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Week 3:On the Enterprise-Can we talk?

Summary: Professor Saana Uhura was on her way to Vulcan with a growing interest in the Vulcan people and culture. Her Vulcansu skills had improved as a result of her conversation practice with the aides at the Vulcan Embassy. Then there was her new attraction to Admiral Nimitz and his to her, but she still had fleeting thoughts about Reuben when she least expected them. And she was still trying to work through her conflicting feelings about Starfleet. Meanwhile, on the Enterprise...


Lt. Samuel Boma had seen Nyota sitting in the mess hall drinking tea; in the past, she would usually drink coffee. "Is it because she's married to Spock?" he wondered. He was hesitant at first, but he had to know-he had to know how Spock had gotten the best of him. He also wanted to know what she saw in the Vulcan. Sam would see them from afar as they walked the corridors or sometimes sat conversing in the mess hall. He would always see Nyota talking with the crew, but very seldom did he see Spock engaged with anybody but the Captain or Dr. McCoy, and they usually discussed matters concerning the ship. "I still can't believe they are married!" Sam thought. He couldn't see how they were compatible or how Nyota could be attracted to Spock's appearance.

For some reason, Mr. Spock felt like an arch enemy to him; he thought of him as a know-it-all Vulcan-a robot, without emotions. His only mission with Mr. Spock led to Boma challenging Spock's humanity. Boma had snapped under pressure then; Scotty and McCoy let him know that he almost went on report for his conduct toward the Commander.[1] But the thought or idea that Commander Spock could have any interest in a woman astonished him. Boma couldn't understand how the Vulcan had gotten the elusive Nyota into his arms. "Does he have emotions? How did he maneuver her into becoming attracted to him?"

It took the last of his pride to approach her. As he walked over to Nyota, he took a moment to admire her beauty: her smooth brown skin, full lips, and shapely body that he longed for and would never have. He was aware of her intelligence and had recently learned of her fighting skills-that she had taken down several women for challenging her-challenging her over Mr. Spock! "I wish I'd seen that!" Boma couldn't understand how women on the ship could even be attracted to the Vulcan-it was a mystery to him. "Yeah, the man is tall, and there are rumors that he is almost three times as strong as a human." But Spock never flaunted his strength. "What do women see him?" he wondered. One day when he became brave enough to ask one of those women about their attraction to the Vulcan, he might find out.

Nyota saw Boma approaching her and mentally prepared for an onslaught of questions from him. Like most women, she found him handsome; it was natural. But she wanted more, more than he could offer, and set her standards beyond the normal. She had been accused of dating outside her species, but she didn't care about other people's opinion on the matter, because she was happily in love with a Vulcan. "Guilty as charged! And loving every minute of it!"

Nyota turned her attention back to Sam, who reminded her so much of Amaré[2] in behavior, demeanor, and appearance that she tried avoiding Sam much as possible. Nyota had dated Amaré because of how he had pursued her: he had demonstrated attributes she initially liked but soon grew tired of. Boma was similar, not only to Amaré, but to many other men she had encountered in her life. She had dealt with Boma's flirtatious behavior and direct comments, which turned her off. People had paired them often based on their appearance alone. "Why do people do that? Why did I do that?' But she would never forget his conduct on movie night, NEVER! She gave Sam a small smile when he stopped at her table.

"May I join you, Lieutenant Uhura?"

"Sure, Lieutenant Boma."

Sam slid into the seat across from her with his coffee and gave her his winning smile, exposing the dimples in his cheeks, one of his most attractive features.

"Uhura, first: congratulations on your marriage to Mr. Spock."

"Thank you, Boma! That is kind of you."

"I didn't know that you were seeing the Commander; I think I would have behaved differently if I had."

"Mr. Spock is a very private person, and he wanted to keep our relationship discreet due to our positions."

"That makes sense. Were you involved with him when I made a fool of myself at the movie?"[3]

"I'm afraid so, Boma. We were engaged at that time."

Sam sighed and did a face-palm in embarrassment.

"I didn't know then, and I was really interested in you, Uhura. I had tried for a long time to get you to come on a date with me."

"I know, Boma. But it was bad timing; my heart was elsewhere, and I was committed. I was aware of other men flirting or trying to ask me out. But I never gave them any indication that I was interested, and it was the same with you. I didn't like the fact that you would threaten someone; it's beneath you. I mean, I knew Matt had a crush on me. When I told him I wasn't interested, he accepted that; he moved on and found someone else. Sam, I want you to move on and find someone else-let this go, for your own sake. Please."

"Well, you don't have to worry about me anymore. I've been in therapy per the Captain's order. I am here now trying-I guess-to have closure with you, Nyota."

Nyota sucked in her breath upon hearing his confession: "I think the Captain was merciful in regard to your behavior; you could've ruined your career, Boma. I hope you do find closure with this situation; you're an intelligent man."

Spock saw them from a distance, and pricked up his ears to listen to their conversation. For the first time in his life, he didn't feel threatened by this male sitting with his wife; in fact, Spock felt more confident in himself-and their relationship-than ever before. Spock trusted her, believed in her-"She is MINE-heart and soul!" He understood that Boma needed closure; he would allow him that. It would be the last time. He quietly turned and continued with his duties.


The next morning, Spock decided to have breakfast in the mess hall. He wanted to be seen with his wife more often; he had observed that the crew seeing them together would reinforce the idea that they were bonded, and crew members were more careful to respect and acknowledge their marriage. He found it refreshing, and it gave him peace of mind. Even Kirk started attending the morning breakfast club, and once in a while McCoy, who acted as if he really needed his coffee, would come in grumbling about lack of sleep or refer to himself as "not a morning person." Spock became more at ease socializing with the people with whom he was familiar. When Nyota was at his side, Spock found himself rubbing consciousnesses with her, and she would respond. A sense of belonging flooded his being, and he felt at peace.

At certain times of the night, Spock would go into deep meditation as the Enterprise made its approach to Vulcan. His concern about their bonding continued to grow. He did not want his telepathic abilities to be exposed or exploited. T'Pau had sensed his powerful telepathic abilities when he was a child, and he had been careful about revealing them since then. He had grown weary of the special load he had been carrying for the past couple of years. Spock had to endure the weight regardless of the cost. He touched his psi points to focus his control and took a deep breath to build his resilience and concentration. After some time, he stood up from his lotus position and walked to their sleeping alcove, where he saw her sleeping form-the woman who had fought for him and who would endure his Time in several years.

"My Nyota, you have strength; I admire you for that, K'diwa [beloved]."

He thought about Nyota's battle with the Eleusian female who attempted to claim him as a potential mate without his consent [4] and the fights Nyota had with two crew women-of which he had been quite interested to learn. "They claimed to want to court me in hopes of matrimony-I had no personal relationship with either of them whatsoever. [5] I did not realize that Nyota had to defend her position as my mate; any Vulcan male would find that quite desirable in a mate. I may have to fend off any potential rivals when we reach Vulcan. It would be most unfortunate to have a challenge during our stay there."

Spock removed his clothes, folded them, and quietly slipped between the covers. He adjusted his body heat so that he could gently pull her body next to his without making her uncomfortable. A soft moan came from her, and Nyota's body automatically moved against his warmth. "I will have to mark Nyota again before we reach Vulcan, a deeper bite," Spock thought, as he drifted off into a light sleep. "A visible one."


The next day, Christine continued with her therapy:

"Christine, tell me about Roger," Dr. Latoya Robinson coaxed.

"Roger? What about Roger?"

"Roger," Christine thought: "My biggest disappointment and the most embarrassing thing in my life. Only Captain Kirk knows what really happened on Exo III. Just the thought brings back the ongoing mess of my love life." [6]

"You were engaged to marry him, right?"

"Yes, we were engaged. I was in love with him. He was older, handsome, and charming. I admired his career; he had achieved a major breakthrough in his field. He was highly respected. I enjoyed his company; he was a wonderful man. Our engagement was what every woman dreams about; we had plans for the future together."

"Were you torn over your feelings of love for two men?"

Christine looked at Latoya in shock; she felt as if she had been caught in a trap and exposed.

"What?"

"You did tell me that you were attracted to Mr. Spock when you transferred to the Enterprise."

Christine's hands started to shake as reality hit her. She had been in love with two men at the same time. She hadn't realized it. Had she loved Spock more than Roger? She had loved them but lost both of them. She lost Roger when he left on the mission to THAT PLANET. She had spent five miserable years waiting for him, hoping and wondering. She had believed that he would wait for her as well.

"Yes, I-I guess I was attracted to Mr. Spock as well-sort of. But I never betrayed Roger; I've never slept with another man since Roger."

"What was your relationship with Roger like?"

"Roger-my Roger-was a brilliant man; he doted on me. I thought he could see through my exterior right into my soul. I knew he was older than me, but I saw him as-he was a real man. In the beginning, I thought I wasn't good enough for him, but we got past that, and our love grew. Roger had a zest for life and me, and he had a vision of the future for us. He made me feel wanted and desirable-like I was the only woman in the room. Not too many women can have that feeling, but I did."

"What happened?"

"I guess-until you mentioned that I had two loves-I guess I hadn't completely processed the reality that Roger is gone. I didn't realize that those five years without him had taken a toll on me and our relationship. I hadn't heard a single word from him since he left on his expedition-not one. You know, your mind starts to wonder-to wonder about the what-ifs." Christine looked up at Latoya and the tears began to fall: "I didn't deal with the after-effects of what happened on that planet; I put it all in that place where people put stuff that they don't want to deal with."

Christine didn't know exactly when or how her love for Roger went cold. She had been so excited to see him. "FIVE long, lonely years!" But when she saw him, she immediately knew that something had changed, and the way that Andrea looked at Roger and the fact that she was the only female on the planet did not escape her notice. "No sex for five years on a lonely planet? Was he faithful?" Doubt settled in as the mission continued. Christine desperately wanted to believe Roger was still the man she loved. Andrea didn't make it any easier; she was jealous of Christine and made it known. Christine was jealous of Andrea's appearance: her thin, sexy body, her revealing uniform-left nothing to the imagination. Then Andrea spoke to Roger like a woman in heat and what made matters worse how she threw her sexuality to Kirk. It burned Christine. She tried hard to hold on to the love that they shared six years ago, even when Roger and the others tried to kill Captain Kirk and then duplicated him. The realization came too late; Christine's heart went cold for Roger. It was a huge shock to see that everything had been an illusion. Roger-what was left of him-was a shell of a man. His desire to live for eternity had warped the true essence of the man she knew.

When Christine was assigned to the Enterprise, she still had high hopes for a future with Roger-she hoped that one day she would get to see Roger on one of their missions. There was hope in being in love. But during the two years before the Exo III mission, Christine found herself increasingly attracted to Spock. She fell for him like a ton of bricks. Maybe ten tons. Who could fail to notice Mr. Spock? He had always stood out: his demeanor, his quiet competence, his intelligence, and even the way he walked. Then there was his appearance: He was tall, with dark hair, and a face that was all angles. The knowledge that he was a touch telepath intrigued her. There was something irresistible about Spock: the upswept eyebrows, the deep voice, and those sexy pointed ears made her heart beat faster when he was around. Just reading his medical charts got her hot! Spock was a hybrid, a one-of-a-kind man, and she felt a kinship with him because of his obvious loneliness. It melted Christine's heart and mind.

But she saw Spock almost every day; they would collaborate on medical issues, either those of the crew or those of people on Federation planets or space stations that the Enterprise was bringing aid to. There was no area on the ship that Spock didn't know about. The man could do anything and everything. What woman wouldn't be attracted to that? But Spock was untouchable; no matter how direct or non-direct she was during conversations with him, he didn't show interest. That was their relationship: distant, just like her relationship with Roger. But then the Enterprise was assigned to visit the planet where her fiancé had last been heard from. Her heart beat faster: "Was he the same man? Did he still love her?" She stood on the bridge in anticipation, and her love life with Roger ran through her mind. Nyota was there trying to hail him. Christine's faith and hope pushed through: "I'll get my man back; we can live and have a life together, as he promised." Then the worst happened.

"I guess when I saw this other woman with Roger and realized they both weren't even human, it solidified my feeling for Spock., I decided then that he was the man of my heart. I just wasn't aware of some complex things about Mr. Spock."

"What are those?"

"One was that he was married. Not once did he ever mention a ceremony or the woman! I showed up on the bridge and found that he had a wife. I felt my heart break right then and there! I remembered how he stared at her on the monitor: T'Pring. [7] I felt stupid for pining over him, cooking, and making sure certain foods palatable to Vulcans were supplied to the ship. Then-come to find out-it was only a form of Vulcan engagement, and he was still single. I thought I had a second chance at love, a second chance with Spock. For the next two years, I tried to converse with him; I would bring him food and dress for him to notice me."

"Christine, I want to thank you for sharing those details; it gives me a better understanding of your thought processes. You were in love with two strong men at the same time; there's no shame in that. But you need closure for the relationship with your fiancé; there was definitely transference of desire and attraction for Roger to Commander Spock."

"I realize that, now that you've made me think it through. Thank you, Latoya."

"We have made some progress, but we are not out of the woods yet."

Christine sighed deeply, knowing what LaToya was going to say: "I know, this is just the beginning."

For the first time in months, Christine had hope for herself.


Captain Kirk made it mandatory for the crew to increase their fitness levels while the ship was on its milk run. They had already been on shore leave and had explored parts of non-hostile solar systems with uninhabited planets. The ship had been patrolling the Neutral Zone when the Enterprise was directed to take Spock to Vulcan. Kirk realized that the crew had too much time on their hands now. He had ordered them to perform drills and simulations to occupy their time. He had the best crew in the fleet, and he didn't want them to lose their sharpness. The medical staff was to track the crew's fitness activities, such as workouts and hand-to-hand combat, and run competitions with incentives. That was working, keeping his crew in tip-top shape.

This particular shift, Nyota, Charlene, and Eve went to the crowded gym to get in their required hours. Three women stretched out first in their workout clothes.

Eve looked around and saw men flexing their muscles and women either biking or running track on Peloton equipment.

"Wow, it's crowded during this shift!" Eve commented.

"Yeah, the Captain increased everyone's required fitness hours," Char said.

"Some of the men look not so bad," Eve commented, giving Char and Nyota a significant look.

Char and Nyota looked at Eve:

"Are you shopping, Eve?" Nyota asked.

"Oh yeah! You two found somebody; why not me?" Eve responded, giving them a winning smile.

They all laughed:

"Let's go jogging on the Peloton machines," Nyota said.

As they walked toward the endless line of equipment, they found three open machines in a row and started jogging while watching the monitor rate their speed and body functions. About 30 minutes into their run, two female crew approached them.

"Good evening, Uhura, Masters, and Brody." Janet said.

They slowed their machines to a walking pace so they could speak with the newcomers. Nyota had already confronted both of these women twice, but after her recent discussion with Spock, she wanted to avoid any form of confrontation. She had promised her husband and the Captain there would be no more fights. She would use her diplomatic skills, even if it killed her.

"Hi ladies! How are you?" Uhura asked.

"We are good. I just want to say congratulations on your marriage Uhura," Janet responded.

Nyota was shocked, and for a moment she didn't know what to say. She stole a glance at Charlene, who was also taken aback at Janet's overture.

"Thank you," Nyota said.

Charlene looked at the two women suspiciously and added: "That was nice to say; what brought on this change of heart?"

Abigail looked at all three women said, "We didn't really know that you were dating Mr. Spock or even engaged? But I-I mean, we had no right to judge you or disrespect you."

"Computer, stop walk," Nyota said, looking at the two women in shock again.

"I-that was nice to say, and thank you again. The reason I didn't reveal my engagement was that Commander Spock is a very private person," Nyota said somberly.

"We just wanted to clear the air about any bad feelings, Ms. Uhura," Janet said. "Enjoy your workout, ladies." Both women waved good-bye. Abby turned, smiled, and said: "We will miss his workouts."

Eve came up to Charlene and Nyota and gave them each a towel, while Nyota just stared at the women walking away. It was difficult to believe that they had apologized, but Nyota had to respect them for it.

Eve wiped her arms with the towel and asked, "What did she mean about missing Commander Spock's workouts?"

"I caught them watching Spock working out late one night; they were hidden in a dark corner and I caught them ogling my man."

"Really?!" Eve asked, giggling.

"Yeah; she almost beat the crap out of them," Charlene said.

"Why does Commander Spock work out by himself?" Eve asked.

Nyota remembered when she had asked that same question herself. It had started 17 years ago under the command of Captain Pike. Spock, being the first Vulcan to attend the Academy and join Starfleet, downplayed his physical abilities. He told her it took total mind control to hold back his full strength. Terrans knew Vulcans had greater physical strength, but few had ever seen the extremes of Vulcan strength in action. One day when he was off duty, Spock found himself alone in the gym, doing his stretches and Suus Mahna [Vulcan martial arts] routines. A little while later, he was lifting weights and bench-pressing over 500 pounds when he became aware that he was being observed by some male crew members. He saw the disbelieving looks on their faces and then had to fend off their intrusive inquiries into his abilities.

Spock was embarrassed that he had become the center of attention; he felt as if he were being targeted like he was as a child on Vulcan. Being singled out for his differences was a constant with him in both cultures. It was after that incident that Spock made his request to have private workouts, which was granted. No personnel were allowed to enter the gym during those times when Spock was exercising, with the exception of Captain Kirk and, infrequently, Dr. McCoy. At least that was the case before he invited Nyota to train with him in order to improve her combat skills.

"His exercise routine is designed for him because of his Vulcan heritage, and it calls for quiet solitude."

"That makes sense; people should respect that," Eve said.

"Come, ladies! We need to log our exercise time. Let's do some sparring!" Charlene said.

"Sure, but we better watch out for Nyota; I've heard she's got some moves that will knock you out! Eve said, laughing.

The three women walked over the mats and prepared for hand-to-hand combat.


"How is Christine doing this week, Latoya?" McCoy asked.

"She came up against some extreme reality about her past relationships, Lennie. But she had some revelations about herself."

"I heard some interesting news when I had dinner with the Captain," McCoy said. "It turns out that Commander Spock had a group of secret admirers-female admirers. They would bombard Uhura with questions, diggin' for information about his work on the bridge or her lessons with him on the ka'athyra [Vulcan lyre]."

LaToya raised her brows: "Really? I knew Uhura had the men drooling for her attention, but Mr. Spock?"

"Yeah, our neighborhood Vulcan is a lady-killer; it seems most of the women on this ship are attracted to him," McCoy said, chuckling.

"I know Commander Spock is the best science officer in the fleet; his performance is outstanding."

"Yeah, I know, the man is near perfect! Only I know-well his wife knows now-how Spock works."

"Well, it's good to know that Commander Spock drew the attentions of more than one woman; it makes it easier to understand Christine's feelings."

"Not only that-Christine was the leader of this club! That's the shocker for me."

"Wow, that is news! Why did she put herself in that position?"

"I don't know. It was the talk of the ship, and it seems that she was stalking him, and using her medical position to do it."

Latoya thought to herself, "From what I learned today about Christine's relationships and what Lennie just said, there was definitely transference of emotions."

"Well, Lennie, I am making progress. We have had some breakthroughs. I did have to tackle her resentment against Uhura. Christine explained that they were friends at the Academy."

"Good to hear, Latoya! I see that Christine is eating now and getting some color back in her face."

"One step at a time; one step at a time. It's only been a couple of weeks."

"How long do you estimate she will need to continue treatment?"

"Let's see how she handles it when Mr. and Mrs. Spock are off the ship. I want to observe her reaction."

"We're due to arrive at Vulcan sometime next week."

"Then there will be the wedding reception for them! That's a lot for a heartbroken woman to take."

McCoy thought for a moment about his ex-wife: How would he react if she remarried? Would make it make matters worse if his daughter started calling the new guy "father"? "I don't think I could handle that!" McCoy thought, taking a deep breath. He started to worry about the possibility that Christine would never recover from her obsession with Spock. The possibility of her transferring to another ship starting to look real again.

"What do you recommend, Latoya?"

"Lennie, it's still too early to tell. There has been some progress, but her recovery will happen at her own pace."

"Give me something to tell the Captain."

"Certainly. I understand that the Captain hates losing good personnel, but remind him that recovering from trauma takes time."

"I'll tell him-and thanks! How was MY coffee this time?"

Latoya laughed: "Lennie, you should have been a chef!"

McCoy laughed with her: "Ha-ha! I'll put your statement in my report. Thanks!"

"Of course! Remember, Christine is still fragile. She has trust issues, and I want to help her."

McCoy left their meeting a little disappointed to find that Christine would not recover from her loss quickly. "She isn't the only one with trust issues."

 






Chapter End Notes:

A/N:

[1] Star Trek TOS: "The Galileo Seven."

[2] Amaré Del La Cruz is featured in "Repercussions," in which he kidnapped Nyota.

[3] "Movie Night on the Enterprise" is featured in "The Battle for Spock part 2," chapters 11 & 12

[4] "The Battle for Spock part 1," chapters 2-5.

[5] "The Battle for Spock part 2," chapters 16 & 17.

[6]Star Trek TOS: "What Are Little Girls Made of?"

[7] Star Trek TOS: "Amok Time."

 







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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.