A/N This story is based off of the episode known as The Enterprise Incident. At the moment it is written from Spock's POV, although if this plot doesn't leave me alone I might write a second chapter in the Commander's voice. Sidenote, I could not find her name in the episode, I looked it up online so if it is incorrect I sincerely apologize. As always, I do not own Star Trek or any of its characters or plots or scripts. Please read and review, let me know what I need to change. I'm slowly easing back into the Star Trek fandom after a 5 year hiatus.
What Could Have Been
I watched as the Enterprise made her getaway. Once more James Kirk has managed to defeat the odds and save the day. He is a curious mix of emotion and logic. He correctly guessed that something had transpired between the Romulan Commander and I aboard the Romulan vessel, and he had a most decidedly Kirk smile as he directed me with an infinitesimal head tilt towards the turbo lift. How he had managed to guess the how of the distraction method I had used was not clear, I am not known aboard the ship for any romantic tendencies, nor had he directly observed any such interaction. Perhaps he really did just understand my nature. I am loyal to the core to this ship, to the Federation, but above all to him. He knows I would do anything that I felt required.
She turned to me in the turbolift and I notice how the light catches her eyes. I did not want her here, she deserved better than to be an unwilling guest. I told her so, and watched the anger in her eyes. "All the Federation wanted was the cloaking device". The Federation had no interest in one individual Romulan. I could not deny that I did, now. "It was my only interest when I boarded your vessel" And it had been, before I discovered just how closely our blood matched. Her blood burns like my blood, and the sensations that I had felt touching her skin were uncomfortably close to the burning I felt during the Pon Farr.
"And that's exactly all you came away with." Her voice was more emotional than any Vulcan female would allow in such a public setting as a turbolift, but oddly that did not make my interest wane. Indeed, it only made my blood hotter. Perhaps it was because she issued the words as a challenge. Because of that my voice was huskier than normal. "You underestimate yourself, Commander". I did not know why those words came out. She was a Romulan and an enemy of the Federation. I should not be encouraging any sort of lingering feelings. She was, however, the closest female to a Vulcan that I had spent time with, and her blood had enough of the ancient rituals in it that it was very likely that Romulans picked their mates much life Vulcans did.
"You realize that very soon we will learn to penetrate the cloaking device you stole." She tossed her hair back defiantly as she threw the words at me. That was definitely a challenge, and nothing appealed to the primal Vulcan than a challenge by a female. "Obviously. Military secrets are the most fleeting of all." I was staring into her eyes. I knew there was more of me showing in my eyes than I let humans see. But this Commander was, after all, not human. She was of my blood. And because of that, I could not leave her with empty words of duty. "I hope that you and I exchanged something more permanent." She froze in the act of stepping out of the turbolift. Her hand left a searing hot feel on my chest.
"It was your choice." She stared at me with something close to surprise. I would estimate that she thought Kirk had ordered this particular brand of distraction. He had given me no such orders. His only command had been to keep the Romulan Commander occupied so that he could figure out a way to steal the cloaking technology. It had indeed been my choice to attempt to seduce her. "It was the only choice possible" I replied, and it was the truth. After being confronted with a Romulan who had the ability to make my blood burn, there was no other option. "You would not respect any other". It would have been insulting to imply that I could outwit her. She was a formidable Romulan, a Commander that possessed the same qualities as James Kirk. How could I not admire her?
She nodded once, accepting everything I was thinking and reading below what the words meant. She was indeed a very unique and special female. It was only too bad that she was a Romulan and I a Vulcan. "It will be our secret." She walked into the doors of the quarters I escorted her to and paused in the doorway. "It is a long voyage to the nearest Star station?" Her eyes had stopped burning with anger, but there was still heat in them.
"Affirmative, the nearest base is approximately 2.4 Earth weeks." At least, I recall that being the closest one. She had stepped into me and was now looking up at me with a heat I knew was mirrored in my own eyes. The Bridge, I was supposed to be on the Bridge. I took a long step backwards. "If you should require anything while on board, Commander, it would be my honor to acquire it for you."
"Mr. Spock… my name is not Commander. My name is Charvanek." She smiled then. "And it would be my pleasure to continue to get to know you. It is most unfortunate that our people are on opposite sides of this conflict. That does not mean that we have to be, as well." She tilted her head then, studying me through eyes that saw too much. "It has been too long since you have been on Vulcan, and while Romulans have evolved down another path, I think you will find that we are still very similar."
I had to leave. The Bridge. Jim. Yes. I gave her a slight bow of my head. "Charvanek, then. I will call on you on a later date." I left before I could make an illogical decision to stay. I stood in the corridor and stared contemplatively at her door. I am a son of Sarek, I am in control of my emotions. But for one fleeting moment I thought of Charvanek and wished I were not. Having allowed myself a brief moment I turned on my heel and proceeded back to the Bridge. To my place, at Jim Kirk's side. But oh, what could have been with Charvanek.