1: First Impressions

"Lieutenant Uhura," Kirk waved when he noticed her looking for a place to sit in the mess hall. It was almost as though he was a child in fear of being chosen last for the team. His waving motion said, "over here," as he guided Uhura to his table, but he might as well had excitedly yelled, "pick me, pick me." With his usual bluster tempered by his excitement for embarking on a five year mission on the newly outfitted Enterprise, the subtly in the hand gestures was evidently lost on Kirk.

Uhura rolled her eyes as she grabbed her plate and walked towards the Captain. Avoiding him in the bar she met him in three years ago when she was on shore leave in Iowa was difficult enough, but now that he was her commanding officer it was impossible. Her starship request was proof that she was willing to tolerate his sophomoric behavior. After all, even she had to admit that he was a competent captain with more potential and capacity for growth than many experienced captains had shown. Graduating and becoming a captain in three years was impressive by anyone's standards. In other words, she didn't dislike him, but she also couldn't bring herself to like him.

Even though the attack and subsequent defeat of the war criminal known as Nero brought the crew of the Enterprise closer together and garnered a deep spirit of camaraderie, Uhura still found interactions with Kirk to be trying. His bravado and over-confidence grated on her nerves, but it was his dispassionate behavior with women that she found to be most appalling.

Dealing with Kirk, however, was but a small price to pay to be able to serve on the flagship of the Starfleet. Uhura knew that she and Kirk would eventually come to a mutual understanding during her tenure on the Enterprise. Their relationship, she thought, would likely be no closer than that of working comrades. This commission, therefore, would set the stage for her training to become the captain of her own ship; a lesson in patience.

"Please, sit down Uhura," he politely demanded as she approached the table. Even though three years had passed, Kirk still found her attractive. There was no denying her beauty, but even his lustful nature would allow him nothing more than an appreciation of her beauty from afar. She was his subordinate and the beloved of Spock, a man he hoped to be able to call friend. There were just some boundaries that even Kirk would not cross.

"Thank you, Captain," she replied with disdain. "It seems that all of the tables are full tonight." She would have gladly joined another group of diners or stood while eating to avoid Kirk, but this was just as good a time as any to begin breaking down any barriers that would impede upon their working relationship.

"Yeah, well I suppose it will be like this for a few days while everyone gets accustomed to their schedules and shift changes," he offered as an explanation to the unusual amount of people dining at the same time.

"Then again," she countered, "the vegetarian lasagna is the most popular dish on this ship. Maybe everyone is trying to get some before it runs out and they're left using the food synthesizers for dinner." Small talk and light banter was a game she had become very good at playing with Kirk.

"Yeah, that's true," Kirk conceded. "So," he attempted to ease into a new topic, "you and Spock?" He said it matter-of-factly, but it was more of a question. He knew it to be fact, but it was a fact he could not comprehend. Kirk couldn't deny what he saw on that terrible day before beaming onto the enemy ship worked, and he was still curious how Uhura could love an unemotional and rigid Vulcan.

"Yes, Spock and I," she answered, because there was nothing more to be said on the topic. When, why, or how she and Spock become a couple was not his concern, so she would divulge no information about their relationship to him. Uhura simply continued to eat her meal in near silence.

"I see," he said, a little disappointed that she was unwilling to divulge anything about her relationship. Though he didn't expect more, he hoped for it. Kirk paused as he considered his next words, a gentle nudge so that she understood his expectations while they served on his ship. "I'm sure that I don't need to remind you that your behavior should be in a manner becoming of a Starfleet officer." Kirk was a modern man, but that type of modernity had no place on a battle-fitted ship set on a mission of peace-keeping and discovery.

"No, you don't," she said, not looking up from her plate. Uhura was an intelligent and driven woman who would let nothing get in the way of furthering her career. She didn't see a relationship as a contradiction to her goals and standards, especially a relationship with Spock. He was equally as dedicated to his career as she was. When his world literally collapsed, his only request and expectation was that the crew performs admirably. Spock was the poster child for best behavior in both actions and his words.

"And I'm sure you know that should your behavior or relationship become a problem for my command, it is in my power to transfer one, or both, of you off of this ship." It was an empty threat, but one that needed mentioning. Consorting with a crew member wasn't something that Kirk was above, but he was serious in his attempt to urge Uhura towards discretion. While fraternization was not strictly prohibited among those in active duty, it was not desirable.

"I do." Uhura's growing irritation was evident. There would be very little chance that he would find cause to put in for the transfer of the best science officer or the best communications officer in Starfleet. The Enterprise was the flagship of Starfleet and a flagship by definition was the best of the best. They both knew that the dismissal of either officer would be unwise. Placing Uhura or Spock anywhere but on the Enterprise would have been counterintuitive to the notion of a flagship and to the mission of Starfleet.

"Great!" Kirk exclaimed. It was evident to Kirk that Uhura only tolerated him as the captain of the Enterprise and a fellow member of Starfleet. Her respect for him went no further than his duty to serve and protect and she could not be counted among his fans. "Now that we're all friends, can I call you by your first name?"

To this, Uhura finally looked up from her plate and glared at him.

Kirk grinned and said, "Spock called you Nyota, right?"

"He did," she replied with the look of mild annoyance on her face, "but for you it's still Uhura." She had already established that they would not be friends and as colleagues had no place addressing her by anything other than her rank or her last name, calling her Nyota was simply out of the question.

"Oh come on," he pleaded. Her first name was something that he was trying to chase down since he first saw her in his local bar. For three years he had been searching and hoping that he would eventually get to use it in his attempt to bed her. He didn't really want her, but he hated the idea of failure. Uhura's refusal of his advances cut deeper than any other rejection had because he was forced to see her on a daily basis, first as a cadet in the Starfleet Academy and now as her commanding officer. Her presence was reminder of his failure.

"What do you even see in him?" he sighed, feeling dejected. His pride was hurt even further by the fact that he had to witness Spock succeed where he failed.

Uhura knew that this question was more about Kirk than it was about Spock, so she took this opportunity to tell Kirk what she really thought of him. "Well, Captain," she began, "unlike you, Spock is not motivated by his ego or selfish desires. Spock is patient, kind, driven, and the most intelligent man I've ever met." Uhura ruminated on a few of the things that drew hew to Spock. "He also hasn't slept with half of Starfleet." She couldn't resist one last dig at Kirk.

While what she said about him wasn't true, it was not inaccurate. "Ouch," Kirk replied, recognizing her insulting answer for what it was. "You must really like him to be with someone who doesn't show emotion."

"I love him in spite of that fact," she softened, "Because I know how he really feels… even if he doesn't always say it or show it."

Kirk smiled at her response, "Actually, before he piloted the shuttle into Nero's ship, he asked me to relay a message to you. It was very interesting, because even though he calculated that our survival and the success of our mission was highly unlikely, his last thought was of you."

Kirk watched Uhura intently as he told her the story. He dangled these morsels of information for her like it was bait. Usually when he spoke to her, she avoided eye contact with him, but now she stared directly in his eyes. As expected, she was hanging onto his every word. "Unfortunately, I stopped him from giving me the message. Despite his calculations, I knew that our plan wouldn't fail, and I knew that his Vulcan sensibilities would much prefer to remain guarded."

Kirk saw that Uhura was, now, less than thrilled with what he was telling her. "I do know what Spock wanted me to tell you though," he finally added. "He wanted me to tell you that he loved you." They sat in a moment of silence as he waited for her reaction.

Words could not express her gratitude for what Kirk just told her. "Thank you," she beamed.

"Of course Spock probably would've said something like, "Please inform Lieutenant Uhura of my regret to uphold my promise to return and let her know that I deeply cared for her", " he said jokingly in a monotonous voice.

It was with this newly acquired information that Uhura was able to understand what Spock found so intriguing about Kirk. It seems that there was more to him than the over-zealous jock that he so often displayed. This was proof to her that he understood and respected Spock and that she should come to understand and respect him. She ate the last bits of her meal before she quietly told Kirk, "You can call me Nyota." Then as she stood to bus her plate, she added, "Sometimes."

A/N: Thanks to my super awesome betas janekrahe and mirandariver for taking on the challenge of editing my first story ever, for giving me really insightful feedback, and for keeping me in line. R&R por favor. Let me know what you think.

Note: The ideas are mine, the characters are not. What I do here is for fun, for learning, and for free.