Charlene's Diary by Uhura the 9th
Summary:

 

 

See the source image

 

 

 

These are compilation of short stories about Sulu/Masters relationship, based on from the "Transferred" story. Charlene and Hikaru and officially engaged. If you want to read how their relationship began, read "The Battle of Spock part 2:chapters 19-36". Part 11 of Uhura's World Series


Categories: Primetime Television Characters: Original Character(s)
Classification: General
Genre: Comedy
Story Status: Active
Pairings: None
Warnings: Original Characters
Challenges: None
Series: Uhura's World Series
Chapters: 15 Completed: Yes Word count: 35267 Read: 23441 Published: May 20 2020 Updated: June 21 2021
Story Notes:

Beta Reader: Jsilver2000

I have decided to do a mini-series on Charlene Masters and her relationship with Hikaru Sulu. I hope you enjoy these short stories on their relationship.

1. Chapter 1-The Reckoning by Uhura the 9th

2. Chapter 2-Thicker Than Blood by Uhura the 9th

3. Chapter 3-So Long My Beloved by Uhura the 9th

4. Chapter 4-All in the Family by Uhura the 9th

5. Chapter 5-The Return of JR-part 1 by Uhura the 9th

6. Chapter 6-The Return of JR part 2 by Uhura the 9th

7. Chapter 7-The Return of JR part 3 by Uhura the 9th

8. Chapter 8-The Return of JR part 4 by Uhura the 9th

9. Chapter 9-Chekov's Mission part 1 by Uhura the 9th

10. Chapter 10-Chekov's Mission part 2 by Uhura the 9th

11. Chapter 11-Chekov's Mission part 3 by Uhura the 9th

12. Chapter 12-Chekov's Mission part 4 by Uhura the 9th

13. Chapter 13-Chekov's Mission part 5 by Uhura the 9th

14. Chapter 14- The Marriage Counselors by Uhura the 9th

15. Chapter 15-Going to the Chapel by Uhura the 9th

Chapter 1-The Reckoning by Uhura the 9th
Author's Notes:

These are compilation of short stories about Sulu/Masters relationship, based on from the "Transferred" story. Charlene and Hikaru and officially engaged. If you want to read how their relationship began, read "The Battle of Spock part 2:chapters 19-36". Part 11 of Uhura's World Series

The Enterprise is on shore leave at Starbase 9, where multiple bars can suit everybody's taste. But we find Lieutenant Charlene Masters sitting at the bar alone, there are other patrons around. The lights are dim, giving off a romantic atmosphere and people are talking in low tones.


Charlene glances around and returns to her drink as if she's waiting for someone.


Lieutenant (JG) [Junior Lietenant] Jamaal James Edwards (JJ) by his family, wandered in the lounge. He has come along way since the academy, he wanted to explore the galaxy, which he did but with a price. He was stationed on a light cruiser with little to no battle action, he was stuck in a ruck and couldn't get out. He wanted something different, as Jamaal scans the lounge looking for a little romance. He spotted a silhouette of a woman at the bar and decides to use his charms when he lightly touched the shoulder of the brown beauty, she turned suddenly towards him. Jamaal felt something warm cling and drip down his shirt, he looks down at his shirt in shock and he heard a gasp.


"I'm so sorry about that, you took me by surprise."


When their eyes met it was recognition, and they widen.


"Jamaal?"


"Charlene?"


They both said at the same time. Charlene looks at her drink splashed across Jamaal's shirt.

 

"I'm sorry for my drink, please let me clean that up."


She turns back to the bar and reaches for the nearest towel on the counter, but the bartender tried to get her attention.
"No! Not that ONE MISS!"


Charlene starts to rub the front of Jamaal's shirt and a dark substance starts to appear where she rubbed. She gasps again and covers her mouth:


"OH NO, I --- think I made it worse!"


Jamaal looks down at his dress shirt smeared with Charlene's drink and some dark substance. Jamaal slowly looks at Charlene with his best-winning smile:


"It's Okay--- I just wanted to say Hello and see how you are doing?"


"That's nice of you, I'm really sorry about your shirt." Charlene stares at it again.


"Charlene where are you stationed at?"


Char looks at quizzically and wonders: "I'm on the USS. Enterprise."

Jamaal's mind started turning, the Enterprise is a battlecruiser starship and Captain James T. Kirk is one of the highest decorated captains in the fleet. They consider Kirk a maverick, a one of kind officer, the man is highly profiled and recognized for his exploration. The thought of working under him would give himself a higher rank that Junior Officer. Officers alike are practically lining to be on the Enterprise, with all its citations and awards, even non-ranking people are dying to be aboard that ship.


"Really? What do you do Charlene?"


"I'm a Lieutenant and work with Lieutenant Commander Scott in engineering."


Jamaal's eyes lit up, he couldn't believe what he was hearing and the fact she outranks him brought a little jealousy. Jamaal wants to transfer there to be in action and apart of the elite crew ‘The Enterprise'! The fact the Lt. Commander Scott is a legend throughout the academy of his engineering feats is on that ship.


"You----- you work with Mr. Scott?"


Char shakes her head yes;
"The best in the fleet!"


Jamaal waves to the bartender:
"What are you drinking Charlene, I would like to buy you another one since I made the last one wasted on me." Jamaal chuckles.
"Well, I---"


"Please for old times sake."


"Okay"


"Bartender may I have an ole English ale and a---" He looks at Charlene for her order.
"Tropical fruit Daquiri please."


Since they were waiting for their drinks, Jamaal took a good look at his old girlfriend. And notices a change in her, Charlene wasn't that rough, and tumbling girl he knew back at the academy. She looks different, her figure was definite, she had curves and hips that were shaped nice. And she wore make-up that complimented her face and her hair was nicely styled. Jamaal stares into her eyes:
"Wow, Charlene you look really nice, since the academy days."


"Why thank you, Jamaal, you kinda look---- the same."


"I hope that was a compliment."


Charlene gives a slow laugh
"You know some people change and some people don't."


Their drinks arrive and Jamaal decides to take it a table for them to chat more. He wants to see how if Charlene could help him transfer to the Enterprise. Maybe a good recommendation on his file could do with her help.

"Let's take a table over there and talk about old-time Charlene."

Charlene slowly stands up, while Jamaal attempt to wrap his arms around her waist. Her foot is tangled in the stool leg, her body leans forward, her drinks spills and Jamaal in his attempt to balance her slips on the spilled fruit on the floor, his leg goes up in the air as he slipped on the fruit. His body loses balance and lands on his back with his ale and her drink toppling on top of him. Charlene with her attempt to balance the drink and her body, starts to fall forward on top, her knee jerks out and it lands squarely in between Jamaal's legs. He yells in pain and jerks up, and Charlene topples over on her side. Jamaal grabs his groin in pain holding his family jewels, his face in grimaced in pain.

Charlene stumbles up and gasps:
"OH-OH my God Jamaal, are you alright?"


There was Jamaal Edwards, laying on the floor with ale and daquiri drink soaked on his body, while Charlene was harmless clear not one drop on her dress. She attempted to bend down to help raise him up and again she slipped on the drinks and fell forward and her elbow landed sharply in his chest. Jamaal growls in pain.


"OH OH I-- I just don't know what's wrong with me, it seems I keep hurting instead of helping. I'm sorry Jamaal!"


Charlene turns to the bartender;
"Can you please call for medical help for my friend!"


The bartender leaves to get help, but before he leaves he looks suspiciously at Charlene. Charlene tried to comfort Jamaal by reaching for him, he snaps at her:


"DON'T TOUCH ME! As he holds up one of his hands to stop her and while he grimaced in pain.


"But I want to help you, you brought a drink and everything. Let me help you, Jamaal."


"NO PLEASE! I'm alright, the medical team is coming, it's good to see you, bye."


Jamaal curls up in a ball, one hand holding his family jewels the other holding his chest and moaning.
Charlene stands up and proudly steps over the moaning man, a small smile forms on her face as she heads for the exit. Two medical staff people come in with their bags and attend the injured man on the floor. Charlene turns at the entrance to observe her handy work; ‘Nothing like satisfaction for a no-good a**. It's been over ten years since Jamaal broke my heart and made me look like a fool.' She saw him at the entrance and knew he would approach her. The nerve of the man tried to ease up on me again to get on the Enterprise! Hell, no.

Then another arm surrounds her shoulders, but this hug is a welcomed one. Then a kiss on her cheek:
"Hi honey, you been waiting long, I'm sorry I took so long."


Charlene turns to her fiance':
"I'm ready Karu"


Sulu looks at the commotion in the lounge and sees the medical team.
"Something happened in there?"


Charlene took his hand and led Sulu leaning on his shoulder out into the corridor.
"Oh, some guy slipped on the floor."




Three weeks later:
"CHAR! You did what? That was Jamaal on the floor?" shouted Karu.


"Yep, it felt good kicking his a**."


"That's not fair, I wanted to kick his a**!"

Karu grabs Char, pressing his body against hers and gives her a deep sizzling kiss and whispers:
"That's my girl."

End Notes:

A/N: Jamaal is mentioned in some of my previous stories: "The Battle for Spock Part II; chapter 20" and "Transferred; Chapter 4"

Chapter 2-Thicker Than Blood by Uhura the 9th
Author's Notes:

Beta Reader: Jsilver2000

Charlene's thoughts:

 

She thought about her brothers, wondering if they would like 'Karu, the man she was going to marry. The family test is the worst; it brings out all kinds of anxiety and frustration. She thought about her family dynamics: three big brothers, literally big-they ranged from 6'3" to 6'5". Somehow, height passed her over when genes were being handed out; Charlene just shaved 5'7". Just imagine being the youngest, the smallest, and the only girl in a land of giants. She had been the prime target of all their antics back in the day. But Charlene smiled to herself, thinking of how all their tough love made her tough, self-sufficient, and a total tomboy. She clung to them as a child, idolizing them. Charlene thought the world of her older brothers, despite having sometimes been treated like the runt in the family.

Wearing the Starfleet uniform was uncomfortable for Charlene, as it showed most of her legs. But because she was in the engineering modules at the Academy, she had gotten to wear pants, to her relief. It was at the Academy that she met Nyota Uhura, who helped Char to find her feminine side. Charlene didn't even know she had curves to sway with. Nyota gently showed how to administer make-up and find the right clothes to go clubbing. They became instant sisters because neither one had ever had one before.

I wish Nyota and Spock were here, mostly Spock. If my brothers start to give 'Karu too hard a time, Spock would deal with them with his famous nerve pinch. Charlene had seen Mr. Spock in action with that move: First, the man is stealthy when he approaches a target and then he swiftly attacks. It was amazing how he used that technique.

If my brothers do anything to mess this up I will personally kill them! I found the man I want-a man who wants to marry me for myself. As Charlene's thoughts kept spinning around and around, she fervently hoped her brothers would accept her 'Karu.


"This is the place!"

Three tall, handsome black men stepped out of their hovercar and glanced up toward a small house.

"This neighborhood is a classic; it's part of the Old San Francisco district," Marcus Masters said.

"Whatever, little bro. The idea that our little sister is getting married is preposterous," Curtis Masters stated unequivocally.

"No man is good enough for our little sister; we trained her well to look out for a**holes." the eldest brother (Darren Masters) asserted.

"Is this man Curlu an a**hole?" Curtis asked slyly.

"You two need to step back-Charlene is a grown woman, and his name is SULU!" Marcus snapped.

"What kind of name is THAT?!" Darren demanded to know, turning to his younger brother Marcus.

"It's Japanese," Marcus said.

"He's Japanese?" both Curtis and Darren asked at the same time, turning to look at Marcus in disbelief.

"Yeah, Charlene said he's a real nice guy."

The three of them started walking up the steps and Darren stopped them to address his concerns: "It is our responsibility as older brothers to approve or disapprove of this marriage. If we don't like him, we'll do the rope-a-dope on him until he changes his mind."

"Oh no you don't!" Marcus snapped. " You two leave me out of it; if the man makes her happy, I'm all for him!"

Curtis shoved Marcus. "Man, you dope! Charlene is our responsibility; we taught her everything!"

"Everything except how to be a woman; we practically raised her as a boy," Marcus argued.

"Yeah, but it kept her out of trouble, and she should be grateful for it," Curtis put in.

"Marcus, shut up! Curtis and I got this. If the man Culu or Fulu or Su-Su checks out, we are cool with the match."

"Look, guys, don't do this to our sister. She'll get mad or worse-beat the crap out of us. Leave it alone," Marcus pleaded.

The three six foot-plus men continued up the steps to meet their future brother-in-law, ready to put Hikaru Sulu to the test.

Darren knocked at the door and the three of them straightened their shirts to present themselves. The door swung open to a slightly shorter Asian man wearing an apron. Sulu looked up at the men and swiftly removed his apron to greet them.

"Hi! You must be Charlene's brothers. Please come in."

Sulu stepped aside to let the men in. As they went past him, the height difference between Sulu and the brothers became acutely apparent.

"I'm Hikaru Sulu, Charlene's fiancé." Sulu extended his hand.

"I'm Darren Masters; these are my brothers, Curtis and Marcus."

All three men shook Sulu's hand and then he shut the door.

"Gentlemen, I just started cooking in the kitchen. Why don't you join me?" Sulu led the men to the kitchen, where he was preparing the food.

As they were walking, they noticed the house's décor in authentic ancient Japanese furniture and art. Sulu turned to see them looking around.

"This is my aunt's place; she's letting us use it while we are on leave. Nice isn't it?"

Darren, being the oldest, took charge: "Where's Charlene?"

"Oh, she's in the bedroom getting dressed, you know how women are about wanting to look just right"?, she'll be out later."

"Come sit over here, gentlemen. I'm almost done with prepping."

"Prepping?" Marcus asked.

"Yes, I'm cooking dinner. I'm not bad, but I'll let you be the judge." Sulu walked behind the counter toward a long flat grill. Four tall chairs were in front of the counter.

The three brothers each took a seat facing the grill. A large hood hung over the flat grill. They noticed vegetables and plates and an assortment of spices spread out over the counter.

"Gentlemen, would you like something to drink? I have an assortment of beverages."

"I'll take water for now," Darren said.

"Do you have those old Budweiser ales?" Curtis asked.

"Apple juice for me," Marcus added.

The two older brothers turned toward Marcus and gave him the evil eye for asking for a kids drink.

"Marcus, have you ever tried sake? It's an old Japanese rice wine. It packs a punch!"

"OK, I'll try it," Marcus responded, giving his brothers the same evil eye.

Sulu went to warm up the sake. He pulled out four authentic Japanese ochoko', poured the sake into the small cups and set them on a tray. He turned to give them each a cup. Darren and Curtis hesitated to take one, but Marcus grabbed his.

Sulu took the last one on the tray. He raised his cup, saying "Here's to the future" and then drank his in one gulp, letting out a satisfied sigh afterward. "Ahh, that was good!"

Marcus took a sip and then continued to drink his sake. His brothers did the sniff test and slowly brought their cups to their lips to taste. They were pleased with the taste and finished their cups off, giving each other the "not bad" look.

"See, I told ya; it has a little kick! Now let me start cooking."

The three brothers didn't know that the flat grill had been heating up in front of them. Sulu put his apron back on, pulled out two knives from the butcher block, and placed one to each side of the cutting board. He then pulled out a long knife sharpener and started sharpening one of the knives.

The three brothers' eyes widened as Sulu sharpened the blade up and down the file, talking the whole time:

"It's so nice to finally meet Charlene's brothers! She talks about the three of you all the time. She told me about her childhood and that you guys practically raised her."

Sulu took a peeled onion and started to dice it; then he dumped a large bowl of rice onto the corner of the heating griddle and it started to sizzle. The brothers watched Sulu's hands as he meticulously sliced the onion with precision, then flicked the knife onto the cutting board, which made a whacking sound, startling the brothers. Sulu took out two spatulas and stirred the onions into the rice, making a mountain. He continued talking as he cooked.

"You know, Charlene was worried that you guys wouldn't like me, but I said that was ridiculous. I told her, 'Your brothers raised you and looked out for you; they will give me a chance. And another thing, I'm a nice guy-your brothers would want you with a nice guy. And I'm that guy'!"

Sulu flipped and twirled the spatulas in his hands and then scooped the rice to the side of the grill as it continues to slow cook. He picked up the knife and a zucchini; he sliced it in half, threw it into the air and sliced it into julienne wedges as it landed in the middle of the grill. Then he added mushrooms, butter, and soy sauce as he continued talking. The three men, barely heard him-they were watching the fancy juggling of Sulu's knife and spatulas. The men were speechless, amazed and, truth be told, just a tad scared about how he handled the knife.

"I just want you to know that I have Charlene's best interests at heart; she is a one-of-a-kind woman; that's what I like about her."

He flicked the knife back onto the cutting board, and the three men tensed.

"Have I told you that I collect knives and swords? I'd better let you know that about me. They say I'm an expert with a knife, but I prefer a sword, I'm a swashbuckler by heart. People have mention that I could take out a person with one. I wouldn't know; I've never tried it." Sulu looked at the men. "But I have come close when my temper was up! Charlene says I have too many and should give it a rest. She's the only woman I know who likes my collection. But it's my hobby, so I should keep them. I practically have a warehouse of swords and knives from all kinds of cultures."

Sulu leaned toward the brothers, pointing with the knife: "You know? I have a sword from the 19th century Civil War in the United States! But it's a replica; you can only find the real antiques in museums."

Sulu went back to chopping-broccoli this time-tossing it onto the grill, flipping the knife onto the block, stirring the vegetables into the rice again, and flipping the sizzling concoction with spatulas. The three men started to feel a bit apprehensive about the way Sulu threw his knife around, so they sat there in silence.

"Hey, you must be hungry. Let me start you off with a ginger salad. I made it."

Sulu went to the replicator and pulled out three bowls of salad, retrieved three forks, and placed them in front of them. The brothers looked at the nicely arranged salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, and light ginger cream sauce on top. They looked at each other, wondering if it was safe to eat. They slowly picked up their forks and dipped into the salad. Sulu smiled and went back to cooking. Curiosity mounting, finally, one of the brothers braved a question after trying the salad and finding it quite tasty.

"Are-are you the cook or something on a starship?" Curtis asked.

Marcus kicked him for asking a stupid question.

Sulu chuckled: "Oh no! I'm the helmsman, a damned good one, too! I have been flying since I was in high school; they say I'm sort of a daredevil. But I have to tell you that it did take me a while to learn to maneuver a Constitution-class starship. Now that's no joke; that's a serious SHIP!"

Sulu took another knife, and Darren and Curtis leaned away from the counter, thinking that they may have insulted him. Sulu took some synthetic processed substitute meat (made out of vegetables) from the replicator and started cutting off thin slices and putting them on the grill to cook. Then he added a pile of Japanese noodles and a splash of sake for flavor.

"Sulu! This salad is great!" Marcus raved.

Thank you. My family taught me how to cook; they said it's important to know some basic cooking skills in case you ever find yourself on your own. But Char and I take turns cooking when we're on leave. I have to tell you that I now love sweet potato pie and black-eyed peas with white rice. OH WOW! I couldn't stop eating the stuff!"

Sulu took another knife from the block and sliced a lemon up so fast that the brothers barely saw the blade move; he again flicked the knife onto the block, again startling the men. They watched him squeeze lemon juice on top of the meat, add some seasoning, and use the spatulas to stir and flip the food. Sulu took two knives and used crisscross cuts to cut the meat on the grill into smaller chunks; he paused with a knife in each hand and looked up at Charlene's three brothers, taking a moment to look each one in the eye.

"I know you are Charlene's brothers and you watch out for her because she's the only girl in your family. If you accept me as your brother, I'll be watching out for her too! I'll be helping you protect her while she is in space, so you won't have to worry. I'll be an extension to your plan for looking out for her. I can do this if I'm your brother-in-law. So, what do you say?"

It didn't take much convincing; the three brothers had been watching slice-'n'-dice with the sharpest set of knives. They didn't want to challenge Sulu with those weapons in the room. The brothers turned and gave each other a knowing look; the man had demonstrated that he could look out for their sister and the conversation was so one-sided that they couldn't protest at all. And the way he talked about their little sister was endearing. They all nodded their heads toward Sulu, offering their approval.

"It seems you respect and care for Charlene, and if you want to help us look out for her, we accept you as our future brother," Darren said, humbly extending his hand. Sulu flicked both knives onto the block at the same time, making the brothers almost jump out of their skins. Sulu wiped his hand on his apron and shook Darren's hand in agreement.

"Thanks, Darren."

"Do you know karate?"

Sulu laughed. "Yes, I've been teaching Charlene some new moves."

Charlene came in dressed in a two-piece yellow mid-thigh dress. The top came down to her midriff. She greeted her brothers with a big smile:

"Darren, Curtis, and Marcus! You made it!"

The three men turned to see their little sister and saw a shapely woman with curves. Her hair was still short but it was styled into finger-waves that framed her glowing face. The brothers' eyes widened in shock; it had been a couple of years since they had seen her and they were amazed at their sister's sexy transformation. Darren's brows drew into a deep frown.

"What is that you're wearing?" he snapped.

Charlene stopped and placed her hands on her hips: I better be wearing clothes!" She continued walking toward Sulu and pulled him into a hug.

"Says who?"

"Says Eve Brody, my personal designer," Charlene snapped, giving Darren the evil eye.

Sulu leans down to kiss Char on the cheek.

"Honey, do you mind getting the plates and forks? Your brothers adopted me into the family!"

She turned to her brothers and smiled at them, knowing that it was a big deal for them. And they knew how much their approval meant to her.

"Thanks, guys, I love you too!"

End Notes:

A/N: I hope I haven't offended anybody's culture or ethnicity in this story. I did live in Japan and I worked with a Japanese family, that helped broaden my vision. If I had please forgive me, that is not my intention when writing this story.

Chapter 3-So Long My Beloved by Uhura the 9th
Author's Notes:

Beta Reader: Jsilver2000

 

This is a vignette focusing on Charlene's brothers that I wanted to put into her Diary.

Darren, Curtis, and Marcus Masters sat in the living room, after eating Sulu's hibachi dinner. Now they are relaxing and reminiscing about their lives and careers.

Darren and Curtis run and manage a hoverbike sales and repair company. Charlene worked there when she was a teenager until she went into Starfleet. She made major contributions to the design and engineering of different models of bikes. Her two eldest brothers had become wealthy by producing and marketing the hoverbikes Charlene had designed. She had also been the pit crew when her brothers used to race. They would win trophies and awards because they had the best mechanic, Charlene, AKA 'Cha-Cha'. They were not happy when she decided to join Starfleet.

Marcus became a lawyer who devoted himself to helping the unfortunate in the community of New Chicago.

"So what do you guys think of Hikaru?"

Darren looked at his little sister and answered with a smirk, "You mean the man who tried to kill us with his knives?!"

Charlene burst out laughing. "Serves you right trying to break him down, you meanies!"

"Aw, Cha-Cha, we were just checking him out; it was our job! Mom and Dad told us to take care of you!" Curtis said, chuckling.

Charlene leaned toward Marcus, her sensible brother, and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks, Marcus! I know you understand, despite my older brothers' objections!" she said, giving Darren and Curtis the stink eye.

Curtis leaned forward and asked her, "Cha-Cha, where's your girlfriend? You know, the sexy-looking one-man, I still have dreams about her..." Curtis said mischievously.

Charlene punched Curtis in the arm.

"Ouch! What's the matter with you?"

"That's my best friend, you a**!"

"Watch your mouth!" Darren snapped.

Charlene folded her arms, saying, "He has no right to talk about my best friend like one of his bimbos!"

"Is she here on Earth?" Marcus asked.

"Is she here in San Francisco?" Darren asked.

"Is she available?" Curtis asked.

"Is she seeing anyone?" asked Curtis,

who was the most stuck on Nyota. He would compete with his brothers for Nyota's attention.

Several years ago when Nyota and Charlene were on shore leave on Earth to visit family and friends, Charlene had introduced Nyota to her brothers. It was the first time she had ever seen her brothers speechless. It was a sight to see, her big, bossy brothers choking when they were introduced to the sexy Nyota. Her brothers made fools out themselves trying to get her attention. Charlene laughed at them for months when talking to them over the com-link to home. Nyota turned Charlene's brothers into boys; they did anything and everything for her attention and Nyota played it to the hilt. They would beg Charlene for Nyota's com-link address or they would fight each other over who would get to date Nyota. Charlene found it all highly amusing.

Charlene looked at her three brothers; she loved them as much as any sister could, but there were times they went too far when it concerned her decisions in life. They thought she was helpless, but she was fearless. Charlene smiled; her best friend was off the dating market.

"Yes.

"Yes.

"No.

"Yes."

The brothers gave Charlene a quizzical look and thought about her answers. All three brothers stood up in shock and said "WHAT!?" at the same time.

"She's taken?" Marcus asked.

"Who's she dating" Darren demanded to know.

"I'll take care of him for stealing my girl!" Curtis said, baring his teeth.

"First, she is with a man, a scientist as a matter of fact."

"A scientist?" they asked at the same time.

"What is she doing dating a brainiac?" Darren wanted to know.

"Nyota needs a real man, like me," Curtis asserted.

The three of them looked at Curtis, wondering why he thought he was so special.

"Yeah, right!" Darren said, rolling his eyes.

"Second, she's not dating anyone."

"But you said she's taken," Marcus said.

"Yes I did; she's married to the scientist."

"WHAT!?" the three of them chorused.

Darren sat down in disbelief; his dream girl was gone.

Marcus had a hurt-puppy look on his face.

Curtis was upset.

"How could she do this to us?" Marcus asked.

"Excuse me, how could she do this to ME!" Curtis said pointing to himself.

Charlene looked in amazement at her brothers. They are so full of it!

"But worst of all, she's married to a scientist, a really nerdy guy," Darren said.

Curtis snapped at Charlene: "How could you let her do that? I told you that I liked her!"

Charlene laughed and indicated her brother with her thumb, asking: "Is he serious?"

Darren folded his arms, saying: "Yeah he's serious, the dope."

"When did she get married?" Marcus asked somberly.

"It's almost a year I think; I was her maid of honor."

Charlene looked around at their sad faces and realized they had really been attracted to Nyota. She hadn't wanted her best friend hooked up to one of her brothers; it would be like having a sister married to a brother. Charlene was uncomfortable with that thought. YUCK!

They all sat down.

"She was HOT!" Curtis blurted out.

Charlene punched Curtis again, telling him, "Stop saying that! Nyota is my best friend, and I consider her my sister. So, she's your adopted sister too."

After a minute another barrage of questions erupted:

"Is he good to her?"

"Does he work in Starfleet with her?"

"Is he nerdy-looking?"

"Does she love him?"

Charlene laughed again, to see her brothers humbled. It was comical to watch them react to knowing they couldn't have Nyota. Nyota had thought they were nice, but when Charlene shared how they had treated her growing up-treating her as one of the boys rather than a girl, Nyota had gone out of her way to teach Charlene how to look and act like a woman when they were on leave.

"Yes.

"Yes.

"No.

"Yes.

"Sorry guys, Nyota will never leave him or forsake him. This scientist is a keeper."

"If he's a scientist, then he's a chump!" Curtis snapped. "Nyota needs a real man; I could have shown her a good time and offered her a happy lifetime with ME. You let me down, Cha-Cha. And after all we've done for you!"

The other two brothers laughed, saying "Right, Curtis. Whatever!"

Charlene's brothers calmed down from the initial shock and became more jovial.

"Do you have vids or pictures of them? I would like to see this scientist she's married," Marcus said.

Charlene had always been closest to Marcus; he was the youngest out of the three, and he was the voice of reason in the family. She got up and went to her room, returning with her Padd, She sat between Marcus and Curtis. She touched the screen to reveal the picture of the wedding party, in which the crew members had posed with Spock and Nyota.

The brothers were shocked: "A Vulcan!?" they all asked at the same time. Charlene chuckled. The brothers knew that Vulcans are no joke; they are serious people.

"Yes, he's my commanding officer on the Enterprise, Mr. Spock. And now he's Nyota's husband. They work together on the bridge."

"Well, that's different. I know that Vulcans are two or three times stronger than Terrans!" Darren said.

"Who wants to mess with HIM?!" Marcus asked rhetorically.

Curtis sat quietly, trying to understand the attraction, looking at the woman he had had a crush on since the day he met her.

Darren crossed his legs, saying: "Well that's the end of THAT. Nyota put it to rest with the Vulcan!"

Charlene looked at Darren and Curtis as though she had missed something.

"What do you mean?"

"Vulcan is our major client for hoverbike sales; we are the only company that has the capability to produce bikes that can be adjusted to Vulcans' weight and height, as well as to their planet's gravitational levels. They are our best buyers!" Darren explained.

"We know that Vulcans are not people to piss off!" Curtis added. "On top of that, our sales increased recently because of some prince or duke or something from their planet."

"Vulcan has given us good ratings and referrals; we can't hate them," Darren added.

Charlene leaned forward with the vid of Spock and Nyota and pointed it towards her brothers for a better view.

"That's him! He's the prince of Vulcan-the man Nyota married!"

The brothers' eyes really opened, and they took another look at the Vulcan.

"Now that's deep!" Darren said.

The three of them looked at the woman they once desired and her husband and sat down in their seats. Charlene sees the lost look on her brothers, and thought to herself: ‘Gross, they were really perving on Nyota!"

'Karu came in to join his new family, carrying a tray of sake: "Here you go, my brothers: the strongest batch of sake I could find!"

Before Sulu could finish his sentence, the three brothers jumped up, each grabbing a cup and quickly drinking it. Curtis grabbed the decanter and poured more for each of them.

'Karu looked inquiringly at his fiancée:

"Did I miss something?"

"Yup; they found out who Mr. Spock is," she said, giggling at her brothers.

Chapter 4-All in the Family by Uhura the 9th
Author's Notes:

Beta Reader:Jsilver2000

 

All in the Family

 

If you have ever been engaged, the worst trial for any person is meeting the family. Regardless of background, upbringing, and social or economic status, it's the biggest trial for any future spouse.

So here we are:

"Kon'nichiwa [hello]."

"Colnnich-iwa."

"Close, but try again: kon-nich-i-wa."

"Kon'nichiwa."

"Perfect! You got it! Now try this: O genki desu ka [How are you]?"

"O ghe-nki de-su ka."

"Try again: O-gen-ki de-su- ka."

"O genki desu ka."

"Yes! Babe, you are doing really well!

"This is the response to it: O kagesama de genki desu [Thank you, I am fine]".

"What?"

"O kagesama de genki desu."

"'Karu, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to learn Japanese. It's hard!"

"Char, you are doing really well. With Nyota and I helping, plus using the language modules daily, you'll speak more fluently than me in a couple of weeks."

"'Karu, it's not that. Do you think your family will like me?"

Hikaru leaned in to give Charlene a supportive kiss.

"Yes, they will LOVE you and accept you too. I took a big risk when I cooked for your brothers. They were huge!"

"You threatened my brothers; they were scared of your knives," Charlene chuckled.

Hikaru laughed too. "Do you think I scared your brothers? I thought I was getting along with them."

"I don't care! It worked. They were bullies growing up, and it would have been funny seeing my sexy man chopping them down to size." Charlene drew closer, hugging his waist and laughing.

Sulu looked into Charlene's eyes: "I have one more phrase for you to learn:

"Daisuki desu."

"dai-suki des-u." And what does that mean?"

"It means I love you!" Hikaru leaned closer and gave his fiancée and showed her the meaning with a deep 'I love you' kiss.

 


 

 

The Enterprise was in spacedock again, awaiting the installment of some new instruments and the subsequent inspection. Most of the crew were released for another extensive shore leave, this one on Earth. Charlene and Hikaru decided to spend their leave in San Francisco again.

Yuki, Hikaru's younger sister burst into the family room with excitement.

"Mother! Hikaru is coming home again! This time he's bringing his girlfriend!"

Hana sat up from reading and almost dropped her Padd. The last time Hikaru had visited, he hadn't stayed long. Hana had thought that Hikaru had not visited for a suspiciously long time; now, listening to Yuki, she surmised that his girlfriend was the reason for his absence.

"Do you know when?"

"Yes, in two days, and he wants us to meet his girlfriend this time! I can't believe flyboy got a girl!"

Hana looked at her daughter quizzically. "Why, Yuki, your brother is a handsome man!"

"Hikaru? Mom, when it comes to girls, he's the shyest thing; he even loses his voice when he tries to talk to a girl," Yuki laughed.

"Let me contact your Aunt Mayu; he probably wants to use her house again."

Hana got up and puttered over to the com-link to inform Mayu of Hikaru's arrival, thinking that if he was going to introduce this girl to the family, then it must be serious.

"I better let your Uncle Masa know as well; he hasn't seen his nephew in several years."

"Mother, aren't you curious about the girl Hikaru is bringing home?"

"No, not really. Is she in the Starfleet too?"

"Yes. He said her name is Charlene and she works in Engineering, a real mechanic."

"She sounds interesting."

"I hope so! I can hardly wait."

 


 

 

A few days later, the Sulu family gathered to await the arrival of Hikaru and Charlene. Uncle Masa, was brother to Hosato, Hikaru's father. When his father passed on, Masa had stepped in to help raise his nephew and niece with great pride. Hikaru was only 15 years old at the time. Masa is married to Mayu, who let Hikaru borrow the house the last time he and Charlene came to town.

The three women hastily ran around the house, making sure everything was ready for the event. There was excitement in the air, food on every table, and soft music playing in the background.

"Sister, do you think Hikaru has selected someone from our culture?" Mayu asked.

"I doubt it-assuming she's in Starfleet, which is made up of an assortment of people from all different cultures and planets. I predict it's someone outside our culture. It doesn't matter to me, Mayu. My son has found someone to make him happy. His father and I always wanted that for him."

Hana looked curiously at her sister-in-law: "Is there something wrong?"

Mayu took a deep sigh: "I hope not. I too want the best for our nephew."

The two older women clasped their hands in hope.

"How is Yuki doing with her studies?"

"She is doing well. She is here on a break from university and has been helping me as well." Hana took a deep breath: "I'm proud of my children. They have taken a productive path, which is what most mothers hope for, and they both have their health. I am content."

Mayu gave Hana a hug and a smile: "Then I share in their happiness."

"It is I who must thank you and Masa for helping me raise them since Hosato's passing."


Meanwhile, Charlene and Hikaru were at Mayu's second house, tinkering with an old hoverbike.

"This was my first bike, and it took me a whole summer to raise the credits to get it."

Charlene took a good look at it, seeing potential: "It looks like it still has some mileage in it. Let me take a look."

Charlene knelt and started jiggling the alternator, computer relay panel, and wiring, 'Karu smiled with pride as he watched her work, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. My girl can fix almost anything.

"There, I think I fixed it!" Charlene, wearing a dress, straddled the bike, hiking up her skirt almost past her upper thighs. She gave it a little gas and pushed the starter; thick black smoke puffed from the exhaust system.

'Karu's eyes lit up and he forgot the bike when he saw her dress move up her body. When he saw her long, brown muscular thighs hugging his bike, he almost lost it.

Charlene looked up with a big smile, proud of her accomplishment, as the engine rumbled.

"See? It still has life."

"Char, if you keep that up, we won't make it to my family's place," he said seductively, with hooded eyes.

Charlene looked at her position on the seat, and a seductive smile spread across her face.

 


 

 

Sometime later, Hikaru and Charlene walked hand in hand up the steps to the old-style Victorian row house.

"Wow, 'Karu! This house is nice!"

"Mom lives here alone, but my sister Yuki comes home from the university to help out."

They paused in front of the door. Charlene took a deep breath. 'Karu looked at his fiancée, smiling and squeezing her hand.

"It's going to be okay, Babe."

Charlene gave him a weak smile: "I believe you," she said, returning the squeeze.

'Karu rang the bell.

They heard the soft padding of footsteps, and then the door opened to reveal Hikaru's mother, who greeted him excitedly:

"Hikaru!"

She wrapped her arms around her son in a tight embrace. Sulu returned his mother's hug and then quickly performed the customary respect bow.

"It is so good to see you, my son! How is your health?"

"I'm well."

"Come on in-OH, OH! I'm so excited, please, please!"

'Karu took Char's hand and led her across the threshold.

"Mother, I want to introduce Charlene Masters to you."

Hana stepped back for a better view of the woman standing behind her son and saw an attractive woman with coffee-colored skin. Her smile was bright and she had deep brown eyes and short wavy hair (finger-waves).

"Welcome to my home, Charlene!" Hana stepped forward and performed the respect bow, which Charlene returned.

"The honor is mine, Mrs. Sulu."

"Please, child, call me Hana." Hana grabbed one of Charlene's hands and led her into the living area, where the rest of the family was sitting. When Hana brought Charlene in, everyone stood up. Hana politely introduced her to the family:

"Charlene Masters, this is my daughter, Yuki, my sister-in-law, Mayu, and her husband, Masa."

The two women quickly bowed and Charlene did as well.

"Welcome to our home, Charlene," the women said together.

Yuki asked Charlene, "Would like something to drink?"

"Yes, Yuki, I would!"

"Follow me." Yuki grabbed Charlene's hand and led her to the kitchen.

'Karu stood with his mother, aunt, and uncle, and bowed before them. His eyes were focused on his uncle.

"Uncle Masa, I hope I find you in good health?"

"I'm well, as I should be, and you, nephew?"

"I too am well and content with my choices in life." 'Karu was concerned and saddened by how his uncle had treated Charlene.

Mayu gave her husband a sharp look: "Masa, the girl is here to join us for dinner; let us treat her as our honored guest."

Hana shot a concerned look at Masa and led Hikaru to the dining area.

"Hikaru, go freshen up with Charlene while we set the table."

Hikaru intercepted Charlene in the bathroom as she finished drying her hands.

"'Karu, how am I doing? I feel nervous."

He gave her a reassuring hug: "You're doing fine; my mom likes you!"

"She does?"

"Yes, she does," he said, kissing her on the forehead.

"Let's go eat."

The dinner was nice and everyone spoke pleasantly in English to each other, except for Uncle Masa. Once in a while he would talk in Japanese. The others would apologize to Charlene and then continue to talk in English. Masa kept to himself, refusing to speak English during the conversation. Hikaru took note of the intentional look from his Uncle, he was growing concern about his behavior. He would look at Charlene and wondered if she has noticed.

Yuki spoke the most. She had a lot of questions for Charlene about her Engineering studies at the Academy.

"Wow, Charlene, you're a pioneer! You are one of the few women in this field!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Thanks! I like building, taking things apart, and putting them back together!"

"Was it hard?"

"Yes, I had tough competition, and there was a lot of jealousy because I knew my stuff!"

"Yuki, you should see her build and restore a hoverbike. She fixed up my old one from my high school days today!" 'Karu bragged.

Yuki looked at Charlene with admiration: "I think I'll change my plans and apply to the Starfleet Academy Engineering program!"

Hikaru started to laugh at his younger sister, who had a tendency to make big changes without really considering the cost or consequences. Her mother and aunt exchanged knowing glances.

"Yuki, again?!"

"Okay, Okay, Hikaru, but her job sounds so interesting and the adventures you guys have been on are amazing."

Charlene wore gentle smile, pleased that she inspired the young girl.

When dinner was over, they served tea in the family room. Mayu was able to ask questions of Charlene about her family and was shocked when Charlene told her of her three large brothers.

"Hana! Her brothers are all over six feet tall?"

"Oh my, I think Hikaru is the tallest in our family," Hana said.

"Thanks, mother," Hikaru said, chuckling at his five feet eleven.

As they all sat around, enjoying the tea, Hana observed how happy her son was with his girlfriend.

But Masa sat in silence watching the girl. He saw the love in their eyes, saw the tenderness in the way they spoke to each other. But is she good enough for my nephew, the shining star of this family? Hikaru is my heart and soul. This woman could take him away from me. Then Masa broke the silence with a direct question. He spoke in his native language, addressing Hikaru.

"Hikaru! What are your intentions toward this woman? Will you marry her? Are you compatible?"

'Karu stood up and addressed his uncle, whom he considered his second father:

"I intend to marry Charlene. We are engaged. We came here to announce it and ask for your blessing."

'Karu walked over to Charlene and stood next to her; she took his hand.

"I do not know her. Is she respectable?" Masa stood up: "How do we know if she's good enough for you?"

"Masa, NO!" his wife yelled.

Hana sat in shock, holding her teacup halfway to her lips. Yuki covered her mouth in disappointment and Mayu glared at her husband in disbelief.

Charlene stood up quietly, walked toward Hana and bowed to her, the hurt plain on her face.

"Thank you for dinner; it was nice meeting you," she said in perfect Japanese. Charlene turned and left.

Hana dropped her teacup, which shattered on the floor.

Yuki's eyes widened: "She-she understood us?"

Hikaru turned to the whole family and spoke firmly, clearly struggling to rein in his feelings: "Yes! I've been teaching her." He followed Charlene out the door, slamming it behind him.

Yuki sat for a moment, feeling guilty and upset about what her uncle had said. Then she stood up: "I'm going to check on them."

Hana and Mayu bent down to clean up the broken teacup. They gently placed the pieces on the saucer. Hana slowly approached Masa; she stood up straight and spoke in Japanese:

"Masa, you are head of household, I have respected you all these years since Hosato's death. You have become a father to my children; for that I am grateful. But my son has never disrespected you and has followed all your advice. Hikaru has always respected every decision you have made for him; he is proud to call you his uncle. He only asked one thing, this one thing: to marry the woman of his choice. I see the love in my son's eyes and I see it in Charlene's. Why did you do this?"

Hana turned with tearful eyes and carried the broken pieces of the cup into the kitchen.

"Masa why? Why now!" his wife demanded.

Masa stood firm: "We don't know her. How do we know if she's good for Hikaru?"

"Masa, they were trying to help us get to know her, but you didn't let them-you didn't give them a chance-especially her!"

"But they are practically married; there could someone else more suited to him!'

"Masa! Do you hear yourself? What's wrong with the girl?"

Masa was silent, refusing to answer.

"Charlene has a career, she's intelligent, and, most importantly, she loves Hikaru!"

More silence.

Mayu took a long look at her husband of 38 years. They had come through so much, lost so much. The pain of the loss was still fresh.

"Masa, Hikaru loves you like a father. Don't do this to him! He deserves happiness. What you are doing now is breaking his heart, my heart." Tears ran down Mayu's face as she stepped closer to her husband. She placed her hands over his and looked into his eyes.

"Masa, Hikaru must live his own life; he is not Niko."

Masa snatched his hands from her, as if in pain.

"Niko is-gone, our son is gone. Please release him so you can live, my husband, so Hikaru can live his life."

Masa's face fell into lines of complete sadness, and tears formed but didn't fall. The pain of the loss of his only son was still fresh. Since Niko's death, Masa had been living his life through Hikaru, hoping he would replace his son. Mayu turned to leave her husband to collect himself. After his wife left, Masa wept quietly.

Charlene walked down the sidewalk, not knowing where she was going. She saw the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance and decided to walk toward the bridge. She turned around to see 'Karu chasing her and she slowed her pace to let him catch up and walk beside her. After a few minutes, he turned to Charlene and gave her a hug. Her tears fell the moment her head touched his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, honey, so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"He hates me, 'Karu! What did I do?" she asked between sniffles.

"Nothing, honey. I guess he wasn't ready. But I know I am ready and so is my mother!"

"How can I face him again? He thinks I'm not good enough for you."

Hikaru rubbed her back, trying to calm her.

"Char, you're the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm in love with you. Nothing is going to change that."

Yuki approached and kissed Charlene on the cheek and gave her a hug.

"I hope you are not offended, my new sister!"

Charlene broke into a smile: "Thank you, Yuki."

"Oh my, your Japanese is great, perfect even. Who taught you?"

"'Karu taught me the most, my best friend is fluent in most languages, and I worked through some of the Starfleet language modules."

"Our language is hard to learn, but YOU spoke perfectly-WOW, mom was impressed!"

"REALLY?!"

Oh yes, they will never pull a fast one on you, they were totally surprised you understood them the whole time when they spoke Japanese!"

Hikaru saw how his sister was trying to support his fiancée and help her fit in. He smiled at his sister, grateful she was making Char feel accepted.

Charlene frowned at 'Karu: "What about your uncle, 'Karu? I don't want to be a problem in your family."

Hikaru took a deep breath and looked into Charlene's pain-filled eyes. "I'm marrying you, not my uncle. We will be in space for years; I have to live with you, honey."

"OH, that is so-so sweet! And mushy for you, Hikaru! This is serious!" Yuki commented.

Charlene giggled at her statement. Karu gave his sister a smile and then stuck out his tongue at her.

"Come, ladies, let's head back and try to work this out."

Karu steered the ladies back up the hill toward the house.

Meanwhile, Masa was having a long, deep conversation with himself about his actions toward Charlene. He didn't hate the girl. He missed his son, Niko. Mayu was right: he was living his life through Hikaru. He did everything and more like his real son, but he was not his son. Hikaru was his nephew, whom he saw as a replacement for his lost son. He had been repressing the hurt for so long that he had taken it out on this innocent woman. Masa's heart was heavy. He hadn't meant to cause such hurt, even though he himself was still hurting from his loss after all these years. My nephew deserves happiness too. Masa had chosen to wallow in his sorrow. He knew he had to make amends before Hikaru left and returned to duty on the Enterprise. If he left the wound untended, it would only fester over time. It was torture knowing that his only nephew had left his house in such anger-anger that he had caused. Masa took a deep breath; he had a duty as head of the household and he needed to set an example for the family. He deeply regretted his words against the woman; after all, she was an honored guest in Hana's house and he had disrespected her.

When 'Karu returned with the women, he was ready to face his uncle and demand an apology for Charlene.

"Yuki, please take Charlene into the kitchen with mother. I'll be right back."

"Okay." Yuki gave him a worried look.

'Karu gave Yuki a peck on the top of her head and Charlene a kiss on the lips. Charlene gave him a worried look, as if she were trying to tell him not to make it worse. He gently patted her hand and left for the family room.

'Karu saw his uncle facing the window and cleared his throat to get his attention.

"Uncle Masa?"

The elderly man turned slowly toward Hikaru, to face his would-be son, his second lost son. Hikaru was everything a father could ask for in a son.

"Uncle-"

Masa cut him off with his hand and stepped forward. He bent his body at a 45-degree angle, which is the highest respect to ask forgiveness. 'Karu's eyes widened as Masa spoke:

"Moshiwake arimasen deshita! [I'm very sorry for what I have done!]"

"I only wanted to treat you like my own son, and I have failed-I have failed you and your fiancée. I had no right to disrespect you or your mother's guest, it is her house. Please let me rectify my behavior."

Masa stood for 15 seconds, waiting to hear Hikaru's answer. Hikaru's eyes misted up; he saw the love in his uncle's eyes and recognized the sincerity of his apology.

"Arigatou gozaimashita [Thank you], Uncle."

'Karu turned to retrieve the ladies from the kitchen. He returned with Charlene, holding her arm. His mother, Aunt Mayu, and Yuki followed the couple.

When Masa saw Charlene this time, he performed the deep bow again and offered his apology to her:

"Moshiwake arimasen deshita! [I'm very sorry for what I have done!]"

"Arigatou gozaimashita san" [Thank you, sir].

"We are family, and we have our differences. I would like to learn more about my new niece-in-law," Masa said, smiling broadly.

Charlene didn't know what to do. Should I hug him or say something profound? But she returned his warm smile.

"Your Japanese is great; I know you were taught by a great teacher!" Masa said, looking at his nephew. Masa looked around at the rest of his family and saw the warmth and happiness pouring from them. Hikaru was happy and relieved that things had turned around, and he got the blessing that he wanted.

"Come, my family, we have a big wedding to plan!"

The family gathered around and started talking about the wedding plans and 'Karu and Charlene's future together. They spoke of Hikaru's antics when he was a kid, and his mother showed baby pictures of 'Karu with spiked hair and missing front teeth, which greatly amused Charlene.

"Isn't he cute, Charlene?"

"Oh yeah, teeth and all," she said laughing harder; the rest of the family joined in.

"Oh brother, I hate those pictures!" 'Karu said, laughing too.

There's nothing like family.

End Notes:

A/N: I may not have gotten the formal Japanese apology exactly right. But my source is Japantalks.com. Please forgive any translation errors.

 

 

Chapter 5-The Return of JR-part 1 by Uhura the 9th
Author's Notes:

Charlene's engagement to 'Karu is threatened by a dangerously seductive woman from 'Karu's past!

As 'Karu and Charlene packed up to end their shore leave, they sat on the back porch of his Aunt Mayu's house. They discussed the events that they shared with both families about their engagement.

"I'm so glad that the family drama thing is over; it takes a lot out of you!"

"I totally agree, sweetheart. My uncle was tough! I did not see that coming. He shocked me when he objected to our engagement."

"I wonder what changed his mind?"

"I think my aunt had something to do with it; she's something!"

"Well, our shore leave is over. According to my notifications, the Enterprise has had its dilithium crystal array upgraded, requiring a new console to be installed in Engineering. I bet Mr. Scott will want to check that the crystals and the controls are working properly before we warp."

"Yeah, you're right. Captain Kirk will want to do test runs before we leave the Sol system. No screw-ups on new equipment."

'Karu turned to Charlene, smiling: "I put in our request to be stationed together; I'm just waiting for Starfleet to approve it. I believe they will grant it."

"That would be wonderful. I mean, it's the beginning of our lives together. Thanks, 'Karu. I love you!"

Charlene leaned in and gave him a passionate kiss.

"Well, with that, let's make the most of the time we've got left here," 'Karu said seductively. He stood up and led his future wife to back into the house enjoy the last part of their shore leave.


"All systems check for the testing of the dilithium crystals, Mr. Scott," Charlene said, handing Scotty her Padd so he could verify her work.

"Good job, lass! Now let's test-run all the components connected to the new array. I'll give the Captain the OK. Notify Kyle that I want all systems to be monitored for any differentiation from their nominal levels from the bridge."

"Yes, sir; I'll get Kyle on it."


"Mr. Sulu, reconfigure your astrogator settings and recheck your warp factor panels," Spock ordered.

"Yes, Mr. Spock. Right away!" Sulu got up from his chair and pulled out his toolbox to unscrew parts of his helm panels.

"Mr. Chekov, with the new installations in engineering, check your plotter controls and verify that they have been their updated."

"On it, Mr. Spock." Chekov too left his chair and pulled out a Padd to check the circuitry at his station.

Lt. Uhura left her station to give Mr. Spock a Padd. "Mr. Spock, these are the updates on the new personnel assigned to the Enterprise.

"I also completed the work on the communication arrays and tested the new alignment to the Cygnet system; they are rebooting and should be online in 2.756 hours."

"Has the universal translator been updated?"

"Yes, the new languages have been installed and the processors have been upgraded."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. You may continue your work."

After hearing Uhura give her precise update, Chekov and Sulu looked at each other and mouthed "Wow!"

Spock was sitting in the command chair reviewing the list of new personnel arriving on the ship when a familiar name caught his eye. His brow lifted as he slowly turned to his wife, who stared at him knowingly. Through their bond, he said just one word: Interesting.

The Enterprise headed out of space dock and accelerated to sub-light speed as it moved through the Sol system. Captain Kirk put the ship through her paces in a test run, bringing her to warp speed and having the crew perform drills and maneuvers to make certain the ship was in perfect order for its mission near the edge of the solar system.


At the end of the shift, the crew started to settle down and was looking forward to some leisure time to relax.

'Karu headed out to his fiancée's quarters; the couple was planning to hang out with friends to catch up on each others' shore leave. He reached her door and pushed the chimer:

"Hi, honey! Are you ready? You look great!" 'Karu said smiling.

"Yep, I'm ready. And thank you, you look good yourself! Where are we going so dressed up?"

"I heard they updated the bar to look more like a nightclub. I was thinking we could grab a couple of drinks and dance."

"Sounds good. Let's go!"

'Karu grabbed Charlene's hand and leaned in to give her a peck on the cheek. They took the turbolift to the lounge deck and found that everyone else had the same idea. It was packed.

"Oh wow! It's crowded, but it looks nice, 'Karu!"

"Yeah, it does. Let's try to find a table." Sulu led Charlene through the crowd, with everyone saying hello as they went. They saw a hand waving at them and started moving in that direction.

"Look 'Karu! It's Nyota and Eve-they have a spot!"

They wove themselves through the sea of bodies until they reached Nyota and Eve Brody and finally were able to sit.

"Hey, you two! Welcome to the club," Eve said in greeting.

"Wow! This place is packed, and it's nice!" Char commented.

"Honey, I'll go and get us some drinks at the bar." Sulu said with a winning smile and left.

"So how was your shore leave, Char?"

"Nyota, at first I thought it would be a disaster, but in the end, it turned out all right."

"How was Sulu's family?" Eve asked.

"Wow, at first I thought it wasn't going well, but then the family took a liking to me."

"Meeting in-laws can be a challenge," Nyota agreed.

"Where's Mr. Spock?"

Nyota sighed and smiled, saying "You know my man is not a public person; it took great courage for him to appear and speak with so many people at our reception on Vulcan."

"Your man let you go free?" Char asked, laughing.

"Uh, huh. Look, Charlene, Spock knows exactly where I am, and he doesn't have to hunt me down!" Nyota said, pointing to her head.

"How about you, Brody?" Charlene asked, laughing.

"Because of you two, especially you, Nyota, I've been receiving lots of orders for my clothing line."

"Wow, that's great, right?" Nyota asked.

"Yes, Mrs. Sarek, Nyota's mom, and many of the delegates want me to design their clothes!"

"Eve! You're an intergalactic clothing designer!" Charlene said.

"I never thought of that; you know, even some of the commanders in Starfleet are interested in my designs, Eve replied.

Sulu returned with their drinks.

"Whew, it's wild in this place!"

"Yeah, and the music isn't bad," Eve commented.

The four of them enjoyed their drinks and traded stories about their shore leaves. Char and 'Karu even strutted their stuff on the dance floor. Nyota and Eve sat back and enjoyed the view as everyone mingled in the lounge. With the music thumping and the bodies gyrating, it was magic.

Char and 'Karu came back to the table and ordered more drinks, laughing about the their dancing skills and the things they did on shore leave. It was relaxing. Two men and a woman approached, and one of the men bumped into Eve. She looked up while the man looked down.

"Excuse me, miss."

"No problem."

The woman looked at everyone at the table and gasped: "Nyota?" She then turned to look at 'Karu. "Sulu?"

The woman had shoulder-length blond hair, blue eyes, and a smooth completion. She smiled at both Uhura and Sulu. She wore a dark pink sheath dress and matching bangles on her arms. Nyota responded:

"Janice,- Janice Rand. It is nice to see you!"

"Girrrrl, it's good to see YOU, and congratulations on your marriage to Mr. Spock, for goodness sake! I've wouldn't have thought it possible!"

Nyota giggled, saying, "Nobody did; it was quite a shock!"

Charlene recognized the name right away and pressed her hands together. Sulu looked shocked; he started to stand to greet the party. Janice turned toward Sulu, giving him a big smile. She stepped forward and hugged him.

"Sulu, it's great to see you again; it's been about three years!"

"Yes, it has. Let me introduce you to my fiancée, Charlene Masters."

Janice turned to Charlene and looked her up and down. The critical glance didn't go unnoticed by Nyota nor Eve.

"Hi, Charlene, nice to meet you and congratulations!" Janice said before introducing her two guests. "I want you to meet Greg and Hector."

"Hello, ladies," they said in unison.

"Look, Sulu. I want us to get together and catch up; let me make arrangements, whatcha say?"

"Sounds great."

"Nice meeting you, Charlene. You're one lucky girl! Bye, everyone!"

Janice left with her two guests in tow and disappeared into the crowd.

"Who is Janice?" Eve asked.

"She was a yeoman about three years back," Nyota answered. "She was one of the most popular people on the ship."

"Janice and I worked in the Botany Lab together at the time. Beauregard* had a crush on her," 'Karu said, chuckling.

"Beauregard? Who is that?" Eve asked.

"He was an animal-plant that made this purring sound when Janice was around."

"Why is she back?" wondered Charlene, who was not too fond of her.

"I think she's on assignment or something," Nyota explained, taking in Charlene's crestfallen demeanor.

"Let's have fun-the night is still young!" Eve ordered, snapping her fingers and looking around at the table. "Let's all dance this time!"

The four of them headed to the dance floor and started moving to the music. But in the back of Charlene's mind, she couldn't help wondering if Janice would be a problem. She knew 'Karu had had a crush on Janice in the past. Is she looking to start something?


A few days later, the three senior officers were sitting in the Briefing Room after their shift had ended. McCoy was the one to break the ice; he and Spock were both aware of the former relationship between Janice Rand and the Captain.

"So, Jim, have you spoken to her yet?" McCoy asked, sitting with his arms folded across his chest.

"Spoken to whom?" Kirk asked, giving an innocent smile.

"Dr. McCoy is referencing crewman Janice Rand and your previous encounters with her; he is wondering about the status of your relationship with her."

Kirk and McCoy stared at Spock, surprised by his bluntness, however much his statement was on the mark.

"Uh, thank you, Spock. That was to the point."

"You're welcome, Jim."

Kirk gave Spock a glare, warning him not to push it. It's just like Spock to go straight to the punch.

"Gentlemen, there's nothing to worry about. I'm not going down that path."

"Is that what you're telling yourself, Jim? McCoy demanded in disbelief. Have you seen the woman? She is still beautiful, with those blue eyes of hers and those plush pink lips. You know pink is her color."

"Shut up, BONES!"

"Just recently, I have seen her with a couple of beaus, one on each arm; she's running with the fellas," Bones said, twisting the knife a bit.

"Janice is old news; she means nothing to me."

Spock's brow shot up, and McCoy burst out laughing.

"Right, is that your story? Okay," McCoy said. Then he got serious and leaned over toward his best friend:

"Just remember what you did to her last time. You strung her along, Jim; you hurt her feelings. She left the Enterprise because of YOU. So don't start something if it's going to end up like that! If you're not interested, leave her alone! No one deserves that!"

"Why are you telling me this? Do you like her!" Jim demanded to know.

McCoy shook his head and snarled back, "It's all about you, Jim boy; it always is."

McCoy left and headed to his quarters, leaving Spock and Jim staring at the door.

Jim looked at Spock, waiting for him to comment. "Well, are you going to tell me what to do too?"

"Jim, I do not monitor human emotions or speculate on human relationships. I state the facts. It is a fact that you were involved with Ms. Rand, and the relationship was terminated. Those are the facts."

With that, Spock stood up to leave.

"Where are you going?"

Spock looked at his long-time friend: "Have you forgotten that I am married? I will attend to my wife now. Good evening, Jim."

Jim sat alone in the Briefing Room and reflected on his relationship with Janice. She is still beautiful and sexy. Could we pick up where we left off? Or should we keep moving on as if nothing ever happened?


Meanwhile, two friends were discussing the encounter with Janice.

"So who is the blonde bombshell?" Eve asked with an edge.

"As I said before, she was the Captain's yeoman for about a year; then she transferred to earn her degree."

"I noticed that she has a way with the men."

"She did have a following back then, and it looks like she has another one," Nyota said, chuckling.

"Ny, I'm gonna be honest with you. I don't trust her. There's something about her."

"I have to agree with you; I sensed something different about her."

"If she hurts Charlene in any way, I will forget that I'm a famous fashion designer and take her out!"

"I'm with you on that; we were friends back then, but I know people change. In her case, I wonder whether it has been for the better or for the worse."


At the same time in Sulu's quarters:

"Should I be worried about Janice Rand, 'Karu?"

"No, you shouldn't; there's nothing between us."

"A woman knows when another woman is checking out her man."

'Karu chuckled and pulled Charlene into a hug. "We are friends, and we shared the same interest."

"Okay, you are on notice: if she gives ANY sly or improper remarks, I'll clean her clock!"

"Char-are you jealous?"

"No, I'm just taking care of what belongs to me-making sure she knows that we are together."

'Karu saw the sparks in her eyes and realized that she was serious.

"Honey, you and I have been through a lot; old relationships, your brothers, my family-mostly my uncle. We will do this together, and there's nothing between Janice and me. So let's put that to rest!"

He kissed her cheek to comfort and reassure her about their relationship.


But Janice had other plans; she knew she had failed in her attempts to have a relationship with James Kirk. That had almost ruined her, but it had made her a stronger woman. She really wanted to try again with Sulu, but now she had found that he was engaged to Masters. Sulu had been honest and shy when they first met, and she now regretted that she hadn't pursued their light flirting. She had saved her best for Kirk, her biggest mistake. Now she was back; she now understood that Kirk was a womanizerand she had fallen for him; lesson learned. Now she wanted an honest man. She knew that men still found her attractive and she liked it.

The next day, the Enterprise did more drills and exercises to test the new equipment. But there were some glitches with the new console in Engineering, and Charlene and Scotty had to find the faulty circuits and repair them, which meant they had to work long past the end of their shift, leaving Sulu on his own in the rec room.


Which was just inviting trouble.

"Pavel, that was a good game, want to play another?"

" Sure, Hikaru; You think your vife vill let you stay out?"

"Ha ha, you're so funny. You should put together an act for talent night!"

Sulu shuffled the cards for another game. Then Janice entered the rec room wearing her short work uniform, which revealed her slim legs.

"Wow, Rand looks hot!" Pavel whispered. 'Karu turned to see Rand strutting toward them. She did look nice, and Sulu noticed that she seemed different. She smiled and sat down at their table.

"Hi, Pavel, how are you?"

"Great, Janice, and you?"

"Wonderful. It's great to be back on the ship again. How are you, Hikaru?"

"Not too bad; just playing cards with Pavel."

"Mind if I join you?"

Sulu and Chekov shrugged their shoulders; "Sure, vy not? The more, the merrier," Pavel said giving her a big grin.

"Thank you!" Janice said, sitting at Sulu's elbow. "So tell how much we're playing for?"

Sometime later, Pavel threw his cards on the table:

"Vell, I'm out!"

"Me too!" Sulu said. "Plus it's time for me to turn in."

"Wow, this was fun, Pavel and Hikaru. We should do it again," Janice said.

"That would be nice, Janice. Vat do you think, Hikaru?"

"Not a problem. I'll see ya," Sulu said, getting up to leave. "Good night!"

"Good night, Hikaru," Janice said. Then she called after him, "Hey Sulu! How about a nightcap in the lounge for old times' sake?"

"Okay, just one. I'm on duty tomorrow."

At the lounge deck, they both ordered a drink and sat at the bar.

"Janice, what did you do when you left three year ago? It seemed kind of sudden."

Janice took a deep breath and formed her thoughts before answering.

"I had to reinvent myself; I didn't want to be a yeoman forever."

"Well, that's good, right?"

"Depends on how you look at it. I made some mistakes."

Janice put her glass down and leaned toward Sulu.

"One of them was leaving YOU," she said, placing a kiss on Sulu's lips and catching him by surprise.

"Hey, wait a minute! I'm engaged!" Sulu was shocked for a second, but then he made up his mind and gave her a stern look:

"I have to leave Janice, good night."

As he was leaving, he saw a couple of other crewmen pretending that they hadn't just been looking at him and Janice. He knew this was not going to over well with Charlene. He wondered as he walked back to his quarters, why Janice kissed him, when she had the opportunity years back? Hikaru didn't know how to take this versions of Janice, his one time friend.

End Notes:

A/N: Star trek TOS: *The Man Trap

Chapter 6-The Return of JR part 2 by Uhura the 9th
Author's Notes:

Beta Reader: Jsilver2000

 

The Return of JR, Part two

Charlene's engagement to 'Karu is threatened by a dangerously seductive woman from 'Karu's past!

Mr. Scott, with his Engineering team of Masters, Brent, and Kyle, has been working around the clock to solve the glitch between schematic reading and alignment of the engines. Scotty refuses to use the warp drive until the problem is solved. He informed Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock that engines were under maintenance and would be online ASAP. Kirk wasn't in any hurry; he was pleased with himself for the safeguard he had placed about testing the engines when they left Earth. Plus the Enterprise had not yet been issued any assignment from Starfleet Command, who were aware of the installation of the new systems.


The next day, Hikaru went on duty without seeing Charlene. He missed her, and he was feeling guilty about what had happened the night before with Janice. He had thought about her actions for a long time; she had changed-she was no longer the fun, pretty woman he had known. The fact that Janice had kissed him in front of the crewmen in the lounge still bothered him. I have a bad feeling about her.

'Karu sat at the helm. The ship maintained sublight speed as he performed his daily checks and logged in his report.

"Hey, Sulu! Since I'm going to be the best man at your vedding, can you let me know if you and Charlene have set a date yet?" Chekov asked.

"No, not yet. Why do you ask?"

"I need to plan your bachelor party," Chekov said, looking over at Sulu with a mischievous smile.

Sulu saw the look in his friend's eyes and instantly knew he would do something wild.

"Oh no, I can't do wild parties, Pavel, or wild WOMEN!"

"Vhy not? I promise to-to keep it harmless," Pavel said, chuckling.

"No! You forget that we've hung out together at clubs, especially on Wrigley's Pleasure Planet. I know your concept of fun. Nooo-you, are not getting me into trouble."

"Okay-Okay, I von't. You are a party pooper."

"I'd rather be a party pooper than single!" Sulu retorted, joining in Pavel's chuckling.

"Besides, my girl would really kill me if she found out some dame was hanging off my neck."

"Charlene is that tough?"

"Yes that tough and more; you haven't met her three over-six-feet brothers!"

"Vhat?!"

"Yeah, I would like to stay on good terms with them," Sulu said, chuckling. They went back to work, but Sulu still had Janice on his mind. He felt unsettled about what she had done. He needed to talk to someone soon, before things got out of hand. He could think of only one person who might guide him through this potential minefield. He turned around and looked at Uhura.

"Chekov, watch the helm."

"Sure, no problem."

He took a deep breath and went to her station.

"Excuse me, Uhura. Do you have a minute?"

Nyota took out her earpiece and looked up at Sulu.

"Sure, how can I help you?"

"I was wondering if I can talk to you in private about something?"

"Sure, when is your break?"

"About 1300 hours."

"Okay, I can talk to you then; is everything OK?"

Sulu gave a deep sigh; "I hope so."

Sulu returned to his post and continued his work.


At 1300 hours, Sulu and Uhura slipped into an empty conference room for privacy. Sulu started the conversation:

"Have you been around Janice lately?"

"No, not really, why?"

"Does she seem different to you?"

"When I saw her the first time in the lounge with you, she did seem different."

"The other night I played poker with Chekov and her. At first, it seemed like old times. We talked about the things we did when she was stationed here before. Everything was fine; we laughed and played cards. Then she asked to go to the lounge for a nightcap, then she ..."

Sulu dropped his eyes to the table. Nyota reached out and touched his hand.

"What happened?"

"Janice kissed me there at the bar, in front of some of the crew. I was shocked, and she said regretted leaving me behind."

Nyota pressed her lips together. "Did you tell her that you are engaged?"

"Of course! I became upset! She sent the wrong message when the other crewmen saw us! Since then I have been feeling guilty and wondering if I should tell Charlene. But mostly, Uhura, I'm wondering why she would do that, knowing that I'm engaged to Charlene?"

"Yeah, you're right; you did introduce her as your fiancé. I had a bad vibe about her, like she's not the same Janice we knew." I'll find out her story and why she's acting this way, but YOU need to tell Charlene before some crewman blurts it out and causes more trouble," Nyota said, pointing an index finger at him

"Char has been pulling double shifts since they called her back to check the alignment of the engines. I haven't seen her."

"Find out when her shift ends and do something romantic; show her how important she is to you before you tell her about the bad scene in the lounge."

Sulu asked, "Do you think it's that bad?"

"Knowing my best friend all these years? Yeah, it's serious!"

"Thanks, Uhura!"

"No problem; just make sure she knows!"

"I will!"


Sulu went to find out when Charlene would be off duty and sent her a message inviting her to a late dinner. While Sulu was hanging out in the rec room waiting for Charlene, he noticed Janice with a group of men talking and laughing. She was out of uniform and she looked nice. Then Janice turned his way, winked at him and gave a slow wave that sent chills down Sulu's spine. He got up and left the rec room. As he went, Sulu noticed the stares. This is not good at all!


Charlene changed into her technician uniform to crawl into the access space in the Jefferies tube. There, she and Kyle relayed and reconfigured circuitry and double-checked their connections. All the top engineers had done double shifts to complete the work, and Mr. Scott had sent his tired crewmen to get some rest. By this time, Charlene hadn't seen 'Karu in 52 hours. She was tired and went straight to bed without taking off her clothes.

When Sulu got to her quarters, there was no answer to the chime., so he entered her code. The door slid open. He walked into the dark room and he heard her soft breathing. The night-light gave off enough light to allow him to see Charlene's sleeping form. He knew she had worked long, hard hours in Engineering. Sulu took off his boots, walked toward her bed and lay down next to her, spooning her. He gently kissed her neck; she moaned, moving her body closer to him and Sulu drifted off to sleep.

When Sulu woke up, the bed was empty, but he heard the sonic shower and Charlene's humming. She came out with a smile on her face.

"Hi, honey! Good morning!"

"Good morning, Char!" He got off the bed and saw the chronometer. "Oh, I have time before reporting for duty. Honey, do I have a spare uniform here?"

"Yes, 'Karu, in the closet," she said, pointing.

"Listen, I need to tell something, so just listen while I get ready, please!"

Charlene saw the concerned look on his face, and it gave her a bad vibe. "Sure, babe."

Sulu jumped up and ran into the shower to get ready. They kept toiletries in each other's quarters in case of emergencies. This was one of them. Charlene continued to get dressed while 'Karu showered. He came out and started to dress.

"Char, what I'm about to tell you might make you mad. I want you to stay calm and be a lady for me. You do love me, right?"

Charlene felt her stomach tighten. "Yeah, babe. What happened?"

The other night, I was playing cards with Pavel and Janice in the rec room. When the game ended, she asked me to join her for a nightcap. We went to the lounge and had drinks-and then-then she kissed me."

"On the cheek?"

"Uhm, on the lips"

"I'm gonna kill the bit*h," Charlene snarled as her hands balled into fists.

"Char-you promised!" 'Karu said grabbing her shoulders. Charlene tensed with anger and started to take deep breaths to calm herself. 'Karu pulled her into a hug and looked into her eyes.

"I'm telling you that nothing happened, but she made me feel uncomfortable. She's not the same woman I knew years ago. She acts like she wants to pursue me, and that's not like her. What makes things worse, she does it in front of the crew."

"She's trying to break us UP!" Charlene snarled. "She's jealous because she missed her opportunity with you!"

"I don't know what her motives are, and I don't care. I care about how you're going to react, knowing about it and possibly hearing about it from the crew."

Charlene looked into his eyes and saw that he was concerned she might actually kill the bit*h. Her breathing quieted as she tried to think. How am I going to deal with Janice?

"For the record, I'm not attracted to Janice in any way, shape, or form. I did tell Nyota what I told you."

Charlene believed him. That he had told Ny was reassuring and strengthened her trust in him. She sagged in his arms and rested her head on his bare chest.

"Thank you for telling me, babe."

'Karu gently kissed her. "Let's get to work before we get written up!"

They both hurried to get ready for duty.


Mr. Scott coordinated with the bridge and Auxiliary Control to do test runs on the engines, Mr. Spock had all departments report and prepped them for the test runs. Kirk executed the plan and the ship zipped across the sector with ease. The Engineering team was relieved to find that everything checked out; reports were completed and handed in to both Mr. Spock and the Captain. At that point, Kirk was waiting for their next orders and the crew had downtime again.

Things were still brewing with Janice Rand and certain crewmembers. The Engineering team was down for some much-needed rest.


Nyota promised Sulu that she would find out what's was going on with their former friend, Janice Rand. She chimed her door and it opened.

"Hey, Nyota. Come in."

"Good evening, Janice, and thanks."

Janice took note of Nyota's demeanor and suspected something was up.

"Is this a friendly visit or something else?"

"Yes, a friendly visit to an old friend."

"Then come and sit and tell me what's on your mind."

Janice led her to a set of lounge chairs near her desk.

"How have you been, Janice, since you left us?"

"I'm back at the Academy to finish my degree in administration; it's coming along well. Tell me how you hooked Mr. Spock," Janice said with a smile.

"I technically fought a couple of women for him and I won, so basically Mr. Spock is my prize or trophy," Nyota said with winning smile. "And he likes it."

"Sounds kind of cavemanish."

"More like cavewomanish. I don't like a woman looking over or prospecting my property-or anyone else's." Nyota glared at Janice and noticed her demeanor.

"I knew there was something mysterious about that man," Janice said, sighing. "So what brings you here?"

"Nothing really. I'm just trying to figure you out. There's something different about you."

"I'm not stupid anymore, if that's what you mean. I grew up after leaving the Enterprise, so I made sure to put myself back in school and waited for orders to complete my internship. A lot of stuff at Starfleet Command got changed at the last minute."

"Are you seeing anyone seriously or are you checking who's out there? I notice you've attracted a lot of new beaus."

"No, why do you ask?"

Just checking. Well, it's really good to see you again."

"That's it? I thought you were here to talk about Sulu."

Nyota stood and walked toward the door, then turned to glance at Janice. "I thought I just did," Nyota said as she left.

Janice stood there and reflected on what Nyota had just said; she had just been told to back off Sulu. She sighed deeply and sat down.


Later, Eve, Charlene, and Nyota met in Eve's quarters for some much-needed girl time. They wanted to have a quiet nightcap before turning in.

Charlene sat with an intense look on her face, thinking about Janice Rand making moves on her man.

Eve and Nyota were looking at her, waiting for her to bust.

"What's with her?" Eve asked, as she sipped her wine.

"Just a little upset," Nyota replied, twirling her drink in her hand.

Charlene turned to Nyota and snapped, "I have a right to be upset. That blonde bombshell tried to make moves on MY man! I don't want to scratch her eyes out; I want to PUNCH her eyes out!"

Eve and Nyota were a little shocked by Charlene's vehemence. "Charlene, calm yourself! We got your back! The most important thing is that you believe and trust Hikaru," Nyota told her.

"Yeah, I agree with Ny. All this means is that Janice finds your man attractive, and that's a compliment to you."

"So, why is she trying to draw my guns anyway?"

"Some women are not happy with themselves, so they do stupid things to get attention," Eve opined.

"And I did speak to her about her behavior toward Sulu, and I used the cavewoman mentality," Nyota added.

"Did she get the message to leave my man alone?"

"I believe so, so put your guns away and let's have some girl time," Nyota said.

"Now that we've got that cleared up, I'm ready to do your manicure and show you my new dress design," Eve said. "Also, Charlene, I have something that will cheer you up."

"What?"

"I found some dresses for your wedding!"

Charlene ran over to Eve, saying "What are we waiting for? Where are they?"

When Charlene saw the dresses, she was stunned by how exquisite they were, and they did distract her from the issue with Janice. But in the back of her mind, she knew that it wasn't over.

Chapter 7-The Return of JR part 3 by Uhura the 9th
Author's Notes:

Beta Reader: Jsilver2000

The Truth of it All

Janice sat in her quarters, alone. She hated being alone. She was swigging a bottle of whiskey straight, feeling miserable about the situation she had created. She could have had any man she wanted-any but one. She brought the bottle to her lips.

"Here's to you, Jim Kirk," she whispered, before swallowing down the strong drink.

Janice had tried to forget him, but he was in her skin, wearing her like a second glove. Her eyes were puffy from crying. She didn't know how to shake his hold. She had known his reputation before she got involved with him. She thought about the women he had flaunted in front of her-the women who had told her their stories of their sexual escapades with Kirk, yet she still couldn't shake him. She thought to herself, "Why can't I get rid of you? I wish I could forget you!"

Janice had tried dating other men; it would work for a while, but then she would remember how Kirk's kisses had melted her lips and body. On top of it, Nyota her one time friend at the time, had gotten married, and Hikaru also her friend was engaged; the contrast between their happiness and her own misery made it hurt even more. Nyota was married to Mr. Spock "What a match!"

Janice could never figure out that Vulcan; she just knew that he was best friends with Kirk. Nyota, with her winning personality and sexy figure, had gotten the Vulcan."And they look happy! What the fu*k?!" Another crying jag started. "I just need to make it though one more week on this ship once the orders come in," she thought.

Then there was Sulu. When she had been stationed on the Enterprise the first time, she had known he had a crush on her, but she played it off as friendship, her eyes were on one person at that time 'Kirk'. Letting Sulu go had been her biggest mistake, because he was a sure thing. Although she had considered him more of a friend then, now it seemed to her that he was fair game. Now that she had become the hunter, instead of the prey, she wondered what kind of man Hikaru really was."Not bad looking, nice personality; I wonder if he's good in the sack?" She had tried to pursue a relationship by getting close to him, trying to make up her mistake. But now Nyota had warned her to back off. Janice didn't really know Charlene at all, but they had both found love on a ship-a shipboard romance is a tough act to follow, but Janice wanted somebody to love. Janice stumbled to her bed and sat on the edge, wondering how she would handle Jim, her former lover, on this slow motion destination. Her heartaches, body aches, and a headache all attacking her at once, she dropped the bottle on the floor and curled up on her bed, hugging her pillow and crying herself to sleep.


Captain Kirk was resting in his quarters. He had received orders from Starfleet Command to proceed to Starbase 15 for supplies and to drop off personnel. Kirk sat in his quarters wondering about Janice. He didn't like how their relationship had ended either, but he needed to focus on the Enterprise. He couldn't afford distractions like the rest of his crew. He clearly remembered how Bones had spoken to him. Kirk put his Padd down on his desk and lay down on his bed, thinking about how to approach the situation. He had heard rumors that she been dating and flirting with other men. Somehow she had even attracted the attention of Sulu, her old acquaintance, but he was engaged. "She isn't having an affair with Sulu, is she?" he wondered. Kirk sat up, grabbed his Padd, and went back to work, shaking off the distracting thoughts.


The next day, Charlene was working in Engineering as if she were a robot. She was going though the motions and trying to focus, but her mind kept wandering back to that woman-a woman determined to take her man away from her. Janice had made a bold move, and it made a bold statement. The wedding dresses had distracted her the previous evening, but now her concerns had returned, even though Nyota had spoken to Janice.

"Masters."

"Masters!"

Finally, Scotty shook her shoulder. "Masters, lass, what is wrong with ye?!"

Charlene snapped out of it and looked up at the Chief of Engineering.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Scott!"

"The way yer gripping that Padd in yer hands says something else! What's wrong there, lassie?"

Charlene looked down and saw her hands tightly gripping her Padd. She slowly relaxed her hands and looked up at Scotty.

"Sorry, sir! I wasn't aware that I was deep in thought."

"Has something happened between ye and Sulu? I canna have drama down here with my bairns," Scotty told her, pointing at the antimatter console.

"OH NO, SIR! Sulu and I are great."

"Then back to work, lassie," Scotty said, turning to head back to the main console.

Charlene was chagrined; she had never before let a relationship interfere with her job. And now she had, thanks to Janice making a move on her man. "At least Scotty reprimanded me in a nice way," she thought. She looked down at her monitoring Padd and went back to work.


On the bridge, Chekov and Sulu were at their posts, monitoring their course, when they overheard a conversation: two crewmen were whispering about someone, a very beautiful someone.

Lt. Kyle leaned toward Lt. Brent and said, "Wow! Janice Rand is some woman-a lot of men are attracted to her."

"She is beautiful," Brent replied. "I always see her with a different guy. She's definitely playing the field."

"Maybe she hasn't found the right man yet-a man who can really treat her like a woman."

The men stopped talking when they saw Lt. Uhura walk in their direction. They both stood up and pretended that they were working. Uhura walked by them intentionally to put a stop to their conversation. She stopped at the environmental control console with her Padd and asked Lt. Riggs a question.

"Any updates for the Captain?"

"All systems nominal, Lieutenant."

"Thanks for the report, Riggs."

Uhura went down the steps to Sulu's station and stood in front of the helm, between him and Chekov. She looked at the giant monitor as the stars passed by on the screen, and then she slowly turned to Sulu and gave him a look, which he acknowledged with a nod of thanks. Both men gave their reports:

"Maintaining course, Lieutenant."

Sulu was grateful that Uhura had interrupted the unwelcome conversation. He still thought of Rand as his friend, and he wondered whether something was bothering her. But he was not willing to do anything that could risk his relationship with Charlene. "Maybe Char and I can do something together to break the ice," he wondered.

Uhura walked up the steps to the science station, where her husband was busy working. Sensing her presence, he turned to acknowledge his wife as she handed him the updates on her Padd. During the exchange, his fingers lightly grazed hers, and a tingling sensation ran up her arm and jumped to her spine. She kept her eyes hooded to cover her surprise and delight that her husband would engage in foreplay while on duty. She sent a thought through their bond:

"You will pay for that."

"Indeed!"

Uhura walked away with a big grin on her face.

Duty finally ended for the alpha shift, and the bridge crew headed out to their various off-duty activities.


Later that evening, the girls decided to hang out in the rec-lounge, which had a more subdued atmosphere versus the bar lounge and was therefore more conducive to conversation .

Eve gave Charlene a close look and said, "Char, I hate to say this, but you look really tired."

Charlene placed her fists against her cheeks: "I'm okay, just frustrated. I'm reading too much into the situation, and I can't help it."

"You shouldn't let it get to you."

Charlene looked at her two friends: "Listen, my relationship with 'Karu is the most meaningful one I've ever had. To find a man that totally into you-it's hard. This thing with Rand bugs me so bad!"

Nyota gave Charlene a shoulder bump: "It's going to be fine; you'll see."

*Yeoman Rhonda Evans, wandered over in an obviously jovial mood:

"Hi, ladies! I see you three are out and about!"

All three ladies rolled their eyes at the appearance of Rhonda, the troublemaker. She had continued to dog them since Nyota's marriage to Spock.

"If you start something, Rhonda, I'll forget that I'm an officer and take you out!" Nyota challenged.

"Uhura! I can't believe you said that, being a married woman and all," Rhonda said. "I'm just curious about Sulu-I mean he IS a man. I keep hearing things about Janice Rand on the prowl and quick kisses in quiet corners and stuff," she said, giving Char a sidelong glance. She was rubbing it in, hoping to get a reaction out of Char.

"Oh yeah? A person could find herself in trouble for spreading that kind of rumor," Eve snapped. "It's a good thing for you that Charlene is mature about such things."

Charlene was sitting in a rigid posture, looking Rhonda straight in the eye. The girls presenting a united front was all that was keeping her from losing her temper. She didn't need commentary on Janice Rand or her motives.

Finally, Charlene had an idea of how to really get to Rhonda: "Excuse me, Rhonda, I don't want to be rude, but you caught us in the middle of planning my wedding. I don't get time off to work on it, so I don't have time to listen to rumors. Do you mind?":giving Rhonda the evil eye, making sure she sees her fists were balled up.

Rhonda was taken aback, obviously surprised to find out that 'Karu and Char were getting ready to tie the knot. She managed to stammer after seeing Charlene's demeanor: "I-I wasn't aware. I'll leave you to your planning."

As Rhonda walked away in fear of her life at the look Charlene gave her, all three women breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is she still carrying a grudge against us after all this time?" Eve asked.

"Yes; she hasn't gotten over Spock choosing me and how you two backed me up before, during, and after our wedding," Nyota said, before sipping her tea.

"Ny, I really feel like kicking Janice's a**!" Char said. "I can't take it anymore! I need to find out WHY she's after my man!"

Nyota knew she needed to take another approach; she knew Eve and Charlene would beat her down otherwise. They couldn't risk an open battle again; she had promised her husband and the Captain not to engage in challenges on the ship. She had one more card to play; it involved her husband. She leaned toward Charlene: "Listen, Charlene, I think I can find a way to resolve this."

"You do Nyota? How? If I hear one more accusation about those two, I'll lose my mind!"

"Charlene, you need to stop focusing on rumors and trust your man," Nyota said giving her a no nonsense look. "He has told you multiple times you're the woman he wants. You need to let that sink in and stop overthinking the situation. It's not helping you or him!"

"Ouch-that's harsh!" Charlene snapped.

"But she's right!" Eve chimed in.

Nyota looked at her best friend: "I'm so happy you found someone like 'Karu, but you are going to find that many women are attracted to him, and you need to deal with it. You're going to marry the man soon. Some people are jealous of your relationship, I had to deal with Spock's 'club'; trust me, I had to deal with it every day!"

Charlene sighed: "I guess you're right."

"Excuse me? I know I'm right!"

The three women exchanged glances and laughed.

Then Nyota became serious:

Nyota gently shooed her away; "Now go and be with your man! Goodnight, Char."

Charlene said goodnight to her friends and left to find Sulu.

Eve looked at Nyota: "Girl, that was deep!"

"You're right, Eve, but I had to say it," Nyota replied. "Tough girl love! When you walk into a relationship, it's hard work, and there are times you have to fight to keep it."

"I know-you have to fight the drama."

"That's true-I need to talk to Spock, so I'll leave you, Eve. Have a good night."

"G'night, Nyota."


Nyota needed to talk to Spock. She had always suspected that Janice had harbored a crush on the Captain. With Spock and Jim being best friends, she had been able to make the connection. When she entered their quarters, she found Spock reading a science journal.

"Spock, darling, may I speak with you?"

"Yes, K'diwa," he said, putting aside his work to give his wife his full attention. Nyota went to him and sat on his lap.

"You know I usually don't ask about certain things about the Captain, she said. "But some strange things are happening."

"Clarify your statement."

"First, has Janice Rand ever been involved with Jim Kirk?"

"In her previous assignment to the Enterprise, Ms. Rand was a yeoman primarily assigned to the Captain," Spock said.

Nyota could tell that Spock was dancing around the question.

"Spock, I meant in a relationship."

"Every crewman at one point develops meaningful relationships."

Nyota leaned away to the side to get a better view of her husband, who was clearly trying to evade her questions. She leaned towards him and circled an arm around his back for support.

"I see I have an uphill battle with you."

"No need to go uphill at all-I have answered your question," Spock replied, arching an eyebrow.

Nyota stood up and walked a couple of steps away, then turned, folded her arms across her chest, and stared at her husband with a huff.

Spock realized that this line of questioning would lead him to a place where a husband did not want to be and made the logical decision:

"Ms. Rand was involved with the Captain three years ago."

"What happened?"

"She wanted more commitment, and Jim wanted the Enterprise. She was aware of many of Jim's extracurricular activities with other females as well. I believe that drove a wedge between them."

"In other words, Kirk broke her heart."

"I believe so. Why are you asking these questions?"

"Well, my sweet darling, Janice has changed into-as the girls in our group say-a bit*ch. She has latched on to Sulu despite being well aware of his engagement. The ship's gossip mill keeps throwing the rumors in Char's face, so now she is so upset that she is ready to do physical harm to Rand."

"I see. It would be unwise for Ms. Masters to engage in a form of contact that could affect her status as a lieutenant."

"I believe Rand is playing the diva to get Kirk's attention. But I also believe Kirk should apologize to her for his man-whoring and for breaking her heart."

"I do not understand how the situation could be so changed from what it was three years ago."

"Spock, women can be loving and compassionate one minute and then devious and revengeful the next-usually after a man does something awful. Rand has all the signs. You can check with McCoy to confirm."

"I see no reason for me to become involved in the Captain's personal relationships."

"Oh, there's a very good reason, my sweet, darling, handsome Vulcan. Because he is your friend, and I am putting you on notice that you are aware of the situation. If Masters does engage in any form of assault against Rand, it will come out that you had prior knowledge and failed to prevent it," :Nyota said innocently.

"I've just calmed Masters down AGAIN, mind you. You and McCoy are going to help your friend to avoid a disaster for all involved, but mostly for my friend, who is trying to marry Sulu! I think this has gone on too long."

Nyota sat on Spock's lap again, touching her forehead to his; "I know this is not your area of expertise, but Kirk is your friend," Nyota said. "He needs to be confronted with the truth." She lightly kissed his lips. "For the safety of the crew." She continued to pepper her husband with kisses. Nyota wanted to reward him for the mission he was about to undertake. She rubbed his shoulders and back, and her fire started to build.

Spock took a deep breath and wrapped his long arms around his wife.

"I will take action to resolve this situation as part of my duty as an officer and your husband," he said. "I will leave now to converse with McCoy."

"Now?"

"Now!"

"But I was hoping for a little love now," Nyota said, gently kissing his cheeks and lips.

"I must act while I still have the courage; I will return and continue this more pleasing mission to your heart's desire."

Spock lifted Nyota to her feet and stood up himself. He nodded respectfully and then left to see McCoy.

Nyota took a deep breath and stamped her feet: "Me and my big mouth-I was SO in the mood!"


Meanwhile, Sulu and Masters were connecting:

The couple were lying on Sulu's bed, holding each other close.

"I'm glad you decided to stop by," Sulu said. "I know you and your friends are working on our wedding."

"Yeah, me too-I had a revelation that I was being a little childish about Rand."

"You did-what do you mean?"

"I had a little help from a friend, who reminded me that I was reading way too much into things."

"I'm glad, Char, because I didn't want things to turn ugly, and I know you're trying to deal with the drama."

"Yeah, I see the picture now. How are your bachelor party plans going?"

"I already told Pavel 'no wild women', but I can never tell with that guy. He has a thing for, um, clothing-challenged women."

Charlene sat up and glared: "You tell that little Russian Casanova not to place you in a compromising position or I will take care of him like I did Jaamal!"**

Sulu laughed as he remembered the story about Jaamal: "You know what? I'm going to tell him that!"

Sulu pulled Charlene back down next to him as he continued to laugh at the thought. Charlene joined in too for a moment, but then said somberly: "But I will, 'Karu."

"I believe you, Char; I have no doubt."

"I am working on my vows; it's not my thing-they will be simple and to the point."

"Mine is too-unless I get struck by inspiration, maybe some lines from a famous poet."

"Do you-do you want to have kids someday?"

Sulu sat up and looked down at her, searching her eyes: "I would love to if you want; I'm game!"

"To tell you the truth, I'm scared about having them-I mean a little one inside of me growing."

"But, Char, I'll be with you every step of the way."

"Whew, thanks, babe! Thanks!" she said as a tear trailed down her face.

Sulu gathered her into his arms and held her: "I think we will be great parents. Our kid will be another pilot."

"Or another engineer!"

'Karu smiled seductively: "Or both!"

He pulled her closer and started to kiss her cheeks. Charlene bypassed the foreplay, pulling him on top of her and planting a sizzling kiss. Good night.


Spock dreaded confrontation of any kind, but what Nyota had said was true: if anything did happen between Rand and Masters, there would be repercussions that went beyond the two combatants. The Captain must deal with the aftermath of the relationship he'd had with Rand. He chimed McCoy's door and it snapped open. McCoy looked up at Spock and mumbled, "What in devil's name do you want?"

Spock walked in without an invitation and stood in the center of McCoy's quarters. The door closed. "I could've had a guest," McCoy grumbled.

Spock was about to comment but held back; he needed the doctor's assistance, not his banter.

"Doctor, I just had a conversation with my wife concerning Ms. Rand. She believes a physical confrontation is likely to occur between Ms. Rand and Ms. Masters."

"Do you want something to drink, since you pulled me out of bed and I'm half asleep? And what makes Nyota think that?" McCoy asked as he walked to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a drink.

Spock noticed now that McCoy was in his pajamas: "No, Doctor. No thank you."

"Well?"

"Nyota believes that Rand is pursuing Sulu as, in her words, 'a revenge tactic' in order to draw the Captain's attention to her once again. Ms. Masters is becoming irritated with Rand's actions and may take matters into her own hands, if nothing is done to defuse the situation."

McCoy was in the midst of taking a sip of his drink while he listened to Spock, and he stopped his glass in mid-air to comprehend his story. He started to chuckle.

"Spock, you married an amazing woman with great insight. She should become a psychologist."

"Why thank you, Doctor! My wife has insight when it comes to human conflicts."

McCoy eyed Spock mischievously: "Well, she's right-that's a piece of the puzzle; now we need to get Jim on the same page."

"Nyota suggested that a formal apology for his conduct during their last interaction three years ago is in order."

"Damn her! She's right again; a woman scorned has a hard time letting things go. And Jim has a lot of women to apologize to."

"At the moment, Doctor, we have only one on board this ship."

McCoy wished he could throw the glass at him for his last remark-'so logical.'

"Now that we know what the problem is, how do we get them together to work things out?"

"First, Doctor, we need to get Jim to acknowledge that Rand harbors animosity against him and that he is at fault."

"Right again. Let's find a way to get Jim to the briefing room tomorrow so we can discuss this with him and go from there. Now, Mr. Spock, may I go to bed?!"

Spock turned to leave, saying: "On behalf of my wife, we thank you, Doctor."

McCoy watched Spock leave and ran his hands through his hair: "Jim and his damned women! One day they will be the death of him."

He flopped onto his bed and thought about Uhura, she is right-smart woman, 'Damn Vulcan!' tried to achieve slumber again.


The next day, Masters had a much better day. She spent the day daydreaming of her and 'Karu's wedding day. She took the opportunity to browse through her Padd, looking at the wedding dresses that Eve had designed for her and finally picking something simple. She didn't care about an elaborate dress; she just wanted to be with 'Karu for the rest of her life. Charlene didn't focus on Janice; she finally got Nyota's point about letting sleeping dogs lie. In fact, she had even started to feel sorry for her and didn't allow Janice to ruin her day or affect her relationship with 'Karu. Not even Rhonda could get under her skin. She just didn't care about them anymore; her entire focus-her heart-was on one person and one person only-Hikaru Sulu.

 

End Notes:

 

A/N:

*Yeoman Rhonda Evans: The Battle for Spock part 2: Mr. Spock's Appreciation Club member.

**Charlene's Diary: chapter 1 'The Reckoning'

 

Chapter 8-The Return of JR part 4 by Uhura the 9th
Author's Notes:

 

Beta Reader: JSilver

Charlene's Diary

The Return of JR-Part Four

 

 

Conclusion of The Return of JR


McCoy and Spock finally arranged with Jim to talk about the situation in McCoy's secured office in Sickbay.

"Okay, gentlemen. You got me here; what's going on?"

Spock arched a brow, "Dr. McCoy and I have concerns about a situation, Captain."

McCoy looked at Spock and wondered if he would try to explain with a bunch of logical terms.

"Spock, let me do this, just in case he hits me. Then you can give Jim that Vulcan nerve pinch."

"As you wish, Doctor." Spock leaned back against the desk and folded his arms across his chest.

"Listen, Jim. You've probably heard that Janice has talked with the man's lady lately, and she seems to be trying to attach herself to Sulu. And you know how rumors are on this ship; they spread like wildfire. Well, this rumor found its way back to Masters, and she is about to blow her top over the way Janice is coming on to her man. The subtle approach which Nyota attempted to do, didn't work with Janice, and things are getting out of hand."

"So, what do you want me to do, tell her to stop looking at Sulu?"

"Uhura came up with the theory that Janice is still sore about you breaking up with her three years ago and that being on this ship is aggravating it."

"And again, what can I do? The woman never got over me; I do have that effect."

Spock sighed and cleared his throat, while McCoy gave Kirk an exaggerated eyeroll.

"It's all about you, Jim," McCoy said disgustedly. "What you could do is apologize to the woman so she can move on and heal her broken heart. You do have a heart?" he asked, poking Kirk in the chest.

Kirk thought about the relationship he once had with Janice and how it hadn't ended well. His ship had always come first, and that was still the case.

Kirk smiled and said, "What if my apology doesn't work-then what?"

"For your sake, it better work or-"

"Or what? You two will put me on report?"

Spock spoke up: "If the situation is not defused, I'll have to file a report noting that two female officers were in an altercation and that it could have been avoided if the Captain had taken action."

McCoy looked at Spock, "Well said, Spock! I can see being married to Nyota has improved your character."

"Why thank you, Doctor."

Kirk looked at his two friends with mild outrage for a moment, but then he sighed deeply and said, "I guess I'm having dinner with Janice Rand."

McCoy put his hand on Kirk's shoulder: "Good choice, Jim."

"What do you mean 'good choice'? I'm being blackmailed!"

"Captain, we merely persuaded you to choose the most logical option to avoid an unnecessary confrontation," Spock replied innocently.

Kirk gave Spock a look that said the captain was not in any way mollified by his last statement; he punched the intercom and dictated a detailed message to be sent to Rand's quarters, requesting her to meet him on the Observation Deck that night. Kirk snapped off the intercom, still feeling annoyed; he folded his arms across his chest.

"Happy now?"

"Jim, you're taking this all wrong! Masters is an excellent warp core engineer. Scott is crazy about her performance," McCoy said. "You should be happy that you have a chance to save a relationship."

Jim was not happy. He was not looking forward to meeting with an old lover, a woman scorned and full of anger toward him. He wondered what would be the best way to approach her. He knew he wouldn't be able to use his old charms on her.

"Jim, just be honest with her; most women like that. That gives them a chance to break the chains," McCoy said, patting him on his shoulder.

"Okay. I need a moment alone to gather my thoughts."

Kirk turned away from his friends, but he knew they were telling the truth. He remembered the last woman who hated him; it hadn't been so long since Dr. Lester had switched bodies with him.[1] If it hadn't been for Spock, he would have been stuck in a woman's body for the rest of his life.

Spock and McCoy left Jim to gather his thoughts.

Janice returned to her quarters and checked her messages; the one from Kirk sent her into shock. She sat on her bed and replayed the message: Kirk wanted to meet with her. Janice unwound her piled hair so it fell below her shoulders. Kirk want to see me, huh? I have a lot to say to the man-whore, the way he treated me.Janice sent a message back to Kirk to confirm their meeting later that evening. Janice lay down on her bed and took a nap; she knew she would need to be alert for her rendezvous with Kirk.


Meanwhile:

"Eve, I selected this dress for my wedding," Charlene said. She looked at Nyota and Eve: "You two can wear anything you like; I don't care if it's a polar bear rug!"

The three of them laughed.

Eve finished pinning the dress to fit it to Charlene's trim figure. "Well, thanks! I think I'll wear that palazzo pants set I wore for Nyota's party."

"If you have an extra set, Eve, I'll wear one too!" Nyota said.

"Not a problem! I can coordinate to match Charlene's theme colors. There! All done, Char. Take a look in the mirror."

Charlene carefully stepped over to the mirror and saw a different woman standing in front of her.

"Ny- um- Ny?" Charlene started shaking: "I now know how you felt when you tried on your dress! Eve, this is beautiful!"

"Girl- Char, you are beautiful!" Eve replied.

Nyota laughed: "I don't think you'll be in that dress for long once 'Karu sees you in it!"

"For once I feel like a woman instead of an engineer or one of the guys!"

"I don't know what the men are looking at unless they are blind!" Eve said, chuckling.

Charlene's smile faltered and then disappeared.

Nyota picked up on her long-time friend's mood change immediately. She looked Charlene in the eye and folded her arms across her chest.

"Okay, Char. Spill it."

"Well, I don't want to hurt 'Karu's family with this." Charlene gave both women a worried look and started breathing hard.

Eve stepped forward and hugged her: "Is it the dress? I can make another one in time for your wedding."

"No, it's not the dress-I want to marry 'Karu now and not wait until we get back to Earth. I know his family is traditional, and they want all the bells and whistles. But I feel that each day we take our chances out in space. I want to be a part of his life now-just in case..."

Charlene looked toward Nyota and saw that she knew exactly what Char meant. Nyota went to Charlene and hugged her, and then took her hands in hers.

"Char, honey, there's no reason to be afraid of the future. If you want to marry 'Karu now, it's fine with us. This is your moment; Eve, and I will support you whatever you decide."

"His family wants a big to-do because he's the only son and he has an uncle that has all these big expectations. I don't want to ruin it, especially for him," Charlene said somberly.

Eve stepped closer and wrapped one of her arms around Char's shoulders. "Char, talk it over with him; he'll understand."

Charlene had been thinking of marrying him ever since they came back aboard. They had considered having a quick wedding on Earth with his family but they decided to wait about two years because that would be the only time the Enterprise would be in the vicinity of Earth for an extended period. But now things were different; Char was eager to start their life together. But would he agree to her request?


At the same time, in the ship's lounge, two men were discussing a party:

Pavel was scanning a Padd on the table, looking for a pleasure planet, while sipping his favorite drink, vodka.

"Hikaru, I found another place to celebrate your farevell party; ve are close to another club. But eet's nothing like Wrrreegley's Pleasure Planet."[2]

"Put that on ice, Pavel! I'm really not interested in a wild bachelor party."

'Karu sat with his drink, glad that the dilemma with Charlene was over. But still mulling over Janice's behavior: I just don't understand why she would come on to me now? I'm with Charlene.He turned his attention back to Pavel, who was insisting on having a pull-out-all-the-stops bachelor party.

"I'm starting to wonder if this is more for you than me, Pavel," Sulu said, giving his young friend a sly smirk.

"Vhy yes! I vant to have fun too. Vhat's wrrrong with you, Sulu?" Pavel asked, looking concerned.

"I don't know if I should say anything; I don't want it getting around."

Pavel grinned: "I heard the rumor that Janice keessed you een this wery lounge a couple of nights ago!"

Sulu's mouth dropped open: "So it did spread through the ship. It's a good thing I told Charlene; she would've had my head."

"Hikaru, vhat's the beeg deal? Stuff ees said about everybody almost every day; eet'll die down."

"But this one hit home; my girl was going on woman hunt," 'Karu said, running his hand through his hair at the unsettling thought. A girl fight? Hum, kind of kinky-I'm starting to like the idea.

"So, vill you agrrree to the bachelor party?" Chekov asked.

"That's a large negative, Pavel. I'm really into Charlene; as a matter of fact, I love her! Not risking it,"

'Karu said, shaking his head at him.

Pavel folded his arms across his chest: "I need to talk to your fiancée; thees is about trrradeetion, the groom's rrrite of passage."

"Oh, she'll give you a 'right' passage, a passage to sickbay!" 'Karu said, chuckling.

"She vouldn't rrreally do that, vould she?"

"Let me put it this way: I picked you as my best man. If she found out you gave me a bachelor party, not only would she kill me, she would also clean your clock without thinking about it. On top of that, she has three, I mean THREE, six-foot-four brothers. I promised them I would look out for her."

"But Hikaru, eet's my early geeft! Seence ve are out een space, eet veell be a year or two before ve head back to Earth. I feegured ve could heet a couple of pleasure planets and clubs to justto begin the celebration."

'Karu looked at Pavel and shook his head: "You're not giving up on this, are you?"

"NO, I'm the BEST MAN!"

"I hope I can KEEP you the best man. Charlene doesn't know about my old lifestyle. So don't go there!"

"All rrright, all rrright! Vhat a party pooper-you have changed because of Charlene!"

"I don't mind at all if I've changed because of Charlene. It's what I needed! Besides, she likes my sword collection."

Pavel slapped a hand to his forehead: "'eyi eyi' Those svords! Don't tell me she likes them?"

"She doesn't mind them. If you want to give me a party, I'll take one like Mr. Spock's."

"Mr. Spock had a party?"

"Yeah, it was small-quiet. Mr. Spock killed us all in poker. Why don't you talk to Dr. McCoy? He can arrange it for you."

"Bleh! Eet must have been wery boring with no sexy girls! I know Mr. Spock eesn't the type, but I vould have thought Captain Kirk vould have had some there for hees own entertainment."

"NO, Pavel! No girls either. I already got in trouble over one so far. I don't need repeat performance."

"Okay, okay-thees ees going to the lowest-key bachelor party I've ever attended."

Sulu shook his head at his young friend, who was totally missing the point. He finished his drink: "See you later, Pavel, and thanks for the company."

"Good night, Hikaru." Pavel watched his friend leave the bar. He reflected on their conversation about the bachelor party and shook his head in disappointment. He thought to himself: Vee used to party all the time vhen ve were on leave-from starbases to pleasure planets. Thees woman really changed heem! If I can't take Sulu to Wrrreegley's Pleasure Planet, then I'll breeng the Pleasure Planet to HEEM!A sneaky grin formed on Pavel's face as he started thinking of a plan to get some wild women onto the ship.


A little while later, a date was in progress:

Kirk looked at himself in the mirror and straightened his tunic for the final time before heading out the door. He ran his hand down his toned abs. Then he headed out the door to meet his fate with Janice. Dealing with women from his past was not his forte, but to have peace on his ship, he was willing to make the effort. All because Janice had trouble getting over him; he didn't really want to hurt her, but it was over. Kirk strolled down the corridor to an isolated area of the Observation Deck.

Janice finished applying her pink lipstick, her favorite; she stood in front of the mirror and twirled in her flowing pink print midi dress. This will make or break me; I must keep control of the situation. Janice gave herself a spritz of her favorite perfume and left to meet Kirk. She saw him amidst an array of flowers and other plants.

"Hello."

Kirk turned toward her, all smiles and charm; they had never failed him, until now.

"Good evening, Rand. We finally meet again."

Janice returned the smile: "It looks that way; what's the occasion, Captain?"

Kirk winced at hearing his title, which indicated she was still sore with him. He sighed:

"I thought we should talk and-but how is the training program at the Academy going?"

"Since I left here, I've immersed myself in my work and studies. I decided to expand my skills in order to advance beyond being an unappreciated yeoman." Janice stood with her arms folded across her chest, ready for battle. She looked Kirk straight in the eye; she wasn't falling for his charm anymore.

"Whoa, whoa, Janice! We're just having a friendly talk, that's all! Why don't you sit down and let me explain myself?"

They moved to the nearest lounge chairs and sat. Kirk opened the conversation: "I know that things didn't end well with us; I had a lot on my plate as a new captain of the Enterprise. Sometimes expectations can be overwhelming."

"I was aware that you were in charge of the ship, Captain. I was there to support you professionally. But you did indicate an interest in me, which I didn't mind. I did find you attractive, but I knew I was taking a risk with you being my commander."

"Yes, my intentions were not to hurt you, but in the long run it was safer that I didn't become involved in relationships among the crew."

"Well, you should have explained this earlier in the relationship instead of-making me look like a fool in front of the crew, humiliating myself over my feelings for you," Janice snapped. "But mostly you shouldn't have flaunted your relationships with other women and-" tears started to fall down her face.

Kirk jumped up and found a tissue for her tears; she wiped her eyes.

"I wish you could have been honest, Jim-I wouldn't have become the broken woman who left this ship."

She looked up at Jim and saw remorse in his eyes; she wondered if he was still the womanizer she continued to hear about after she left the ship. Jim knelt and gathered her hands together, and she continued:

"I had feelings for you, Jim, and that hurts! You have no idea how it feels to be a woman in love."

Jim dropped his head, took a deep breath, and decided to break his vow of silence:

"Yes, I have."

She looked at him in confusion: "What?!"

"Yes, I do know how it feels to be a woman. A couple of years ago, an old flame-also named Janice-found this machine that transfers consciousness between bodies. She hated me so much that she transferred my mind into her body (and vice versa) and made everyone think I was a crazy doctor sick from radiation poison. For the first time, I felt helpless, defenseless, and vulnerable-so yes, I have some idea of how it feels to be a woman."

Janice stared at Jim, her mouth open in shock at his confession.

Kirk continued: "It was Spock who saved me; if he hadn't mind-melded with me, I would've been trapped inside someone else's body, lost. Nobody would ever have known." Jim's eyes took on a faraway look. It had taken him a while to let those strange feelings go; being a woman had given him a different perspective on the female gender. "That event changed me; it caused me to respect women more. So, Janice, I am asking you to forgive me for hurting you, for not appreciating you for your worth."

The ice melted from her heart and more tears fell. Jim reached over and gave her a hug to comfort her.

"Is that's why I haven't seen you around with other women?"

"One of the reasons, but I truly would like for us to be friends, to have a healthy relationship for a change." Jim reached for one of her hands and gently held it.

"I felt so worthless and spiteful that I did things that I shouldn't have."

"Like-pursuing Sulu?"

"Yes-Hikaru is a decent man, not a man-whore, like someone I know. I wanted that in a man. He fit the profile."

"That's nice and all, but he's engaged to a wonderful woman."

"That shouldn't matter to a woman who finds him attractive; after all, I met him first."

Jim gave her a serious look and saw the hurt: "He was your friend-why would you hurt a friend who didn't do anything to you? That was never you, Janice-at least not the Janice I knew."

"I don't want to hurt him or his woman." Janice looked into his eyes. "I just-I needed..."

Jim reached over and hugged her deeply; he understood what she wanted-what she needed. Janice needed validation of her sexuality and intelligence-the thing he couldn't give her while they were in the relationship, which he regretted. The Enterprise had taken up his whole life. That is what he realized with Lester-she hadn't been recognized for her worth.

Janice started to breathe, and Jim released her from the hug. His words had released years of tension. She realized that he was being genuine-this was the real Kirk, the Kirk that she longed to be with. She held them back, but her eyes were filled to the brim with tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.

Jim pulled back slightly and looked at her: "Are we okay-are you okay?"

She nodded her head yes.

"Would you like to have dinner with an old friend?"

"Sure, that would be nice!"

 

End Notes:

 

A/N:

[1] Star Trek TOS: "Turnabout Intruder"-I never thought that Kirk would find the woman in him.

[2] Star Trek TOS: "The Man Trap"-Wrigley's Pleasure Planet (WPP) was mentioned in passing when Crewman Darnell compared the salt vampire's illusion of Nancy Crater to a woman he saw on WPP. Darnell and Dr. McCoy were on the planet M-113. Nancy Crater was a woman from McCoy's past, and the salt vampire showed the two men different illusions that were both supposed to be Nancy.

 

Chapter 9-Chekov's Mission part 1 by Uhura the 9th
Author's Notes:

See the source image

 

Charlene's Diary

Chapter 9

Beta Reader: Jsilver2000


Chekov's Mission Impossible: Part 1

Summary: Chekov couldn't convince Sulu to have a bachelor party, but he is determined to give him one, despite tempting the wrath of Masters.

If you wonder how Pavel will put his plan into motion, well, our young Russian friend has hormone problems; he's into women. He wondered how to get some exotic women on the ship unnoticed; the wheels of his brain were turning. And he decided to have them come aboard disguised as yeomen, hoping no one would notice the difference. Pavel even had the assistance of two other ensigns to help with his plan. They wanted to party with the girls; they thought it was a great plan. The Enterprise was on its way to Starbase 9 anyway, and there were bars and clubs there. Pavel was hoping his little plan for a bachelor party would work so he could surprise his long-time friend. Now here is how our little Russian planned to do it:

"You theenk you can do eet for me, Treestan?"

"I'm not sure"

"You're the records officer; just add three leetle names to the roster as yeomen."

"All this for Sulu?"

"Yeah; that's vhat friends are for-plus you're eenwited too!"

"It's a deal-as long I get a girl to dance with."

"Deal!"

Pavel laughed, excited that his plan had fallen into place. He had found out that from Starbase 9, the Enterprise was en route to another starbase in the Beta quadrant. He could drop the women off there. And no one would know the difference.

"Hikaru veell be so surprised," Pavel thought, smiling devilishly.


Later on, in the ship's lounge 'Karu, Charlene, and Eve were sharing some downtime; 'Karu had an arm draped around Charlene's shoulders.

"I love being off duty," Charlene said, sighing.

Eve just laughed at her: "I would too if I had a handsome man waiting for ME!"

"Okay-I'm feeling a little uncomfortable right now," Sulu said nervously, glancing back and forth between the women.

Charlene exhaled: "Engineering has really been making me earn my credits, but I finally got those new specs lined up."

"I'm glad about that. I have barely seen you. Mr. Scott kept you away from me," Sulu commented. But he was really wondering what was going on with Janice; she had been keeping a low profile. He hadn't seen or heard from her in days, which was okay with him. He didn't want Char to get into any form of conflict over their relationship; the ship had enough drama as it was.

Charlene leaned into 'Karu and asked, "Wanna dance?"

"Sure; why not?" Sulu said with a winning smile.

He escorted her to the dance floor while Eve watched them. After a few minutes, Eve spotted Janice entering the lounge wearing a knee-length blue dress. She looked around as if she was looking for someone. Then Char and Sulu came back to the table.

"That was great! I hope we have dancing at our wedding!"

'Karu asked, "Maybe something like Uhura and Spock's?"

"No, like we just did-I want us and everyone else to have their own groove."

The three of them laughed at the thought, but their mirth subsided when a newcomer came up to the table. They glanced up to see the face of Janice Rand.

"May speak to you-both of you, please?"

Eve started to leave her seat.

"Please don't leave, Eve, I won't be long."

Janice sat down and twisted her hands around each other; she took a deep breath and looked at 'Karu and Charlene.

"Charlene, I owe you an apology for trying to disrupt your relationship with Sulu. I hope you will forgive me if I caused any friction between the two of you. There is no excuse for my behavior and the gossip I caused on the ship. You didn't deserve that, so I hope you will forgive my actions."

Charlene's mouth dropped open in shock; she arched a brow:

"Do you mean that?!"

"Yes, I do. Sulu was once a dear friend of mine. I know I abused our friendship." Janice turned to Sulu: "I hope you forgive me too, Sulu. I'm truly sorry."

'Karu and Charlene looked at each other and nodded in agreement. Sulu reached out and put his hands over hers:

"Thank you; that means a lot coming from you. I heard you've been promoted and will be leaving the Enterprise for another post. I wish you success in your next station."

"Me as well. I hope things will be better wherever you go," Charlene added.

"Thank you both. Have a wonderful evening." Janice glanced at Eve: "You too, Eve."

All Eve could do was shake her head as Janice got up and left the lounge.

Eve looked at 'Karu and Charlene: "Wow, that was interesting. I wonder what led to this change in her behavior?"

"I don't know, but I am happy about it," Charlene replied.

"I did ask Nyota to talk to her," 'Karu said.

Charlene looked at him curiously: "You did?"

"Yes. I didn't want you stressed out about Janice. We were friends. You threatened to kill her, you know. And I couldn't have my girl in the brig."

Eve started laughing: "Yeah, you're right, 'Karu. We'd all be sitting outside the brig singing her songs or something."

"I wasn't that bad!"

'Karu and Eve looked at each other and simultaneously said, "Yes, you were!"

The three of them continued to enjoy their evening.


The Enterprise reached Starbase 9, and a number of crewmen left the ship for their next assignment. Nyota and McCoy said goodbye to Janice.

"Thanks, Nyota, for supporting me. I didn't mean to let things get out of hand."

"Things happen, and we learn and grow from them; I'm happy for you, Janice. Congratulations on your promotion."

"Yes, congratulations! I wish you success in your new assignment, Janice. You will be missed again!" McCoy said sincerely.


The Enterprise was next scheduled to deliver supplies and personnel to Starbase 12. But three mysterious women appeared aboard the ship and were secretly stashed on the lower decks. Chekov had managed to get liquor and other party supplies and stash them around the ship. Some things went unnoticed, but others...

"Mr. Spock, here is the latest update on the supplies that came aboard, Sir," Nyota said, handing the Padd to him.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. You may continue with your work."

Uhura swiveled her chair back to her station while Spock walked across the bridge and continued monitoring the crew. He glanced at the Padd and noticed a personal shipment, but it was the large size of the shipment that caught his eye. His eyebrow shot up and he decided to take a trip to the quartermaster's office to check on it.


Meanwhile:

"Ssshhh, ladies! Thees ees a surprise, remember?"

"How long are we supposed to stay locked up here?" purred one of the women, who was caressing Pavel's hair.

"Not long, but you must not be seen, at least not for now," Pavel pleaded.

"Why do we have to wear all these clothes? They itch!" snapped another woman trying to pull at the sleeve and waist of a yeoman's uniform. "How do females wear this thing-it's awful!"

"Where and when is the party?" another woman demanded. "I want to see more men besides you!"

Pavel gave her a stern look: "I'm the most handsome man on this sheep!"

The three women looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

"Ladies, just remember your contract, and you'll be all set at the next starbase. But the plan ees for you to stay here until I come to get you-eet's simple," Pavel explained.

"Oh-kay, Oh-kay, we gotcha!" the third woman snapped.

"Look, beautiful ladies, I have the best suite on the ship; no one uses eet. All the accommodations are right here. Do you remember vhat to say eef someone finds you?"

The second woman recited: "We tell them that we are three yeomen in training and we are being transferred to Starbase 12."

"That great! Now I have to go to vork. I'll check on you when I'm off duty."

The first woman hung on Pavel's neck and purred: "Don't be long, darling!"

Pavel took a deep breath and looked into her brown eyes. "She is so tempting!" he thought, leaving with a smile on his face.


The next day, 'Karu was visiting Charlene's quarters when she decided to bring up her concerns about moving up the wedding.

Charlene gave 'Karu a curious look: "'Karu, may I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Char-ask away."

"Do you want a bachelor party?"

'Karu gave her a questioning look: "What brought this on? Do you want a bachelorette party?"

"If I have one, it wouldn't be fair if you didn't-but I know how bachelor parties can go overboard, and I'm still worried."

Charlene sat on his lap and hugged him.

"Are you reconsidering?" 'Karu asked.

"I mean, yeah, because I gave Nyota one, and it was just us three, and it's like tradition, ya know?"

'Karu gave her a deeper look: "What's really going on, Char? Don't hold back."

"I was thinking we should get married sooner. I know we agreed to wait until we get back to Earth, so our families can be there. But, 'Karu, I was thinking... I don't want... to go another day without making our relationship official."

'Karu leaned his forehead against hers; he had been thinking the same thing. Space changes things and situations. They were on the same ship, quartered a few decks apart, when they could be in the same room living their lives together. He took a deep breath:

"I agree. I think we should start living our lives together. I know my family won't be happy; they were expecting a large traditional wedding where you wear a designer kimono."

"We could have two weddings and still keep them happy," Char said, kissing his cheek with joy.

"Let's set the date and inform the Captain. Char, I want it simple-nothing crazy!"

Charlene shoved him, laughing: "Really? Every girl's dream and you want to cut it short?!"

"You want a ship-wide wedding?"

"Yeah, why not? They can view it on the monitors."

'Karu lifted her from his lap and led her to the computer, where they checked their schedules and Enterprise's itinerary.

"I will also put in a request for a larger quarters as well. By the time it's approved, we will be married," 'Karu said as he worked on the computer.

Charlene smiled, feeling excited that things were moving along. She leaned in and kissed him.

"This is great because my dress is all ready to go; Eve is almost finished. And now I can tell Nyota the good news!"

'Karu was excited too and a bit worried that his family wouldn't take it well: "I think it's best to tell our families after, so they can yell and curse at us while we're in space. They'll calm down by the time we get back to Earth."

Charlene laughed: "I know, but we made this decision together, and we will have to promise them something big when we come home."

'Karu was laughing too: "I know; it would also be better to get it over with soon so I can get Chekov off my back about my bachelor party. He's so hung up on it!"

Charlene looked at her man and asked, "Do you want one, 'Karu? I mean it's tradition, and most men want one last hurrah."

"Trust me when I tell you I shouldn't have one."

'Karu was remembering his single days when he would party really wildly, with lots of women and even more drinking. He didn't want to put Charlene through it, especially the wild women. In the past, he had not been particular about who they were and generally didn't remember what happened the next day. 'Karu was a bit worried that if Char knew how low he had gone in his previous lifestyle, she would leave him. What made things worse was that 'Karu had introduced Pavel into that crazy lifestyle and now the Russian had come to crave it. "It's best to keep that in the past," 'Karu thought.

"I think I'll lay low until the wedding; I'd rather do something with Mr. Spock. You've changed me, Charlene, and I want to be that new man for you."

"'Karu, that's so sweet-because of your sacrifice, I won't have one either."

They sat, holding each other in their arms and thinking about their future in Starfleet and beyond, and how to make that future work.

 

Chapter 10-Chekov's Mission part 2 by Uhura the 9th
Author's Notes:

Summary: Pavel had somehow smuggled three exotic dancers aboard and managed to hide them in one of the suites reserved for diplomats and other prestigious passengers. Mr. Spock had noted an unusual cargo manifest entry and was interested in the contents of the containers that had been brought aboard. After his shift on the bridge ended, he headed down to the quartermaster's office with Padd in hand.    

"Ensign Morris, I have an inquiry."

Tristan jumped at the sound of Mr. Spock's commanding voice: "Yes, Sir. How can I help you?"

"The manifest lists some large containers; have you examined their contents per regulations?"

Tristan cleared his throat. "Which shipment, Sir?" he asked before scurrying over to his Padd to scan his list.

"I... I did receive a large shipment, which has been placed into storage, Sir. It's listed here as belonging to Ensign Chekov, Sir."

"May I see your voucher, Ensign?"

Tristan reluctantly handed over his Padd, which did indeed show Chekov as the owner of the containers.

"Is... is there something wrong, Mr. Spock?"

"Interesting. His name did not appear on my list," Spock said. He wrote a note on his Padd. "I must inspect the contents," Spock said.

Tristan grabbed the collar of his red tunic and pulled hard. "But... but, Mr. Spock, I think it would be wise to wait until Mr. Chekov can be present. It's considered private property, Sir."

Spock looked at him curiously: "Are you all right, Ensign?"

"Oh! Yes, Sir! Just doing my job!"

"Then I will address the contents of Ensign Chekov's packages later. As you were, Ensign."

Spock left the quartermaster's office and Tristan sagged against the desk, breathing deeply and wondering whether Mr. Spock would look into the containers before Chekov could transfer the "cargo." Tristan wiped the sweat that had formed on his forehead.

"I'm beginning to wonder if this party is worth it."


Meanwhile, in the mess hall, Sulu, Nyota, Charlene, Chekov, and Eve were having lunch, which was a rare occasion.

Charlene started with the good news: "Listen, everyone! 'Karu and I have come down with a decision."

All heads are turned toward them. 'Karu and Charlene shared a quick look of joy, and then 'Karu continued: "Charlene and I decided not to wait until we return to Earth for our wedding. We want to have it here next week."

Everyone placed their utensils down and looked shocked. Eve broke the spell: "Really? That soon? I need to work faster on the dress then!"

"Wow! This what you both want... right?" Nyota asked.

"Yeah, we want this. I know our wedding won't be like yours, Nyota," Charlene said.

"Girl, why would you want it to be like mine? As long both of you agreed to this, that's what matters, not the kind of ceremony you have," Nyota replied.

"Am I steell the best man?" Chekov wanted to know.

"Of course! It's just simple and less complex," Sulu said.

"You said in about a week, right?" Chekov asked.

"Yeah, we have clearance for the date and time. You guys need to let the Captain know so he can adjust your schedules."

Eve smiled: "I think it's a great decision, and I'm happy for you both!"

"Me too! You two are practically living together anyway," Nyota said.

Charlene leaned toward 'Karu, and the two of them exchanged smiles again. The couple gave more details of the upcoming ceremony and party, and their friends responded with enthusiastic questions. At least, Nyota and Eve did. Chekov sat there with a big grin on his face, the wheels in his head spinning. Now that he had a date for the wedding, he could plan 'Karu's surprise bachelor's party. He wanted it to be spectacular, and he had an idea about how to pull it off:

"Thees ees perfect timing! I can have the party early and geeve Sulu the beeggest surprise of his life!. I need to keep the girls busy and then drop them off at the next space station. Thees is the perfect plan!'


Sometime later, Chekov was in the turbolift on his way to the bridge. He had just confirmed the date and time with his pals and the party ladies. "Now to get Sulu on board veeth the idea that eet's just a friendly game of cards, just like Mr. Spock's bachelor party." He was chuckling to himself when the turbolift stopped, and Mr. Spock got on.

"Mr. Chekov, it has come to my attention that you received some large containers at the last starbase. For safety reasons, may I inquire what their contents are?"

Chekov looked at his commanding officer and his mouth went dry: "They are... they are..." he said, searching his mind for an excuse. "They are for Mr. Sulu's bachelor party, vheech I'm hosting seence I vill be the best man at the wedding."

"Interesting-"

"Yes, yes, they are full of party supplies, you know, like decorations and stuff. I ordered hors d'oeuvres from the galley and dreenks from the staff lounge," Chekov said, giggling nervously.

"Ve veell eat, dreenk, and play cards."

"Thank you for that information, Ensign. I will check it off as personal," Spock said, noting it on his Padd. As he stood there calculating how long it would take the turbolift to reach the bridge, his thoughts turned to what his wife had said about how he should try to interact socially with the crew more often. Since Sulu had taken part in their wedding and his bachelor party, Nyota would be pleased if he participated in this activity, and Chekov had mentioned a card game. Spock turned to Chekov as the turbolift slowed and the doors opened:

"Mr. Chekov, Ms. Uhura insists that I partake in more social interaction with the crew, and Mr. Sulu served as a groomsman at our wedding. Would it be appropriate for me to attend this bachelor party? If so, please let me know the time and date of this activity."

Chekov wanted to pass out; he closed his eyes, his brain racing. "OH NO!" his mind screamed. "Mr. Spock I..." his shoulders sagged. "I'll let you know vhen I've ironed out the details."

"I look forward to the card game."

Spock stepped out of the turbolift and headed to his station while Pavel dragged himself to his own. "I can't believe I just eenwited Mr. Spock to a vild, crazy bachelor party! Nyota is going to kill me."' He took his seat, knowing he had to figure out a way to keep Mr. Spock from coming to the party.

Sulu turned to him: "What's up with you, Pavel? You look like you just lost your best friend."

"You could say that; I'm vorking on an answer to a problem."

"It must be deep to make you look like that!"

Pavel gave Sulu a grave look: "You have no idea, my friend."

Pavel went to work with one thought on his mind: "Mr. Spock is going to vild bachelor party; vhat am I going to do?" He sighed and turned his attention to the large screen in front of him.


After their shift, Sulu and Charlene got together to work on the plans for their hasty wedding:

"Char, the captain approved the larger suite; we can start moving in any time," Sulu said, jogging down the corridor to intercept Charlene. She smiled brightly on hearing the good news:

"Now we don't have to go far for our honeymoon."

'Karu stopped in his tracks: "I didn't... plan anything for us, Char. I feel bad about that."

Charlene grabbed his hand: "Listen, we can have a second wedding reception back home-then we can go somewhere special for a real honeymoon."

'Karu felt relieved: "Yes, we could go to one of those resort planets I've been hearing about."

"For now, the simpler the better; I don't want drama now. I just want to start living my life with you, 'Karu. I've wasted a lot of time with bad relationships."

'Karu turned and looked into the eyes of the woman of his dreams. He leaned in and gave her a kiss that deepened. Then the moment was broken:

"Hey, you two! Get a room!" a crewman shouted as they went by. They looked around and saw that other crewmen had noticed their display of affection and were starting to laugh at them. Sulu pulled Charlene closer and escorted her down the corridor: "We will!" he responded, the two of them laughing as they went.


Meanwhile in Chekov's quarters:

"WHAT?" Please tell me you're kidding us!" Tristan demanded, running his hand through his hair.

"How did this happen? What are we going to do?" asked Link, the technician.

"Don't vorry; I'll theenk of something," Pavel said, unconvincingly.

"Don't worry? He says don't worry that Commander Spock is coming to the bachelor party! And not just ANY bachelor party, but one with exotic dancers!" Tristan said, getting a little worked up.

"How did I let you talk me into this? We'll get kicked out of the service!" Link added.

Chekov looked at his two friends: "Gentlemen, relax!"

Link looked at him: "'Relax', he says; we have to cancel the whole thing!"

Tristan slapped his hand to his forehead: "What about the women? They were pre-paid and non-refundable."

"Relax, please. I've got thees under control."

Pavel, Commander Spock is coming to a risqué bachelor party for Sulu. With three exotic dancers that will be wearing barely anything! You're asking us to relax?" Tristan started to wonder whether this party was worth being demoted or even worse-kicked out of the service.

"Gentlemen, I vork veeth one of the smartest men in the universe; some of hees wisdom has rubbed off on me. I can solve this leettle problem."

Tristan and Link looked at each other and wondered whether Pavel was full of it.

Link snickered and said, "Riiight... Mr. Spock is in a class all by himself."

Tristan crossed his arms: "Well, if you don't come up with a plan PRONTO, then the deal is off, and I'll take my losses."

"Okay. Just geeve me a few meenutes to theenk; the two of you are drowning me in doubt."

Pavel went to his bed, plopped himself down, and started analyzing his situation while Tristan and Link continued to complain and worry about the consequences they would face if Mr. Spock found out about their scheme.

"I can't believe I got talked into this!" Link said, slapping his hand against his forehead.

"Man! At the time, it sounded foolproof and fun," Tristan said.

The workings of Pavel's analytical mind finally served up an answer. He snapped his fingers: "I've got eet!"

His two partners in crime quickly turned to him, wondering what he had come up with.

"Ve'll have TWO parties!"

The two men chimed in together: "TWO PARTIES?"

"Vhy not? Ve can have one on Friday night-vhich vill be the boring poker party weeth Mr. Spock-and then ve vill have the other on Saturday night. Eet's genius! Ve vill have our vild bachelor party."

The men looked at each other and thought it out:

Tristan smiled cautiously: "Okay; that could work."

"So the first party is for the brass[high-ranking officers] only. I like it!" Link said.

"That's vhy I vork on the bridge vith the other brains," Pavel said airily.

Tristan and Link looked at him: "Sure, Pavel. Sure!"

"What do we do now that we're having two parties?" Link asked.

"I vill take care of the officers' party vhile you two make sure the bachelor party gets set up vithout teepping anyone off to eet."

Tristan and Link nodded their heads in agreement.

"So ve have forty-eight hours to get thees done; let's go, gentlemen! Their vedding ees the next day."

The young men left to arrange the two parties. Chekov figured that he would let Hikaru and Charlene know about the quiet one but would keep the wild bachelor party on the down-low.


A little while later on the bridge at the captain's chair:

"I know eet's short notice, Sir, but Sulu announced the vedding much earlier than expected."

"Yes; the couple put in a request for a wedding date next week. Don't worry; I'll have Mr. Spock rearrange your schedule. And thank you for the invitation."

"Yes, Sir. It vas Mr. Sulu's request to have a small bachelor party like Mr. Spock's. I'd heard it vas wery eenteresting, Sir."

Kirk looked askance at the ensign, reacting to the remark: "We can't all be party animals all the time."

"Of course, Sir," Pavel said, laughing nervously.

Pavel arranged to use one of the recreation rooms for the quiet party, supplying it with party basics: tables, cards, and some decorations; the dispenser was conveniently already there for snacks and desserts. He had convinced Dr. McCoy to bring the drinks. His plan was in place. Then he went to help set up the other party. He had already convinced Sulu that the boring party was in place. "Now how to get heem to come to the second bachelor party?" he wondered. "I vill feegure it out." He walked down the corridor rubbing his hands together as his plan came together: "Vhat could go wrong?"


Tristan was arranging Pavel's containers on a levitating pallet to travel to the lower level to set up the bachelor party when...

"Whatcha doing, Tristan?"

Tristan jumped from his position, looking as guilty as if he had been caught in the act of stealing something.

"Whoa, Eve! Why did sneak up on me like that?"

"I'm sorry! I was checking my inventory," Eve said, noticing that Tristan was surrounded by stacked containers.

"Do you need help?"

Tristan was so nervous, he started sweating: "No. NO! I'm good."

Eve eyed him suspiciously: "Okay; see you later."

"Yep-gotta go."

Tristan used a remote to arrange the containers on the floating pallet and maneuver it through the doors.

Eve found Tristan's behavior strange, but she put it out of her mind and continued with her work.

 

Chapter 11-Chekov's Mission part 3 by Uhura the 9th
Author's Notes:

Beta Reader: Jsilver2000   

 

Chekov's Mission Impossible: Part 3

Chekov thought he had pulled off the bachelor party crime of the century, all because Commander Spock invited himself to Sulu's decoy bachelor party. Captain Kirk, Scotty, McCoy, and Sulu would all take part in that party. Chekov gave the details of the decoy party to Hikaru to keep him in the dark about the real one. Hikaru told Charlene what Pavel had set up, and she approved it. Nyota decided to give Charlene a spa day with her closest friends before the wedding. Both parties had been arranged, and Chekov's scheme was proceeding as planned:

"Thanks, Pavel, for the quiet party. It's just what I need," Hikaru said.

"Sure, sure! Anytheeng for a friend!"

"You're taking not having the wild party pretty well," Hikaru said.

"Yep; I know vhen I have been outdone by your girlfriend."

"Hey, don't say that! It was my decision."

"I've noticed that you have changed sooo..."

"I will always be your friend; that has not changed."

"Men always change vhen they get married."

"I will change, because I'm with Charlene now, and we are adjusting to our new roles."

Chekov patted Hikaru on the back, giving him a big smile: "Don't vorry! I veell take care of you, and you von't forget the sacrifice I've made."

He left Sulu with a puzzled look on his face.


Meanwhile in Spock and Nyota's suite:

"I'm glad that you took the initiative to invite yourself to Sulu's bachelor party, Spock. But next time, Ashayam, um... please wait to be asked." Nyota wanted to laugh but couldn't because he was working on his social skills and she needed to support that.

"Yes. You suggested that I assert myself to interact more with the crew and develop... friendships."

"Imagine-my man going to his first bachelor party! I'm so proud of you!"

"I have been to mine, Nyota."

"But you were the groom then."

"Nyota, I fail to understand why humans need this form of entertainment to celebrate a wedding."

She went to him and hugged his waist, knowing that to his Vulcan mind, human culture was strange.

"It started as a family tradition to unite families and strengthen the ties between them; then, as the centuries passed, it turned into a more elaborate celebration."

Spock wrapped his arms around his wife and processed that information. He found it strange but decided it was logical to accept it. Kaiidth [what is, is].


"Ees everytheeng ready for tomorrow, Leenk?" Pavel asked.

"Yeah. I've figured out how to get the exotic dancers to the rec room-they are sooo hot! I want one, and I want to party too!"

Tristan shook his head: "First of all, you're not engaged to be married, and, second, what girl would want you?"

"Ha ha! Like you're a catch!" Link snapped.

"Okay, you two! Let eet rest. Vhat about the inwitations?

"The invitations are done; I explained that the party is a secret," Link said.

"Guys, thees veell vork eef we deed everything right! Ve'll have the best time... I can hardly vait! Sulu veell be so surprised!" Chekov pumped his fist in the air.

"We've got the rec room for a good part of the night, and the endless drinks are ready. It took time to accumulate enough drink credits for the night," Tristan explained.

Chekov clapped his hands together: "Yes! My old friend veell be surprised and forget about that other boring party. Thees veell be a party Sulu veell never forget!"


On the night of the first bachelor party, Kirk, McCoy, Scotty, Chekov, Sulu, and Spock went to the designated lounge, where a long table was set up with food and all forms of alcoholic drinks.

McCoy leaned toward Scotty and whispered, "I wish there were some women here to entertain us."

"Aye, this party brings me back to my grandma's 75th birthday luncheon."

McCoy snickered and toasted Scotty: "That's because of Spock! I hope this doesn't become a tradition on this ship!"

Kirk approached them and saw their faces: "Are you two thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yep: another quiet evening on the good ol' Enterprise!"

"Well, it's what Sulu wanted: something low-key; so let's make the best of it."

The men sat around and ate the food and drank and brought up old stories, ranking on Sulu for swashbuckling around the ship shirtless while pretending to be D'Artagnan. The best part of that incident[1] was Riley singing "Kathleen" for the umpteenth time, which drove Kirk crazy. Sulu was still embarrassed about the incident.

Spock observed the bantering and then said, "I remember the incident when Ensign Chekov indicated that he could smell Klingons through space."[2]

Four pairs of eyes locked onto the Vulcan, staring. His fellow crew members couldn't believe what they had heard:

"I don't believe it! Did Mr. Spock-did he just razz Chekov?" Sulu asked.

"I don't believe it either," Kirk said, holding back a giggle.

"I think Uhura is doing a fine job with his social skills," McCoy said, snickering.

Kirk started chuckling, and the rest joined in, erupting in full-on laughter. Spock had poked fun at someone besides Dr McCoy!

Later on, the men had their own viewing monitors and played virtual slots, continuing to share drinks, dreams, and stories of their exploits.

The final winnings:

Kirk: 432 credits won

Chekov: 101 credits lost

McCoy: 267 credits won

Sulu: 600 credits won

Scotty: 50 credits lost

Spock: 356,728 credits won

As the night of drinking, gambling, and story-telling ended, Sulu was grateful to his friends for the fun; he chuckled as the quiet party broke up:

"Thanks, everyone! You just made my future wife very happy!"

"Hey, nothing like getting humiliated in virtual slots," McCoy said, dragging himself out the door.

"Vhat are you talking about? I lost credits! It veell take me months to get those back!" Chekov snapped, thinking not only about the money he had lost on the slots, but also his investment in the exotic dancers and the other bachelor party items. It was costing him.

Then they all turned to Spock, AKA 'Mr. Moneybags':

Scotty scowled: "Mr. Spock came out on top again, just like at his party."

Spock saw their disappointment and rubbed it in a little: "My wife will enjoy using the credits for her shopping pleasure."

"SHOPPING PLEASURE! She could buy a planet with all those credits!" Kirk said slapping Spock on the back.

"Good night, everyone, and thanks again!" Sulu said as he waved and headed toward his quarters.

"One meenute, Hikaru! I have a question," Chekov said as he jogged to catch up to his friend.

"Yeah?"

"I vas vondering vhat are you doing tomorrow night because I need your help vith something. I vas hoping you could come by about 1900 hours."

"I don't have anything planned, and Char is doing her girl's spa tomorrow night. It shouldn't be a problem."

"Great! I'll see you then." Chekov watched Hikaru walk to the turbolift with a big smile. He clapped his hands together as if he had completed his final mission: "Yes! Everytheeng ees een place. Eet's not a vild party on Wrigley's Pleasure Planet, but eet's as close as ve can get veethout going there!

Pavel headed back to his quarters.


The next day, everybody completed their shifts and had the evening off. Sulu was planning to have a quiet evening and get ready for his wedding the next afternoon. Chekov and his team had moved the exotic dancers during the middle of gamma shift, when no one would notice the giggling females as they continued to try to seduce the men. Charlene and her wedding party of Nyota and Eve prepared for their spa night in place of a bachelorette party, blissfully unaware of what was going to happen next.

"Why do I need my toes painted again?" Charlene asked.

"Because!" Nyota pretended to slap her against the head. "You're wearing sandals; your toes need to look nice when you walk down the aisle."

"Plus you need to look sexy for your man on your wedding night," Eve added with a smirk.

"Ahem! We've passed that stage in our relationship."

Nyota eyed her hard: "Don't let me hurt you, Char; you need this! It's important that you keep your relationship hot!"

"Oh? Oh! This is all new to me; give me a wrench or drill and then I'm at home!"

"Girl, you are hopeless!" Eve said, laughing. "I've got this dress custom-made for your figure. Trust me, 'Karu won't recognize you tomorrow."

Charlene's com-link chimed: "I wonder who that is?" Charlene said, walking on her heels over to the com-link to protect her damp nail polish. When she answered it, her friend Tina's image appeared on the monitor:

"Hi, Tina!"

The three of them watched as Tina Lawton said, "I don't like it; I don't like it one bit!"

Nyota looked at her curiously: "What don't you like?"

"That Matt has gone to Sulu's bachelor party!"

The three women said at the same time, "WHAT BACHELOR PARTY?!"

 

End Notes:

 

A/N: Star Trek TOS: "The Naked Time." [1]

"The Trouble With Tribbles." [2]

 

Chapter 12-Chekov's Mission part 4 by Uhura the 9th
Author's Notes:

Beta Reader: Jsilver2000    

 

Tina got upset when Matt told her he was going to Sulu's bachelor party. She had tried to talk him out of it, but Matt went anyway, she told Nyota, Charlene, and Eve.

"I don't think it's funny that Matt is going to a wild bachelor party," Tina said sharply, breathing hard.

"What wild bachelor party?" all three asked simultaneously.

"Why Sulu's, your fiancé, Charlene."

"'Sulu is having a bachelor party?" they asked at the same time.

"Tina, 'Karu had his bachelor party yesterday with the Captain," Charlene said.

"No, Matt said it's going on right now, and Sulu, your fiancé, is the guest of honor!"

Charlene shook her head, "No, no, no! That's impossible. He wouldn't lie to me!"

Nyota tried to calm things down: "Tina, there was a bachelor party for Sulu yesterday evening given by Chekov. The Captain was there with Mr. Spock. Are you sure?"

"I don't know about yesterday, but I know there is a party right now with exotic dancers!"

"EXOTIC DANCERS?!" :The three women chorused.

Charlene stood up and asked: "Tina, do you know where this wild party is?"

"No. I tried to find it! I'm so upset! He asked me to trust him. But how can I if there are exotic dancers!"

"I don't understand. Who among the female crew would perform as an exotic dancer?" Nyota asked.

The three women exchanged glances and realization hit: "Sh!t!"

Eve jumped up: "I can use the computer to locate a large crowd."

Tina started to tear up and sniffle: "Ms. Uhura, do I have to break up with Matt?"

Nyota looked at the poor girl: "Not if I can help it. Now dry your eyes and let's get to the bottom of this! Matt probably misunderstood the invitation."

"Who invited Matt?" Charlene wanted to know.

"Chekov, I think."

"Don't worry. Dry your eyes and we'll get back to you!" Charlene advised. Tina faded from the monitor.

Charlene shook her head at the thought that Karu would go to a private party without her knowledge. "He wouldn't go. He had a bachelor party just yesterday."

Eve whispered to Nyota: "Do you think he knew about this one, Ny?"

"I hope not. For his sake, I hope not!"

"Found it! Unusual amount of activity on Deck 15, Section E, near the cargo area," Eve reported.

Charlene got dressed in her sweats and slipped on her shoes, ruining her still-damp painted toenails.

Nyota could almost see the steam coming out of her nostrils.

"Where do you think you're going?" Nyota asked.

"Where do you think?! I'm going to get my man so I can beat the crap out of him for having another bachelor party!"

"Girl, we need to get the facts first!" Nyota cautioned.

"Hello, Ny! Tina just told us!" Charlene said, getting more angry by the second. She stormed out of her quarters toward Deck 15, with Eve and Nyota running after her.


When Hikaru received his invite, he decided to visit Pavel later on during the evening. He'd gotten a com-link message from Pavel directing him to a lower deck. As he strolled along Deck 15, he met fellow crewmen who congratulated him on his impending marriage. He was excited that he would be marrying the girl of his dreams-someone who believed in him. Then Hikaru noticed that he was in an isolated area of the deck; he felt uncomfortable:

"Why does Pavel want me all the way down here?" 'Karu wondered as he stood in front of the door to which he had been directed. The door opened into darkness:

"Pavel?"

Then the lights blinked on, music burst forth, and two women jumped him. Another was dancing on the stage, wearing almost nothing. The men started whistling and leering.

"Surprise!" a crowd of men shouted together. It seemed that some of them had started drinking already.

The two women wearing teddy-like outfits started rubbing his chest and ruffling his hair. Sulu attempted to keep them from touching his head. Pavel came forward and thrust a drink into his hand.

"Surprise, Heekaru! Eet's your bachelor party from me and your friends!" Pavel said as he spread his arms wide, presenting the party.

'Karu tried to speak, but one of the girls tipped the drink into his mouth, and he started to choke and sputter.

Link came forward: "We have entertainment for you right here! Ladies, lead him to his throne."

The two women giggled, writhed seductively, and practically dragged Sulu to a chair that was decorated to look like a throne.

'Karu looked up at his friend with confusion:

"Pavel! What are you doing? What is all this?" Sulu asked as he tried to get out of the chair.

"Hey, 'Karu! I couldn't take you to Wreegley's Pleasure Planet, so I thought I vould breeng a piece of eet here!" Pavel downed a deep-blue cocktail and continued: "I gave the other bachelor party to geeve you vhat your fiancée vanted. Eet vas a decoy! Okay, ladies take care of our man!"

"Wow! He's a cute one. It's too bad he's getting married," :The first one commented as she rubbed his head. Sulu tried to remove her hand.

"Pavel, you can't do this! I can't do this! I'll get in so much trouble!"

"Relax, my friend! Nobody knows except these guys; eet's a secret. Dance with the pretty lady!" Chekov left to get more drinks, swaying to the music as he went.

"Hi, cutie! My name is Cherry Blossom," said the second woman as she rubbed her hands up and down his chest. Karu tried to grab her wrist to stop her ministrations. He dragged Cherry over to the nearest male and handed her off to him: "Please take her!"

Instead, Ensign Henry said, "Congratulations, Sulu!" as he grabbed the giggling girl by the waist, gave her a twirl, and pushed her back toward Sulu. Sulu managed to avoid a full-body embrace only by using quick the footwork he usually reserved for fencing.

"I've got to get out of here fast!" 'Karu thought.

He weaved between bodies gyrating to the music and avoided the drinks being splashed around. He had almost reached the door when he ran into Tristan.

"Hey, where ya going, Sulu?" Tristan asked, giving Sulu a concerned look and blocking his way.

"I have to leave. You don't know how much trouble I'm in..." 'Karu said, trying to explain.

"I know you need a drink to relax. I just want you to know we invested a lot of credits in this fabulous party! Those girls are something else!" he said, winking at 'Karu. "Come on! This is your last night as a free man."

Tristan and another crewman dragged 'Karu back to the throne, where the woman from the stage sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Well, Hello! Are you the birthday guy?" the woman asked seductively.

"No, I was just leav..."

Chekov popped up again: "There you are! You need another dreenk; here you go." He shoved another drink into Hikaru's hand. "Come on, 'Karu! Leeve eet up a leettle!" Pavel ordered, before dancing off into the crowd.

Cherry returned: "Here's the guy of the hour! Pavel says you need to relax. He said you like to play with swords and knives."

"Really? That sounds kinky and sexy!" said the other exotic dancer, clad in teddy-like outfit of mostly sheer orange fabric. She leaned into Karu: "My name is Apple Blossom. You're cute!"

"I said the same thing, Apple!"

"He feels nice and firm too, Cherry! Let's see what's under the hood," Apple said suggestively.

"Ladies, DON'T! Please WAIT! DON'T!"

The two women wrestled 'Karu's shirt up over his head. Apple started to dance around waving it out of his reach. He lunged for it and tried to pull it back, ripping it in half. 'Karu stood there in shock, wondering how this could have happened to him. He was bare-chested and surrounded, it seemed to him, by two scantily clad women who were now running their hands over his bare skin. "This couldn't get any worse," he thought. "I need to get out of here before my woman finds out. Otherwise, I'm dead."

At that very moment, the door opened:

"'KARU!"

"CHAR!"

CRASH! BOOM! SCREECH! "AAAAHHH!" BAM! CRUNCH! POW! BANG! BOOM! "OUCH!" "STOP!'

"B!TCH!" CRASH! BAM! KA-BOOM! DON'T! OH-NO! SON-OF-A- %$! HEY!

 

Chapter 13-Chekov's Mission part 5 by Uhura the 9th
Author's Notes:

A/N: The scene in the brig is inspired by Norman Rockwell's Evening Post illustration, "The Shiner." B ut first, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy met in Sickbay to discuss the altercation at the bachelor party.    

How are they, Bones?" Kirk asked.

McCoy smirked and then took a deep breath. He looked down at his medical Padd, saying, "Well, you have a couple of bruises, scratches, and mild concussions; then there's the black eyes, bite marks and lacerations. Oh! There was one broken finger."

McCoy wanted to break out laughing so bad; the people in the brig looked like schoolkids after a brawl on the playground. He had been particularly surprised to find that Nyota had been in the middle of it. McCoy was trying really hard not to look at Spock.

Kirk was hurt and furious: Hurt because he wasn't invited to the second party. Chekov had said it was for the "younger generation," which only made it worse. Then furious that there was a fight, and people were now in the brig. "The big mystery is how did those women get on the ship?" Kirk wanted to laugh too; three blossoms? The people in the brig looked like they had come from a barroom brawl. It reminded him of Deep Space Station K7 when Scotty and Chekov had fought with the Klingons. [1]

"If it weren't for the stowaways, this could be funny!" Kirk thought, shaking his head in disbelief. Security had paged him in his quarters with the message that there was an altercation on the lower deck. It took a whole team to subdue the offenders and figure out who was who. Security took statements from everyone involved, including Mrs. Spock! Kirk looked surreptitiously at Spock as he reviewed the reports; the two of them had to decide who would be reprimanded for which infractions.

"This is a bloody mess," Kirk grumbled, running his hand through his hair. "Well, Spock? Anything to say?"

"Captain, it appears that the females came aboard at Starbase 9 and registered as yeomen. It seems they were paid in advance to perform for Mr. Sulu."

Bones slapped his hand against his forehead, thinking to himself, "That didn't even sound right!" Plus he was upset with Pavel for not inviting him to the party. He liked exotic dancers just as much as any red-blooded male.

"Where did all those decorations and clothes come from?" Kirk asked.

"They were ordered, Captain. I do remember asking Ensign Chekov about the contents of his containers; he informed me that there were for the bachelor party."

Kirk took a deep breath as he prepared himself to hand out consequence to the crew members locked in the brig for brawling. "Come on, Bones. Let's interrogate the prisoners."

He turned to Spock: "Stay here, Spock. I have to dress down your wife. I'll give you my decision later."

Spock raised a brow: "I am quite capable of accepting your decision."

"Yeah, I know you are, but not Nyota. She wouldn't want you to be there."

Spock thought about it and agreed.


With the drum roll from Dragnet.

In the brig, the combatants were held in three separate cells:

Cell number one held three exotic dancers named Apple Blossom, Cherry Blossom, and Orange Blossom.

They had been the recipients of a beatdown by three crew women, for an unknown (to them) reason. Their clothes had been practically ripped off, their hair was in disarray, and they sported scratches, bruises, even a bite mark and a black eye. They were guarded by female Security officers because most males found them attractive and they were distracted. When Kirk and McCoy with his medical Padd and kit entered their cell, the three women jumped up screaming:

"Is this how we're treated?"

"We came to do a job!"

"We want compensation for being attacked!"

"Look at my eye! I want justice!"

McCoy double-checked their injuries and applied treatment. First, the women threatened to ruin Starfleet's reputation. Then Kirk made them an offer they couldn't refuse: In light of the fact that they too broke Federation laws by accepting falsified documents and inappropriately living on a starship, as well as that their boss would lose his business if the incident became public, they quickly decided to take the small compensation of being returned safely to the nearest starbase and not being reported.

Drum roll from Dragnet continued:

In the second cell, Kirk stood in front of the three female officers with his arms folded, looking them over for damage: a few scratches, a broken nail, and their disarrayed hair.

"Masters, Brody, and MRS. SPOCK!"

Nyota winced at the way he said her name; it was not good.

"Didn't I ask you NOT to have another altercation on my ship?!" "Mrs. Spock?!"

The three women slumped on the bench where they sat, but Masters' lips started to quiver as she held back her tears. Nyota then sat up straight and faced her captain:

"Yes, Sir; you did. But I had a reason this time."

Kirk held up his hand to stop her from talking:

"Mrs. Spock! You are leader, an officer, and the Communications officer at that!"

Nyota had been communicating with her fist in their faces and her foot up their a$$es. Nyota bowed her head, trying not to anger the captain more; she knew he was disappointed because of his high expectations of her. What made matters worse was that she was married to the first officer.

"Yes, Sir. I'm sorry for failing you," Nyota said somberly.

Kirk took a deep breath: "The three of you are relieved of duty until further notice."

Kirk and McCoy left for the next cell.

Masters started sniffling: "How could 'Karu do this to me-to us! On our wedding day!" Then she crashed her head into Eve's shoulder and started crying.

"Come on, Char; it's going to be okay," Eve said, trying to comfort her as she patted her back. "That little Russian is going to pay for this!" Eve hissed.

Nyota hung her head, afraid to open her bond with Spock, imagining how disappointed he would be with her. Then she decided to see the humor in it and started to chuckle.

"I've got to admit, 'Char, you beat the crap out that one with the skimpy orange outfit. You gave her a black eye."

Charlene sat up and wiped her eyes: "Yes, I did! I think I kicked the sh!t out of her."

The three looked at each other and started laughing: "We did it together too!" Eve added.

"Yeah, but I have a husband and commander to contend with."

Charlene looked at her long-time friend: "Oh, I hope he won't feel bad about this; I feel bad."

"Charlene, you have your own problems with this whole thing."

"I'm pretty mad at 'Karu because he participated in THAT party! He was shirtless, and those bimbos had their hands all over him! The wedding is OFF! How can I trust him? And Pavel planned it! Sneaky little sex maniac!"

Drum roll from Dragnet continued:

In the next cell, Sulu, Chekov, Tristan Morris, and Link Hayes sat quietly.

Sulu couldn't say anything; he just sat there shirtless and sighing, wondering what Charlene thought of him. He felt she didn't trust him. "This is what you get for keeping secrets." He held his head down.

"Why, Pavel? Why did you do it when I asked you not to?"

"I'm sorry, Heekaru. I thought it vould be okay, like vhen ve used to hang out and party."

"I'm sorry too, Sulu. Chekov said it was a win-win! Is your girl really mad?" Tristan asked.

"I wouldn't put it past her."

"Man, Sulu! Your fiancée can fight! She gave one of those Blossom women a shiner!" Hayes said, chuckling.

"She sure did! But that's nothing compared to vhat the Keptin ees going to do to us," Chekov said.

Kirk and McCoy arrived at the entrance to the cell: "You are so right, Technician Chekov."

Chekov sat up, and then the Captain's statement hit him: he'd been demoted. He slapped his head in revelation.

"I'm sorry, Keptin! I didn't mean for theengs to get thees carried avay. I just vanted a seemple party for my friend."

"So simple, Mister, that multiple Starfleet and Federation codes were broken. Do you know how much of a headache you gave me for your 'simple' party?" Kirk asked.

"Simple?" McCoy asked sarcastically, pointing his thumb at him." 'Simple' he says! And the Captain is not as upset as I was that I wasn't invited. I could've supplied better liquor for the party-vintage!" McCoy added. "And, boy, do I know women! Jim, remember that place on Argelius II..." [2]

Kirk snapped: "Dr. McCoy, please focus!"

"Sorry, Captain."

A yeoman came by and handed McCoy a standard black Starfleet T-shirt, which he tossed at Sulu. "It must be getting drafty in there."

Sulu took the shirt and started pulling over his head.

Kirk added a little humor: "Yeah, we don't want Sulu walking around like D'Artagnan again."[3]

Sulu froze in position with his shirt halfway down his torso, sighing at the jibe.

"Gentlemen, you are all relieved of duty until further notice. I need to negotiate with Starfleet and the Federation to try to keep you out of serious trouble."

Kirk and McCoy started to leave:

"Captain, how is Charlene?" Sulu asked, looking for any reason to hope that she would forgive him.

Kirk looked at McCoy, who said gently, "I think you two need some time; that's my opinion. Just remember today was supposed to be her wedding day."

Sulu sagged deeper into the bench: "Thank you, Doctor."

Kirk and McCoy left to determine the men's fate in Starfleet; the three men looked at Sulu somberly, feeling sorry about his canceled wedding day.

Link took a deep breath: "I know this isn't going to help, but I'm deeply sorry about this, Sulu."

"I'm sorry as well, Tristan added. "It sounded like a foolproof plan, and we didn't think of the consequences."

But Sulu was heartbroken. He hoped Charlene would eventually understand that he hadn't known about the whole thing.

"Do you vant me to explain to her, Sulu?" Pavel asked.

"Please don't make it any worse. If she ever speaks to me again, it will be a miracle!"

"Just geeve me a chance, 'Karu; I can feex thees for you!"

Karu looked at Pavel: "You don't understand, Pavel! Char trusted me, and I trusted her. Even though you may say it was your idea or it wasn't my fault, I let her down. When you trust someone you love, they need to be able to trust you too. I was working on that with her; she... told me she had trust issues, and I failed her!

Pavel felt bad that he hadn't understood at first. He had thought he was losing a friend to a needy woman. Now, he felt guilty that his plan had gone wrong, and Sulu was paying the price for it.

"I'm wery sorry, Heekaru!"

"Too late! This was supposed to be our wedding day." 'Karu took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. "I love you Charlene."

About two hours later, the three groups of people were released and faced their fates.

After the debriefing, Scotty, McCoy, Kirk and Spock sat in the conference room.


Spock sensed the tension in the air as he looked at his three friends; he saw the expressions on their taut faces. He knew what was coming; they slowly turned toward Spock and stared.

Then Scotty, McCoy, and Kirk looked at each other and burst out laughing about the whole event. They laughed so hard they had to hold each other up. Spock could only lean back against the desk with raised eyebrows and folded arms and observe.

His wife would be the butt of all their jokes, and they would take great pleasure in reminding him of this event.


Later that evening, Nyota was released from the brig. She went to the quarters she shared with Spock, showered, and set her hair. She looked up and saw her husband; she didn't dare open up their bond. His face, which was a closed book to most people, told her clearly how he felt about her conduct. Nyota sighed deeply. Spock extended his hand to her, and she walked over and took it. He gathered her up and carried to their bed, as he had done on their wedding night. Spock cradled her while she sat in his lap and leaned against his muscular chest.

"I'm sorry, Ashayam," she whispered. She knew her behavior had disturbed him, not only as her superior officer and her husband-but worse-as a Vulcan husband. But she didn't regret the kicka$$ fight to defend her friend.

 

End Notes:

 

A/N:

Star Trek TOS: The Trouble with Tribbles [1]

A Wolf in the Fold [2]

The Naked Time [3]

 

Chapter 14- The Marriage Counselors by Uhura the 9th
Author's Notes:

See the source imageBeta Reader: Jsilver2000

 

Charlene was in Eve Brody's quarters trying to sleep, but her mind kept wandering back to the wild party. When she saw those so-called Blossom women pawing her man, she had lost it. Then she was relieved of duty because of the fight. She sighed deeply.

"It's going to work out, Char, once the air is cleared and you and Hikaru talk. Try to get some rest."

"I can't; those women are still playing in my head." She could still hear their awful giggling.

"Don't give up, Char! You have to believe you an Hikaru will work things out."

"Thanks, Eve! You and Ny are the best!"

Charlene thought about the journey her and 'Karu's romance had taken; she had dealt with jealousy, insecurity, prejudice, and bullying. "Relationships are hard work."

Charlene flipped on her side, hugging the pillow. She fell into a restless sleep on the extra cot.

 


Later on, Nyota reflected on the events of the previous night-a major disaster. She was blessed that her husband was understanding and didn't throw it in her face that she was a senior officer and the head of a department. His mild-mannered attitude made it worse. He said that I should have made a logical decision before taking physical action and that I need more meditation to curb unwarranted emotions. Once Nyota had explained the dynamics of the second bachelor party and the effects it would have on a woman's psychological mind, Spock understood the crisis between Masters and Sulu.

"We need to help them, Spock."

"We?"

"Yes, because even though there are good relationships on this ship, we are the only married couple on the ship, and we have to support them."

"I am not equipped to advise or instruct couples about their relationships."

"We can use our experience."

"Nyota, our experience is a private matter; to share details or discuss our relationship is not acceptable."

"Spock, look at this logically and go by your gut feelings. Come on! Let's talk to Charlene."

Nyota grabbed his arm and led him out of their suite.

"Nyota, I assure you I am not qualified to advise people about marriage."

Nyota was determined to fix Sulu and Charlene's relationship; Spock accompanied her reluctantly. They chimed Eve's door, and Charlene answered:

"Mr. Spock, Nyota! Hi!"

"Charlene, we are here to help you."

"You and Mr. Spock? You're here to help me?"

Spock turned to his wife with a puzzled look:

"I fail to understand my presence... Ms. Uhura."

Nyota gave Spock a sharp look: "I'm no longer a Miss!"

Spock sighed and tried again: "Lieuten..."

Nyota folded her arms:

"We are off duty!"

Spock couldn't find the appropriate title. He usually addressed her with endearments only in the privacy of their suite.

"S'chn T'gai Uhura Nyota..."

Charlene was puzzled: "What? What kind of name is that?"

Nyota raised a brow at Spock: "Seriously?" Then she looked at Charlene: "That's my married name."

"I am uncomfortable with using the familiar names that we use in private," Spock said.

" ‘Mrs. Spock' will do," Nyota said sarcastically. "But you are comfortable using the name ‘Jim' in public!"

Spock quickly corrected himself: "Nyota, how can I be service? I am not certified as a counselor in the area of human emotions."

"Spock, darling, you are going to go counsel Sulu about marriage while I talk to Charlene."

"Nyota, I do not have knowledge of or familiarity with the subject of human marriage."

"Spock, darling, we discussed this before, remember? WE are the only married couple."

Nyota held out two fingers toward him. Spock sighed deeply and touched hers.

"Go have a Vulcan-to-man talk with Sulu about marriage."

Spock reluctantly left to counsel Sulu.

Meanwhile, Nyota looked her best friend straight in the eye:

"Charlene, enough is enough! You two have to fix this! What do you want from Hikaru?"

"Nyota, do you think should I forgive him and get married?"

"You need to forgive 'Karu and yourself!"

"Myself?"

Yes! You've been holding Sulu to unrealistically high expectations, and that's not fair!"

Char looked confused: "What do you mean?"

With her hands on her hips, Ny gave her the truth: "I love you, girl, but you've kept Sulu on a short leash throughout the whole thing with Janice and now the bachelor party! When you think he goes too far, you yank on it, expecting him to get back in line."

Charlene's lips quivered as she considered Nyota's words:

"I didn't know I was doing that."

"You need to give him some slack; the man is trying really hard to win and keep you."

Sniffling loudly and shaking her head, Char said, "I'm so sorry; I hope I haven't lost him. Oh, Ny, I love him so much!"

"But, Char, it goes deeper than this. Think about where this is coming from. You have three big brothers who sheltered you, and when you finally got out on your own, you had no defenses."

Nyota folded her arms and continued: "Does this has to do with Jamaal? If so, then you made a big mistake. That man doesn't deserve your time or your heart!"

Char realized that she had not given her complete trust to 'Karu because of how Jamaal had behaved. A part of her was always expecting him to disappoint her. She hadn't realized how much it had affected their relationship, and she only now was beginning to understand that it wasn't fair to 'Karu.

Nyota pointed toward the door and gave Char a charge:

"Char-you need to pour your heart out to Sulu-and stop holding him to unreasonable expectations!"

 


Meanwhile, 'Karu was despondent over the whole situation. He worried that the second bachelor party had ruined his relationship with Char for good. He had gone through a lot to build their relationship, and now it looked like they would not be getting married. He did not know how he would handle it if it came to that.

Spock had been sent to counsel Sulu. He reluctantly stood in the corridor in front of Sulu's door, looking lost. He took a moment to get a grip on his emotions, and then he finally chimed Sulu's door. When it opened, Spock hesitated for a moment and then spoke:

"May I enter, Lieutenant Sulu?"

"Sure, Mr. Spock. Um, how can I help you?"

Spock stood tall and folded his hands behind him: "A Vulcan-to-man talk" reverberated in his thoughts:

"I believe you are need of my assistance concerning your relationship with Lieutenant Masters."

Sulu's eyes widened, while his mind processed what he had just heard:

"YOU want to help ME?!"

"It seems there has been miscommunication between Ms. Masters and yourself, Mr. Sulu. A dialogue is required if you wish to continue your relationship."

"You're suggesting I talk to Charlene? AGAIN?"

"Yes, to discuss your differences concerning the illegal bachelor party."

"I agree with you, Mr. Spock, but at this moment she refuses to talk with or see me."

"Nyo... I mean my wife is engaged with Ms. Masters at this moment, conversing about the situation."

"I don't know. Things don't look good; she moved out our suite, and she doesn't want to marry me."

"Mr. Sulu, when emotions are elevated, hasty decisions can be made that only make the situation worse."

"Tell me about it!"

"I am," Spock deadpanned.

"I mean, she's really upset! It's worse than the Janice incident."

"It is illogical to compare the situations. The concern at the moment is whether a wedding will take place."

"You're right, Mr. Spock. If we still love each other, we should talk things out and get married. Thank you, Sir!"

"Thanks is not necessary. It is my wife's... it is our hope that the two of you will come to terms with the situation."

Sulu looked at Spock and couldn't believe what was happening.

"Wow, Mr. Spock! Thanks again for the pep talk!"

"I will paraphrase statements that I often hear from Dr. McCoy: ‘I'm a scientist, not a marriage counselor'."

Sulu rolled his eyes and laughed.

 


Charlene and Hikaru met in their suite:

'Karu had thought about how the chain of events had occurred, and he was ready to move forward:

"Charlene, I need to explain about Pavel's bachelor party; it wasn't what it seemed."

Charlene lifted a brow: "I saw two women sitting on your lap and pawing at your bare chest. As you can imagine, that was pretty hard to take."

"I know what you saw, but it wasn't the reality of the situation. If you trusted me, truly trusted me, Char, we would be married right now!"

"You think so?"

"Yes! I'm tired of you letting Jamaal into our relationship! He was an a$$ and hurt you, so now you don't trust me!"

Char was surprised to hear 'Karu finger the effects of her disastrous affair with Jamaal as the main problem in their relationship: "Ja-Jamaal?"

"Yes, Jamaal! He ruined everything! I've been trying hard to not do the things he did so you can trust me as I trust you! I didn't want a wild party because I wanted you to trust me and love me. Pavel tricked me to get me to that party! I told him NOT to throw a wild party months ago, but he did it anyway because he and I had partied a lot before you and I started dating. The guys dragged me to the throne chair, the women ripped my shirt off, and when I tried to leave, they dragged me back and sat on me. I didn't want to be there because I was thinking of you! It hurts me to see you hurting."

Karu was breathing heavily when he finished.

Charlene realized that Jamaal's behavior had affected her more than she thought. The knowledge that she hadn't trusted 'Karu to be the man that he was hurt her even more.

"'Karu I'm sorry! I'm... so sorry! I didn't realize I was doing that."

She sat down and cried: "I've been so unfair to you!"

'Karu sat next to her and hugged her:

"I'm not angry. I should have said something earlier; we are both new to this. I have never had such a serious relationship with a woman, and I have wondered if I'm making mistakes in each situation we've been through. But I did notice that Jamaal was involved with you for a while and I didn't want to be compared to him. I found that you were comparing me to him, and that hurt. We are both dealing with past relationships that hurt us. But despite that, I love you and I want to marry the girl who fixed my old hoverbike."

They both snickered, lifting the feeling of heavy drama.

"So let's get hitched and make it official!"

"Thanks for understanding, ‘'Karu!"

"Thank Mr. Spock; he's the one that pushed me to talk it out with you."

Char looked puzzled: "Huh? Mr. Spock-the couples expert?!"

Thy both laughed.

"Oh, by the way, I'm still going to kill Pavel."

 

End Notes:

 

*Jamaal is mentioned in some of my previous stories: "The Battle for Spock," chapter 20; and "Transferred," chapter 4; as well as chapter 1 of "Charlene's Diary."

 

Chapter 15-Going to the Chapel by Uhura the 9th
Author's Notes:

Beta Reader: Jsilver2000

 

 

Chekov's Mission Impossible: part 7-conclusion


Going to the Chapel

When Kirk found out that Sulu and Masters wanted to get married despite the 2nd bachelor party incident, he pardoned them for their infractions and decided to give them time off for a honeymoon after the wedding.

Pavel was very apologetic about the whole bachelor party, but all Charlene could do was stare at him. "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!" was her thought. All she could think of was that she and 'Karu had missed their original wedding day, but she was trying really hard to let it go for 'Karu's sake, since Pavel was his best friend and best man.

Eve and Nyota were in Charlene's quarters getting her ready. The dress (something new) was a perfect fit, and they had redone her toenails for the open-toed shoes. Freshwater pearls accented Charlene's braided hair, and her mother's diamond necklace (something old) dangled from her ears.

Nyota checked off the list for the old bridal tradition: "Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something-wait! You don't have anything borrowed! Just a moment!" Nyota presented a box and opened to the green diamond hoop earrings Spock gave as a wedding gift [1]; Charlene gasped as she recognized them from the jewelry store where she shopped with Mr. Spock. She went the mirror and put themon and stood back to look at her handiwork.

Then Eve said: "Now she needs something blue!"

Charlene smiled at both of them: "You don't have to worry about that! I'm wearing them underneath my dress!"

The three women laughed and grouped hugged.

"You make a beautiful bride, Charlene!" Eve said as she made the final adjustments to her gown.

Charlene twirled in her dress as she looked in the mirror: "Eve, you're a miracle worker; I can't believe it's me!"

"Charlene, you're a beautiful woman, inside and out," Nyota said smiling.

The door chimer rang, and Nyota went to answer it.

"That must be Mr. Scott to escort you to the chapel."

Eve quickly gathered the flowers and gave a bouquet each to Charlene and Nyota. Scotty entered the room, dressed in his formal Scottish kilt. He held out his arm to Charlene to take:

"Looks as if I've become the official escort of brides on this ship."

"That's because you do it so well!" Eve said.

They all laughed and headed out to the chapel.

At that moment, Sulu was standing in the chapel in his dress uniform, pulling on his collar, sweating, and breathing hard. He thought to himself, "I was just with her yesterday; why am I so nervous!?"

At that moment, McCoy placed his hand on his shoulder: "It's called the jitters, son."

Sulu snapped his head around to look at McCoy: "What?"

"You need to stay calm; you look like you're going to the executioner!"

Sulu's eyes widened at the statement: "NO, no, doctor! I don't know why I'm so nervous!"

"I know why," McCoy said, patting his back reassuringly.

"It's normal for the groom to feel this way," Kirk added from where he stood in front of the podium. "I think I'll change professions and become a chaplain," he said, trying to take Sulu's mind off his nervousness. "It seems this is what I do daily," he said with a big grin.

"I prefer you as captain of the Enterprise as opposed to a chaplain, Jim," Spock deadpanned. "Your adventuresome personality is much more suited to leading reckless explorations into uncharted areas of the galaxy than writing and delivering solemn sermons."

McCoy, Chekov, and Sulu burst out laughing: Spock had razzed Kirk again.

Kirk eyed Spock and said, "I need to talk to Uhura about your social skills."

Spock just raised a brow: "I only state the facts, Captain."

Their bond glowed and Spock looked at Sulu: "Your bride approaches. I shall start the music and turn on the monitors so the crew can watch the two of you make your vows."

Spock pressed a button on his Padd, and the music started. The women heard the music. Nyota and Eve each gave Charlene one more hug for good luck. Then they entered the chapel together. Scotty patted Charlene's hand as he held her arm while they waited to make their entrance.

"It'll be fine, lass. You're getting' hitched to a good lad there."

Charlene smiled back at Scotty and they entered the chapel and started their march to podium as the music played. Sulu turned and saw a vision of beauty come into view; his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. The chapel and the people disappeared from his view; he could see only Charlene, who was smiling sweetly at him. His heart leapt, and he couldn't wait another moment to be married; the jitters were gone.

He left his spot, walked down the short aisle, and stood in front of her, looking into her eyes. Then he gave Scotty a quick glance, and Scotty released Charlene's arm to him. The couple approached the podium, where Kirk was waiting with a broad smile. Eve and Nyota looked at each other, knowing there was genuine love between the couple.

The couple was oblivious to the people around them and to the fact that they were being watched by the entire crew. Nyota took Charlene's small bouquet and stepped back into place. Kirk began reading the vows, as he had done with Spock and Nyota, and Charlene and Sulu repeated them. Within a few minutes, Sulu leaned over and gave her a tender kiss. Then it was over, and everyone clapped and cheered.

Yeoman Tina Lawton came up and hugged Charlene with tears in her eyes:

"Charlene, your dress is beautiful, and you make a wonderful bride!"

"Thank you, Tina!"

Then Tina stood back and took vids of the new couple.

Nyota came up with Spock and gave Charlene a deep rocking hug:

"You did it, girl! You're finally married!"

"Thanks to you and Mr. Spock."

Spock tilted a brow, indicating his uneasiness with the subject of his role in helping Charlene and Sulu repair their relationship.

Sulu stood next to Charlene and put an arm around her waist to draw her close to him.

"Yes! Thank you both for supporting us through... through everything!" he said, kissing Charlene on the cheek.

Eve came up next, holding the flowers, and Charlene went to hug her too: "Thank you for this lovely dress, Eve!"

Then Pavel came and stood in front of the couple: "Heekaru, may I keess the bride?"

Charlene eyed him carefully and leaned in for the kiss; Pavel gently kissed her on the cheek: "I'm sorry for everything, Mrs. Sulu. I hope you veell forgeeve me."

Charlene looked the young man in the eye for the first time since the bachelor party and smiled: "OK; I forgive you. I know you're best friends with my husband."

Everyone chuckled, and Sulu slapped Chekov on the back.

Tina, as the photographer, had the group line up to pose for pictures and then took some of the couple alone.

"OK, everyone! Let's head to the mess hall for the reception," McCoy urged the small crowd.

Sulu led Eve, followed by Spock and Nyota, and the rest of the wedding party and guests. As the group went through the corridors, crew members stopped and applauded, offering them their congratulations.

Charlene leaned against 'Karu, hugging his arm to herself as they walked; it was the happiest moment of her life, and she looked forward to new beginnings with him.

When they arrived at the reception hall, more people stood and applauded them. The place was full of well-wishers. 'Karu was absolutely beaming; he was truly happy for the first time in a long time. He only wished that his dad were still around to see how far in life he had come. He looked at Charlene and wondered how she felt about her parents not being there to see them get married. "Now we have each other to make a new life with and have new adventures," he thought.

They were seated at the head table with the wedding party, with music playing and more vids being taken; the celebration was still on the ship-wide monitors. The whole crew was invited to celebrate the moment: there was dancing, food, drink for those who were off duty, and singing. After the dinner, the women were called for the throwing of the bouquet, an old tradition. Charlene tossed it, and Eve caught it! The women oohed and ahhed at the thought of Eve becoming the next bride. Eve laughed and waved the flowers high:

"I'm next!"

Everyone laughed. Then Sulu lifted Charlene's long dress to her thigh, and the men whistled as he removed the bridal garter.

Someone shouted, "Hey, Masters! I think I'll marry you with those legs!"

Sulu stood up quickly to address the voice with a deep stare: "First, she's Masters-Sulu or Mrs. Sulu to you. And second, she's mine! Get your own!"

All the men laughed, and Sulu tossed the garter, which landed on Matt Henry's shoulder. He turned bright red and quickly removed the item and shoved it into his pocket while the whole crew laughed.

"Oh, Matt! Tina is going to a very happy woman!" another man shouted as the laughter continued.

During a slow song, Charlene and 'Karu just held each other and basked in the love they had created.

Spock sat next to his wife holding two of her fingers under the table. He had observed the Terran wedding and was pleased that he had given his Nyota the wedding she had requested. Since his marriage, he had developed a new, unVulcan habit of stepping out of his realm to fulfill his wife's desires. He stood and led Nyota to the dance floor, where they slow-danced together. Nyota looked up at her man and then rested her head on his chest, swaying slowly to the music. Love had filled the good ship Enterprise.

The next day the crew went back to their routine, while Mr. and Mrs. Sulu had an extended honeymoon in their suite.

Somewhere else on the ship:

"Please, Eve, don't keell me!"

"I'm not going to kill you, Pavel. I'm just going to punish you for that bachelor party that almost ruined my friend's life."

"I svear eet vas just a leettle going avay party! I deedn't mean any harm!"

Eve and Tina had tied Pavel down to a biobed in Sickbay. Eve had paid one of the nurses to let them have the room for a few hours. Eve turned to Tina:

"You have the kit?"

"Yes, Eve. It's ready." Tina opened the kit to reveal some tools; she took out each one and placed it on a tray. Pavel saw what was on the tray.

"NO! NO! DON'T DO THEES! PLEASE DON'T DO THEES TO ME! PLEASE!"

Eve sat close to Pavel on the biobed:

"Pavel, Nyota wanted to be here, but she promised the Captain no more trouble. Charlene doesn't know that WE (pointing to Tina and herself) are doing this. You see, you almost broke up Tina's relationship with Matt, Charlene spent her first wedding day in the brig, and the wedding almost didn't happen at all! So I hope you understand why we have to do this."

"But, but not thees-eet veell be wery embarrassing!"

Eve gave Chekov an evil smile: "I promise you it won't hurt-well not that much."

Eve turned to Tina: "Tina, my assistant, are you ready?"

Tina came closer to Pavel: "All you have to do is promise to NEVER give Matt or any of his friends a bachelor party!"

"Deal! EET'S A DEAL!"

Pavel was sweating in fear of what the two women were going to do.

"Good to hear, Pavel. OK, Tina. Remove his shoes," Eve said with a smile. Pavel tried to kick his feet but couldn't because of the restraints.

"PLEASE, LADIES! NOOOOOOOO!"

A few hours later, Dr. McCoy, Spock, Scotty, and Kirk walked into Sickbay.

"I got a message to come down here to investigate a disturbance," McCoy said.

"But why are we all needed?" Scotty asked.

"Maybe we should call additional Security in case there is some danger," Kirk said.

The four men looked around Sickbay. Spock entered the main recovery room and stopped in his tracks. He stared at the form on the bed and blinked his eyes, wondering what was going on.

"Captain, I think I have located the 'disturbance'."

The other three men stopped in the doorway and then slowly proceeded into the room. Spock raised both brows and placed his arms behind his back. He did not know what to make of the sight in front of him.

"Fascinating."

Kirk, Scotty, and McCoy were just staring in shock. Then Scotty pointed at the bed: "What the devil is THAT!"

McCoy covered his mouth in a failing attempt to squelch his laughter.

Kirk's face was torn between laughter and curiosity: "Chekov... What... What happened?"

Chekov was squirming on the bed with a gag in his mouth.

"You've got admit it, Jim: he does look cute," McCoy said.

Then the three of them burst out laughing, holding each other up. They finally had to sit down to get a hold of themselves.

"This-is-much-better than the brig incident!" McCoy declared, when he was able to catch his breath.

There lay Ensign Pavel Chekov-navigator, best man, and best friend to Sulu-in a blossom-pink teddy, all made up, including false eyelashes, shaved legs, and painted toenails.

Meanwhile, in Eve Brody's quarters, four women were laughing hysterically at a vid of Pavel in his new outfit. Nyota and Tina were literally rolling on the floor, while Charlene and Eve were on the bed clutching their stomachs.

"It's definitely blackmail material! We'll make sure he keeps his promise!" Eve said.

 

End Notes:

 


A/N: This is the last chapter of the "Charlene's Diary" series. I hope you have enjoyed these stories, and I hope I gave justice to these two characters: Mr. and Mrs. Hikaru Sulu. Also, I would like to thank my editor for taking the time to do the heavy duty work of perfecting each chapter in each of my stories. Without Jsilver2000 none of my stories would project the true essence of my writing . With my deepest gratitude Thank you!

[1] The Battle for Spock part 2: chapter 14

If you liked this story, you may enjoy my new series, "The Sisterhood," which features the Mirror Universe's Nyota Uhura in all-new adventures as she faces enemies on all sides and tries to survive life on an Imperial starship.

 

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