Hi! I have to apologize for taking so long to update. I went on vacation, came back and then I was working on my other story for a while. I had a couple pages of this done, but it was nowhere finished. A lot of stuff is going on with me right now. I'm also unemployed... there was a bit of unethical activity going on and I basically got set up to be fired, so I beat them to the punch and quit. I finally started working on this last week and just finished it tonight. So, here it is! I hope you like it! :)

I would like to thank: carsonsgirl, RachelKarenGeller, ToughSpirit, shelubbsu, Quicksilvermad, OritPetra, grumpirah, mhgood, xkiisstheraiin, krishnochura, Amaranth01, siggyhahn, and vanessaquebec for reviewing. Also if you added my story to your favorites or your alert list, thank you!

To EmilyWoods, I really appreciate the message you sent me. It means a lot and your words definitely reached me, in more ways than one. I tried to reply to it lol but you don't allow PMs.


CHAPTER TWO:

Indulgence

Now let me welcome everybody to the wild, wild west
A state that's untouchable like Elliot Ness
The track hits ya eardrum like a slug to ya chest
Pack a vest for your Jimmy in the city of sex

We in that sunshine state with a bomb ass hemp beat
The state where ya never find a dance floor empty
And pimps be on a mission for them greens
Lean mean money-makin-machines servin fiends

California Love --- Tupac & Dr. Dre


The neon lights used to make her eyes tear up. Now, they were oddly comforting to her, in the darkness of Club Hyacinth. Uhura sat at the bar with a drink in her hand, courtesy of Gaila. The Orion girl was elsewhere, taking people's orders and going to the bartender to get the drinks made. It was the middle of May, exams were over, the weather was beautiful, and everyone was free and happy. Hence, Club H was packed.

The music was always good. It was loud enough that a girl could pretend she couldn't hear what some guy was saying… but quiet enough so that after leaving, she wouldn't feel slightly deaf. Or hear ringing in her ears for hours. The DJ usually played a perfect mix of new hits, old favorites, and unknown beats that weren't as popular, but just as good, if not even better.

Sometimes Club H sported fog on the floor and other times… bubbles in the air. Some nights there were dancing and/or drinking contests. Holidays meant costumes and rowdy festivities, which oddly enough, weren't all that bad. She didn't mind dressing up as a sexy elf… especially because she got to put on fake, sharp ears. Call her immature or illogical, but there was something inherently magical about the game of dress-up. Perhaps it was because for a short while, she was able to pretend to be something she wasn't. And for a few fleeting moments… she was an elf, relishing in the idea of soft snow and hot chocolate and ubiquitous splashes of green and red.

"Uhura!" A familiar voice shouted into Uhura's ear, breaking her mental concentration. She turned around to face a girl no older than sixteen, with pale skin, wispy black hair, and startling, green eyes. While the men she serviced new her by the name "Princess Trixie", all the girls (herself included) had christened her "Sweet Pea".

Sweet Pea was one of their newest girls and pretty much… everyone's little sister. She had runaway from home after being neglected by her workaholic mother and sexually abused by her stepfather for years. She was practically addicted to alcohol and nicotine, but she had the face of an angel and something about her just seemed ethereal; like she was a fallen angel and a lost kitten, all wrapped into one. Sweet Pea often put up a childish, optimistic façade to compensate for her dark past and everyone enabled it. She was currently living with one of the older women in a house nearby.

"How you doing, Sweet Pea?" Uhura allowed a real smile to grace her features.

"I'm good, but I'm kind of stressed." Sweet Pea sat down next to Uhura and ordered a strong, somewhat fruity drink. "I have this dumb test coming up and my teacher is such a bitch and if I fail, I'm going to have to repeat the class."

"What class is it?" Uhura cocked her head to one side.

"French." Sweet Pea grimaced and squirmed around in her seat, pulling down her short skirt. Her drink arrived and she immediately took a healthy swig.

"I suppose Lady Luck has smiled upon you. I happen to be fluent in the language." Uhura lightly punched Sweet Pea in the shoulder. The girl's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Are you seriously going to help me???" Sweet Pea asked incredulously. That was the thing about Sweet Pea. She never really believed good things could happen to her. "That would mean so much to me! I wish I had come to you sooner, but I-"

"It's okay, don't worry. I'm going to help you and you're going to pass. It's as simple as that." Uhura smirked, taking a sip from her cup.

"Oh, you're the best!" Sweet Pea leapt forward and hugged Uhura. The older teen chuckled and rubbed the girl's back. Sweet Pea broke away and downed the rest of her drink, slamming the glass onto the counter. "I gotta go; I'm pretty sure that's my regular over there. He's a doctor."

"Take care, Sweet Pea." Uhura smiled gently at the younger girl. Nodding once, Sweet Pea darted towards a blonde man wearing glasses who had to be twice her age.

Sighing to herself, Uhura resumed surveying the club, looking from guy to guy. The crowd was diverse; it usually was, especially during the summer months. But there were always those stereotypes that tended to stick out, those archetypal males that she was able to pick out through years of experience. She knew people and just as she was an expert in verbal language, she understood nonverbal language very well, too.

Her eyes strayed to each male, taking in their appearances and their body language. There was the cocky teenager with the overactive sex drive, the insecure boy who had never set foot in a club but wanted to get laid so his friends wouldn't make fun of him, the disgruntled husband with the bossy wife, the rebellious player in his thirties who didn't plan on settling down, the gray-haired man who yearned to see if he still had "it", the asshole who didn't appreciate his family, the foreigner on a business trip who wanted to "explore" his new surroundings, etc. The list could go on forever.

"Hey there, beautiful." A smooth voice came from behind her.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Uhura slowly turned about, a fake half-smile forming on her face. And here was yet another one of her stereotypes: the arrogant nymphomaniac, the kind of man who loved sex, thought about it a million times a day, and thought he was so irresistible that any woman would cut off her own arm at the chance of sleeping with him. Men like him made her sick… but they also helped her pay for her groceries, so she couldn't complain too much. Even if he thought he was God's gift to women.

"Hi." Uhura took in the male's façade. He was clean shaven, wore an expensive-looking suit, had polished, black shoes, and a shining, silver watch was on his left wrist. Adorned with a conceited, lazy grin, seemingly innocent blue eyes, and dark, tousled brown hair that any woman would want to run her fingers through… this man was certainly attractive, she would give him that.

"What's your name?" The man inquired, showing more of his teeth.

"Roxanna. Princess… Roxanna." Uhura told the male. Unlike other strip clubs, Club Hyacinth functioned with a hierarchy. Newly employed girls were given hardly any privileges or freedoms at all; they were given names like Passion-Fruit and Velvet-Brook and Angel-Fire and Sugar-Sizzle. However, if a newcomer achieved enough recognition by her customers, she was promoted a Duchess. A Duchess was allowed a small number of sick days, but had to fulfill a quota every night she worked. She was also allowed to purchase certain drinks at the bar for free.

Becoming a Princess was harder, only the girls who almost always fulfilled their quotas and had near perfect attendance could achieve this status. Being a Princess had its perks. Firstly, a Princess could change her name to whatever she wished. Secondly, a Princess was allowed a larger number of sick days and could order more free drinks than a Duchess could. Thirdly, a Princess was allowed to reject a potential customer she didn't like a.k.a. she got to pick who she slept with. However, Princesses had a more specific quota to fulfill.

Uhura was rather satisfied with her rank. It gave her enough freedom to be comfortable in her profession. After two successful years as a Princess, Uhura knew that her boss, Coyote, wanted her to be a Queen, but to be honest, she didn't want the upgrade. She didn't know what being a Queen entailed, nor did she aspire to. After Queen, one could become an Empress. In Club H, there were about sixteen Duchesses, fourteen Princesses, ten Queens, and four Empresses.

"Oh… well, your Highness, if I may be so bold, would you like to accompany me back to my quarters?" The brunette even winked at her. Uhura inwardly shuddered. He would be into role play. He was probably much too domineering in bed and relished at the thought of bedding a damsel in distress. And the fact that she was a Princess most likely furthered his lust.

You've got to be kidding me. "I'm afraid I must decline your generous offer." Uhura almost snorted as she took a sip from her drink. "Perhaps one of my sisters would prefer to be in your presence." She gestured to one of the new girls dancing on the stage, all the while thinking: I've just bruised his sensitive ego. What a shame…

"Really now? Have you got some prior engagement?" The man narrowed his blue eyes, which suddenly… didn't seem so innocent anymore. "It's not as if you've got something else to do."

"Actually, I do." Uhura stiffened as the man took a step closer to her. "I'd appreciate if you-" The man reached out towards her and then a shout was heard:

"Hey! What's going on here???" A tall man with flaming red hair and bronzed skin stomped over. He was wearing a shining, golden suit with a white undershirt. A tilted white hat was on his head and a black feather stuck out of it.

"He was just leaving." Uhura whacked the brunette's arm away. She was partially relieved that Coyote showed up when he did. Most nights he was up on the second floor, casually studying the cameras and eating Chinese food. But some nights he would walk about his club, observe his employees, and keep the place in order.

"You let your whores act like this?" The man snarled angrily at Coyote.

"Actually, she's a Princess. You've been around long enough to know what that means, Matthew. And you know the rules. Get the fuck outta here." Coyote narrowed his forest green eyes at the nymphomaniac, or Matthew. Growling and cursing under his breath, Matthew stomped off, kicking a barstool on his way out. Some turned and stared at him, but most people ignored the noise or didn't hear it at all.

"Thanks, Coyote." Uhura smiled, a real smile and quickly downed her drink. Angry customers were known to fight the security guards, hit the girls… but no one ever challenged Coyote. He had a commanding air about him; he was clearly born to run a business and run it successfully. Even though it was illegal.

"Take the night off." Coyote ordered, crossing his arms over his chest. Uhura's mouth dropped open in response. "Don't give me that. I've been watching all my Princesses tonight. And you are distracted. I've seen it happen before, many times. You get that call from your ex-boyfriend, the parent that disowned you showed up on your stoop, your best friend hates you… I don't really care what happened; you don't need to tell me. But I won't have you wasting your time and mine.

"Your attendance and performance is excellent enough that if you miss a night or two, it really won't impact your status or the business. Now take the night off, think about whatever it is you've been thinking about here, and come back tomorrow with your head on straight. You got me?" Coyote fixed her with his "boss stare", the unyielding stare that wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Okay… fine." Uhura frowned, relenting to her boss' request. It wasn't as if she had a choice in the matter. He was making it seem like she had some kind of personal crisis. But she didn't have one. What the hell was he talking about? She wanted to know what he meant. "What gave it away?"

"It's almost midnight and you've rejected every man that's come within ten feet of you." Coyote snorted, whirled around, and sauntered off. Uhura's mouth dropped open again. Was it really that late? She watched her boss wander around his club, casually speaking to the other girls who weren't currently occupied. Maybe he was right. The dark-haired girl left her empty glass at the bar and walked away.


The moon shone brightly, illuminating the path Uhura was walking on. She could see Golden Gate Park across the street. It was huge. There was always something going on there. But tonight… she didn't want to be a part of anything. She just wanted to be alone, to think. More specifically, to think about what Coyote had said.

Uhura wasn't an idiot. She knew why she was "distracted". It was Spock. He was there; buried in her unconsciousness, causing her to reject everyone that wasn't him. And obviously… there was only one Spock. But to think… that she didn't even realize it. She had been dismissing men left and right and didn't even stop to think and wonder why. None of them had been good enough for her tonight, which was a preposterous thing to imagine, because she wasn't allowed to be THAT selective. She had to push aside whatever she felt for the Vulcan… or she would eventually lose her job.

Would that be such a bad thing? The forbidden thought entered her skull. Uhura stopped walking in surprise, her mouth going dry. Her hands slowly formed fists and she stomped along, her pensive mood turning into an angry one. And what would you do then, Uhura? The girl asked herself furiously. Would you join Starfleet and go against your Father's wishes?

Uhura stopped walking and hung her head. Even in death, his word was law. Starfleet was forbidden territory. That was that. Feeling slightly melancholy, the girl turned around and began trudging back towards her apartment. While she had been slightly alarmed about her thoughts on Spock, thinking of her past had sucked every ounce of happiness out of her body.

"Guess I should pick up some ice cream on the way home." Uhura declared to the street lamp, as she walked by, a sad smile on her face. I'm an idiot sometimes…


"You want what?!?" Gaila shouted disbelievingly into the phone. The following morning, Uhura had called her best friend and asked where Spock lived.

"I need to know where I can find Spock. I… I need to talk to him." Uhura struggled with her words, something she didn't do often. She inwardly cursed.

"Umm… okay. And what are you going to say? Gee, Professor, I'm sorry for being a stalker and turning up here uninvited, but would you please talk to me about…" Gaila trailed off, her tone half-sarcastic, half-annoyed, mostly worried. She didn't want her friend to get hurt by the Commander. "It's one thing to meet randomly, but this… this is deliberate. I mean, he's a Vulcan! What do you expect to come of this?"

"I don't know… I don't know. I do know that I haven't seen him for over a week and it's been driving me mad. Coyote made me go home early last night." Uhura confessed, raking her fingernails over her forehead. She was agitated now. While she had been somewhat confident with her plan, Gaila's words had elicited insecurity from her. The Orion girl was right. What the hell was she thinking?

"What? Why? Yeah, I was wondering where you went." Gaila paused, waiting for Uhura to explain herself.

"I didn't even realize it… but he did. Gaila, I rejected every guy that approached me last night. Every one… and for the first time in a LONG time, I didn't fulfill my quota, I left my job early… and it's because of him." Uhura hesitated, not sure if she wanted to admit this out loud. It would make her revelation all the more real. "He's here, inside me, in my thoughts, in my actions… and I don't know what to do about it. I could barely sleep last night. I need to do something or I'm not going to be able to go to work tonight. I just know it. So please, please help me."

"I… okay fine… I just hope I'm not going to regret this." Gaila groaned into the phone as Uhura shouted her thanks repeatedly. "Yeah, yeah… but if he hurts you in ANY way, I won't be responsible for my actions."

"Well then… I plead the fifth." Uhura giggled slightly, feeling relieved. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"I do… that's the only reason why I'm doing this. You're incredibly lucky to have me as a friend." Gaila declared jokingly. But as she spoke again, her tone became more serious. "And I want you to be happy. And if breaking into his quarters, stripping him naked and bringing him to your apartment does so, then by all means-"

"GAILA!!!" Uhura shrieked loudly, her cheeks growing warm. "I'm not sure whether to thank you or to hang up the phone."

"How about pledging some years of servitude?" Gaila snorted sardonically, which caused both of them to start chuckling.

"Psh… maybe next time; I'm already serving someone and his name is Co-" Uhura began cynically.

"SPOCK." Gaila burst in cheerfully. "Sorry love; couldn't resist."

"You are insufferable sometimes, do you know that?" Still, Uhura couldn't help but grin at Gaila's attitude. She knew she was going to have to endure a whole lot of teasing. But it was worth it… because at least she would get to see him. She already knew what she wanted to say. She had practiced it.

"Do you want that address or not?"

"If I pledge thirty years of servitude to you, what are my chances of getting it?"

"Hmm… I suppose we can make an exception for you."

"Why, I'd be most grateful. Thank you."

"No problem, sweets. Anything for you."


Uhura stood before the numbers "2210", which seemed quite ominous to her. No doubt there was some kind of haunted house out there with that same number. It just didn't seem like a safe number, a reliable number. She didn't like it, not at all. Okay, she was exaggerating and she was nervous. But she was here. She couldn't just stand there and stare at the door. Someone might walk by and notice her.

Taking a deep breath, Uhura knocked on the door. Maybe he won't even be here. He's probably out doing commander things. Or maybe he's visiting a friend elsewhere. Yes of course, why would he be inside? It didn't make any-

To Uhura's horror and delight, the door opened, revealing the half-Vulcan of her dreams. His eyes widened slightly upon seeing her standing there. "Hello, Ms. Uhura. I must admit, I was not expecting any company today." Spock said smoothly, his eyes flickering to the hallway, checking to see if anyone else was around. Uhura froze as her eyes locked onto Spock's and she forgot was she was going to say. So much for all that practicing...

Yeah, I have a feeling that "not expecting company" is code for "What the fuck are you doing here?" Uhura inwardly groaned. But she had to do it. She opened her mouth and the words just started spilling out. The words that she didn't say in front of her mirror hours before, words that didn't make any kind of sense at all. It was ridiculous. She was… she was babbling?!?

"I'm sorry for showing up here out of the blue. But to put it frankly… you've been on my mind. I haven't been able to concentrate on work. I know I shouldn't be so blunt and informal about it and I can promise you I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable or anything. But I, I don't know how else to say this. I don't know why you made such an impression on me and I don't know what I'm supposed to do about it." Uhura paused for a moment, hoping that Spock would say something, anything to alleviate her nerves. He said no such thing and her unease turned into embarrassment.

"Well… I've said all that I haven't planned to say while standing at your door. So you can either slam it in my face or-"

"There is no reason to issue ultimatums, Ms. Uhura." Spock finally spoke, stepping aside. "You may enter." His eyes were unreadable, his posture as stiff as ever… but Uhura would have to trust in his words. After all, if he didn't want her to come in, he would have told her so. Despite his formal, detached body language, she had been allowed in. This was a good thing.

"Thanks." Uhura cracked a grin as she strode into his apartment, saying over her shoulder: "And it's Nyota." Once again, Spock didn't reply, but shut the door behind them. He led her into his living room, which was quaintly decorated with two full bookshelves, a green couch, a tiny, wooden shelf with a lush, green plant on it, three chairs, and a marble table placed right in the center of the room. It was a simple room and yet she loved it. The walls lacked paint and windows, but there was a picture of a Vulcan desert that was up on the wall, facing the green couch.

To the left of the living room was a tiny kitchen, where Spock entered instantly. Uhura took a seat on the couch and simply listened. She heard some clunking and clanking and finally, the pouring of water. Upon studying the rest of the room, Uhura noticed that the wall near one of the bookcases connected to a little hallway. The corridor had three adequately spaced doors along it. One of those had to be his bedroom.

Uhura jumped as Spock set a silver tray down onto the marble table. Two steaming teacups had been placed on it, along with a jar of sugar, two spoons, some honey, and some milk. Spock sat down in one of his beige chairs, took a cup off the tray, and began sipping it… all without saying a word. The dark-haired teen started to prepare her cup in response. She liked sugar, but not milk. And she never usually put honey in her tea, but she figured she may as well try it.

I've just been doing all kinds of unexpected things today… what's one more thing? Uhura thought to herself as she gently squeezed some honey out. After stirring her tea, she took a tentative sip and smiled. "It's good."

"I am pleased that it is to your liking. I find it much more soothing than caffeine." Spock replied, resting his teacup on the tray.

Uhura laughed. "Yeah… coffee is kinda bad for you. But I can't help it… I love caramel lattes. I should probably cut back, though." She took another sip.

"Ms. Uh-" Spock began finally, a note of firmness in his voice.

"Nyota." She corrected him again. Why she wanted him to call her by her first name, she didn't know. Maybe it was caramel latte withdrawal.

"Nyota." Spock repeated, acquiescing. For now, anyway. "As I said before, I was not expecting visitors… of any kind. But now that the opportunity has presented itself, I will say what I need to say. Firstly, in response to your soliloquy, you have certainly made an impression on me, through your intellect and your charm. I must confess that you are quite an intriguing individual.

"Your ability to speak Vulcan with such prowess and confidence is rare, especially since you lack formal education in the language. It would be acceptable for us to become associated with each other, on the grounds of intellect, of course." Spock paused, picking his teacup up from the silver dish. Uhura felt herself grinning wildly.

"I'm glad you think so." Uhura could barely contain her joy. He must've seen it on her face. But she had to at least try and remain calm. Of all the shitty ideas her brain had ever cooked up, she never thought that this one would actually work! Uhura gulped down some tea, using the cup to hide her mouth. She couldn't stop smiling.

"I would like to bring one more thing to your attention. I believe that honesty is a vital part of any kind of relationship." The half-Vulcan looked straight at Uhura and she could feel dread swimming up from her toes to fingertips. "I find it hard to believe that you are simply a dancer. How a dancer in a social establishment such as a 'club' can sustain herself in this day and age is beyond my capacity to understand the inner workings of human culture."

"I'm a hooker." Uhura stated evenly, her eyes not leaving Spock's. "It pays a hell of a lot more than dancing, I can tell you that much."

"Prostitution is illegal." Spock replied, just as calmly. As if they were discussing the weather.

"Not if some of the men being serviced are cops. To them… it's a necessary evil. Actually, they probably don't think it's evil at all." Uhura shrugged. "You'd be surprised at how many lawyers and judges we get."

Corruption was just as ubiquitous as integrity, but Spock couldn't help but feel somewhat disgusted by her words. To think that such a practice would be allowed, overlooked even, by the city's law enforcement… it was disgraceful. Uhura took in the tightness of his face, the rigidity of his body, the way his hands were almost clenched… and what's more, he wouldn't look at her. So this was it.

"I'm sorry I lied to you." Uhura smiled sadly. "I just didn't want this to happen. I didn't want to be judged for what I do instead of who I am. What I do and the decisions I make help to define me, but they don't finish the job. There's more to me than just… just…" She couldn't finish her words and she felt the sting of oncoming tears.

"I was not judging you; I was merely contemplating the difference between your society and mine. Such a thing would not occur on Vulcan. I know there is more to you and that is exactly why, despite your profession, I still wish to become acquainted." Spock disclosed and Uhura's eyes widened in surprise.

"Thanks… that means a lot to me." Uhura took a deep breath and stole a look at her cup of tea. It was empty. She could have used some more. She felt relieved and stressed at the same time… but mostly relieved. Her greatest fear had been turned away. He wouldn't rebuff her because of her work. He was giving her a chance. A chance at what, she wasn't sure. But it was enough to give her a little confidence. And hope.

"Now, if you would kindly excuse me, I have some research to attend to." Spock said, slowly standing up. Of course he did… wait… who did research in the summer? Then again, he was a Vulcan. She needed to rectify this situation and fast. Because if they would be spending any time together, it was not going to be anywhere near a microscope.

"One more thing… how can I reach you?" Uhura began, stealing a look at Spock's face for consent. She got mild curiosity instead and knew she would have to further explain her words. "Okay, well if we're going to become 'more associated' with one another, we need to see each other. I don't care if we go to movies or a play or a museum or the beach or a park or get coffee, but I don't want to keep relying on chance to bring us together. And I don't want to keep showing up here awkwardly, all unannounced and uninvited. Moderation is good and I think it'll be okay if we start… associating in a normal fashion. How does once a week sound?"

"Once a week?" Spock repeated, raising an eyebrow. And with that simple question, her resolve vanished… and the insecure, illogical gibberish arrived.

"Well, to be honest, I'd be okay with seeing you everyday. But for the sake of discretion or moderation or… well, it probably wouldn't be a good idea because maybe we'd get sick of each other, but I really can't see myself doing that…" Uhura trailed off, realizing that she was babbling again. And her brain filter had been turned off again. Why did this keep happening? How could she be completely composed at work and yet… completely undone by Spock? One look at Spock sent her sanity and logic flying out the window.

"Two days a week will suffice, I believe." Spock cut in easily, the corners of his lips upturned. Clearly she didn't have the same on him. Well… not that she could tell… yet. She liked thinking of "yet", because it implied the future. And they had a future together, no matter how limited or small or uncertain it was. She could live with two days. Maybe it would eventually grow… into what, she didn't know.

But Uhura was looking forward to change, for the first time in a long time. She wanted to get to know him, to peel back his layers and she wanted him to know her. She wanted a lot of things and she wasn't used to it, wasn't used to anticipating tomorrow. It had been a while since she had indulged herself like this. She didn't look for friendships or let people in and she certainly didn't walk around saying: "I'm a hooker." She didn't babble nearly as often as she did today. She was usually confident in her words.

She had the insane urge to kick a wall, she felt so frustrated and conflicted and happy. A multitude of emotions was surging through her, but he wanted her around. Despite the fact that she was a slut, a whore, a tramp, or whatever epithet society had branded her kind with, Spock wanted her around. Well, maybe not want, more like chose. He chose to have her around. And that was certainly enough for now.


And that's it for now. Please, let me know what you thought of it! And please tell me if I've made a mistake of some kind. I'm not sure when I'm going to start Chapter 3. I think because I took so long to update this story, I'm going to work on Chapter 3 and finish it before I go back to my other fic. That sounds fair enough, right?