

"I said, Yes!"

"Yes, what?" Sulu insisted.

"Yes, to your question." She said getting annoyed.

"What question was that?" he asked.

She turned around to face him. "Must we play these word games?"

"I don't know? Must we?" he asked, not giving an inch.

"Damn it! Hikaru!"

"Damn it, Nyota!" They stared at each other in a face-off for a long stretch, neither one budging.

Finally, Uhura broke. "Alright, I love him. Happy now?"

"No. But you are, and that's what counts."

She ran over to him and grabbed him up in a hug. "I'm sorry Hik. I was being a bitch."

"Yeah, you were," he agreed.

Uhura pinched his shoulder.

"Ouch! Unhand me, woman," he pulled away from her. "What are you trying to do, give me a nerve pinch?"

"I wish I could. I'll have to get Spock to teach me how."

"I'm surprised he hasn't already. But I guess you two have been too busy being holed up in your little love shack." Sulu laughed.

"Hardly. He's already back at work. I've got a few hours to burn until he gets off shift, so here I am. What are you doing Hik?"

"I'm knocking up a few flowers."

Uhura frowned in bewilderment. "Come again?"

"That's what she said!" Sulu laughed hard at his own joke while Nyota scowled at him. "I'm knocking up these plants. I'm trying to get them pregnant so they make little babies." He explained while he squeezed a duster onto one of the flowering plants.

"Why are you doing that? Can't they knock themselves up?"

"No. I have to pollinate them manually. There are no bees to do the job properly. Unlike you and your handsome husband, some of us have to get off by artificial means."

"TMI! I don't want to know what you do to yourself when you're alone. And you better watch what you say, you know someone could take that as sexual harassment and have you up on charges."

"What? I'm just teasing you. You know I meant nothing by it, don't you?" Sulu was very conscious of making Uhura feel safe with him since she told him about his mirror counterpart.

"I know, Hik. Unfortunately, everything I do is under a damn microscope now. There are eyes and ears everywhere. Matter of fact, I found out who reported me for domestic abuse."

"Christine?" Sulu offered.

"How does everybody know my business before I do?"

"I put two and two together and it equaled Chris. She had a motive, means, and opportunity. Question is, what are you going to do about her?"

"What can I do? She's just a busybody troublemaker. All I can do is figure out my own life."

"With the man you love?" Sulu asked.

"Don't rub it in, okay? I might be in love but that doesn't mean I like it."

"Okay, okay. There's no shame in being in love. Christine made a mess of it, but that doesn't mean you have to."

"I hope you're right. I can't wait to get back to work, though. That's when everything will be back to normal."

"Yeah, why are you still walking about in your civies?" Sulu referred to the simple kaftan dress Uhura was wearing.

"Medical leave. Remember, I tried to kill a man for touching me? And then the ship had those mass psychosis incidents."

"That incident affected everyone. Why are you the only one on leave?"

"Spock had a virus that causes telepaths to project their emotions. I heard people calling it the lovebug. Anyway, Spock probably caused it and I had a hand in it too."

"Oh, that thing?" Sulu smiled, remembering the chaos the 'lovebug' caused.

"Where were you when it happened, Sulu? Did you do anything weird?"

"I was alone in my cabin, thank goodness. Otherwise, I might have ended up on charges, as you say. I heard people got a bit out of control in the rec rooms. There may be some more surprise weddings in the future. Where were you, Missy?"

"Oh, well... I was with my husband." She had to grin, thinking of the hand she had played in it all.

The look on her face said there was more to the story. "Oh, really now? Do tell?" Sulu said.

"There's nothing to tell." Uhura fidgeted and walked around the garden, inspecting the flowers.

"Judging by the way you just got all nervous and flustered, I'd say there is plenty to tell. Spill."

"I was with my husband, that's all. Anything we did was mutual, I assure you."

"Ok I'll back off, so stop blushing."

"I'm not blushing... It's hot in here." Uhura fanned her face with her hand.

That made Sulu concerned. "The temperature in here is strictly regulated and so is the humidity. But you do look a little flushed. Come sit down." He guided her to a stool. "Chekov told me you passed out during the trial. Everything ok?"

"Yes, Charlene is already nagging me to get a checkup, so don't bother. I've been in the sickbay so much lately I practically live there now. I've been poked and prodded and psychoanalyzed until I can't think straight. Spock thinks it might have something to do with our bond. That's why we're going to Vulcan again."

"Aw, I'm sure it's nothing serious, or else the Dr. would tell you and Spock."

"I'm sure he'd tell Spock," Uhura said.

"What's that supposed to mean? Do you think Spock knows something you don't?"

"I don't know. He is so hard to read. I don't have an inkling what goes on in that Vulcan mind of his sometimes."

"Spock is a practical man and unlikely to keep anything important from you. Besides, I thought you were taking my advice and talking to him like a mature adult."

"Sulu, you ought to know me by now. I'm anything but a mature adult sometimes."

Sulu held his hands up, backing away. "You said it, not me," he said and went back to his pollination duties.

"What are you fertilizing, anyway?"

"Pollinating. I'm doing tomatoes, and then cucumbers, squash, and strawberries. I've got some fruit trees in the back too. I like to have fresh fruit and veg when I can get them. The ship's replicators are pretty good at replicating cooked foods but salads are still-"

"Yuck!" She made a gagging sound.

"Exactly. Nothing compares to the taste of a real strawberry."

"I don't know about the cooked replicator food either. Lately, I've had to cook my own food, which is probably why I can't eat. Luckily Spock is a simple man to please, he'll eat anything."

"Ooh, tell me about it." Sulu flashed a wicked grin.

She swatted at Sulu. "Hush you, I'm talking about food. Still, the replicator food seems a bit off to me lately. Sometimes the smell is nauseating. I'll have maintenance take a look at it later."

"I can give you a few simple recipes that even you couldn't ruin. And you're always welcome to anything here in the garden. There are quite a few salad greens ready to harvest."

"Thank you Hik. I think I will grab a few things. Spock deserves a home-cooked meal since being locked up." She stood and gave Sulu another hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Careful, not too close. I'm only trying to impregnate tomatoes."

She kept her grip on him though, "Sulu I've missed you, you know."

"I know, I've missed you too. But you're here now, so grab a duster and start pollinating." He pointed to a tomato bush.

"I don't know what to do."

"Just put a little puff of pollen on each flower you find, and in a few weeks we'll have beautiful red tomatoes."

"It's that easy?"

"Yep, that's how the birds and the bees do it." They were silent as they worked when Sulu finally spoke.

"Ny, I've been thinking about your problem."

"What problem?"

"You think there could be some correlation between you and Spock and this lovebug and your other symptoms, right?"

"Yes, I told you we've been examined over and over. But Dr. McCoy doesn't know a lot about Vulcan telepathy and how it affects humans. So I'm on leave until we can consult Vulcan doctors."

"Maybe it's not because of telepathy or your bond. Maybe it's something simple, like the birds and bees."

"I don't follow?"

"I think you should follow Charlene's suggestion and see Dr. McCoy again."

Uhura rolled her eyes. "Not you too. Are you dating Charlene or something? You're nagging just like her."

"I'm not nagging you. I just made a friendly suggestion. I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually though."

"I hope sooner rather than later."

"Ny, I can almost guarantee that in a few months you'll be rewarded with the fruits of your labor." Sulu laughed quietly while he knocked up a few more berries.

Notes:

This was going to be an outtake that I cut, but I repurposed it and shoved it back in. I suppose it's just too obvious what's coming next?

Chapter 89: Happy Homemaker

Summary:

Uhura is happy to turn her house into a home for Spock

Notes:


The first time ever I saw your face
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave

~The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack~

Chapter Text

 

*/*/*

Happy Homemaker

 

Uhura brought home some wonderful ingredients to make Spock's dinner along with Sulu's promised recipes that seven she couldn't ruin. As she cooked, she felt terrible about getting angry at Charlene earlier. She was not angry at her friend, she was angry at herself for keeping such an enormous secret not only from her own family but from her own husband. Spock had literally shared his entire life with her. She knew his parents, she had been to his home; hell, she and Spock had shared each other's minds! And yet, since the beginning, she had been hiding everything she could from everyone she could. It wasn't fair to Spock that she tried to hide their relationship from the crew. It wasn't fair that her family knew nothing about him.

As Sulu said, she needed to talk to Spock like a mature adult. And that meant she had to apologize to Spock and beg for forgiveness when he returned to their cabin, though she knew the latter would not be necessary. That was one of the things she loved so much about Spock. He didn't hold a grudge or hold things against you. After all, 'that would be illogical'.

According to the duty roster, he should be making his rounds about now and then he'd be on his dinner break. That gave her a while to prepare their evening meal. She was by no means a talented chef. The tiny galley she had didn't afford the opportunity to create culinary masterpieces, but she thought the simple meal she prepared with Sulu's help came out rather nicely.

Salad, plomeek soup, and a quiche. Spock had simple tastes and so did she. She supposed she could contact Amanda and ask what his favorite foods were and get some family recipes. Amanda would love that, Nyota thought, the old busybody. Nyota had to admit she liked Amanda. If she weren't Nyota's mother-in-law, she would consider Amanda her friend.

That thought made Nyota frown with worry. She hoped her family liked Spock as much as his family seemed to like her. Well, she would soon find out because she had decided to come clean of everything. But first, she had to tell Spock and prepare him for the Uhura's. With the dinner done and being kept warm, she had time to spare. Normally, she would read or catch up on daily communication reports, but today she didn't feel like working. She was on leave and sort of on a honeymoon.

Odd that she was only just now dating the man that she was legally married to. They could have had so much fun dating before, well she would have had fun. Uhura sighed, she didn't care what anyone else thought. Spock was fun.

She looked around their cabin while she waited for her dinner date to arrive. There was always some chore that needed to be done and that is what she did. She felt like an old-fashioned homemaker, cooking and cleaning before the husband came home. It was so twentieth century.

Uhura walked around and scanned the objects in the room. Spock's belongings were scattered all around, but they hadn't had time to arrange them. Of course, she had been in Spock's cabin many times before their marriage, either for music lessons or help in learning Vulcan or for advice on her career. It occurred to her that she took going into his private space for granted in the past, considering how private Spock is. As was her way, she had just made herself at home in his quarters and never thought twice about it.

But even though Spock had moved into her quarters, he had not moved any of her belongings out of their place. He was thoughtful that way, but it meant his stuff was all over the place. His personal belongings were not what some would expect. His cabin had been neither spartan nor sterile. Spock had decorated his quarters with furnishings from both Vulcan and Earth, and those things blended pretty well with her own belongings. She wondered if the objects d'art scattered about the rooms were family heirlooms or if he was just a collector of odds and ends. It had to be the latter. Who in their logical mind would bring valuable family heirlooms on a ship that could be destroyed at any moment?

In a recessed corner of the room, there was a new bookshelf with volumes of books and tapes published in various languages, and some of them looked ancient. On the very bottom shelf, she spied books with brightly colored covers that looked almost new. She couldn't help but snoop and she got down on hands and knees to try reading the spines. There was one by Dr. Suese. "My, my, my," she said aloud. Spock had interesting tastes indeed. She took a book from the shelf and flipped through the crisp pages. The Cat in the Hat. It was one of her favorite stories too. Spock had many others by Dr. Seuss as well as books by Mark Twain, J.R.R Tolkien, A. A. Milne, Saint-Exupéry, and Jane Austen, to name but a few.

"Who are you, Spock?" Nyota asked aloud. A Vulcan reading Austen? Now her curiosity was stoked. When had he read these books? Why? Did he enjoy them? Did he think they were illogical? Did he treasure them? She put the books back and turned around the room, seeing things with fresh eyes. Spock was a complicated man. Something sticking out from under their bunk caught her eye next. She knelt down and looked under their bed and found a guitar case.

Of course, she knew he was a musician like herself, but she thought he only played the Vulcan harp and the piano. She was still on her hands and knees, snooping around under the bed with her bottom sticking up, when Spock finally arrived home. He didn't show any surprise to see Nyota on the floor, ass up except to raise his brow. "Ahem," Spock feigned clearing his throat to catch her attention.

"Uh oh, you caught me snooping through your stuff," she said, shimmying out from under the bed but not bothering to stand. Instead, she sat back on her butt with her legs crisscrossed.

"Aduna, this is your home. What is mine, is yours. I have nothing to hide."

"You say that now, but wait until I find your secret porn stash," she joked. "I've never known a guy who didn't have one."

"You will find that I have no such collection of materials," Spock assured her.

"We'll see Mister. I snooped some other interesting collections, though."

"Indeed? And what did you 'snoop'?"

"I was just being curious. You have some interesting books. And I found this." She pulled out the guitar. "I didn't know you played."

"Not very often now. I picked it up at the academy." He took the case and removed a beautiful classical guitar, which he strummed after tuning it for a moment. He sat in the chair and played a lovely classical guitar tune.

Watching Spock's fingers swiftly and efficiently strum the strings was hypnotic. Uhura who, of course, loved all things music, closed her eyes and swayed in harmony with the tune. Music was the reason they were married today. Spock's playing of the harp had compelled her to ask him for lessons, sparking a fast friendship between them.

When Spock finished the song, Uhura was still in a mellow state, eyes closed, head back, comfortably sitting on the floor at his feet. It was times like this when she thought she would follow Spock to the edge of the universe. Spock started playing a new song, and this time he sang along.

"The first time, ever I saw your face..." his voice rang out, and Uhura's eyes shot open. She had never heard Spock sing before. His voice was pure perfection. He had a deep timbre that vibrated her insides. And as she listened to the words, she was astonished. The lyrics sounded like a love poem. Where had he learned it? Who was this man sitting here singing love songs to her with a deep, sexy voice that made her feel like she was sinking into a warm puddle of goo? Overcome with emotion, she didn't even notice the tears rolling down her cheeks or the way her hands trembled.

When the last notes of the guitar faded away, Uhura sat still at Spock's feet and tried to compose herself. She heard him put the guitar back into its case and slide it back beneath the bunk. And then he was there in front of her, looking down into her tear-stained face.

Spock looked calm, but his heart was pounding as he helped Nyota up to stand beside him just as he'd done countless times over the years on the bridge. He hoped she understood the sentiment behind the words of the song, that from the moment he had met her, the course of his life had been altered before he even knew what was happening. His desire for her had not happened suddenly because of some mating fever. It had built up gradually until it had reached its zenith.

This moment had been a long time coming, when he could stand face to face with the woman he was desperately in love with and where he had just confessed and exposed his all emotions to her with his song. They were married, bonded in every way possible. She wore his ring. She was his wife. His entire life was right here in his arms.

Spock gently wiped the tears from her face with the pad of his thumbs as he held her face with his palms. Uhura looked up into his dark eyes with something akin to awe. Spock wondered if she felt as he did? Did she want him as desperately as he wanted her? Did she understand the lyrics of the song he sang were only for her?

Nyota put up no resistance as he lowered his face to hers and pressed their lips together. She opened herself to him like the petals of a flower opens to the warmth of the sun. She wrapped her arms tight around his neck as he lifted her off her feet and she wrapped her legs around him as he ambled them back to the bunk behind him.

Spock had waited a very long time to have his woman in his arms and in his bed and he never regretted any part of the journey it took them to get here. Every time he and Nyota made love, it was like a celebration after a well-fought battle. He did not believe in deities, but right now he would pray to all of them in gratitude for his wife and ask that they make this moment last forever.

As it was, he sat back on his bunk and brought Nyota down on top of him, her thighs straddling his hips. Her lips always tasted just as he imagined in his fevered fantasies. As they struggled to peel off their clothing, Spock touched and explored her body that was at once soft and pliant and yet strong and warm. Nyota Uhura was the only woman in the universe to Spock, and he was going to cherish her until the day he died and even beyond that.

Before Spock could remove his shirt, a buzzer went off in the next room. He became aware of their surroundings and smelled food cooking from the other room. Uhura slid from the bed, rearranged her dress, and ran to the kitchen.

"That was close!" she called out as she removed something from the small oven.

"Yes, it was," Spock agreed. He straightened his clothing and followed Uhura into the dining area.

"I hope you're hungry," she said while she busily arranged things on their dining table and took things from the replicator.

"Yes, I am very hungry." Spock was not hungry for food but for his wife. However, he sensed this meal was important to her and so he allowed her to serve him.

"Good. While we eat there is something I need to discuss with you."

"Nyota, there is something I need to discuss with you, too. It's about Christine." He jumped in his seat when Uhura slammed the bowl of salad down a little too hard.

"Aduna, is there something wrong?" He asked, his voice filled with concern. Maybe he should not tell her?

Uhura sat down at the table with Spock. "No. Yes. Spock, I've tried to be happy today and just enjoy our honeymoon but..."

"Honeymoon?" he questioned.

"Yeah, it's usually the period of time after you get married when you spend time together exclusively."

"I know what it is, but we are well past the time for a honeymoon, aren't we?" he asked.

"Technically, we have never had a honeymoon. The time we spent on Vulcan doesn't count. And though our trip to Argelius felt like one, it wasn't a honeymoon either. We weren't really together until I had my Pon Farr."

"I see. So this is something you would want, this honeymoon?"

"Sure, everybody wants a honeymoon. Its tradition. But that's not what I want to talk about. I did say we needed to talk about our lives together before you gave me your ring," she reminded him.

"Your ring," Spock corrected her.

Uhura looked down at her hand and smiled. "Our ring then. It's a symbol of us."

Spock reached out and took her hand in his to admire the ring he had placed there. It did indeed make him feel settled to know she was wearing a symbol of their relationship for everyone to see. The reason he gave Nyota the ring was to signal to others that she was bonded and not available. But the incident with Christine made him realize he too could benefit from an overt symbol of his commitment to Nyota.

Sarek did not wear a wedding ring. It was not the Vulcan way. But Spock was not exactly following Vulcan traditions with regard to his own marriage. He had no illusions that a wedding band would miraculously repel women from him or men from Nyota, but logically he understood why Humans wore them. Much to his surprise, Spock realized he wanted to wear Nyota's ring too. But how did he go about it? Did he buy one for himself? Did he simply ask her to procure one for him? Why was this even a problem? It should be easy to ask his wife for a ring, shouldn't it?

Nyota squeezed his hand. "Spock?"

"Yes, Aduna?"

"A quatloon for your thoughts."

"I beg your pardon?"

"What are you thinking about so intensely?"

"I was thinking that perhaps I should wear a ring as well." Now that he had asked, it was actually quite easy to say.

Uhura smiled brightly. "Really? You want to wear a wedding ring?"

"Yes. Is that acceptable?" He was still unsure.

"Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?"

"Sarek does not wear a wedding ring," he explained.

Uhura waved that away. "Sarek is an old fuddy duddy. And most importantly, Sarek is not you. If you want a ring, then a ring you shall have." She leaned over the table and kissed him. "I can't wait to take you shopping. And I'm going to take Charlene's advice this time. I'm going to buy you a rock as big as your head. Well, at least as big as I can afford. Let everybody know who you belong to!"

Spock experienced a moment of distress. He had seen Nyota's taste in jewelry and had not planned on wearing an extravagant ring with "rocks". He just wanted a simple band as he's seen other humans wear.

"Nyota-" he started, but Uhura laughed out loud.

"You should see the look on your face!" She looked pleased with herself.

"You were teasing me?"

"Yes, silly. I know something gaudy would never suit you. We'll go shopping together and choose something you approve of. How does that sound?"

"That would be agreeable," he said, releasing the breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Then that's settled." She kissed him again before she dished out the food. "So you wanted to tell me something?"

"I do. I had a visit from Nurse Chapel today."

"Oh, did you? What did she want?" Uhura asked with a neutral voice. She was trying her best to remain calm.

"Me," Spock answered honestly.

Uhura stopped what she was doing. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nyota, I would like to show you what happened. Would it be acceptable for me to meld with you?"

Uhura looked into Spock's eyes, looking for any hint of what he was thinking or feeling, but she just saw determination. No matter what it was, whatever Christine had said, she would not get mad, she promised herself. Christine was not her problem and she would not allow her to ruin her damn honeymoon!

"Okay, if you think it best," she finally answered. She really was trying to be such a good wife.

"I do. I want no secrets between us, and this is the most efficient way I can convey what transpired."

Uhura nodded, signaling her approval, though inside her emotions were simmering.

Spock took her hand and led her from the dining table to the sofa. He made sure she was seated comfortably and then he touched her psi points. He took a deep, calming breath and began.

He slipped into her mind easily. Uhura hardly had a chance to prepare before she felt his presence. He hadn't said a word, but she knew he was there. She felt warm and safe, like someone was holding her in their arms. She felt calm. Spock was in her mind.

"Show me, Spock," she said and soon she was in Spock's lab leaning over a scanner studying samples when someone touched his back. Before she could control it, she felt the anger. Hers or Spock's she didn't know, but when she turned to see Christine smiling at him the anger was under tight control again.

She saw what Spock saw, heard what he heard, and knew what he thought. When it was over, Spock withdrew from her mind and she was left feeling cold and alone.

"Nyota, are you alright?"

She looked at Spock with a blank expression. "Well, that was fucked up."

Spock didn't know how to respond to that. He assumed she would have an emotional response, but this was not what he expected.

"Why is it that every time we're happy, somebody has to come along and ruin it?"

"Nothing is ruined. I think Christine finally accepts our marriage."

"Is that why you want a ring, because of Christine?"

"I want to wear a ring because of you, Aduna. Because it is traditional for Humans to wear a symbol showing their marital status. And I want there to be no doubt that I am yours."

He must have said the right thing because Uhura launched herself into his lap and flung her arms around him. "You are mine," she said in his ear before she nibbled his earlobe. "And I refuse to share."

Spock was very pleased with the turn of events. Nyota was not angry at him or troubled by Christine. And anytime he had his wife in his arms was a win. "Aduna, we should eat now."

She pinned him down, looking feral. "I'm not hungry."

"But the food will get cold."

"I'm cold," she shivered and rubbed herself all over him. "Warm me up first and then I'll feed you." She kissed him all over his neck and then rubbed her head cheeks on his chest as if scenting him. It was such a Vulcan thing to do, and it never failed to turn Spock on and ignite something primal in him. His wife was scent-marking her turf, and he relished it.

"I can't wait to put my ring on you. I can't wait to tell everybody."

"Tell everybody what?" Spock asked breathlessly.

"I want everybody to know that I'm yours, and you're mine."

"Yes, I am yours," Spock said. He never had his dinner, but they abated his hunger all the same.

Chapter 90: Two Less Lonely People

Summary:

Christine discovers she's not alone.

Notes:

I've gone back and forth on whether or not I like Christine as a character. I didn't like her and her questionable behavior but then again who among us is perfect? She's not a bad person she just did some bad things and hopefully learned from them. After writing this chapter I find myself liking her just a little bit :-)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text


In my life where everything was wrong
Something finally went right
Now there's two less lonely people
In the world tonight

~Two Less Lonely People in the World by Air Supply~

 

*/*/*

The vacuum of space was cold and infinite. Christine pressed her head against the plasteel window of the ship's empty observation deck contemplating the big deep outside. At this time of night, not many people loitered about this deck, instead choosing their beds or the beds of their lovers. But Christine had no lover's bed to loiter in. So she stood alone in the dark of night wondering what had happened to the course of her life? How had she ended up like this, cold, alone, unloved, unfulfilled? This was not how it was supposed to be.

When she left home, she was supposed to marry Roger Korby, have his children, build a life with him and a career for herself. But she'd done none of those things. Roger was dead, she was single, childless, and her career was adrift. She was a nurse. Not even a Doctor. Well, she was a doctor, just not a medical one. She took orders from Dr. McCoy and Dr. M'Benga every day while she let her Ph.D. in biology and research rot. And for what?

For a man. For two men. One of them dead, and the other married. What would Roger think if he could see her pining away for a married man? Crying over a man who'd never given her the time of day, or devoted a second thought to her. A man who thought of her as only a colleague at most and a nuisance minimum?

She should be out there making scientific discoveries, but instead, she was wasting away mending boo-boos. It was crazy. She was crazy. When she thought of all the things she'd done over the years, hoping to catch Spock's attention, she cringed. The times she humiliated herself for him. And for what? He still belonged to someone else. Someone who Christine could admit, in the dark of night, was more suited for Spock than herself.

Uhura was ambitious. She had worked her way up the ranks and was on track to become a first officer or ship's captain someday. She had shown intelligence and grace under pressure when she had to take command of the Enterprise to save the male crew. She was someone Spock could admire. Someone he would be proud to present to his family and peers. Someone who would be an asset to him if Spock should decide to follow in his father's footsteps and become a diplomat.

The time Christine had spent chasing Spock could have been spent chasing her own dreams. But what dreams? She had spent years on the Enterprise dreaming of being with Spock but she hadn't spent any time planning for a future without him. Now she had the rest of her life to figure out. Now that she had her self-esteem back, she was all on her own again, with the future laid out ahead of her like the endless stars she could see through the window. "Now what?" she wondered aloud.

"Christine? What are you doing here at this time of the day?"
Chris turned at the sound of Dr. M'Benga's voice. He was sitting in a darkened corner surrounded by a halo of smoky vapor that was slowly being sucked into the ship's vent.

"You mean morning? Most of the ship is still asleep. What are you doing here? I thought you'd be back on Vulcan by now."

He stood and walked over to her and she saw he was puffing on some kind of smoking device. "Is that thing even good for your health?"

"Nope," he said, taking another puff. "But it is relaxing. And to answer your other question, my studies have been postponed for a while because of my testimony at the trial. I come here sometimes when I can't sleep, when the thoughts become overwhelming, or when I want to indulge." He held up his device.

"I would think you'd use some of that Vulcan knowledge and meditate or something else that's healthy."

"You would think so, wouldn't you? But I never went in for that kind of stuff. Unlike Vulcans, I'm illogical and I like my emotions. I like feeling what I feel, freely," he smiled.

"Really? I always thought you were into Vulcan culture. I guess I just assumed you would practice their teachings because you studied there."

"No. But you study Vulcan culture, don't you?"

"Yes. Well, I guess I've always led with my heart rather than my brain. Very human of me, huh? I feel like a fool."

"Don't sweat it, Chris. You know the old saying 'Everybody plays the fool sometimes."

"Really? Have you ever played the fool Dr. M'benga?"

"Sure I have." He said thoughtfully. "It's one of the reasons I left Vulcan and joined Starfleet."

Chris turned back to the window and stared at the stars. "What does she have that I haven't?" Christine suddenly asked.

"Who?" he asked as if he didn't already know.

"Uhura. What did she do that I didn't?"

"She has Spock, literally. I can't explain it any more than that." M'Benga said.

"Yeah." Not him too, Christine thought. Everyone was on Uhura's side, but she thought at least Jeff was her friend.

M'Benga recognized her annoyance and tried to explain. "Christine, this bond Spock and Uhura share is beyond human comprehension. The Vulcans have a word, Shon-ha'lock. The engulfment. It means that from the moment you see someone, you're engaged. You cannot turn away from it and you cannot fight it. You want to be with no other."

"It sounds illogical and nothing like Vulcans," Christine said.

"It is quite illogical and quite taboo. The Vulcans do not encourage romantic relationships. They prefer well ordered, prearranged marriages."

"So, how did Uhura and Spock end up together?" she wondered.

"Spock is no ordinary Vulcan. He left home and turned his back on Vulcan for many years. Apparently, he chose the Human path for a while before embracing Surak completely. In the end, he fell in love with a human, just as his father did. It is as simple and illogical as that."

"I still don't understand it."

"People like Spock and Sarek make up their own logic. The rest of us, we're just slaves to it."

"I just wish I could have had at least a date, just one night with Spock. One chance to be with him."

"Vulcan's don't usually date casually."

"But Spock and Uhura have been seen in restaurants and discos. They cut it up together everywhere they go."

"Spock and Uhura are not a typical Vulcan couple. Typically, Vulcans meet their mates when they get bonded as children. If they are lucky, they may become friends and maybe even lovers before the wedding. But if not... then they still must marry each other."

"That sounds illogical, too. Spock told me something about it. How do they bear it?"

"Logically."

"How do you know so much about Vulcan marriage? I thought it was all taboo and hush-hush to off-worlders."

"I was born and raised on Vulcan to human parents. And I loved a Vulcan woman once. I saw her and thought I had experienced the Shon-ha'lock. I followed her around like a homeless puppy." He smiled in remembrance. "I was 17 and she was around 35 Earth years."

Christine gasped.

"She didn't look much older than 20. Vulcans age differently," he reassured her. "But imagine my surprise to learn Vulcans are bonded as mates in childhood. That no matter how much I loved her, no matter how much my heart would beat only for her, she could never be with me. Not even if she wanted to. And she did not want to."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Christine said really meaning it.

"Don't be sorry. It just wasn't meant to be."

"What happened?"

"She married her intended when his Time came."

"Oh. How awful. I'm sorry I asked."

"No, don't be. I was going to tell you about it anyway. She was the daughter of a family friend. From the moment I saw her I was...in trouble. She was all I could think about and all I wanted. Even after learning about her betrothal, I still chased her. I told her I would stop the marriage. I found out about her wedding and followed her family to the ceremony. I think they knew I was following them and it was their logical way of showing me how foolish I was being."

"I didn't understand it at first. I had illusions of standing up and declaring my undying love in front of everyone at the wedding. I was going to save her from an unwanted match that her family was forcing on her. But Vulcans don't get married like we do." He shook his head, lost in his own memories. "Luckily, her father stopped me from making the biggest mistake of my life when I tried to challenge her intended."

M'Benga took a long drag on his device and exhaled slowly, calmly. Then he continued, "I learned more than I ever bargained for that day. Suffice it to say, I realized I was only kidding myself with dreams of true love and romance. Vulcans are not like us. They are... different. I have learned to accept that, and so must you."

"Uhura says Spock is dangerous and alien to us. I just can't believe it."

"Believe it, Chris," M'Benga said. "But I know you won't, you can't. Not until you've seen it with your own eyes, and perhaps not even then. You view Vulcans through romantic rose-colored glasses. But Christine, they are aliens. That's not a bad word or a bad thing to be. To them, we're the aliens. They're just not like humans and that's a good thing. They're the new civilizations that we've been clamoring for since man discovered we may not be alone in the universe. We want to humanize that which is not human. They don't see us as equals, as Vulcans from another sun with round ears. They see us as a different race and that's perfectly logical and okay."

"So, are you over this Vulcan woman you loved?" she asked.

M'Benga shook his head ruefully. "I think I'll love her until the day I die, even though she didn't love me. Who was it that said it's better to have loved and lost? He must be a masochist."

"But Spock loves Uhura. I can see it in his eyes, I can see it when speaks her name. He has this look..."

"Sure, I've seen it too. After all, he is half-human. It's not that Vulcans cannot love, they simply choose not to. As I said, Spock has found a logical reason to love Uhura."

"I think I could accept it better if he didn't love her. That he had to marry her out of obligation or something like you described. But if he loves her, that means he could have loved me too and didn't, and that hurts more."

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't think Spock wanted to love her. I think he couldn't help himself."

"That makes me feel worse. Are you even trying to cheer me up?" Christine accused.

"I swear I am!" M'Benga said, giving her his most charming smile. "You're just a tough nut to crack. You can't help loving Spock right? Well, imagine him feeling that way about Uhura. He can't help it any more than you can. It just so happens that she loves him back."

"No, she doesn't." Christine's voice was tinged with bitterness.

"I'm not going to argue with you. Helen Keller can see what's going on between those two. I knew it the first time I saw them together. I thought it was going to end up in disaster, but it seems to have worked out for them."

"You knew they were lovers?" Did everyone see it except her?

"I knew they had feelings for one another. Uhura was transparent as glass and Mr. Spock had a way of making it very clear that Uhura was off-limits." M'Benga said with a thoughtful look on his face.

That surprised Christine. "How so?"

"Well, you have to know Vulcans. Spock commandeered a lot of her time which is very unusual for a Vulcan. He was solicitous to her in public. Big red flag there. And I know he got rid of that Kevin Riley. I know he encouraged males whose eyes lingered a little too long on Uhura to check themselves." M'Benga shook his head. "Spock has a way of sidling up to you in the guise of being helpful and before you know it, you are agreeing to never think about Uhura 'that way'."

"Did you think of her 'that way'?"

"Of course I did, for a hot minute. But Spock was clearly interested, so that was the end of that."

"So you just let him have her?" Christine wouldn't have. She was the kind of woman who fought for what she wanted.

"First, Uhura wasn't mine to let him have. And second, I told you I've seen what Vulcans are capable of with my own eyes. Spock put out the signal, and I received it loud and clear."

"But what did he do to you? Does he mind-meld with you or something?"

"No, Vulcans are more subtle than that. He just casually scares the shit out of you, and you don't even know what is happening until it's too late. Kevin Riley had one thing right about Spock."

"What is that?"

"He was a cockblocker," M'Benga laughed and took a puff from his smoking device.

Christine didn't think it was funny. She was still sensitive about Spock. She had called him an asshole, but she still loved him. That wouldn't disappear in one day. "I can hardly believe Spock and Uhura are lovers."

"Please believe it," M'Benga advised. He finished his smoke and after a few minutes of quiet he asked, "Christine, do you want to come back to my place?"

"Oh? Jeff... um... I just... I don't... I mean, I don't really like you that way."

M'Benga laughed, flashing his perfect white teeth. "Good. I don't like you that way either. But it's cold out here, isn't it? It's nice to have a friend to keep you warm sometimes."

Christine hesitated. It was cold. And lonely. But Jeff was her friend, and she didn't want to lose that. Still... "So is this strictly...?" she let the question hang in the air like the smoky mist surrounding them.

"This is strictly dickly," he joked.

Christine looked at him. Jeff was handsome, funny, smart, and lately he was the only person who didn't treat her like a pariah. She could do a lot worse, and it had been a long time since Roger.

"Oh, why not?" She asked out loud.

"Indeed." M'Benga took her hand and led her away from the window and the cold.

Notes:

Usually the term "strictly dickly" is slang used to mean someone is attracted only to men, not women. In this case, Dr. M'Benga is just letting her know he's gonna give her the D and that is it, no strings attached. But it makes me wonder, how do you hook up on the Enterprise? Do they have dating apps like Tinder? Are there any fics showing the crew hooking up like that? Let me know, please?

Chapter 91: Shower The People You Love

Summary:

Nyota never got a bridal shower, but her friends are making up for that now.

Notes:

Ooh that dress so scandalous
And you know another n***a couldn't handle it
So you shakin' that thang like who's the ish
With a look in your eyes so devilish, uh

~Thong Song by Sisqó~

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

*/*/*

 

Uhura's door chimed very early in the morning. Too early for anyone to be dropping by for a visit. She was still in bed, though as usual, Spock was long gone. She absolutely positively did not want to get up, but the bell chimed a second time. Whoever it was would not take a hint and leave.

So she got up, put on a thick bathrobe, and trudged to the door. Whoever it was, they had better be dying or something to wake her up at this ungodly hour.

The smiling face of Ensign Pavel Chekov greeted her when she opened her door. "Pavel? What are you doing here so early?"

"Early? I've been up for hours. Besides, as we say in Russia, the early bird gets the worm."

"I think everyone on Earth says that Pavel, but what do you want?" She couldn't help but grin. Pavel was cute as a button, no matter how annoying he was.

"I just wanted to be the first to give you this little gift. He handed her a small box."

"Why?"

He smiled brightly. "It is a vedding gift," he said with his cute accent.

"Oh, you didn't have to do that Pavel," Uhura said, but she took the box, anyway. Who the heck turned down gifts?

"It is tradition. And you are my dear friend. Congratulations Mrs. Spock." He gave her a chaste peck on the cheek.

"Uhura," she said automatically.

"I beg your pardon?" Chekov said.

"I'm Uhura or Lieutenant Uhura will do. Chekov, I'm still me." She went inside and put the box on the table.

"I just wanted to show you and Mr. Spock all due respect."

"Good. Then respect me by calling me by my name. Look, nothing is going to change just because Spock and I are married. We've been married for months now and nothing's changed, right?"

"I suppose so." He still seemed unsure.

"Pavel, thank you so much for the gift, but I'm tired. I'd like to go back to bed if you don't mind?" She smiled sweetly, but her eyes told him to beat it.

"Of course. I am sorry to disturb you Misses um... Miss... uh Lieutenant Uhura." He awkwardly saluted her and left.

Uhura laughed at his silliness once the door closed behind him. Pavel was a sweet kid. She was about to return to bed and leave the gift to open with Spock when he got back since Pavel did not specify it for either of them, but her curiosity got the better of her and she ripped it open and then nearly dropped the box.

Inside were two furry things that looked a lot like tribbles. Was Pavel out of his Russian mind? Those things reproduced like... Tribbles! Slowly she took them out and discovered they were slippers. Tribble slippers? She hoped to god no tribbles died to make these things.

She looked at the slippers, wondering what the hell Pavel was thinking to give her something like this, then she realized it was a damn gag gift. It had begun.

Uhura never got back to bed. All day her buzzer went off with people dropping off 'wedding gifts' for her and Spock. Some were genuinely thoughtful, but most were gags. She got some good perfume, skimpy lingerie, his and her toiletries, edible underwear, crotchless panties, and G-strings for him and her, padded handcuffs, blindfolds, chocolate sauce, body oils and creams in different flavors, and even a feather duster. That last one was a mystery. Was she supposed to clean their quarters or was it some weird fetish device?

She was busy sorting through the boxes of gifts received when Spock got home later that evening. As expected, he was unfazed seeing the mess in the room but he asked, "What is all of this, Aduna? A new hobby?"

Uhura jumped up from her seat at the table and greeted Spock with a bear hug and deep kiss. "Welcome home, sugar!" She said in a throaty voice.

"Aduna, are you feeling alright?" He asked with concern.

"Oh relax," she hugged him tighter. "This is how married people act. I think."

"Oh, I see. But I believe traditionally you are supposed to clean the home, not uh... not do this?" He pointed to the debris scattered all over the sitting room.

"These are our wedding gifts. I was just sorting them out. And since you're home, you can help."

"Of course. This is very thoughtful of your friends."

"Our friends. What's mine is yours, remember?"

"Yes, ours." Spock agreed. He went to the table and looked at the array of items, but most of them baffled him. What was all this... stuff? He picked up something that smelled sweet and looked sticky... "What is this?"

"Edible underwear. Want to try it on?"

"Um no, I don't think so." Sticky underwear did not appeal to him and he dropped it back in the box.

The look she gave Spock was devilish. "Want me to try it on? It's unisex."

Spock could tell Nyota was very pleased with the gifts they had received, so he would try not to spoil her enjoyment of it all. But this tradition seemed highly illogical. "I take it these gifts are all of a prurient nature?"

"Some of them are. Some are really practical. You've seen people get married on the Enterprise before. This is all par for the course."

Spock picked up another 'gift'. The picture on the box showed a device that had wires and buttons and remote controls. "What is this?"

"Oh, my god. Spock, I know what that is." She snatched the box away from him, but he read the gift card. It was from Charlene.

"She shouldn't have!" Uhura said.

"What shouldn't she have?"

"These are top-of-the-line toys. One person wears it and the other person controls the toy with the remote device." She passed the box back to Spock and gathered a few more 'gifts'.

"How is that a toy? Is it some kind of mind control device?"

She looked at him with a deadpan expression. "C'mon now. You're not that naïve?"

"In this instance, I am," Spock confessed.

"Well, good thing you married me. I know just what to do with these. Now go get naked!" She pushed him towards the bedroom.

Spock stalled. "Aduna, what is this all about? What are you going to do with that?"

"We're going to play with our gifts. Do not be a spoilsport." She pouted.

"Naked?" he asked doubtfully. He did not want to be a spoilsport, but neither did he want to be remote-controlled, especially while naked. His body had been controlled before, and it was not something he wanted to experience again.

She gave him a wicked grin. "The best games are played naked. Trust me. You'll enjoy it."

He did trust her, but... "And what about you?" Why was he the only one getting naked?

"What about me?"

"Are you going to undress as well?"

"Sugar, I stay ready so I don't have to get ready." She untied her bathrobe and underneath it, Spock saw that she was wearing lingerie made from tiny hoops of candy strung together. "Hungry?" she asked.

Fascinating. He rarely indulged in sweets, but his mouth was watering. Audibly swallowing, all he could do was nod his head yes because he suddenly lost the ability to speak coherently.

"Well then, get naked cause we're having dinner in bed tonight." Uhura grabbed the box of toys from Spock and headed for the bedroom.

 

Notes:

I banged this chapter out real quick last night(tee hee hee, pun intended). It was supposed to set up something that's long overdue, but then it went down the wrong path or maybe the right one. Anyway, I thought it was too funny to cut.

Chapter 92: Just Fine?

Summary:

Maybe Christine is not over Spock yet but she'll be just fine without him.

Notes:

No time for moping around, are you kidding?
And no time for negative vibes, cause I’m winning
It’s been a long week, I put in my hardest
Gonna live my life, feels so good to get it right

Just Fine by Mary J. Blige

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Just Fine

 

Christine pulled away from Jeff and turned her back to him. She felt the bed dip behind her as he leaned over to peer at her face.

"Chris, are you alright?" M'Benga asked gently as he touched her shoulder.

Christine sniffled and wiped away her tears with her band. "I'm sorry Jeff. It's not you. You were fine." She hiccuped.

"Ouch," he said as if wounded. "I don't know what's worse, that you're crying or that I was just 'fine'," he said.

Christine turned over again to face him. "You were more than just fine. It's not you, it's me. I'm not good company tonight. I guess I just wasn't ready."

"Any company is good company sometimes." He gathered Chris in his arms and nestled them in the bed with Christine's head on his shoulder. "Were you thinking about Spock?"

"No. Not really. I was thinking about too many things though."

"I get it."

"Do you really? Why are you so nice to me?"

"Why shouldn't I be?"

"I've been acting like a bitch. Everyone hates me," she said sadly.

"Well, at least you own up to it. I think as long as you change course, you'll be okay. Apologize and make amends."

"Maybe I should put in for a transfer. Start over someplace fresh."

"You mean run away?" M'Benga shook his head. "That doesn't work. Besides, I thought you were the type to stand and fight for what you want. Now you want to quit?"

"But there's nothing here for me anymore."

"Everything you've worked for is here. All your friends, your colleagues, your work. Are you going to let Spock take that away from you?"

"I don't know. Do you ever think about her when you're with someone? Your Vulcan lady?"

"No. I actually never imagined her in bed. I guess at 17 I wouldn't have known what to do with her," he laughed. "I just wanted to tell her I loved her and I don't know, sing loves songs to her or something foolish."

"That actually sounds romantic."

"Yeah? Well, she didn't think so. Romance is illogical." he said stiffly like a Vulcan. "Maybe I really was too young for her. If I could have seduced her maybe that would have changed her mind."

Christine sighed. "I don't' think so Jeff. I tried that with Spock. He turned me down flat."

"When was that?"

"Yesterday," she admitted.

"Well, what did you expect? He's married now."

"I know, but I just thought, maybe. You know?"

"Yeah. You never give up, do you?" He shook his head, but there was no judgment coming from him, which made Christine feel even worse.

"No. I never know when to quit while I'm ahead. I'm stupid that way."

"You're not stupid. I admire you for your persistence. Look how far you've come in search of love. You're on the best starship in the fleet with the best crew. People study years at the academy to get where you are but McCoy recruited you personally. That's a win in my book."

"What about you, how did you come to be here on the Enterprise instead of some other ship or working on Vulcan?"

"It's a long story. After my failed romance, I was so depressed my parents were glad to see me have any interests at all. I got into the Vulcan Science Academy and from there I interned at the most prestigious clinic on Vulcan. It was a big deal for a human. I worked directly under the private healers of the S'chn T'gai clan."

"The who?" Christine asked confuse by the alien-sounding word.

"One of the biggest and most powerful clans on Vulcan."

"Oh, that sounds important."

"I suppose it was. They recommended me for Starfleet. From that recommendation, I got into the Starfleet medical exchange program. Dr. McCoy saw my application and I landed an assignment here."

"Lucky for you too. It's not easy getting assigned here as a doctor. McCoy is the best in the fleet and everyone wants to work with him."

"I know. I'm pretty sure I was only assigned here fresh out of the academy because of Mr. Spock."

"How so?"

"Because I studied Vulcan medicine and no other doctors had as much experience in the field."

"Oh, that makes sense."

"Mmm-hmm." He said, closing his eyes ready to drift off to sleep.

"Jeff?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Just for listening and for being my friend."

"Hey, I'll be your crying shoulder anytime," he assured her.

"And I'm sorry about crying earlier. Can I make it up to you?"

"No worries. Get some sleep. And in the morning I promise I'll be more than 'just fine'. You can make it up to me then."

Notes:

I had no intentions of shipping these two, but then this happened. Let's see where it goes.

Chapter 93: Two's Company

Summary:

Kirk is lonely. That's pretty much it.

Chapter Text

Two's Company

 

In a voice that was just a little too loud, Captain Kirk requested a drink from the bartender in the ship's converted canteen. "Barkeep! Saurian Brandy." He called out. He was enjoying his third, no maybe it was his fourth round of the Captain's special supply. When the drink was served, Kirk scooped up the glass and took a hearty sip like a thirsty man.

He scanned the room, looking for something of interest, something to distract him. There were beautiful women all around, but they were all seated at tables with someone else, either a date or partner. There were tables with groups of crewmen who were engaged in boisterous conversations, but he was not in the habit of socializing with his officers anymore. Over the years, he had grown apart from these men and women that he served with day in and day out.

Now they straightened up and stood at attention when they saw him and some new recruits even went as far as saluting him when they passed him in the halls. During the course of the five-year mission, Captain James T. Kirk's reputation had grown to near godlike proportions. But James Kirk was no god. He was just a man who was very much aware of his mortality and who felt it inching closer every day.

Tonight, he was just looking for something or someone to ease the loneliness he felt when the ship wasn't perched on the brink of disaster. Something or someone to while away the hours until he was back on duty on the bridge.

Usually, that someone would be Mr. Spock. But lately, Spock was nowhere to be found, and Kirk did not dare try to call him in his quarters. He'd made that mistake recently and got an ear and an eye full of Spock and Uhura on his viewscreen. After that, Kirk had steered clear of his friend for a few days until that vision was forgotten. He didn't blame Spock, though. If he were married to someone like Lieutenant Uhura, he'd be incommunicado all night too.

"Well, fancy meeting you here, Jim." McCoy climbed into the seat beside Kirk at the bar. "Drinking alone I see?"

"Not any more Bones. Join me." Kirk signaled to the bartender to bring McCoy a drink from his supply.

"Don't mind if I do. I've got a little free time on my hands. The sick bay is practically empty, which is how I like it. It means the ship is safe and so is her crew." McCoy sipped his brandy.

"It means the ship isn't fulfilling her purpose, that's what it means, Bones. I'll be happy when we finally get back to normal. We should be headed out in the unknown's direction, not headed back into the heart of Federation Space."

"We are back to normal. Spock's trial is over, he's back aboard the Enterprise, and we're just waiting for our next mission. This is a rare respite after all the stress we've been under. Enjoy it while it lasts." McCoy advised him.

"Enjoy what? We've devolved into little more than a Vulcan shuttle service," Kirk said bitterly, drawing the attention of the people seated at nearby tables.

McCoy dismissed his complaint with a wave of his hand. "Jim you're just not happy unless we're chasing Romulans or being shot at by Klingons."

"No Bones. I don't look for fights, but I won't run away from one either. I signed up to explore the galaxy. I can't remember the last new planet or civilization we've encountered. We've been in our own backyard a little too long for my liking, that's all."

"I suppose things are a little slow for you. But I'm still knee-deep in a medical mystery. I'm hoping now that M'Benga is back aboard we can solve the problem of Uhura's various symptoms and get her back on duty."

"Good. And where the devil has M'Benga been, anyway?"

"Symposium on Vulcan. We're lucky we have him aboard as much as we do. He's in high demand."

"Lucky? He's never here when there's an actual need for a Vulcan physician." Kirk complained.

"Well, he's here now and I intend to use his expertise to the fullest extent. He's a valuable asset to the science department. And I never thought I'd say this, but better him dealing with Spock and Uhura than me."

"Why's that?"

"It's not always easy to treat your friends. You lose perspective. M'Benga will be impartial and tell it like it is. And there are some things I do not want to know about Spock and Uhura. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I think I know what you mean. I called Spock the other day and Uhura answered the viewscreen..." a look of horror crept over Kirk's face, causing McCoy to laugh so hard he almost choked.

When he calmed down again, he said, "Spock is living his best life and I'm happy for him. Though I have to admit, I didn't think he had it in him. Not this Spock anyway."

"What Spock would have it in him? Mirror Spock?"

"Not even him. That Spock was just as stuck up as our Spock. No, I'm thinking about Spock when he was on Sarpeidon, five thousand years devolved." McCoy said.

"Spock said that five thousand years had not changed you a bit." Kirk reminded McCoy and laughed.

"Well, it sure changed him! He was..." McCoy found it hard to explain the change that had come over his friend on that ice planet. "The thing is, Jim. I don't think it changed him either. It just wiped away the thin veneer of logic and emotional control that Vulcans cover themselves with. But underneath it all, they are passionate and cunning. Dangerous. He reminded me of Khan Noonien Singh."

"Oh, I sure he wasn't that bad." Kirk defended his friend. Spock was nothing like Khan.

"You don't know, Jim. There was a moment back there when I thought he might kill me for that girl. Best advice I can give a man is not to get between a Vulcan and his woman. Remember, he almost killed you for T'Pring and he didn't even like her."

"Yeah, he did," Kirk said, thinking over all McCoy had said. Spock was the best friend Kirk had ever had. He was closer to Spock than he had been with his own brother. But it was true, Spock had tried to kill him for T'Pring, a woman he cared nothing for. What would he do to keep Uhura?

Once again Kirk wondered why he thought pairing Spock and Uhura up would be a good idea.

Chapter 94: Masters Seeking Answers

Summary:

Masters is seeking answers from McCoy when she FINALLY has a run-in with the Captain.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Masters Seeking Answers

 

"Hello Doctor," Charlene said to McCoy as she slid into a seat next to him "Captain," she said, acknowledging Jim who was seated on the other side of McCoy.

"Well, good evening Lieutenant Masters. Can I buy you a drink?" McCoy asked.

"Of course you can, Doctor. By the way, how's our mutual friend?" She asked.

"Who's that?" he asked as he signaled the bartender to serve Charlene.

"Mrs. Uhura, Spock's wife?" She said archly.

"I haven't seen hide nor hair of her since Spock's little stunt in the rec room. Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"I'm asking you, you're her Doctor. I told her to ask you for a complete physical a few days ago."

"Oh, you sent her to me, did you?" McCoy asked with a bemused grin. "Well lieutenant, you know I can't tell you the outcome of my patients' checkups even if you refer them. You'll have to ask her yourself."

Charlene shrugged. "Okay, I already know what you'll find, anyway."

"Oh, you do? Are you a doctor now?" Bones asked.

"No. Just a woman who's been through it all." She gave the captain a dirty look before she downed her drink in one shot and hissed at the afterburn. "Mmm, that hit the spot." She patted McCoy's cheek playfully and said, "I'll be seeing you," before she sashayed away.

McCoy tracked her every movement while she walked over to a table where Sulu and Chekov were already seated, then he turned back to the Captain.

"What was that all about, Bones?" Kirk asked, looking in the same direction.

"Jim, I have no idea. You know more about women than I ever will. She gave you a nasty look there at the end though. What'd you do to Masters?"

Kirk looked wounded. "I didn't do anything. We hardly see one another. She's usually below decks in engineering with Scotty and the crew."

"You sure you didn't get her hopes up and break her heart or something?"

Jim laughed bitterly. "Hardly. In fact, she broke mine."

"Oh, do tell?" McCoy asked eagerly.

"It was a long time ago, Bones. Before the Enterprise. We dated briefly back in our academy days." Kirk said, and he continued to sip his drink.

"Ah yes, once again we meet one of your old flames who looks like a dime. What is it you have that attracts all the finest females in the galaxy?"

"You mean what do I have that repels them? I'm sitting here spending my evenings with you, not some fine female."

"That's because you insist on repelling them. You could have anyone on this ship and yet you insist on being alone. It's not healthy."

"I find women to be more hazardous to the health than a battle with a Gorn."

"You just haven't met the right woman," McCoy assured him. Though to be fair, Jim had met a lot more women than the average man.

"I've met plenty of them, Bones. You know that. But what about you, have you met the right one?"

"I thought so. A few times, in fact. But even if the relationship doesn't work out it's still fun while it lasts."

"Sure, but it hurts like hell when it's over."

"True. Still, if I hadn't married my wife, I wouldn't have Johanna. If I hadn't married Natira, I would be dead. Marriage isn't all bad."

"I'll take your word for it. Are you and Natira still a thing?"

"I won't know until she gets to where she's going. But honestly, I don't see how we can make it work. She's the leader of her people. I'm a ship's doctor. We'll see," McCoy said.

"But you were willing to give up Starfleet for her once."

"Yeah, when I thought I was dying. She was my last gasp, literally. Now... I don't know Jim, I still want to see what's out there."

"I get it Bones. That wanderlust over-rules out any other kind."

"Lust is lust. One kind isn't any better or worse than the other. What I felt for my wife and Natira was love. But sometimes love just isn't enough to keep a marriage going."

"If love isn't enough, then what is?"

"I don't know. I've yet to keep a marriage going. I just know love isn't it. But there are happy couples who make it work. I hope Spock and Uhura are one of them."

"Yeah, sure," Kirk said, but he didn't sound too sure.

"Why are you so negative about them lately? Before you were all gung ho for them."

"I was not all 'gung ho'. I was supportive."

"Well, what's changed?" McCoy wanted to know.

"Everything's changed. Spock's given Uhura a ring, they're living together openly. It's official."

"It was official the moment Spock brought Uhura back out of that cave on Vulcan. Or at least it was according to Vulcan laws and customs, which we respect."

"I know. But I just didn't think things would change this much. I guess I am just being foolish. Spock is happy, that's what counts."

"What about Uhura's happiness? Doesn't she count?"

"Of course, that goes without saying, Bones."

"Does it Jim?"

"What are you getting at now?" Jim asked defensively.

"I don't know. Yet. When I figure you out, I'll let you know." McCoy ordered another drink and stared into the glass, quietly contemplating everything that had happened in the past few months. The longer he thought, the more he frowned.

Jim noticed the change in mood and said, "Bones, maybe you've had enough of that brandy, hmm? Why don't you call it a night?"

"No, I'm fine. But I am wondering about Lieutenant Masters. She thinks something is going on with Uhura too. The quicker we get her to Vulcan, the happier I'll be."

"You still think it has something to do with Spock's Katra?"

"I think I'm missing something, and I don't like to miss. I'm going back to the labs. See ya later." He finished his drink, leaving the captain alone again.

Kirk swiveled around in his seat and scanned the crowd. It was a great idea to convert one of the rec rooms into a restaurant/bar where a bit of alcohol could be consumed along with some non reconstituted food. People enjoyed their off time dining with friends, drinking, dancing, laughing in the restaurant-style rec room and ship morale was at an all-time high.

The Enterprise was in perfect working condition. Everyone was safe and accounted for, and they were once again on course for Vulcan. The captain should be content, but he wasn't. He was not dancing and laughing and having drinks with friends. He was sitting alone and apart and drinking expensive brandy with no one to share it with. Meanwhile, Spock, his best friend, was spending his evenings with a beautiful wife now.

Someone took the seat Bones had vacated, but Kirk didn't bother to look up from his glass. He was suddenly not in the mood for company.

"You look like you just lost your best friend."

Kirk recognized the voice and smiled. "Maybe I did." He turned in his seat to look at Charlene Masters. "Are you here to take his place?"

"He's married, not dead. You ought to be happy for him." Charlene pointed out.

"Who says I'm not?" Kirk asked.

"You don't look happy." She told him.

"Well, looks can be deceiving. Like that look you gave me earlier. Bones thought I'd upset you somehow."

"I didn't give you anything earlier." Charlene denied it, but she was giving him a look right now.

"Okay. I'll take your word for it." He turned back to his drink.

"That's right." She said, still frowning at him. "My word is my bond."

"Your bond? I don't need your bond Lieutenant."

"Then what do you want, James T. Kirk?"

"What do I want?" He asked and shook his head. "I don't know. Or maybe I want things I can't have. I want things to be the way they were six months ago when everything made sense. I guess I can't have what I want, though. Can I?" Kirk's expression bore a bitter scowl, but when he noticed Charlene frowning at him, he gave her a crooked grin.

"But I'll settle for a simple hello from an old friend. Or maybe a friendly smile." He slurred his words slightly.

Charlene reached for his glass and slid it over to herself. "I think you should go to bed. Sleep it off." Kirk watched closely as she drank his brandy and then licked her lips.

Kirk laughed at her audacity. "What do you want, Lieutenant Masters?" He leaned in closer to her.

Charlene touched his cheek fondly and sighed. "I don't want for things I can't have. I've been just fine all by myself and you will be too. There's no going back for Nyota and Spock and there's no going back for us." Charlene stood and patted Kirk on the shoulder. "Go to bed Jim, before you do something you'll regret." She left the captain sitting with an empty glass and wondering what just happened.

Notes:

I finally have Charlene and Captain Kirk in the same room!

Chapter 95: Dr. M'Benga

Summary:

Dr. M'Benga is a busy man.

Chapter Text

M'Benga

 

McCoy finally consulted Dr. M'Benga about Spock and Uhura. "Doctor M'Benga! You certainly are a hard man to get in touch with."

"Dr. McCoy. You know, I only took the assignment on the Enterprise under the condition that I could continue my studies on Vulcan when necessary. They pulled me out of a conference on advanced meditation healing techniques in order to testify for Mr. Spock's trial."

"I understand you're busy Jeff, but you don't know how much your presence could have been used here lately."

"I'm here now. Is there something urgent you need me for?"

"Well, I don't know how urgent it is, but it is a matter of import. It is regarding our resident Vulcan bonded pair."

"Quelle surprise. What's happened now?" M'Benga asked.

"First, you must understand everything discussed is strictly top secret and private. Lieutenant Uhura is on medical leave but she is still head of communications so I don't want any of her friends or colleagues privy to this conversation." McCoy stressed. There was more than one busybody on the ship, and McCoy had it on good authority that Jeff and Christine were a thing now. He didn't want any pillow talk spreading information about his friends.

"Understood. Mum's the word. I come to serve." M'Benga said, and he gestured as if zipping his lips and tossing away the key. "So what is this all about, Leonard?"

"Well..." McCoy began. He explained the happenings on the Enterprise since Dr. M'Benga left for his conference on Vulcan.

"And you say it affected the entire crew?" M'Benga asked when McCoy finished his long tale about the various incidents, including the mass telepathic events.

"Yes, everyone was affected to some degree. Have you ever heard of anything like it on Vulcan?" McCoy asked.

"No," M'Benga said in a worried tone. "You're the expert on this one, Doctor. Is there no similar report from the Starfleet medical archives?"

"Not really. It was sheer luck that led me to find Zanthi Fever. The Betazeds seem to know a lot more but their research pertains to their own people, nothing on Vulcans and it's usually a female illness, so there's little research on males. We're flying blind out here. I've seen mass intoxications before, but nothing like this. We could always trace previous outbreaks to spores or radiation or love potions, what have you, but never telepathy.

"What's most puzzling is how it pertains to Lieutenant Uhura? Spock was treated for the virus just before he was arrested, but Uhura is still having strange symptoms."

"Send all the medical files to my office and I'll ask some of my Vulcan colleagues. And Doctor, send it encrypted priority one."

"Priority one? Why?"

"Yes, we're dealing with the sensitive medical records for the grandson of the Vulcan head of state. Unfortunately, there have already been leaks from this department. If the information should fall into the wrong hands..."

"I get your meaning. Mr. Spock's already in trouble with Starfleet top brass."

"Not just Starfleet, there are those in the Federation who would love to take down Minister T'Pau through her family. T'Pau has enemies even on Vulcan."

"Really?" McCoy was fascinated by the very idea of Vulcan politics being so cutthroat.

"Of course, politics is a dirty profession no matter where you live. It is not for the squeamish or faint of heart. I don't know which one is more frightening, Minister T'Pau's iron will or her logic."

"I suppose so, and you're right. Politics is nothing like doctoring, huh? At least we keep our noses clean of all that nonsense." McCoy said.

"Uh, yeah," M'Benga agreed, but he looked a little uncomfortable. "Send me the files, Leonard and I'll get back to you as soon as I have some answers."

"Thanks, I'll have them transferred asap." M'Benga left and McCoy got busy collecting all the test results gathered since Uhura first came down with the Pon Farr. He included everything; all logs and notes and pertaining to Uhura and Spock since their bonding was encrypted and sent priority code one to Dr. M'Benga's office.

McCoy hoped he was doing the right thing trusting M'Benga, but he had run out of ideas and maybe, just maybe, the Vulcans knew something they were keeping to themselves about this Katra business. In the meantime, McCoy still had his everyday duties to attend to. He couldn't waste any more time worrying about their resident Vulcan troublemaker and his lovely bride.

*/*/*

M'Benga looked over the medical records and shook his head. He knew a lot about Vulcans, but these tests and the incidents didn't add up. He needed to consult with someone with more knowledge about Vulcan marital bonds and katras. But before he could consult with anyone, he needed approval.

He went to his console and sent a priority message over secure channels to his Vulcan contacts, and then he waited. It wasn't long before his console alerted him to an incoming priority message with Vulcan encryption.

T'Pau of Vulcan looked stately while seated at her desk in the office at the Vulcan council building and greeted Jeffrey M'Benga with the traditional Vulcan salute.

"Peace and long life T'Sai T'Pau. You honor me with your prompt reply." M'Benga said. He was always nervous to speak to T'Pau, and he imagined she thought him an illogical tool for the lack of self-control.

"Let us dispense with the pleasantries. What is thy urgent request?"

"I have been informed that Spock and his new bride are experiencing some medical difficulties. They gave me access to their medical records for consultation. However, I cannot determine the cause of the phenomenon. The ship's chief medical officer believes it pertains to a Katra." M'Benga had read the reports, and it stunned him to learn that part of the bond Spock shared with Uhura involves something so mystical. "I would like to send the records to Vulcan healers to determine a diagnosis," he requested.

"Negative. You will bring the records to me. I will send transportation for you. Be prepared to depart in one cycle. T'Pau out." The screen went black and M'Benga let out a long bated breath.

Bring the records to Vulcan? T'Pau wanted to see him personally? Why? How had he gotten himself into this mess? There was no help for it. He had to hurry to prepare for his visit. He didn't have much time and if T'Pau said one cycle; she meant it and not a moment sooner or a moment later. Vulcans believed in punctuality if nothing else and he could not keep the ruler of all of Vulcan and her colonies waiting.

As he packed up a few belongings for the trip, his door chimed. "C'mon in," he shouted and continued his task.

Christine came in with a happy bounce. "What are you doing, Jeff? Going somewhere?"

M'Benga looked up from his task and gave her a smile. "Yes, I've got to go back to Vulcan for a while. I don't know how long I'll be gone."

She frowned. "But you just got back. What's so important on Vulcan?"

M'Benga stopped and looked at Christine. "Chris, I cannot tell you. Not now anyway. But please trust me. I'm not running away from you. I just have some old business on Vulcan to attend to."

"I didn't say you were running away from me." She denied.

"No, you didn't. But you had a certain look in your eyes. Look, Chris, I didn't lie to you. This thing between us is just casual. But I do care about you. Just don't read too much into anything, okay? Don't fall for me." He warned her.

Chris blew out a breath and waved his words away. "I'm not falling for you or anybody else. I've learned my lesson."

M'Benga took her hand and led her to sit beside him on his bunk. "Chris, don't say things like that. You deserve to fall in love when the time comes with the right guy. Or hell, with the wrong guy. We all make mistakes. That's how we learn. I've got a lot on my plate right now. I wouldn't be a good boyfriend to anyone. But someday I hope I will be. I won't ask you to wait around for that someday, though. So you do you."

"I understand," Christine said with a lot of false confidence.

M'Benga saw right through it. "Do you really?"

"I'll try to understand." She amended.

"Good. What are your plans for tonight?"

"I guess nothing since you're busy." She stood to go, but M'Benga pulled her back down.

"I happen to be a man who travels light. I'll pack tomorrow. I'm all yours for tonight."

Chapter 96: The Gift

Summary:

Someone asked about the scene when the captain saw a little too much of Spock and Uhura during their honeymoon. This is what I think he saw, but your fantasy may be kinkier than mine 😀.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The Gift

"Mrs. Uhura!" Charlene let herself into Nyota's quarters and called out to her. She was in a strange mood today after her run-in with the Captain and wanted to make sure her friend was alright.

"How did you get in here?" Uhura scowled at her while she labored over something cooking on her cooktop.

"With your infamous lock code. I can't believe you haven't changed it yet."

"I cannot believe anyone would have the audacity to use it." Uhura countered.

"Well, you know me. I'm full of it." Charlene's voice dripped with sarcasm. It made Uhura look up from her cooking to peer at her friend with concern.

"Are you alright Char?"

Charlene sighed. "I'll be fine. I just saw a ghost, that's all."

"A ghost? What's that mean?"

"I saw something that's been dead and better left buried in the past."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No. I came to talk about you. I heard it straight from the horse's mouth that you haven't been to get your check-up yet."

Uhura turned around and went back to her cooking. "I've been busy."

"You're off duty. You have nothing more important to do than take care of yourself."

"It's only been a few days. I've been sorting out the home, feeding Spock, you know; married stuff."

"Speaking of marriage, have you told your family about marrying Spock? How'd they take it?"

"Charlene, I told you I've been busy."

"Girl, you're stalling. The longer you put things off, the worse you make things for yourself."

"Nag, nag, nag," Uhura said. "I'll tell them. I will. I just got distracted. People have been bringing us wedding gifts for the past few days and I've been sorting them out. I'm still explaining some of the items to Spock."

Charlene's expression brightened. "Ooh, girl, did you like my gift?"

"I loved it. Spock maybe not so much."

"Why not? It's just a little bit of harmless fun."

"It wasn't your gift that disturbed him, it was me. I did something naughty." Uhura pretended to feel bad, but she had a devilish look in her eyes that intrigued Charlene.

"What did you do now?" Charlene was almost afraid to ask.

Uhura led Charlene over to sit at the table so she could tell her story. "Well, one night the captain called. I accidentally used the remote control by mistake while Spock was talking to Jim."

"You did not!" Charlene couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"It was an accident!" Uhura swore.

"Oh, my god! I wish I could see the look on both their faces. So what happened?"

"I can't tell you that. It's personal." Uhura said primly, folding her hands in front of herself.

"Girl, you can't tell me you used a sex toy while Spock was talking to the captain and then say it's personal! Jim saw it. I need to know what he saw!" Charlene demanded.

Uhura relented, "Well..."

*/*/*

Spock was always open to experiencing new things. During his tenure on the Enterprise, he had seen and done everything from the mundane to the extraordinary. But the most interesting calamities on the ship always seemed to befall him personally. His body had been rapidly aged turning him into an old man, his life energy had been drained from him by nefarious women, he'd been intoxicated by several exotic substances and organisms, his brain had physically been removed and put back into his skull, his body and mind had been taken over by alien lifeforms multiple times, and he'd been physically controlled by powerful psychokinesis.

Little surprised him anymore, therefore when he came home to a room full of exotic wedding gifts from his shipmates he was unfazed. He understood the human tradition of a wedding shower and since Nyota had been deprived of the opportunity to experience any of the traditional human wedding rituals; he was willing to play along with the festivities now. He would do anything to please his wife and make her happy. So when she wanted to play with the wedding gifts they had received, he was eager to oblige.

But there was one gift from Charlene Masters that he was hesitant to try. It looked like a sophisticated torture device.

"You are sure this is a toy?" He questioned once again while he examined the box.

"Yes. And I want you to try it. I think you'll like it." Uhura shoved his shoulder, nudging him towards the bedroom.

"My wife, you say you know my personality well, but I do not think you do."

"Spock, trust me. You'll like it if you just let yourself go and give it a try. Nobody's here except you and me. You can be yourself around me." Uhura stroked his cheek gently. "Please Adun?" It was the big brown eyes that looked on the verge of tears that persuaded him against his better judgment to proceed.

He knew full well he was being manipulated by his wife, but he would do anything for Nyota, including allowing her to physically restrain him and control him remotely. So he disrobed and allowed his wife to apply the toy to his body. It didn't hurt that Uhura was wearing underwear made of candy and promised that she would allow him a taste as soon as he was 'strapped in'. It sounded like a good deal at the time.

Uhura pasted wafer-thin transparent disks to each of his nipples and then she kissed each one to make sure they were snuggly attached. Then she encircled his penis with a ring of wires that fit snuggly at the base, making sure it was not too tight. Finally, she handed him a crystal clear object shaped like a small egg.

"Here, you can do the honors," she said.

"Honors? What is that?" Spock turned it this way and that in his hand.

"I don't know what they call it, but I know where it goes and so do you." She quirked her eyebrow at him.

"Adun'a, why would I want this to "go" anywhere?" He had allowed the nipple pasties and the cock ring, but the buttplug-looking object was out of the question.

"Spock, it's part of the package. You have to sit on this."

"No, I do not. You sit on it. I fervently believe it is meant for you."

"No, it's not. I'm the one with the controller." She shook the controller in his face to prove her point.

"Then why don't you wear these things and I will hold the controller?" he tried to negotiate.

"I don't want to. I want to control you. That's the fun of it."

"Fun for you." Spock pointed out.

"Of course, silly. As you like to say, you don't have fun. But I bet if you sit on this egg it will feel good." She smiled at him like she was offering him a prize.

"Why would I derive any pleasure from sitting on this egg?" He asked as he inspected the offending object.

"I bet it stimulates your prostate. Do Vulcans have a prostate?" Uhura asked thoughtfully.

"It does not matter because I am not sitting on this egg." He said stubbornly. And that was the end of that.

"So anyway," Uhura told Charlene, "we're enjoying the gifts when the captain calls on the console. We were in the middle of something, Char, but Spock had the nerve to answer the call!" It outraged Uhura just thinking about it.

"So you taught him a lesson?" Charlene asked while nodding in agreement.

"No!" Uhura denied. "It really was an accident. My finger slipped on the button a few times," she laughed in remembrance.

Spock was seated on the side of their bed, speaking to the captain on the viewscreen about something Uhura could not care less about. They were off duty and since there was no red alert klaxon sounding off, whatever the captain wanted to discuss could wait until tomorrow, as far as she was concerned.

Impatiently, she trailed her fingers slowly up Spock's arm and over his shoulder. She knew her hand was creeping into the camera's view and she didn't care. Spock just kept on talking as if he didn't have a half-naked Uhura in his bed behind him. Silly man. Her finger slipped onto a button on the controller. The one that caused the nipple pasties to zap Spock. He inhaled quickly, but otherwise, he did not let on that anything was amiss.

Okay then, he was playing it cool. Uhura pressed another button and this time the cock ring did something because now Spock was clearly at full attention. He nodded his head very slowly as if the captain had his full attention and was explaining the mysteries of the universe to him. Spock's muscles looked strained, and he trembled slightly, but still, he tried to remain calm and agreed with everything the captain said.

Uhura pressed buttons on the remote, going back and forth between the nipple stimulation and the cock stimulation. Spock was a champ. He didn't break character at all while he talked to Jim. Uhura thought it was pretty hot the way she could control Spock's body and make him squirm. She wanted to see how far she could push him before he came at her command. There was one last button she had not pushed, one piece of the set she had yet to activate, and Spock knew it too.

Uhura released a loud, long-suffering sigh of impatience. That was the only warning Spock got that told him he had better wrap this conversation up soon. Stealthy, he tried to reach behind him in search of the remote to take it from Uhura, but she held it just out of his reach, teasing him with a touch before she drew the controller back.

"Mr. Spock, you seem distracted. I'm not disturbing your meditation, am I?" Uhura heard the captain ask, and she rolled her eyes.

"No Captain, I was-" Spock couldn't finish because he let out a very undignified groan and doubled over. Uhura had pressed the last button on the remote.

Spock slumped over on the bed, leaving the viewscreen aimed at Uhura in the background, wearing only her candy outfit and a wicked grin.

"I am so sorry, Captain! It seems Spock is meditating and can't talk right now. Uhura out!" She shut off the viewscreen, but not before she saw the horrified look on the captain's face.

"I think I scarred him for life," Uhura finished her story.

Charlene was howling with laughter. She had to wipe a tear from her eye. "My god Ny!" Charlene struggled to catch her breath. "Why did you do that to the poor man?"

"What poor man? The captain's seen worse. Probably done worse. He should have known better than to call while I'm on my honeymoon."

"Not Jim, Spock! He must be so... so... I don't know? Do Vulcans get embarrassed?"

"No, they don't." Uhura grinned. "And anyway, don't let that Vulcan facade fool you. Spock enjoyed the gifts. He's very open-minded and liberal."

"If you say so. I didn't think you guys would actually use it. I gave it to you for the shock value." Charlene confessed.

"Well, we used it and it was certainly shocking." Uhura teased. "Unfortunately, the candy undies didn't make it through the night. But your little present was much appreciated. It's the gift that just keeps on giving and giving until the battery dies."

Charlene looked at her friend's radiant face, and her heart softened. "I'm so happy for you and Spock. Don't let Jim do anything to come between you two."

Uhura frowned with confusion. "The captain? Why would he come between us?"

"Because he can't help himself." Charlene stood up and kissed Uhura on the top of the head. "But don't you worry about it. I know how to handle Jim."

"Wait, Char. What's going on between you and the captain?" Uhura could tell something was up.

"Nothing, sweetie. Not a damn thing. Now finish your cooking. I've got something to attend to."

Notes:

I don't have the foggiest idea how much time has passed in the story from the time Spock kidnapped Uhura from the ship until now. How many weeks/months has it been? This time problem is a headache because of some events that have to happen sooner rather than later and every new chapter I add messes with that timeframe. So, this story is just littered with plot holes. I don't remember everything I wrote 4 years ago when I started it and I am probably going to break the timeline some more before it's all done. I hope you can forgive the gaping plot holes and messed-up timeline and just enjoy the journey.

Chapter 97: Threats Are Illogical

Summary:

Charlene confronts Kirk about his lack of support for Spock and Uhura's relationship.

Notes:

When I'm writing a scene or a chapter, I usually just keep writing until a theme emerges, and it seems as if I have achieved something. Then I know I'm done. Sometimes a line of dialogue will trigger the memory of something like a song lyric. It occurred to me while writing this chapter that Captain Kirk is a Desperado...

Chapter Text

And freedom, oh, freedom

Well, that's just some people talking

Your prison is walking through this world all alone

~Desperado by The Eagles~

 

*/*/*

 

"Captain. Jim, we need to talk," Charlene announced when she entered Captain Kirk's ready room unannounced.

"Lieutenant Masters, what business brings you here to my neck of the woods?" Jim asked with a friendly smile.

"This isn't about the ship's business. It's personal."

"Oh?" Kirk was taken aback by that. He and Charlene had little to no personal relationship since she became a member of his crew. They had dated back in their academy days, but since the day he arrived aboard the Enterprise, she had conducted herself professionally and never used her familiarity with him in front of others to garner any favors. Hell, she pretty much avoided him. Normally he was fine with that, but lately, he was feeling a little lonely and it was good to see a familiar face, especially that of an old friend.

"Well, Lieutenant, what can I do for you?" he asked, taking a seat at his desk.

"First, you can call me Charlene. I told you this is personal and I don't want our rank to interfere."

"Okay then, Charlene what can I do for you?" he gestured for her to sit.

"Jim, I don't know if you are aware but Nyota is my best friend on this ship."

"No, I didn't know that. Uhura has so many friends I cannot be expected to keep track of them all."

"Well, I am her best friend and you are Spock's best friend," she said.

"So?"

"So, I think we should talk."

"Talk about what exactly?"

"About our mutual friends," Charlene said as if it was obvious. "Spock and Ny are in such a good place right now. I don't want to see anything happen to them."

"Neither do I. Spock is as you said, my best friend. I want nothing but the best for him."

"And what about Nyota?"

Jim bristled. Why was everybody asking him about Uhura? "Of course, Uhura too."

"And what if Nyota is the best for Spock?" Charlene asked with slitted eyes.

"Charlene, what's your point?"

"My point is Jim, my old friend. I know you. I know how you feel about relationships. I know your M.O."

"I have an M.O.?"

"Yeah. Remember me and Finny?"

Jim scowled at the very mention of the name. Finny, that bastard! "Why bring him up?" He still wasn't over the way Finnegan treated him back in the academy. Even beating the shit out of Finny on the shore-leave planet had not washed the bitter taste of Finny's name from his mouth.

"See Jim. You tried to come between Finny and me up and we weren't even dating! You just couldn't stand that somebody wanted to be with me after you dumped me."

"What? Dumped you? You dumped me! And if you weren't dating Finnegan, why were you always hanging out with him or hanging all over him more like it." He said, remembering the time he had seen Finnegan carrying Charlene through the campus like a damsel as if it was yesterday.

"First of all, what business was it of yours? And second, because Finny was my friend. He was there to take care of me when I needed a friend!"

"What could you have possibly needed a jerk like Finnegan for? He treated all of us underclassmen like plebes. Why was he nice to you if you weren't dating him?"

"Maybe because he was not the jerk you remember. Or maybe he just didn't like you." Charlene poked Kirk in the chest. "Did you ever think of that?"

"Why would Finnegan not like me?" The very idea of someone not liking him was alien to Kirk.

Charlene shook her head in dismay. "Jim, I didn't come here to talk about Finnegan and old times. I came here because I'm concerned about our mutual friends and their happiness. Nyota and Spock are getting along so well and they are in such a good place finally."

"Again, so?" Jim asked with annoyance.

"So why the hell are you trying to interfere with their relationship?" she fired at him.

"Woah now! How the hell am I interfering in their relationship and what business of yours is it what I do?"

"Jim, because I know you and your patterns. You see someone you care about or used to care about and you can't stand to see them move on or be happy without you."

"That is absolutely not true. I don't do that."

"Yes, you do, and you're doing it now. Jim, I know all about Nyota and Spock, and I've been trying to support them since day one. But what are you trying to do? You wish they weren't together. You ask Spock to join you in the gym and to play chess when he's off duty and should be with his wife. You call him at odd hours and have him accompany you on every dangerous away mission-"

"Now wait just a minute. That's how I run my ship, Lieutenant! Spock is the first officer and I have to consult with him often. I decide who goes on missions. And every away mission is dangerous, but that's the job we all signed up for!"

"Sure Jim, but we both know you know you don't need Spock by your side for every mission. I'm not trying to tell you how to run the Enterprise. I'm only trying to help you run your friendship before you lose it."

"If, and this is totally hypothetical; if I were doing these things you say, why would I do it?"

Charlene shrugged her shoulders and answered flatly, "because you're lonely. Because you're afraid to lose your best friend? Because you can't stand to be left behind? Take your pick, all of the above. I don't know and I don't care. I do know you need to chill out and let your friend love his wife."

"Love? Ha! We're talking about Spock here."

"So? What's that supposed to mean? You don't think Spock and Nyota are in love?" Charlene asked, getting right up in Kirk's face.

He gave her a smug smile like he wanted to pat her on the head for being foolish. "I'm sure Uhura has some feelings for Spock, but Spock is a Vulcan. He is not in love."

A look of pity swept over Charlene's face. "Oh Jim, you really are a fool. As Spock's friend, you should know better than anyone else how much he is in love with Nyota. He doesn't have to say it. You don't even need eyes to see it. Just the way he talks about her, the way he caters to her, the way he looks at her and tries to protect her, even from himself. He loves her. And she loves him. You can pretend you don't see it, but it's there and nothing is going to change it. If you try driving a wedge between them, it will backfire on you. And just in case it doesn't, I'm here to tell you that I'm watching you and I'm not gonna let you ruin their relationship."

"If they are really 'in love' there is nothing I can do to ruin it, is there?" He challenged her.

"We can kill love just like a living thing. If you don't feed it and nurture it and give it room to grow, if you smother it or turn your back on it, you can be sure it will wither and die. Hearts get broken every day." She said and the look in her eye told Kirk that someone had broken her heart badly. Probably that damn Finny.

"Jim, I didn't come here to attack you."

"No? You coulda fooled me."

"This whole thing has gotten out of hand. I'm just looking out for my friend, and I bet if I was threatening to harm Spock, you'd be on my ass too."

"Why do you care so much? I didn't even know you were that close to Uhura."

"She's grown on me over the years and now she's like a little sister to me. If I can prevent her from having her life wrecked by some fuckboy, then I will."

Kirk laughed out loud at the sheer ridiculousness of the statement. "Fuckboy?! We're talking about Mr. Spock!"

Charlene frowned as she looked at him. "Are we though?"

"You sound a little bitter, Charlene. You sure we're not talking about you?"

"Let's just say I've had my fair share of letdowns in the past. I guess I have poor taste in men."

Kirk thought she certainly did. There was Finny, and there were rumors she was seeing DeSalle on and off again. He was a known playboy on the ship. And then there was that alien Lazarus who came aboard and nearly swept her off her feet. Talk about poor taste!

Kirk knew all about that incident. He was glad Lazarus departed before he compromised her in some way. "Charlene, I don't know what you expect me to say. I would never do anything to hurt Spock and Uhura. That's all I can promise you."

"I can only take you at your word." She said with a resigned sigh.

"My word is my bond," he repeated her words the other night.

Charlene smiled at that. "I don't need your bond." Then she changed the subject. "I'm planning a party for the happy newlyweds. As the best man, I expect you to be there and at least pretend to be happy."

"Best man? Spock hasn't mentioned anything to me about being a best man." Jim felt hurt that he hadn't been asked.

"He doesn't know yet, but I'm sure he'd ask you if he did. I'm going to put on a little wedding ceremony for them so they can say a few words in front of their friends. It's a surprise wedding!"

"Well, in that case, I'll perform the ceremony. That's the captain's job."

Charlene shook her head. "Not this time. You're the best man. You stand beside your friend and let someone else do the honors. I was thinking about Leonard. I bet he'd love to do it." Charlene stood up and headed for the door.

"Now wait just a minute! Who put you in charge of this wedding party?" Kirk asked.

Charlene turned back around before she departed and said, "I did. No, listen up. I've forgiven you for a lot of things in the past, Jim. But if you fuck this up for our friends, that I will not forgive. Captain." She gave a mock salute and left the room.

*/*/*

After Charlene left his office, Kirk made his way down to the science labs to talk to Dr. McCoy. He was one part angry and one part impressed that Charlene had the nerve to stand up to him. "Alright Bones, here's another challenge for you. What innovative treatment do you have for an old pain in the ass?" He paced back and forth in the small enclosure.

McCoy looked up from a scanner. "What's wrong now Jim? That old Gorn injury bothering you?"

"It's an old injury alright. One of my crew members just threatened me," he said.

"What? Who? Why?"

"Lieutenant Charlene Masters, that's who."

"Charlene? What did you do to her now?"

"What do you mean, what did I do to her now? She threatened me, practically threatened to kick my ass if I "fucked things up" for our friends!"

"Oh?" McCoy laughed and turned back to the scanner. "Well, I've threatened to kick your ass if you fucked our friends over."

"No, you have not!" Kirk took umbrage at that.

"No? Well, consider yourself threatened now." Bones laughed and shook his head. "So little Lieutenant Masters threatened you, huh? She's barely knee-high to a June bug." He spoke with an exaggerated southern drawl. "To think she had the gumption to put you in your place."

"She's got plenty of gumption alright. I almost forgot how sassy her mouth is." Kirk smiled despite his anger.

McCoy saw the look on his friend's face. "Almost forgot? What do you mean?"

"We used to date in the Academy. Boy, she used to chew me out. I'm sure I told you that."

McCoy whistled. "Oh yeah. You sure do have a type, don't you Jim?"

"What's that, Bones?" Kirk asked with a distracted voice. He was clearly thinking about something else now that he had cooled off.

"I said I've never met one of your old friends that didn't look like Lieutenant Masters, or Miss Areel Shaw, or Dr. Janet Wallace, or Dr. Janice Lester, or..."

"Yeah, yeah. I get the picture. And do you know what all those beautiful women have in common?"

McCoy started listing their common features. "Brains? Beauty? Big-"

"They all dumped me, that's what." Kirk supplied.

"Hearts!" McCoy said.

"Hearts? What, Bones?" Kirk asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"I was going to say they have big hearts before you interrupted me."

Kirk shook his head. "No, you weren't."

"No, I wasn't." McCoy grinned. "But I think I know why all these perfect women dump you."

"Oh yeah? What's your diagnosis, doctor?"

"You're a cheat," McCoy said with a serious expression.

Kirk was affronted. "I am not. I've never cheated on a woman in my life!"

"You are, Jim. You treat women like your side piece when they want to be your main squeeze."

"Bones, what are you saying?"

"This ship has been your focus for so long you don't realize you treat her like your wife. The Enterprise comes first and foremost and that's normal for a captain, I suppose. But women like to be first in their man's life." McCoy explained to his friend. "Look at Spock. He's not working as much as he used to. I have no doubt in my mind Uhura is his first priority now."

"I hadn't noticed any difference," Kirk said, thinking about what Charlene said earlier.

"Of course not. As long as the ship is running at peak performance, you're good. But Spock has cut back a lot. He used to be in the science labs at all hours of the day and night when he wasn't on the bridge. Or he'd be down in engineering pestering Scotty's crew. Now he calls it a day at a reasonable hour. He has dinner in his quarters with his wife, not in the office or the rec room with us bachelors."

"Yeah, I've had to ask him to join me for chess a few times and he's always busy"

"See. Spock knows what's important in life. You don't." McCoy reiterated.

"True, but if Spock doesn't have a wife, he could die. Humans have no such necessity."

"Jim, we all need love, companionship, sex. You cheat those women and you cheat yourself, too. This ship is a marvel of engineering, but it can't love you. You better let somebody love you before it's too late and you end up old and alone."

"Everyone dies alone, Bones. Death is the final frontier."

"But you need not go through life alone. Don't you want a wife and some kids to ease the journey?"

"Has it eased your journey any, Bone?" He snapped and then regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. "I'm sorry Bones. I guess I'm in a foul mood. Forgive me?"

"Sure." McCoy waved him off. "Maybe Lieutenant Masters struck a nerve, huh?"

"Maybe she did, Bones. Maybe."

Chapter 98: The Hardest Words

Summary:

Christine and Nyota finally talk.

Notes:

It's sad, so sad
Why can't we talk it over?
Oh, it seems to me
That sorry seems to be the hardest word

Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word by Elton John

Chapter Text

 

The Hardest Words

 

Uhura finally went for that physical that Charlene nagged her about, but she felt foolish because, for the past few days, she had been feeling fine. More than fine. She was floating on cloud nine. She hadn't had any emotional outbursts and hadn't had any additional physical symptoms. She'd been staying in her quarters cooking, cleaning, and studying a bit if High Vulcan. She'd also been getting plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables thanks to Sulu's garden and plenty of sleep, thanks to Spock.

McCoy found nothing out of order. All tests came back normal.

"Doctor, I'm fine. I feel fine and haven't had any incidents of any kind since Spock was exonerated. I was under a lot of stress back then and now I'm not. So, can I go back to work?" Uhura asked. She was seated on an exam table in the sickbay, looking as bubbly and perky as ever.

McCoy scratched his head. He couldn't find a reason to keep her on medical leave. They were heading to Vulcan, where she would undergo more thorough exams by their telepathic healers. Until then, there was little else he could do besides monitor the situation.

"Okay, Lieutenant. I cannot find a reason to deny the request. I'll grant your wish. Get back to work. The honeymoon's over."

Uhura frowned about that but she said, "Well, I can't complain. The honeymoon was nice while it lasted, but a girl can only lie flat on her back for so long before it gets boring."

McCoy covered his ears, "Too much information, Missy" he said, shaking his head.

Uhura laughed and nudged him with her elbow. "I didn't mean it like THAT. I just meant I've been doing little more than resting for the past few weeks. I've been eating and sleeping and a little of THAT too," she gave McCoy a cheeky grin, "but I'm ready to be useful again."

"Lieutenant, you've never been not useful. You're an excellent communication officer, but you're an even better command officer. You've been on tough missions and kept your head. Let's not forget all the times you've had to take the command chair. You rescued all of us guys when we got captured by those Lorelei women. Most importantly, when Spock needed someone to save his life and you stepped up. If nobody else ever tells you this, I will. You're a hero, Lieutenant Uhura."

"Thank you, Doctor," Uhura leaned over and gave McCoy a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh, stop it." McCoy smiled "You deserve all the happiness you can get. Now get out of here. This place is for sick people." he shooed her away.

Uhura hopped down from the exam bed and left the sickbay feeling on top of the world. And then she ran into Christine coming from the opposite direction. Damn it, she was having such a nice day too. But she wasn't about to let anyone break her stride. She pasted a smile on her face and kept on walking forward, intending to pass Chris without a word.

But Christine stood in her way. "Nyota, can I have a word with you, privately?"

"We have nothing to discuss, now if you will excuse me," Uhura tried to sidestep, but Christine blocked her path again.

"Please Ny? I need to apologize to you and I don't want to do it here in the hall," she pleaded.

Uhura didn't really want to hear anything this heifer had to say, but if it meant she could put this mess with Christine behind her once and for all then it would be worth the few minutes of torture she granted Chris for that 'apology'.

"Okay, but only for a few minutes. I've got things to do." She had nothing to do until McCoy processed her request and placed her back on the duty roster, but Christine didn't need to know that. They went to Christine's office and at first, Uhura didn't want to sit down but Christine sat at her desk to Uhura relented and followed suit.

"Okay, say what you have to say." Uhura sat stiffly with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Ny, I don't know what to say, really. I know you're angry with me and for good reasons. I've been acting like a fool and if you don't want to forgive me, then I understand. But I want to apologize to you for the way I've behaved recently."

"There is no excuse for the things I've done. I thought I was in love with Spock and I blamed you for him not loving me in return. You were just a convenient scapegoat for the hurt and anger I felt towards Spock, and it wasn't fair to you. I am sorry. I'm sorry for the hurtful things I have said to you and the deceitful things I've done."

Uhura looked at Christine but said nothing, so Christine continued.

"I tried to get you in trouble with Starfleet by going over Doctor McCoy and the captain's head, and that put your career in jeopardy. I am so sorry I did that and I'm glad nothing came of it. Worst of all, I tried to seduce Spock when I knew he was your husband. Ny I'm so sorry." Now Christine was crying while she confessed that last bit.

"You've been nothing but a good friend to me, and I do something disgusting like that. Just so you know, Spock shut me down fast. He wanted nothing to do with me. He's in love with you and I just have to accept that." Christine concluded her tearful apology.

Uhura sat in Christine's office and listened to the apology, but she didn't know what to say. Christie was sorry. Christine was crying. Christine felt awful. Good for Christine, but why was the burden put onto Uhura to accept her apology and grant forgiveness as if nothing happened. As if Uhura wasn't hurting too, as if she too didn't feel awful?

Uhura gathered her thoughts and said, "Christine, thank you for the apology. Spock already told me what happened between the two of you in his lab. I'm sure it wasn't easy to admit everything you've done and I appreciate your emotions, but I can't do this right now. I'm not ready to forgive and forget. You hurt me and your actions almost cost Spock his career and freedom."

"I didn't mean to," Christine cried.

"Yeah, I know you didn't. But that resulted from your behavior. If Spock hadn't turned you down that night, would you have slept with him? Would you have slept with my husband behind my back?" Uhura demanded to know.

Christine said nothing but hung her head, which was all the answer Uhura needed. She stood up to leave.

"I'm sorry Ny," Christine pleaded again, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Neither the tears nor the apology impressed Uhura. She stood to leave. "No, don't be sorry, Chris. Be better."

Uhura was so angry when she left Christine's office she wanted to punch a hole through the ship's hull. But she couldn't do that. She had to remain calm or else they wouldn't let her back on duty.

Calm down, girl, calm down, was her mantra as she marched back to her quarters. The nerve of that bitch! Apologize my ass! Sorry she got caught! She thought as she stormed through the ship's corridors. She must have looked like hell on wheels because people got out of her way as she walked by.

When she got back to her quarters, she paced back and forth angrily for a few minutes. She wanted to smash something, but that would be illogical. She would only have to clean up her own mess after she had the place looking spotless. That thought finally changed her mood. This was her home. She was safe here. She gradually slowed her pacing and felt the anger draining away.

She climbed up onto her bed, buried her face in the pillow, and cried. These feelings weren't normal. This wasn't her. She was not an angry, violent person. These emotions were new and frightening. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

Chapter 99: By The Time We Get to Vulcan

Summary:

Y'all kept asking why don't the Vulcans just come and get Spock? Well...

Chapter Text

*/*/*

 

"Captain, the deflector shields just snapped on."

"Thank you, Mr. Sulu." Captain Kirk turned to the science station. "Mr. Chekov, what's out there?"

Chekov was gazing into the scanner. "Keptin, two ships closing in fast. Looks like... Wulcan cruisers?" he ended the sentence with a question in his voice.

"Vulcan?" the Captain asked? "What are they doing out here?" he wondered.

"Mmm Captain, we are being hailed."

"Open a channel and put it on the main viewer please, M'Ress."

"Aye sir, on main viewer."

"This is Captain James Kirk of the Federation Starship Enterprise. Please identify yourself?"

A beautiful Vulcan female with a stern expression appeared on the screen. "Captain, I am T'Lann of the Vulcan Space Ship Syrran. We have orders to escort the Federation ship Enterprise to Vulcan Prime expeditiously."

"Ordered? By who?" The captain demanded.

"I received orders from the Vulcan space command."

"The Vulcan space command has no authority over Starfleet vessels," Kirk said.

"We have orders to escort you to Vulcan. If you have further questions, may I suggest you contact your superiors and file a protest?"

"I will take it under advisement," he replied. Then to M'Ress he said, "Cut transmission. And contact Mr. Spock. Have him meet me in my briefing room on the double."

"Aye, Captain," M'Ress said. She watched the Captain rush onto the turbo lift and wondered what Mr. Spock had done now.

 

*/*/*/*

 

"You wanted to see me, Captain?" Spock said as he entered the briefing room.

"Yes, commander, I am very interested in your opinion. Why are two Vulcan cruisers intercepting us and insisting they escort the Enterprise to Vulcan?"

"Vulcan cruisers, Captain?" Spock raised his brows at the news.

"Yes. Know anything about it?"

"No Captain. I do not know why Vulcan cruisers are escorting us to Vulcan."

"Do you think your family has something to do with this?"

Spock made a rare expression of annoyance before he composed himself again. He was quiet for a very long time thinking of the answer. If Amanda had commanded the Vulcan fleet then yes, his family was involved. But Amanda was not the head of the Vulcan fleet.

"Captain, as you know, I have not been in close contact with my family for many years until very recently. I hardly think Sarek or T'Pau, who were hardly pleased with my decision to join Starfleet, would send cruisers to escort us to Vulcan. Especially considering the strained relationship between the Federation, Starfleet, and the Vulcan high council."

"That's not an answer Mr. Spock. I have two Vulcan cruisers on my tail and I want to know why?" Kirk slammed his hand down on the conference table.

Spock calmly said, "Did you ask them why, Captain?"

"They said Vulcan space command ordered them. And we both know Vulcan space command takes orders from the Vulcan high council, and the Vulcan council is T'Pau."

"Captain, were we not on our way to Vulcan?"

"You know we were. But that's not the problem."

"What is the problem, Captain?"

"The problem is, I don't like it. We don't need an escort and I don't want an escort. This stinks of bullying and intimidation."

"Bullying Captain? How so?"

"Yes, bullying! Someone bigger picking on someone smaller. I'm sure you're familiar."

"Vulcan cruisers, even two of them are no match for the Enterprise if it came to a fight," Spock pointed out.

"It will not come to a fight Spock, and you know it. It's the principle of the thing. Vulcan flexing its muscle to Starfleet. I didn't think your people were capable of such posturing."

"Captain, I don't know what this is all about. But I can tell you that Vulcans do not posture. Poker is your game, not ours."

"Poker Mr. Spock? What has that to do with anything."

"Vulcans never bluff and we do not blink."

"No, you don't do you, Mr. Spock. And if you're anything to go by, Vulcan's don't give up easily."

Spock nodded. "Precisely. Thankfully, our worlds are allies. Otherwise, I think you would find us formidable foes."

"I see," Kirk said. It wasn't a threat, just a fact plainly stated. Not for the first time, Kirk saw his friend as he truly was. Not a mild-mannered Starfleet officer, but a Vulcan warrior. And that warrior nature was most evident when he fought a lust-crazed Spock over T'Pring. This side of Spock, of all Vulcans, was chilling. This side of Spock was dangerous, like his mirror counterpart. Jim wondered if Spock's exoneration was more political and less about justice. Were these Vulcan cruisers in the starbase's vicinity "just in case" Vulcan didn't like the outcome?

The captain had a million questions and few answers. "Spock, have you ever been aboard a Vulcan cruiser?"

"No. I have not."

"Neither have I. Do you suppose they would mind if we asked to take a brief tour? Exchange some ideas. After all, we're all on the same side, aren't we?"

Spock studied Kirk's face for any clue as to what he was thinking. Did the Captain think something was amiss? "I can think of no reason why they would not allow it."

"Well then, have M'Ress contact Captain T'Lann and arrange a tour and then meet me in the transporter room."

"Aye Captain. Anything else?"

"No. That's all Mr. Spock. Dismissed."

"Aye."

When Spock departed, Kirk got on the intercom and called for Dr. McCoy.

"Bones, meet me in the transporter room and bring Dr. M'Benga along with you. He might prove invaluable on this mission."

"What mission, Jim? Where are we going?"

"We're going on a reconnaissance mission to meet the new neighbors."

"How's that?" McCoy asked with a confused voice.

"Just meet me in the transporter room, Bones. I'll explain it to you then. Kirk out."

 

*/*/*

 

Holy Shit! M'Benga thought when he learned that two Vulcan cruisers were escorting the Enterprise to Vulcan. T'Pau said she was sending transport for him, but not two Vulcan fucking cruisers. The woman did not understand subtle. Or perhaps she understood the implications of her actions and he simply did not?

Somehow, he had become a pawn in a game he didn't understand. All he could do now was keep his head down and hope he survived this clash of titans that were Starfleet and Vulcan. Hopefully, nobody suspected these ships were here for him and they were just helping to ensure Spock and his wife got to Vulcan in one piece.

As M'Benga debated the predicament in his mind, Christine barged into his office, tears in her eyes.

"Chris! What's wrong?"

"I just talked to Nyota and tried to apologize. She hates me!" Christine barely got the words out before she collapsed into M'Benga's arms.

He easily caught her and patted her back. M'Benga closed his eyes and tilted his head back, asking his creator for the strength he needed to get through this day. He had his own problems, damn it! But he tried to comfort his friend anyway. "Chris, I'm sure she doesn't hate you."

"Yes, she does. She said she wasn't ready to forgive me."

"Well then, just give her time. It took time for you to get over Spock, didn't it? Did you think you were going to be bosom buddies again after all that's happened?"

"No, but-"

"But you thought she'd absolve you of all your sins and make you feel better?"

"I just don't want her to hate me."

"She doesn't hate you, Chris. Uhura isn't like that. Besides, that would be illogical. She's just angry with you. Can you really blame her?"

"No," she admitted.

"Okay then. Just give her some time. Anyway, I thought you wanted nothing to do with Spock anymore?" He blotted her tears with tissue from his desk as he continued to console her.

"I don't. But Nyota was my friend. I miss her."

"Mmm-hmm. I wish I had all the answers to fix this for you, but I don't. I've got my own problems to figure out."

Christine lifted her head from Jeff's shoulder and looked at him. "Jeff, I'm sorry to dump all my problems on you. You've been so good to me." She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No. I'm sure there's a logical solution I haven't figured out. Unfortunately, my logic's not that great."

"Logic? You almost sound like a Vulcan."

M'Benga laughed out loud at that idea. He kissed Christine. "Thank you for that. I needed a good laugh today."

"I wasn't trying to be funny," she said with confusion.

"Don't mind me. The Vulcans have a way of driving you batty the way they apply logic."

"The Vulcans? What have they done? I thought you were leaving today?"

He shook his head. "No need. The Vulcans are taking all of us home."

"What?"

"There are two Vulcan cruisers here to escort the Enterprise to Vulcan Prime as we speak. We should be there in a few days at top speed."

"Oh? Well that's good isn't it?"

"Is it?" he asked, more to himself.

"Of course it is," Christine hugged M'Benga close. "You don't have to leave now. You'll get there faster than by shuttle so you can spend more time with me."

"Yeah," he said.

"You never said why you were going to Vulcan."

"That's right. I didn't." M'Benga didn't elaborate further.

"Does it have something to do with Spock?" she asked.

"Why would you think that?"

Christine shrugged. "We were heading to Vulcan because of Spock. Two Vulcan ships come to escort the Enterprise, presumably because of Spock. You had urgent business on Vulcan suddenly. I can only assume because of Spock. When it comes to Vulcan, it seems all roads lead to Spock."

M'Benga sighed. "I can't tell you anything, Chris."

"That's okay. I don't want to know. I'm out of the Spock business and minding my own business from now on."

"Very logical, Nurse Chapel. I wish I had taken that advice years ago."

Before Christine could ask further questions, McCoy called M'Benga on the intercom. "Doctor, please report to the transporter room for an away mission immediately."

M'Benga sighed. "Yes doctor, I'll be right there." M'Benga pulled himself away from Christine and grabbed his landing party gear. He knew he wouldn't need it, but he had to put it on for show.

"You're not in any trouble are you Jeff?" Christine asked with a worried expression.

"No. No trouble at all," He assured her. I'm just too smart for my own good.

 

*/*/*

 

While making final arrangements for Kirk and his crew to tour the Vulcan cruiser, Spock returned to his quarters to inform Uhura of the developments. He found her asleep in their bed fully clothed, including her shoes, which was quite unusual. She looked as if she had just fallen into bed in an exhausted heap.

When Spock looked down at her sleeping face, he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. It never ceased to amaze Spock that he was married and bonded to this extraordinary woman. She was everything a man would desire in a wife. He wanted to lie down in the bed and join her, wrap her in his arms and protect her from the outside world, but he couldn't. He was on duty and the Captain expected him in the transporter room.

Quickly, he removed her shoes. She didn't even wake up. He then placed a light blanket over her, and before he left, he kissed her forehead. This finally got a reaction from Uhura. Her eyes fluttered open.

Uhura looked at Spock and smiled. "A handsome prince has awakened me."

"You once said I was no prince charming."

"Did I?" She wrinkled her nose, trying to remember.

"Yes, but you are most certainly a sleeping beauty."

Uhura sat up and rubbed her eyes. "What's happening? Computer, what time is it?"

Spock explained the situation. "It is time for me to be going. The Captain has requested a tour of their ship for purposes I do not know. The captain has asked me to accompany him."

"Oh my goodness! What is this all about?"

"I do not know. The captain thinks it involves my family. I am hoping he is incorrect."

"Spock, why else would Vulcan send ships to interfere with the Enterprise?"

"I can think of no other logical explanation."

Uhura stood up and hugged Spock in a fierce embrace. "I don't think you should go. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Why, Aduna?"

"I don't know. They are clearly here for you. What if they take you away from me?"

"They have no reason or authority to take me away. I have committed no crime on Vulcan, and we were headed there, anyway. They did not ask for me. The captain insisted we tour the ship."

"I still don't like it," Uhura said.

Spock reluctantly pulled away from her embrace. "Aduna, I must not keep the captain waiting. But I promise you I will return to you unharmed. Remember, I am Vulcan too."

Uhura wanted to argue, but she knew it was pointless. Spock had a duty to the captain and the ship and she understood that sometimes the job would take precedent over her and her feelings. The last thing she wanted to do was to make life more difficult for Spock by forcing him to choose between his Vulcan and Human nature. That was something his parents had done, and it had hurt him badly.

She put on a brave face and stood tall. She suddenly wanted to tell him she loved him but she said, "Go on then, don't keep the captain waiting."

Spock stared at her face as if he were trying to read her thoughts, but then he nodded and turned to leave. When the door slid closed behind him, Uhura released a pent-up breath and collapsed back on the bed. Before, she was angry, but now she had a feeling of foreboding. First Starfleet and now Vulcans. What else could go wrong?

 

Chapter 100: Round Two

Summary:

Uhura confronts an old nemesis and a new one.

Notes:

You turn me out, you turn me on
You turned me loose then you turned me wrong
You dropped a bomb on me
Baby, you dropped a bomb on me

~You Dropped A Bomb On Me Song by The Gap Band~

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Round Two!

 

Uhura wasn't the kind of woman to sit around and wait for shit to happen to her. She needed to know what was happening between the Enterprise and that Vulcan cruiser, and she wasn't going to find out by sitting in her quarters knitting. Unfortunately, she was still on medical leave and didn't have any excuse to be anywhere near the action. That never stopped her before, though. So while Spock and company were 'touring' the Vulcan cruiser, Uhura was on a mission of her own.

She was couldn't go on the bridge while off duty and she had no access to the official communications channels. Nobody knew better than Uhura, where the actual source of information was on the Enterprise. She also had the currency needed to gain admittance to the gossip mill. Uhura used to be popular below decks and had gained a lot of useful information in the past, but now she avoided the area like the plague since she became the primary subject of said gossip.

"Oooh, look who's here! It's Lieutenant Uhura!" One of the Spa technicians practically gushed when she spotted Uhura. One tech elbowed the other one. "She's married now. It's Mrs. Uhura. Right mam?" the girl asked with a big happy smile.

"Oh my god, I can't believe it!" another technician squealed. THE Lieutenant Uhura?" Uhura didn't recognize her. She must be new since her last visit.

All the technicians behind the counter huddled together, whispering loudly about Uhura as if she wasn't standing right there in front of them.

"No," someone said, coming from behind a divider. "She's Mrs. Spock now," he said in a loud voice and staring daggers at Uhura.

Uhura girded her nerves and put on a friendly smile as she greeted Spa Technician Hernandez. "Lieutenant Uhura will suffice."

"Lieutenant Uhura, hmm? Okay, then Lieutenant Uhura. How may I assist you?" Hernandez asked just as sweetly as Uhura. They smiled daggers at each other for a full minute while the other attendants looked on in confusion.

"I'd like the usual, please. Is there a spot available for me?" Uhura finally asked.

"What usual? I haven't seen you here since," Hernandez put his finger on his chin, thinking. "When was it now? Was it when you attacked me for talking about your BOYFRIEND?"

"I didn't attack you. Mr. Hernandez."

"You didn't? Well, I felt very attacked."

"Maybe you felt defensive because you said something that was untrue?" Uhura asked.

"Or maybe YOU felt defensive because you heard something you didn't like about your boyfriend?" Hernandez shot back. You could hear the ventilation circulating air in the room but not much else, as everyone watched the standoff between Uhura and Hernandez with rapt attention.

Well, Uhura thought. What was she gonna say, that she wasn't defensive? She sure the hell was defensive about Spock, and she had been since she married him. Before he kidnapped her from the ship, before T'Pring divorced him, even before Riley ghosted her, she had been team Spock. Uhura nodded. "Okay, maybe I was defensive," she admitted.

"Maybe?" Hernandez looked unconvinced.

"Yes, maybe I am a little sensitive when it comes to my friends."

"Your friends? Girl, come off your high horse. We all know about you and Spock now. I should have known though," Hernandez nodded his head. "You were ride or die for that man from the beginning. I didn't believe the rumors about you two because Mr. Spock is so stuffy, but I should have known if anyone could turn his head, it would be you."

"What rumors about me?" Uhura was ready to blow her top and tell this techie off, but she was on an info-gathering mission and Hernandez was the biggest gossip on the ship.

"That you and Mr. Spock have been together since the Gorn treaty party. The transporter staff said you beamed up together, in the morning, all hugged up and somebody saw Spock carrying you into your quarters but they didn't see him leave." Hernandez said, searching her face for confirmation.

"Look. I just want my hair and nails done and maybe a massage. I've been really busy lately and have been neglecting myself," Uhura said, neither confirming nor denying the old rumor.

"See," she held out her hand with Spock's ring sitting on her finger and showed Hernandez her unkempt nails. "Can you help me? I promise to be a good girl," Uhura smiled sweetly.

Hernandez's eyes popped wide open. He looked as if he was salivating to get a look at the infamous ring up close and personal, but he was still miffed about their last encounter. "I don't know." He stuck his nose up in the air. "I thought you and I were friends, but..."

"Hernandez, are you married?" Uhura asked, changing tactics.

"No, some of us aren't so lucky." Hernandez frowned.

"Dating anyone special?" Uhura asked.

"Well... I have a friend in engineering..."

"What if you heard me spreading untrue rumors about this friend of yours? What would you do?"

"I wouldn't get mad at you for making a mistake. I would just set you straight."

"I wasn't mad at you. I was angry at the gossip. I know what it's like to be the subject of all kinds of crazy rumors and I can admit now that I overreacted." Uhura looked around at the other technicians who were watching them with rabid eyes. This encounter would be all over the ship before the end of the alpha shift.

"Hernandez, I do like you. You're a great stylist, and I don't let anyone else touch my hair except you. Just don't talk shit about my husband again and we'll both be straight. Deal?" Uhura held out her hand to shake on it.

Hernandez looked as if he was thinking it over for a few seconds and then he snatched her other hand with the ring on it. "Girl, there is nothing straight about me and you know it. Now let me see this ring." He pulled her by the hand into his workstation.

Once Uhura was in the salon chair, Hernandez started chitchatting right away. "If you had only told me you and Mr. Spock were doing the do, I would have never said a thing about him. I would have shut that gossip down for you, too. You know I believe in true love. Now tell me, how long has this thing been going on?" He tapped her ring.

Uhura rolled her eyes. But that was the unspoken deal. You give some gossip; you get some gossip. She gave Hernandez a very sanitized version of her courtship with Spock, leaving out all the truly juicy details. Still, what little she told him would be enough to keep Hernandez's lips flapping for a week at least.

"How do you like the Vulcans sending ships to escort the Enterprise? As if we need them. What's that all about?" he asked her while he did her nails.

"Nobody knows, but the captain is over there now trying to find out," Uhura said.

"Well, I heard they were sent here to take Mr. Spock home for bringing shame to the Vulcans," Hernandez said.

"Vulcans don't feel shame," Uhura dismissed the idea. "Besides, Spock and I were going to Vulcan anyway, so they wasted a trip if that's the case."

"If you say so. I also heard that Dr. M'Benga is half Vulcan, but he's the kind that just looks more Human."

"What? I hadn't heard anything like that," Uhura said. She really had been out of the loop these past few weeks.

"Well, why else would Nurse Chapel be so into him suddenly? She must have found out he was half Vulcan."

"What are you talking about?" Uhura sat up straight and looked at Hernandez in shock. "What's this about Chapel and M'Benga?"

"Girl, you didn't hear about Nurse Chapel and Dr. M'Benga?" Hernandez couldn't believe the ship's second-best gossip didn't know something.

"I've been kinda busy," she admitted.

"Well, I don't know how it started, but Chapel's been seen leaving M'Benga's quarters at all hours. The doctor is hot, so I get the attraction, but apparently, she has a thing for Vulcans."

Uhura didn't want to hear anything about Christine and her apparent fetish for Vulcans. But she shouldn't be surprised Christine had moved onto another man so quickly. She felt sorry for Jeff, though. Christine was like a dog fixated on a bone, and she would not let go of Jeff anytime soon. If Chris only wanted him because he was supposed to be Vulcan, she was going to be disappointed. Uhura knew better than that. She and Jeff had talked about their lives before and she knew for a fact he had two very human parents.

Before she could say what she was thinking, something shook the ship and the red alert klaxon sounded. Lieutenant Palmer was on the intercom, "all hands to battle stations."

What the hell! Everyone started scrambling. The technicians quickly secured their stations and headed for their assigned shelters. Everyone on the Enterprise had duties during an emergency, even if it was just to hunker down somewhere safe and out of the way.

Uhura was on medical leave, but during emergencies, it was all hands on deck for command staff, and since she was already below decks, she headed for auxiliary control, where she thought she may be of service.

When she got there, everyone in the auxiliary section was busy manning their stations and didn't even blink when they saw Uhura take over the communication console to monitor ship transmissions. The Enterprise and Vulcan cruisers were under heavy attack by raiders of unknown origin.

Using skills she'd picked up from Spock, Uhura deciphered the encoded messages used by the raiding parties in their ship-to-ship transmissions. It surprised her to learn it was the language of Orion's pirates and slavers. Why would they attack Federation ships?

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"

Scotty's voice came over the intercom since he was in command during the captain's absence. "All decks, we have intruders aboard, defend with phasers set on maximum."

Oh hell! Lethal force? Uhura didn't like the sounds of that. She went to the storage locker and got herself a phaser and handed out phasers to the other crew members when there was a loud bang outside the door. Someone was attempting to breach the auxiliary control room.

The auxiliary control center was an important area of the ship. If the main bridge was inaccessible or uninhabitable, then auxiliary control became the main lifeline of the ship where navigation, communications, and weapons could be engaged. But it was the most vulnerable area of the ship for the same reason. If an intruder wanted to hijack the Enterprise, then auxiliary control was how they did it. And they had done it several times during the past 5 years. Each time, the security of the center was upgraded and redesigned. The section had to be super secure against a foreign invader, but in case a foreign invader got control, it also had to be accessible by Enterprise crew to retake it.

Uhura felt fairly safe there, but she knew her life was in grave danger all the same. She was the highest-ranking officer there, so she gave orders for the defense of the room at all costs and briefed everyone on what to do in case the intruder compromised them. She relayed their situation to the bridge and Lt. Palmer kept Scotty abreast of the situation below.

And while all of this was happening, she worried about Spock. What was happening on the Vulcan cruiser, which surely was no match for an Orion raiding force? If the Enterprise had somehow been breached, what was happening on the Vulcan vessels? She hoped Vulcans really had that secret advanced tech Sulu thought they had.

*/*/*

Captain Kirk heard the emergency alert klaxon moments before the ship suffered the first hit. Before he knew it, the Syrran and her sister were in the heat of battle. He was fairly certain the Enterprise could hold its own, but he was desperate to know what was happening on his own ship.

He and the landing party were just viewing the bridge of the Syrran when the attack started and he had a bird-eye view of how other Vulcans conducted themselves while under fire. They acknowledged the urgency, but they did so in a calm and logical manner while their ship was under attack. Kirk was not accustomed to just standing around when the shit was hitting the fan and he wanted to be of service, but he didn't understand a thing the Vulcans were saying. The universal translator was useless for the dialect they were speaking.

Apparently, Spock was familiar with the workings of the Vulcan ship's control panels was able to step in and take over a station when the panel shorted out and the officer manning the station was injured. M'Benga and McCoy were right there on the bridge offering first aid to those that needed help, and Dr. M'Benga even accompanied the injured to the ship's sickbay to render aid there.

"Captain," Spock called over to him.

"What is it, Spock?"

"We are under attack by Orion raiders. The Enterprise has been boarded."

"How is that possible? What are they even doing in this sector?"

"It is well known that the Orions have pirates ships specializing in stealth attacks that facilitate their highjacking of vulnerable ships. They knew just where the Enterprise's vulnerabilities are and how to breach them. Somehow they have acquired cloaking technology, which is why we didn't see them coming until it was too late."

"Didn't the Vulcans see them? The emergency alert went off before the first shot was fired," Kirk pointed out.

"Indeed," Spock said.

"What can I do?" Kirk asked, looking at the console. "How do I read this stuff? " He slammed his fist on the panel. "How is the Enterprise fairing?"

"Scotty is an experienced battle officer. I am sure he is doing everything possible to evade capture keep the crew safe." Spock had tapped into the Enterprise's communications and was monitoring the situation. He was not surprised to see the name Lieutenant Uhura as the officer who decoded the Orion's secret messages. However, he was not pleased to learn his wife was in the heat of battle in the ship's auxiliary control room. A room that was currently under intense attack by Orion intruders.

Spock shouted something in the language Kirk did not understand and captain T'Lann responded by giving out new orders to her crew. "What's happening!" Kirk demanded when Spock rapidly programmed something into the ship's computers.

"We are going to perform a maneuver to box the Enterprise in and extend our shields around her," Spock explained.

"Are our shields compatible with theirs?" Kirk asked.

"They will be Captain," Spock said as he fed the information into the computer. "Mr. Scott and his engineering crew will know what to do."

All Kirk could do was stand by and watch as Spock the Vulcans worked together to save his ship.

Notes:

Yeah, I know, by the time the Enterprise gets to Vulcan Uhura will have dropped a set of twins or something. But every time I start a chapter intending to resolve everything and finish this story, I get a new idea. Somebody stop me!

Chapter 101: Under Attack

Summary:

And now, part two of a very special Beyond Antares...

Chapter Text

*/*/*

 

The intruders set off targeted explosives, shorting out the security door circuitry, and engaged the release mechanism. Uhura ordered everyone to take defensive positions and get ready to fight. "Phasers set on maximum and shoot to kill!" she shouted. This wasn't the time for warning shots or fancy shooting. This was life and death. Uhura was hunkered down along with technicians and engineers, but they had all gone through basic Starfleet academy training and should be prepared to defend the ship with their lives.

When the first raider charged through the door, Uhura took her shot. The Orion disintegrated before her eyes, but she didn't have a chance to react to that killing before the room was flooded with raiders who were willing to risk death to get inside. Uhura and her team fired shot after shot after shot. A good many of them missed, but they held off the invaders until reinforcements arrived from the rear. Uhura covered her ears as she heard the first surprised screams of the dying just outside the door. But no one else came through, as the fight was now outside in the outer area.

Still, Uhura and the other officers stayed in their defensive positions until the last shot fired and all was quiet outside. The first red-shirt who stepped through the door nearly got blown away by an overzealous technician, but luckily whoever fired was a poor shot.

"Whoa!" the security guard said with hands up, "It's the Calvary." The room quickly filled with security and the leader went to the intercom to report to Mr. Scott. "Auxiliary control secure, Sir."

"Good. Maintain your position until further notice," Scotty said.

The security chief answered, "Aye, sir," then the security detail took up positions at the door and in the outer perimeter while the auxiliary crew went back to monitoring their stations. The heat of the battle was over. The ship was no longer being bombarded with phaser fire and their shields were holding steady with the help of the Vulcans. The raiding ships disappeared just as easily as they had appeared.

Damn! Uhura thought as she watched the ships escape through a viewer. Those pirates had cloaking technology now? Even with cloaks, why the hell did they attack the Enterprise? Were they looking to take the crew as slaves? What if those Vulcan cruisers hadn't been here? The Orions hit so hard and fast they didn't have time to get out a distress signal. Besides, another Federation ship would have been too late to help them. They got lucky today.

Now that the crisis was over, Uhura felt it was ok to leave auxiliary control. Cleanup crews were on the scene in the outer area and she had to weave around them on her way out. On her way back up to her quarters, she climbed over debris and dodged maintenance crews patching up the ship. While she waited for the turbo lift, seeing all the destruction angered her at first, and then it frightened her.

What if the Orions had captured the ship? What would have happened to the crew? What if the ship had been destroyed? What if they had shot her? The very idea made her nauseous, but she maintained control of her emotions. She got on the lift while more maintenance crew members got off leaving her alone.

With the adrenaline wearing off, the grim reality of the attack set in for Uhura. Both pirates and Enterprise crew had been killed. She had killed a pirate, maybe a few of them. Instead of going back to her cabin alone, she headed for the largest rec room on the ship. It had been set up as a makeshift infirmary for triage so that the injured could be treated efficiently by the overwhelmed medical staff.

Uhura wasn't injured, so she got roped into providing first aid for minor injuries like cuts and scrapes. The worst injuries of radiation burns, electrical shock, and smoke inhalation cases were taken to the sickbay.

After what seemed like hours of patching up her fellow shipmates, Uhura was exhausted. She went over to the food dispenser and ordered a hot black coffee. She hadn't had a good cup of coffee since... she couldn't remember when. She'd forgotten what it even smelled like. Her life had changed so much in the past few months she hadn't had time for a coffee break. She'd been kidnapped, married, bonded, had a katra in her mind somewhere, had gone through a Pon Farr that only happens to Vulcan males, and now she'd killed someone.

As she looked down at the hot steaming brew, the smell of the coffee suddenly turned her stomach and the cup slipped from her hands, crashing to the floor. Scalding hot liquid splashed her legs, but she didn't even flinch. She just stood there staring at nothing while her entire body trembled.

She'd joined the service for adventure, to see new worlds, meet different races, learn new cultures from people different from herself. Orion slavers were not on the Starfleet academy recruitment pamphlets. Neither were Triskelion gamblers, or genocidal space probes, or augmented humans with enhanced genetics willing to murder you for your ship. The pamphlets never mentioned shooting raiders at point-blank range and watching them disintegrate before your eyes, snuffed out forever.

Someone rushed over and touched her shoulder when she didn't move to clean up her mess. "Nyota, are you okay?" She heard the concerned voice but she couldn't answer. She knew they were talking to her, she knew people surrounded her. But she didn't know what they were saying or doing anymore. All she could see was the surprised look on that Orion's face before he was gone.

She gasped for air, hyperventilating. She needed to get somewhere safe. Where was Spock! She wanted to scream for help but the words wouldn't come out. She needed Spock. She needed to getaway. Where was he? He would know what to do. Why didn't he come back for her, she cried. Why was she all alone?

When Dr. McCoy reached Uhura, she was in a full panic. She didn't even acknowledge his presence, so he administered a sedative hypo and ordered her taken to the sickbay.

This wasn't like Uhura, McCoy thought as he followed the guards carrying Uhura. She'd been in tight situations before and she always kept a cool head. Hell, what she'd been through the past few months would fell a lesser individual, but Uhura kept right ongoing. Perhaps that was it. Maybe everything was finally catching up to her, and she was finally having a long-overdue breakdown.

Damn it! He was a doctor, not a psychiatrist! Luckily, they had an excellent psychiatrist aboard, one already familiar with Uhura's case.

"Have Dr. Noel report to the sickbay stat!" he commanded. He was going to get to the bottom of this mystery once and for all.

*/*/*

The Syrran and her sister ship fared far better than the Enterprise had in the final assessment. What the Vulcan cruisers lacked in offensive firepower, they more than made up for in defensive capabilities and maneuverability. There were some injuries, but the Vulcan physicians had it all under control, and there was little for McCoy and M'Benga to do on the ship. M'Benga had explained to McCoy that those with superior psi abilities would put themselves into a healing trance and those with little to no psi ability would need the help of healers to achieve the trance and that was something that neither human doctors could assist in so they beamed back to their own ship to render aid.

Spock and Kirk remained on the Syrran for a conference with captain T'Lann. There were plenty of questions asked, but very few answers were given. Captain Kirk was interested in one thing. How did the Vulcans detect the attacking ships before they de-cloaked?

However, he was not going to get a straight answer. Vulcans did not lie but neither did they tell you anything they didn't want you to know. As Spock reminded him, Vulcans did not bluff, and they did not blink. Captain T'Lann sat across the conference table and stared unrelentingly at Kirk while she denied for nth time having any technology that could detect cloaked ships.

When the meeting ended, Kirk and Spock had no reason to stay aboard, so they headed back to the transporter room. Before beaming off the Syrran, Kirk couldn't help but ask his friend, "What do you make of all this?"

"It certainly is fascinating Captain."

"Do you think T'Lann is lying?"

Spock looked at Kirk with surprise. "No."

"How can you be so sure? And please don't tell me Vulcans don't lie because we both know better than that."

"Captain, I do not believe she is lying, but she knows more about the situation than she is permitted to reveal."

"Permitted, what do you mean?"

"You suspected my family was behind our escort. You were correct."

Kirk was always happy to be correct, but not in this instance. "What makes you agree with me now?"

"Captain T'Lann and her crew speak the Golic dialect of the S'chn T'gai clan."

"What's that?" Kirk asked.

"My family. S'chn T'gai is our clan name. I do not think there was any luck involved with our Vulcan escort being here at the precise moment when the Enterprise was attacked."

"What the hell is going on? What does your family have to do with this? Why would Orion raiders attack a Federation vessel? Could it be a prelude to invasion?"

"I don't think so, Captain. Last intelligence reports say the Orion syndicate was branching out into other more lucrative areas of criminal activity in the outer reaches of the galaxy. As the Federation expands in the Alpha quadrant, the Orions have been operating closer to Klingon and Romulan space."

"Then what is it? Why did they attack us?" Kirk asked his friend.

Spock answered truthfully. "I don't know. An attack from the Orions is not unprecedented, however, we may never know why they attacked here and now. Orions are notorious for keeping their plans secret. Their operatives would rather die than testify, and those we manage to capture alive come to a mysterious end while in custody, despite our best efforts to preserve them."

As they walked back to the transporter room escorted by two Vulcan security officers, a wave of foreboding the likes of which Spock had not experienced before engulfed him. Something was wrong with Nyota. Reports from the Enterprise had reassured him that his wife was not among the dead or injured, so this feeling of unease was unexpected, as well as disturbing. Spock looked around his environment. Vulcans surrounded him, many of whom possessed psi abilities. To open his mind and let down his shields in their presence would be useless. He would have to filter through too many minds with little odds of success. But he felt the urgent need to be with his wife all the more.

Kirk noticed Spock's change in attitude. "Spock, what's the matter?"

"I sense something is amiss. We must return to the Enterprise immediately," Spock said. He spoke to the guards and they hurried to the transporter room. Once there, the guard gave a command to the transporter operator in that strange dialect of theirs. On the transporter pad, Spock addressed the group in farewell. "Live Long and prosper," he said, then he and the Captain vanished.

*/*/*

McCoy had almost given up trying to figure out what was causing Uhura's strange combination of symptoms, which were setting her back from regaining active duty. Angry outbursts and panic attacks were well outside of Uhura's usual psychological profile. Dr. Noel could find no explanation for it. Uhura was always a happy-go-lucky girl who dealt with stress in a healthy manner. But that all seemed to change since her marriage to Spock.

Now there was the recent development of her not eating and suffering from malnourishment. Something else he could contribute to Spock.

McCoy was ready to have Dr. Noel perform a new psychiatric evaluation. If the problem was not physical, then it was psychological. But it started with Spock. This all had to be mixed up somehow with Spock and his darn Katra. Uhura supposedly had a little piece of Spock in her mind. Who the hell knew what that would do to a human being. Even Dr. M'Benga had not heard of anything like the combination of symptoms Uhura was having. He had performed every human test imaginable and ran every scan he could think of twice, and it all came back negative. Whatever it was, it Vulcan related.

On a hunch, McCoy ordered his assistant to re-calibrate the medical scanners for Vulcan chemistry and physiology.

"Doctor, that won't work on the Lieutenant. It only detects Vulcan illnesses."

"Do you have a better idea?" He was going to find this so-called Katra or disprove its existence. It was a long shot that anything would come of it but...

The scanner beeped immediately, indicating it had found an anomaly. Holy moly, pay dirt!

McCoy read the result and then performed the scan again, just to be sure. "Well, would you look at this," he said to himself. Spock, you pointy-eared bastard!

Chapter 102: It's About Time!

Summary:

Uhura figures it all out! Finally, right?

Notes:

To every thing, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;

From Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Finally, it has happened to me,
right in front of my face
My feelings can't describe it
~Finally by CeCe Peniston~


Uhura woke up to the steady pulsing sound of the sickbay monitors. She should be used to that sound by now since it was becoming the soundtrack of her life. The rhythmic thrum was oddly soothing after the hectic day she'd had. Movement next to her bed caused her to look over. "What happened to me?"

Doctor McCoy was standing by Uhura's bed monitoring her vital signs. He was relieved to see her eyes open. "Good, you're awake. I was starting to worry. You had a panic attack," McCoy told her.

"No." She shook her head in disbelief. "I've never had a panic attack in my life."

"Well, young lady, you had one today. It's not too surprising. I hear you were in the thick of things below decks?"

"Sure, but I've been in dangerous situations before and I didn't panic."

"I wouldn't worry about it. We all deal with stress in different ways at different times. You just so happen to be under more stress than usual." McCoy patted her hand, which was resting on her lap.

"No more stress than anybody else today. Except..." she sighed heavily. "Doctor, you see people die all the time. How do you deal with it?"

McCoy frowned. "It's never easy to see someone die. It sticks with you. Sometimes you think about it at odd times. I don't like to say the old cliche, time heals all wounds, but with time things hurt a lot less."

"I see. I guess seeing a patient die is a lot different from killing someone, isn't it?"

"I've done both. Life is life. You hate to see a life end even when it's necessary."

"But why must it be necessary?" She questioned.

"All living things must die, Lieutenant. That is a fact of life. To everything, there is a season. A time to be born, and a time to die. And speaking of which, I have some news for you. But maybe I should wait until Spock returns to tell you both?"

"Why should you wait for Spock? What does it have to do with him?"

McCoy smiled for the first time that day. "Well, this news concerns him too."

"Why can't you just tell me, Doctor? I can handle it. I promise not to panic." What could be so bad that he couldn't tell her? If he was trying to reassure her, he was doing a poor job.

"I have a diagnosis for you. All your symptoms finally make sense in context," he told her.

"Oh, thank god. What is it? What's wrong with me?" She eagerly asked.

"Well, think about it. Think about how and when all these symptoms started."

Uhura had a blank expression on her face, so he continued, "Think! All the symptoms started when you were married."

"I'm sorry doctor, I don't understand."

"To everything, there is a season..." He looked at Uhura expectantly, as if she should fill in the blanks. But Uhura was still clueless. What did he expect her to say? What the hell was wrong with her?

"A time to be born, and a time to die?" she repeated his words.

McCoy nodded and smiled. Finally, she got it!

"Oh my god, I'm dying!" Uhura cried.

McCoy had had enough of this foolishness. "No, you ninny. You're pregnant!" he shouted.

Uhura stopped mid-panic. "What?"

McCoy calmed down. He looked around the room, but the other patients were still sound asleep. Quietly he said, "I've run the tests twice and cross-referenced Vulcan medical data files. There's no doubt, you're definitely pregnant."

Uhura sat in stunned silence after hearing the news. "So I'm not dying?" she asked, just to be sure.

McCoy rolled his eyes heavenward. God help him. "No. You're pregnant. See," he showed her the chart with the test results.

Uhura shook her head. "No. That's not possible Doctor."

"Why not?"

"Because I would know if I was pregnant."

McCoy grinned. "Apparently not."

"It's just not possible," she said, tilting her chin up stubbornly.

"Why the hell not?" McCoy didn't understand this attitude of hers.

"You ought to know why it's not possible. You're the doctor. Or ask Spock, he'll tell you why it is just not possible!" Uhura said, ignoring the test results right in front of her face.

"Yes, I am the Doctor, and I am telling you what the results of your tests show. Positive. Now, do you mean to tell me you didn't have any inkling that this could be possible? No hunch what all those strange symptoms could mean before now?"

"Why would I think anything of it? Strange illnesses infect us all the time. Spock just had some strange virus," she reminded him.

"This is no virus, it's a baby. Didn't you have any clue? Missed periods? Female intuition?"

Uhura shook her head slowly, looking like a phaser had stunned her. "No, my cycle has always been erratic. I didn't think... maybe... but..."

"But what?"

"Well, I haven't been myself since I got back from Vulcan. I even did a pregnancy test back then, but it came back negative, so I forgot all about it."

"Hmm, when was that test done? I don't remember prescribing any tests for you back then."

"It was weeks and weeks ago now. A friend got a hypo test for me. I didn't want to bother you." She looked down at her hands in her lap, ashamed she has gone behind the doctor's back for medical advice.

"A friend, huh? And you're sure it was negative? You didn't misread it?"

"Are you sure you didn't misread my test today?" she asked hopefully.

"Positive. I've done more scans, and it's conclusive."

Uhura looked defeated. "Well, I was as sure as a person can be who is not a doctor. We double-checked it. Even Spock read it. Do you think it was faulty? Have I been pregnant all this time?"

"I don't know that. Maybe you weren't pregnant back then." McCoy said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Then when did this happen? How far along am I?"

"I don't know that either. I have to run some more tests. But I assume you and Spock been having, er... unprotected sex since you came back from Vulcan?"

Uhura was so tired of people prying into her personal affairs with Spock, and even though she knew this was a professional question, it still chaffed. "What do you think? We've been living together. Did you think we were knitting?" She snapped and then she apologized.

McCoy looked flummoxed, "No... I mean..."

"I'm sorry, Doctor McCoy. But you examined me that first time after the cave. You gave me the birth control suppressants yourself, you know that. I've taken them ever since. That's why this is impossible! What failed!" This was somebody's fault, Uhura thought. She needed somebody to blame, and the doctor was right there with his faulty birth control and pregnancy tests!

"Don't look at me. I didn't do this to you. You can thank that pointy-eared jackrabbit husband of yours. Speaking of, have you spoken to Spock about any of this?"

"Not yet obviously, I just found out myself."

"I mean, have the two of you discussed the possibility before? You are married and you said he knew about your last test? What were his thoughts?"

"No, we haven't talked about anything, especially not children." Uhura rubbed her temples, trying to think. There were so many things she and Spock had yet to discuss. She had meant to say so many things to Spock, but something always came up and distracted them.

"Actually, I'm surprised he doesn't know already. He knows everything else about me." She crossed her arms over her chest. "He told me my breast were bigger." How did they not guess? How was she going to have a baby? Everything else was pushed aside in the wake of this fresh development. "I just can't understand how this happened. This is the 23rd century, there should not be any oopsie!"

"As near as I can tell, Vulcans are very fertile during that Pon Farr of theirs, at least according to Sarek and the healers I've spoken to. According to them, it's damn near impossible to prevent conception during that Time. Suppressants don't work, they metabolize too quickly."

"And why am I only now hearing about this?" Uhura demanded.

"Honestly, I thought Sarek was wrong. What he described defies biology. Besides, when he told me it was already too late. You and Spock had already bonded. And I gave you two the most effective inhibitors we have. There is something about that fever that just burns it off too fast. I've learned Vulcans can control their metabolism and many bodily functions with mental controls. Under normal circumstances, they can control and time their fertility at their will, but when they are in Pon Farr they lose that control. The body's only purpose is to breed."

"So you think I've been pregnant since Vulcan and there was no way to prevent it? What about the negative test results and inconclusive scans? What about all the suppressants I've been taking? What was the point, Doctor?" Uhura demanded.

"Don't shoot me. I'm just the messenger. Besides, a doctor can only do so much, suppressants aren't 100 percent foolproof. You know you had a hand in this yourself too, Missy? Did you two ever think about other contraceptives such as barrier methods?"

"Barrier? What? Like condoms?" Uhura's eyes got wide, and she shook her head. "Doctor, where would we even get those things in a cave? And besides, during Pon Farr it's just not practical. You've seen how out of control we get," she snapped. "It probably wouldn't work on Spock anyway," she mumbled half to herself.

"And why is that?" McCoy wondered.

"Have you seen Spock's... Never mind, don't answer that. Just suffice it to say he'd probably break it. And don't ask me how," she snapped.

"Okay, okay, I will have to look at that for you. I mean, look into... You know what I mean. Everything about Vulcan physiology is so damn mysterious and that goes double for Spock. We only know the bare minimum to treat full-blooded Vulcans. A hybrid is an extra challenge. God only knows what challenges this pregnancy will present. Nothing about it is logical. Human tests came up negative. Vulcans and humans may look a lot alike and somehow nature has allowed us to interbreed with a little genetic intervention, but there are still not a lot of hybrids walking around."

Uhura lay back on the examination table and covered her eyes with her arm. The more Dr. McCoy talked, the more anxious she became. Would her baby be normal? "Why am I surprised by any of this? My life has been one long roller coaster ride since the day Spock dragged me off this ship to Vulcan."

"Lieutenant, I am not sure what to tell you, but I'm here for you if you need me."

"You've already said plenty, Doctor. I mean, this explains so many things, doesn't it?"

"Like what?"

"Like the food cravings and dizziness, being tired all the time, the weight gain, and maybe even the sleepless nights; but it doesn't explain everything."

"Everything? What other symptoms have you had? I want to record everything."

"Well... it's kinda hard to explain, even to my doctor. I guess I could ask Amanda. She would be the expert on this, but it's not something you want to ask your mother-in-law either."

"The expert on what?" McCoy's curiosity was piqued.

Uhura sat back up, "Ok, you're a professional and I suppose you need to know, so I am just going to give you the symptoms and you can sort it out."

"Fair enough," McCoy said.

"Well, I get anxious when Spock is away from me," she said and then gestured for him to come closer to her and she whispered, "and I get...uh...I am horny ALL the time," Uhura said in a low voice. There she'd said it and she sat back on the bed.

Doctor McCoy stood there, looking dumbfounded. Did she just say, "Oh.. Um...What!," He finally found the voice to say. "I mean ... What I meant to say was uh... er...What?" he asked again.

"You heard me Doctor; since getting back from Starbase 6 it has only gotten stronger. I want to be with Spock ALL the time. I think about him constantly. I want to be near him and when he is not near me, I get anxious. And when we are together, I just want to...to you know-"

"Alright, alright, Lieutenant, I get the idea. Well, now that isn't that unusual for newlyweds to be a little more amorous."

"Yeah, except we're not normal newlyweds, are we? And this just feels extra, even for newlyweds." She leaned forward and whispered again, "We have a LOT of sex. I'm almost 30 years old now, this can't be normal."

McCoy grinned. "Uhura, you're 30, not a hundred. You're just a baby in the grand scheme of things. Humans mature later and live longer than ever before in our history. It's probably just the normal phase of a highly fertile female."

"But I didn't even feel this way when I was a boy-crazy teenager and all I could think about was sex. Back then I noticed boys, all boys. Now all I think about is Spock, all the time. I've never felt anything like this before," she confessed. "It frightens me how much I need him."

"Well Uhura, you two are bonded in a way I cannot even begin to understand. And from a biological perspective, Spock is very young too. You could say he has only recently gone through Vulcan puberty. In fact, not too long ago he came to me with a similar complaint."

"He did? Could he be projecting those hormones onto me because of his Katra?"

"Possibly. Or it could be a side effect of the Vulcan pregnancy hormones I found in your system. This could be a normal Vulcan pregnancy symptom."

"But that sucks. Spock can control himself so much better than I can. I can't go for nine months feeling like this."

"Nine months, more or less. Vulcan gestation is longer than humans but we don't know the timeframe for you yet, nor do we even know how far along you are."

"More?! Nope," she shook her head vigorously. "I can't do this for over nine months. Doctor, my nipples are hard all the time. I constantly crave weird foods. I'm always tired and horny and angry, and now you tell me this could last more than nine months? I'm going to have to kill Spock!"

/*-/*-/

McCoy gave Uhura a clean bill of health for now. With so many injured patients taking up beds, he released her from the sickbay with strict orders to take it easy.

"Live long and prosper Doctor," Uhura said absent-mindedly as she left his office with a long list of do's and don'ts to follow until her next checkup.

"Yeah, live long and prosper," McCoy said to Uhura's retreating back.

Spock had corrupted her completely. He could not believe the conversation they just had, but he had to believe it. Uhura was pregnant with Spock's child. It was happening, and he had to deal with it for both their sakes. He had to come up with a plan to keep both Uhura and her unborn child safe and healthy.

To do that, there would need to be further tests, including DNA sequences and analysis. And he had some other questions that needed answering for Uhura's sake. He was in way over his head already and it was about time he got some answers from someone more experienced in Vulcan medicine. The best place to start was with Dr. M'Benga and he headed for his office.

/*-/*-/

Uhura left the sickbay in a daze and absentmindedly went back to her quarters. On autopilot, she undressed to take a shower. She thought that everything was in its place as she left it this morning, but everything was different; she was different.

It suddenly dawned on her that the Nyota Uhura that Spock carried off this ship and took to Vulcan so many weeks ago was long gone and never coming back. She was standing here in her quarters, but that Nyota had never returned. It was weird but Uhura felt that that girl, for all the missions, the near-death experiences, the contact with aliens and cultures that were mind-boggling, for all the adventures and horrors she endured, nothing was as sobering, as frightening, or as life-altering as being told you were going to be a mother.

She undressed and stepped into her shower and just stood there for a moment. OK Nyota, are you gonna laugh or cry she said to herself?

Who was she kidding, she was crying. As the shower water pelted her head, she cried fat salty tears and let her nose run, washed away by the hot water. She cried not because she was unhappy or disappointed, but because she was overwhelmed with emotion. This was too much, even for her. She'd had her entire mind-wiped and woke up not knowing who she was. She had faced down disrupter fire and shot someone, but she could not ever remember being as frightened as she was right now.

"It's not you, it's me," she said, patting her flat belly. She tried to imagine her stomach stretched big with a baby bump. There was never any doubt about having this child. This was happening, whether they were ready for it or not. But she totally wasn't ready!

With her allotment of water depleted, Uhura stepped out of her shower and slipped on one of her fluffy bath towels. She went to her vanity and stared at herself in the mirror. She looked exactly the same as she did this morning, but she felt like a different woman. She had faced down life and death all in one day. When she was a little girl, she used to look in a mirror and wonder who that girl on the other side of the looking glass was. And as a member of the Enterprise, she had the opportunity to actually visit the world on the other side. But that did not prepare her for this feeling of looking into the face of a pregnant Nyota while looking at herself.

She needed to talk to someone, but didn't know who? Her family was out of the question. She hadn't even told them about her marriage yet. She might talk to Amanda, but she didn't want to tell her anything before she spoke to Spock. She could confide in Charlene, but she was on duty, and again, it wouldn't be right to tell her anything without telling Spock. So she was alone with her secret for now. Well, this kind of thing didn't stay a secret for long, especially not on the Enterprise.

On autopilot, Uhura got dressed, put her hair up into a messy bun, made her face up, and then she left her cabin again, ignoring doctor's orders.

/*-/*-/

Once they beamed back aboard, Spock noted that the mood among the transporter personnel was somber and they avoided his gave.

"What is it?" he asked without preamble.

"Mr. Spock, I hate to be the one bearin' bad news to ye, but-"

"What is it, Mr. Scott?"

"Well, Lieutenant Uhura had a wee incident earlier, but she's uninjured."

"What kind of 'incident'?" Spock felt a knot form in the pit of his stomach. But in the untrained eye, he was still as calm as ever.

"As to that, there are all kinds of rumors going around. I was on the bridge so I didn't see it. I heard they took Uhura to sickbay, but she's okay."

Spock felt annoyance at Scotty for his attempt to console him while providing minimal information. He maintained his composure long enough to say, "If you will excuse me, gentlemen?" And with that, he stormed out of the transporter room with Captain Kirk hot on his heels.

"Spock! Spock! Wait up?" Kirk said, catching up with him as he reached the lift. Spock waited impatiently for the lift and he felt Jim stop beside him.

"Where are you headed?"

"Sickbay."

"Good. Good. I'm sure it's nothing too serious. Scotty said she's okay."

"I will determine that for myself."

The turbo-lift doors opened and Spock hurried on, followed closely by the Captain. Different scenarios of what could have happened to his wife ran through his mind. What did Mr. Scott mean by a 'wee incident'? They said she wasn't injured, so what could it be? Spock had absolutely no facts on which to base a guess. He was in the dark, and it was a disconcerting feeling.

As soon as he entered the sickbay, Spock spotted McCoy, but he didn't see Nyota in any of the beds.

"Doctor McCoy, where is my wife?" Spock demanded.

"Now Spock, calm down. Uhura is fine-"

"Good. Where is she? I was told there was an 'incident'. I assumed she would be here in sickbay."

"She was, but I released her. Told her to get some rest while I run some tests."

"What kind of incident did she have? What is wrong with my wife?"

"I think I'll let her tell you herself. Hopefully, she's following doctor's orders and staying off her feet for a while."

"Can you tell me why she was brought into sickbay?"

"She just had a minor panic attack. As I said, I'm running some tests, but in the meantime I want her to rest and relax. Think you can keep calm and not upset her any further?" McCoy asked. He looked even more useless than usual to Spock's eye.

"Doctor-"

"Spock, don't argue further. Just go find your wife and see for yourself. And when you're ready, I'll have some questions for you both."

Spock wanted to argue further, but he didn't have time for this. If Nyota wasn't in sickbay, then his first priority was to find her. He stormed out, leaving the doctor and the captain behind.

"Bones, what was that all about?" Jim asked, noting the doctor's bemused expression.

"I can't tell you right now, Jim. I'm sure Spock will fill you in when he and Uhura are ready."

"You said you need to ask Spock some questions? About what?" Kirk asked.

"About that Vulcan marriage bond of theirs."

"Do you think the bond is the culprit in all this drama?"

"I can't answer that; not until I run some more tests. But even when I find out, I couldn't tell you, Jim. Doctor-patient confidentiality, remember?"

"I remember you only seem to use that privilege when it suits you. Bones, I'm the captain. If one of my crewmen is in trouble, I need to know."

"I don't believe Uhura is in any danger right now. If there's something that you need to know, something that affects the ship, I'll tell you. For now, it's a family matter."

Kirk didn't like the sounds of that. Family matter? Spock's family was somehow involved with the Orion raid, and now this. "You know what Bones?"

"What Jim?"

"I wish none of this had ever happened today. I wish I had known Spock was ambassador Sarek's son before it blindsided me. I wish I had known about Vulcans' mating habits and nipped it in the bud before it got out of hand. I wish I had stopped Spock from escaping the ship with Uhura. I wish-"

"Don't bother wishing Jim. It will only drive you mad. You can't foresee the future and even if you could, you know the rule, you can't stop what is meant to be."

"I guess. But if Uhura is in danger-"

"Then we'll deal with it. Just like we do with every other crisis on this ship. We'll cope. Uhura is tough and so is Spock. Honestly, from where I'm standing, it looks like those two are fated, or doomed to be together forever."

"Whatever. I better get back to the bridge and find out what's happened to my ship. That's one thing I know how to handle."

"I'll keep you posted on the injuries."

"You do that."

The captain left the sickbay and McCoy went back into his office. He had a sickbay full of injured crew to attend to and now he had a pregnant Uhura to worry about.

Everything was certainly changing rapidly. There was no going back to those innocent days of freedom for Spock and Nyota. They were moving on to the next phase of their adult lives together. Love. Marriage. Children. To everything, there is a season. It was the way life was meant to be, but it made McCoy feel incredibly old and alone.

Jim wished things could go back to the way they were before Spock absconded with Uhura, but you can't turn back the hands of time, and McCoy suspected Spock and Uhura would resent anyone who tried. They had something in the future to live for now. It was going to be up to Jim and himself to find their own something or someone to live for and leave Spock and Uhura to their destiny.

 

Notes:

I wrote these next few chapters so long ago they kinda make little sense to me anymore because the plot has changed so much since they were written. I'm in too deep now. I'm determined to finish this story no matter what. So please just go with the absurd idea that nobody figured this out.

Chapter 103: When Something is Wrong

Summary:

Something is wrong with Nyota. Can Spock make it right?

Notes:

If I know she's worried
Then I would feel that same old misery
We've been through so much together
We spoke as one and that's what makes it better
When Something Is Wrong With My Baby by S.A.M. and Dave.

Chapter Text

When Something is Wrong

Spock arrived at their quarters, but Uhura was not there. It only took a quick glance around to see she had visited briefly, took a shower, and left again. She had draped her soggy bathrobe across the bedroom chair. Spock picked it up and on instinct, he brought it to his nose, inhaling deeply like a bloodhound learning her scent.

Nyota had a panic attack. She was somewhere alone and possibly upset. The very idea made Spock's blood burn. He should have been here to protect her. He should have never left her behind to protect and defend their home alone. That was his primary role as a husband, to protect his wife, their home, and their family. His very future depended on his wife and he had failed her. He must make amends. With that in mind, Spock left their quarters in search of his wife so he could bring her back where he could protect her properly.

*/*/*

Uhura walked aimlessly through the decks of the Enterprise, which was not an easy feat with the ship being under repair. Maintenance crews were everywhere and there were signs of damage everywhere. It surprised her to see phaser fire marks on the walls in some areas. It still shocked her how easily the pirates were able to board the ship. They had disabled the shields with ease.

That wasn't her problem though. That was something for the captain and Starfleet to worry about. She had bigger fish to fry. She was pregnant. She was going to have a baby. She was going to be a mama. Spock was going to be a daddy! Holy Shit!

She wanted to run somewhere and hide. She looked around her surroundings and realized she had wandered back below decks. She didn't even remember how she got there.

"Ny?"

She turned around at the sound of her name being called by Charlene. Without thinking, she ran over to her friend and grabbed her up in a bear hug like a lifeline.

"What's wrong, Ny?" Charlene asked, hugging her back. Uhura was crying hysterically and bathed in the warmth of Charlene's embrace. "Is it Spock? Is he okay?" Charlene asked.

Uhura nodded her head but just kept crying.

"Girl, what's wrong. I can't fix it if you don't tell me."

"You can't fix it," Uhura cried.

"Ny, you're scaring me. What's happened?"

"I can't tell you yet. It's a secret."

"Why is it a secret? Does it have to do with Spock?"

Uhura nodded her head again.

"Did Spock do something to you?"

"Sort of."

"Sort of? But you can't tell me?"

"No."

"Do I need to beat his ass?" Charlene asked seriously.

Uhura laughed at that, but shook her head no.

"Well, it can't be that bad if you don't want me to hurt him."

"It's my fault. I'm so stupid."

"You're not stupid. You're the smartest person I know besides Mr. Spock."

"You don't know what I've done."

"And I won't know until you tell me."

"I can't tell you, not yet."

"Okay, I get it. We girls have our little secrets. Just remember I'm always here for you when you're ready."

"I know. I guess I wandered down here looking for you without realizing it."

"Well, you found me. Come on, let's go to my quarters, though. I'm just getting off duty and I could use a drink. It's been a long day."

Uhura let go of Charlene and wiped her eyes. "You're telling me? I was in auxiliary control and I think I killed somebody."

Charlene stopped short. She was not expecting that. "What!?"

Uhura explained while she walked along with Charlene and tried to get herself together. "I was in auxiliary control when the raiders boarded us and they tried to take it over. I had to shoot one of the intruders."

"Oh girl, I'm sorry you had to do that. It must have been so scary?"

"It was, but at the time, you just do what you are trained to do. You know?"

"I know. I was in main engineering while Scotty was on the bridge. We had a few injures, mostly radiation burns. Some of it wasn't pretty."

"I can't imagine. The entire thing was pretty crazy."

They made it back to Charlene's cabin, and Uhura took a seat while Charlene made tea. Uhura stared into the hot steaming mug, her thoughts scattered.

"I had a panic attack today too. After it happened, I dropped a cup of hot coffee on my feet. I think. I don't really remember it too well. They had to sedate me."

"Oh, honey I'm sorry." Charlene sat next to her on the sofa and hugged her. "It's been a fucked up day for sure." Charlene rocked Uhura in her arms and they just sat quietly for a while. "Ny. Why are you here instead of with your husband?"

"I can't face him right now. I need to think." Uhura answered, but she sounded tired.

"Okay. I won't ask any more questions. It sounds like you need rest. Want to lie down in my bunk? You look exhausted."

"I am exhausted. But I don't want to close my eyes. I keep seeing his face."

"Who, Spock?"

Uhura shook her head, "No. The raider I killed."

"Honey, maybe you should talk to the ship's counselor. They know how to help you with this better than I can."

Uhura laughed. "They already think I'm crazy. Maybe I am. I'm certainly a fool."

"Nobody thinks you're crazy. And you're not a fool. You are over-stressed, though. That's why we have counselors, just for such occasions."

"I know, and I usually recommend counseling for other people. I even took Spock to a group session."

"Mr. Spock in group therapy? I wish I had been there that night."

"He didn't join in. It was nice having him there, though. Just being there with me was enough."

"He's a good guy," Charlene said.

Uhura agreed. "He really is. Too good for me."

"Oh lord no! We are not doing this again, are we Ny? I thought you said you loved Spock?"

"I guess I do, but..."

"But nothing. Don't say 'but'. You love Spock full stop. It doesn't matter how he feels about you or whatever you were about to say. He's a good guy. You love him. You two are getting along, right?"

"Yes, we are. For now."

"Not for now. You two are the happiest couple I've seen on this ship, and that's saying something with Spock being a Vulcan. He's happy. So why are you hiding here with me instead of crying on his shoulder?"

"I don't know how to tell him what's happening."

"You're talking about this secret of yours?"

Uhura nodded.

"Just tell him. Secrets have a way of coming to light when you least expect them to. I told you that already. Is this about your family?"

"In a way it is."

Charlene grabbed Uhura's head between her hands and looked deep into her eyes. She didn't say a word, but Uhura felt like she was pulling her secrets out of her, anyway. When she finally let go, Charlene said. "You'll be fine. Tell him."

"That's it? I thought you were reading my soul or something."

Charlene laughed. "I'm no telepath. I'm a human woman, just like you. And I know what you're going through. I also know you'll be fine. Unlike me, you have a good man to take care of you, so let him do it. Go home Ny."

Shortly after she said this, Charlene's door chime rang. "I wonder who that is."

"I don't," Uhura said. She had a feeling it was Spock. Whenever he was close by, she got a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. Maybe that wasn't so strange after what she'd found out. She stood up and arranged her clothing and made sure her eyes were dry and her makeup wasn't smeared. "Okay, let him in."

"You sure?" Charlene asked.

"You were just trying to get rid of me." Uhura reminded her.

"Yeah but-"

"No buts. I'm a married woman. I can't hide behind your skirt. Let him in."

Charlene opened the door, but Spock didn't step over the threshold. He bowed his head to Charlene and then looked past her to Uhura.

"My wife. Attend." Uhura didn't know why that command from Spock made her hop to it, but before she knew what her legs were doing, she was across the room. She barreled into Spock just as she had done to Charlene earlier. Spock wrapped his arms around her, as always, ready to catch her.

"Lieutenant Masters, thank you for your excellent care for my wife. I will take it from here."

"No problem. You owe me one." Charlene smiled at the two of them, leaning on one another. That was as it should be. Whatever they faced, they had to face it together.

"Acknowledged." He looked down into Uhura's upturned face. "Shall we go home, Aduna?"

Uhura allowed Spock to escort her away from Charlene's cabin. They walked arm in arm to their quarters, but Uhura didn't stop when they reached their door.

"I just want to walk for a while. Do you mind?" she asked.

They continued to walk the halls, ignoring everyone they passed. Their own thoughts consumed both of them until they got to the observation deck. It was empty at this time of the evening, and Uhura couldn't walk anymore, so she decided to sit and rest.

They took a seat on a lounge chair and Uhura rested her head on Spock's shoulder while they gazed at the starlight outside the plasteel window.

"It has been a long day," she said after the silence stretched out for too long.

"The day has been exactly 24 earth hours long," Spock replied.

Uhura nudged his shoulder in annoyance. "You know what I meant. How do Vulcans say they have been stressed to their limit?"

"Vulcans would say we have taxed our emotional controls. We would meditate to regain our equilibrium."

"What if you can't meditate?"

"Very few Vulcans lack the ability. However, parents often help their children to master their emotions through a mind-meld."

"Oh, I see."

"I believe humans find it therapeutic to talk about their troubles. Is there something you wish to talk about now?" Spock asked her.

"Dr. McCoy says, "To everything, there is a season"," Uhura said. "A time to be born, and a time to die. I get it now."

"What is it that you get?"

"Today, in auxiliary control, I had to shoot someone. They died."

"I see," Spock said, but he added nothing more. He just listened.

"I suppose it means it was their time to die and someone else's time to be born."

Spock didn't respond. He just waited for her to continue, which frustrated Uhura even more. What good was being telepathic if you couldn't read your wife's mind without her having to ask? Couldn't he just figure it out!

"Spock, I don't know how to tell you this. Can't you just read my mind?"

Spock looked at his wife and he could sense the strange mood she was in. Her mind was in turmoil, her emotions unfocused. Something was very wrong. Something Dr. McCoy told her had shaken her badly. But he didn't want to force it out of her. More than anything, he wanted her to trust him with her secrets, with her problems, with her love. He could not just take it, she had to give it to him freely. "I could read your mind, Aduna. But is that what you really want?"

Uhura sighed. She just wanted this secret out. "No. I want you to listen. Can you do that? Just listen," she pleaded.

"I am all ears," Spock said.

That caught her off guard, and she let out a startled laugh. "You devil!" She leaned forward and kissed him gently, then she turned her head slightly to whisper in one of those ears. "Okay, Mr. All Ears, I..." She took a deep breath, "We are going to have a baby." She rushed the words out and then sat back and looked at his face.

Spock had a range of facial expressions he allowed himself to show at any given time. Surprise, fascination, hubris, all those emotions flickered across his face now, including one Uhura had not seen before. She wasn't positive, but it looked like he was in a trance.

Uhura waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello! Enterprise to Spock. Come in Mr. Spock!"

Spock finally blinked. "Ah, are you sure?" he asked.

Uhura shook her head. "No, but Dr. McCoy is."

Spock nodded as if he understood or agreed but he looked gobsmacked.

"Spock say something, please." Uhura shook his arm. "I'm freaking out here. You're supposed to be logical. Say something logical!"

"Are you, uh... okay? Physically? Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I feel fine. Dr. McCoy says I just need to rest and stay calm until we meet for more tests. And you'll come with me?"

"Yes, of course I will."

"And you're fine with this?" she asked shyly.

"Are you fine with it?"

"Are you a parrot all of a sudden? Spock, tell me. What are we going to do?"

Uhura looked up at him with her big brown eyes pleading with him to have all the answers, but at that moment all Spock could say was, "We are going to have a baby?"

Chapter 104: No Worries

Summary:

Spock and Uhura cope with the big news the best way they know how.

Chapter Text

No Worries

 

Uhura succumbed to her exhaustion while she and Spock were sitting in the observation area and Spock gently picked her up and carried her back to their quarters. He thought he was carrying the most important thing in all the universe in his arms, his wife and unborn child. There was no one and nothing more important to Spock than Nyota at this moment.

Spock put Uhura to bed, but his mind was reeling from the recent revelation. Illogically, he was extremely pleased to have Uhura safely back in his bed, where he could keep watch over her and protect her. He would stake his life and that of his entire clan to defend her and the unborn child she carried. He didn't know why he was having such irrational thoughts, but he knew somehow it was tied in with his recent feelings of separation anxiety from Uhura.

His wife was carrying his child. Spock still couldn't digest the news that he was going to be a father. How was a man supposed to react when he found out he was going to be a father? If he allowed himself to feel, would he laugh? Would he cry? Would he shout in victory? Feeling was not Spock's forte. He was a thinker, and logic was his foundation, his strength. But right now, he could not think logically. He could not think at all, and his emotions were in turmoil. Uhura had asked him how Vulcans cope when they were stressed. They meditated. But as he sat in his usual spot of their quarters, going through the motions of his evening meditation, he found no comfort in it. He stared at the flame of the lamp, but his mind was a million miles away.

Growing up on Vulcan, Spock had been so lonely, but he could never admit it. He had chosen the path of Surak early on, so Sarek expected him to behave according to logic at all times. No matter that his childish heart was also human and hurting from the rejection he faced daily. His mother tried to understand him, but she was too human, too emotional, and most of all, too in love with Sarek to understand the burden of being a child of two worlds placed on him.

He had tried being the good Vulcan and failed. When he left for Starfleet, he'd then tried being human and failed miserably again. He did not want to be Human or Vulcan; he had just wanted to be himself. When Captain Pike left the Enterprise, Spock had been tempted to leave as well. But where would he go? Home to Vulcan or Earth? What was he if not a Starfleet officer? The Enterprise was the only place he had ever truly belonged. He had built a wall up around himself until he met Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy. They yanked him out of his shell of loneliness. And then he'd met Nyota Uhura, who'd lit a flame in his soul and he'd been burning ever since.

Everything had changed for him in these past few years. Because of Jim and Bones, he was a son again. And because of Nyota, he was a husband, and soon to be a father. He was the man he never thought he could be and, were he to ascribe a word to the feeling, it would be sublime.

Spock didn't know how long he sat in the dark staring at the flame. Perhaps hours later, he heard the bed creak. Uhura slid down behind him on the floor and wound her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder, plastering her body to his back. "How long have you been sitting here staring at that lamp?"

"I do not know," he answered honestly.

"Very imprecise Mr. Spock. Did I break you tonight?" she wondered.

"No. I am... I am..." Spock fumbled for an answer.

"Shush, it's okay. You're not a robot, you're a man. It's okay to not be okay sometimes." Uhura kissed his shoulder. "Besides, it's been a helluva day." She slid her hands under his shirt and gently massaged his chest while she hummed a song. "Does that feel good, Adun?"

"Yes."

She lifted his shirt and maneuvered it over his head, tossing it across the room. She resumed pressing her chest to his. "Tonight I'm going to take good care of you for a change."

"You take good care of me quite often," Spock said, pleased by the feel of her bare breast against his warm skin.

"I'm not talking about sex," she said, but she raked her fingernails over his skin and tickled his ribs. Spock inhaled quickly, trying to maintain his composure.

"One of these days I'm gonna make you laugh," she threw out the challenge.

He grabbed her hands to stop her mischievous groping. "Not like that, you won't. I am not inclined to laugh when you touch me like this."

"What are you inclined to do then?" she rubbed herself against his back.

"You are incorrigible," he informed his wife.

"You like that about me," she said, and she continued her exploration of his skin. "I wish we had a bathtub. Wouldn't it be nice to have a long, hot, relaxing bath after the day we've had?"

"Yes, it would. On Vulcan, my clan owns hot springs where the family often gathers to bathe together."

"Really? I wish I had known that when I was there. I would definitely have taken advantage of a bath."

"I will show them to you, as well as the rest of our family's holdings when we get home," he promised.

"I didn't study all the documents your father gave me, but from what I understand, you own a lot of land?"

"You own a lot of land, Aduna," he corrected her. "Father gave that to you as is your due for being my wife and his daughter."

"I don't want nor do I need your land. Earth provides for me."

"You are no longer merely an Earth woman. You are a Vulcan too. You must have some part of our world to call your own, especially for your heirs."

"Let's not talk about heirs tonight? Tonight is just about you and me. We'll deal with the rest of our lives tomorrow, which will be here soon enough."

"Indeed. You are very wise, Aduna."

"Well, don't sound so surprised," she chastised him while still raking her nails all over his chest. "They say even a broken clock is right at least twice a day."

"At least?" Spock questioned her logic.

"Yes. Now, take off your pants."

"Why?"

"I'm naked, so it is only fair that you should be naked too. And I know you did something to my nightgowns. I haven't seen one since we started living together."

"You do not need nightgowns. It is illogical to sleep in clothing when the environment does not deem it necessary."

"You mean, you don't deem it necessary. What if we were on Andor? Would you let me wear a gown then?"

"You still would not need one. I would keep you warm, as is my duty as your husband."

"Oh really? How would you keep me warm on a cold Andorran night?" Uhura shivered as if they were already there.

"It doesn't bear mentioning since you expressed you are not interested in sex."

"I never said that. I am always interested in sex, especially with you."

"Especially? Then it is fortunate for you I am here instead of someone you are not especially interested in."

"Ooh are you jealous?" she asked, squeezing him from behind. "Don't be Adun. I am only interested in you. You're it, Mister. You're my first and my last."

"Do not make promises you cannot keep. You do not know what your future holds."

"I know you'll always be the only one. I don't want anybody else. I have never wanted anyone but you. I believe in us, Spock. Besides, don't be maudlin tonight. You and I will live forever minus one day, and we'll die in each other's arms."

Spock leaned back into her embrace. "Why minus one day?"

"So we do not have to witness the end of everything else." Uhura combed her fingers through that shiny black hair of his and massaged his scalp. "Mmm, I'd like to hold you in my arms just like this forever. This is how we'll die."

"And that is not maudlin?"

"No, it's beautiful. Now get naked. I'm going to show you how we relax and stay cool in Kenya."

"And that requires me to be naked?" Spock asked, but he stood up to remove his pants. He neatly folded them before he put them away.

"Yes. Vulcan and Kenya are a lot alike. It gets hot in Kenya and our atmosphere is thin too. Some of the best athletes on Earth are from Kenya because of our altitude."

"That does explain your superb conditioning."

"Mmm-hmm, you know I like to stay in shape," Uhura stood and hopped up on the bed, showing off her athleticism.

Spock wanted to warn her to be careful, but there was no need. She was still in perfect physical condition, and if only for tonight, there was to be no mention of her pregnancy. He quickly finished undressing and got into bed beside her.

"Now, how do Kenyans stay cool?"

"Well, we like to take things slow and easy." Uhura climbed on top of Spock and ran her hands up and down his torso very slowly, kneading his flesh under her nimble hands. She leaned forward and kissed him slowly and deeply before she whispered "We Kenyans don't worry about things, no matter how big," she wrapped her hands around the base of his penis and gently stroked him from the base to the tip, "or how small."

That elicited a grunt from Spock, but he did not interrupt her. "When someone asks how was your day, you say "Hakuna matata". No worries."

"Hakuna matata?" Spock repeated the words with a deep, raspy voice.

"Mmm-hmm. Just like that. Hakuna matata usiku wa leo*. No worries tonight. Just let go of all those thoughts and relax. Just focus on me. Who needs meditation when you have a sexy wife?"

"A sexy wife is cause for extra meditation," Spock said. His voice had that deep timbre it got when he was relaxed and at peace with himself.

"Well, if you prefer to meditate-" Uhura sat up as if she was going to climb off, but Spock forestalled her by snatching her arm and pulling her down until their lips almost touched again.

"No Aduna. Far be it from me to curtail your efforts. It is quite hot in here. I would like to learn more of your Kenyan methods for cooling off."

"I thought you would." She kept stroking him until he was hard and ready. "The best way to cool off is to work up a good sweat, get good and wet." She slid down his body and took him in her mouth. Of course, this was Spock's favorite, though he would never allow himself to admit it. Uhura lifted her head and licked her lips. "Now, let evaporation cool your skin."

"That seems very logical," Spock murmured. "Perhaps another demonstration?"

Uhura grinned while she slowly lowered herself onto his penis, joining their bodies together. Hard and stiff. Wet and slick. Slow and easy. Nice and steady. She rocked herself on top of Spock while he gripped her hips in his powerful hands.

Every time Spock entered her, Uhura felt the same thrill as if it was the very first time. He stretched her so wide, stuffed her so full. She gasped when he bottomed out inside of her. She loved to be on top, where she could control all the action. They would make love as fast or as slow as she chose. She would take Spock as deeply or as shallowly as she wanted to. But there were times when she wanted something more. When she wanted Spock to take control and show her that dangerous beast that she knew lurked within him. And she knew just how to get him off.

He could read her thoughts and emotions so easily when they were joined like this. All she had to do was think of what she wanted. Think how she wanted him to hold her and touch her and take her, and he would do it. She never had to ask. Spock knew what she wanted and what she liked. And she trusted him. No matter how far she pushed him, he would never hurt her, never lose complete control, even when she challenged him to. Because that too was what she needed. A man who would not betray her trust, no matter what.

Spock rolled them over and buried himself deep inside her, thrusting hard and fast. Yes! that was what she wanted. Come deep inside me, she thought, and Spock obeyed her unspoken command.

*usiku wa leo=tonight

Chapter 105: Baby On Board

Summary:

Is the Enterprise ready for pregnant Uhura?

Notes:

Disclaimer: There is a high dose of medical technobabble gobbledygook in this chapter. I'm not a doctor or scientist (shocking, I know). I barely passed high school biology, so please read any sciencey mumbo-jumbo with a large grain of sodium chloride.

Chapter Text

Baby On Board

Uhura went for her first prenatal visit and consultation the next day. Dr. M'Benga was talking softly with Dr. McCoy when she entered the exam room.

Spock was supposed to be with her as promised, but they needed him as a liaison in engineering to help interpret the Vulcan crew members who had beamed over to help effect repairs. The ship had taken a pretty big hit by the raiders breaching the hull and they needed all hands to effect repairs. In the meantime, they were limping along on impulse power on the way to the nearest Starbase, with the two Vulcan cruisers flanking them in case of any more pirate attacks. With Starfleet on high alert, the Orions would not likely make another move any time soon.

Uhura assured Spock she would fill him in on the prognosis after his shift if he couldn't make it to the meeting and sent him off with her blessing.

"Doctors, how could I be pregnant and not notice it? I have not had any of the symptoms I would consider normal for a human?"

"Nothing?" McCoy asked, "Then why did you take a pregnancy test a while back?"

"It was just after I got back from Vulcan. I was feeling tired and restless and out of sorts, but... I only did it as a precaution, just in case. And might I remind you it came back negative! You led me to believe those symptoms were because of Spock's katra and our bond."

"Well, after consulting with M'Benga here, and comparing all your scans, we conclude you likely conceived during your own Pon Farr. That episode when you returned, and you had the fever, we think your body was reacting to having Vulcan antibodies in your system since your Pon Farr on Vulcan. Your immune system was trying to adjust and prepare you. That triggered the Plok Tow fever. And since Vulcans are very fertile during Pon Farr..." McCoy's voice trailed off.

"I believe conception occurred at that time," M'Benga said, finishing the thought.

"I don't understand. What does that mean, my immune system was preparing me for what?"

The two doctors looked at one another and nodded. "Miss Uhura, you have a special condition..." M'Benga began.

Uhura tensed, and her senses were on high alert hearing that. "What special condition?" Was something wrong with her baby already?

"Nothing to worry about," M'Benga rushed to add. "It's just... some races have different methods of ensuring their species continues."

"So?"

"So, Vulcans have rather aggressive mating drives. The males go into heat, what they call Pon Farr and they are extremely fertile during that time. They aggressively seek a receptive mate. If the female partner's fertility cycle is not in sync with the male in Pon Farr then they get bombarded with his pheromones until they are. It is not unheard of, and it rarely causes any serious issues for Vulcan women. However, in your case, I think the flood of pheromones triggered an immune response," M'Benga finished.

"What does that mean, doctor?" Uhura asked. She wished Spock was with her to interpret this medical mumbo jumbo.

McCoy spoke up, "It means that Spock's body chemistry has changed you. That's why the normal pregnancy tests failed. Our scanners are calibrated for humans. That's something Starfleet will need to address in the near future. We have more Federation members joining of all different races all the time. We cannot afford to be a human-centric force anymore."

"Doctor, forgive me when I say I don't give a damn about your scanner problem. What's this mean for me!" Uhura shouted.

"Now calm down, little missy. This is not a big deal. You're not the first woman this has happened to. It's not that common, but neither is it unheard of, so cool your jets."

To M'Benga's surprise, that outburst from McCoy seemed to calm Uhura down. Still, he tried to smooth things over. "What Doctor McCoy is trying to say is that the reason we didn't catch your pregnancy sooner is because you're carrying, for lack of a better word, an alien baby. This pregnancy has changed your body chemistry to create a suitable environment to gestate a Vulcan baby. We'll have to recalibrate our instruments to match those we use for Spock from now on."

That did not reassure Uhura at all. "What am I, some kind of mutant now? Am I turning Vulcan or something?" she asked, horrified.

"No, no, nothing like that at all. Please do not become alarmed. You're still human but your baby is not quite human and therefore your body is trying to adjust to accommodate them."

"However, even in human pregnancy the mother's body can see the pregnancy as a parasitic invasion and try to reject it, so we'll need to observe you closely to make sure your body keeps accommodating the fetus and not reject them."

Uhura placed her hands over her belly protectively and shook her head. "Where is Spock? I need him here," she said anxiously. "I can't think right now."

"He's over on one of the Vulcan ships. I gave Scotty instructions to send him here as soon as he gets back." McCoy told her.

"Is everything alright? Is my baby okay?" she asked.

"Everything is fine. For now," McCoy answered honestly.

"You told me I wasn't dying!" Uhura said with growing panic.

"You are not dying. You're just pregnant and since the baby is part Vulcan, your body has been trying to adjust. I know this is all a shock but I promise you, you'll be fine."

Dr. McCoy tried to comfort her with his most confident smile, while Dr. M'Benga looked on with a strained expression on his face. This first meeting was not going as planned. The last thing they needed to do was upset Mr. Spock's wife at a time like this. Logic only went so far with a Vulcan male who had a family to protect. "Dr. McCoy, may I speak to you?"

McCoy looked at M'Benga and nodded, then he turned to Uhura. "You just rest here until Spock gets back and then we'll discuss our game plan." McCoy gave her shoulder a firm squeeze, and then he and M'Benga left her alone in the exam area.

As McCoy led M'Benga out of her cubicle, they heard Uhura sniffle. M'Benga was sweating by the time they reached McCoy's office.

"Well, that was about as much fun as facing a le-matya without a phaser," he said.

"Yeah," McCoy said. "Care for a drink?"

"Give me your best shot," M'Benga said, and he took a seat in a chair opposite McCoy's desk. The two doctors shared a drink in silence and when they finished, M'Benga asked, "How do you do it, Dr. McCoy?"

"Do what?"

"Deal with all the emotional drama? I guess I'm used to Vulcan patients who stoically accept whatever I tell them. Human patients are so..." he rooted around in his mind for an adequate word but ended up just saying, "so human."

McCoy laughed at that apt observation. "Yes, they are. But you'll get used to it and develop empathy. You've been on the ship for a few years now and you haven't gotten used to it yet?"

"I tend to stay away from the emotional stuff. I can deal with physical trauma, and I'll do surgery and exams all day long. But I usually allow the nurses to deal with the follow-ups and make sure the patients follow our recovery orders. But this is a special case. Uhura's carrying the heir of the Sch'ta gai family dynasty."

"The what now?"

"Mr. Spock belongs to the Sch'ta gai clan," M'Benga said as if that explained it all.

"Oh, it's a dynasty, is it?" McCoy asked skeptically.

"You bet it is. I told you, doctor, you have no idea what you've stepped into and neither do I, for that matter. I've tried to stay out of Mr. Spock's way but now I'm neck-deep in it."

"Are you having second thoughts about this assignment?" McCoy asked.

"No. No, I am a healer, this is where I belong."

"Healer? Is that what you are, one of their Vulcan healers?"

"No. A Vulcan healer would use psionic diagnostics and telepathic treatments. Like most humans, I'm almost psi null, but they trained me to do everything else. I'll never be a true Vulcan healer but I'm a healer in my own right."

McCoy nodded as if he understood the situation. "I've learned, you can't just treat the illness, you have to treat the whole person. In this case, Spock and Uhura are a team, bound in a way I cannot even begin to understand, but maybe you do? Anyway, they'll need all the bedside manners I can muster up. That goes for you too, Jeff. You can handle Spock and I'll handle Lieutenant Uhura, how's that sound?"

"Sounds like a plan," M'Benga agreed.

"I have to say though," McCoy continued, "Uhura usually is more put together than this. Is there some link to her recent anxiety and Spock's Katra or these pheromones she's got? "

"Well, she's definitely hormonal. As for Mr. Spock's Katra, that's where a talented telepath comes in. You'll need to consult with someone on Vulcan for that."

"You haven't received word from any of your colleagues back on Vulcan yet?"

"Not Yet. I told you, the Sch'ta gai family is a dynasty? Well, they don't want Mr. Spock's medical records scattered about subspace communication channels. We have to bring them in person. Luckily, we are headed to Vulcan now with two cruisers for company."

"Yeah. Lucky those cruisers showed up when they did too," McCoy looked at M'Benga's face closely.

"Yeah, that was lucky," M'Benga said, reaching to pour another glass of brandy. "Real lucky indeed."

*/*/*

Nurse chapel overheard the sound of crying and went to investigate.

She found Uhura alone in an exam room, sniffling and dabbing her eyes with the backs of her hands. Christin's heart cracked. Despite their recent differences, Uhura was such a sweet person, and she had been a good friend to her in the past. She couldn't have gotten past Roger's death if Nyota hadn't been there as a shoulder to cry on.

She remembered how tough Uhura usually was. She didn't even cry when she woke up after Nomad had wiped her mind. But lately, Uhura wasn't acting like herself. She'd had that panic attack in the rec room and now here she was alone and crying!? Where was her husband? Or where were all her so-called friends?

Look who's crying now, Christie thought bitterly. But just as quickly, she checked herself. She was a nurse and someone needed her comfort. Whatever happened between her and Nyota personally was in the past and if she wanted to move forward, she had to forgive as well. Besides, she was a professional.

She poked her head in the room cautiously. "Uhura, are you okay?"

Uhura sat up straight and tried to wipe her eyes clean with her hands. Christine ran in and went to a cabinet where she pulled out some hankies and offered them to Uhura. "Here you go."

Uhura took them and used them to dry her eyes and blow her nose. "Thank you."

Christie stood there awkwardly. Did she just leave while her friend was crying? Did Nyota even want her to stay after what happened at their last run-in? "Ny, um Uhura, why are you here alone? Are you ill?"

Uhura laughed, but the sound was humorless as she continued to sniffle. "Dr. McCoy says I'm not dying, so I guess there's that."

Christine frowned. That was not what she was expecting Uhura to say. "You're not dying, but you are ill?" Christine asked. "Ny what is it?"

Uhura shook her head. "I'll be alright, I'm just being overly emotional. Spock will be here soon. I don't want him to see me like this. He worries too much."

"Spock worry?" Christine was skeptical.

"He's very sensitive," Uhura said as she tried to straighten her hairstyle and smooth down her crumpled sickbay gown. Ha! She'd like to see him take this gown from her. Then she'd be naked in the sickbay.

She looked up and Nurse Chapel was still there. "Christine, I hate to bother you. You don't have to stay here with me I'm sure you're busy."

"No. I just finished an all-nighter. Sickbay is loaded with victims of the attack."

"Oh yeah. Hard to believe that was only yesterday. So much has happened since then."

Christine noticed a strange look cross Uhura's face. Yesterday Nyota was in the rec room freaking out, but today she looked... radiant. Not even the dark smudges under her eyes caused by her smeared makeup could dim her beauty. "Here, let me get you a damp cloth so you can fix your face."

She ran to the adjoining room and grabbed a hand mirror and the cloth and brought them back to the bedside, handing them to Uhura.

Thoughtlessly, Uhura took them. "Thanks, you're a doll," while she wiped her face.

"Am I Ny?"

"Huh?" Uhura stopped what she was doing and looked up at Christine.

"Am a doll?"

Uhura sighed. She really could not care less about Christine and her drama right now.

"Look, Chris. I-"

"Never mind. I shouldn't have asked that. I knew you didn't mean it. I know you hate me."

Now Christine was crying, and in her hormonal state that triggered Uhura to cry again.

"I don't hate you, Chris. I was just angry at you. And jealous," Uhura admitted.

"I'm so sorry Ny. But Spock never even liked me at all. He turned me down flat. You've got nothing to be jealous of. He's crazy about you."

"I know..." Uhura cried even harder.

Christine hated to see her friend crying like this. She knew Uhura had a rough couple of months, and she patted her back reassuringly. Before she knew it, they were hugging and crying together.

That was how Spock found them a few minutes later when he walked into the exam room.

"What is going on here?"

Chapter 106: Family Matters

Summary:

Uhura and Spock discuss some family matters.

Chapter Text

Family Matters

Spock witnessed a dazzling display of human femininity when he walked into his wife's exam room to find her crying in the arms of her arch-nemesis.

Spock was forced to admit, if he lived a thousand years, he didn't think he would ever understand women. When he and Jim made up after their disagreement, they merely apologized and moved on. They didn't cry and secret mucous all over one another.

Though he did not fully understand the ritual of 'making up', he accepted the fact that his wife had forgiven Nurse Chapel. Both women left the sickbay in good spirits with promises to meet and have tea together soon.

After conferring with Dr. McCoy and Dr. M'Benga, and being assured his wife was in excellent health, Spock personally accompanied Uhura home

escorting her on his arm.

"I can walk on my own you know," Uhura said, but she still clung to him as they walked.

"I know that you can, but I prefer to assist you in case you have any more incidents. You seem very emotional today," Spock said.

"Well, I am pregnant. You better get used to it. I guess I should be grateful you're not carrying me around as you did on Starbase 6. I hear there is a video of that circulating. Or was it you carrying me around on Argelius? I can't keep up with all the gossip about us."

"There is even more gossip about you, unfortunately," he told her.

"Oh, I'm sure. What are they saying now?"

"It is being circulated that you fought Nurse Chapel yesterday. So imagine my surprise to see the two of you in an embrace today."

"What?! You're not serious? When and why would I have a fight with Christine?"

"She was in the rec room when you had your panic attack. She must have tried to assist you. Somehow that was interpreted as her causing your 'incident'. Apparently, you two fought fiercely over me," Spock said.

"Oh, my god! That's ridiculous. And poor Christine. She doesn't deserve this. We just put aside our differences and now this. This is all my fault."

"Nurse Chapel is not without fault. But if anyone is to blame for the incident, it is me. You are sick because of me."

Uhura hugged Spock's arm tighter. "Don't be illogical. I am not sick, I'm pregnant. Yesterday I was in a battle and I watched people die. I patched up burn victims. I was exhausted and in shock. What the hell is wrong with people, anyway?"

"Yesterday was stressful for many people. Perhaps they just needed to focus on someone else's problems for a while. Your well know enmity with Christine provided such distraction."

"Well, I'm tired of my life being their soap opera. You and I are going to have a baby, Spock. We do not have time for this nonsense gossip."

Spock was filled with so much pride in hearing Nyota's words. She had accepted her pregnancy with more grace than he could have imagined. He himself was still somewhat shocked. He never dreamed he'd ever become a father. But Nyota was pressing on with things as a matter of course. Spock also noted she had been saying 'us' and 'we' and 'our' a lot. She had accepted him and their bond much sooner than he had expected as well. She was just so magnificent. And she was having his child. He felt like he was that Superman hero Nyota liked to call him. Spock wanted everyone to know that Nyota and their baby belonged to him. It was quite an illogical response.

"Nyota, I know we haven't discussed it, but I would like to tell my parents about this development. I assume you will also want to inform your family?"

"No," she said without breaking her stride.

"No?"

"No, let's just keep this to ourselves for a while longer. I mean, of course, doctors McCoy and M'Benga know. I suppose I will have to tell Charlene because she will sniff it out like a bloodhound eventually and she's been our biggest supporter. But let's hold off on telling anyone else."

"Is there any reason why not?" Spock had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Maybe she was not as on board with everything as he was led to believe.

"Well, we still need answers on how this happened and what risks there are if any," Nyota hedged.

"You expect complications?" he asked with a frown on his face that he could not control. The doctors seemed fairly optimistic about their outcome.

"Oh, no, no, nothing like that," she rushed to reassure him. "It has nothing to do with fear of losing the pregnancy. We are having this baby," she said with a determined air. "No, I just need time to think things through. This is our time together, just you and me and baby makes three ok?" she said looking up at him with a beseeching look. "Believe me, when we announce this pregnancy all hell is going to break loose."

"Why would 'all hell break loose'?"

"You don't know my family," she mumbled quietly, looking down.

"Indeed, I do not," Spock said, slowing down his pace. "That brings up an interesting question."

"What's that?"

"Does your family know about me?"

"Well, I have an interesting answer to that."

"Which is?"

"No," she answered quietly.

"Nyota!" Spock didn't believe her.

"Don't you dare 'Nyota' me!" She said, getting defensive. "When was I supposed to tell them? When I got back from Vulcan suddenly married to you? Was I supposed to call and say, 'Oh hey, mom and dad guess what? I was kidnapped from the ship and now I'm married. And you'll never guess what else. He's the son of the Vulcan ambassador to the Federation! And his grandma is T'Pau of Vulcan. Surprise!' Yeah right!" Uhura had stopped to glare at Spock, who looked taken aback by her outburst.

"Or how about after I was accused of domestic violence against you? 'Oh hey, mom and dad guess what? I just got cleared of domestic violence charges. Against who, you ask? Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you I'm married now and I accidentally punched him in his face.' Or how about after your court-martial? 'Hi mom and dad, good news. Spock was cleared of all charges. Oh, who's Spock? What charges? Spock's my new husband. He was on trial for kidnapping me and forcing himself on me as a bondmate. But it's all good now. Not Guilty. Yay!" Uhura angrily disentangled their arms and stormed away.

Spock caught up to her and took her hand, halting her retreat.

"Wait Nyota," Spock said softly.

Uhura broke down. "Spock, please. I wasn't in a good place then. I'm sorry I didn't tell them about us, okay?" Her anger had deflated as soon as she stormed off. She knew she was in the wrong and she didn't know how to fix it.

Spock shook his head. "No. It is I who should be sorry. I am sorry I put you through all those things. No wonder you have been under so much stress. I am the one in the wrong." Spock got down on his knees and took her hands in his. "Can you forgive me for causing you such stress?" He pleaded, looking up into her glistening eyes.

"Oh, Spock, get up," she tried to tug him up but he wouldn't budge. "I'm sorry too. I'm at fault too. I was a real stubborn idiot." She released his hands and hugged him to her, pressing his head to her belly while Spock hugged her back. "We're so silly," she said to the top of his head.

"Hey! Why don't you two get a room?" Someone said, coming up behind Spock.

"We are on our way to our room," Spock said with his face still pressed to Uhura's belly. He wondered if his keen ears could hear their child growing inside.

"That's not what it looks like from where I'm standing," McCoy said.

"Yeah, Bones, you tell them. This isn't the love boat," Captain Kirk chimed in.

"I'm sorry Captain. We were having a private moment," Uhura said, wiping her eyes with one hand while she stroked Spock's hair with the other. She had the oddest idea that she needed to protect Spock from these mean men.

Kirk looked at the pair in their "private moment" and frowned. "In public?" he asked.

"Yeah, well, I've discovered there is no such thing as privacy on this ship," Uhura clapped back.

That rude tone snapped Spock back to reality, and he lifted his head, ready to reprimand her. "Lieutenant--"

"Hush you," she said, placing her finger over his lips.

"And you two," Uhura looked at the captain and the doctor, "can't you see we're in the middle of something here?" she huffed.

"I see you're in the middle of a busy corridor, yes," Kirk said. "Whatever else you're in the middle of is none of my business nor anyone else's," he glared at a few crewmen who were slow to walk by the scene and go about their own business. "Spock I can appreciate your, uh... whatever this is," he said waving his hand up and down at the two of them, "but this is not the place for it."

Nyota opened her mouth to respond, but before she could utter another word, Spock gently pinched her bottom. "Ouch! Did you just pinch me?!" She glared down in shock.

"Aw hell," McCoy said, backing away from the marital dispute. While Uhura was distracted, Spock stood and swooped her up into his arms in one smooth motion.

"You better put me down, Mister!"

"I prefer you this way. Besides, I am following Captain's orders and seeking a room."

Kirk slapped Spock on the back with approval. "Good man! Take her away."

"Don't encourage this behavior, Jim," McCoy advised.

"Thank you, Doctor," Uhura called out as Spock carried her away.

Kirk turned to McCoy. "What the hell is happening around here? What has gotten into Spock now?"

"More like what he's gotten into Uhura," McCoy said with a grin.

"What?" Kirk looked thoroughly annoyed.

"Nevermind Jim. The Enterprise is your baby. Just take care of her and let me take care of Spock and Uhura."

/*-/*-/

Chapter 107: Remember the Time?

Summary:

Spock and Uhura are trapped on a slow ship to Vulcan with a lot of spare time on their hands. Time to reminisce and bond!

Trigger warning for implied non-consent, but they totally consented.

Notes:

Those sweet memories
Will always be dear to me
And girl, no matter what was said
I will never forget what we had

~Remember The Time by Michael Jackson~

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 

Remember the Time?

 

Spock agreed to delay telling his parents about the pregnancy until Uhura could tell her own family. Unfortunately, she couldn't reach them at the moment. Ship-to-ship communications were working normally, but long-range subspace communication was out. The captain had decided since they were on their way to Vulcan in the first place, instead of diverting to a starbase for repairs, they would continue on with the Vulcan cruisers as planned.

There were excellent space dock facilities on Vulcan which was an added bonus because Kirk had a mystery to solve. He wanted to know why the Orions attacked his ship and what the Vulcans had to do with it.

That meant Uhura could not call Earth until they reached Vulcan. It also meant she had a few days to formulate a plan of attack on how to tell her family all the things that had happened to her in the past few months.

In the meantime, an enormous weight had been lifted from her shoulders now that Spock knew her secret. She had been serious when she said all hell was going to break loose when her family learned about him. So while the ship lumbered along to Vulcan she and Spock were on borrowed time but she was determined to make the most of it.

She looked over at Spock as he prepared their evening meal in the small galley area of their quarters. What must he be thinking right now? He was always so calm, cool, and collected but today he had behaved emotionally. She'd only ever seen him lose control when he'd been in Pon Farr. In Par Farr, Spock had to rely on her for his survival. He couldn't even feed himself. Soon she would need to rely on him. Not for the first time, she wondered if Spock regretted their bond. After all, it was his selfless act of restoring her memory that had intertwined their minds and fates together forever.

"I'm sorry, Spock," she blurted.

"For what are you sorry, Aduna?" he asked without looking up from his task.

"For a lot of things. I haven't been a very good wife."

That stopped him, and he looked at her seriously. "On the contrary, you have been a perfect wife. In fact, you have been the best wife I have ever had."

"Very nicely put, considering your previous wife's treacherous behavior. But I'm serious. I'm sorry for everything I put you through since we bonded and especially for what I did to you on Vulcan in that cave."

"Why are you sorry? What did you do to me?" He was genuinely confused.

"You still have no memory of what happened during your Pon Farr after all this time?"

"No, I do not. It is very rare for a male to remember the Time."

"Well... maybe that's for the best. I had a hard time facing you afterward, you know?"

"I am sorry that I am the cause for such remorse."

"It's not your fault, you were incapacitated. Incapable of understanding what was happening to you. Incapable of giving consent to what happened."

Spock raised his eyebrows. "Consent?" he questioned.

"Yes, everything that happened to you was out of your control."

"I beg your pardon? What are you talking about?"

"You heard what I said, Mr. All Ears."

"Indeed, I did, but I did not believe what I heard. Do you mean to imply that you took advantage of me during Pon Farr? What put that idea in your mind?"

"I did."

"And that is what I cannot comprehend. Why would you believe you took advantage of me when it was I who, in fact, took advantage of you?"

"How could you take advantage of me? I was in my right mind. I chose to bond with you. You had no choice but to bond with me."

"You had no choice but to accompany me to Vulcan. I abducted you from the Enterprise. I did not gain your consent."

"That is different."

"How so?" he asked.

She crossed her arms defensively. "It just is. If you had asked me to accompany you to Vulcan, I would have gone."

That gave Spock pause. True, she had made similar statements during his court-martial, but he didn't believe it then and he still did not. He could not imagine that Nyota would have agreed to their bonding if Amanda had not pressured her into it. She was not prepared for the savagery of Pon Farr.

"You did not take advantage of me," he said firmly.

"You just can't remember what I did to you," she insisted.

Spock stopped the food from cooking. "Now I am intrigued. What did you do to me that is causing such distress?" Spock had no idea why Nyota was talking about their Pon Farr now, but he could clearly see it stressed her, which he would not tolerate in her condition. He never wanted to see a frown on her face.

Nyota blushed and looked away. "It doesn't bear telling."

Oh yes, it does! Spock thought. Now he desperately needed to know what Nyota could have done to him to cause that blush. She was socially conservative, he understood that about her. However, he also knew that she possessed a very passionate nature. She was bold and confident in bed, and she did not blush easily. "What did I forget?"

"You really don't remember anything?" she asked.

"I remember... bits and pieces... I remember the last time we... joined." Spock was not conservative, but he preferred not to talk salaciously.

"What bits do you recall?" she interrupted.

"I recall that you asked me to hurry," he said softly.

She smiled sadly. "I recall that as well. I was exhausted. You had worn me out."

"I am sorry-"

"No, you're not. I don't want you to be sorry about it."

"Then what do you want from me?"

"I guess I want you to forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive. You saved my life."

"If you only knew how."

"Then tell me, Aduna. Tell me so I can forgive you. There is nothing you can say to me that I will not forgive."

"You can't promise that."

"I can and I do. It is only logical to forgive your wife when she is sincerely remorseful. Tell me," he prodded.

"The truth is... I... I... did things to you."

"Things?" he said, trying to encourage her.

"Well, I had to undress you..."

He nodded. "Yes, that is only logical."

"But you didn't like that," Uhura protested.

"I didn't?" Spock could not believe he would not like Nyota undressing him.

Uhura shook her head. "No, you got angry."

"I did?" he asked in disbelief. "I was certainly out of my mind."

She nodded her head in agreement.

"And this made you believe that you...violated me?" he asked in disbelief.

"Well, I did. You were not very willing. You even said I violated you."

Spock's mind was boggled. This woman... how could she misunderstand this? "Nyota, during the Pon Farr there are no rules and now laws. It is as you said. I could not think logically. I was acting on pure instinct. As a Vulcan male, I could have easily overpowered you in that cave. In fact, I could have caused you great physical harm quite easily."

"But at the time you didn't even have the strength to undress yourself-"

"Nevertheless, I could have snapped you in two with little effort. I could have stopped you if I didn't want you to undress me. I could have overpowered you and forced myself on you with little restraint and there would not have been a thing you could do to stop me."

He said this while he slowly stalked across the room and crowded her against a bulkhead. Showing her how big and strong he really was compared with her, how dangerous he could be, even with his logic intact.

He pressed her into the wall. "I could crush you even now. I choose not to, and I obviously chose not to then. In Pon Farr, it is not unheard of for a male to harm his female, even kill her if he is too far gone in Plak Tow."

Spock didn't want to frighten her, but she needed to know what he was capable of, what she was bonded to. He touched her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. "That is why I resisted the desire to bond with you for so long. I did not want you to know what I am capable of."

"Spock, you would never and could never hurt me like that. I don't care what you say."

Spock sighed. "Then you are foolish. I could have. Please believe that, for your own safety."

"But-"

"Nyota, please believe me on this?" He tried to will her to believe it.

"Okay, I believe you."

"Also, believe that nothing that happened in that cave was against my will. I would not have allowed it even in that state of mind. Even as a mindless animal, I would have defended myself against a threat. In Pon Farr, a male will only allow his bondmate to touch him. If I had not wanted your touch, I would have violently rejected you. If I voiced a denial, it was likely my instinct to protect you even in that mindless state."

"I still don't like what I did."

"Because you are a gentle being. Pon Farr is a primitive, confusing time. I regret that you have to see me that way."

Uhura wrapped her arms around him. "I went through it too. It's frightening to wake up and realize you've behaved like a wild animal out of control. That's why I'm sorry."

"We are both sorry. It is quite illogical. I have learned that I need to accept that primitive part of my nature. It is what sustains my race. I thought that being half-human, I could escape that part of my Vulcan heritage, that I could cheat it, but there is no escaping what I am. Therefore, logically I must accept it. To be a Vulcan wife, you must also accept it as a part of our bond."

"I do accept it now, and I accept you. I know it will happen again and I have to accept it."

"Do not feel guilt or shame for what took place during our Pon Farr. You like to be in control, but Pon Farr is something that cannot be controlled."

"But you told me to stop, and I didn't," she still argued against herself.

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because you needed me, you would have died if I had stopped."

"Precisely. You did what I needed you to do. You need not feel shame or guilt for that. You were being a good wife."

She still looked skeptical. "Nyota, did you enjoy it?" he asked suddenly when realization dawned.

"What?"

"Did you enjoy undressing me? Controlling me?" he asked.

"What kind of question is that?"

"The curious type of question. Did you enjoy it, Aduna?"

"What's to enjoy?" she said, evading the answer. "Like you said, I did what I had to do."

"Yes, you did an admirable job. But did you enjoy the task? Did you perhaps, find pleasure in having me at a disadvantage when I needed you most?"

"No!" she denied the accusation and tried to push him away, but she couldn't budge his bulk.

"What else were you forced to do to save me?" Spock pushed back.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"I am quite curious. As you say, I have no memory of it."

"Perhaps it is better that way."

"No, I do not agree. I would like to know. Perhaps I can give you that consent now."

"You already said you forgive everything, no take-backs," she said, trying to duck around him. He snagged her around the waist and pulled her against his body.

"No, I would very much like to know what I am forgiving first."

"Spock!" She tried in vain to pull his arm away, but he was stronger than any human she'd ever encountered.

"Yes?" he waited patiently.

"I can't tell you," she whispered.

"Why not?"

"I'm too embarrassed," she looked away

Spock turned her chin with his finger and looked into her raised eyes.

"You need never be embarrassed with me. There should be no secrets between bondmates. There should be no shame between us either. Nothing should ever come between us, Nyota." He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Now, show me."

"Sometimes I forget how bossy you can be."

"I believe you prefer me when I am 'bossy'," Spock said with a smirk.

Uhura narrowed her eyes at him. What did he remember about their time in the cave? Did he remember those fantasies?

"What makes you believe that?" she asked coyly.

"I have my reasons."

"Which are?"

"Mine," he said almost in a growl, and he started nibbling her neck.

"That's not fair. You want to know my secrets."

"I want to know what you think you did to me, and why you believe I would not consent. Because I cannot imagine anything you could do to me, that would not please me."

"Sp-aah-ock..." she whined. She was willing to forget everything else when he started sucking on her neck like that.

"For example, I know I would be very pleased if you were to disrobe me right now. I have imagined it often, even before we bonded."

"Did you really?" Uhura asked with skepticism.

"Yes. I have imagined us in such a scenario countless times."

"Really? You fantasized about me?"

"Of course. Vulcans have excellent imaginations. And you have fantasized about me too," he said with confidence.

Of course, she couldn't deny it. Spock would know if she lied anyway, so it would be foolish to deny it.

"Tell me Nyota, what did you do after you undressed me?" He went back to kissing her neck.

"Um, well after that I had to...er..."

"Perhaps you should show me?" he said in his husky voice. He had forgotten all about the food he had been preparing. Suddenly, all he wanted was to gobble her up.

"Pardon?" she said breathlessly.

"I think you should show me exactly what you did to me before I make a final determination," Spock said and pulled her by the wrist towards their bunk.

"Wait, what are we doing?" She asked, allowing him to pull her with little resistance.

"You are going to demonstrate why you are sorry."

"I'm sorry I brought it up now," she said, which made Spock raise his devilish brow.

"Well, since you have brought it up..." he barely contained a wicked smile at his play of words.

"I think you are trying to seduce me." She tried to pull away again, but he fell back on the bed and pulled her down with him.

"No, Adun'a you are seducing me."

Too late, Nyota realized that Spock had outmaneuvered her, the clever bastard. He was sprawled on his back, propping himself up on his elbows, looking at her with a challenging smirk. The ball was in her court now. Did she really want to run away from him? Did she dare accept his challenge? How the hell did she get herself into these messes?

And Spock just looked at her patiently, waiting for her to give in, as he knew she would.

"Okay, you win." Uhura slid to the side and knelt at his feet. She removed first one boot from Spock's foot, and then the other, just as she'd done months ago on Vulcan. "You wanna play games with me, Mister? Let's play!"

*/*/*

 

Notes:

Hope you all enjoyed the long weekend. I probably won't be updating again until next week :-)

Chapter 108: As Good As the First Time?

Summary:

I totally almost cut this chapter because I hate writing sex scenes and this chapter stressed me out. But then we would miss some of the funny lemony moments between them. So just like Spock, I shoved it back in :-)

Feel free to skip this blatant smut if you're not into that kind of thing.

Notes:

But now it's my turn to watch you, I ain't gon' stop you
If you wanna crowd my neck, talk sexy to me like that
Just do what I taught you girl when I give you my heat
And I need you to push it right back

~Love Sex Magic by Ciara ft. Justin Timberlake~

Chapter Text

As Good as the First Time?

 

Spock wanted to play with her? Fine. Mister Spock was about to learn that he was no match for Nyota Uhura when it came to teasing.

She knelt between his spread knees after discarding his boots.

"So," she said rubbing her hands up his thighs, "you want a blow-by-blow account of what happened to you in the cave on Vulcan?" She leaned forward and unfastened Spock's pants and then grinned when he hitched his breath.

"You want to know how it all went down, hmm?" she asked in a sultry voice while she tugged his pants down over his hips. Spock tried to help by raising up further on his elbows but she pressed her hand against his stomach and pushed him back.

"Lie back sugar, let me handle this. You couldn't move, remember?" She tugged and shimmied the pants down until she reached his knees and she had to stand to finish removing them and tossed them aside as well. She looked down at her handy work so far. "I don't remember you wearing underwear before but no worries." She rested a knee on the bunk and grabbed the hem of his uniform shirt. She slowly peeled it up his torso and Spock voluntarily raised his arms above his head to assist her. She got the shirt over his head but then stopped, leaving his arms entangled in the sleeves.

"That's far enough. Leave it just like that and don't move," she commanded, and silently Spock obeyed.

Nyota looked down at his naked torso and appreciated his physique. Spock was very lean and trim. His uniform deceived the eye into thinking he was just tall and thin, but he was all firm muscle. She smiled to herself and licked her lips which elicited a shiver from Spock. She looked up into his dark heavy-lidded eyes. What was he thinking?

She placed a hand on his chest and combed through the dark dusting of hair scattered across his pecs. She took the time to pinch each nipple and tease them with her thumbs. Slowly, she raked her gold-painted fingernails down his torso leaving a trail of green-tinted scratches. Then snagged the waistband of his undergarment with one hand and pulled out his penis with the other. He was already hard as a rock. The tip of the wide bulbous head had already peeked out of the retracted hiding place and was beginning to weep.

"Mmm, this is very familiar, isn't it?" she asked. When he was about to answer, she pressed the finger of her free hand to his lips.

"Shhh. No, you couldn't talk back then. All you could do was watch. Well actually, you glared at me. So you just lie back and let me show you." She stroked him very gently at first, taking her time to glide her hands up and down his length as if touching him for the very first time.

"I remember when I first saw you naked, I cursed your mother." She giggled as she remembered her first look at Spock au naturel. "I was so pissed off at how big it is, especially this." She gently pinched the large head of his penis, causing Spock's breath to hitch, but she ignored him. "But I'm sure everyone thinks that the first time they see an erect penis, don't you agree?" She didn't look up at him to see his reaction as she focused on her task. She needed both hands to get a firm grip on his shaft.

"I was very intimidated by you. As you know, I had never done this sort of thing before."

Spock remained silent, but his breathing had sped up and the muscles in his legs and stomach were tensing and contracting. He gripped the shirt in his hands until the material threatened to rend.

"You didn't last this long back then. As I recall, you went off pretty fast, like a rocket! I'd never seen anything like it." She bent down to kiss the head of his penis, tasting him and wetting it further with her tongue. Then she went back to teasing his tip and glans with her thumbs, extracting more secretions to make her hands nice and slick.

"I think my technique is much better than it was back then, but I guess you're in control now, aren't you?" she asked archly and then looked up at his face. He wore a strained expression and his eyes were shut tightly. Nyota laughed to herself. Serves him right, she thought. And then she rethought her smugness. He was getting a handjob, and what was she getting out of this?

She pulled her hands away from him and stood up. Spock jerked his eyes wide open and looked at her in disbelief. "What are you doing?"

"This isn't fair. How did we come to this?"

"We have not come," Spock said stiffly.

"Hush! You're not supposed to even be talking." She walked over to the dresser, her task forgotten.

"Are you really going to just..." Spock glanced down at his naked manhood, "... leave me hanging?" he asked, using the Terran expression.

She looked over her shoulder at him. "Believe me, baby, it's not hanging," she said, then turned back to remove her earrings and put them in a holder on the table. Next, she slowly bent over and removed her own boots. Once that was done, she reached around and undid the clasps of her dress. All the while Spock lay spread eagle in stunned silence, watching her striptease.

Uhura slowly peeled her dress off her shoulders and let it fall in a heap at her feet. Then she deliberately rolled down her tights, shimmying out of them one foot at a time, bent over the entire time. That too lay in a heap on top of her dress. Her underwear quickly followed, adding to the pile of clothing. Last, she took the clasps out of her hair that was up in a tight bun and let her halo of tight curls float freely.

"There, that's better, isn't it?" she asked, standing gloriously naked in front of Spock.

She walked back over to the bunk, hips swaying with every step. She hopped up on the bed to sit on her knees next to Spock. He was laid out before her like a feast so she licked her lips in anticipation. "Now, where was I?"

She leaned forward, her nipples grazing his chest hair, and she pressed a kiss to his chin, and then his cheek, and then the shell of his ear, and finally she pulled back to look at his face. "There's the glare I remember. Still forgive me?" she whispered.

Spock nodded his head eagerly. She kissed his lips, parting them to stick her tongue inside his mouth and taste him. Spock was not enthusiastic about human kissing, but she was in control now and he could not resist. He was at her tender mercy. Uhura slid her hands back down his body to stroke him as she did that day in the cave. She whispered in his ear again, "I was so nervous that first time. Did you know that? Did you feel my fear as I trembled?"

Spock shook his head. Either he didn't know or he didn't remember.

"I was so afraid I was going to do something wrong. But I couldn't stop. Because I wanted to help you. Just as much as you needed it, I wanted it."

Uhura peppered kisses all over Spock, making her way from his chin back down to his chest. "This is what I did," she said between kisses. "And you couldn't stop me." She jerked her hands up and down, slowly massaging him. After what seemed like an eternity of sweet torture, Spock exploded all over her hands, but she didn't stop stroking him.

"That's exactly what happened. I had never seen anything like it before. You went off in the air like a geyser, and even when you finished, it was still so big and hard. You never get tired, do you?"

Spock said nothing. He was still breathing heavily while his eyes tracked every movement of her hands.

"Oh! Now you're wide awake and looking so pleased. Back then you fell asleep as soon as you finished. And then I had to clean us both up and bathe you."

That revelation caused Spock to frown slightly. Despite that, he did not speak. He was so good at following orders. Uhura bent down and kissed his chest. "I didn't mind bathing you. I enjoy taking care of you."

Spock looked up at her with so much admiration she felt embarrassed again. "This is much different from the angry looks you gave me back in the cave," she told him.

Uhura moved to pull her hands away, but Spock stopped her. "What else happened?" he rasped.

"That's it. You fell asleep."

"We were together for three days. I do not remember any of it. Did I... hurt you?" he asked cautiously.

"No! I told you. You were out of your mind and I had to do it all to take care of you."

"Then I fail to see any violation of consent. Thank you for your tender care of me, Aduna."

"One does not thank logic. You needed taking care of and I was there to do it."

"There is nothing logical about the Time. I will be forever grateful that you were uninjured. Though you do not believe it, you were at my mercy."

Uhura lay down on the bed beside him and closed her eyes. Now she was getting tired and wanted to sleep just like they did in the cave. "Okay. Satisfied now?" she mumbled.

"No, not yet," he said. She felt Spock moving but didn't open her eyes. He was always the one to clean them up afterward, so she let him do it now.

But he didn't leave the bed. Instead, she felt him touch her, starting at the tips of her feet. He kissed one big toe and then the other and all the little piggies on each foot. Uhura sat up on her elbows and looked down at where Spock was sitting at the edge of the bed. "What are you doing down there?"

"I do not remember our first Time. However, if I were to have a choice on how to proceed after your superior handling, I would have kissed your entire body from top to tip, or in this case from tip to top." He nibbled her toes then the bottom of her feet and Uhura shivered from the tickling sensation of it.

She tried to pull her feet away, but he gripped her ankles firmly and pulled her back. "You're tired now. Just let me do all the work," he said in a reverse of their Time.

Aw shit! Spock had a serious look on his face, which told her he was just getting started. He didn't just kiss her; he licked and nibbled her skin, working his way up from her ankles to her toned calves. He lifted her legs and crawled up between them. His tongue tickled the sensitive skin behind her knees and that was enough to have her squirming. She was so wet and ready for him right now; she reached out to pull him all the way up, but he took her hands and pinned them to her side while he kissed and nipped his way up to her inner thighs, turning his head from one side to the other.

Now she was wide awake as well as wide open for his exploration. "Spock!" she cried when he took a good chunk of her fleshy thigh between his teeth and bit down just hard enough to leave a bruise.

Uhura threw her head back. "Damn it, Spock, hurry up!" She wiggled, trying to escape his grasp, but he had her pinned wide open and all she could do was wait while she panted in anticipation of his next move.

"I remember you told me to hurry in the cave too," he said, and he nibbled further up her other thigh. "But I am not inclined to hurry now."

"You better!" she demanded.

"No, I like your Kenyan style. Slow, steady, nice, and easy."

Spock's tongue was slightly rougher than a human's. He licked his way up to the top of her thighs, scraping that soft sensitive skin in the creases of her pubic area. Uhura wanted to scream in frustration. How many licks did it take until he got to the center, anyway? "I'm going to come before you get to the point," she threatened.

"Belay that," he said. He let go of her hands so he could push her thighs up and open further before he dipped his tongue inside her slick opening.

"Oh, shit!" The feel of his tongue inside her was all she needed. Heat spread all over Uhura's body as she squeezed her thighs tight. She tugged on his hair, trying to pull him off and yet deeper inside at the same time, but he continued to lick and suck and tease until she finally came all over Spock's talented tongue. "Oh shit," she cried out and arched her back. She lay panting on her back, arms limp at her sides, completely depleted and ready to fall into a satisfied sleep. But Spock wasn't done with her yet.

Uhura may have gone limp, but Spock had not. He flipped her over on her belly and proceeded to position her with her hips raised in the air while she rested on her knees and elbows. He could have done anything he wanted to her at this point. She didn't care. She felt like a rag doll in his hands.

But Spock was careful with her. He took his time to caress her flushed, perspiration dampened skin as he maneuvered her body. He inhaled her unique scent and rubbed his own scent on her with his head, just as she'd done to him many times before. He palmed her breasts with his strong hands and tweaked her nipples, gently rolling them between his fingers, causing her toes to curl. There was no part of Uhura that Spock did not touch with some part of himself. Finally, after he had worked her up again, he positioned his penis at her opening, but he didn't penetrate her yet. He leaned over her back and kissed her skin all along her spine. When he got to the back of her neck, he licked her salty skin and sucked hard on her shoulder, leaving his mark.

Uhura was wide awake and overstimulated. It felt like liquid fire was coursing through her veins. She rocked her hips, trying to get Spock to enter her. "Now who's a tease?" she asked as Spock withheld himself from thrusting into her. She tried to push back, but he was not to be rushed. He placed a hand on her belly to steady her and then in her ear he asked, "Are you ready for me, Aduna?"

"Oh, my god yes! Put it in me before I break it off and do it myself!"

That elicited a deep rumbling laugh from Spock. "You only had to ask." And slowly, slowly he pulled her back, sliding into her moist heat until he buried himself deep inside her.

"Aah," Uhura sighed. She was stuffed so full, but quickly adjusted to his size. Still, he didn't move, just waited. "Mmm Spock... I always wanted to feel you inside of me just like this," she said. "And it was so big and full inside of me that first time too. It almost hurt." She slowly ground her hips and push back into him. "Hurry up and fuck me," she commanded, but Spock would not obey. Slowly, he pulled out and slammed back in, but he waited for a breath and then two before he did it again and again. His thrusts were so slow and deliberate and it was such sweet torture, but Uhura needed more and she was ready to make good on her earlier threat and relieve him of his anatomy if he didn't do something and give it to her soon.

What he did was pull all the way out and roll over on his back. Before she could howl in protest, he easily lifted her on top of him. Uhura wasted no time. She raised her hips, positioned his penis at her opening, and lowered herself down until Spock was buried deep inside her again. Yes! This was what she wanted. Now she was in control and Spock was just along for the ride.

He remembered another time when his body was so hot that it burned and he was helpless to control it. When his lok was so painfully aroused and aching for release that he nearly died of want, and this woman had saved him. She had welcomed him into her body and let him have his fill of her. Spock opened his mouth to beg for that relief now but he didn't recognize the sounds that came out, which was like a feral growl.

With each roll of her hips, Uhura drew Spock deeper into the tight, moist confines of her body. She bent down and whispered, "I want you to come so deep inside of me, Adun. Fill me up just like you did when you made me pregnant."

Her words appealed to something primal in Spock. He sat up and pulled her down roughly on top of him and he fulfilled her request, exploding hard and fast inside her just like the rocket Uhura remembered.

"Mmm yes!" she cried as she came with him. She wrapped her arms around him and her entire body tightened and trembled. She squeezed him inside, trying to hold him within her as long as she could so she didn't lose a drop. This was just what she needed. Just like the first time.

*/*/*

Later, when Spock found his voice, he spoke her name with reverence. "Nyota."

"Mmm?" was all she could muster with her drowsy voice.

"Will you forgive me?"

She sighed. "Why? What have you done now?"

"For forgetting our first Time and for goading you earlier. I did not mean to."

"You didn't mean for us to end up in bed together, going at it like jackrabbits?" She raised her head from his chest to look at him.

Spock was silent, which was a sure sign she had exposed the truth.

"Mmm-hmm. You ever notice that you always manage to get exactly what you want?"

"No."

"Well, I've noticed. I guess it's true what they say about Vulcans."

"What do they say about us?"

"Vulcans are sneaky bastards. And I do believe you."

"What do you believe, Aduna?"

"That you don't do anything you don't want to do. That you're dangerous." She felt his body tense. "Don't panic," she said, wrapping her arms tighter around him. "I'm not afraid of you. I still believe you'd never hurt me. It's the others out there that better worry about you. I understand why Vulcan has never been conquered by an invading force."

"And why is that?"

"Someone might think a planet full of pacifists would be an easy mark. And they would be sorely mistaken."

"Does it disturb you that Vulcan can be such a brutal planet?"

"No, of course not. I'm proud of you," she said with a sleepy yawn.

Spock was silent after that. Sometime later when Nyota was snoring softly, he held her in his arms, her head pressed on his shoulder and their legs entangled.

Nyota was proud of him; of Vulcan. She knew what he was, and she accepted him anyway. And she wanted to have his baby, she even begged for his seed. Something warm settled deep inside of his chest. He was sure he had experienced this feeling before, but never to this extent. Was this what it felt like to be truly happy? If he were not in control of his emotions, he would laugh or cry. He couldn't decide which was more appropriate.

Nyota said he always got what he wanted. But Spock didn't agree. He thought that in his life he always wanted things he could not get, such as his father's approval or acceptance from his childhood tormentors. All of his life Spock had simply wanted to belong, and now when he was with Nyota, he finally felt that he did.

*/*/*

Uhura awoke alone. She looked around the room but there was no sign of Spock. He was a light sleeper, so he was probably already well into his daily routine. She sat up and stretched. Her muscles were sore, but it was the good kind of soreness and she grinned to herself. Spock was like a naughty boy sometimes and she liked that about him. He really wasn't that stiff, cold, emotionless being people assumed he was. He was full of passion, and like his mother, he had a wicked mischievous streak.

She took care of business in the bathroom, but when she was done she got back in bed. Though she had slept soundly for hours, she was still groggy. There was no rush for her to get up and get going since she was still playing housewife while on leave. She lay back down and thought about last night. She had not planned on that happening. How Spock had flipped the script on her she would never know. He was far too clever. And sexy. Nobody could ever say he hadn't consented to that.

As she played the evening's events over again in her mind she felt warmth spread all through her body. After they made love Spock fed her the dinner he had prepared and then they made love again. Because apparently he never got tired of sex, and after that second round, she truly had been out for the count. She drifted back off to sleep once again dreaming of Spock and the way he had fulfilled all her needs.

Much later she woke to the sound of an alarm and she abruptly sat up, looking around disoriented. Spock must have been here since her nap and set the alarm. She saw food on the dining table, along with the bottle of vitamins Dr. McCoy had prescribed for her. There was also a dress neatly hanging fresh and pressed on the wardrobe door waiting for her. Spock was truly a very thoughtful husband. She took a quick shower and came back into the bedroom to dress. Spock had cleaned up everything from last night and put it away as usual. So thoughtful.

She looked in a dresser drawer and all her old underwear was gone. What the hell? First her nightgowns, and now her panties were missing? Spock had been busy 'cleaning' up alright. On the dresser top, she spied a new set of underwear apparently laid out for her to wear. It was a tiny set of a white bra and panties. Well, not quite panties, but a thong and the bra would barely cover what mother nature had blessed her with; the fabric was lacy and sheer. What was he thinking?

Scratch that. She knew exactly what he had been thinking. Uhura laughed to herself. Spock really was a regular green-blooded man. Did he imagine this was the kind of underwear women wore every day? Didn't he even bother to note the underwear she wore last night? Good, solid, practical underwear? This set he left for her was just eye candy, she mumbled to herself as she slid her limbs into the leg holes of the g-string and wrestled her arms into the barely-there bra straps.

She searched the cabin for her missing undies, but all she found was more of the underwear that Spock had bought her while they were on Argelius. Was this some kind of Vulcan kink? Did he derive pleasure by dressing her up in the clothing he bought for her? It was a minor thing, but it reminded her of another time when her clothing disappeared. She still had no idea what happened to her dress uniform from the Gorn ball. She had forgotten all about it until today. What the hell was he doing with her clothes? A brief image of Spock wearing her old bra and panties under her dress uniform flashed through her mind, but she dismissed it. Even Spock wasn't that kinky... or was he?

Uhura gave up the search and sat in front of the mirror to do her hair, but her reflection stunned her and caused her to pause with the brush in midair. She looked different. Her eyes were brighter, her cheeks rosy, her lips looked plumper. Everything looked warm and glowing. She felt bright and glowing. If she had been looking at any other woman, she would say they looked like they were either pregnant or in love. Uhura just so happened to be both.

Chapter 109: Bound Together

Summary:

Spock and Uhura discuss their bond and their baby.

Chapter Text

I feel such a connection

Even when you're far away, mmm

Ooo baby, if there is anything that you fear (anything)

Call 489-4608 and I'll be here

~Diary by Alicia Keys~


 Bound Together? 

Uhura had a lot of time on her hands since she was on leave, and she used that time to think about her life. When she agreed to bond with Spock, she could never have imagined the experiences she would have. In the past few months she and Spock had gone from friends, to bondmates, to lovers, and now future parents, all at warp ten speed.

She really should be freaking out about it but she wasn't. Something about this all just felt right. She and Spock were still learning things about one another, but at the same time, she felt like she'd known him forever. From the moment she met Spock he had infatuated her. So much so she that she had wheedled her way into his life, first with demands for music and language lessons and then forming a friendship and flirting with him relentlessly. And after they were bonded, she led him around on a merry chase. And now they were adding another life into the mix, but it was exciting. Their mission was to seek out new life, but she and Spock had created it. Whenever she thought about Spock and her baby, she got butterflies in the pit of her stomach.

Every day she felt less and less like Lieutenant Nyota Uhura and more like Mrs. Spock. The very idea of losing her identity would have angered her just a few weeks ago, but now she was wearing Spock's ring and carrying his baby. She was Spock's wife, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't like it.

When Spock returned home that evening, they shared a simple dinner that Uhura had prepared and talked about their day. Spock had supervised the repairs on the ship and again acted as translator for some of the engineers sent to the ship from the Syrran to assist them.

"Why can't we program the universal translators with their dialect?" Uhura asked him.

"It takes time for the translator to decipher enough words and interpret them accurately. The Vulcans who come aboard are mostly speaking in scientific terms which is generally universal but it is difficult to gather enough context to translate them precisely which you will agree is crucial for warp engine repair."

"I suppose, but why do they need you to translate? Don't any of them know Federation Standard or regular old High Vulcan?"

"I am certain they do, but not with enough proficiency to speak to outsiders about delicate repairs. I believe they are more comfortable relaying the details to me in our native language. Vulcans can be difficult."

"You're telling me this?" She grinned.

"in addition, our clan dialect is sufficiently different from High Vulcan to be classified as a separate language. Clans often use complicated syntax and grammatical structure to mislead the enemy." Spock informed her. "It's completely unlike anything in the Federation database."

"Enemy? Who is the enemy? Earth? Starfleet? The Federation?"

"No. I say enemy because that is how the tradition of clan dialects started. During the time of endless tribal conflicts, secret code languages were used among kin and clan. It was used to cement allegiances and send secret messages between allies. Though our tribal wars are long over, the tradition holds. If a rival clan were to break the code of your clan dialect it could spell disaster in battle. Our dialects are a closely guarded secret to this day."

"So the High Vulcan you are teaching me is useless?"

"No. High Vulcan is the official language of the Vulcan council. It is the language everyone learns in school, what we use to do business outside of the clan. You must learn it, Aduna. But among a clan, you would learn their dialect as your mother tongue."

"Sounds complicated," she said as she sipped her water.

"It is not difficult if you are born into it. You are already a gifted linguist. You speak Earth Standard as well as Swahili and High Vulcan. Our clan dialect will be easy to master, but you should be among native speakers to learn the nuisance. Even I, being away from home for so long, will have to learn the changes that have occurred over the years. Every generation makes changes and additions, and that keeps the dialect alive."

"It sounds like slang back on Earth. We kids would make up vocabulary and phrases so our parents wouldn't know what we were talking about. My parents used slang their parents couldn't decipher. Every generation makes up a language that seems nonsensical to the one before."

Spock nodded. "Our worlds are very much alike despite our superficial differences."

"You mean like green blood and pointed ears vs red blood and round ears?"

"Yes, and psi abilities. Humans are almost universally psi null with some few exceptions," Spock said.

"Like Doctor Miranda Jones?" Uhura asked.

"Indeed, she is a remarkable talent. And also Gary Mitchell." Spock said thoughtfully.

Spock rarely talked about those days when he served under Captain Pike before Captain Kirk took over. She understood that Spock was very different from the man he was today. Sulu said Spock smiled and laughed back then, but after the incident with Gary Mitchell, all that changed. "I wasn't here when that incident with Mitchell happened, but I get the feeling you were very... shall I say, disturbed by his passing? The prevailing rumor is that you refused the first officer's role and quarters because you didn't want to take his place. He was Jim's best friend and first officer and now you are."

"There is no truth or logic to that rumor. I preferred my role as the science officer, but as you stated, I am currently the first officer as well, so obviously I took the job. As for the quarters, I simply did not need larger accommodations, and it seemed a waste of time and energy to move."

"And yet here you are in the first officer's suit with me. Life is strange like that, isn't it?"

"I will say life has its mysteries," he answered thoughtfully.

Uhura reached across the table and held out her hand, which Spock took immediately. "Spock, did you ever think we would end up like this? Bonded and married? Holding hands at the dinner table together?"

"No, I didn't. You said I always get what I want. But there was a time when all I wanted was this and I never thought I could have it. I never thought I could have you. You were a dream, and I was always awake."

"I dreamed about you all the time, too, but you already know that. I fantasized about us being together, but I always knew it was impossible. And I didn't want to end up like Christine, pining for a man I could never have. So I told myself it was pointless." Uhura slid her fingers between Spock's, linking them in a tight mesh. She hoped he could feel the emotions behind the words she was speaking.

"When you came to me that night after T'Pring divorced you, it made me so happy, when just hours before I had been so miserable. You broke my heart when you called her your wife on the bridge and you didn't even know it. At the time, I believed if you had known you wouldn't even care. So when you showed up for your little booty call later that night, I thought having a small bit of your friendship was better than nothing at all."

"I did not show up for any 'booty call'," Spock sounded indignant.

"So why did you show up?"

He didn't have a logical answer for it. He had just needed to be near her at the time, and he told her so.

"But if I had offered to let you spend the night in my bed, would you have turned me down?" she asked.

He didn't answer, which was all she needed to know. He would have been on her like a tick on a dog. "It's alright. It wasn't the right time for us then. You were on the rebound. You would have used me up and kicked me aside. It's better this way."

"If I had stayed with you that night, I would have bonded with you whether or not you were ready to. I would not have been able to control myself so fresh from a failed Pon Farr. And afterward, I would have done something even more irrational and released you. So, as you say, it is better this way," he agreed.

"You were going to let me go and risked death?" she asked in surprise.

"Foolishly I would have. Now I never will," he said vehemently.

Uhura could tell he meant it. He would never let her go and the thought made something deep inside of her relax. "That should scare me, but it doesn't. I used to think Amanda was crazy to follow Sarek around, jumping to obey his every command. I vowed I would never be that way, but lately..." Uhura shook her head, trying to gather her thoughts.

"Spock, when you came to get me from Charlene's place and you commanded me to attend you, I couldn't get to you fast enough. Sometimes when you tell me to do something I want to do it and I don't even know why."

Spock didn't have an answer for her. He didn't know why he had commanded her to attend him. At the time, he had felt ill at ease while he searched for her after finding their cabin empty. He Would not be satisfied until she was safely at his side under his protection. Before he knew what he was doing, he had said the traditional words.

"When I was a little girl, my brothers gave me a kitten. It was so soft and cute and all I wanted to do was cuddle with it from the moment I saw it. I named her Furball," Uhura remembered smiling.

"But after a while, I got bored just holding it all day. I wanted to go outside and play with my friends, but this little kitten was so needy. She needed to be with me all day. It followed me everywhere I went around our house. It dogged my heels and I nearly tripped over it several times. And it cried all night long when my mother wouldn't let it sleep in the bed with me. Oh, how I hated the sound of that kitten crying, but there was nothing I could do. My mother was adamant I would crush her. The next morning she took it back to the neighbor where they got her." She finished the story sadly.

"Spock, when you were a boy did you have anything like that? A pet that followed you around, needing your constant attention?"

"I had a pet Sehlat. His name was I'Chaya. First, he belonged to my father, and then my brother, and then finally, he was my companion. He was very old and fat by the time we met. I guess you could say he was my nanny," Spock recalled I'Chaya fondly.

"I used to rest on top of his soft fur for naps. He followed me whenever I ran off to the forge to keep me safe. He was the best companion I ever had." Memories of I'Chaya were bittersweet after Spock had encountered him again during his trip through the Guardian of Forever. He had lost I'Chaya twice, having retained the memories of both timelines.

His expression must have disturbed his wife because she rose from her seat to stand behind him wrapping her arms around his neck. "Well, you have me now," Uhura whispered. "Lately, Spock I've felt like I'm that kitten or your I'Chaya. I want to be near you ALL the time. When we're together, I just want to touch you and make sure you're safe and happy. When we're apart, I want to find you and be with you again," she sighed. "What's wrong with me? I'm not a kitten or a Sehlat. Why am I being drawn to you this way?"

"It is quite fascinating," Spock said in reply to her confession.

"Don't give me that 'fascinating' routine. I'm not one of your science experiments, Mister. I'm your wife. The last thing I ever wanted was to feel this helpless and needy in a relationship."

"I find it fascinating because I have experienced the same phenomenon," Spock continued. "I find it difficult to concentrate on my duties when we're apart for any length of time. When I was on the Syrran with the captain, I felt that something was amiss with you and I needed to return to the ship as soon as possible. When I arrived I was told that you'd had an 'incident' and I was compelled to find you. Even before our bonding, I felt myself being drawn to you in this way, but now it is almost overwhelming."

"Could it be because of your Katra? Are we like two halves of something trying to become whole again? Do you want your Katra back?"

"I do not know. I will need to consult with my grandmother and the healers on Vulcan," Spock said, still deep in contemplation. "There is much I do not know about Vulcan telepathy."

"There must be a logical explanation for all of this. If we're both experiencing it then it means I'm not going crazy. You did something to me," Uhura accused, but with no malice.

"Indeed, I did," Spock didn't hesitate to admit. He slid his chair out so she could sit on his lap. He held his hand out palm and Uhura rested her palm on his. They slide their hands together, warmth radiating throughout their bodies as they kissed in the Vulcan way.

"Parted from me and never parted, never and always touching and touched," Spock said.

"Mmm," Uhura moaned. "That's nice. What is it?"

"Those are the traditional words spoken at the time of a bonding."

"I don't remember you saying it to me."

"Nor do I. Regretfully, I do not remember most of our bonding. We would have said those words to one another when we met at the place of Koon-ut-kal-if-fee."

"Parted from me and never parted," she repeated the ancient words.

They were well and truly bonded, and the connection ran deeper than anything he could have ever imagined. If there had ever been a bond between Spock and T'Pring, it was a mere grain of sand in the great Forge compared to the bond he felt building between Nyota and himself. It ran deeper than any ocean on Earth and higher than the tallest mountain range on Vulcan. Was this love? Surely this must be what love felt like. The overpowering attachment his mother's people described.

"That kitten was too young to be separated from it's mother and that's why it was so dependent on me. That's why my mother took her back. Unlike that kitten, I can't return to who I was before our bond, but I can't keep clinging to you either. We're Starfleet officers. What if a mission calls for us to be apart for long periods of time? What if one of us is distracted at a critical moment? We need to control these feelings, Spock."

"I agree. I will contact T'Pau as soon as possible. In the meantime, may I suggest you get some rest?"

"Rest? All I do is rest. I'm tired of resting. I'm ready to go back to work and be useful."

"You will remain on leave until Doctor McCoy gives you the all-clear."

"It could be a while before McCoy has run all those tests he says I need."

"Then you will remain on medical rest for a while."

"Oh, okay Dr. Spock," she pouted, but she honestly had no desire to go against his or the doctor's orders. She kissed his cheek and then went to lie down for a nap. Spock cleaned up their dinner table and when he finished, she patted the space beside her on the bed.

"Climb up in here with me and I'll consider following the doctor's orders."

"I do not think you will get any rest if I join you."

She grinned innocently. "Why not?"

"Nyota," Spock warned.

"I just want to cuddle like a sehlat, I swear." She raised her right hand as if pledging an oath.

"I do not believe we can simply cuddle."

"What do you mean? Are you saying you can't control yourself?"

"My self-control is unquestioned. You, however, have admitted that you can't be trusted to keep your hands to yourself around me," he said.

"I can keep my hands where they belong. It seems to me you're afraid."

"I am," Spock confessed seriously. "I'll never do anything to put you or our child at risk."

"You'd never hurt us. Besides, Dr. McCoy didn't say I had to cease all activity he only wanted me to rest and relax. I've rested and I feel fine. Now climb up here Mister."

Spock relented and lay down gently on the bed beside her. Nyota lay her head on his chest and Spock slowly stroked her hair in silence.

"I am a little scared too," she finally admitted.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Sorry about what, about our baby?"

"No. Never. Not about our child. I will never be sorry about that."

"Then what are you sorry for?"

Spock didn't answer. He just stroked her head.

"What is it?" she prodded. "We're in this together, remember?"

"I am sorry that you must carry the burden of all my faults."

"Ugh, not this again! I'm not complaining...yet. I'm a big girl. We're both adults. Obviously, we've done some adult things. This is just another adult responsibility. We've both made choices that we can't undo and I for one, don't want to. I have no regrets about us. Please tell me you don't regret this?"

"I regret nothing," Spock said with some of his confidence back.

"Good! That's the arrogant Spock I like. However, I know you. You say that now but you'll be apologizing about something you regret doing to me in the future."

Spock harrumphed, making a low-pitched rumble in her ear. "Spock, we never discussed something like this happening."

"Something like what?"

"We never discussed children and whether or not we wanted any. Do you want to have children?"

She felt Spock's body tense. "Spock?" She looked up into his eyes.

"I never thought I could have children, so I never contemplated it. Or rather I never allowed myself to want them."

"Why not? Why did you think you couldn't have them?"

"I am a hybrid, the offspring of two seemingly incompatible species. The healers were never certain of my viability. They assured my parents they had done all the genetic tests and that I 'should be able to sire a child, but it was never guaranteed."

"I had no idea you went through all that," she said thoughtfully.

"And you, Aduna, did you want children?"

"Actually, I was a bit like you. Although I knew it was biologically possible, I just never imagined I could do it. Just because you can have children doesn't mean you should." She was thinking of her own absent parents.

"Nyota, do you...want to have this child?" Spock was almost afraid of her answer.

She sat upright to stare at him in shock. "Of course I do! Why would you even ask? You should know me better than to even think otherwise," she retorted. "I could never, ever harm innocent life. And as a Vulcan and just as Spock, I would think you would never even consider it...would you?" she asked, now feeling insecure and on the verge of tears again.

"No, never!" he said, and he pulled her back into his arms. "I was just being-"

"Foolish?" she asked.

"Yes, foolish," he agreed.

After a while of silently holding one another, Uhura said, "Spock, you're allowed an opinion too."

"I know I am allowed an opinion."

"So don't just let me run roughshod over you because you don't want to offend my fragile human emotions. You have a right to want things too. And if I'm being foolish or obstinate, you should tell me. It takes two people to make a baby. Don't just let me make all the decisions."

"But it is ultimately your body and your choice..."

"I made a choice when I decided to go through Pon Farr with you. After all, the whole point of mating is perpetuating the species, isn't it?" she asked.

"Indeed, that is quite logical, Aduna," Spock said as he rubbed her back in long, tender strokes.

She sighed in relief. "Good. See, this is nice, isn't it? I must confess, I've been really tired lately."

"I have noticed."

"You noticed that, huh? What else did you notice besides my bigger breasts? I'm surprised you didn't know about this pregnancy before I did. You know practically everything else about me. I'm surprised you don't track my periods or something."

"I used to before we were bonded," he confessed.

Uhura sat up and stared at him again. "What?! Why the hell would you do that?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I happen to have a heightened sense of smell. I can detect the subtle changes in your scent, body temperature, and chemistry. After you were on suppressants, I didn't notice the changes as much. Though that could be due to the pregnancy. After we bonded, I noticed that you were frequently tired during your shifts, but you were also not sleeping properly at night. And more recently, I noticed you were not eating as much as you should. I also noticed that you have been crying more than usual."

"You and your Vulcan senses. You don't miss anything, do you?"

"I missed too many things. Aduna, I promise never to neglect your health and wellbeing again. I shall double my efforts to monitor your condition."

"I missed it too. This may sound silly, but I thought I was addicted to you like a drug. I meant what I said about being apart from you. It frightens me sometimes how fast everything is happening."

"I know, and I am-"

"Please don't say you're sorry ever again. Just be here for me. I need confident, arrogant Spock now. I need your unflappable Vulcan strength and logic. Spock, we're going to have a baby!"

"Yes, we are going to have a baby," Spock agreed. "And everything will be fine. I will make it so."

Uhura broke down in tears again. She couldn't help being an emotional wreck. Spock pulled her down to rest her head on his shoulder. "I've got you," he murmured, mimicking one of her expressions as he gently stroked her back.

Nyota snorted and hiccuped. She was corrupting Spock too. "I can hardly believe this is happening to me. I thought motherhood was somewhere far, FAR, into my future, if ever. Now, before you know it, I'll be an old gray-haired grandma. And you'll still be young and handsome," she sniffled, giving voice to one of her secret fears.

"I shall be a gray-haired grandfather along with you."

"You're a Vulcan. Doctor McCoy says you're still young too. You'll live for a long, long time. You'll barely be middle-aged when I'm old and gray."

"I am only half Vulcan. I am also half Human. The healers on Vulcan could never determine with any degree of certainty how I will age. They believed I lacked what they consider 'hybrid vigor'. Some thought I would not survive into adulthood. Others thought I would never mature past puberty, that I would never experience Pon Farr let alone father a child." Spock remembered all the tests, and scans, and healers he had endured in his younger days. But he had survived and proved all the healers wrong, and so would his baby.

"I'm sorry you had to go through so much as a child," Nyota said, hugging him tightly. "I can't imagine the challenges you've faced growing up half-Human on Vulcan, being different from everyone and wondering if you would even grow up. I'm so glad those healers were wrong, and you survived to knock me up."

Spock smiled inwardly at her remark, but soon he sobered at his next thought. "They were wrong about some things. However, no one knows what my lifespan will be. I could live a full Vulcan lifespan or less than that of a Human. My hybrid genes are completely unpredictable."

"What about our baby then?"

"Given that I am only half Vulcan, I can only hope that our child will not share the same risk factors. There is a better than 50 percent chance the child will present as almost fully human."

"Would that bother you?"

"Why would that bother me?"

"I mean, every parent wants their child to reflect themselves in some way. Would it bother you to have a fully human-looking child?"

"Of course not. It would be preferable to be either fully Vulcan or Human. To be neither Vulcan nor human is undesirable."

"According to who? I find you very desirable." Uhura disentangled their hug and straddled Spock's lap taking his face in her hands.

"I've always found you very desirable. You possess the best qualities of both Vulcan and Earth. You have your mother's wonderful sense of humor and adventure, and your Father's sense of duty and justice. Your existence is a miracle."

"Nyota-"

"Hush. I know you can't appreciate how special you are, but I've never known anyone like you. You're the best man that I've ever known in my entire life. There hasn't been a day since we met that I haven't admired you. I trust you with all of me." She kissed his lips and pulled back to look at his beautiful eyes.

"Adun," she said, looking into his eyes, "I have another confession to make."

She looked so serious that Spock braced for her next words. "What is it?"

"Spock, I didn't just agree to marry you because I had to save your life. I did it because I wanted to marry you, even if I couldn't admit it to myself at the time. Christine was right about that. I've always wanted you, and when I saw my chance to have you, I took advantage of it."

That was not what Spock was expecting to hear. He was so surprised he couldn't think of a response.

"Can you forgive me?" Uhura asked.

"Aduna, there is nothing to forgive. You did nothing wrong, nothing that I didn't want to happen. In fact, I thank you for wanting me despite the unsavory circumstances of our bonding."

"I have to admit if I had known what Pon Farr really was all about, I may have run away screaming," she joked. "But you know what they say? Fools rush in..."

Uhura lay her head on his shoulder again. "What should we do for the rest of the day? Do you have to go back on duty?"

"I will remain with you for the time being. There is no pressing ship's business I must attend to at the moment."

"Good, because we seem to have some pressing business between the two of us," Nyota said, pressing herself down on his lap. "Ooh, feel that hybrid vigor!"

Spock rolled his eyes. His wife was insatiable. "I think you should rest more until the doctor clears you. I don't want to risk your health further. You slept all day."

"And now I'm awake. We're having a baby, we're not dead. It's not like you can get me more pregnant..." she teased and then she sat up straight. "Can you?" she questioned him. With Vulcans, who knew?

"No, I do not believe that is possible, Aduna."

"Good, because I'm already feeling this one pregnancy enough. I haven't been eating properly. I am tired and sleepy all the time. I'm horny one minute and crying the next. And most annoying, my nipples are always stiff. I've been going crazy trying to hide them so nobody would notice," Uhura said.

"I have noticed," Spock said and Nyota felt the rumble of his voice deep in her chest.

"I bet you did. Why didn't you say anything? Do you know how uncomfortable it is to walk around with erect nipples all the time?"

"I can only imagine," he said in a dry tone.

"Hmm, can you?" she asked, wriggling on his lap even more. "What else can you only imagine?"

Spock was feeling quite erect himself and could barely focus on her words. "Before... uh... before we bonded, I could only imagine being here in your bed with you."

"Hmmm, I remember I had to beg you to get in bed with me."

"I do not recall such an event."

"On Argelius, you slept on the floor and refused to share the bed."

"Ah yes, but you did not want me then."

"Yes, I did. I wanted you so bad, but I was being stupid. Did you really imagine getting into bed with me?"

"Yes, quite often," Spock said, trying to maintain his composure.

"What else did you imagine besides lying in my bed?" She whispered into his ear and licking the pointed tips for good measure. "What did you want to do to me?"

"I... um... Nyota, we should stop this."

"Stop what?"

"We should not be... I mean... I don't think..." He tried to talk while his wife stuck her tongue in his ear.

"Shhh. That's right, you don't think," Uhura said, kissing his earlobe. "Just do."

Spock was conflicted for about a second before he decided he was fighting a battle he didn't even want to win. He would do.

Uhura slid her hands under his uniform shirt and began to slide it up to expose his chest.

Luckily, Nyota was only wearing a wrap-around dress. Spock was able to easily untie the sash and expose her full perky breasts with the very erect nipples barely contained in the lacy bra he bought for her.

Just as he was about to take one in his mouth, the door chime sounded.

"Just ignore it," she said. She released the fastener on Spock's trousers when the door chimed again.

Before Spock could scramble out from under her to answer it, Uhura called out.

"Go away! We're busy. Come back in ten minutes!"

"Nyota!" Spock protested. They wouldn't be finished in ten minutes.

"Shush. Whoever it is will catch the hint and go away."

"What if it is an emergency?"

"Then they'll sound the red alert," she said, resuming her exploration.

"What if it is the Doctor?"

"It's probably Charlene. She can take a hint."

Uhura resumed kissing her way down Spock's chest and abdomen and was slowly working her way lower, nipping his skin here and there with her teeth. She got to the top of his pants and the door chimed again. She was about to raise her head when Spock shouted out.

"Come back in an hour!"


-=-=-=-

Chapter 110: Female Intuition

Summary:

Spock underestimates his mother's abilities to his detriment.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Female Intuition

Spock concluded that the only logical way to get the answers he sought was to study the experiences of other multicultural couples. Vulcan/Human pairings were not unheard of but they were still extremely rare, so his best resource was his parents. But not his Sarek, not unless he absolutely had to. First, he had to arrange to speak to his mother at a time when he knew for certain she would be alone. His father's evening meditation period would suffice since it was well past normal working hours. He was able to secure a channel to Vulcan once the Enterprise entered the outer limits of Vulcan territory.

"Hello, Mother. You look agreeable as always," Spock spoke into the viewer located in his office. Uhura was asleep in their quarters and he did not wish to disturb her nor did he want her to worry about their situation any more than necessary.

"Only agreeable? I see marriage has not changed you one bit," Amanda said, smiling brightly.

"On the contrary, Mother, I have changed a great deal since my bonding to Nyota. In fact, that is the reason for this call."

"Oh? What's wrong now?" she said, becoming serious, matching Spock's somber tone.

"I have some questions about Vulcan/Human relationships and about human females in particular."

"Oh," she said, relaxing again, "that's all? That doesn't sound too serious. Is there a new problem with your relationship with Nyota? I thought you two had finally worked everything out since the trial?"

It displeased Spock to hear Amanda's reply. He had confided to his mother many of the details in the ongoing relationship drama between Nyota and himself. Now he regretted sharing so much of his personal struggles with her. He realized he had burdened her unnecessarily. He should have known as a human, his mother would take his problems on as her own and have an emotional reaction to them.

"Mother, I must apologize for any grief that my recent troubles with Nyota have caused you. I regret that the unconventional method of our bonding has created problems for you, not just within our clan, but within Starfleet and with the Federation. You and Father and T'Pau have been more than generous with your assistance, and Nyota and I are very grateful."

Amanda dismissed his apology. "Your thanks are illogical. You're my child and I love you. And I'll fight for your happiness with my dying breath."

Spock only nodded in acknowledgment. After all these years, he still didn't know how to respond to his mother's love. "Mother, I must once again ask for your guidance. And the question is of a nature that only you can provide the answer."

Amanda understood her son quite well and knew she had flustered him, so she put on her serious2 Vulcan face. "Okay. What is it, my son?"

"As you say, Nyota and I have been getting along quite well in solidifying our bond. In fact, it has come to my attention that perhaps we are getting along a bit too well?" Spock offered hesitantly.

"How's that? How can you get along too well?" Amanda asked, in total confusion.

"That is the question I must pose to you. As you know, Nyota and I share a unique bond since she has part of my Katra..."

"Yes, yes, I know, but is that a cause for concern? T'Pau didn't seem to think so. Like any ordinary couple, you two just needed to strengthen the bond you have so that you can maintain your equilibrium until the Time comes. Surely the incident with T'Pring emphasizes the dangers of a weak marital bond?"

"I have no doubt that my bond with Nyota is strong and stable. However, even after the Pon Farr abated, Nyota and I have experienced certain lingering symptoms."

"Pon Farr symptoms?" This caught Amanda's attention.

"Yes, having recently made our bond official-"

"Official?" Amanda interrupted, laughing and shaking her head. "There is nothing more official than a Vulcan marriage bond, except a shared Katra, of course."

"Yes, Mother. However, Nyota and I had not disclosed our marital status to many people except our closest friends and family. That is until the trial. Now that everyone knows we are married, it is official. I have even given Nyota a wedding ring. There is no doubt about the status of our relationship."

"Oh my. Imagine my son being so grown up and 'officially married'?" Amanda smiled with a dreamy look on her face.

"As I was saying, after the trial I gave Nyota a ring and I moved my belongings into her quarters. Hence, we are officially out to the crew. However, as we become more accustomed to the bond we share, we have experienced several unforeseen consequences."

"The Pon Farr symptoms?"

"Yes."

"What are they?"

"Well, ahem," Spock felt his face heat up, but he continued anyway, ignoring his mother's knowing smirk. "Nyota and I have both experienced intense, um... sexual attraction..."

"That's all?" she smiled, barely containing a laugh.

"It is more than mere sexual attraction. It is difficult to describe..." Spock experienced some frustration before he could control it.

"Oh, really?" Amanda said, becoming more suspicious of Spock's reluctance to talk. "Try."

"Nyota... has an intense attachment to me. That is to say, Nyota has told me when we are separated for any length of time she feels anxiety. And when we are together, she feels intense... um... arousal, and she wants to... um... please me. And she feels compelled to obey me. I believe these intense emotions are somehow being shared by us, possibly because of my Katra. Nyota described it as addiction."

"Oh my, that is interesting," Amanda said, scrunching her nose in thought.

"Indeed?" he asked, eagerly awaiting a solution to the problem.

"Yes. It sounds romantic," she teased. She wasn't taking this seriously at all.

"Mother! Please?" Why was his mother always like this!

"Alright, alright. Just what is it that you want from me? What is it that only I can answer?"

"Did you ever experience any such phenomenon after your bonding with my father?"

"Are you asking, does bonding with a Vulcan make human women extremely amorous and eager to please? No. Not that I can recall, and I recall my bonding very well." She smiled in fond remembrance.

"Yes, Mother, that is what I am asking you."

Amanda beamed an enormous grin. "So you and Nyota are getting along very well indeed? That is good to hear. And hopefully, it won't be long before-" Amanda stopped short, catching her breath. "No!" she said in a deep throaty voice that indicated disbelief.

"What is it, Mother?" Spock asked anxiously. His mother knew something, he was certain of it.

"I remember!"

"What do you remember, Mother?"

"When I was pregnant with you, I was absolutely obsessed with Sarek. I couldn't stand to be away from your father, even for a few hours. And when we were together, all I wanted to do was... Well, you know. Your father was such a dear, he could hardly do his work, with me being sick one moment and so sexed up the next..." Amanda smiled, remembering one of the happiest times of her life. Then her smile faltered for a moment while she thought. "Spock! Oh my god! Baby! Are you having a baby?! Is Nyota pregnant?"

"Mother-"

"That's it, isn't it? Nyota is pregnant! It all sounds exactly like my pregnancy. I was so horny ALL the time, and it affected your father too. He was very accommodating to me. The healers said it was some Vulcan pheromones we humans develop..." Amanda was babbling excitedly now, bouncing up and down in her seat.

"Yes! Finally!," she threw her hands up in the air and clapped. "Oh, my darling! I'm so happy for you!" she started crying.

All the commotion must have disturbed Sarek's meditation. He appeared behind Amanda and took her in his arms.

"What is it, my wife?" Sarek asked with a concerned voice.

"Spock!" Amanda pointing at the viewer and buried her face into Sarek's chest, dabbing her eyes on the pleats of his robe.

"What has happened to Spock?" Sarek bent down to look at the viewer.

He looked visibly relieved to see his son on the screen, looking whole and healthy. "Spock, what has happened?"

"Father," Spock said with resignation. The cat, to use a colloquial term, was out of the bag. "Nothing has happened to me. Mother has merely jumped to conclusions. I apologize for the inconvenience I have caused you."

"You have not inconvenienced me, but you have upset your mother." Sarek turned his attention to Amanda to comfort her.

"Mother, I regret that I have evoked such emotion," Spock said to Amanda.

"Amanda, what is the cause of all of this?" Sarek asked.

"Spock is having a baby!"

"Is he indeed?" Sarek looked into the viewer again, a questioning expression on his face.

"Sarek," she said, swatting at him playfully, "Nyota is pregnant! They are going to have a baby!"

"Is this true, Spock?" Sarek asked with a look of astonishment on his normally placid face.

He couldn't lie to his parents, therefore he was forced to break his promise to Nyota. "Mother, Father, please. This is not something we are sharing with anyone yet. Not even Nyota's family knows. Nyota does not want anyone to know until we disclose it officially."

"Then why did you tell your mother?" Sarek asked.

"I did not tell her, she deduced it on her own."

"Amanda deduced it?" Sarek sounded surprised while he looked down at his wife.

"Yes," Amanda answered. "Spock described the strange symptoms he and Nyota were having and it reminded me of us back when I was carrying..."

"I see," Sarek nodded.

"And he didn't deny it either," she said defensively.

"It would hardly be logical to deny the truth, which you would be told eventually," Spock said.

"Congratulations, sweetheart! Oh, I need to call Nyota," she said, bouncing with excitement again.

"Mother, please do not. I told you she is not ready to acknowledge her pregnancy."

"Why? Is everything alright? You said she had symptoms? I remember I was terribly sick while carrying you..." Amanda said, sobering a bit.

"Nyota is fine. She had one fainting spell and a panic attack, but so far all is well. Doctor McCoy would like her to take it easy for a while on light duty when she is up to it."

"How far along is she?" Amanda's mind was all in on this pregnancy now, and any other concern was lost on her.

"The good doctor speculates that conception occurred during my Pon Farr but it could also have occurred during Nyota's own fever."

Sarek nodded. "Ah, just as I suspected," Sarek said while looking down at Amanda.

"You suspected it?" she asked, looking up at Sarek.

"I speculated there was a high probability of increased fertility. As I recall, I advised Dr. McCoy that his contraceptive efforts were in vain."

"I didn't know that," Amanda said.

"It is a matter of common knowledge that birth control has no effect during Pon Farr."

"If that were true... well, I guess I never needed that information. I never needed birth control," Amanda said sadly.

"Amanda, the boy is listening."

Spock wanted to say "the boy is a full-grown man," but he refrained. His parents still had a way of bringing out the insecure boy in him after all these years.

"Mother, is there anything else you can disclose about our newly acquired status?"

"Well," Amanda said, wiping her eyes. She was still weeping tears of joy. "Your father could probably explain it all a lot better than I could. I was a hormonal wreck at the time. I could dig out my old diaries if you think that would be helpful."

Spock imagined reading page after page of his mother's emotional ramblings and intimate secrets and declined the offer. "I do not think that will be necessary, Mother."

"I'll send them to Nyota. She may find them interesting," Amanda said, ignoring Spock and making plans of her own.

Spock sensed his mother was a lost cause. "Father?" Spock asked, hoping for more practical advice.

"Spock, there were indeed complications to your gestation. Your mother and I both shared some symptoms brought on by increased hormone production in your mother. Increased sexual arousal. Also increased attachment, hypervigilance, and heightened protective instincts. The usual mate-guarding behaviors," Sarek said.

The usual? Spock wondered. Since when was any of that usual for a Vulcan. But then he remembered he had not lived on Vulcan for many years. He had left home when he was but a young man. He had no experience with young married Vulcan couples or pregnant Vulcan women. He had a lot to learn about his homeworld and her people if he were to guide Nyota successfully through this process.

"Are there any reference materials I may access to better acquaint myself with what we can look forward to?"

"Spock, you know our ways and how we pass on such information," Sarek reminded him.

"Yes, I know," Spock answered. Anything having to do with reproduction, and Pon Farr was passed on orally, generation to generation, father to son, mother to daughter. Spock controlled his desire to sigh in resignation. He wished he could talk to Sybok about all this. Sybok would not hesitate to tell Spock everything he ever wanted to know about any subject and quite a few things he didn't want to know. But Sybok was long gone, and all he had was Sarek. He would have to have a long talk with his father. One that was well overdue.

Spock was not looking forward to that conversation. And now he had to tell Nyota that he had inadvertently told his parents about the pregnancy. To borrow one of his wife's emotional expletives, "Oh shit!"

Notes:

Sometimes I catch myself writing that Spock felt this or that and I have to remember he's not supposed to feel those things. I know he has the feelings, but he's suppressing them. Sigh. But that's what makes him so beloved by the fandom, right?

Chapter 111: Plomeek and Apologies

Summary:

Uhura and Christine finally have that tea they agreed to after Uhura's first prenatal visit. In addition to the quiche that Sulu had taught her to make, Uhura and Christine share homemade plomeek soup and apologies.

Notes:

I heard he sang a lullaby
I heard he sang it from his heart
When I found out thought I would die,
Because that lullaby was mine

~How Could an Angel Break My Heart by Toni Braxton~

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Plomeek and Apologies

Christine looked around the cabin noting all the changes since her last visit when she sat at this very table having tea with Uhura. She had said some awful things back then, and she apologized to Nyota again.

"I understand," Uhura squeezed her hand. "I wasn't exactly my best self back then either."

Uhura's easy forgiveness made Christine feel even worse. It seemed that Nyota had moved on with her life while Chris still found herself crying at odd moments over her failures with Spock. This meeting was about her and Nyota but how could she not think of Spock when there were signs of him everywhere she looked, from the wall hangings to the new bookshelf filled with Vulcan books, and the meditation mat on the floor near the bed which she had seen in Spock's old quarters before.

She wanted to remark about the new decor, but she bit her tongue. This meeting was not about Spock. She was here to patch up her friendship with Nyota, if it was possible. So she ate her quiche and sipped her soup and tried not to think about the man who broke her heart and the life she was never meant to have with him.

Christine was surprised at the taste of the soup. It is nothing like the plomeek soup she prepared for Spock on her one failed attempt to serve him.

"What is this?" She asked. It smelled like plomeek, but tasted so much better than the soup she had prepared.

"Why? It's plomeek soup. I thought you had it before?" Uhura said.

"I have. I even made it remember? But it tasted nothing like this."

"Oh? Well, do you like it?"

"Yes! It's delicious. It actually tastes good," she said sheepishly. "Mine tasted like chalk."

"Well, when I first had it, I didn't care for it either. I added a lot of earth spices to it to jazz it up, but the real secret is to not overcook it."

"Still, Earth spices can't account for how good this tastes. It is milder, sweeter. Hmm," Christine nearly cleared her bowel.

"Thank you, Chris. To be honest, I had a little help from Sulu and Amanda. Sulu grew the roots in his garden and Amanda provided the basic recipe. I just spiced it up Uhura style," she giggled, and the sound touched something deep inside Christine's heart. She had truly missed Nyota's joyous personality and friendship.

But hearing Uhura casually talk about Spock's mother gave Christine a moment's pause. She had already accepted that Nyota was Spock's wife, but it still stung at odd times. She was trying her best to get over the entire affair, but once again she was reminded that Ny knew parts of Spock's life she could only imagine.

"Well, whatever you did, it's great," she said.

"Thanks. Spock likes it too. I am glad I can give him a little home cooking once in a while. I know how hard it is for him to find foods he likes in the ship's food banks. You would think that after all this time Starfleet would program the replicators with more non-human recipes. More and more non-humans are joining the fleet after all."

"Yes, I guess so," Chris said. She couldn't care less about the ship's food banks right about now.

"And most of the vegan fair is so bland," Uhura continued, oblivious to Christine's discomfort. "I mean, if I have to eat it, it better at least taste good. No wonder Spock looks so thin." She shook her head.

"Yeah, Chapel replied no noncommittally. This conversation was quite uncomfortable for her. She didn't come here to talk about Spock. But it seemed Spock was ALL Nyota had to talk about. So be it. "You said this is Spock's mother's recipe?" she couldn't help asking.

"Yep. I made it a little sweeter for Spock's sake though."

"Sweeter for Spock?" Christine was surprised to hear that.

"Yes, Spock has a sweet tooth. He'd never admit that, though. But I noticed that he prefers the sweeter Vulcan dishes, and he really likes candy." Uhura grinned like a Cheshire cat at a private joke.

"I never noticed he liked sweets," Christine said. How could she have missed that about the man she claimed to love?

"No? Oh well, I guess I just noticed. We used to eat together a lot when he was teaching me ... everything. Back when Nomad wiped my memory."

"I never thought of adding anything extra to it. I just assumed he liked traditional Vulcan recipes," Christine said, more to herself than to Uhura.

"I suppose that is logical?" Uhura said, not thinking anything of it. "But he's only half Vulcan. He has human taste buds too and his human mother fed him until he left for Starfleet." She shrugged as if that should be obvious.

Christine looked at Nyota who only picked at her meal. She was Spock's wife. She was cooking his meals, and she was even starting to pick up his speech patterns. Christine wanted to believe that should be her casually mentioning Amanda and knowing Spock's meal preferences. She should be catering to him every night, not Nyota who never even wanted to get married at all. But she had to accept reality. Spock was not hers and never would be. He was Nyota's husband, and she had the ring that was flashing on her finger to prove it.

Christine sighed. "I never thought of it that way. Spock always seemed so proud to be Vulcan. Before his parents came aboard for the Babel conference, I would never have imagined his mother having any human characteristics. I had assumed she adopted Vulcan culture as her own and raised Spock as such. I never really knew anything about Spock except professionally," she said thoughtfully. "But you seem to know so much about Spock, even before you were married... I feel like I never knew him at all," she said sadly.

"Nyota, you asked me once why I loved Spock, and I didn't have an answer. I still don't know how I came to love him. I loved Roger so much, knew so much about him. What he liked, what he didn't like, his favorite food, what made him happy, knew what he would do in any situation. Knew what he would and wouldn't say. I knew Roger intimately. I loved everything about him, even his flaws..." She took a deep breath.

"I had convinced myself that I loved Spock that way too. I thought he was lonely and needed somebody to care for him, to accept him, human and Vulcan. I thought I knew the Spock nobody else knew or saw." She laughed at herself. "What a joke. I never had a clue about him, did I? I just saw what everyone else saw, just what was on the surface. A stoic Vulcan."

"But you, Nyota. You had a real relationship with Spock this whole time, didn't you? You had a true bond. And I accused you of stealing him from me. But I never even had him, while you always did. I am genuinely sorry for the cruel things I did and said to you, Nyota. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Of course I forgive you, Christine. You wouldn't be sitting here in my cabin enjoying my homemade plomeek soup if I didn't forgive you." She got up and hugged Christine around her shoulders and whispered in her ear, "I would have poured it on your head instead." It took Chris a moment to get the joke, and they laughed together.

"Thank you," Christine said through tears. "Ok, ok there is one thing I've been dying to ask you."

Uhura looked wary. "What is it?" she asked.

"It's about the Vulcan wedding. I know the first time we had to rush Spock to Vulcan, he was supposed to be meeting his wife, and then he comes back thinking he killed the captain and says he is no longer married. And the second time we go to Vulcan, he takes you and marries you and then you stay there for a week. So just what goes on at these Vulcan weddings?" Christine asked.

Nyota wished she could confide in Christine and tell her about the crazy things she experienced on Vulcan. But she could never compromise Spock's privacy regarding any part of Pon Farr and especially not to Christine. She may forgive her friend, but it would take a long time if ever for her to forget all the hurtful things she'd done in the name of love. And she was sure it would take Christine a while to get over them, too.

"Chris, I hope this doesn't spoil our reconciliation, but I cannot tell you what happened on Vulcan. Suffice it to say, it was out of this world. Can you respect that?"

Christine looked at her for a long moment, and then she nodded. "Fair enough, I won't ask again."

Uhura nodded and retook her seat, but as they finished the plomeek soup Uhura suddenly stood up rushed to the lavatory.

Christine rushed in to stand next to Uhura as she retched until there was nothing left. Chris had a sinking suspicion she knew exactly what was happening when she helped her friend clean up and rinse her mouth.

"Ny, when was the last time you had your menses?" Christine asked.

"Christine, don't ask me something like that." Uhura brushed her off and went back to the main room.

"Well, I know you Ny. You were always in the sickbay once a month with headaches and cramps, yet I haven't seen you in a while."

"Well... I wouldn't visit the sickbay when you were there, now would I?" Uhura snapped, but Christine was unfazed and kept going.

"Maybe... But you always had terrible periods. You complained about them all the time to Dr. McCoy. We tried to convince you to go on suppressants and you refused..." Christine was putting it all together.

"Christine, just drop it, please?" Uhura took a seat on the side of her bed.

"You're pregnant, aren't you? That's why you were in the sickbay the other day."

Nyota sighed. There was no point in lying to the old busybody. "Yes, but you can't tell a soul. Spock and I are not telling anyone for now. Our families don't even know yet. Please keep this to yourself?"

"I won't tell a soul. You can count on me," Christine swore. "Ny... um... Are you... okay with all this?"

"Yes, I am. I'm so happy. I really want this baby." Uhura smiled despite looking the worse for wear.

"Well good, then. Congratulations," Christine said, and she plastered a smile on her face as she helped Nyota lie down to rest. She truly was happy for her friend and wished her health and happiness, but at that moment, as she tucked Nyota in, her heart was breaking.

*/*/*

Christine left Spock and Uhura's quarters after making sure Uhura was okay and resting comfortably. She had seen Uhura have a panic attack in the rec room and seen her leaning on Spock around the ship. She'd seen the way Spock comforted Uhura so gently in the sickbay the other day. Now it all made sense and it just broke her heart all over again.

She fled Nyota's quarters and ran, looking for someplace she could be alone and have one last cry to herself. She had to stop living for the hope that there could ever be a chance for her and Spock. He was a married man and now he was going to have a baby with his wife, her friend. It was all over for her.

Rushing through the corridors of the ship with her vision blurred, she saw people going about their business, fixing the ship, doing their jobs, laughing, joking, smiling; meanwhile, all her dreams were shattered the moment Nyota admitted she was pregnant.

Oh, how Christine wished it was her lying sick in Spock's bed being loved and fussed over and touched by him. Oh, how she wished Spock would have looked at her just once the way he looked at Uhura every time they were in a room together. She would have given anything to be having Spock's baby, but it wasn't meant to be. Uhura was his wife. Uhura was to be the mother of his child.

She'd come aboard the Enterprise an engaged woman who looked forward to getting married and having a family of her own. But five years later, she was nowhere near that goal. Roger was gone. Spock was married to Uhura who was living the life Christine wanted for herself. She was all alone with nothing to show for her time onboard but an empty cabin and a bad plomeek soup recipe.

And it was nobody's fault but her own. She'd become so obsessed with Spock that she stopped being Christine Chapel, a brilliant bio researcher. In five years, she could have married any other guy on this ship and had kids of her own. She could have finished her medical degree and been a full-fledged doctor instead of a glorified nurse. She could be teaching back on Earth at the academy, lecturing on her experiences in deep space.

And yet, for the past five years, she'd been stuck on Spock. It was like waking up from a coma and discovering that everyone around her had changed and grown except her. All she had to show for her efforts was a few new gray hairs. She wanted to fall in love and get married and have babies and be loved by someone, too. She wanted a shiny ring on her finger and a room full of Vulcan artifacts, too.

Christine reached her cabin and stumbled to the bed, falling on it face first.

"Damn you Nyota Uhura!" she cried into her pillow. Damn you!

*/*/*

Notes:

I love the original Star Trek series, but one thing I hate about the subsequent movies is that nobody is allowed to really grow or change too much. They all end up back on the Enterprise in their same roles, doing the same things 50 years later. I understand they are not actual people and it's fiction, but it still feels wrong. Thank god for fanfiction where we can make their lives more than the shows allow.

Chapter 112: Love and Happiness!

Summary:

There is an abundance of love in this chapter.

Notes:

So much, so young, I've faced on my own
Walls I built up became my home
I'm strong and I'm sure there's a fire in us
Sweet love, so pure
~Bound to You by Christina Aguilera~

AN: This is the song that started this whole journey. I played this song constantly back in 2015. One night I fell asleep listening to it, had a dream about Spock and Uhura in a cave, woke up, and quickly jotted down what I remembered and the rest is history. After four years, dozens of side stories, and hundreds of thousands of words later, this journey is almost finished. Maybe.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text


Love and Happiness

 

Apparently, Spock couldn't keep a secret. And Uhura knew damn well Christine couldn't keep one either, so it was only a matter of time before the news of her pregnancy was all over Starfleet. Therefore Uhura gathered her best friends together to tell them her big news all at once before they found out second hand.

Charlene, Sulu, and Chekov all sat around the small dining table in Uhura's quarters and waited for her to make her "big announcement". She had invited them all individually but they all gathered at the appointment time and questioned each other about what they knew.

They chatted and exchanged laughs and gossiped, tasting the exotic Vulcan food Spock had prepared for the occasion to make up for his faux pas. Finally, after everyone had oohed and aahed over Spock's handiwork, Nyota decided it was time to talk.

"Ok, everybody. I'm sure you're wondering why I gathered you all here today?"

"Yep!" Chekov piped up first.

"Ok, so I guess I should break the news like ripping off a bandage."

Uhura took a deep breath and then leaned in to say in a low voice, "What I'm about to tell you today cannot leave this room. Do you understand?"

"Yes, of course. You know we have your back. Now, what is it?" Charlene asked.

"Alright," Uhura said with a dramatic pause. "I'm going to have a baby."

"I knew it!" Charlene jumped up and cheered. Then she and Sulu slapped hands in a high five. "You owe me a gourmet meal," she said to him.

"I always pay my debts," Sulu assured her.

Uhura stared at them in awe. "What is happening? How did you two already know?"

"Girl! How did you not know? You've been sick for weeks. You've been acting weird even for you and you've been banging Spock non-stop," Charlene said in her usual charming manner.

"But Dr. McCoy didn't know. Dr. M'Benga didn't know. This pregnancy defied the best medicine of the federation!"

Sulu said, "that's what happens when you rely on machines instead of common human sense. Your symptoms started right after you returned from Vulcan. It was obvious to a blind man."

"I didn't know," Chekov said. "But it is only natural for the people in love to have a child together." He added in a dreamy voice.

"First comes love, then comes marriage, then here comes Nyota with a baby carriage," Charlene and Sulu sang together, grinning like idiots.

"When do you expect the joyful event?" Chekov asked.

"I have no idea. This baby is not quite human." Uhura patted her flat belly. "I cannot believe you all knew I was pregnant already," she pouted. She had really wanted to surprise her friends and she the shocked looks on their faces. Spoilsports. "And if you all knew, why the heck didn't you tell me?" she demanded.

"I told you to ask Dr. McCoy for a thorough examination. I thought surely he couldn't miss something so obvious. But I guess he can only do so much." Charlene shrugged.

"I thought surely you and Spock had enough brainpower between the two of you to figure it out for yourselves. I started doubting it myself. Now I owe Charlene dinner. My bad." Sulu said.

"I had no idea," Chekov said.

"Well, I guess the other thing I was going to say doesn't really matter." They knocked the wind out of Uhura's sails, but she was still glad to tell her friends and have them gathered around her.

"What else did you have to say? Are you having twins or something?" Sulu asked excitedly.

"No! Bite your tongue. I WAS going to tell you all that Spock and I have worked everything out and we really do love each other, but never mind."

Charlene just grinned. "Ny, honey. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say 'DUH!'"

"What? What do you mean, duh? You all ruined my big secret!" Uhura said.

"What secret? You've been in love with that man since day one and he's obviously crazy for you. It was all inevitable," Sulu said. He started eating the pita chips and dip that Spock had laid out for them.

"What? No, I have not. Day one?!" Uhura pshawed in outraged dignity.

"Yes, day one Ny. Since you stepped foot on this ship, you've been sprung," Charlene chimed in. "You hang on Spock's every word like its gospel. You think he can commit no wrong. 'Spock says they are going to upgrade the ship's communication array' and 'Spock says I should study engineering'," Charlene mimicked Uhura.

"Spock can do plenty wrong! He nearly drove me crazy. And I do not hang on his every word and I do not sound like that!" Uhura protested even though she knew it was all true, but she'd be damned if she ever admitted it.

"You took any chance you could to be in his company. You were always taking 'lessons' with him," Chekov said boldly, making air quotes around lessons. He didn't like to say anything, but it was very obvious his friend and mentor were in love.

"We have a lot in common. And I hang out with all of you guys too," Uhura said, trying to defend the indefensible.

"You look up to him like he's some damn Superman," Charlene said.

"Because he's a brilliant officer and scientist. He has saved this ship single-handedly, might I add, hundreds of times."

"Mmm-hmm," Sulu said, sipping his tea. "So does the captain, but you don't mention that nearly as much as you mention Spock. 'Spock saved Captain Pike, Spock saved Captain Kirk, Spock saved the Horta... Spock saved the Universe...Spock likes tribbles... Spock saved me...,' and don't get me started on that evil mirror universe Spock," he said.

"Oh no!" the others said, grumbling together at the mention of 'evil Spock'. Uhura wouldn't shut up about him for weeks after that incident happened.

"You're exaggerating. You're all making me sound like some lovesick idiot."

Charlene spit out her tea and laughed. "Bingo!"

She wasn't that bad, was she? Uhura wondered.

"Gurl, give it up. You put up a good fight, but it's over now. The entire ship knows you're in love with Spock and he's obviously in love with you or else he wouldn't have put up with your bullshit. Hell, all of Starfleet knows. Your testimony at his court-martial is the stuff of legend. And before that, you two put on a show at Starbase 6 remember?"

Uhura frowned. "What are you talking about?"

They all looked at each other again. "You don't know? After your run-in with Komack, Spock swooped in like Superman and swept you off your feet, carried you throughout the base like a damsel?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that. But how does everybody else know about it?"

"You forgot?! Well, it was all over the subspace channels. Posts all about the Vulcan officer carrying off his woman, looking like an avenging angel," Sulu said.

"What? Nobody told me that!"

"You two are so far up each other's ass you don't even know what's going on around you. It's been all over the Starfleet channels since it happened. Even before the trial, you were the 'it couple'," Charlene said.

"Yes, I heard you and the commander caused a riot up on Argelius," Chekov chimed in.

"You heard about that? We didn't even get caught!" Uhura had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Did everybody in the Milky Way know her business?

"Oh Ny," Charlene gave her a pitying look. "Everybody knows you two put on a show for the locals on Argelius. We didn't see the vids but-"

"What vids?!" Uhura cut in.

"Somebody took vids, but it was confiscated. Still, I heard rumors y'all made the Argelians look like amateurs." Charlene raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"Yes. I have heard this too," Chekov chimed in.

"Oh my god. I knew there were rumors. I knew people were talking about us, but I had no idea all that stuff was out there with vids!? You guys are supposed to be my friends and have my back, yet you never said a word?"

"You were already under so much stress. I guess we didn't want to upset you," Sulu said.

"I made sure to shut that gossip down when I heard it in engineering," Charlene said. "You two needed your space. But since y'all are all booed up and in love...there it all is."

"'Duh' indeed," Nyota said, sitting down humbly.

"What made you finally accept it?" Sulu asked her.

"You all kept insisting, but it was Chris who made me realize," Uhura said.

"Christine Chapel?" Masters was surprised to hear that name.

"Yes. She apologized and we've made up somewhat. She just laid out some truths that I finally had to accept."

"I would have loved to be a fly on that wall when she laid out those truths if it made you confess undying love for Spock."

"It was just a reality check. I realized Spock and I have always had something between us, even when I couldn't put a name to it. And I've been an asshole about it, especially to Chris."

"Ye-ow!" Chekov started to talk when somebody kicked his shin under the table.

"You guys stop abusing poor Chekov," Uhura scooted close to him, throwing her arm over his shoulder and scuffed up his shaggy hair. "He's just telling the truth like a good friend ought to."

"Charlene looked on and shook her head. Ny, stop leading on "poor Chekov." You've already got a man."

"I'm not doing that," she said and looked at Chekov, who was blushing.

"Oh my goodness. I'm sorry Pavel. You know I'm just teasing, right? You're like a little brother to me."

"Oh, gee zanks," he said.

"I didn't mean to lead you on-" She patted his burning cheek.

"Just drop it Ny, you're embarrassing him," Charlene reached across the table and patted Pavel's hand.

Sulu looked astonished as Chekov managed to get the two females to fawn all over him.

"Ahem... let me know when you two are done groping Pavel."

"Uh-Oh Ny, Hikaru is jealous. Let's grope him too." Charlene slid around the table to Sulu's side.

"Normally I wouldn't object to a good grope, but Mr. Spock might break my neck, so no thanks."

Chekov suddenly pulled away from Uhura. "Um, I like my neck just as it is." He slid his chair closer to Sulu.

"Don't be silly. Spock is not interested in breaking your necks." She got up and stood behind the two guys. "Maybe a little neck pinching though." She teased them both by pinching their necks playfully while Charlene laughed at the spectacle. They hadn't all been this happy and together in ages, and it felt good to just let loose and laugh.

"Well, now that you've declared undying love and are expecting, let's plan the baby shower!" Sulu said.

"There will be no baby showers on this ship! Nobody knows except you three, Dr. McCoy, Dr. M'Benga, and Christine. Keep it that way," Uhura warned them again.

"Hey! You told Christine before you told us?" Sulu looked insulted.

"I didn't mean to tell her. When she came over to apologize, I got sick and she figured it out. And then Spock with his 'Vulcans never lie' self told his parents. It was only fair that I tell you guys too."

"Girl, too many people already know. If Chris can figure it out, how long before the rest of the crew does too?" Charlene asked.

"I don't know and I don't care about the rest of the crew. Spock and I need our privacy. So keep your traps shut!" She commanded, but there was no heat behind her words.

Charlene was unfazed by Uhura's threats. "Aw look at Mrs. Uhura getting feisty." She looked at her happy pregnant friend. "You've got that glow, you know that?" she asked Uhura.

Uhura smiled, and the glow nearly blinded them all. "Yeah, I know. But I can't help it. I'm just so happy!" She stood up and did a little happy dance.

Charlene jumped up from her seat and hugged her girl. "Oh my god! I can't believe this is happening. I love you so much Ny," she said, holding her friend and dancing around with her.

Not to be outdone by the girls, Sulu got up and joined in on the action, hugging them both and bouncing with them. "I love you too," he kissed Uhura's forehead and the three of them bounced and rocked back and forth together.

Chekov sat awkwardly watching them for a moment, and then he caved. "Ah, Vhat the hell!" He got up to join the group hug.

That was how Spock found his wife and her friends when he entered his quarters.

"Spock!" Charlene said by way of greeting when she saw him. "Get over here and get some of this love."

Spock looked as if he wanted to back out the way he came in, but he caught the look in Uhura's eyes. She looked happier than he'd ever seen her, so he swallowed his objections and told himself he was in control of his emotions as he slowly and stiffly walked over to the group.

"C'mon, we won't bite," Charlene said as encouragement. Spock thought that was ironic because he certainly did, and Nyota bore the marks to prove it. But he acquiesced and allowed himself to be accosted. They sandwiched him in between Charlene and Nyota, which he found acceptable.

"Now isn't this nice?" Charlene said to the huddled group. And then she turned to look directly at Spock. "Since you're now in the inner circle, I just want to remind you that if you hurt Ny, we'll hurt you."

"Is that so?" Spock asked her.

"Yes," Charlene nodded.

"Yes," Sulu said when Spock turned to look over at him.

He then looked over at Chekov, who looked as uncomfortable as Spock felt. Spock saw the swift motion of a foot striking Chekov's shin and he shouted, "Yes!" while angrily staring at Charlene.

"Well then, I had better behave myself," Spock said seriously.

The huddled group nodded in agreement but showed no signs of breaking up. "And how long do we stand like this?" he asked.

"Until it stops feeling good," Sulu murmured.

"Well then," Spock tried to pull away, but someone pinched him and he froze in shock. Sandwiched between Lieutenant Masters and Nyota, he didn't know which one committed the act since each one of them was certainly capable of doing it, but he suspected it was his Charlene.

"I am in control of my emotions," he thought over and over as he endured the 'Love' of Nyota's inner circle. While he repeated the litany, it occurred to Spock that he had never been part of a group of friends like this before. Even in the Starfleet Academy, among other humans, he had never been part of a clique, crew, or gang. Jim and Bones were his closest friends, but their friendship was nothing like this. They never used emotional words like "love" and they did not hug one another ad nauseam. Their friendship was actually more on a par with what he'd expect from other Vulcans.

Nyota's friendships were much more intimate. They shared a bond, not unlike those shared by family or clan members on Vulcan. Humans were psi null, but he realized they could still make strong emotional bonds all the same.

For so long he'd felt so alone, isolated from both Humans and Vulcans, but now he was experiencing the "love" and acceptance of a peer group. And as illogical as it was, it FELT good. He cautiously dropped his mental shields just a bit. Just enough to allow a friendship bond to form with the people who loved his wife and therefore accepted him.

*/*/*

When the 'gang' finally left, much to Spock's relief, he and Uhura prepared and ate their dinner while they discussed the day as was becoming their habit.

"Your friends are taking the news well," Spock observed.

"Our friends," she corrected him, "And yes, they are thrilled for us."

"Our friends," he repeated. He still was in awe of the recent development.

"And they are okay with everything because they already knew," Uhura continued.

"Did they?"

"Yeah, apparently they knew a while ago. Charlene said I was acting crazier than usual and Sulu said he thought the two of us should have had enough sense to figure it out by now."

Spock grumbled but didn't comment.

"I suppose nobody is more ecstatic than Amanda, though. She already sent me copies of her diaries along with a long letter about how wonderful and perfect I am. Luckily we're still not able to use subspace communications for long conversations or I'm sure I'd be on the viewer with her right now." She gave Spock a stern look.

Spock didn't respond. He was still reeling from the emotional experience of forming new bonds with friends. Uhura sensed he was processing, so she stood and started clearing the table.

"Charlene and Sulu said they always figured this would happen."

"Indeed?" Spock joined her in cleaning up.

"Yes, they ruined my big surprise. Even Pavel. He said it was only natural for two people in love to have a baby." She looked to see how Spock would react to that.

Spock still said nothing, he just cleaned and put everything away which gave Uhura the courage to continue.

"Spock. I wasn't going to say anything. I vowed I wouldn't say it because you couldn't, and I understand you can't say it, but I can. So now I'm just being stupid if I don't say it. Do you know what I'm saying?" Uhura said.

"No. What are you saying?" Spock asked.

"Spock," she stopped him from cleaning and forced him to look at her.

"Maybe this isn't the right time, but it's as good a time as any. Every time I've tried to tell you something happens, and it goes wrong."

"What is it Nyota?" she finally had his full attention.

Uhura grabbed him around the neck in a fierce hug. "Spock, I've been so afraid," she said. "I was afraid you couldn't love me when I love you so much. I think I've loved you from the first moment I stepped on the Enterprise and saw this tall sexy Vulcan greeting everyone. You had me at hello," she confessed with a trembling voice. "Nakupenda."

Spock was not prepared for her confession. He just stood there holding his pregnant wife, who felt so good and right in his arms. His wife loved him.

"You don't have to say anything. I understand. I just wanted you to know and we'll never speak of it again." She tried to pull away, but Spock wouldn't let her go.

Spock had no words, or rather he did, but he didn't know how to say them. He had come so far from the man he used to be a few short months ago. He once felt shame for feeling friendship towards Jim, and now he was in a relationship with a woman whose friends hugged him and pinched him and threatened him bodily harm if he hurt her. But he would never hurt her, not willingly, not ever. He'd rather die than see her harmed or let himself cause her any harm.

Spock knew his mother loved him and he accepted that as her human nature, the basic instinct of a mother protecting her offspring. But Nyota said she loved him and he didn't understand why or how. He didn't know how to be loved by her, so he just stood there and held on to her, the one solid thing in his life.

"Nyota, I... I can't... I don't know how to..." He fumbled for the right thing to say.

"It's okay. I've got you. I've got you and I love you, and you don't have to say a word," she promised.

Spock wanted to say it. He knew he needed to say it. He could feel it building up within him for a long time, but he still didn't know how to give voice to the emotion he felt for his wife. Somehow, he would learn. For her. Though the words of his father's people seemed inadequate to the moment, for now they would have to do.

"K'diwa" he whispered. "Taluhk nash-veh k'dular." For now, it was enough.

*/*/*

 

Notes:

Swahili
Nakupenda = I love you

Vulcan
K'diwa– Beloved
Taluhk nash-veh k'dular = I cherish thee

Chapter 113: Seeking His Level

Summary:

While sparing with Uhura, Spock receives a few low blows and deals some of his own.

Chapter Text

Seeking His Level

 

The Enterprise limped along to Vulcan on impulse power, her Vulcan escort riding shotgun. That meant the crew had an abundance of time on their hands when they were not working their shifts or doing repairs. Spock decided it was a perfect time to help Uhura find a way to relax and learn to control her response to the new Vulcan hormones coursing through her body. He tried to teach her his meditation techniques several times, but she didn't enjoy sitting still. She was a physical person who felt best when she was on the move, so reluctantly, he agreed to continue teaching her Suus Mahna, the Vulcan martial arts he practiced.

Uhura had sparred with Spock several times and knew some fundamentals, so she picked up the moves fairly easily. But she wanted to learn some real fighting skills. Starfleet taught several types of hand-to-hand combat disciplines, but she wanted to learn the one Spock used. She especially wanted to learn the Vulcan nerve pinch.

Spock reserved a private gym located near their crew quarters to go over some basic moves with Uhura. She was dressed in a standard-issue workout leotard made up of a crop top and short-shorts over leggings. She stood on the exercise mat doing some basic stretches, bending over gracefully while trying to coax Spock into teaching her how to stealthy subdue someone from behind.

"Aduna," Spock said while he watched her bend and stretch slowly, "you do not possess the strength required to properly perform the Vulcan nerve pinch."

"Is this another one of those fancy Vulcan things no human can do?" she asked. She peered at him upside down from between her widespread legs.

"I would not say 'no human', but I have tried to each the captain, and he has yet to accomplish it."

"Well, I'm not the captain. I am sure there is a way for us mere humans to do it and you and I are going to figure it out."

"Yes," he said while admiring her short-shorts. "If there is a way, I have not discovered it. But I have no doubt if it's humanly possible you will succeed."

Uhura beamed at the high praise and sprinted over to give Spock a tight embrace. "Aww, thank you, Adun. Thank you for always believing in me."

Spock returned the embrace and, as always, he reveled in the feel of his wife in his arms. "You are one of the most capable people I know. You deserve no less."

They held each other for a long moment until Uhura felt Spock's hand creep down her backside and she pulled away. And he was supposed to be teaching her control? "Okay, then Mister. Let's try something easy first. How about that big sharp weapon you use, the lirpa? Can I try that?"

"No. It is much too heavy and unwieldy for you. You could easily strain yourself and cause injury."

Uhura confronted him with her hands on her hips. "You think because I am pregnant I can't fight, don't you?"

"No. I think because you are smaller and less muscular that you would find it difficult to lift, let alone swing the lirpa effectively as a weapon. If you must use a Vulcan-style weapon, then I think the fighting pike would suit you better." Spock went to his storage locker and came back with a long pole with a dull blade attached to the end. It looked like an ordinary spear, but it was taller than Uhura and made of metal.

"That?" Uhura looked skeptical.

"This is what young Vulcans have used to train in self-defense for generations. I believe women prefer it in combat situations. It can be deceptively lethal in the right hands." He effortlessly tossed the weapon to Uhura, and she caught it easily, but then nearly dropped it. It was also deceptively heavy.

"I thought you said this would be easier? Is this thing made of lead?" She asked while she hefted it and tested its weight.

"No, a durillium alloy. Now let me show you how to hold it."

Before Spock would approach her, Uhura swirled the pole around her body quickly. The blade end just narrowly missed slicing a piece out of Spock's shirt as she put on her little demonstration.

Spock looked both distressed at her carelessness and impressed with her technique. "Where did you learn to do that?"

Uhura planted the dull end of the pole down on the matted floor and looked at the weapon with respect. "Oh, I know my way around a pole." She pretended to polish it and then took it up again, swinging it this way and that.

Spock watched her with undisguised admiration. She never ceased to amaze him with her talents. "I was unaware of your proficiency," he said

"Oh, yeah sugar. You didn't think this was the first pole I've handled, did you?" she gave him one of her mischievous grins as she worked the pole around her body again.

Spock quirked a brow. "I was under the impression that mine was the first."

"Tee hehe," she chuckled playfully. "I'm not that innocent. Though I must admit, this is the first pole I've used with such a pointy tip. I bet I could really prick something with this."

Spock nodded in agreement. "Indeed, a Vulcan's fighting pike has to be handled very carefully."

"Oh? I haven't been too rough with yours, have I? I always try to be gentle with my playthings." Uhura stroked her hand up and down the polished length of the pole affectionately.

"Um... No, you are always very gentle, Aduna." Spock's voice had suddenly got very husky. "But perhaps I could teach you a more refined technique?"

"You know I'm always open to learning new things. C'mon. Show me how to handle your pole." She crooked her finger to beckon him forward.

Spock showed her a few basic defensive moves with the fighting stick and she practiced over and over until she was almost exhausted. Their time in the reserved gym was almost up, and Uhura wanted to test her new skills before they left.

"C'mon. Let's really spar. Come at me, Mister!" Uhura taunted Spock.

"I don't think that would be wise, Aduna."

"Why not. How else am I gonna learn to fight and defend our baby?" She danced around Spock with the pole.

"I will defend you and our child. You are not learning to fight, you are learning strength and balance, and most importantly, control," he reminded her.

"Fuck that! I'm not an invalid. I can defend myself. Come on!" she taunted him with the spear tip, dancing around him, staying just out of reach.

"Nyota," he said with his stern Vulcan husband's voice. "This is most inappropriate. You could be injured."

"I'm fine. You'd never hurt me. Nobody has more control than you. And I promise I'll be gentle," she teased him.

Spock could see she wouldn't back down until they had fought, so he planned a strategy that would disarm her with minimal impact. His plan set, he approached her calmly and gracefully.

Uhura took a moment to admire his physical beauty. Spock had removed his shirt while training her and now there was a thin sheen of perspiration covering his olive-hued skin. His muscles rippled as he moved in on her like a predator, and Uhura couldn't take her eyes off his body. She licked her lips and waited for his attack in the defensive pose he'd taught her.

He struck like a viper, so quickly she almost didn't see it coming, but she was well trained and she quickly countered and evaded him. "Ha! You thought you could get me that easily?" she taunted him.

Spock was impressed with her skill and agility. "You have proven time and time again that you are very hard to get. Still, I shall persevere," he said, never losing concentration.

"Oh really? Then come and get me," she taunted him again.

He did. Spock didn't even wait for her to finish taunting before he struck. Before she could even think, Uhura did a quick crouch, sweeping the pole under his legs, which he easily evaded. However, she then followed with a sweeping kick, which she landed knocking him on his back. Then she then pounced on top of him and placed the pole across his throat.

Breathing heavily, bosom heaving, she said, "Not bad for a pregnant woman, huh?"

"Indeed. How did you manage that?" He asked as he gazed up into his wife's triumphant face with unabashed admiration.

Uhura shrugged her shoulders like it was nothing. "You do know I used to run track and field? Pole vault was my favorite event."

"Ah yes. I should have suspected. But that doesn't explain your victory in combat."

"Well, I used your advantages against you. You are bigger, stronger, and your limbs are longer. I am no match for you in brute force or strength. But I'm small, agile, and quick. Plus, I know you were holding back. I just needed to get you down to my level. The sooner I got you on your back, the better for me."

"That seems to be a recurring theme with us," Spock said.

"Oh, hush up!" She bent down and gave him a quick kiss. "I think you enjoy it when I'm on top." She rocked her hips suggestively.

Before Spock could answer, someone knocked on the window of the door.

"Hey! I can see you in there. Why don't you two go get a room?" the intruder yelled.

Uhura looked up, but she didn't take the pike away from Spock's neck.

"We're in a room," she called out in answer.

"A private room," the person said.

"This is a private room!" she yelled back.

The door opened and Dr. McCoy entered. "This is a private workout room, not a bordello. These mats were designed to absorb sweat, not any other bodily fluids."

"Oh my god, Doctor!" Uhura tossed the pike aside so she could cover Spock's ears with her hands. "I cannot believe you just said that."

McCoy let out an annoyed huff and walked to his storage locker. "Spock's a grown-ass man. He's heard worse than that and he knows what I'm talking about. There is no need to defend his chastity. Now, I don't know what you two were doing in here, and I don't want to know. Just do it in your own quarters, hmm?"

"We weren't doing anything wrong, we were just playing," Uhura said.

McCoy stopped what he was doing in the storage locker and turned to gape at Uhura. "Spock playing? I'd like to see that."

"Apparently you did, peeping through that window. What are you doing in here?" Uhura demanded.

"Your time is up, Missy. I've booked this room for its intended purpose. Exercise."

"We were exercising, Doctor." Uhura defended them, giving McCoy a stern look.

"On your backs? Exercising your libidos doesn't count. Look, I get it. You're newlyweds and now you're pregnant and you've got all those hormones raging. But deal with it on your own time. The captain will be here any minute, and I suggest you don't let him catch you two doing things like this."

At that, Spock finally sat up and joined in the conversation. "Why not Doctor?"

"It's unprofessional, for one thing," McCoy groused.

Spock bristled at that. He was never unprofessional. "What my wife and I do off duty is our own business. Jim is hardly a prude or one to shy away from human expressions of affection," Spock said.

"That's just it. Human expressions of affection. Spock, Jim is your best friend but I think he sees you as this Vulcan paragon. To see you behaving... well like a horny teenager, I think it disturbs his equilibrium. I'm sure he'll get used to it eventually, but I think it will take some time for him to accept you as... well, a normal man."

Spock helped Uhura to her feet and then stood face to face with McCoy. "I have always been a normal man, Doctor."

"Spock, don't get your knickers in a knot. I didn't mean anything by it. Maybe I can't speak for Jim, but I think we both just see you, saw you, as being above all this basic human emotion. It's kinda disappointing seeing you brought down to our level, that's all."

"Brought down!" Uhura said, stepping in between the two men. "Now wait a minute, Doctor. Just what are you trying to say? That I am somehow bringing Spock down? Because I am not afraid or ashamed to love my husband, you think I'm bringing him down?" The look she gave McCoy curdled his stomach.

Uhura's angry stance reminded him of the Horta protecting her brood. He was lucky Uhura didn't have that creature's power to burn him to a crisp. "That is not what I said at all," he tried to backpedal too late. He looked at Spock for help and found his friend staring at him with cold, dark eyes. It was at that moment Dr. McCoy realized he had fucked up. He had stepped on a hornet's nest while trapped in a room with an overprotective Vulcan and his pregnant wife. He looked around the room at the very sharp looking weapons scattered about. What the hell were these two "playing" anyway?

Luckily, Spock turned away from him and addressed Uhura. "Aduna, I don't think that Bones meant to insult us, did you, Doctor?" Spock turned back to give McCoy a stone faced look but his eyes warned to tread carefully.

McCoy held up his hands in surrender. "I absolutely meant no disrespect to you or your lovely wife. If I have offended you in any way, I apologize for my rudeness."

"I take no offense, Doctor. However, I do not speak for my lovely wife."

Uhura looked ready to run McCoy through with the fighting pike. She took a look at Spock's face, which appeared as calm as ever, and something in her settled down. She could see the tension coiled in his muscles, ready to attack and defend her, but he waited. Right now, Uhura was in control of the situation. She finally understood the need for own self-control. If she were to be a good wife to Spock, she couldn't let her emotions cloud his. She took a deep, calming breath and relented. Her family was safe. That was all that mattered. She touched Spock's bare back with her hand and felt the tension drain from his body at the contact.

Spock offered his hand. Two fingers extended to her, and she grabbed it with her own. "I'm sorry, Adun," she apologized. "You know I've not been myself lately. I'm sorry for getting so upset."

"You have no cause for apologies. You were not at fault." They let their fingers linger in the touch for a few moments. McCoy could tell something intimate was passing between them, and he looked away. Shortly, Spock withdrew his hand and asked Uhura to wait for him outside.

When Uhura left, Spock calmly collected their weapons and put them away in the storage locker. Then he gathered their personal gear, such as towels and water bottles, and placed them in a gym bag. He neither looked at nor spoke to the doctor while he completed his task. Not until he had put the room in order and had his bag packed on his shoulder did he address McCoy. "Doctor," Spock nodded and turned to leave, but McCoy stopped him.

"Wait, Spock. You know I say a lot of dang fool things. I hope I haven't hurt you and Uhura? You know how I like to joke with you?"

"Doctor, in all the years I have known you, you have made jokes at my expense. I ignored them because though the words were offensive, I knew you did not intentionally mean to offend me."

"No! Wait a minute," Bones tried to say, but Spock continued.

"I have tolerated your failed attempts at HUMOR. Over a lifetime of such taunts, I have developed a thick skin. But if I were fully human or if you had made such remarks to the younger version of myself, I may have done something to you I would later regret. Thankfully, I am not the angry young man I used to be, and I am in full control of my emotions. However, I will never tolerate insult to she who is my wife. Is that clear?"

"Spock I am sorry. I never meant to offend you or hurt you in any way with my foolish words. And Uhura is the sweetest thing on this ship. I would never insult her. I apologize for my ill-advised words."

"Sometimes I let my mouth get far away from my brain, you know that. Or as we used to say down-home, I stuck my foot in it." He smiled ruefully. "Believe it or not, I only teased you back in the early days because I liked you and I wanted to get to know you better. But it seemed you only responded to my childish taunts. However, it was petty and juvenile and I am sorry," McCoy said in all sincerity.

Spock nodded once and turned to go but McCoy stopped him again, sensing all was still not settled. "But you have to understand, Spock. When I call you a pointy-eared bastard, it's only because I actually like your ears. It's like a term of affection." McCoy smiled, hoping Spock would understand and harbor no hard feelings between them.

"That is highly illogical, Doctor."

"That is highly human. Didn't Amanda ever call you anything other than Spock? Like a little stinker or a rugrat or something similar as an affectionate term?"

Spock conceded the point. "Perhaps. I have been called "that boy" or "the boy" for over thirty years now."

"See, there you go. Illogical human behavior," McCoy said, feeling as if everything was finally settled and forgiven.

"Very well Doctor. I thank you for your honesty. However, I think it best that I do not tell my wife about your attraction to me. She is, after all, human and has a tendency towards jealousy."

"Wait what!? Attracted to you? What the devil are you talking about now?"

Spock nodded sagely. "Yes, Bones I understand now. You said it yourself, you "LIKED" me, and I did not respond favorably to your advances. Human courtship rituals were baffling to me at the time, but I do understand such teasing is part of the mating process."

"I was not making advances towards you, you pointy-eared devil!" Bones fumed.

"Please Doctor," Spock held up a hand to halt McCoy's outraged rant. "As I had to explain to Nurse Chapel, I am extremely pleased with my wife and want no other. You may cease with your terms of endearment now."

McCoy was just about to protest to high heaven when he realized Spock wasn't serious. That pointy-eared bastard was fucking with him! He was so worried Spock would corrupt Uhura that it had never occurred to him that she might corrupt Spock.

"Get out of here Spock! Go take care of your wife," McCoy groused and shooed him away. "I would think such antics were beneath you."

"Apparently, I have been brought down to your level." Spock tipped his head to McCoy once more before he left the room.

McCoy shook his head. Spock's sharpest weapon had always been his rapier wit. "Touché," McCoy said, as he went back to his locker. "Touché."

Chapter 114: The Home Front

Summary:

Uhura has a chat with her family.

Notes:

OMG, we're getting so close to the end. So, I'm trying something new before I finish this story. It's just a quickie while I work on a hopefully satisfying ending to our journey.

Chapter Text

The Home Front

Uhura couldn't put off her confrontation, or rather her confession, to her family much longer. The ship was gradually bringing nonessential services back online for the crew. There was no excuse not to at last check in with the family and let them know she was indeed alive and well.

She fired up her data padd and logged into her personal messaging service. Subspace video transmissions were still down except for ship to ship so she had to use text chat.

Uhura entered the family chat and read the back and forth between her brothers and parents. She was the main topic of conversation, since she had been incommunicado for some time. So she stormed into the conversation like nothing happened, as if she hadn't been MIA for the better part of a month.

Nyota:

Hello Everyone! Time for an Uhura family roll-call!

Jabari:

Who Dis?

Omari:

Sis U Alive?

Mother:

Nyota Uhura, where have you been? Do you know we've been worried sick about you? Why haven't you answered my calls?

Dad:

Hello baby girl! How are things?

Well, it seemed everybody was awake and eager to chat. Uhura felt awful about making them all worry but she didn't have the strength to deal with them and Spock's trial at the same time. She didn't know if she wanted to deal with them now but she owed them some explanation. Just not the truth. Not yet. So she typed her response, keeping her tone casual.

Nyota:

Hello everyone. I am alive and well and I miss you all like crazy. The Enterprise ran into a little trouble(as usual) and we're out of subspace communication range, but I'm now able to chat.

Mother:

What trouble?

Dad:

Are you okay, baby girl?

Nyota:

I'm fine. We had a little run-in with some Orion pirates. It's probably all over the news streams, but don't worry about me. I'm fine. The ship's engines and communication systems are damaged, so we have to put into port. I'll contact you when we reach Vulcan.

Mother:

Vulcan? Why not Earth? When are you coming home?

Jabari:

Orions! Oh, sis was anyone kidnapped?

Nyota:

Why would you ask that?

Omari:

Orions are known to make slaves of their captives.

Nyota:

Well, we kicked their butts back to where they came from. No captives.

Jabari:

Cool!

Mother:

It is not 'cool'! Your sister was almost enslaved!

Nyota:

(◔_◔)

Dad:

She's okay. Aren't you sweetheart? 3

Nyota:

Fine baba. I promise. I do have some big news I want to share though.

Mother:

What big news? What's happened to you?

Nyota:

I can't tell you everything over this chat. But I have been seeing someone.

Mother:

Are you back with Kevin?

Nyota:

NO! Why would you pull his name out of thin air?

Mother:

You were dating him last I checked.

Nyota:

That was 3 years ago. Long years.

Mother:

How is he?

Nyota:

Why would I know? He's out of my life and lives on a different ship.

Mother:

You liked him. I thought you two might settle down.

Nyota:

Liked. Past tense. Old news.

Dad:

So what's his name?

Nyota:

Who?

Dad:

The one you like. Present tense. Recent news.

Nyota:

Um... His name is Spock.

Mother:

Spock? Is that his surname? What's his given name?

Nyota:

Just Spock. I can't pronounce his surname yet.

Omari:

Why does that name sound so familiar?

Jabari:

Yeah, I know that name.

Nyota:

I'm sure I've mentioned him. He is my...

colleague

Mother:

What kind of name is too difficult for you to pronounce? Can't you spell it?

Dad:

What does he do?

Nyota:

He's the... Science officer onboard.

Dad:

Oh, a smart one?

Nyota:

Yes baba, he's very smart.

Jabari:

Have we met him?

Nyota:

How would you have met him?

Omari:

The name is very familiar, sis. What does he look like?

Nyota:

Perfect. Tall, dark, handsome, smart...

Jabari:

He looks smart?

Nyota:

Yes, he does.

Omari:

Send us pics, along with family name, rank, serial...

Nyota:

I will do no such thing. You'll just have to meet him.

Jabari:

Meet? You must really like him?

Nyota:

\(^o^)/

Jabari:

So it's serious?

Nyota:

Yes!

Dad:

Good for you.

Jabari:

Congrats, sis!

Omari:

So when do we meet this Spock?

Mother: ...

Nyota:

I'll fill you all in when we have subspace communications again. You'll meet him soon I hope.

Mother:

What's the hurry?

Dad:

Great. I'm sure he's a good guy.

Jabari:

He better be baba. Or else Omari and I will make him.

Nyota:

Make him what?

Omari:

Speak for yourself, kaka.

It's getting late here. I love you Ny.

Nyota:

love you too!

Jabari:

love you guys!

Dad:

Love you all more!

Mother:

Take care of yourself!

Nyota:

I will mama. Bye!

Uhura closed the chat app and stared ahead at nothing in particular.

She'd done it. Laid the groundwork for telling her family she was married and with child. It was going to be okay. They didn't know about Spock or the trial from the news. Thank goodness for that. The twins were probably scouring the net right now, digging up info on anyone named Spock. So it would not be long before they found the whole sordid story.

Uhura hoped she reached Vulcan before that happened. She'd be light years away from earth and wouldn't be able to hear the fallout unless she chose to. She'd be safe.

The thought of returning to Vulcan was a welcome one, like she was going home after a long journey. Hard to believe a few months ago she'd almost sworn she would never return to that hot ball of sand under any circumstance. Now she couldn't wait to return. There was so much she wanted to explore and learn about Spock's home. Possibly her home too. Home was where your heart was and where you were loved, and her heart was with Spock and their baby. Wherever they settled, that would be her home and her family would just have to deal with that. For now, all she could do was wait until she got to Vulcan.


Brother=kaka

Father=baba

Chapter 115: Memory Lane

Summary:

Charlene and Uhura stroll down memory lane and talk about the future.

Notes:

So I found two partially finished scenes lying around in my stash and married them together to make this baby scene. Well, it started as a baby at 800 words but they grow up so fast don't they? :-)

Chapter Text

*/*/*


Memory Lane

"Well, well, look at Mrs. Uhura out for a stroll. I'm surprised your husband lets you out of his sight," Charlene said, hooking her arm with Uhura's. They'd met up with each other in the corridor of the engineering section.

"Spock's off doing science stuff and I'm bored. I can't lie around all day like a princess. Thought I'd come down here and see how the other half lives," Uhura said.

"What other half?" Charlene asked with a frown on her glistening lips. Charlene had a way of always looking put together even after a 12-hour shift.

Uhura always admired that about her. Today Uhura was dressed casually in one of her many loose fitting kaftans. Even though she had not put on that much weight yet, she felt rather frumpy standing next to her friend.

"The half that gets to work instead of lying around all day on their rapidly growing ass," Uhura whined.

"Oh, hush. Your ass isn't growing. It's just right." Charlene gave her a playful pinch. "Besides, I bet you get no complaints from Spock."

"I do not. He seems to like me, flaws and all," Uhura said.

"See. You've landed the best guy on this ship. Heck in the fleet. He's going to be a great dad too."

"Yeah, I hope so."

"Uh-oh. Is that doubt I hear? Girl, don't make me have to put you over my knee. You two are in a happy place. Spock is a good man. He loves you. You two are having a baby together. That's a formula for success if ever there was one."

"Sarek and Amanda love each other too and look how Sarek behaves?"

"How does he behave?" Charlene asked.

"He's kind of cold and aloof. He and Spock didn't get along for years, you know? Sarek is kind of intimidating."

"Well, you know him better than I do. I only saw the ambassador from afar but he seems par for the course in terms of Vulcans."

"That's exactly it. Vulcans are not human. They have different customs and they raise their children differently."

"So? Spock turned out alright, all things considered. He has a human parent, so he can't be that different. Besides, if you have questions about how to raise your child properly, now's the time to have those discussions with your mate. Don't wait until some decision needs to be made and you two find yourselves at loggerheads. How many times do I have to tell you to talk!"

"Okay MOM!" Uhura said. "I know we need to talk. I'm just thinking out loud to my best friend, is that okay? Spock and I are still getting used to the idea of having a baby. It's so scary. I can still hardly believe something is growing in my belly."

Charlene patted Uhura's arm. "I know, but you seem to be taking the news of this pregnancy all in stride?"

"You remember the night you dragged me home, and I took that pregnancy test? I was devastated when it came out negative even though I thought I wasn't ready for a child." Uhura laughed to think how wrong that test was.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I brought you that faulty test kit."

"It wasn't your fault, Char. You were being a good friend. Dr. McCoy isn't really sure, but he thinks I was not pregnant enough yet or that the Vulcan influence mixed up my hormones, so the test didn't detect it right away. But I think it happened after I took the test. That day, Spock stopped by and-"

"And you two got busy?" Charlene raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"Well, that's when we got quarantined together? While we lay in my bunk, I felt something change in me. I had horrible cramps. Spock theorizes that's when implantation actually occurred." Uhura grinned dreamily. "Well, after that day, we decided to stay together and give the marriage a try. Even then, I couldn't get the idea of motherhood out of my mind. I thought I had dodged a bullet, but secretly I mourned the missed opportunity. I suppose it awoke something in me that I had let go dormant and now look at me." She pointed to her flat belly. "I'm so ok with this. It was meant to be," Uhura said.

Charlene couldn't help but roll her eyes at her friend's sappiness. "Yes, I can see it was meant for you. You and Spock are sickeningly in love these days. I suppose my work here is done. I feel like Mary Poppins ready to take off with my umbrella to somewhere else."

"No, you better not. I still need you." Uhura squeezed Charlene's arm close.

"I'm only teasing. I'm here as long as you need me. I told you, I've got your back."

"Good. This morning I told my family there is someone special I want them to meet. When we get to Vulcan, I'm going to call and introduce them to Spock. I'll need all the support I can get when they find out."

"Oh my god! Look at you doing the responsible thing." Charlene patted Uhura's head in praise and pretended to cry dabbing at her eyes, "I can't believe my baby's all grown and having a baby."

Uhura swatted Charlene's hand away. "You're not really my mom. You know that, right?"

Charlene got serious again. "I know, but after all the drama you put me through, I feel like I've raised you these past few years."

They ended up back at Uhura's quarters, where they sat next to one another in the dining area on the loveseat sipping tea. So much had changed in the past few months. It was a far cry from the night Charlene sat in that very seat, nursing her friend's broken heart and listening with shock to the sordid tale of Vulcan mating practices.

She bent low and whispered in Uhura's ear, "So tell me the truth. Is it Spock's baby?"

"Char! How can you even ask?" Uhura clutched invisible pearls.

"You know I'm only teasing? That's what I asked you that night, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. That night seems so long ago now. I was miserable and scared, but you knew even then, didn't you?"

"Yeah. I knew you and Spock were more to each other than you were letting on. And look at you now. You wasted no time in making it happen."

"I didn't do it on purpose. It just happened... but I really want this, Charlene. All of it. Even the crazy scary in-laws."

"I know you do, honey. You were meant to love and be loved by someone who adores you. And I can't wait to be an auntie. Or godmother. I am the godmother aren't I?"

"What's that you say?" Uhura held a hand to her ear. "GRANDMA, you say?"

"Now you stop it! I'm not anybody's grandma, hopefully not yet anyway," Charlene said thoughtfully.

"Of course, you are the godmother. Who else would it be? And for the godfather..."

"Hold on there Ny, don't you think Spock gets a say? I don't think it's like picking a bridesmaid and best man. You pick godparents who are going to take the role seriously for life."

"Yeah, I guess so. In that case, I suspect Jim and Leonard will be fighting over that duty and I don't want any part of it."

"You know that's right. They are gonna flip when you tell them."

"Well, of course, Leonard already knows. He knew before me," she grinned.

"I meant about being the godfathers," Charlene said. "Of course everybody close to you knows you're pregnant."

Uhura looked guilty. "Well, we still haven't decided when we are going to tell the rest of the world, but I had to tell my best friends even though you already guessed," Uhura pouted again, just thinking about that.

"Thanks," Charlene grinned. "But it's only a matter of time before somebody lets something slip. It's best to get in front of these things."

"I think it's up to Spock if he will tell Jim now or wait. I suspect if he's anything like me will tell him soon."

"Jim doesn't know?" It surprised Charlene. "He is going to be stunned when he finds out. He'll be happy, and then sad, and then worried, and then excited and then worried again," Charlene predicted.

"How do you know how the captain will react?" Nyota asked Charlene.

"Well, I just know the captain. I told you we dated," Charlene said quietly. "He hasn't changed that much in all these years. Besides, he's a man, that's just how they are," she tried changing the focus of the conversation. "And knowing the captain, he'll be happy and then worry until he sees the baby breathing fresh air. After all, this baby will be one of his crew."

"But forget Jim. I really can't wait to see my godchild. I bet you he or she will be gorgeous, too. In fact, your little girl will be a heartbreaker just like her mama. She can't help but be beautiful and smart. Can she?"

"What if it's a boy?" Uhura asked.

"Oh, he'll be a heartbreaker just like his daddy. Tall, dark, devilishly handsome, and wickedly smart. I can't want to see the havoc created by the beautiful babies you and Spock have. Your kids are going to be amazing."

"I just want him or her to be healthy and safe." Uhura patted her belly.

"I know, sweetie, that's what all parents want for their kids. They'll be healthy and safe all right. You've got an entire ship full of crewmates who will see to it that they thrive."

"Thank you, Charlene. Whatever would I do without you?"

"I don't know, girl," Charlene said, and she hugged Uhura.

"You know, I might have to keep away from you and Spock for a little while. Y'all got my maternal instincts on full alert. Now is not the time for me and my ovaries to be thinking about babies," she joked as she stroked Uhura's head.

"Why not? You're young, healthy, and beautiful. All you have to do is snap up some nice guy and join the baby club."

"No thanks. That ship has sailed for me. I'd make a terrible mom now. I'm too selfish," she said sadly. "No. You and Spock will make this work, though. You want this and you're ready for it. And you two are doing it together with your eyes wide open, as it should be done. You can't do this all on your own, no matter what all the new-age mumbo jumbo says," Charlene said vehemently. "It takes a village to raise a child up the right way."

Uhura sighed, feeling as if she'd just stepped on a hornet's nest. "Okay... Charlene. I know. I'm sorry I brought it up. I know you're into your career and I know you're still looking for Mr. Right. It's just that when you're happy, you want everybody around you to be happy too," she explained as an apology.

Charlene huffed and let Uhura go. "I know, and I'm not upset. I never meant to upset you, either. You're the lady of the hour. How should we celebrate?"

"Celebrate what?"

"Celebrate you and your pregnancy."

"I don't know about that. What do people usually do when they are secretly pregnant?" Uhura asked.

"I don't know either. I never knew anybody who was secretly pregnant and wanted to celebrate it." Charlene said.

That statement made Uhura sad. Most women in the service had to leave when they got pregnant and it was not so much a time for celebrations as of sad goodbyes. Well, not for her. She wasn't leaving this ship until she was damn good and ready.

There were new rules in Starfleet about families on ships to protect people like her. If she were single, then yes, she'd have to go on leave, and being off duty, she'd have to leave the ship. But Uhura was married. Therefore, as long as she has a spouse on board who was on active duty, Uhura was staying put.

One day single parents were going to have to stand up for their rights and tell Starfleet where to stick it! But that wasn't Uhura's battle. Some brave single parent would have to deal with that. For now, she had her own battles to deal with.

"Alcohol is definitely out," Charlene said. "What's the next best thing?"

"Sex," Nyota said without knowing what Charlene was even talking about.

Charlene stared at her. "Who are you and what have you done with my prudish friend?"

"She took your advice and got her pipes cleared. Now c'mon Charlene, loosen up."

"Girl, I can see pregnancy has made you feisty. But I think I know something that's even better than sex."

"No such thing," Nyota said.

Charlene rolled her eyes. "Not even Sulu's chocolate mousse?"

"Ok, it's a close second. Let's go pester Hikaru for freebies."

*/*/*

At Sulu's dining table, Uhura patted her full tummy. "I'm going to be as big as a whale by the time this baby comes with all the cravings I'm having lately."

"Me too girl, if I keep eating in sympathy with you. At least that'll be my excuse when I can't fit on the turbo lift," Charlene said as she licked her spoon clean.

Sulu sat frowning and staring at the two crew women who had invited themselves over to eat his food. "I wonder how it tasted?" he asked.

"Why didn't you have some?" Uhura asked as she ran her finger around the rim of the empty bowl. "It was delicious."

"I wanted to taste it, but I was afraid if I stuck my hand between the two of you I'd draw back a stump," Sulu said.

Uhura grinned at him, "Nah, I don't eat meat anymore."

"That's not what I heard," Charlene said. "You told me on your honeymoon-"

"Nope!" Sulu shouted as he covered his ears.

"Oh, take your hands down you big baby." Charlene pulled his hand away from Sulu's head. "I wasn't going to say Spock has a huge penis or something."

Sulu shot daggers from his eyes at Charlene as he pushed her hands away. "You just did!"

"Oops!" Charlene covered her mouth innocently.

"Oh come on now. You mean to tell me you don't want to hear anything about the honeymoon?" Uhura asked?

"No!" Sulu said stubbornly.

"Oh well," she shrugged. "I guess it's best you don't know, anyway. You'd never look at us the same." She looked and Charlene and they giggled together.

Sulu got up from his seat, stomped to his fridge, and procured a fresh bowl heaping full of chocolaty goodness. He slammed it on the table, sat down, and grabbed a spoon. "Now, tell me everything."

Chapter 116: Family Man

Summary:

Spock confides in Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy about impending fatherhood and family. It does not go as expected.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Family Man

Spock stood staring out into the void from the portal of the ship's observation deck with his arms folded across his chest and a contemplative expression on his face.

"Penny for your thoughts Mr. Spock," Kirk said as he approached his friend.

Spock jolted from his reverie. "I beg your pardon, captain. I was distracted."

"I was asking about your rather serious expression. Anything you'd care to talk about?"

"I was merely thinking about... my wife. I find that marriage to Nyota is rather... illogical at times," Spock confessed.

He had indeed been thinking about his wife and the experience he had with Nyota and her "inner circle". They were all very pleased with the news of Nyota's impending motherhood and wished her and Spock well. There was no doubt in Spock's mind that Lieutenant Masters, Chekov, and Sulu would support Nyota and defend her from any threats real or imagined. They were the truest expression of loyalty and camaraderie and that they easily welcomed him into their circle humbled him.

Spock wondered how the rest of their friends and family would accept the news. Namely, he wondered about Jim's reaction ever since the confrontation with Bones in the gym. Now was as good a time as any to find out.

"Did I hear you say your marriage was illogical, Spock?" McCoy asked as he joined the two in the quiet alcove.

"Not precisely Doctor. However, I admit I do find myself in uncharted territory with my wife at times," Spock answered with no snark.

"Well, it must be serious if you didn't even bother with a dismissive comeback. Why don't you relieve yourself of the burden and tell ol' Jim and me all about it? I'm sure between the three of us we can figure out your love life."

"Marriage has nothing to do with love," Spock said.

McCoy rolled his eyes. "Now you're back. So what's the problem?" he asked.

Spock explained the situation to his friends. "There is no problem with my marriage. Nyota and I get along quite well, as you most assuredly know, doctor. It results from our felicitous union that has me unsettled. I am experiencing a troubling amount of anxiety over Nyota's health and wellbeing."

"Oh, is it um...er...that?" Bones asked, and he looked back and forth between Jim and Spock. He wasn't sure how Spock wanted to handle this conversation.

"Yes." Spock acknowledged.

"What is "that"?" Kirk asked, looking between Spock and McCoy. The two knew something, and they weren't telling him. He couldn't abide by secrets, not among his closest friends. "What is wrong with Uhura's health? If she's in any danger, I think I should know as her captain." He tried using his authority on the two scientists to make them talk.

"Nyota is not in any danger, Jim. At least the odds are in favor of a safe and uneventful delivery."

"Delivery?" Kirk asked, furrowing his brow.

"Yes. I should think in approximately eight to nine months from now, would you agree, doctor?" Spock asked McCoy, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes, quite possibly. Though there is no way to accurately predict it at this early stage, you understand?"

Kirk looked away from McCoy to stare at Spock silently and as realization dawned, his mouth fell open in awe. "Spock is Uhura...?"

Spock nodded his head once. "I believe the Terran term is expecting. Nyota and I are going to have a child." With that, he turned back to the plasteel portal and stared out into the darkness, not waiting for Jim's reaction.

But Dr. McCoy watched the play of emotions across Kirk's face. Shock, excitement, then a slight frown of worry, and then sadness, then a slow grin as he looked over at Spock, and finally seeing Spock's stiffness, another worrying frown.

"Spock, are you... how are you?"

Spock took a deep breath before he spoke. "Jim. You've seen me at my absolute worst. When I was without logic or reason. And you've stood by me as a friend throughout. Would it offend you or lower your opinion of me if I told you I was... if I..." he hesitated to finish.

Kirk placed a comforting hand on Spock's shoulder and squeezed. "You can tell me anything, Spock, and it would not shatter my belief in you. You've seen me at my absolute worst, too. Has it changed your opinion of me at all?"

"No, captain," Spock said, simply bowing his head.

"You know nothing you say will leave here? It's just between the two of us." Kirk looked over at Bones, who was watching the exchange quietly, "or, the three of us?" If Spock wanted Bones to go he would tell the good doctor to take a hike, but Spock nodded that Bones could stay.

"So what is it, Mr. Spock? What are you, uh... feeling that has you so flustered?"

"Fatherhood."

"What about it?"

"It frightens me," Spock admitted. "I am not prepared for this."

"Well... I'm sure nobody's prepared for fatherhood at first, but you knew this would happen eventually, right?" Kirk patted Spock's shoulder.

"No, I did not expect this eventuality. As a hybrid, I did not think the odds were in my favor to ever father a child. So I dismissed the idea from my life."

"And now you've beaten the odds? You're a very lucky man, Mr. Spock."

"Indeed, it would seem so," Spock agreed without enthusiasm.

"So what's to be frightened of? Tell me? Better yet, tell your wife what you are feeling."

"My wife knows. She has expressed having the same sentiments to myself. However, I cannot afford to be sentimental now. I must control my emotions and be the unflappable, logical, Vulcan pillar of strength for my family. I cannot afford to fail Nyota in her time of need. She is already experiencing the physical consequences of carrying a non-human child because of me."

McCoy, hearing the distress in Spock's voice, tried to ease his concerns. "Spock your wife is pregnant. Her body is going through a metamorphosis that you cannot begin to comprehend. The two of you have created a new life. It's a miracle of science and nature, even in this day and age. It would be a miracle if it was a simple run of the mill human pregnancy and not an interspecies one. There are bound to be some ups and downs and surprises. Some stress and some other concerns. But she's young and strong. She'll get through it with flying colors."

"I understand that very well, doctor. I am also well acquainted with the potential difficulties arising from our two divergent species."

"Then what is it, Spock? What are you really worrying yourself about?" Kirk asked.

"I am at a loss as to what I can do for Nyota. I am trying my best to alleviate her stress, but I am operating at a disadvantage. I have no experience with pregnancy; human or otherwise, and I am uncertain if Nyota's symptoms are normal or due to the Vulcan child she carries or due to our unusual bond. I am, for lack of a better expression, lost. I can sense her fear and apprehension, and I cannot do anything about it. I cannot fix this with logic."

"Ah," McCoy nodded, "well Spock, all you can do is support your wife through this trying time. Your role is as old as time itself. You are the bumbling spouse who can't set a foot right. It's normal. She'll blame you for getting her pregnant and threaten to never let you touch her ever again... until next time, of course."

"That does not sound like Uhura," Kirk said.

"If she hasn't said it yet, she will. Just you wait." McCoy assured them. "My wife nearly took my head off every other day. I couldn't make her comfortable no matter what I did towards the end of her pregnancy. And even though I'm an experienced physician, when her time came to deliver, I nearly fainted. Me!" said McCoy with surprised disgust.

"You'll be fine. Fatherhood changes a man. You'll see that vaunted logic of yours will do you no good, not when women or children are involved."

Jim listed to his friends as they discussed something he had no interest or experience in and decided to leave them to it. "Well, gentlemen, I think I will leave you two to your discussion. I have no life experience to add to the subject. I don't have a wife nor child and I don't expect to have either in the foreseeable future."

"Why Jim? You're still a young man. You may find the right woman yet. And as for children, what about young Peter? He's your responsibility now," McCoy reminded him.

Jim straightened at the mention of his nephew. He always felt a twinge of guilt when he thought of the boy. He had sent him back to Earth to live with relatives of his mother after the incident on Deneva. A starship was no place for a young boy, and Jim didn't feel he had the stability a young grieving child needed. The boy needed a family, and although Jim was his closest living kin, he felt Peter needed strong parental figures, not a starship captain with the lives of hundreds of people under his command. So he sent Peter off to settle with some distant cousins. "A nephew I barely know is not like impending fatherhood," he said.

"How is it different? Jim, you could get to know Peter," said McCoy. "We're due for dry dock soon. Take young Peter out with you. Show him some sights on earth, make up for lost time. You're his father's only brother. I am sure he'll be curious and want to know things about his dad and who else is going to tell him besides you?"

"I don't know Bones, but I can't raise a child here on a starship!"

"Why not Captain?" Spock chimed in. "Where do you suppose Nyota and I will raise our child?"

"Spock, you cannot seriously stand there and tell me you were thinking of raising your child on this ship?"

"I have not given it much thought, but that is a possibility."

"Well, get that thought right out of your mind. This is no place for a child! We face danger on a daily basis. Hell, we just got attacked by Orions! You want your child raised as an Orion slave?"

"Of course not. But they took no one from the ship as a hostage."

"They didn't take anyone thanks in no small part to the Vulcan cruisers who just happened along to escort us to Vulcan. You suppose such a coincidence will happen every time we're attacked? What about the Romulans or the Klingons? You think they will refrain from blowing us out of space because we have a baby on board? Klingons don't take hostages or leave survivors!"

"We have a treaty with the Klingons, Captain. And as for the Romulans, we are unlikely to tangle with them since our last incident obtaining the cloaking device," Spock said.

"Spock will you think logically! We face new races of aliens all the time, some so powerful they could swat us down like a mosquito. It's one thing to risk our own lives, but it's another to risk the lives of those we love. I won't do it and neither will you!" Kirk said with finality.

"With all due respect Captain, Nyota and I will decide what is best for our child and we will do it logically."

Kirk growled in frustration and turned to McCoy. "Bones, will you talk some sense into this man?"

McCoy shook his head. "I happen to agree with him, Jim."

"What?! You can't be serious, Bones?"

"Why not? These starships are just like huge cities in the sky. There are hundreds of people serving, and they come from every walk of life imaginable. The majority of them are single and childless. How many times have you lost a good crewman because they decided to settle down and start a family? How many people leave the service temporarily on family leave and never return because they don't want to leave that family behind? We need to think differently if we are to continue attracting the best and brightest of the federation."

"Bones, this isn't a philosophical debate, this is reality. Children do not belong on starships. Who is going to take care of them? Are we going to have schools and nannies and playgrounds too?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Because it's not practical. It's not logical. Spock surely you above all of us should see that?" Kirk demanded.

"I do not. My father took me and my mother with him when on extended assignments. I had already seen much of the Federation before ever joining Starfleet. Sarek left his post as ambassador to Earth so he could live with his family on Vulcan and he taught at the Vulcan Science Academy until I was old enough to travel, because he did not want to be separated from me and my mother."

"Ah-ha! But your father told me he preferred his post at the academy. He wasn't sacrificing a career he loved or towing his wife and child into danger."

"Loved Captain? You believe Sarek loved his position at the science academy?"

"You know what I meant," Kirk said stubbornly.

"So you are fine with me leaving the service?" Spock asked.

"Why would you leave?" Jim asked in disbelief.

"If my wife and child cannot stay with me on the Enterprise, I will have little choice."

"Uhura can take an assignment on Earth, or on Vulcan, or on any of a thousand Federation planets and outposts between the two. You can visit them regularly. You do not have to give up a career that you love, and yes, I said love."

"Then you expect Nyota to give up her career?"

"It is not ideal, but it is what happens to women in the service. That or she can leave the child with family if she must return to active duty."

"Jim, Nyota and I are bonded. We cannot live apart for extended periods of time and neither do we want to. I do not desire to be an absent parent and neither does my wife. We will not leave our child to be raised by relatives and we will not separate. We will stay together. That is family."

Jim threw up his hands in frustration. "I don't understand you, Spock. And you either Bones. You two are out of your minds to consider this."

"No Jim. It's progress. I get it, and you're going to have to get it too. I told you, Spock's a family man now. This job isn't his entire life, and it doesn't have to be yours. You could bring Peter on board. He could grow up with someone who knew his mom and dad, not some old dusty strangers who just happen to share some small percentage of DNA. He could have you. You could have each other. It only takes two to make a family."

"I don't need a family!" Kirk told his friends before storming away.

The silence left in Kirk's wake was disturbed only by the constant thrumming of the ship's engine until Bones Spoke. "So that went well."

"Did it Bones?"

McCoy dragged his hand down his face. "Spock I warned you. Jim needs time to adjust to all these changes, but he'll come around."

"Jim is a Starfleet captain capable of making life and death decisions on command. He can handle the news that a crew member is having a child without such histrionics."

"Histrionics? You just threatened to leave the service. How did you think he'd react?"

"I thought he might wish me well. Or better yet, provide a solution to my dilemma that did not involve leaving my wife and unborn child alone at some outpost."

"He didn't mean that," McCoy dismissed the thought.

"He did," Spock said.

"I know I backed you up with Jim, but I gotta ask, is that what you really want? To raise your child on a starship?"

"I don't know what I want, doctor. What I want rarely matters."

"That's not true. You have free will, just like the rest of us. Logic doesn't have to dictate your every action. What do YOU want, Spock? What do you want for yourself and your marriage and for your family?"

Spock was silent a long while then took a deep breath and said, "I want... If... If I could have what I want, then I would simply want to live with my wife and my child in peace. I would want this child to choose an easier path than I have traveled. I would want this child to travel light and not carry the burden of two disparate cultures always at odds. I want them to be happy."

"Happy? A human emotion?"

"They will be human, Bones," Spock said.

"You don't know that. That is not exactly how things work. This child could be Vulcan dominant just like you, despite your being half-human."

"I would want my child spared the fire that burns in the blood of all Vulcans."

"Spock I've noticed you Vulcans are too secretive and uptight about this Pon Farr business-" McCoy said but when he saw Spock about to argue and hastily added, "Now, let me finish. If you want my opinion-"

"I do not," Spock said, turning his back on McCoy.

"Well, you're going to get it. In MY OPINION," McCoy emphasized, "there is nothing wrong with Pon Farr. It's your nature, your biology. There is nothing to be ashamed of. It's no different than a woman menstruating or a male having an erection. If you'd just be open about it and accept it as such it would probably eliminate a lot of the drama you have assigned to it."

"For example, if you'd come clean to us the first time you felt the symptoms coming on, we could have applied for your medical leave and got you to Vulcan without disobeying Komack. You wouldn't have had to hijack the shop or combat Jim to the death. And if you'd come clean to Uhura and ASKED her to marry you before hauling her off to Vulcan maybe you wouldn't have gone through the weeks of hell you two went through working out your indiscretions. Luckily you two are in a good place now; married and expecting a child, but you could have had this years ago. You could have had time to plan things ahead of time and decide where you'll live and raise your child after marriage. This is all happening at warp speed because you kept secrets from the people you love," McCoy unloaded on Spock. "And another thing-" he was just gathering another head of steam when Spock interjected.

"That is quite enough Doctor. You have said your peace. You are under the impression that the Time is merely some biological inconvenience. It is so much more than inconvenient. The stakes are life and death each and every time my body goes into plak tow. Every time the fever burns and I lose control of my emotions I risk losing myself, risk doing something I will later regret and may not remember. Risk harming my wife or my child or my friends or myself! It is not ... It is not whatever you think it is."

"You think I don't know that? I've seen you lose your mind, Spock. I know it's not pretty. I know it must offend every ounce of logic and dignity you possess but it doesn't have to be that way."

"And pray tell Doctor, how can it be any different?"

"I don't know! But we can travel in a tin can at light speed across the damn galaxy! We can beam our bodies in little energy particles from one spot to another in mere seconds. Surely by now science and medicine can figure out how to keep your damn species from tearing itself apart every seven years!"

"Why are you yelling at me Bones?" Spock asked.

"I don't know!" McCoy shouted. Then he huffed and took a deep breath. "I don't know Spock. Maybe because I care about you and I can see you're suffering and you don't have to. Or maybe I just don't want you to hurt. This is your time to be happy. Yes, I said HAPPY. You're married to the most beautiful woman on this ship and she's pregnant with your child. You two are madly in love, whether you are willing to call it love or not. And you deserve it, Spock. All of it. You deserve to enjoy this time of marital bliss and I intend to see that you do."

"Why Bones?"

"Jim once said to me that one of us has got to make it. One of us has got to make a real life outside of the Enterprise. We may have ruffled his feathers a while ago, but he's on your side, Spock. He wants you to make your marriage work and so do I. You and Uhura are going to have a happy ending."

Spock rolled his eyes. "How do you propose to make that happy ending? You are a doctor, not a magician," Spock said with a bit of his old snark.

"Don't you worry about that. I've got more talents than I let on."

Spock could see the sincerity in McCoy's eyes and the stubborn determination. "I do not doubt your talents, Bones. I've seen you work miracles before."

That stopped McCoy in his tracks. "Was that a compliment?"

"I believe it was. Further proof that I am not myself."

"Spock," Bones slapped him on his back. "I think you are more yourself than you've ever been. You're finding that balance between logic and sentiment. You're never going to be the dispassionate Vulcan that Sarek is."

"There is no need to be insulting," said Spock with an affronted air.

"It was a compliment. The biggest one I can pay you, in fact. Every boy envies his father and wants to make himself in his father's image. But not every father deserves it. You'll be the kind that will deserve it. Sarek not so much."

"You and Jim have a poor opinion of Sarek. But Doctor, would it surprise you to hear that I... I do not hold any animosity towards my father. I-"

"You love him?" McCoy said before Spock could say more. "Well, that's as it should be. And I knew it before I ever met the ambassador. I knew it by the pride you always had in your voice when speaking of your father's people. I knew it when he stepped on this ship and pretended to ignore you just to piss you off and you let him." McCoy saw Spock ready for a protest, but he fended him off with a wave of his hand continuing... "I knew it when you beat yourself up and nearly drove yourself to exhaustion trying to find a solution to his heart condition. I knew it when you were eager to sacrifice your own health and life to save his."

"But I almost let him die," Spock cut in.

"But you didn't, and you only did that because you were trying to please Sarek in your own mutton-headed way. No, everything you did was because you love your father and want to please him. But you had to learn the hard way that you cannot please someone else while compromising yourself. Sarek wanted you to follow in his footsteps and be just like him, but he can't have what he wants this time. Because you can't be just like Sarek, Spock. You're already better than him."

"How do you figure that, doctor?"

"Because I've seen you smile. I've heard you laugh and I've felt the warmth and genuine compassion you show people. You're a good man Spock."

"And you believe Sarek is not a good man?"

Sarek is a good ambassador, and he may even be a great man, but he sucks as a dad. He may be capable of smiling and laughing and loving, but he chooses not to do so. He chooses to be a miser, hoarding his emotions for himself. But you, whether by choice or circumstance, you have shared those things with your friends and it's fucking awesome you hear me? So you keep it up. Don't be a miser with your emotions. Give your children that part of you and they will worship the ground you walk on. And Uhura too. I know she's got some issues with her family, but she is the kindest, gentlest woman I've ever met. She'll make an awesome mama. Just don't make the same mistakes your parents made and you'll be fine."

"Bones, you've given me much to think about."

McCoy grinned. "Well, don't think too hard, you might injure yourself."

Spock smirked at the old Terran joke and despite the seriousness of the conversation they'd just had, he allowed himself the slight lapse. Maybe his friends did not embrace in group hugs and kiss and cry together, but what they did got the job done just the same.

"Do you suppose we should apologize to Jim?"

"What for? For telling him the cold hard truth about his family? You know Jim, he'll stew for a while and then realize we were right. Then he'll apologize to us."

"I did not think Nyota's pregnancy would jeopardize our friendship or upset him to such a degree."

"It won't. Jim's got issues of his own. You're not the only one who's stood here contemplating the meaning of his life. Jim's got to come to terms with a lot of things, his brother's death, for one. He needs to grieve, and he hasn't done it yet. Maybe when this mission is over and maybe if he gives Peter a chance, they can grieve and heal together. Now, why don't you go home to your lovely wife and let me worry about Jim? He'll come around to our way of thinking. Or he'll come up with a new angle neither one of us can see. Either way, it will all work out. You mark my words."

"Noted," Spock said. "I will return to Nyota now." He turned to leave, but then stopped and turned back to his friend. "Thank you Bones."

"Spock, you know one does not thank logic," McCoy said, mimicking Sarek.

"No, but I do thank you."

"Aw, so what now? Do we hug?"

Spock turned and said, "Still not interested, doctor," leaving behind him a sputtering McCoy as he strolled away.

Notes:

Whew! I was not expecting so much angst to come out of this chapter. The closer I get to the end, the harder it is to let go of these characters and wrap up their stories in a neat bow. But somehow, some way, there will be a happy ending, dammit!

Chapter 117: Deja Vous?

Summary:

As I near the end of this story, I wanted to plant some seeds for the sequel and this chapter sorta got out of hand. I always planned to write a Charlene/Kirk story but never got around to it so here is a snippet to get it started. I have already written the last few chapters of Beyond Antares, but this extra plot twist may push back the ending a little. Sorry. Hope it was worth the wait. 😀

Notes:

Somebody hold me too close
Somebody hurt me too deep
Somebody sit in my chair
And ruin my sleep
And make me aware
Of being alive

~Being Alive by Stephen Sondheim~

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Deja Vous

 

"Whatever it is, it can't be that bad."

Captain Kirk did not react to the sudden whiff of cinnamon-spiced latte or the intrusion of the person accompanying the scent standing on the other side of his table, casting a long dark shadow over him.

He wasn't in the mood for this. When he had stormed off from the observation deck earlier, he didn't have a destination in mind. He had just wanted to get away from his 'friends' and by instinct he found himself headed for the turbo lift that would take him back to the bridge, but he had only just left the bridge when he met up with Bones and Spock. Therefore, the bridge was out and so was his cabin. He had no desire to sit and mope in the sparsely decorated room he called home for the past five years. Though he did not want to be in the company of Spock and Bones right now, he also didn't want to be alone with his bitter thoughts either.

At this hour of the day or night, however one perceived it, the rec rooms were usually minimally occupied, and the lights dimmed to mimic natural Earth conditions. The patrons were usually off-duty crew members between shifts either getting ready to start the 3rd shift or coming off the 2nd one and looking to unwind. Some people ate dinner or drank coffee and those who did share tables talked with their heads close together in hushed tones.

Tonight, however, there were plenty of crew members loitering about, sitting and reading Data Padds, sipping a drink, and generally minding their own business. The presence of the captain wasn't remarkable and nobody even raised their head when he stormed into the room wearing what he hoped was a "do not disturb" scowl on his face. He had grabbed a seat at a secluded corner table after ordering a steaming cup of Irish coffee from the replicator, and then he had settled in to brood.

But of course, Captain Kirk's pity party was doomed to be short-lived. He supposed it was just too much to ask to be left alone in peace for one night?

"Lieutenant Masters," he said finally when the shadow over his table refused to take a hint and buzz off. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Charlene took that as an invitation and sat down in the seat opposite the captain's chair with her back to the room. "I was just about to ask you the same thing. I saw you storm through the door like you were being chased by demons."

"Demons hmm?" he laughed at the thought since he'd once compared Spock to a devil. "I suppose I was at that."

"Care to talk about it?" she asked.

"With you, Lieutenant?"

Charlene looked around the room dramatically. "Do you see anybody else asking?"

Kirk smiled at her antics despite his desire to be left alone. "Why do you care?"

"I asked myself that exact same question before I came over. But here I am anyway." Charlene shrugged her shoulders and sipped from her own steaming mug and then leaned in to whisper, "Seeing you sitting here all alone at night, agitated, staring at but not drinking coffee, it reminded me of another similar occasion."

"What similar occasion was that?" Kirk asked.

"A few months ago I found Nyota in here doing the same thing. Turns out she was in love with Spock."

"Well Lieutenant, I can assure you I am not in love with Mr. Spock." Kirk finally took a sip of his own cooling coffee and shook his head.

"You sure?" Charlene asked as she studied his reaction.

Kirk nearly spit out his coffee and he looked up at her sharply, "What are you saying?"

"So sorry," she apologized while pretending to wipe coffee from her sleeve. "Did I stutter?"

Kirk frowned at her. "Possibly, because I thought I heard you ask if I was in love with Spock."

"Well, are you?" she asked again not backing down.

"No!" he denied a little too forcefully, causing heads to look up and turn in their direction. Kirk smiled stiffly and nodded to show the crew he was fine. Then to Charlene he said softly, with his frozen grin still in place, "No Lieutenant, I am not in love with Mr. Spock."

"But he is the reason you're in here moping?" she asked looking at his face closely.

"I am not moping. But if you must know, I just came from meeting Spock and Dr. McCoy and we had a discussion about the role of families on the ship."

Charlene's eyes lit up, and she nodded with comprehension. "So they told you?"

"Told me what Lieutenant?"

"They told you about Nyota."

"What about her?" Kirk asked as if he were clueless.

"Don't play dumb Jim, it doesn't suit you."

"Well, if you are asking me about it, then you already know."

"Know what?" Charlene asked innocently.

Kirk smiled, "Don't play dumb Lieutenant, it doesn't suit you either."

With that, they both laughed, and again the heads in the room looked up in their direction.

"Well, now that we both know what we know, what are we going to do about it?" Charlene asked.

"We?" Kirk questioned. "We will not be doing anything. It is none of our business." He went back to drinking his coffee as if the subject were closed, but Charlene kept going.

"How can it be none of our business? They're our best friends. We are hosting a reception for them in a few days. We have to do something special for them."

"They aren't announcing it to everyone so we should just go along with their wishes and stay out of their affairs."

"Sure it's a private matter, but we can still support them privately."

"Well then, you do it. Privately."

"And what are you going to do?"

"Nothing. As I said, it has nothing to do with me." He sipped his coffee and continued brooding.

Charlene watched him with narrowed eyes and shook her head in disappointment. "I knew you'd act like this," she said.

Kirk raised a brow. "You knew I'd act like what?"

"Act as if Spock has hurt you. Like you're losing someone you love."

"Would you please stop saying that?" Kirk grumbled.

"Stop saying what?"

"Losing someone I love?" Kirk asked incredulously. "I do not love Spock!"

"Why not? He's your best friend in this whole wide universe."

"Because Spock is a Vulcan for whom love would be an insult. He doesn't love."

Charlene rolled her eyes, she was so tired of hearing this lame argument from everyone. "So what if he's Vulcan? Spock can and he does feel love. He loves Nyota, and he loves his parents, and he loves you too, only you're too stubborn and afraid to admit you love him back."

"I'm not afraid of any-"

"AFRAID!" Charlene cut the captain off and slammed her hand on the table. "Afraid that if you do let your guard down and love someone, you'll lose them."

Kirk shot up from his seat to tower over Charlene and sneer, "I thought you were an engineer not a psychologist, Lieutenant?"

Charlene stood too and sneered right back, "It doesn't take psychiatry to see what's happening here."

"Oh? And what exactly do you think is happening?" Kirk asked with a tight jaw as he scowled at Charlene.

"I think you're sulking because your world is about to change, or so you think, and you don't know how to react."

Kirk was seething with anger and he was about to unleash on Charlene when he realized the rec room was eerily quiet and that he and Charlene were the center of everyone's attention.

He assessed the situation. Charlene stood on the other side of the table leaning forward, her head nearly touching his. She was panting with anger and her eyes were flashing dangerously too. They must have put on quite a show just now. He could see the gears turning in everyone's heads speculating about the two of them arguing in public. Wordlessly he straightened up, took a deep calming breath, adjusted his uniform tunic, and turned heading for the exit without saying another word.

But as if the night could not get any worse, as Kirk made his way to the lift he heard the sound of booted feet rapidly closing in on him. He had allowed her to have the last word, what more did the woman want?

He didn't know where he could go that Charlene wouldn't follow and the last thing he wanted was to cause another public scene, so he turned away from the lift and headed for his quarters, with his pursuer hot on his heels.

The captain made it to his cabin door, quickly stepped inside, and waited. Surely Lieutenant Masters wouldn't have the nerve to follow him here?

He didn't have long to wait until the door chimed and the ball was in his court. Would he open the door or ignore it? Kirk paced the floor of his sitting area and pondered the decision. The door chimed insistently, and he imagined Charlene impatiently tapping a booted toe while steam came out of her ears. The corridor near his cabin was less busy than other areas of the ship but there was still the chance someone would be wandering around out there at this time of the night, or worse still perhaps someone followed them both from the rec room to see the rest of their "discussion". The last thing he wanted was an audience or more gossip, so he went to the door and opened it.

Before he could say anything, Charlene charged past him and then turned to face him.

Kirk leaned his back against the closed door crossing his arms defensively. "Lieutenant, I am only going to say this once, and then you are going to leave. Understood?"

Charlene only quirked a brow at him as if to say go ahead, so he did. "I am not in love with Spock, nor anyone else on this ship. Yes, Spock is my friend and I care about him and his wife, who happens to be my communications officer. I acknowledge and accept that they are contentedly married and expecting a child together and it has nothing to do with me personally. What Spock and Uhura do with their lives is none of my business. There is no crisis, and even if there was one, I would handle it just as I do everything else. I make more life and death decisions before 9 am than most people make in a lifetime. So I know exactly how to react in a crisis." When he finished his speech, he hoped that would be the end of the subject and he stepped away from the door so she could leave the way she came.

Instead, Charlene sat down at his dining table and crossed her legs at the knee, and folded her arms casually. "So you think starting a family is a crisis?"

Kirk threw up his arms in disbelief. "Who said anything about family or a crisis?"

"You did," Charlene said. They stared at each other, one angry and the other amused.

"Charlene, did you come barging in here just to attack me again?"

"I came because of the hurt look on your face when you left the rec room."

"So you decided to pour salt on the wound you inflicted?"

"I wanted to make sure you're okay. I was going to apologize."

"Well, you suck at apologizing"

Charlene grinned, "I suck at a lot of things."

Kirk smiled and walked towards her. "Oh really? What else do you suck at?"

Charlene stopped grinning when she saw the gleam in Kirk's eyes. "I don't think I should discuss sucking with my Captain."

"It wouldn't be the first time, besides we're off duty. I'm just Jim, remember?"

"Okay JIM. But sometimes it's best not to remember."

Kirk didn't know what to say to that, so instead, he gestured towards the door. "Well, if you're done sucking..."

Charlene looked between Kirk and the door. It would be wise to leave. She should not be in the captain's cabin late at night all alone. It was foolish. So of course she said, "I haven't even started yet. Aren't you going to offer me a drink?"

"What for?" Kirk asked.

"I'm your guest."

"You're uninvited."

"An unfortunate slight for which you can make amends by giving me whatever it is I see in that cabinet over there." Charlene pointed to the enclosed shelf that held some of Kirk's personal belongings, including a cask of Romulan ale.

He stared at Charlene for a moment before he relented and stalked to the cabinet to pull out two glasses and the cask. He set them all down on the table and poured himself and his guest a drink.

The two sipped their drinks in silence, each consumed with their own thoughts, when finally Charlene quietly mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"What's that?" Kirk cupped his hand by his ear.

"I said, 'I'M SORRY!' I shouldn't have started an argument with you in front of everyone and I shouldn't have followed you here either. You just made me so mad-"

"How did I make you mad?" Kirk asked.

"You just... I just know how you feel about family and it makes me sad. And angry."

"Why do you even care how I feel?"

"I just do. We used to be so... Oh, forget it! You're right. I don't know why I even bothered. You've made it quite clear time and time again that you're not interested in having a family and you prefer to be alone with your precious ship. That is, except when you're screwing over every other alien bimbo that falls in your path-"

"Bimbo?" Kirk tossed his head back and laughed dramatically. "Where in the world did you dig up that old archaic word? Did you learn it from your little boy-toy De Salle? Or maybe Mr. Lazarus whispered it in your ear while he was stealing our Dilithium right from under your nose?"

Charlene was sorely tempted to toss her drink right in Kirk's smug face. Instead, she calmly finished the last sip of her ale and stood to leave. "This was a mistake," she said as she headed for the exit but she didn't make it two feet before Kirk stood, grabbed her arm, and turned her to face him.

"And what exactly is 'this'?" he asked.

"Let me go!" she struggled to pull her arm free from his ironclad grip.

"No!" the captain shook his head. "No, every time we meet, you seem to be angry at me for some offense I don't remember committing. What is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem Captain!"

"I'm not your Captain right now remember? We're just Jim and Charlene. Two old friends."

"We're not friends. We've never been friends!"

"Then what were we? What was I to you, Charlene? What did I do that made you dump me for Finny?"

"I didn't dump you, Jim. You left me."

"I didn't leave you, Charlene! I had a chance to serve with Captain Garrovick on the Farragut and I took it! You agreed I should go. You were supposed to join me when you graduated, not hook up with Finny!"

"I did not hook up with Finny. Finny was my friend, and he was there for me when I needed a friend."

"Yeah, I saw what kind of friend he was, carrying you around the quad like a damsel in distress. I shouldn't be a bit surprised that you like De Salle. Finny should have clued me in that you like them big and dumb."

"Big and dumb, huh? What does that say about you? And what about your precious Ruth? Talk about dumb-"

"Don't you bring Ruth into this!" Kirk demanded.

"Then don't drag De Salle and Finny into this!" Charlene poked her finger into his shoulder and then her own, "this is between you and me!"

"Oh really? Then I'll ask you again. What is this?" Jim looked deep into Charlene's eyes seeking answers he should have gotten years ago.

"This is a mistake," she said sadly.

"But why Charlene? Why is it a mistake for two old friends to share a drink of illicit ale?" Jim said and pulled her in a little closer.

"It's dangerous," she insisted.

Jim let her go and walked to the table where he poured ale into their glasses. "Just stay for one drink," he said and held the glass out to her. "C'mon, what's the harm?" Then he gave her the Kirk smirk.

Charlene stood between the door to freedom and James T. Kirk and his wicked grin. Her feet carried her forward.

"What's the harm?" she said as she took the glass and swallowed the contents in one gulp.

*/*/*

The communicator on the bedside table buzzed relentlessly.

"Ignore it," Uhura said as she snuggled up closer to Spock. "Whoever it is can wait until a decent hour."

"Perhaps it is important. They do seem persistent," Spock said.

"They'll give up if we ignore them. We still don't have subspace communications so whoever it is, they are on the ship. They know it's far too early to call," she grumbled.

"Therefore, reinforcing my postulate that it is important," Spock said.

The communicator buzzed again.

"That only solidifies my speculation that the caller is annoying." Uhura rolled over and reached for the view-screen on her side of the bed. Whoever it was, they were about to get the rough side of her tongue.

As soon as she answered the communicator, Charlene appeared on screen looking more frazzled than Uhura had ever seen.

"Thank god you answered," Charlene said.

Uhura studied her friend's troubled face in the viewer. "Char, what's wrong? Why are you calling at this time of the morning?"

"Ny, this is a double red alert situation! Does it matter what time I'm calling? I've spent so many nights listening to your tales of woe it's only fair you listen to mine now."

"Tales of woe? What's happened to you?"

"I had a fight with Jim!"

"Jim?" Uhura asked perplexed. Surely not... "Jim!?"

"Yes, Jim!" Charlene said with some annoyance.

"Jim as in Captain James Kirk?"

"Yes!" Charlene barked into the view-screen.

"Okay, okay..." Uhura disentangled herself from Spock and sat up in the bunk to concentrate. "Charlene, what's happened?" She asked gently.

Charlene threw her hands up in the air. "He just makes me so mad! I just wanted to smack him upside the head and knock some sense into him," she huffed.

"Oh no. Charlene, you didn't hit the captain did you?" Uhura asked with concern. She was surprised her friend wasn't already in the brig.

"No. I did something even worse than that," Charlene nearly cried miserably.

"Oh my god Char, what did you do?"

"I kissed him!"

"What!" Uhura gasped.

"What the hell was I thinking? Ny, I don't know what to do."

"Sounds like you've already done it," Uhura couldn't help saying.

"Ny! This isn't a joke. This is my life. My career," Charlene moaned.

"Well, so what if you kissed the captain? Who hasn't kissed the captain? I've kissed the captain," Uhura said in a bid for solidarity which made Spock stop pretending not to listen and sit up to look at her with a quirked brow.

"Listen, I'm coming over and we'll straighten all this out together. In the meantime, you sit tight."

"Thank you Ny," Charlene said meekly.

"Girl, you know I've got your back. Spock and I will fix this. Uhura out."

After the viewscreen went dark Uhura turned to Spock. "Spock. We have to fix this."

"Aduna, I suggest we stay out of this affair."

"Stay out of it? Charlene is my best friend and Jim's yours, so we're in. I need to go to Charlene's for a while and get to the bottom of this. I suggest you go see what the captain has to say for himself." Uhura scrambled out of bed and started gathering her clothes.

"I will not. The captain is fully capable of handling his interpersonal relationships without my interference," Spock told her.

"Are you sure about that? Since when has the captain gone around kissing crew members?" Uhura asked.

Spock looked at her with piercing eyes. "I suppose it was when he kissed you."

Uhura waved her hand to dismiss the statement. "He didn't just kiss me, I kissed him too, and it was a while ago."

"How long ago is a while?"

Uhura stopped rummaging and turned to her husband. "Adun, are you jealous?"

"Jealousy is an illogical human emotion."

"Then you're only half jealous?" she said and continued gathering her clothing.

"I am not jealous. I am merely curious as to when and under what circumstance you kissed the captain."

"I'll tell you what, why don't you ask him while you find out what happened between him and Charlene last night? See if you can smooth things over with him."

"Aduna, need I remind you that the captain and I also had words last night? I am surely not the person to offer aid and comfort at this time."

Uhura stopped dressing for a moment to look at him. "Well, who else is going to do it?"

Spock looked at her pointedly.

Uhura shook her head. "Uh-unh. Nope. He's your best friend. Besides, I'll be offering aid and comfort to MY best friend. That just leaves you."

"Jim has more than one friend. Perhaps Bones..."

"No!" Uhura insisted. "You can't tell Dr. McCoy! This is between Charlene and the captain. I'm sure she doesn't want everyone on the ship to know."

"Bones is not everyone on the ship. He is the ship's physician. He can be discreet."

"It doesn't matter. Charlene told us in confidence. We can't tell another soul."

"She told you in confidence, I just happened to be here."

"Well, she knows if she tells me anything she's essentially telling you as well. Besides, you're her friend too. She needs you. Please, Adun?" Uhura asked softly.

Spock took in a deep calming breath and slowly released it before he stood to dress. Perhaps being in the circle of trust was not all that appealing after all.

Notes:

Note: The Finny mentioned here is Finnegan from the Shore Leave episode not to be confused with the Finney from the Court Martial episode.

Chapter 118: About Last Night

Summary:

Spock and Uhura are on the case of the mysterious KISS.

Notes:

Is anybody still reading this? I'm sorry for the long hiatus. Blame it on the holidays, the pandemic, work, etc. I'm trying new things for the new year that require my attention and writing is on the back burner for a moment. But rest assured, this story has an ending. It's already written and we're almost there. I just need to refine and edit it. I hope this chapter tides you over until I can post again. But I'm busy so it may be a while.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

About Last Night

"Ny, thank goodness you're here!" Charlene grabbed her friend, hugging Uhura fiercely as soon as she walked through the cabin door.

"Don't you worry 'bout a thing," Uhura said, patting Charlene's back? "Spock and I are going to take care of everything."

Charlene's head shot up. "Spock? Good lord, help me!" She disentangled herself from Uhura and started pacing back and forth in her small cabin's sitting area.

Uhura took a seat and made herself comfortable. "Yes, Spock. He's gone right now to straighten everything out with the captain. So stop worrying, sit down, and tell me what happened. I've never seen you so rattled."

Charlene took a seat next to Uhura and rested her head in her hands. "I don't even know what happened myself." She rubbed her temples. "It's all so muzzy."

"What do you mean you don't know what happened? You said you kissed the captain."

"I did kiss him," Charlene groaned.

"Well, how? Why? Start at the beginning and keep talking until you get to the kiss," Uhura encouraged.

"Okay," Charlene said. "It started in the rec room last night. Jim came barging in looking like... I don't know, looking miserable and lost. I should have minded my own business, but I just couldn't. Something pulled me over to his table. He didn't even notice me at first, he just sat there staring at nothing."

"Okay," Uhura said, trying to picture the captain in such a state. She knew Spock and Dr. McCoy had a disagreement with him after revealing her pregnancy. She was kind of miffed about the whole situation if the truth were told. She had every right to start a family and keep her job on the Enterprise. It hurt to know that her own captain, a man she looked up to and admired more than almost anyone, didn't think she should have that right.

The captain was Spock's best friend, and she didn't want to be the cause of a rift between them, so when Spock told her the story of their disagreement, she held her tongue. But Uhura knew her friend had no such compunction. If he spouted such nonsense to Charlene, he probably got an ear full in return.

"So you went to his table? Then what happened?" Uhura probed.

"I... I don't know why I confronted him. I know how he is. Didn't I tell you he wouldn't take your pregnancy lightly? I knew it would throw him for a loop, but seeing it still hurt..."

"Charlene, what did he say?"

"We argued. I asked him if he was in love with Spock and that made him angry."

"Why would you ask him that?"

"Because he looked just like you did the night I found you moping around the rec room pining for Spock."

"I was not pining for Spock that night," Uhura denied with a huff of breath.

Charlene shot her a sardonic look. "And yet you are now happily married and carrying his child."

Uhura waved her off with a flick of her wrist. "Forget about me and Spock for the moment. What happened between you and the captain? You're just avoiding this kiss you're so worried about."

"Will you let me tell the story in my own way?" Charlene snapped.

"You're not telling it!" Uhura grumbled.

"Alright," Charlene said in a calmer voice. "Look, you know Jim and I dated back when we went to the Academy together?"

Uhura nodded, "Yeah, you've mentioned it before, so?"

"So, we were close back then. Like best friends close. Jim had a rough childhood, and he had to work extra hard to get into the academy. Failure wasn't an option, nor in his vocabulary. A lot of us 'plebs' started a studying group and vowed to stick together and help each other so no one washed out. Jim was our de facto leader. I looked up to him. We had a lot in common back then. Jim and I had similar backgrounds, and we were often alone together. The last ones still in the study hall after hours. We just naturally hit it off right away."

Charlene had a far-off look on her face as she recalled the past events. "Even back then," she continued, "Jim was driven as if he was being chased by demons. He had one goal in life, get off Earth and make it back to the stars. He studied night and day and you never saw him without a stack of books in his arms or a Data Padd under his nose."

Uhura listened with rapt attention to Charlene's story, marveling at the thought of a young James T. Kirk being an ordinary student at the academy. He was already a legend among cadets by the time she went through training. He was still one of the very few students to overcome the Kobayashi Maru trial and bring about a favorable outcome.

"Jim was destined to be a starship captain, and I understood he would never let anything stand in his way, not even me," Charlene said sadly. "But last night, there sat the proud, determined Captain James T. Kirk, looking lost and defeated. And instead of cheering him up, what did I do? I rubbed salt on his wounds," Charlene despaired.

"Oh, Char. I'm sure you didn't mean to hurt the captain-"

"I did though. I meant to hurt him, the way he hurt me. But I shouldn't have. It was neither the time nor place for me to argue with Jim. I vowed I would never let our past interfere with my job or my future, and what did I do? Start shit in the rec room in front of everyone!" Charlene said.

"As soon as he stormed off, I knew I had fucked up, so I followed him. Why, oh why, did I follow him? I should have just let it be, but no, I had to go and follow him to his quarters."

"Oh?" Uhura said. She was starting to think this 'kiss' was not so little or innocent at all. Maybe she and the captain weren't the only ones guilty of secretly pining for someone late at night in the rec room? And it was crystal clear that Charlene and the captain did more than 'just date' back at the academy.

"Char, what happened between you and the captain in the academy?" Uhura asked gently as she looked into her friend's troubled eyes?

Charlene returned Uhura's gaze, but she didn't answer. She wasn't ready to tell that story. Not now, maybe not ever. Instead, she continued with the story of last night.

"I went to apologize for my behavior and we argued some more. One thing led to another and then we had drinks..."

"What did you argue about?"

"We argued about the past, but that doesn't matter anymore. I should have left after I apologized. I knew what could happen..."

"What did happen? Did he make a move on you or something?"

"No. We drank. We talked. Remembered things best left forgotten. I don't know, that's when things get muzzy. But I distinctly remember I kissed him. Or he kissed me. We Kissed."

"But how? Why? Where? For how long? Girl, you gotta give me something to work with!" Uhura was getting frustrated. How could she fix what she didn't understand?

Charlene rubbed her temples again in agitation, trying to force the memories. "Halo pics!" She blurted out. "He had an album of old halo pics from the academy and we sat on the bed and- Oh shit! Why did we sit on his bed?" She shook her head.

"We sat side by side looking at the pics and remembered old friends and hangouts... It was so late and I was so tired and likely more than a little tipsy. I should have left, Ny. But Jim was like his old self. Funny, charming, gentle, kind, vulnerable. And the way he looked at me... The way he made me feel. Just for a moment, I wanted to remember the good times," she said sadly. "I don't know who started it, or how it happened, but I remember pulling away from the kiss and getting the hell outta there."

"That's it?" Uhura asked.

"That's it!" Charlene screeched. "What do you mean, that's it? It's enough! I'll never be able to face him again." Charlene planted her face in her hands again.

"Yes, you can face him," Uhura insisted, lifting her friend's head to look into her eyes. "This isn't the end of the world, Char. You got drunk with an old friend, you kissed for olde lang syne, and you left. That's not a crime, even if it was with the captain. I told you, I've kissed the captain before too. It is not the end of the world."

"Yeah, but it's different with you!"

"How is it different?" Uhura asked.

"Because you didn't — You didn't date the captain before. You don't have a past with him," Charlene explained.

"No, I didn't date him, but I work on the bridge with him every day. That breeds a certain amount of familiarity and camaraderie. You don't even have to see him or sit behind him every day. You work below decks. Plus, the captain's not the only bridge crewman I've kissed and had to face every day. I also kissed Hikaru. Did you know that?"

"No." Charlene grabbed a tissue from the table to wipe her eyes.

"Well, I did. Just like with you and the captain, Sulu and I were best friends, and we kissed in the heat of the moment. Afterward, we both thought it was the silliest thing we'd ever done, and we agreed to move on with our lives and never mention it again."

"Well, good for you and Hik, but Jim and I made no such agreement. I ran outta there like a bat outta hell. God only knows what he thinks of me now. Probably thinks I made a drunken play for him or something like all the other moon-eyed officers running around infatuated with him."

"Charlene, do you remember the night of the Gorn ball?"

"Of course, I do." Charlene sniffed and dabbed at her teary eyes, getting herself back under control. "I remember the morning after too, when you called me in a tizzy because you got drunk in front of Spock."

"I was not in a tizzy. But yeah, I was pretty upset, just like you are now. That's why I don't drink anymore. People tend to do stupid things when they drink."

"You don't drink because you can't hold your liquor," Charlene corrected Uhura.

"Yes, I can hold my liquor, or at least I could before I got this damned Katra in my head. I used to hold my own with you and Scotty and the gang when we had our poker nights."

"No, you didn't Ny. You don't even remember all the times Scotty and I had to escort you to your quarters to make sure you made it safely without tripping over your own feet. That's why I have your door code."

Uhura protested. "I never..."

"Ny, you're a lightweight. You got drunk at the Gorn ball on a few glasses of watered-down champagne."

"I had more than a few glasses-"

"No, you didn't," Charlene insisted.

"It doesn't matter. The point is, I had a few too many, and I spilled my guts to Spock and I don't even remember it. He told me later that I told him about my mother. I wouldn't have told anyone about my mother, even with a phaser to my head. So I know how you must feel to realize you did or said something foolish while drunk."

"It's not the same thing, Ny. You and Spock are in love and you were even back then. He thinks you can do no wrong."

"We weren't 'in love' back then," Uhura insisted. "But I remember waking up naked and afraid and thinking I'd made a pass at my commander or worse and do you know what you told me?"

Charlene shook her head. "No. What?"

"You told me to just ask Spock what happened and move on."

"Well, that advice obviously stinks. Didn't you have a big misunderstanding with Spock after that?" Charlene pointed out.

"Yes, because I didn't take your advice. I'm stubborn, just like you. And while we're on the subject, I seem to recall you also asked me if I was in love with Spock. What do you do? Go around asking everybody if they're in love with Spock?"

"No. I only ask people staring at their coffee in the rec room late at night. Obviously, I struck a nerve. Both times."

"Obviously," Uhura rolled her eyes. "Now let me ask you something, Char. Are you in love with the captain? Is that why you're so upset?"

"Ny. I love you. You're my best friend. You know you can tell me anything and I'll keep your confidence forever, and I trust you to do the same for me. But I can't... I won't answer that, so don't ask me," Charlene pleaded.

Uhura wanted to argue and force her friend to confess, just as she'd been forced to confess her feelings for Spock. But instead, she decided to trust that Charlene knew what was best for herself. "Okay, Charlene, I understand and I won't ask."

"No, you don't understand Ny, but thank you for being here."

"Where else would I be when my best friend is hurting? I told you Spock and I are going to fix this. You will face the captain as if nothing happened, just like I faced Spock after the ball. Just like I had to face the captain after our kiss."

"Ny, why did you kiss Jim? And why do I get the impression it wasn't good? You make it seem the worst thing ever?"

Uhura sighed. This wasn't a story she liked to recall, but like Charlene said, she could tell her anything. And it would be good to get it off her chest. "You know the bridge crew gets into some crazy situations, right?"

Charlene rolled her eyes. "Girl, that's the understatement of the century. Your missions, at least the ones that aren't classified, are the stuff of endless gossip and legend."

"Yeah, well. On one of those crazy missions, I was abducted from the Enterprise against my will."

"You mean besides when Spock kidnapped you?" Charlene teased her.

"Spock did not kidnap me," Uhura said reflexively. "But yes, I was abducted before that. I'm sure there was gossip about it afterward no matter how much the captain and Starfleet tried to squash it. It started when the Captain, Spock, and Dr. McCoy were being held hostage on a planet we visited to give emergency medical aid to their leader."

"Which time was that? Those three are always being held hostage by some planet. They do make a strong impression everywhere they go. How many planets have they visited that are now officially off-limits to the Federation and its members?"

"Yeah, we wear out our welcome at a lot of those planets, don't we? But on this particular planet, the people possessed the power of psychokinesis."

"Psycho-what?" Charlene asked.

"Psychokinesis. Like telekinesis, but worse. Not only could the inhabitants move and manipulate matter with their minds, but unlike telekinesis where you manipulate objects, the Platonions could also control people's behavior. They used that power to hold the ship and crew hostage, and we didn't even know what was happening. While on the surface, the captain, Spock, and Bones were being held against their will, forced to stay and perform at the leader's whim and they couldn't even call the Enterprise for help."

"While all this was going on, their leader used psychokinesis to summon Christine and me to the transporter room. We had no control, Charlene. Our bodies were being used without our consent!"

"Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry something like that happened to you. I had no idea."

"It was horrible, Charlene. And you didn't know because it's hard to talk about. I just like to forget it. I don't enjoy being in those situations where the enemy is too powerful and impossible to fight. I don't like feeling so afraid and helpless. Just imagine some stranger controlling you like that, and you can't stop them, can't resist. To lose control of your own body, not just forced to move but forced to say things too, and you are powerless to stop it."

Nyota shivered just remembering how frightened she was. "And the things they made us do!"

Charlene took her friend into her arms. "Shush, honey. You don't have to say anything more. I'm sorry I made you remember it. Just forgot about it."

Uhura shook her head, "No. It's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong, and neither did we. Those Platonians were bad. I don't know how they did it or why, but they knew personal things about all of us and they used it against us. They made Christine and I change each other into weird clothes and they made us touch each other... probably because we were close friends..." Uhura shook her head with shame.

"They made Spock laugh and cry, knowing how it would humiliate him as a Vulcan. Then they made Chris kiss Spock because they knew she had feelings for him... And then they made me kiss the captain. I guess because they knew I how much admired him and thought he would protect me. And they knew the captain would never touch a crewman under his command..."

"Charlene, I didn't want to do those things! I tried as hard as I could to fight it, but they made me do it anyway. I was so angry, but also so afraid of what they would make us do next..."

Uhura stood up and paced the small space. "They had no right to do what they did to us! We were nothing but puppets for them to play with. If I had wanted to kiss the captain, that should have been my choice, not some deranged voyeuristic tyrant's game. They took perverse pleasure in our pain and fear and humiliation and I hated them!" Uhura confessed.

"I thought I'd never be able to face them again. Spock and Christine and especially the captain. I think we all just silently agreed never to speak of it after the debriefing and filing our reports." She took a deep, calming breath. "It was tough at first, I won't lie. But in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't the worst to happen to me during a mission. I love my job and I wasn't about to let some sick perverts on a quarantined planet take it away from me."

Uhura stopped pacing and faced her friend, unashamed. "It helped that I went to a lot of support meetings too. Eventually, it got better, although it took a few weeks for me to be able to look the captain and Spock in the eyes properly. The hardest part was not kissing the captain, but the violation of my free will and the way I felt ashamed."

"Ny, you had nothing to feel ashamed of. Those freaks on that planet should be ashamed of what they did. The Federation should have done something to them... brought charges or formal protest..." Charlene said.

"They are not Federation members. All the Federation could do was enact sanctions against them with no way to enforce them and warn Federation vessels away from the system. But I have to admit, if I had the power and it was up to me, I would have razed that planet to rubble," Uhura said angrily. "Starfleet captains have great power, and with it comes great responsibilities. Starfleet can't afford rogue captains who take it upon themselves to commit genocide because of a personal affront. Captain Kirk could have destroyed them, but in the end, he chose not to. Because he's a good and fair man."

Uhura took Charlene's hands and pulled her close. "You can face the Captain, Charlene, and you will; because you didn't do anything to be ashamed of, and because Jim's a good man who he doesn't hold a grudge."

Charlene hugged Uhura tightly. Uhura still looked up to Jim as if he were a paragon, a 'good and fair man' who didn't hold a grudge. How little Nyota really knew about the real James Tiberius Kirk. Hell, he was still bitter about her friendship with Finny. If he ever found out the truth... She didn't want to think about the past anymore. She had to focus on the future and hope Ny was right. Hope Jim really was a good and fair man who would forgive her.

*/*/*

"Captain Kirk," Spock nodded in greeting while he took in the captain's disheveled appearance. Captain Kirk had a day's growth of beard on his face, and his hair was arranged on his head in a tangled mess. It didn't take much of a detective to deduce that the captain had been drinking the night before. There was an empty bottle of what Spock suspected to be Romulan ale on his dining table and two empty glasses.

One of the cabin's chairs had been capsized and left unceremoniously in that undignified position while Kirk sat in the other. He was holding his head in his hands as if he were afraid it would somehow detach from his neck and float away.

"Mr. Spock, why are you here?"

"I was ordered here, Captain."

"Ordered? By whom? Dr. McCoy?"

"No." Spock walked over to the table and picked up the chair to take a seat with the captain. "I was ordered by my wife."

"Your wife? Since when do you take orders from Lieutenant Uhura?"

"As you know, Vulcanian society is traditionally matriarchal. I find myself inclined to follow my wife's leadership under certain circumstances. For example, when she convinced you to overrule my decision to forgo a court-martial," Spock reminded the captain.

"Ah yes," Kirk laughed and then rubbed his temple to subdue the pain. "Yes," he said in a subdued voice. "I recall. So why has your good wife ordered you here this morning? What have you done now?"

"It is not a question of what I have done now, but rather a question of what have you done last night," Spock told him.

"Last night? Let me guess, you told her about our disagreement and now she's cross with me?"

"Yes, I did tell her of our conversation and I believe she is not pleased with your opinions, but no, that is not what this meeting is about."

"Then what is this about, Spock? In case you haven't noticed, I'm not in any mood for another long discussion."

"So I have observed. I believe Dr. McCoy has something that will counteract the effects of the copious amounts of alcohol you have consumed last evening."

"I'm certain he has, but I'm not about to go to the sickbay right now. Bad enough you're here to gloat."

"I do not gloat. I take no pleasure in your discomfort, Jim. I am here because it has been brought to my attention that you've had an incident with Lieutenant Masters last night."

"Lieutenant... Oh yeah, Charlene!" Kirk said loudly, instantly regretting it. "Charlene," he said again softly.

"Indeed. She was here last night, wasn't she?"

"Yes, Mister Spock, but you already know that, don't you? So why don't you just tell me what this is all about so I can take care of this headache and get back to work?"

"Well, Jim it appears you and the Lieutenant had a great deal of alcohol to drink last night."

"Yes, we did. Is that a problem?"

"Perhaps," Spock said. "It depends on what else happened."

"Is this about what happened in the rec room? I'm sure we put on quite a show last night, but rest assured we've reconciled our differences."

"I have not received any reports from the crew about your behavior in the rec room last evening. I'm here because of what happened after that."

"Spock, I'm sure this cryptic meeting is perfectly logical to you, but I'm not up for it. Say what you have to say."

"Captain, you understand that in my capacity as your second in command, I must look after the welfare and safety of the crew?"

"Yes, Spock, I understand. Now get on with it."

"Very well. I am here on behalf of Lt. Masters."

"What's she done now?"

"Well, she um, she said that she argued with you last night."

"And I have already confirmed that. What about it?

"What did the two of you, er... discuss?"

"Spock, I'm not in the habit of discussing my personal affairs with anyone, and you are certainly not the shy type. What do you want to know?" Kirk demanded.

"Did you kiss Lieutenant Masters?"

Kirk's head jerked up. "Did I do what?"

"Do you really want me to repeat the question, Captain?"

"No, Mister Spock I do not. And no, I did not kiss Lieutenant Masters. What gave you that crazy idea?"

"Did she kiss you?" Spock asked, ignoring the captain's question.

"No! Lieutenant Masters and I did not kiss!"

"She thinks that you did."

"Well, she's mistaken. You know me, Spock. You know I would not fraternize."

"I know you were upset when you left me and Bones last night. I know that you and Lieutenant Masters drank a great deal of Romulan ale, and I know she told my wife that you kissed."

"Well, she's mistaken. Romulan ale can cloud a person's judgment, memory, and reactions, you know that. That's why it's banned."

"Romulan ale is illegal because we do not have a formal trade treaty with the Romulan Star Empire. And the fact that Romulan ale can cloud one's judgment is not exclusive to the Lieutenant. Has it not occurred to you that your own memory and judgment have been compromised?"

"No. It does not." Kirk said angrily. "I don't know what Charlene told Uhura and I don't care. I did not kiss her. We had a public disagreement. She came to apologize. We had a few drinks and talked about old times. That's it."

"And she left your quarters amicably?"

Kirk frowned. "Yes, we parted amicably. Now you have asked your questions and done your duty. Are you satisfied that I have not... assaulted the Lieutenant?"

"I never meant to imply that you had committed an assault. I am satisfied that whatever happened between the two of you was mutual under the circumstances."

"Good. Anything else?"

"I believe that will be all, Captain. I apologize for the inconvenience." Spock rose to leave, but Kirk stopped him.

"Wait, Spock! I do need to apologize for my behavior last night. I'm sorry for the way I reacted to your news."

"I do not require an apology, Jim, but perhaps you could extend one to Lt. Masters?"

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"Because I've committed no offense, and if Lt. Masters thinks I did, then she can file a complaint; or better yet, come and tell me herself. She had no hesitation about telling me off last night. Now, if that's all Spock, I'd like to go and visit Dr. McCoy after all. The pain in my head is suddenly traveling south to my posterior."

"Really Captain? That sounds rather uncomfortable."

"Oh, it is. But I'm fairly certain the sooner we conclude this meeting, the better I'll feel."

 

Notes:

Note: I'm almost certain that Uhura has kissed Captain Kirk a few times in this story. But as I thought about which kiss to relay to Charlene, I suddenly remembered the most famous Star Trek kiss of them all, the one that made American television history. When you think about it, that episode was very disturbing, not because of any interracial kiss but because of all the mental, physical, and implied sexual assault.

Chapter 119: "That Girl"

Summary:

Charlene gets by with a little help from her friends.

Notes:

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends

Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends

Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends

~Song by The Beatles~

Chapter Text

"That Girl"

Charlene meandered through the corridors of the Enterprise absentmindedly. Everyone was on light duty now that the ship was en route to Vulcan for repairs. Most of the repairs the crew could affect themselves had been completed, and that left Charlene with nothing to distract her from her troubles.

She was still shaken by the events of last night, no matter what Nyota and Spock said to reassure her. Apparently, Jim claimed he couldn't remember kissing her. No, he didn't say he couldn't remember, he emphatically denied it ever happened. Typical. She should have known he'd weasel out of all responsibility for his actions. How very James T. Kirk of him.

With thoughts of the captain occupying her mind, she found herself standing in front of the doors to the ship's botanic garden. It wasn't a particular hangout of hers, but she did like to visit from time to time just to "touch grass," as they say. It didn't take her long to find a familiar face among the greenery.

"Hikaru Sulu! Fancy meeting you here?" she said, meeting up with her friend.

"What's so fancy about it? I'm usually here if not in the gymnasium or the rec, of course," Sulu said. He was wearing thick gardening gloves and had a pair of shears, which he was using to prune a rosebush.

"Get out of here," she said, swatting him playfully. "You're one of the most popular people aboard. You can't convince me you're not warming someone's bed every other night."

"Me?" he asked, feigning innocence. "You're the one walking around with all the guys lined up behind you. And rumor has it that last night you-"

Charlene held up her hand, palm out. "Uh-unh. Stop it right there, Mister. You know how inaccurate rumors can be."

"Not this rumor. I heard it straight from the horse's mouth," Sulu said.

"We don't have horses aboard."

"Well, this horse was an eyewitness to the action. They were grazing in the rec room last night when someone who looked a lot like you and the captain put on quite the display."

Charlene covered her ears and shook her head. "Stop it Hik! You know I don't trade in tawdry gossip."

"Especially when it's about you, hmm?" Sulu asked as he removed his gloved and dropped them and the shears into a basket filled with flowers.

"Hik, I'm warning you..."

"Alright! Just tell ol' Hikaru what really happened and then I'll be able to defend your honor and set the gossips straight."

"Nothing happened," Charlene declared. If the captain could deny it, then so could she.

Sulu crossed his arms and stared at her in disbelief. Under the scrutiny of his gaze, Charlene gave in.

"Okay, if you MUST know. I did meet up with the captain last night and we had coffee. Is that such a big deal?"

"Mmm-hmm, coffee? And what else?"

"What do you mean?" Charlene started walking through the path lined with rose bushes and flowers, plucking a bloom here and there.

"You know what I mean. I heard you two had coffee alright, and it was piping hot, if you know what I mean."

"I don't know what you mean, so why don't you just spit it out? Tell me what you're dying to tell me so I can carry on with my business."

"And just what is your business?"

"You know I'm planning a little reception for Nyota? I think it would be nice to have some fresh flowers there, don't you?" Charlene said, hoping to direct Sulu's attention to something he'd be more interested in.

"Yes, that's a good idea. Just leave it all to me. I know what Ny likes and I've worked with Mr. Spock for years. I think I can make some arrangements they will both appreciate."

"You'd do that for me?" Charlene asked.

"Of course. I'd do it for you, and for Nyota, and Spock. That's what friends are for. So, now that that's settled, tell your old friend Hikaru what's bothering you. You didn't come in here looking for flowers."

"Hikaru," Charlene said with a defeated sigh.

Sulu pulled Charlene into his arms and gave her a fierce hug. "What happened?" he asked.

"I argued with the captain in front of everyone in the rec. And then we-" she started, but then lifted her head from his shoulder, looking around them cautiously. "I can't talk about it here," she whispered.

"Let's go to my place. I'll make dinner."

"I don't know..."

"And chocolate pudding for dessert," Sulu coaxed.

"With fresh whipped cream?" she asked.

"I'll milk a cow myself," he promised.

"I bet you would, and enjoy it too," she said, relaxing in his arms.

"You know me too well," he said.

"Alright, c'mon. I'm in the mood for some comfort food and a friendly face."

"And a strong, sexy shoulder to cry on," Sulu said, leading the way out of the garden.

/*/*/

Over a dinner of macaroni pasta with cheese and a dessert of chocolate pudding topped with real whipped cream, Charlene poured her heart out to Sulu, who listened without judgment. She couldn't help but reflect on the unexpected friendships she'd made on the Enterprise over the years. Five years ago, she never would have imagined herself sharing dinner and gossip with the handsome ship's helmsman.

When she first arrived on the Enterprise, Charlene had been a proper poindexter, keeping to herself and her department in engineering. She was friendly with her coworkers, but her conversations rarely strayed from details of the job. Back then, she was determined to make up for the time that she'd lost after dropping out of the academy for a year. She didn't have time for distractions like partying and socializing if she was going to climb the ranks. However, it wasn't long before she was sucked into the social happenings on the ship, anyway.

Scotty had been an unrelenting flirt back then who took a shot with all the new female recruits in engineering. His romantic overtures would have been flattering if not for the fact that he fell in love with every new pretty girl on the ship. But he was a good engineering chief, kind and generous with his time, never too busy to help a fellow crewman who struggled to understand a concept.

So when he'd invited her out for drinks after a grueling shift where the Enterprise narrowly escaped destruction, Charlene couldn't find an excuse to say no. What harm could they get up to in the ship's rec rooms, anyway?

It was there in the largest and most popular rec room of the ship while having a drink with her superior officer that Charlene learned what life aboard the Enterprise was really all about. Sure, the crew worked hard down below decks, manning their stations in the pursuit of seeking out new civilizations and life-forms, but when their shifts were over, the actual mission of the ship began. Fun. Everyone gravitated to the rec rooms on the upper decks where the command crew assembled and played. The highest-ranking crew of the Enterprise had no problem hobnobbing with the lower deckers.

The rec room Scotty took her to was packed full of the crew from every rank and station, including some of the bridge crew just getting off their shifts. There was one table at the center of the room where all eyes were focused, and there sat the brightest stars of the crew.

They were laughing joyously and apparently playing some sort of game together. Charlene couldn't help but notice the group because Scotty couldn't seem to take his eyes off of the pretty brown-skinned girl with the big hairdo who seemed to flirt shamelessly with everyone who passed by.

"Who's that?" Charlene asked, dragging Scotty's attention back to herself.

"Oh? At that table, there are some of the bridge crew. The blonde lass is Yeoman Rand, Captain Kirk's personal assistant. Then there are Lieutenant Riley and Lieutenant Sulu. Surely you are aware of the navigator and helmsman?" Scotty asked.

"Surly," Charlene said, rolling her eyes. "But who's that other girl?" She knew Scotty was tactlessly avoiding speaking of her.

"Ah, that little lassie is Lieutenant Uhura, ship's communication officer."

Charlene looked intently at the girl. She knew of Lieutenant Uhura. How could she not? Everywhere you went on the ship, someone had something to say about Uhura. Everyone thought she was pretty, smart, friendly, etc. Some men lusted after her because they thought her attractive looks had made her promiscuous. Some women hated her because they feared their man would drop them in a minute if Lt. Uhura looked at them twice. Uhura was the IT girl of the Enterprise.

Normally, Charlene hated girls like that. In her experience, girls like Uhura were pretty and they knew it. They used their looks to their advantage all the time. If they were also smart or talented at something, they were usually self-absorbed and insufferable to be around. She'd met her fair share of 'it' girls at school and in the Academy. They always seemed to wash out, though. Their looks and talents could only take them so far in a meritocracy like Star Fleet. Whenever there was hard, dirty work to be done, 'it' girls seemed to disappear or fall apart.

Charlene was ready to dismiss Miss Uhura as one such girl, but then Uhura started singing along to the sound of music coming from the other side of the room. When Uhura got up from her seat and worked her way through the crowd, humming the tune as she went, all eyes were on her, tracking her every move. The room quieted as she wove a spell over the crowd. Even Scotty sat up straighter to get a better view of the action. Apparently, this wasn't a surprise to anyone. The crowd had been waiting in anticipation for the performance all evening.

As the crowd parted, Charlene got a glimpse at the back corner of the room where the ship's Vulcan first officer sat with a stringed instrument in his hands. Uhura sauntered up to him, humming and vocalizing to the music, her hips swaying in time to the strumming of Mr. Spock's fingers.

Mr. Spock continued playing, his fingers never missing a beat as the Lieutenant laid a hand on his shoulder and circled around him, singing her nonsense lyrics.

Charlene couldn't believe Lieutenant Uhura was bold enough to flirt with the ship's first officer right in front of everybody. And what was even more unbelievable was that Mr. Spock allowed it.

Scotty didn't know it back then, nor did any of the other people in that rec room, but they were witnessing the beginning of an epical romance. And Charlene was getting her first glimpse of the people who would become not only her closest friends, but also her family.

It wasn't long after that evening when Charlene formally met Lieutenant Uhura. Uhura had been visiting Scotty down below to help with upgrades to the communication system. She was her usual warm, friendly self, chatting with everyone, sharing a bit of gossip with the girls, and flirting with the guys. Uhura noticed Charlene was the only one still sitting quietly at her station, sipping on a cup of coffee while everyone else joked and socialized as they worked. She pulled up a seat next to Charlene and proceeded to silently watch her work while she sipped from her own cup.

After several uncomfortable moments of silence, feeling Uhura's eyes on her back, Charlene couldn't take it anymore. She turned to Uhura. "Is there something you need, Lieutenant?"

"Need? No. I was just taking a break and thought I'd join you. I hope that's okay?" Uhura said.

"Why?" Charlene asked.

"Why what?" Uhura responded.

"Why join me?"

"Shouldn't I?"

"You gonna answer every question with one of your own?" Charlene asked Uhura.

"You started it," Uhura said with a cheeky grin.

"I suppose I did," Charlene agreed and then turned back to her workstation.

Uhura frowned. "You know what they say about all work and no play, don't you?"

"Sure," Charlene said, turning back to her guest. "But tell me, Lieutenant. What do they say about all play and no work?"

"Oh, I work plenty hard, Lieutenant Masters," Uhura said, sitting up straighter. "I just happen to know how to play, and when."

"So what is this? Your way of asking the new girl to come out and play?" Charlene asked.

"Something like that. Look, don't take this the wrong way, but you looked like you could use a friend. Was I wrong?"

"Are you "THAT GIRL"?" Charlene asked pointedly.

"I beg your pardon?" Uhura frowned at the question.

"You know. That girl that just has to be friends with everybody in school. Are you campaigning for class president?"

Uhura thought that was the funniest joke she'd heard in a while and let out a great belly laugh. "Not class president!" she blurted, wiping a tear from her eye. "No, but I hope to make captain someday."

Charlene couldn't help but smile at Uhura's infectious laugh. "You and everybody else on this ship, except the captain, of course," she said.

"Not everybody. Some people just take joy in doing their work, like you and your dilithium crystals. Or Scotty and his engines. He has no care about what happens on the bridge except how it relates to the engineering crew."

"You think so?"

"I know it. Scotty can fill in for the Captain in a pinch, but I know he'd much rather calibrate the transporter than deal with first contacts and pompous bureaucrats," Uhura explained.

"Or Dr. McCoy. He'll tell you in a minute that he's an old country doctor, not a pilot or engineer or soldier. He likes the adventure of scientific exploration, but he'd be more comfortable in the sickbay or science labs than the captain's chair."

"And what about Mr. Spock?" Charlene asked.

"What about him?" Uhura asked with a wary expression.

"Does he want to be a captain someday?"

"I don't know what Mr. Spock wants," Uhura said with a note of longing Charlene recognized. Maybe there was more to Miss Uhura than met the eye.

Just then Scotty came over to join them. "Well now, if it isn't the two prettiest lasses on the ship," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "I knew you two would hit it off."

"Oh really? What gave you that impression?" Charlene asked him.

"Well, of course. It was when you asked me all about Lieutenant Uhura the other night in the rec room."

"She did?" Uhura swung her head around to face Charlene, looking at her with a silly grin.

"Aye," Scotty said. "She wanted to know all about ye. I knew right then and there the two of ye would be good together. Speaking of which, if you two aren't busy tonight, I'd like to invite you to my quarters."

Uhura gasped and clutched invisible pearls. "Scotty! You aren't making us an indecent proposal, are you?"

Scotty frowned. "Indecent? No. I'm asking you to poker."

"Poker?" Uhura asked with a perplexed look. "But Scotty, I hardly know her!"

Charlene couldn't believe her ears and couldn't stop the laugh that escaped her mouth.

Scotty was not as amused. "Ow lass, that joke is as old as all of us three put together and then some, and not a bit funny," he said.

"I don't know, Scotty. You should see the look on your face," Uhura teased him.

Charlene looked from Scotty back to Uhura, who winked at her mischievously, causing them both to giggle in sync. "She has a point, Scotty," Charlene said when she caught her breath.

"Aye, I supposed she does," Scotty said, smiling at them both of them before leaving. "See you lassies tonight then."

After he left them, Uhura asked, "So, are you up for a bit of poker, Lieutenant? Or may I call you Charlene?"

"Sure, Charlene's fine. And what's your first name, Miss Uhura?"

"Well, only my close friends may call me by my given name," Uhura said.

"Oh? Okay, I get it." Charlene turned back to her console, but Uhura stopped her with a hand on her wrist.

"It's Nyota." Uhura held out her hand for Charlene to shake and after a moment of hesitation, Charlene took it.

"Okay, Nyota."

"I only ask one thing. Please don't call me by that name in front of others?"

"Alright, but may I ask why?"

"You asked me if I was "that girl?" Well, I was that girl. That girl who ate alone in the school cafeteria, who read by herself in the library, and played by herself on the playground. That girl all the other girls seemed to avoid."

"I'm sorry," Charlene said. She knew what that was like.

"No, don't be sorry for me. Because there was always that one person who would sit next to me and befriend me so I wouldn't be alone anymore." Uhura shrugged. "Over the years, I decided to always be that kind of person. That's why I sat here today. You seemed like you could use some friendly company. If someone seems shy, lonely, or sad, I like to befriend them. I'm that girl."

"You'll find that I am neither shy nor lonely nor sad," Charlene said, still holding Uhura's hand. "But thank you for being that girl, Nyota."

 

Chapter 120: Bibi!

Summary:

Nyota has a chat with her grandmother.

Notes:

In Memoriam

I was saddened to learn about the passing of the legendary Nichelle Nichols, but also glad to realize she lived such a long and full life. If it weren't for Ms. Nichols, I don't think I'd have ever written anything. I struggled for years trying to write my own stories, but it wasn't until I became obsessed with Star Trek TOS that I finally caught the inspiration to write and complete a story. One night, I had a dream about Uhura and Spock in a cave and that was all she wrote...

Thank you Nichelle Nichols for all the joy and inspiration you've brought to a lot of fans and especially African American girls who saw a competent black woman keeping up with the big boys on the screen and holding it down on that bridge with grace, beauty, and intelligence. Maybe someday we'll all meet somewhere Beyond Antares...

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"Bibi"

When the Enterprise was well within the subspace communication range of Vulcan, Spock arranged for Uhura to place a call to Earth, so she immediately called her grandmother.

Bibi's face appeared on the viewer, beaming a brilliant smile. "Hello, sweet child! It's been too long since I have heard from you. What have you gotten yourself into now?"

"Hello, Bibi! I apologize for the radio silence. Life has been pretty hectic lately," Uhura said with a wry grin.

"Oh? Is everything okay with you and your husband? There were some news reports..." Bibi said cautiously.

"Everything is perfect Bibi," she said, barely containing her excitement and nearly bouncing in her seat. "Spock is fine. We're fine."

Uhura's joy at speaking to her beloved grandmother again had made her look radiant, or at least Bibi thought she looked radiant. She didn't think there was a grandmother in the galaxy who was more proud of her child. Her little star was the brightest in the sky. "That's good to hear," Bibi said. "And you? Are you really fine, child?"

"Bibi, I love you so much and I miss you terribly. I cannot wait to see you in person and tell you all the things that have happened to me."

"I love you too. But you didn't answer my question. How are you, child?"

Uhura's heart was beating so hard she thought it could be heard by the viewer, but she took a deep breath to calm her excitement. "Bibi, I have big news. You may need to sit down," she said, trying not to spill the beans too soon.

"I am sitting down, but what news do you have that is liable to knock me off my feet?"

"Well, you know Spock and I have been married for a while now?" Uhura said primly but barely containing her joy.

Bibi rolled her eyes. "Yes, if you call a few months a while now."

"Well," Uhura said shyly, "we've been through so much, so fast it seems like it's been years. But what I want to say is that we are happily married now- oh look!" She held up her hand with the ring on her finger. "Look what my husband gave me, Bibi."

"Oh, my," Bibi said when she got a look at Uhura's ring. "A wedding ring? About time, I'd say."

Uhura nodded happily. "Yes, it's official. Everybody knows we're married and I don't care what anybody thinks."

"Everybody? I had a call from your mama..." Bibi left that to hang in the air.

That poured cool water on some of Uhura's excitement, and her smile faltered. "Oh, really? What did she say?"

"That you were being your usual disrespectful selfish self. She didn't know whether you were dead or alive, haven't seen hide nor hair of you in months, you never return calls or messages..." Bibi ticked off a long list of grievances.

It was Uhura's turn to roll her eyes. "Now Bibi, you know I've been busy and preoccupied with work and Spock and marriage and... Bibi, I'm pregnant!" She blurted out, unable to hold it in anymore.

Bibi didn't react right away. She stared at the screen and at her precious granddaughter. Nyota had been the light of their lives. She wasn't just a granddaughter; Nyota was like her own child, her only little angel. She and Bakari, her husband, had been alone for years after their son left home for school. Then he decided to travel the galaxy as a musician and they rarely, if ever, saw him until he showed up with a wife. They thought he would finally settle down and start a family close to home, but that was a short-lived dream. Bakari and his wife didn't stay close. They still hopped from planet to planet, chasing their own dreams until they broke up.

Bibi didn't like to meddle, but her son's wife was not her favorite person in the galaxy and the feeling was mutual, so when her son divorced, she wondered if she'd ever see her grandchildren again. But they were allowed to visit on school breaks and holidays, which she and her husband made the best of.

And then one day out of the blue, Nyota came to visit with all her belongings in tow. It was incredible to Bibi for so many reasons. Mainly because the thought that a mother would leave her child alone at such a young age and that she would choose her ex-husband's family to care for the girl. Bibi had been livid on Nyota's behalf, but she had thanked the ancestors that she was the one chosen to keep their girl safe.

Now her Nyota was a grown woman. She was an officer in the space force, a wife, and soon-to-be a mother. Bibi clapped her hands together in prayer. "Praise the Maker!" she finally said, with tears in her eyes. "My baby, my little star, I am so proud of you."

Uhura had tears in her eyes as well. "Thank you so much, Bibi," she said. "Thank you for always being there for me, for raising me. I hope I can continue to make you proud of me."

"I could be nothing but proud of you."

"Spock and I are so excited but we haven't told many people yet. We're waiting to make sure..."

"You'll be fine," Bibi said, waving off any doubts. "Uhura's are tough and we make good parents, if I do say so myself. When are you coming home? We must celebrate. In Person!" Bibi insisted.

"Soon I hope. You know the mission is almost over and... Well, I will be out of commission before you know it. But right now, we're on our way to Vulcan. I still have some tests I need. Bibi, please don't tell anyone yet okay? I want to be the one to tell Mama and Baba and the boys. And well, I know you say I'll be okay, but this baby is part Vulcan and I am not."

"Psh," Bibi said. "Your husband is half Vulcan, which means his mama managed. You'll be fine. I should have known somebody was expecting when I dreamt your Babu took me fishing..."

"Bibi, that's an old wives' tale."

"And I am an old wife. I told you I saw little green babies in your future."

"You said they were blue," Uhura reminded her grandmother.

"Blue, green, teal. It's all in the same family."

"Oh, Bibi! I miss you so. I cannot wait for you to meet Spock and your great grandbaby." Uhura beamed.

"Well, I've waited this long. I can wait a while longer, I suppose. Just come home in one piece."

"I will. I promise. I love you Bibi."

"I love you more."

"Goodbye. Nyota out."

*/*/*

Notes:

Yes, I know it's been a LONG while since I posted an update to this story and I'm sorry about that. I really have no good excuse. I sorta took some time off to study coding, but I dropped that for the time being. Then I sorta just lost my mojo for writing anything at all until a few days ago.

Now I have to make the most awful confession of them all... I've been unfaithful. I've fallen in love with another fandom.

Yes, I'm a Star Wars girl now. Don't look at me that way. It's not you, it's totally me. But they have baby Yoda and the Mandalorian and Boba Fett... And I've also been cheating with the Sherlock fandom too. But Star Trek will always be my first love and we can still be friends. Right? And I promise I will finish posting this story. It's already done. It just needs some polishing, so stay tuned.

Chapter 121: Romance is Illogical

Summary:

Spock comes baring gifts?

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Plans for the reception were in full swing. Charlene was busy with last-minute arrangements and didn't have time to think about her captain problem while the rest of the crew were busy enjoying their downtime. They were all excited with anticipation for the big event. After what the ship had been through these past few months a party was just what the doctor prescribed.

Said doctor found Mr. Spock hiding out in his science lab far away from all of the hubbub.

"Spock, what are you doing down here? Shouldn't you be getting ready for your wedding?" McCoy asked.

"Nyota and I are already married, Doctor," Spock answered without looking up from his work.

Bones sighed patiently. "You know what I meant. Shouldn't you be getting ready for your wedding reception?"

With deliberate calm, Spock turned to face the doctor. "What is there to get ready for?"

"I don't know, all of it. I only know Lieutenant Masters has asked me to officiate the ceremony."

"What ceremony?"

"She didn't tell you?" McCoy asked.

"Obviously not."

"Well, you and your lovely bride are to say some words in front of the entire crew."

"And what is your role in all of this?"

"I stand there and pronounce you married, I guess."

"We are already married," Spock stated again.

"Well, I stand there and make sure you say your peace in order. I don't know, that's why you need to prepare," Bones huffed.

"This is all illogical," Spock said and turned back to his science scanner.

"Spock," Bones placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I know this is all out of your comfort zone and a little overwhelming. We humans tend to go over the top in our mating rituals. When it's time to mate, we don't have the biological signals that Vulcans do. We have to decide when to mate, who to mate with, and where... It's not all planned out in advance for us. So we put a lot of thought and effort into it. It's a big deal to us when two people decide to make a life commitment to one another."

Bones tried to explain further, "Maybe we don't have to mate or die, but it's important to us just the same. Anyway, you've had your big moment, now it's Uhura's turn. Can you try and understand that?"

Spock turned away from the scanner again and faced his friend.

"Yes, Bones I believe I understand. My parents..." Spock began but changed his mind. "My mother sets a great deal of importance in her marriage to my father. She has endured many hardships and prejudices in order to remain with him and among his people. She honors us with her loyalty and devotion every day. My father always stressed we should do no less for her."

"See. You do understand. I think. Uhura's given up a great deal to be with you. She didn't have a traditional Human wedding. She had a traditional Vulcan wedding. For you. Now, it's your turn to do this for her. That's marriage, give and take. I used to hear people say marriage was a 50/50 proposition, but I've since learned that's incorrect. Marriage is giving 100 percent all the time. You each have to give 100 percent of yourself into the marriage, not 50 percent each. You give your all and she gives her all and just maybe you'll make it all the way."

"All the way where Bones?"

"All the way until death, Spock. That's the goal of marriage. Until death do you part. Human marriages end in divorce 50 percent of the time when partners are only giving 50 percent of themselves. You have to be all in or not at all. It's pretty scary when you think about it."

"How so, Doctor?"

"Well, as you said, your mother gave her all. What has she sacrificed to be with Sarek? What has Sarek sacrificed to be with Amanda? How many times did either of them want or need something different in life but abandoned it for the sake of their marriage? How many pieces of yourself do you have to abandon in sacrifice to the marriage?" Bones asked.

"My wife left me," he confessed. "Said I worked too much. And although I loved her and our daughter with all my heart and soul, I still couldn't stay and keep our family together. I wanted more out of life, I needed more. And so here I am."

"Do you regret your decision, Doctor? Would you prefer to be with your family?"

"Sure I would prefer to be with my family but I don't regret my decision. If I had given up my chance at the stars, I would have resented my wife eventually, and she certainly resented me for needing more than she could provide. We didn't marry when we were too young or too soon after meeting. We took our time before marrying and thought it through. Despite that, we divorced. Somewhere along the way, we stopped giving our all to each other."

"My ex is happily married now to a guy she can give her all to. My daughter is safe on earth, living in a home with two parents who love her and protect her. And here I am with you," McCoy smiled. "I can't ask for more than that."

Spock nodded. "Thank you Bones."

"Don't mention it. That's what friends are for." Before he could turn to leave Spock stopped him.

"Bones, perhaps, as a friend you could provide additional advice?"

"Sure Spock, what is it?"

"What must I do for this human ceremony? What does it involve?"

"Well, as you say, you're already married, so this will just be a celebratory party. I was told that you and Uhura will stand on a dais before the crowd, and I will introduce you as husband and wife. Then you say a few words of thanks and maybe some words to each other and then we will have food, drinks, and dancing."

"I see. Are there no other traditions?"

"Well, you know there are as many traditions on earth as on any other planet. But normally a maid of honor and best man give a speech. That's why Jim isn't the MC. He's performing best man duties."

"He is?" Spock was surprised to hear this, especially since there had been some tension between Jim and himself.

"Sure, who else would do it?"

"I just thought perhaps he would decline since our disagreement."

"Now don't be illogical. You know Jim doesn't hold a grudge. He probably already forgot about that night. Besides, he's been there for you, standing by your side during your Pon Farr with both T'Pring and Nyota. You don't think he'd miss this, do you?"

"No," Spock said. Jim was the best friend he had ever had and Spock thought of him like a brother, like clan.

"So," Bones said, breaking Spock out of his thoughts. "You and Uhura just show up wearing your fancy dress uniforms and your friends will do the rest."

 

*/*/*/*

Uhura sat at the desk in their bedroom when Spock handed her a box tied up in a fancy bow. She accepted it with a bit of surprise. "What's this?"

"It is for our reception. Please open it," he said flatly.

Curious at Spock's strange behavior, Uhura carefully opened the box. Inside there were layers and layers of fine tissue paper and under all that fluff she found a piece of clothing. It looked like a new uniform.

When she took it from the box and held it up she realized just exactly what it was. Her old dress uniform.

"What? How? Where has this been?" She looked up at Spock with a confused expression.

Spock looked ahead stoically and said flatly. "I had it."

"Obviously. But why?" Uhura asked.

He took a deep, calming breath before looking down at his wife. Their eyes met and he stared at her for a long moment before answering, "I do not know. I just took it. There was no logical reason for me to do so."

"Oh," she said and she broke eye contact with him to look over the dress. It was in pristine condition. She stood and held it up to her body and looked at herself in the mirror. It looked just as it had... that night. She turned to look at Spock again.

"You took it the night of the Gorn ball," she said with no accusation, just stating a fact.

Spock nodded, "more precisely, I took it the morning after."

Uhura fought the urge to roll her eyes at his precision and sighed instead. "I had wondered what happened to it, but I guess I forgot all about it with everything else that had happened. I should have asked you for it long ago. But then again, I couldn't actually imagine you taking it."

She twirled around in a circle, looking at the dress pressed to herself from different angles. Then she looked around the bedroom. "Where did you hide it?"

"I was not hiding it," he said as if she had insulted him.

"Okay then, where were you STORING it?"

He calmly walked over to a corner that held a chest of his belongings. It was where he kept his ka'athyra and a few other personal items from Vulcan. Uhura had no desire to snoop into his personal things since their discussion about Droxine so she'd never looked in there.

"It was here," he said.

Uhura huffed and sat down on the bed. "So, it was right under my own nose the entire time, huh?"

"I apologize," Spock said.

"For what?"

"For taking it."

She waved his apology off. "Well, you gave it back." She was about to get up and get back to business when he stopped her.

"NO. I should not have taken your clothing. I am sorry."

Uhura studied his serious expression. "You're really disturbed by this?"

Spock didn't respond, just held himself at attention as if awaiting punishment.

Uhura stood up and placed a hand against his cheek until he looked down at her. "Spock, I don't care about this silly uniform. Of course, it's nice to have it back, but if it had truly been lost forever I'd survive. It's just a uniform. I've destroyed plenty on this mission."

"Does it not have sentimental value to you?" he asked.

"It does, but I've lost sentimental keepsakes before. It happens."

"Nevertheless, I regret my actions that day."

"Please don't. Let's have no more regrets between us. Why did you take it anyway, really?"

"As I said, I do not know. It was an unfortunate impulse," he said and looked away.

Uhura smiled. "You're embarrassed?"

Spock glanced down at her quickly before pulling away but she stopped him. "No, I'm only teasing you. Don't be embarrassed. Although you are mighty cute like this. You just did something human."

At that pronouncement, Spock snapped his eyes back up to meet hers. "Human? How was that human?"

"You didn't grow up around a bunch of horny teenage humans, but if you had, you'd know that they do some weird impulsive things. Boys snapping girls' bra straps and girls doodling boys' names on their data pads. Teasing and playing pranks on the person you have a crush on. Stupid stuff like that."

"Dipping girls' curls in inkwells?" Spock asked.

"What's that?" Uhura asked.

"Something Jim once asked me. He called it a practical joke."

"Oh well, yes, something like that, but more... sexual in nature. Sort of the precursor to courting."

"It rather sounds like assault and very illogical."

"It is very illogical. It's the actions of young and dumb kids trying to figure out their sexuality. Children transitioning to adulthood with raging hormones driving them to want things they don't quite yet understand. Conflicting feelings of desire and repulsion for the object of your affection. Puberty is an emotional roller coaster."

"And these minor assaults are... acceptable?" Spock asked.

"No." Uhura shook her head. "Of course, you're not supposed to behave badly just because your hormones are imbalanced, but you of all people should understand how that can make you behave?" she raised a brow in question.

"Indeed I do understand."

"So, even though you weren't exactly in Pon Farr that night, you were probably just feeling a little Vulcan prepubescence, no?"

"I do not know. I do not believe I would call it prepubescence."

"Spock, loosen up. You are part human, and you're allowed to slip and be illogical once in a while. You didn't assault me if that is what you're thinking. You just stole my dress. And it looks like you took excellent care of it. What did you do once you had it?"

He looked away again. "I... did nothing."

"Really? You didn't sniff it or um... I've heard guys who steal women's garments wear them and uh," she wagged her eyebrows, "pleasure themselves with them."

"No! I did not do that," Spock denied.

"Okay, calm down. So you just washed it and put it away in your chest?"

"Yes."

"For safekeeping?"

"Yes."

"Because?"

"It belonged to you. I intended to return it to you, however, the opportunity never presented itself."

"Oh, you needed an opportunity?"

"Yes. I didn't know how to return it after taking it."

"I see," she said thoughtfully. "I supposed it would be a bit awkward returning a dress to the woman you'd taken it from leaving her naked and asleep. But you could have just left it at the door later or better yet, you could have just left it somewhere in my quarters for me to find. I'd have never been the wiser." She shrugged and walked to the closet to hang up the uniform. Then she went to sit at her desk again.

"Charlene and I thought perhaps you'd taken it to be cleaned. I assumed I'd spilled something on it that night or worse, been sick on it. But then you never brought it back or even acknowledged having it so I forgot about it. Besides, after our "date" I wanted to forget that whole thing." She turned back to the computer, ready to continue her work, when Spock spoke.

"I didn't."

"Hmm?"

"I did not want to forget everything. That night when you confessed your feelings, I wanted to confess to mine as well, and I intended to tell you everything at our dinner, but you expressed only wanting to be friends."

"Oh yeah. I told you already how confused and embarrassed I was. I thought I'd made a fool of myself in front of you and I just wanted to pretend it hadn't happened.

"And I wanted it to have happened. I wanted to tell you about Pon Farr and that I wanted you. It was a night I wanted to remember, even if you couldn't."

Uhura nodded in understanding. "And so you kept my dress to remember it. To remember us? As a keepsake?"

Spock nodded.

"Ooh Adun, that's so romantic!" She leaped out of her seat to throw her arms around his neck and kiss his cheek.

Spock returned the hug with a sigh of relief, feeling grateful that his Aduna did not resent his actions. "Romance is illogical," he said.

She pulled her head back to look up at her husband.

"Well, I'm an illogical human woman and I need a bit of romance in my life now and then. So you're just going to have to accommodate me and my illogical needs once in a while. Do you think you can handle that?"

In response, Spock picked her up off her feet and carried her back to their bed placing her down gently before he joined her.

"I believe I can accommodate your needs, my wife," Spock whispered in her ear as he undressed her just as he did the night of the Gorn ball when he stole her uniform, peeling her dress slowly from her body and revealing warm brown skin. Spock didn't have to steal this dress because the woman who wore it already belonged to him and soon enough the uniform was forgotten.

Notes:

Ever since I wrote A Night To Remember, I've wondered what Spock did with Uhura's uniform and why he took it in the first place. In the end, I decided he should just give it back and say "my bad". But whenever I start writing for these characters they take off on different tangents and surprise me.

Chapter 122: I Could Have Danced All Night

Summary:

Let's Celebrate!

Notes:

There's a party goin' on right here
A celebration to last throughout the years
So bring your good times and your laughter too
We gonna celebrate your party with you

~Celebration by Kool & the Gang~

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

I Could Have Danced All Night

They held the reception on the last full night aboard the Enterprise before she docked for repairs at the Vulcan spaceport. Once again, the Enterprise crew would be guests of the Vulcans for extended shore leave and everyone was abuzz with anticipation. Some people looked forward to the visit because they enjoyed themselves the last time, while others dreaded the stay because of the extreme heat and lack of entertainment options. It was nothing like Argelius or Wrigley's Pleasure Planet. These were Vulcans, after all.

At the door to the ship's largest rec room, Uhura straightened her freshly recovered dress uniform one last time and patted her elaborate hairstyle into place. Tonight was her big debut as Spock's wife in front of the entire crew and she wanted it to be one the crew would never forget. They performed the bonding ceremony on Vulcan for Spock's family, but tonight was for hers.

"Are ye ready, lass?" Mr. Scott asked her. Uhura had asked him at the last minute to escort her into the reception. Sulu would have been her first choice since he had known about her marriage to Spock and their difficulties almost from the very beginning. However, she felt bad that Scotty had been one of the last to know about her marriage to Spock. Especially since Scotty was one of the first people she'd met the first day she came aboard the Enterprise all those years ago. He had been a good friend to her ever since. So she had chosen Scotty to "give her away" during the reception.

"I'm always ready for a little adventure, Scotty. You know me."

"Aye. I thought I did," he said sadly.

"Aww, Scotty, I'm so sorry. Please don't be angry with me. There are reasons why I couldn't tell you about... well, about everything. Spock and I... I don't know what to say. It's complicated."

"I'm for believing marriage shouldn'a be complicated. Not if two people love each other. You just say the word and I will whisk you away from this..." He pointed his thumb back at the door and the room full of shipmates waiting for them. "Complication."

"Scotty, Spock and I are already married. This is just a reception for our friends to celebrate our bonding."

"Marriages can be undone, lass."

Uhura shook her head with sadness for Scotty. "Not this marriage. Vulcans take their bonds very seriously and so do I. Besides, I kinda like him," she confessed.

"But do ye love him, lass?" Scotty asked gently.

Uhura drew in a deep breath and looked at Scotty with all the compassion she had. She was no longer denying it, not even to herself, but she knew Scotty had a soft spot in his heart for her. She hated hurting him, but the truth was the truth. "I do," she admitted. "More than anything."

Scotty gave her a sad smile. "Alright then. I suppose that's all I really need to know."

Uhura quirked her brow at him. "Uh-huh. What were you going to do if I said no?"

"I would have swept you up in my arms and saved you. Somehow."

Uhura wrapped her arms around Scotty in a firm bear hug and gave him a great big kiss on his cheek. "I believe you would save me. Somehow," she said and then wiped lipstick from his face. "You've always been my hero."

"But nothing more?" he asked.

"Scotty, we've been friends from the moment I stepped foot on this ship. I trust you with my life. You literally died protecting me from NOMAD and I couldn't love you any more for that. But I've never been in love with you. I hope you understand that?"

"But you're in love with Mr. Spock?" Scotty asked.

"Trust me, it came as a surprise to me too. I tried to fight it, to deny it, but here we are anyway. You're a great guy, and any woman would be lucky to have you for a husband."

"Just not you," he said accepting the truth.

"Just not me," she agreed. "You remember when I came aboard? I wasn't even looking for romance, let alone marriage? Love just sneaks up on you though. Wait and see, someone will grab a hold of your heart and you'll know they are the one. Besides, I don't think I'm your type, Scotty. I think you like a softer kind of woman. I think I'd chew you up and spit you out."

"I do not believe it. I know of no one kinder or more gentle than you."

Uhura took his hands in hers and squeezed, appreciating the strength and gentleness of his touch. Scotty was a good man, a kind man, and a hopeless romantic. He was rather naïve when it came to women, though. "Thank you, Scotty. But I still don't think you could handle all of me. Ask Sulu about how I am. I'm sure he'll tell you all the drama I put Spock through. You dodged a phaser blast, my friend."

"I'd take a phaser for you any day, lass," Scotty assured her.

"I know you would. But let's hope it never comes to that, hmm?" Uhura said, trying to lighten the mood. "Now, let's get this over with before Charlene comes looking for us. She's been a holy terror for the past few days."

"Aye, you'd think she was the one getting hitched. She's been a regular 'bridezilla' as the old saying goes."

"Yeah. But she means well. Charlene's been through all the drama with me and Spock since I got back from Vulcan. Sometimes I think I'm doing this more for her than for myself or Spock. We've already had our wedding and reception on Vulcan and we've had a honeymoon too. We're an old married couple now."

"There is nothing old about you." He looked at her wearing the snug-fitting dress uniform with a garland of wildflowers in her hair. "You look fresh as a rose that blooms in May."

"Well, I feel like the thorns are sticking me in my unmentionables." She did a little wiggle to adjust the snug uniform and Scotty threw back his head in laughter. She would always be the sassiest lass he knew.

"Alright, lass. Let's not keep that husband of yours waiting any longer." He hooked her arm with his own and ushered her into the rec room.

Once they entered and crossed the threshold, someone played the traditional wedding march music and Uhura got her first look at the rec room that had been off-limits to everyone for the past two days. Somehow, Charlene and her minions had transformed the room into a ballroom. Fairy Lights were strung from the ceiling, twinkling delicately. The walls were lined with vases of flowers of all varieties, courtesy of Sulu's garden. The room smelled like springtime itself. Everyone in attendance looked sharp dressed in their fancy uniforms. Spock stood in the center of the room with Bones looking as stoic as usual, but there was an intense gleam in his eye when she and Scotty entered.

Oh my god! Uhura thought as she caught her breath. Everything and everyone looked stunning. She was getting married to Spock in front of all her friends! She claimed this was just a reception, and that she was an old married lady, but now that Uhura saw Spock waiting for her in his fine uniform adorned with his medals and IDIC medallion, she felt like a proper bride. She couldn't help it when her eyes teared up and she started to breathe nervously.

Scotty patiently waited for her to take another step forward, but she couldn't move. Spock was waiting for her. Her friends were looking on with anticipation and joy. Scotty was looking at her askance. And she couldn't bring herself to take one more step. Her heart felt as if it would explode in her chest and as they stood paused just inside the door, people began to chatter in confused whispers.

Scotty bent down to whisper softly in her ear, "Is this the word?"

She shook her head, and the whispers grew more excited.

'What the hell Nyota!' she thought. 'You're blowing this! Now is not the time to panic! What must Spock be thinking? He probably thinks you're rejecting him!'

She shook her head vigorously to tell Spock that no, she was not rejecting him as Scotty tried to pull her back the way they came in. She was just stuck in her own head, as usual.

Spock instantly understood her dilemma and walked toward them, staring at her the entire time and Uhura felt something nudge the edge of her mind.

Calm. Safe. Strong. Over and over he sent these simple thoughts to her and somehow she felt rather than heard it all in her mind.

Slowly the muscles in her chest loosened and she was able to take in a deep calming breath and then another and another. Spock stood in front of her and she pulled away from Scotty and reached for him. As usual, he extended his two fingers to her and Uhura joined her fingers with his. This felt safe. This felt right.

Eyes never leaving Uhura's Spock said, "Thank you, Mr. Scott, for the safe delivery of my wife."

Scotty looked from Spock to Uhura who was now calm and looking at Spock as if he'd just hung the moon and stars for her. He bowed out gracefully, stepping away from the couple.

"What's happening?" someone whispered rather loudly.

"They are saying their vows. I think," Sulu whispered.

"But they are not saying anything."

"To us," Sulu said. "They are not saying anything to us, but Spock and Uhura share some kind of mental bond."

"Oh. Um... Huh?"

"Will you hush Chekov? Pay attention."

"Why? They're not saying anything," Chekov grumbled.

Finally, Spock said, "Nyota, my wife. Parted from me and never parted. Never and always touching and touched. We meet at the appointed place."

Uhura got a thrill hearing those sacred words spoken in Spock's native tongue, which she was starting to understand. "Spock, my husband. Parted from me and never parted. Never and always touching and touched. I await thee." Uhura said in her own native tongue, now smiling ear to ear. Not many of the crew understood Golic or Swahili but they all understood love, and the way Spock and Uhura looked at one another showed nothing but.

McCoy cleared his throat and everyone turned towards him where he stood on a raised dais with Captain Kirk on one side and Charlene on the other.

"Shall we?" Spock asked and then he escorted Uhura the rest of the way towards the center of the room to the stage.

McCoy could barely contain his joy. The smile on his face nearly hurt his cheeks. Today he presided as Master of Ceremony for his two friends' wedding reception. It had been quite the journey from the day he tended to Uhura on Vulcan while threatening Spock for his boorish behavior. He thought their friendship had been on shaky ground back then and now he could see their love was as solid as a rock.

"Dearly beloved," he began. "I have been asked to perform the most fulfilling act of my Starfleet career, officiating the union of my two friends in the bonds of matrimony. We are gathered here today with you, Mr. Spock, and you, Lieutenant Uhura in the sight of your fellows, and in accordance with our laws and our many customs and beliefs, so that you may decree and declare your commitment to one another."

"However, from the looks of things, you two have once again jumped the gun and said your peace before I could do my duty," he grumbled good-heartedly, and the crowd laughed at McCoy's complaint.

"I'm sorry Doctor," Uhura said, blushing up a storm. "I just got a little overwhelmed. It's not every day a girl gets married again, you know?"

"No. But for you two it's almost every other day, isn't it?" McCoy quipped.

"True Doctor, but after the wedding, I believe it is customary to have the honeymoon, which is worthy of an encore," Spock's declaration was followed by loud catcalls and applause from the crew.

"Alright, alright everyone," McCoy said trying to quiet the crowd. To Spock, he said, "How about you let your lovely wife have her say now?"

Uhura smiled and turned to address the crowd of party-goers. "Hello everyone, and thank you for gathering here with us today. As I am sure you all know by now, Spock and I have been married for several weeks, but we only shared that information with a few of our closest friends and family members until recently. The reasons why we did not make a public announcement sooner are private." She looked around the room with a stern expression, daring anyone to say otherwise, and then she continued. "But I would like to thank everyone for accepting our union so graciously once made public and for all the lovely well wishes and gifts you've bestowed upon us." Uhura started to tear up again thinking of all the love and support the crew had shown them. They really were a family.

"From the bottom of my heart," she continued, "I thank you for joining us today to celebrate our bond in marriage. And to our hosts, Lieutenant Masters and Captain Kirk, thank you for arranging this beautiful reception and for being our unwavering friends during a very turbulent time. Spock and I are forever in your debt." Uhura concluded and wiped her eyes with a hankie passed to her from Charlene.

"And now," McCoy said. "If it is not against any Vulcan rule or tradition, how about a kiss for the bride?"

Captain Kirk playfully stepped forward and said, "Well, Alright!" before Charlene dragged him back.

The crowd exploded in cheers and whistles when Uhura tiptoed forward to place a chaste kiss on Spock's cheek, but at the last moment, Spock captured her lips with his own in a very illogical display of affection.

"Ladies and gentlemen," McCoy announced loudly and proudly to the cheering crowd, "Our newest Mister and Misses!"

After that, things happened in a blur for Uhura. What looked like real champagne procured by Captain Kirk was poured into fancy flutes, toasts were made by their friends, and the real party began.

The Enterprise was home to some of the finest musicians in the galaxy among her crew, and tonight, some of them formed a band and played hits from almost every era in human history. Spock and Uhura danced with one another for several songs until Charlene finally broke them apart to claim Spock for a dance while Jim danced with Uhura.

The Captain looked into Uhura's happy, smiling face and he thought back to the terrible day when she had been pressured into marrying Spock. He could admit it now. Back then, his sole priority had been saving his best friend's life rather than the well-being of his communications officer. But he cared about Uhura too, and he was glad that there was no harm done as a result of their coerced marriage. In fact, she had never looked happier than she did right now.

Kirk led Uhura into a twirl, admiring her outfit. "You look magnificent tonight, Lieutenant. I see marriage agrees with you," he said with a roguish grin.

Uhura blushed at the captain's compliment. "Thank you, Captain. It does have its perks." She grinned, thinking of all the ways Spock made her happy.

"Oh, such as?"

The captain should know better than to ask her that. "Sleeping with Spock every night, of course," she teased.

It was Kirk's turn to blush as he remembered that horrible scene of Uhura and Spock on his view screen. No amount of Romulan ale had been enough to blot that memory from his mind. "Lieutenant, you did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Did what, Captain?" she batted her lashes innocently.

"You know what," he insisted.

"I absolutely plead the fifth."

"The fifth what? That hasn't been a legal term for over two hundred years."

"Captain, if you are referring to what I think you are, then I have to tell you that I didn't do anything on purpose. My finger just slipped."

Kirk was almost afraid to ask, but he did it anyway. "Slipped on what?"

"Ask Charlene. It's all her fault," Uhura laughed.

The mention of Charlene put Kirk on high alert. "Lieutenant Masters? Why would she know anything about it?"

"She knows all about it. We tell each other everything." Uhura gave Kirk a knowing look. "Actually, Charlene knows a lot of things. She's very wise. I think she has an old soul. You listen to her and you can't go wrong."

"Is that a fact? She did tell me you were her best friend on this ship and warned me to let you and Spock alone or else."

Uhura nodded. "I'm not surprised. She has been my best friend and champion lately and I'd do the same for her. We all need somebody to call a friend when the odds are stacked against us. I'm glad Spock has you and Dr. McCoy."

"You both have us. And I'm glad Spock has you," Kirk said sincerely. "He's a very lucky man."

"Luck had nothing to do with it. It was destiny. Some things are simply meant to be, and no one and nothing can stand in its way," Uhura said with a confident voice. "You know, Spock and I... we were together long before he took me to Vulcan?"

"You were? I had no idea."

"Hmm-hmm. Neither did we. We were both too stubborn to admit it to ourselves. But the Pon Farr has a way of making you grab what you want unapologetically, as it were."

"I see. And you really are alright with everything that's happened to you? And what will happen?" Kirk asked. He really did care about her well-being.

"My only regret is that it didn't happen sooner. But as Leonard says, to everything there is a season. This is Spock's and my season now."

"Then I'm glad for you. But just promise me you won't let your fingers slip anymore in front of me."

"I make no promises I cannot keep. But I'll try."

"I suppose that is all I can ask. And that you live long and prosper."

"Thank you, captain." Uhura threw her arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely, kissing his cheek. Kirk, for his part, swept her up in his arms and swung her around the dance floor before setting her gently on her feet again.

"Wow! I Always wondered what it was like to be held in these big strong arms of yours," she teased him.

"Well, don't let Spock hear that. Your husband and Lieutenant Masters are staring daggers at me right now."

Uhura giggled when she saw the looks on Charlene's and Spock's faces. "They're just being jealous of our fun, but Spock already knows better."

"What does Spock already know?"

"Everything. That's why he's Spock."

"Well, I better deliver you to him, anyway."

As he should have done months ago, Captain Kirk escorted a willing Uhura over to Spock, delivering her over to his safe care.

Spock and Charlene were dancing with each other when they saw Captain Kirk lift Uhura in his arms and swing her around the dance floor enthusiastically.

Spock observed the display and tried to contain the apprehension he felt seeing Jim recklessly maneuvering his pregnant wife. Charlene shook her head ruefully as she watched the spectacle. "Just look at him. He'll never change. Big kid."

Spock turned away from the dancing pair once they settled down and looked down at Charlene. There was something in the way she looked at the captain lately that made him suspicious. He looked over at the captain and his wife again.

"I imagine Nyota instigated that display," Spock said.

"I imagine she did too, but he didn't have to go along with it," Charlene smiled. "I suppose he just can't help himself."

"You seem to know a great deal about the captain."

"I'm surprised you don't already know," Charlene said, finally pulling her eyes away from the captain.

"What is it I do not already know?"

"Jim and I go way back. We used to date back at Starfleet academy."

"Why did you suppose I would know that?"

"Jim's your best friend and Nyota is your wife." Charlene shrugged her shoulders as if that explained it all.

"Lieutenant, though I have some psi abilities, I assure you I cannot casually read minds."

"You don't have to read minds. He's your best friend, so I assumed he may have mentioned it. And Nyota can't keep a secret at the best of times. It stands to reason she told you about it."

"I only know that you had an encounter with the captain a few nights ago, which I investigated and found no impropriety."

Charlene ignored the reference to that night. Captain Kirk was pretending not to remember anything and so would she. "Well, it doesn't matter. It was a long time ago and we've both moved on."

"Have you indeed?" Spock wondered, but he didn't get to pursue his thoughts further because Captain Kirk and Nyota were standing beside them.

"Mr. Spock, here is your lovely bride," Kirk said and then he turned to face Charlene. "Lieutenant. May I have this dance?"

Spock felt Charlene's body go rigid before it relaxed. She let go of his embrace and reluctantly accepted Jim's hand.

"Curious," he said aloud as he watched the couple twirl away.

"What's curious?" Uhura asked.

"The captain and Lieutenant Masters."

"Oh, yes. Very curious indeed," Uhura agreed with a knowing grin as she tugged Spock away toward a group of well-wishers. And he thought no more of his friends' relationships and instead focused on his own.

Notes:

Just two more chapters and then this story is finished. I'm so sad. I love these characters so much and don't want to let them go just yet, but all good things must come to an end, eventually. I have written some additional chapters for a sequel where everyone actually lives happily ever afterish, but I make no promises about when it will be posted. Just keep following me to find it I guess...

Chapter 123: One For the Road?

Summary:

These idiots drunk at a wedding? What could possibly go wrong?

Chapter Text

 

*/*/*

 

It was nearly impossible to coax Spock and Uhura apart as they danced with each other almost the entire evening. But a few brave souls managed to lure Uhura away from Spock's side for a few moments, including Uhura's best friends Charlene, Scotty, McCoy, Sulu, and Chekov.

With the champagne flowing thanks to the captain and an open bar courtesy of Scotty and Sulu, a few intrepid crewmates also ventured to dance with Mr. Spock when his wife was otherwise engaged. For his part, Spock politely tolerated the drunken congratulations and clumsy dancers who stepped on his feet more than the floor. Beverages procured from all over the galaxy were on display at the bar and available for all those brave enough or foolish enough to imbibe them. That's where Uhura's male friends gathered to watch the party and also mourn the loss of the most eligible bachelorette on the ship.

McCoy spotted Jim and Scotty sitting at a darkened corner of the bar nursing what appeared to be some of Mr. Scott's special occasion brew. And by special occasion he meant the whiskey Scotty drowned his sorrows in every time he was dumped by his latest flirt. Scotty had acquired a reputation on board the Enterprise as having the worst luck with women. Well, maybe not the worst luck. That prize belonged to his drinking companion James T. Kirk.

For all of Jim's apparent success with the fairer sex, his relationships never managed to last very long and somehow seemed to end in bittersweet partings at best, and tragedy at worst. Bones knew that Jim had given up on the idea of love and marriage for himself and claimed he was content to captain the ship alone. But Bones also knew that Jim was a lonely man, and he was even more so now that his best friend was married and busy romancing his wife.

"What are you two old bachelors doing over here by yourselves when there is a room full of single ladies to dance with?" McCoy asked as he picked up one of the bottles that was on the bar between the two men. "I have a feeling if I lit a match between the two of you it would blow a hole clean through the hull of this ship."

"Bones!" "Dr. McCoy!" Jim and Scotty welcomed him in an overly excited tone as they turned to face him.

"Doctor, I have just the medicine for ye," Scotty said. "A sip of this will put a bit of spring in your step."
Scotty opened the bottle McCoy had been inspecting.

"A sip of that might put me in the ship's morgue," Bones said sniffing the brew. "Where'd you get this stuff?"

"It's Vulcanian brandy," Kirk said. "A souvenir from our last shore leave on that planet."

"Holy moly! No wonder they don't get drunk on our stuff. This stuff will take years off your life," Bones said as he took a sip.

"Here's hoping," Jim said morosely and downed his glass.

"Jim! What is wrong with you to say a thing like that?"

"Bones did you see it?" Kirk asked.

"See what?

"Spock and Uhura's reception?"

"Sure, I was there, same as you two."

"Did you see the way they looked at each other?"

"Yeah..." Bones said not catching his drift.

"They're in love," Kirk said.

"Yes, Jim. They're married," Bones said with extreme patience.

"I can't believe Mr. Spock and Miss Uhura are together," Scotty said. "It makes a man think."

"Yeah!" Jim enthusiastically agreed.

"Makes you think what?" Bones didn't understand what these two were talking about anymore.

"It just makes you think," Scotty said. "If I had only known she was looking for a husband... It could have been me."

"Could it?" Bones asked doubtfully.

"Sure. I let that lass slip right through my fingers," Scotty tried to snap said fingers but fumbled it.

McCoy didn't have the heart to tell him he never had a chance. Uhura never had eyes for anyone else, not even Riley. It was always Spock.

"The first night she stepped aboard," Scotty continued, "I should have staked my claim." He shook his head and took another sip of his brandy.

"I never had a chance," Jim said. "Captains are not allowed to stake a claim on their officers."

"You two are too much. Sure Uhura's a peach of a girl, but you don't see me moping over her. There are hundreds of beautiful single women on the Enterprise not to mention the billions out there somewhere in the known galaxy to choose from."

"Of course you're not moping Bones. You never even had a shot," Jim said.

"What?! I had a shot, more than you did, CAPTAIN!" McCoy countered.

"Doctor, don't take it personally. Sorry old man, but it was never gonna happen for you," Scotty chimed in.

The nerve of these two idiots, McCoy thought. He had a wife waiting for him and an ex-wife too. They couldn't even get one! "I'll have you know I've seen parts of Uhura you two could only dream about."

"Dr. McCoy!" Scotty protested with a scandalized tone.

"Bones!" Jim admonished him. "What are you saying, man?"

"I don't know. You two pushed me too far." McCoy pushed his way in between the two men. "Move over." He pulled up a stool, sat down, and poured himself another drink. "To the one that got away!" he said in a toast.

"Here here!" Scotty and Jim agreed.

"To Mr. Spock! Lucky devil," Scotty toasted taking another drink.

"To Spock!" Jim and Bones agreed in unison.

"That green-blooded pointy-eared bastard," Bones mumbled with affection.

"Bones you know you love him, and besides look on the bright side," Kirk said patting his shoulder.

"What's that Jim?"

"At least Spock didn't threaten to break your neck or challenge you to one of those Kalifee things for looking inappropriately at his wife. I believe that is the Vulcan way."

"Jim if you ever tell Spock I said anything unprofessional about seeing Uhura I will break your neck."

Kirk laughed, "Duly noted Doctor. Duly noted."

"Well gentleman, the night is young," Scotty said. "Why don't we get back out there and mingle with all the single lasses? I hear nothing gets them in the mood like someone else's wedding."

The captain begged off. "You two go ahead. I'm going to finish my drink and I'll be along directly."

Bones could tell Jim needed his space, so he grabbed Scotty around the neck and the two headed back to the dance floor.

Meanwhile, the captain poured himself another drink and stared at its contents. It had been a strange few days. New revelations and old memories mingled to stir his emotions. He wasn't sad but he was feeling a bit empty like his glass had just been. Only there was no easy way to fill up his empty heart or his empty life.

He slowly sipped his drink and thought about things that were probably best left alone. But tonight was one of those nights when his ghosts came back to haunt him. Thoughts of his family, his parents, Sam and Aurelan and Peter...

He didn't know how long he sat like that but he slowly became aware that someone was sitting beside him. They even took Scotty's bottle and audaciously poured themselves a drink uninvited.

Sluggishly he turned to look at the culprit. "I should have known. Who else would sneak and steal a drink from the Captain's table?"

"I didn't sneak," Charlene said. "I loudly plopped my ass down right next to you, only you're too drunk to notice."

"Is that any way to talk to your captain?"

"You're not the captain tonight. You're the best man and I'm the maid of honor and we are old friends. Our job is to make sure everyone else is having a good time, even if we are not. That job doesn't include brooding alone and getting drunk."

"For the record, I am not drunk and I have no intentions of getting drunk either. I think I've learned my lesson on that front and I hope you have too?"

Charlene ignored the implication of that question. "If you say so. And for the record, do you still not remember what happened the other night?"

Kirk let out a frustrated huff. "No! I told you I don't remember anything after a few Romulan ales. That stuff should be illegal."

"It is illegal. I believe you said RHIP remember?"

"Unfortunately no I do not remember but apparently you do. You still haven't told me what happened that night. Instead, you sicced Spock on me."

"I didn't sic Spock on you. And nothing happened that night. At least nothing important. I was just worried about you that's all. But if you say you're good then I'm good. When the captain's happy then everybody is right?" Charlene picked up her drink and swallowed it in one large gulp and then she winced at the afterburn. "Damn what is this?" She looked at the label on the bottle that had an alien script. "Never mind. Let's go turn this party out and wish our friends long life and prosperity. Think you can handle that?"

"Lieutenant, there is nothing I cannot handle." Kirk stood on unsteady legs.

"Except for Romulan Ale?" Charlene asked as she reached out a steadying hand.

"Except maybe Romulan ale and Vulcanian Brandy," Kirk answered as he followed her back to the dance floor.

 

*/*/*


RHIP = Rank has its privileges

Chapter 124: All The Single Ladies!

Summary:

Ain't no party like an Enterprise party cause an Enterprise party doesn't stop!

Chapter Text


All The Single Ladies!

Hours after the reception began, it was still in full swing. Not all the crew could fit into the rec room at once. There was another room that housed the overflow crowd and there was a big monitor setup so those crew members could see and enjoy the main party. But as the hours waned, people started drifting from one room to the other so that everyone got a chance to see the guests of honor and make their well wishes in person.

Also, some of the first guests in the main ballroom had called it a night after imbibing too much champagne and alien alcohol. But the main alpha bridge crew were made of sterner stuff and were still going strong until late into the night, or rather, the early morning.

Uhura and Spock had just departed moments earlier and were now on their way to Vulcan via a private shuttle craft arranged, courtesy of Captain Kirk.

With Spock and Uhura's exit from the rec room, the atmosphere changed. Crewmembers were more relaxed and feeling the effects of all the alcohol that had been allowed to flow freely all evening. Almost everyone was in a joyous mood, but there were a few people onboard nursing sore feelings and trying to chase away heartache.

One of the latecomers to the main rec room was Nurse Christine Chapel. She hadn't wanted to draw attention away from the happy couple earlier but now that they were gone she felt it safe to put in an appearance. She didn't know how long she could handle the pitying looks and barely disguised whispers whenever she walked past a group of her colleagues, though. There was nary a friendly face to been seen until she spotted Charlene standing by one of the observation windows.

"I suppose you're not speaking to me?" Christine asked as she stood beside Charlene who was watching the shuttle carrying Spock and Uhura speed away from the ship.

Charlene grunted but kept her eyes on the starfield outside.

"For what it's worth," Christine pressed on as she turned to face Charlene, "I'm sorry."

Charlene turned to Chris at last and met her eyes. "Sorry for what?"

"For everything. For how I treated Nyota and how I behaved with Spock."

"Well then, for what it's worth you don't owe me any apologies. Save it for Nyota and Spock," Charlene replied.

"I've already apologized to Nyota. I'm trying to make amends and maybe salvage our friendship."

"Well, good for you," Charlene turned back to the window.

"You and I used to be friends too, Charlene."

Charlene sighed and faced Chris again. "Yes, but we were never as close as you and Nyota were."

"Or you and Ny?" Chris asked.

"Yes. Ny is someone special to me and I don't want to see her hurt. I've got her back. Always."

"And I didn't? Is that it?"

"Yes, Christine!" Charlene stood toe to toe with Chris and poked a finger in her chest. "OUR friend was going through something and you chose to be against her."

"Well, I was going through something too!" Christine said sharply, which caused some partygoers to turn towards them. Not wanting to cause a scene and ruin a party she probably shouldn't even be attending, she sighed and turned to leave.

"Wait Christine," Charlene grabbed Chris's wrist before she could flee. "I'm sorry. I'm... I can see you're trying and this can't be easy for you."

"No, it's not," Chris said barely holding in tears.

"Look, I may be the last person you want to take advice from, but take it from me. It will get better."

"What will get better, my broken heart or my humiliation?"

"Yes. Both. It will be hard, especially with Spock and Ny being the "it" couple around here, but just being around them will dull the pain. It will get better. One day you'll be able to be around the two of them and it won't hurt so bad. And believe it or not, you're not the only one on the ship who's behaved foolishly because of heartbreak."

"Who else, you Charlene? You're always so cool and aloof with men I can't imagine anyone getting the better of your heart."

"Oh no? Why not? I'm a woman too you know. I've fallen in love a time or two and I'm still single, so what does that tell you?"

"It tells me that you're very picky?"

Charlene laughed. "Picky? Yeah right. If by picky you mean I can pick out a loser from a bunch of good guys then yes. I'm picky."

"What losers? Weren't you just dating Desalle? He's one of the most eligible guys on the ship."

"Was dating. Still single, remember? DeSalle was more into DeSalle than me," Charlene laughed. "And then there was Lazarus."

"Lazarus? Do you mean that alien that almost destroyed our galaxy?"

"I mean those aliens. There were two of them. Dodged a phaser that time, didn't I?"

"I suppose," Christine said. She didn't really know what to say to that. It was true she and Charlene hadn't been the closest of friends. They mostly got together when Nyota was with them. Nyota was the center of gravity on the Enterprise and they just orbited around her like so many others on the ship.

"Christine, I'm not angry with you, okay?" Charlene said cutting into her thoughts.

Now Christine raised a skeptical brow.

"Okay fine," Charlene said. "I was angry, but not anymore. Ny is happy, so I'm happy. However, if you'd done to me what you did to her, it would be a different story. Unlike Nyota, I hold grudges."

"Fair enough," Christine conceded. She turned back to the observation window. There wasn't a trace of the shuttlecraft in the viewer anymore. Nyota and Spock were far away and out of reach. Suddenly she felt cold and alone and she hugged her arms around herself.

"Hey, Chris. Wanna dance?"

She turned back to Charlene. "With you?" she asked.

"Sure, why not with me?"

"Well, I mean... is that okay? I'm not the most popular person on the ship at present. And what about Ny?"

"What about her? She's not here, and I thought y'all made up?"

"We have. I mean I hope we have. There's a truce at any rate."

"Well then, why not? Do you think I care a flying fig what anybody on this ship thinks? I told you, I've been foolish and one thing I know is that when you fall on your face you get back up, dust yourself off, and stand tall. Always get back up Christine, no matter how many times you get knocked down, get back up and stand tall."

Christine couldn't hold back the tears anymore and she broke down.

"Oh, shush," Charlene said and took Christine into a tight hug. "Don't do this now, Chris. You're gonna make me cry too." But it was too late. Charlene was already tearing up.

"I'm so sorry Charlene, so sorry," Christine cried.

"No. I'm sorry. I know you were hurting. I know. It's just that Ny is my best friend and I let my loyalty blind me."

"No! you had every right to defend her. I was out of line."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No-"

"Hey ladies! Ladies. Don't cry. Spock wasn't the only eligible bachelor on the ship you know?" Sulu's deep voice broke through their tearful protesting.

The two women pulled apart to look at Sulu, who was accompanied by Chekov.

"Yes," Chekhov said, "There are plenty more fish in the ocean as they say."

Charlene wiped the tears from her cheeks. "We weren't crying over Mr. Spock for your information."

"Oh no? Why else would you two be crying at Nyota's wedding reception after they flew off together?"

"We were just making up," Charlene explained.

"Making up?" Chekov looked confused. "I didn't even know you two were together."

Charlene rolled her eyes. "Pavel, sometimes I worry about you."

"Why is that?"

"Because of that wild imagination of yours."

"If you and Nurse Chapel were not together then why are you making up?"

"Explain it to him, will you Sulu?"

"Oh no," Sulu waved them off. "You got this Charlene, he's all yours."

Charlene huffed in frustration and looked at her friend. "Pavel, Christine and I are just friends, understand? We had a falling out and now we're apologizing."

"And you're sure you weren't pining over Mr. Spock? He is a good man, after all. Many women admired him and-."

"Pavel, drop it," Charlene cut him off and turned back to Christine to see how she was holding up. "C'mon Chris, let's go dance and show these two that we don't need a man to be happy." She turned back to Chekov and Sulu one last time. Besides, we're on our way to Vulcan, a planet full of Spocks made in every shape, shade, and size. We'll be just fine."

With that, Charlene took Chris's hand and led her to the dancefloor leaving Sulu and Chekov to their own devices.

Chapter 125: What if?

Summary:

Tonight I celebrate my love for you
And hope that deep inside you'll feel it too
Tonight our spirits will be climbing
To a sky filled up with diamonds

~Tonight I Celebrate My Love
by Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack~

Notes:

Some say the most important question in writing is, 'what if'? Like, what if Spock kidnapped Uhura from the Enterprise during an unexpected Pon Farr and Uhura was forced to bond with him to save his life?

That's how this story began for me years ago now. I always think of a story as being the answer to a question, and after more than 5 long years of writing and daydreaming about Spock and Uhura, Bound to You and Beyond Antares are the answer to that question. I hope it was as satisfying for you to read as it was for me to write.

What started out as an idea for a sexy one-shot when I started writing Bound To You, somehow became this long soap opera, so I thought why not end it with a sexy one-shot scene? But my sexy scenes always get sentimental, so there's more plot than porn.

I tried. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

*/*/*

The party was still going strong after Spock and Uhura left the reception for the evening. As a final surprise, Captain Kirk arranged for them to travel the final leg of the journey to Vulcan alone and granted them the use of a shuttlecraft. With their Vulcan escort, the Enterprise could spare her communications officer and second in command for a day or two.

Uhura didn't even bother to protest when Spock swept her up into his arms to carry her away. The move had become their thing now and so she just went along with it. Once safely ensconced on the shuttle, Uhura wondered aloud if it was the same shuttle Spock had used to kidnap her.

"I did not kidnap you," Spock replied. "I merely collected my wayward bondmate and delivered her to the place of Kun et kalifee."

"Oh, you merely collected me, hmm? Is that the story we're going to tell our children?"

The casual mention of their children triggered an emotional response in Spock that he had not experienced before but he calmly responded, "It is the truth, from a certain point of view," then he settled into the pilot's seat and started the preflight sequence.

"I see," Uhura said joining him in the copilot's chair. "So how long before we reach Vulcan?"

"Barring any incident, approximately twelve hours."

"So," Uhura rubbed herself against Spock, "how about we christen this thing. I always disliked the Galileo. Let's make some good memories here," she wagged her eyebrows provocatively.

"We will do no such thing. It is illogical to 'christen' a vessel as you suggest. In addition, I have no doubt our fellow crewmen would get endless fuel for gossip out of it if found out," Spock said.

"How will they even know?"

"They will know. Undoubtedly they will go over this shuttle thoroughly when we land. As Dr. McCoy reminded us previously, ships' surfaces are intended to absorb only so much."

Uhura wrinkled her nose, "Um ew, too much information. And we can be careful, Adun. It is not like we'll be flinging our fluids all over the place. At least I didn't think you were into that sort of thing."

"I did not think I was 'into' a great many things that I have done since bonding with you, Aduna," Spock told her.

"I will take that as a compliment." Uhura grinned as she watched Spock set the controls.

"As well you should."

"So what are we supposed to do on our honeymoon for the next twelve hours if we don't have sex?"

"We shall practice emotional control and patience."

"Boooriiiing!" Uhura sang out loud. "Put the ship on autopilot and get over here. Park that big shuttle of yours in my cargo bay," she said, her eyes twinkling.

Spock froze at the control panel and slowly turned to face his wife, staring at her in disbelief.

Uhura waved her hand in front of his eyes, "did I break you?"

"No," Spock answered finally.

"Then what's wrong?"

"I am parsing your last statement."

"It was a euphemism and a joke."

"I comprehended that."

"Are you struggling not to laugh Adun?"

"No, laughter had not occurred to me."

"Then what? Are you confused? The shuttle refers to-"

"No, I know what it refers to. You have left me quite speechless, Aduna."

"Good. I hope you realize you didn't marry any ordinary girl," she rose from the passenger seat and settled herself in his lap. "I'm special."

"Yes, indeed you are very special," Spock agreed.

"Sometimes I require your undivided attention."

Spock inputted the final coordinates and then engaged the autopilot. "You shall have it now."

"Good, now take off your pants."

"Aduna, we have discussed this..."

"And we did not come to a consensus, so let us come to one now." She slid off his lap and down between his knees. "Undo your pants and allow me to present my oral arguments. I promise you there will not be a drop of evidence left behind when I'm finished."

*/*/*

"Do you know Spock, maybe this is what it would have been like," Uhura said as she rested her head on Spock's lap sometime later. They were sprawled out on a makeshift bedroll placed on the floor in the center aisle between the rows of seats.

"To what do you refer?"

"I am referring to that other shuttle trip to Vulcan. Maybe..." She shook her head. "No maybe. If you'd asked me to come with you back then, I would have. You know that right?"

"So you have said."

"And I meant it. I was telling you and the court the truth. If you'd asked me to, I would have followed you willingly. I would have helped you escape. I would have sneaked out of my quarters with you and followed you to the shuttle bay. I probably would have distracted the guards while you procured a shuttle, and then I would have boarded the shuttle of my own free will."

"And you would have been court-martialed with me," Spock pointed out.

"Perhaps, but I would have done it. For you."

"Hmm," he grunted but said nothing else.

That did not bother Uhura who was used to Spock's post-coital grunts. She listened to the strong steady beat of his heart that was in the wrong place for a human but in just the right spot for Spock. "And do you know what else?" she asked disturbing the quiet once more.

"No, what else Aduna?" he finally answered.

"I would have been terrified. I would have sat in the passenger seat and watched you steal this ship and I would have wondered what was about to happen to me."

"I am sorry."

"What for, collecting a wayward bondmate? I would have already made my choice, you see? I chose you. And I would have looked at you in your fevered state and wondered what you'd do to me in that cave." She shivered just thinking about it.

Spock remained silent so she continued. "I would have watched your fingers as you easily glided them over the controls and wondered what they would feel like undressing me, caressing me, handling me..." She smiled when Spock sucked in a breath.

"And I think I would have let you. Right here on the shuttle, I would have let you have me. I would have wanted to run my fingers through your shiny black hair and mess it up. And I'd want to rip your shirt off and touch your bare skin with the muscles rippling beneath. And I'd want to wallow in your scent and kiss you and lick you-"

"That is quite a picture you paint," Spock said breathlessly.

"It's my fantasy of what I'd do to you if you'd asked me to run away with you."

"It was very foolish of me not to ask you."

"Yes, it was. And what about you, Adun? What would you have done differently that night if I had volunteered to help you?"

"I would have let you," he said simply.

"Oh you," she playfully pinched one of his nipples. "Use your imagination!"

"I would not have known what else to do. I was not at my best then."

"True. But you are a very clever man. I daresay you would have figured it out pretty quickly."

"Perhaps. But if we are being practical, I would have waited until we reached Vulcan and performed the bond at the place of the Kun et kalifee."

"Oh but we're not being practical, we're playing 'What If'. What if I had accompanied you on the shuttle and I had ripped your shirt off and licked your chest?"

Spock had no idea what he would have done, he told her.

"C'mon! You've asked me to marry you and help you escape to Vulcan where you promise to ravish me in a cave. Go!"

"Go?"

"Yes! Go! Tell me how you'd proceed on the shuttle."

Spock could tell he was disappointing his wife who wanted to play this game of 'What If', but he didn't have the imagination she had. He had been out of his mind back then. He would have waited until their minds were joined before taking her to consummate the bonding in the cave in the traditional manner and he told her so.

"Spock, what if is not what would you actually do, or have done, it's what you would do IF there were no rules and no consequences. Do you really think I would have ripped your shirt off and licked your skin? It's what I would have wanted to do if there were no limitations and no consequences, but I wouldn't have done it. I would have been too scared, and insecure, and repressed."

"Take those restrictions away, and I would have been all over you. So now, I've ripped your shirt off and I'm licking your skin starting at your neck and working my way down your pecs teasing your nipple with my tongue and what do you do?" She looked up at him waiting.

"I would have stopped you," he said.

Uhura sighed in disappointment but Spock continued on.

"I would have pulled you up to face me and I would have told you that you were the most beautiful woman I had ever known. I would have told you that from the moment we met you had ensnared me, and I didn't know how to react to you. I would have told you that I was not going to ravish you in that cave. Because for as long as I have known you I have only ever wanted to make love to you."

"Oooh, that's lovely Spock. You have always wanted to make love to me?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"What do you mean?"

"How would you have done it IF you could have had me before Vulcan?"

"I do not know."

"Yes, you do. You said you used to fantasize about undressing me and having me in your bed. How did I get there? How did you seduce me into your bed, Mister Spock? Or did I seduce you, perhaps? Was that your fantasy?"

"No. I always dreamed that you would be in my quarters or I in yours and you'd fall on top of me."

"Oh, so I'm that kind of girl? I seduce you?"

"No, it is mutual. We tumble to the floor because of an engine problem and I cushion your fall. You are sprawled on top of me and you look down at me as if mesmerized. I look into your eyes and I want to kiss you, but the red alert klaxon goes off and we separate."

"I seem to recall that. Did that actually happen or was it just some dream?"

"It did happen, but I dreamed about it often afterward. It always ended with a red alert just before I could kiss you."

"Well IF the red alert didn't happen, what would you do? What if you weren't bound by logic or inhibitions? What if you knew I wanted you too and would not reject you?"

"Well then, as you gazed down at me with your lovely brown eyes I would have reached up and touched the side of your face. Then I would have let you kiss me."

"So I would have kissed you first?" she asked.

"Yes. You always wanted to kiss me and this time I let you."

Uhura laughed at his arrogance but at least he was playing along. "Okay then. I kissed you?"

Spock nodded. "At first it was just our lips pressed together and I thought you would be disappointed but then you wedged your tongue into my mouth-"

"I'm the aggressor?"

"No, again it is mutual. You slide your tongue between my lips and I open my mouth to you."

"Mmm, and then what?"

"You say something clever about getting me on my back."

"I thought I remarked about you getting me on my back?"

"You did, but this is my fantasy now," he reminded her.

"Oh, so sorry. Please continue."

"So you have cleverly gotten me on my back and kissed me and then you pull away and look down at me. Your breathing is labored, your breasts are heaving and your hair is draped around your face..."

"Mmm-hmm?" Uhura encouraged him.

"And I brush a stray lock behind your ear and cup your face with my palm and then..." he paused.

"Ooh Spock, did we do it on the floor right there?"

He thought about it. "I do not know. No. Somehow I get you on the bed."

"How do you get me there?"

"I cup your face and I ask you," he said simply.

"What did you say?"

"I said, 'Do you want me Nyota?'"

"And what did I say?"

"You answer in the affirmative, that you have always wanted me."

"Ooh," she grinned, "I'm so bold."

"Yes, you are. And after you tell me that you want me, I tell you that I want you too, and then we kiss again."

"That's nice, but when do we get to the sex?"

"Patience, Aduna. We have waited a long time for this, we don't rush it."

"Well IF this was my fantasy-"

"You would ravish me, yes I know. But it is my turn now. And in my fantasy, we kiss-"

"But you don't even like human kissing."

"I do not dislike it, I just think there are more interesting things one can do with their mouth."

"Like what?"

"You have already demonstrated such earlier."

"Spock, if you had me alone in your cabin on the floor and I just kissed you and said I wanted you, why didn't you just bang me?"

"I do not know. I always wake up when you kiss me."

Uhura rolled her eyes. "Well, you're wide awake now. Kiss me and see what happens."

Spock rolled his eyes too. "I already know what happens now. I did not know what would happen back then."

"Because you were a virgin?"

Spock frowned at that term which may or may not be strictly accurate. "I was inexperienced, yes. I did not know what would happen next."

"Do you mean to tell me you never fantasized about losing your virginity at all?"

Spock's frown deepened but he didn't say anything.

"Oh good god!" Uhura shook her head. "That was all I could think about when I was a teenager. How I would lose it, who I would lose it with, when, where..."

"And yet you waited?"

"Yeah well, sometimes the fantasy is better than the reality. All the guys I dated back then were too handsy and it was all they could think about too. Getting my virginity, that is. After a while, I gave up on dating those jerks from school, and at the academy, I was too busy studying."

"Except for Riley," Spock thought out loud and then regretted it immediately.

"Speaking of jerks, huh?" she said. "Not to be a buzzkill or anything but Riley didn't know I was a virgin. At least I never told him I was. I found out if you told people they had one of two responses. They either walked away not wanting the responsibility or pressure of being someone's first, or they doggedly pursued you just to be the first under your skirt, romance be damned."

"And Mr. Riley didn't fit those to categories?"

"No, he treated me like a normal girlfriend, although apparently a frigid one."

"And he was very mistaken about that," Spock reassured her. "You made the correct decision to wait."

"Is that why you recommended him for a promotion? You thought he was the wrong decision?"

"He was due for a change and I believed his talents would be suited elsewhere."

"Mmm-hmm. I'm not angry that you chased him off. You probably saved my virginity if nothing else."

"That was not my intention."

"What was the intention then, if I may ask?"

"You may always ask me anything," he told her gently. "To answer your question, I sensed that Riley planned to pressure you into something you may not want. I did not want him to hurt you, so I tempted him with something more desirable to him. However, his leaving caused you pain anyway. I am sorry for that."

"Don't be. He could have said goodbye and ended things properly but he chose to slink off like a thief in the night. He didn't hurt me so much as he embarrassed me. Nobody wants to be dumped like that."

"I agree. Though I did not want T'Pring, her rejection still stung as you succinctly put it."

"Yes, I'll never forget that night you came to my quarters so forlorn."

"The night you propositioned me?" said Spock with a mischievous smirk.

"Yeah, so you say. But the point is, T'Pring and Riley were just distractions from what we really were meant to do. You and I were meant to be together."

"Yes. I agree."

"I waited a long time for you, Spock. That's why I like making up for lost time now."

"You said you thought of losing your virginity often? Did reality live up to your fantasy?"

"It was out of this world! Beyond anything, I could have ever imagined as a gangly Terran teenager. Was it satisfactory for you?"

"I do not remember all the details personally, but what I am able to recall and from what you have told me, it was very satisfactory."

"I suppose that's high praise coming from a Vulcan. There is much to be said for mutual satisfaction is there not?"

"Indeed, there is. With the right person."

"Spock, I'm so glad it was you. You've made all my fantasies come true. For as long as I live, no matter how long or short my life may be, you'll be the only one."

"Likewise. For as long as I live I shall desire no other," Spock said.

Uhura took his hand and entwined their fingers together. "I love you," she said. "My Mpendwa."

"Yes, Ashayam."

They didn't talk anymore after that but after a while, Uhura hummed the tune of her favorite song as they drifted off to much-needed sleep, for tomorrow would be the start of a new adventure.

Then let the years go fading,

Where my heart is, where my heart is,

Where my love eternally is waiting

Somewhere, beyond the stars...

Beyond Antares.

 


Mpendwa-beloved
Ashayam–beloved

Notes:

This seems like a good place to end this journey, back where they began on a shuttle headed for Vulcan and a new life together. But I am going to miss these two and their circle of friends. There is more to their story though. I have a lot of it planned and written already but I don't know when I'll get around to posting it. I'm thinking of calling it the Vulcan Chronicles or something...

Just subscribe and stay tuned 😀

Oh, and thank you so much for sticking with me and reading up to this point💖

Notes:

Every time I've read a story about Pon Farr its been tantamount to a rape or assault scene. I didn't want to do that, it seemed such an overused cliche. Instead, I focused on Spock's telepathic abilities and how someone with such abilities might use them when not in their right mind.

Series this work belongs to: