A/N: Well, this took a while to get out, but I was stuck on how to end it without making it even longer. If you haven't noticed, I added a title cover to this story. Serious photoshopping was committed but I'm pretty satisfied with it.

Thanks to those who've faved/followed and reviewed thus far. I now present to you a chapter with another crappy title:

Warp 4: The Man behind the Books

Cadets of all levels bustled about in the academy hallways. Daylight streamed in through the rectangular windows. Amongst the flow of red in one particular path, a figure clothed in black moved swiftly against them for when the cadets laid eyes on him, they parted ways to allow his single form through.

Chatter, shouts, footsteps, and the rustle of clothes filled the space around him. It was something he had grown accustomed to in the years he had stayed on Earth, so his ears did not react to every single noise there was anymore. He also tolerated the small amount of physical contact he received in such busy areas. Most were accidental and unavoidable unless he had the power of foresight and an armor of steel. As a Vulcan, that would be illogical, so, Spock carried on his way.

Hands firmly placed behind him and not breaking a single stride of his legs, Spock walked with purpose. He nodded to cadets who greeted him, but did not stop to converse with them. If he did, he would undoubtedly be late for the lecture that afternoon. All conversations were heard and considered irrelevant by the Vulcan, as most were gossip or idle talk, until one voice raised above the rest.

"What's got you so down Jimmyboy?" a man's jeering called out from the crowd of moving bodies.

Spock did not stop walking, as he wasn't the subject that was mentioned. He was also ready to dismiss it before another voice gave its reply.

"It's none of your business Finnegan." Another man's voice irritated and rushed but not as loud as the other man's, could be heard above the chatter.

Spock broke his stride and immediately stopped. He whipped his body around 180 degrees to see where the voices came from but all he saw was red. He heard laughter of a mocking sort moving farther and farther away. Nothing but mundane chatter remained. The source of the voice he was seeking was long gone with every passing second Spock scanned the crowd with his eyes. It was lost.

The Vulcan let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, blinked, and slowly turned back around. He ignored the curious eyes of the cadets and continued on his way. He did not hear the voice again.

It was after 1800 hours when Spock was finally finished with his last lecture for the day. He checked his PADD as his students rushed out of the lecture hall and noticed an email from Captain Pike. He opened it, briefly read its contents then closed the window and exited the PADD altogether. This would be the second time he was asked to see him since the second semester started. Often times, the requests were at night because of Pike's unusual and busy schedule. Spock wasn't one to complain, but he had other things to do as well.

The Vulcan put the meeting in the back of his mind and walked off the podium. He gave a slight glance at the hall to see if Uhura was coming down to see him, as she usually did have many questions, and saw that she really was heading towards him. So, he paused near the door, waiting for everyone to leave before Uhura came to a slow halt in front of him. She smiled a greeting at him.

"Cadet Uhura," Spock said nodding his head at her. "As usual, I assume you have a question for me today."

"As I always do," Uhura replied with a grin, "but I can't stay too long today. I've been really busy lately with my other courses and study groups. So, I was just wondering if you will have time at 2200 for a small tutorial with me."

As the woman spoke, Spock noticed she didn't sound as confident as she usually did. Her voice was slightly timid, but the Vulcan barely realized what it could mean. "I apologize, Cadet Uhura, but I have a meeting with Captain Pike at that hour."

"Oh." Her face, bright before, was now disappointed. She glanced away. "Well, that's alright," she said looking back. "I should've known you would be just as busy as the rest of us."

"But not that busy that I would refuse helping a student such as yourself," Spock said, automatically trying to ease Uhura. She didn't often ask for such tutorials, but Spock somehow knew it took her a lot of effort in asking. He could not reject such an attempt. "If I am correct and the meeting with Pike will last approximately two hours, then we can meet at 2400 if you are not opposed to that time."

Uhura immediately brightened. "I'm a student like every cadet here, and like all of them, I could always use the extra help before exam time. No, I wouldn't be opposed to meeting at 2400. I usually don't sleep until a few hours later anyways."

Spock nodded. "Very well, Cadet Uhura. Then I shall see you at the designated time and the usual place."

It was exactly seven minutes before 2200 when Spock began to climb only the first of four flights of stairs. It was the very same stairs he had take to get to Captain Pike's office earlier in the first term, but he was much more familiar with the route now. He learned from his commanding officer that this particular section of the building had faulty designs, so the way to his office was often confusing and difficult for people. There were no lifts of any sort, so the only access to the floors above was through stairs alone. Pike had even admitted once that he purposely chose that area for his office in order to deter the amount of people who wished to discuss matters with him. Spock didn't mind the strange route because, being the efficient Vulcan he was, he found a shortcut.

Due to the hour and the location, Spock did not come across anybody. He passed the same hallway he met the unusual cadet in and briefly paused before the towering display of windows. The sun had already set. Spock remembered the clatter of books, the wide smile, and the voice in the crowd. Turning his head away from the spectacle, he pushed the memory into the back of his mind, for he didn't want to remember disappointment, and continued down the hallway until he reached a door with the captain's name on it.

Unexpectedly, the door slid open before the Vulcan even had time to knock on it.

"Hello, Spock." Pike said without looking up. A series of PADDs were laid out in front of him. "On time as usual."

"Greetings, Captain," Spock said, entering the room. He looked about then moved towards a seat in front of the desk. Quietly, he placed himself in the chair; his hands folded on top of his lap. "You wished to discuss matters concerning the Enterprise?"

"Yes, but first," Pike put down the electronic pen he had in hand and gave Spock his full attention. Crinkles gathered around his eyes as he asked with a small smile, "I heard that you were dating a certain long-haired cadet."

Spock slightly arched one brow. "I do not know where you received that information, but I am not dating Cadet Uhura. She is strictly a student to me and a very excellent one at that."

Pike smiled at Spock who looked back with his usual blank eyes. "A student and a female?" he said in a suggestive manner. "I sometimes hear you go off alone wither her sometimes. What, on dates?"

Spock heard this before, in rumors passing around. Some were even vulgar. "I am familiar with the concept of dates, however, a tutorial does not fit the criteria," Spock said in all seriousness. "Furthermore, an intimate relationship with any cadet is prohibited by the Academy's regulations. It is unprofessional and illogical. I would never consider it."

Pike chuckled. "I'm sorry I even asked," he said leaning back. "I can't imagine you would ever be in a scandal."

"I take that as a compliment then," Spock said after a moment then adjusted his body to sit more comfortably. Apparently, the guest chairs were also designed to shorten their stay. "Captain, putting my private affairs aside, what is the reason you have asked me here today?"

Pike straightened up and handed out a PADD to Spock. The Vulcan took it into his hand as Pike began to talk simultaneously. "After this term ends, Starfleet has offered the Enterprise a five-year exploration mission. If you would like to continue to teach on Earth, you are free to do so. There are other qualified Science Officers that would be happy to take your place; however, if you are interested in this mission, you may join me."

Amongst the stars…

The words unconsciously entered Spock's mind. He had finished reading the file opened on the PADD before looking up at Pike's face. The decision was obvious. "As your Chief Science Officer, I would of course, join you Captain." Spock would not miss the opportunity for space exploration, let alone meet the one person who would define him. Or maybe he already did meet the person. Spock stared at Pike, waiting for him to continue.

Pike looked pleased as he took back the PADD and started talking about the specifics of the mission. As soon as the term ended and the results of the Kobayashi Maru were in, then they could expect to leave within the next two months if everything went according to plan. Spock actually looked forward to the mission, for he would no longer be grounded on Earth. As a Science Officer, he was interested in what discoveries he could make and analyze out in that vast void. There was a certain appeal about being on the field and experiencing the physical versus reading about it on a computer.

Then somewhere amongst their two hour long talk about the mission specifics and catching up, Pike asked Spock if he would attend the Kobayashi Maru testing.

"I have programmed the Kobayashi Maru but that does not require me to attend the testing sessions."

"You're right. You programmed it for the last four years, and no one has passed it," Pike said nodding his head, "but I thought you would be interested in a cadet that's going to be taking it a third time."

Spock was not amused. He took pride in his work, and if one cadet could not pass it, then why should he be interested? "You assume that I would be interested in such a cadet. For what reason?'

Pike wouldn't properly explain. "Just go to the Kobayashi Maru sessions if you have time. I'm sure you'll find a man there that you'll be interested in speaking to. He's come a long way since he joined the Academy a few years ago. It doesn't matter if he passes or not – that's not the point."

"If you insist, then I will go," Spock stated hesitantly. "Who is this man you speak of so highly?"

"Oh you'll find out," said Pike with a smile. "Actually, you might've heard about him or seen him around the Academy – a walking stack of books I hear."

Spock's automatic response would be to question such a description, but he was familiar with the personification. Only one person came to mind when Pike said those words, however, Spock reasoned it could be any other man as well. "I may have encountered… such a 'stack' in the previous semester, but I doubt he is the one you are referring to."

"Ah, so you've met Jim already?" Pike asked with a hint of surprise. "There's really only one man on campus running around with a stack of books. When did you meet and why didn't I know about it?"

The name flickered through Spock's mind again and again. So that was the man's name. "If you recall," Spock began, "I was late coming here once because of helping a certain cadet."

Pike nodded with recognition. "I should've known he was the one you were helping. He visits these libraries often. Actually, he might be the only one…so I'm not too surprised if you ran into him on the way here before."

Spock checked his communicator watch. It was a minute past 2400.

The Vulcan moved to stand up. "Captain, I apologize for the short notice, but there is another meeting I must attend."

"Alright," said Pike. "I need to finish all this paperwork."

Spock stared at the stack of PADDs on the man's desk and decided not to comment on the non-existent paper. "Then I take my leave, Captain."

"Don't forget to come to the Kobayashi Maru," Pike reminded.

Spock paused by the door. "Indeed I will. Good evening Captain Pike." And with that, Spock exited the room and entered into the moonlit halls.

He walked down the passage way, in no particular hurry as he stared straight ahead. Each swift step he took brought him closer to the library's entrance until he was finally upon it. He briefly looked at the wooden engraved doors and the old-fashioned metal knobs, waiting for something to happen. Not unusually, nothing did happen, so Spock turned away to look through the windows on the other side instead.

Darkness loomed over the horizon. The luminescence of all the lights from buildings, street lamps, the bridge, and hover vehicles could be seen in stark contrast to the darkness above. Beautiful as the city lights were, however, there were no stars visible. Light pollution was one of the things Spock found extremely disheartening about cities. No matter how awe-inspiring artificial lights were in the dark, Spock found he preferred the natural phenomena in the night sky much better. On Vulcan, he never had to look hard for the stars. When night came, he would look up and there they would be. Although on Earth, Spock found the stars would be outshined by the very city he would be studying in. To not see the stars unsettled him, as if he was denied a part of himself.

But, remembering his destination, Spock brought himself to move his legs and forget about the stars for the time being. He walked the rest of the way down the hallway until he reached the third floor. The windows here did not tower like the floor above, but it allowed moonlight in and it was enough. It was the same when Spock reached the second floor. He checked his communicator watch and realized he had to move more quickly, but not before he noticed the rapid footsteps heading his way. Spock was halfway rounding a corner, expecting he would find out soon who was running down this time of night, when he was halted right before completing the turn. Something hard crashed into his body, books fell to the floor, and a voice of frustration could be heard as the man behind the books immediately knelt down to pick them up.

Spock did not believe in luck or fate. He did, however, believe in coincidences.

The Vulcan could feel a slight tingle in his blood at the familiar voice and situation. He swiftly bent down as well and picked up the books the man neglected. "Cadet?" he said looking at the man's profile. The cropped hair, the facial structure – this was the cadet.

Spock waited for the man to turn towards him, anticipated it, because this was the same person he had longed to see. Spock did not know why; it was an illogical desire, yet, he was not disappointed when he finally saw the man's face.

The look and sound of frustration on the cadet's features were quickly replaced with surprise. "Professor!" the man said standing up, nearly dropping all his books in the process. Spock raised a brow, gathered the remaining books on the floor and stood up. The Vulcan was amused by how easily distracted the man was. Most people reacted to him either apprehensively, offensively, or even defensively, save for a handful of people and Uhura, but this man was a special case.

Jim, Spock wanted to say but he thought it sounded wrong. While it was natural for him to know his students' names prior to speaking to them, this was a different situation entirely. He wanted to hear it from the man's own mouth – wanted the man to ask for his name and Spock wanted to ask his in turn.

"What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night – wait, don't tell me you have a hot midnight date too..!"

Spock looked skeptically at the man's choice of words and decided to comment on everything but the word 'date.' He voiced his assumption on the man's destination, in which must've triggered something in the cadet because he soon sprinted off after a few words and an apology. Spock called out to the man, trying not to say his name, but when he did not stop, Spock tightened his grip on the books in his hands and followed.

The cadet was a fast runner, but with each leg Spock stretched out in front of him again and again, he brought himself closer to the man (that and he also took the shortcut, being the efficient person he was). In all the years he had stayed on Earth, Spock had never truly run. Being the punctual and disciplined individual he was, Spock always planned ahead and calculated his time of arrival to meetings, lectures, and other such events so that in return, he would have no need to rush. It was a pace Spock was accustomed to. It was a pace he was comfortable with – a pace that did not consider spontaneity, such as this meeting with the cadet. And if Spock wanted to speak to the man, he had no choice but to run after him.

Based on the man's surprised reaction when Spock finally caught up and spoke to him, he did not even realize that Spock had been following him at all. They spoke little to each other as they reached the doors of the library and the man quickly logged his books back in. Spock did the same before he turned around, keeping a good distance from the man so that he could observe his slouched and fatigued figure. While Spock did not feel worn at all, he did wonder why his heart was beating slightly faster than usual. He couldn't estimate the exact beats per minute because by the time they exchanged a couple of words and the man straightened himself back up, Spock's heart returned to normal.

"Thanking is illogical? Well, I've never heard of that before. Then what about helping, Professor?" the man asked with an amused grin.

"Helping was logical," Spock answered with ease. "I intended to inquire from you the reason of your study methods. And as it is undetermined whether or not I will meet you again, I took the opportunity given to me."

Spock momentarily paused in thought. A lie. His last sentence was a complete lie. Spock knew exactly when he would meet the cadet again, yet he didn't know why he obscured his words to make it seem like he wouldn't.

The cadet looked surprise, stared at the library doors and then back at Spock. "You mean using books to study? You ran after me just so you could ask me about that?"

Spock didn't think it was so unusual and explained as such. He watched with interest as the man's sceptical face turned to one of amusement once more. The Vulcan realized he had never met an individual who could smile with such vigour and sincerity as this man did. It was oddly pleasant.

"It's personal preference, Professor. I like the physical object itself rather than the electronic versions, despite the inefficiencies. It's nostalgic." The last sentence was said with reluctance. "I got the habit from my mother."

"Is that so…" the Vulcan murmured, glancing away momentarily. He could identify with this new piece of information. Spock himself formed an odd ritual of a sort under the influence of his own mother, which he carried to Earth. He recalled some of them with fondness before facing the cadet. "I am familiar with habits, illogical as they are."

The man smiled again. Spock, for the life of him, couldn't fathom why.

Then when the man asked if Spock was satisfied with his answer, Spock responded with a slight bow of his head, his hands still behind his back. "Yes, your answer is quite satisfactory. I apologize if I have kept you from any prior arrangements you may have."

When the cadet shook his head and smiled once more, Spock was seriously wondering if smiling too much would become detrimental to the man if he persisted. "No, it's not a problem at all, Professor. I appreciated your assistance."

"Very well, then I must take my leave as I am late." Eight minutes too late, Spock thought automatically turning to walk away.

"Ah, sorry for holding you back," the man said walking with him. "Since there's no other way down except for the one way we came up, I hope you don't mind if we walk down together."

Despite being late already, Spock realized he did not mind in the slightest.

In the few minutes that Spock spent with the man, he managed not to say the man's name and by the time they reached the first level, Spock learned that the cadet was on his third year in the Command Route at the Academy and intent on becoming an officer by the end of the semester. He had more than enough credits as well as extra-curricular activities and recommendations that made up for not taking the fourth year. All that was left was to try to pass the Kobayashi Maru, for the third time, as Spock already knew, but he deliberately left that out of the conversation. Overall though, Spock was impressed by this man. He was ambitious, intelligent, and stubborn no doubt, but also extremely social based on the many recommendations he received.

"Enough about me," the cadet said as they exited the building. "You haven't said a thing about yourself." At that moment though, Spock stopped walking and faced the man, intending on parting ways then.

"You are correct. Unfortunately though, I must depart now," said Spock with an indifferent face. "I am already late enough as it is."

"Oh, sorry," said the cadet rubbing his neck, "you didn't seem to be in a hurry. I didn't mean to hold you back though. It's just, I don't know when I'll see you again – "

"Despite the size of this academy, we have already met twice have we not?" Spock stated, fixing his eyes on the man. Under the mix of moonlight and street lamps, Spock saw undeniable eagerness on the cadet's face. It reflected the Vulcan's own unconscious desire. Spock decided then he would right his mistake from earlier. "Rest assured," Spock said with a blink, "if we can meet twice, we will meet a third time as well."

The man's eyes did not waver. "What makes you so sure?"

Spock raised a brow. "Anything that can happen, will happen."

Lips twitched as it expanded across an amused face. "Murphy's Law."

Spock nodded his head. "Good evening Cadet," he said and walked away.

Twenty-one, thought Spock. That was the number of times the man smiled.

"If you're truly sorry for being late," Uhura said sternly after Spock apologized for the third time, "then you have to raise my grade by a couple marks. And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Nyota if we're not in the classroom."

Spock lifted a brow by a few millimetres. "You are already the top of my class, Nyota, and raising your mark would be amoral on my part as a professor. I cannot. Do you have another means in which I can appease you by?"

"I wasn't serious, Spock," said Uhura smiling and leaning over the table with her elbows on the surface. "So, come over to my Kobayashi Maru trial in the upcoming week instead. I'd like some insight on my performance."

Spock liked this suggestion much better. "What is your position?"

"Communications Officer."

"Then who will be the acting captain?"

"Just this man, who's already failed it twice," Uhura began nonchalantly. "I doubt he'll make it a third time though –"

"You are acquainted with Jim?"

Uhura froze after being interrupted. She looked sharply at Spock. "You know Kirk?"

"Jim Kirk?"

"James Tiberius Kirk," Uhura corrected straightening with disbelief. "How did you meet him?"

Spock mulled over the name for the second time that evening. "I met him months prior and I was helping him before I came here," Spock answered.

"He's the reason you're late?" Uhura said with a frown, clearly upset.

"You are not on good terms with Cadet Kirk?" Spock asked after a moment.

Uhura shrugged. "You know the guy I told you about, the one who always keeps asking for my first name?" Spock nodded. "Yeah, that's Kirk, the same Kirk who's been trying to ask me out for three years already. He's annoying at best."

Spock did not have that impression at all and was about to state so, but Uhura diverted his attention to the promised tutorial. It was 0100 by the time they finished their session, in which Uhura left with a better mood and Spock left with many questions, despite answering many that evening.

As promised to Pike and Uhura, and for his own personal interest, Spock attended the Kobayashi Maru the following week. He saw two cadets fail that day and mentally commended their efforts. However, when Kirk unexpectedly saved the civilian ship and destroyed all the Klingon Warbirds, Spock was baffled. After checking the simulation program that same hour, Spock realized the program had been altered.

When Spock roughly leaned back against his swivel chair, he felt an emotion he had not felt since his days on Vulcan.

Spock was furious.