Author's note. This scene is set not long after the events in "A human Ritual".
Girl Talk.
Christine Chapel was sitting in the cafeteria with the single aim of ambushing Nyota Uhura. When she saw her friend turn from the food queue with her tray she beckoned to her and pointed to the seat opposite her.
Nyota rolled her eyes expressively but came and sat across from Christine.
"All right girl," hissed Christine, her eyes wide, "spill it. How long has this been going on? I want details, lots of details."
Nyota signed and looked down to her roll.
"Chrissy, there are the ones that you talk about and the ones you don't talk about and…"
"Let me guess, he's one you don't talk about?" said Christine in a sigh.
Nyota nodded and picked at her roll.
"Come on," Christine wheedled , "Just some titbits. I'm dying here."
Nyota slowly shook her head.
"Well fine," said Christine in mock temper, "just wait until you come in for your next checkup…"
The threat hung in the air and both women smiled.
"Christine, it's special it's not for gossiping over the lunch trays. I mean that." said Nyota looking fully at her friend.
"Yes, I can see you mean it." said Christine slowly and thoughtfully, "Got it bad, huh?"
"I suppose so, bad…or good" said Nyota with a slow smile.
"Now that," said Christine pointing at Nyota, "is a cat that got the cream smile, not fair. No smiling like that if I don't get the details."
Nyota glared at her friend.
"Alright, no gossip," said Christine, "but it cannot be all straight sailing. He has some," Christine paused thoughtfully choosing her word, "characteristics that must be really annoying. Not romantic at all."
Nyota raised her eyebrow.
"See you are even starting to act like him," said Christine with a laugh. "But you've got to admit some things must be just irritating."
"Not really'" said Nyota, "not nearly as irritating as you find your current flame aka the 'wonderboy'."
Christine rolled her eyes. "OK, but you tell me how having a living clock for a boyfriend is romantic?"
Nyota pursed her lips. "He is not a living clock"
"Well he has a perfect internal clock right? I mean how annoying is it to be told you are not just late, but 19.5 minutes late?" goaded Christine.
Nyota's eyes got a dreamy unfocused look and in a low voice she said, "Its been 2 hours 14 minutes and 34 seconds since I kissed you."
Christine sighed deeply, "Really?"
Nyota nodded, "Really"
Christine frowned, "Ok, I'll give you that one." She looked thoughtful, "But what about living with a living science encyclopaedia. I mean it must be beyond tedious to get chapter and verse on every scientific detail. I know how the wonderboy just drive me insane with the details of armaments and ballistics." Christine rolled her eyes expressively.
Looking at the table top Nyota almost whispered, "Three major nerves pass through this area so the area is exquisitely sensitive, I will demonstrate." With the last word Uhura's eye flick up the Christine's and they clearly show the memory of just how exquisitely sensitive the area was.
Christine, eyes still looked will Nyota swallows hard, "OK" she drawls, "That's too easy that's anatomy, of courses that would be…useful. The other sciences though…."
Nyota frowned and was quiet for so long that Christine started to smile in triumph.
"Ok," said Nyota, "I found him contemplating a new picture of an insect".
Pulling a face Christine stated, "I can not stand bugs." She shudders.
"Well this was a butterfly. I asked him what was so interesting. He showed me the picture," Nyota looks at Christine, "Chrissy it was so beautiful," she sighed, "He said it was the ephemeral beauty butterfly and had just been discovered on some planet I had never heard of. Then he said it had the second most aesthetically pleasing and richly complex combination of the colour brown he had ever seen. Of course I had to ask him what the first was. He said," Nyota sighed, "your eyes."
Chistine sighed, "Oh Ny."
"I know," said Nyota.
After a pause Christine rallied. "What about Mr Never Forgets Anything? I mean every dumb and embarrassing incident, every lapse, every bit of inappropriate flirting, every outfit that was a bad mistake…just every thing remembered and used in evidence against you" she nodded, "I thank the powers that wonderkid can not seem to remember what happened last week let alone last month."
Nyota frowned.
"Ha." crowed Christine, "I've got you with that one. Got you." She threw a piece of bread roll across the table at Nyota.
"Well," said Nyota, "a while ago, during that last leave earth side, we went to a party. "
Christine frowned, "Hard to imagine Spock at a party. And I thought this relationship was all very hush-hush until you two decided to melt our boot soles with that kiss under the mistletoe. I have to tell you Nyota I nearly fainted. I never dreamed that man could …well the look he gave you could have melted titanium. "
Nyota pulled a face, "I sort of pushed him too far and he let me know it too."
Christine looked eager and said, "Do tell."
"Christine Chaple, I already told you…" Nyota gave her friend a hard stare. Christine raised her hands in surrender. "Ok, what about this party."
"Well, it was friends of his and mine not associated with the academy or star fleet," said Nyota. Seeing Christine's incredulous face she said, "We do have some you know" and threw the piece of bread back at Christine. "I was nervous because I was being hostess for the first time, as a couple you know, and I must have tried on every dress I owned and nothing seemed right. I wanted it to be special and to make sure that I was not wearing something the guests had seen before but we had never had all of them together before and I did not know what I wore when I saw them at other events…"
"Yes I know that problem," Christine sighed.
"Well Spock was very patient and at last he asked what the problem was as I looked good in everything."
Christine pulled the not-very-helpful face.
"I explained that I did not want to wear something that any of the guests had seen me in before and I'd met them all at different occasions and I was at the end of my tether and that it was very important to me that everything went well so I needed to feel confident about myself." Nyota shrugged, "In short I was emotional, illogical and very insecure and getting worked up for no reason at all." She pulled a self deprecating face.
He sat on the side of the bed and thought and said, "You have not worn the green dress with the high neck and the back slit when you were with any of those who will be present tonight."
"I said that I had worn it to the gathering on the 21st and he said that none of those present tonight were at that gathering but if I was concerned if I wore the gold earrings and chain instead of the green glass jewellery and used the blue and green shawl that look of the outfit would be sufficiently different to appear a new outfit. And he suggested which shoes to wear. "
"He notices your clothes," said Christine in a flat disbelieving tone.
Nyota nodded.
"And the accessories"
Another nod.
"He remembers what you wore, with what, and who was there?"
Nyota nodded again.
"Wonderboy would not notice if I wore a grain sack. The only clothes he notices involve suspenders and uplift bras," mused Christine.
Christine stared at Nyota and said, "He knows what shoes you have, not just the stilettos?"
Nyota nodded.
"He's not human!"
Nyota rolled her eyes.
"Ok I know he's not human. But Ny its not fair." Christine voice became whinny and she stuck her lip out in a pout, "I want one! Shares? Come on its only fair and we are bestest friends."
Nyota scowled.
"Does he have a brother?"
Nyota shook her head and said slowly and vehemently said, "There is only one in the known universe and he is mine."
Christine groaned, "Life is so unfair, and I suppose it wonderboy for me." and theatrically smote her brow with the back of her hand.