Days passed aboard the Enterprise. The silent tension the be fell the ship left everyone on edge. No one spoke of what had happened in the doctors office that night, no one questioned it. But rumors were spread and they spun out of control like a spiders web.
"Thay had an affair?"
"A love triangle."
"They slept together?!"
"No way!?"
"What about Nyota?"
She walked by and froze, "What about Nyota?" Gossiping groups going silent as they saw the woman in question come closer with flaming rage in her eyes.
"What about me?" She asked viciously.
"Y- you mean you don't know?" She glared daggers at the younger ensign.
"No, I dont know what your talking about, know what exactly?" The group sent eachother worried glances before they lowered thier heads in fear. Another beave girl spoke up, oddly enough she looked like she could be Carol's little sister, theyshared the same bright blue eyes and blonde hair.
"M- McCoy... They say Spock and McCoy fought over Kirk in the infirmary last week..." She looked between the ensigns curiously eyeing them like a hungry lion.
"What do you mean fought over Kirk? What the hell for?" They wearily backed away from the lieutenant, afraid by what they had to explain.
"They say Kirk was having an affair with Spock... And Leonard found out so he tried to be up Spock." Uhura tried to keep calm, but her nostrils flared and her chest rose and fell rapidly, people standing by took precaution. She glared at the ensigns.
"Has any part of this rumor been proven true?" Uhura questioned, the ensign backing away in fear.
"N- No, no, I don't know! I'm sorry, so sorry! I thought you knew about the rumors!" Uhura sighed in frustration with a click of her heels, she turned and walked away.
Her mind whirled out of control thinking of all sorts of things, and jumbled together into something, ultimately she didn't know what. 'What affair? How long had this been going on? Spock would never cheat on me! Especially not with Kirk of all people!' She huffed out angrily almost tripping on her own heels, not hearing the soft giggle behind her.
"Nyota?" Uhura glared at the direction of the voice but softened once she saw who it was.
"Carol. .. I'm sorry I-" The blonde quickly hushed her and smiled.
"N- no! Don't be, alright? You seem troubled, what's wrong? Trouble in paradise?" Uhura, despite her anger, sighed with a smile.
"You have no, idea..." The girls walked out towards the mess hall, getting some much needed food Uhura's stomach let out a ferocious growl.
"Goodness Ny! Do you have a lion in there? How long has it been since you've last eaten?" Uhura blushed as her stomach growled again.
"Hehe, a while... To be honest I've been so busy I don't even know what to do lately... And then this rumor crap happens, I guess I just haven't had time to eat..."
Carol shook her head disapprovingly. She was a nurse after all and Uhura was her friend, she wouldn't want her friend dying of malnutrition. So she took her hand and dragged her towards the replicators.
"Come on, you got to eat something. I can't have you dying on us now, can we?" Nyota smiled.
"No... Thanks Carol."
Carol smiled picking up a plate taking the replicator besides her. Two slices of pizza and a shared bowl of mint chip ice-cream, the girls sat back laughing. The laughter dying down to quiet giggles. Nyota decided that just maybe this , was exactly what she needed. She smiled happily at the blonde girl sitting across from her.
"Carol thanks, seriously. I needed this." Carol shook her head bringing up her hand to stop her.
"No, don't thank me, it looked like you could use a little fun. But now that you've calmed down some, I wanted to ask you about earlier, what happened to make you so angry?"
Uhura groaned pinching the bridge of her nose. This was exactly what she wanted to get away from and now here Carol was bringing her back.
"Come on Ny, it can't be that bad?" She let out a deep sigh looking away.
"Spock slept with Kirk." Carol chocked on her drink.
"W- what makes you say that?" Uhura huffed out a laugh smoothing a hand over her hair nervously.
"They're saying McCoy and Spock fought over Kirk..." Carol laughed.
"And that lead you to believe he slept with Kirk?" Uhura gave Carol an exasperated look. The nurse scoffed, giving her back an incredulous stare.
"Ny?" Uhura huffed throwing out her arms exaggerating her point.
"Ugh, well what else was I supposed to think carol?" The girls paused looking at eachother and burst out laughing.
"Nyota, I can't believe you right now... Do you really think Spock would do that to you?" Uhura sighed.
"I'm... I don't even know Carol, I'm not sure what to think..."
"Well, I think, you should get all the facts before you start making silly asumptions."
Nyota huffed out in response taking a spoon full of ice-cream stuffing her mouth. She knew she was being silly but she didn't know what else to do. Though, that was a lie. She knew she was being immature by not confronting her lover. Instead she sat there pouting, making herself fat with a second bowl of ice-cream. She groaned throwing her spoon in the bowl and hid her head in her hands.
"Dammit..." Carol chuckled taking the spoon from the bowl.
"You know what you have to do don't you? Get up and stop mopping around and go talk to him."
"Ugh... I know..." Nyota watched as her friend threw away their empty plates.
"Seev you later Ny, and don't foget to speak to that Vulcan of yours! Pointy eared bastard..." They giggled walking in opposite directions.
Uhura dreaded alpha shift, luckily is was only a couple hours long this day. With a deep breath the door of the lift opened and she walked onto the bridge. She looked around the place smiling, despite her irritation, Nyota found herself a little happy to get to work. She may be mad, but she loved her job. Then out of the corner a flash of blue cought her eye. Spock walked right passed her, mouth hung agape staring as she watched Spock make his way passed her and towards the captain.
'What the fuck?' Tjere they stood sharing information without a care in the world with not so much as a 'hello'.
'What the fuck?!' She growled sitting at her station, tightening her hair tie, plopping down on her seat. People turned to stare, she hadn't realized he'd been so loud.
"Uhura?" She cringed at the stupidly cute innocent tone of the blonde.
"What, cap-tain?!" Kirk fell back in his seat blinking sadly.
"I-I'm sorry?" The commander was curious, as to when Nyota had entered the room. As he looked at her he was wondering why she was so angry, there was no excuse for her erratic behavior during alpha shift. Spock simply stood back to observe.
"Sh- Just, never mind... Nothings wrong captain, im sorry..." Kirk still sitting at his seat looked at Nyota with curiosity and sadness.
"Well if anythings wrong-" Uhura viens would have burst as she kept getting angrier at the captains sweet concerned tone of voice. She spun in her seat glaring at the captain.
"Just shut up! Nothings wrong, just mind your own damn business!" Kirk sighed snuggling back into his seat.
"Alright Uhura..." She took her seat noticing Spock was slightly more temse than usual, a strange frown plastered on his face and she sighed knowing that it was her fault. The rest of alpha shift she sat in the unusual dark atmosphere around the bridge, she wondered though, why would Spock be mad at her?
The commander gave a slight nod of his head before he pushed past her and took the seat at his station. Uhura huffed out angrily taking her seat as well. The remainder of the shift was mostly silent. Angrily clicking at her screen and patching through messages. Towards the end of their shift a particular message perked up the captains ear and it gained Uhura's curiosity. Kirk stood from his seat running towards the door.
"Patch me through on private link in the conference room, you're all dismissed."
Uhura noticed how intent Spock was watching the captain leave, like he was secretly worried about who Jim was talking with and it made her angrier and more curious. So she did something that had never occured to her before, Uhura clicked on her ear piece and listened in on the captains conversation.
"Ambassador? I didn't expect to hear from you anytime soon, is something thw matter?" Silence followed after, an awkwardly long awaiting silence.
"No, though a presume, a conflict did insue, did it not James?" Kirk sighed.
"Who told you? Was it Sulu?" Movement could be heard before the elder of the two spoke again.
"I do apologize on his behalf, lieutenant Hikaru means well James-"
"It was not his place to call on such personal matters!"
"Personal matters?! Would it have been better of my younger counterpart to allow Leonard the pleasure to defile your body?!" The room went silent again, heavy breathes from both men comming through the tiny ear piece as Uhura sat covered her ears to hear better.
"I- I'm sorry..." James whispered so low it was almost inaudible.
"James... Are you alright?" The Tone of voice was so loving and gentle like there was a deeper underlying meaning behind the simple words. Kirk's voice cracked with strangled gasps as he tried to speak.
"I... I just don't think I can do this!" The ambassador sighed.
"Oh James... What I would not give to take away your sorrows... But it is a burden you must overcome..." Kirk sniffled before he spoke.
"What if I can't? Selek, I'm scared... I dont think I can do this?" The ambassador sighed.
"Oh James..."
"I don't want to do this... Stupid infatuation... Look at the mess it got me in?!" The ambassador growled, a loud echo pounding the speaker.
"Then end it James!" The pause in the conversation made Uhura blink. The ambassador just yelled at Kirk. The captain had gone silent, probably taking his own time to register what had happened.
"What?" Jim answered curiously.
"End it James. If something so insignificant as this is taking its toll on you, give up! Stay on the side line, watching as another takes your place. Are you capable of that James?! Would you be willing to sit there and watch?!" The silence came again and ended quickly as movement rang through the speaker.
"Can you sit there and watch!?"
"No!" Jim huffed out angrily.
"No... For God's sake, Selek, this burden is a heavy price to pay for loving someone so unattainable... But you have no idea what I've been going through-"
"But I do James, I do know the burden you carry. Did it slip your mind so quickly that you had forgotten who you are in the presence of?" Jim sighed.
"I'm sorry... I didn't think... But it hurts Selek! All these damn dreams, McCoy, hell even Spock! I just don't think I have it in me to do this shit!" Uhuras ears perked up and she listened carefully.
"He's just toying with me... He'll never-"
"Open your eyes James..." The captain was quicly silenced.
"Why do I keep hearing that? Why? What is there to see that I cannot find it? Im sick and tired of hearing that shit! I'm not asleep, my eyes are open! I can see just find!" Another loud bang pouded through the tiny ear piece bas the ambassador spoke agin, Uhura winced at the loud voices.
"Then listen James!" Uhura could hear the captain's raspy breathes throught the tiny ear piece.
"Pay attention, analyze the scene James. You have a sharp mind, I should advise you to make good use of it..." Jim sat silently waiting for the older man to finish.
"But it hurts so much Selek... " The ambassador sighed.
"Then give into the pain... Your emotions, please excuse me Jim, I must take my leave. But consider the words I've said James, Spock won't wait forever... And you surely cannot run forever."
As soon as the ambassador left and the line went dead, Uhura threw her ear piece off like it was on fire. She bolted out of her chair running out of the bridge and into the lift. She wiped away angry tears running down her face glaring at the ceiling.
"Why?!" The only thing she could muster as her anger grew and she stomped her foot punching the panel to stop the lift.
"Why is the ambassador helping Kirk take Spock away from me?!"
The thought rang in her head making her cry harder, sliding down to the floor against the wall to sit on the floor of the lift. Her knees held against her chest as she let out her wails with the sudden realization.
'Spock hasn't spoken to me all week!' She let her head roll back hitting the wall behind her.
"It's not fair... What does he have that I don't.?" Her cries bounced off the walls of the small lift. She hugged her legs closer as her cries became louder, the pain and sorrow audible in her voice.
Uhura had always, in a way, loved the captain. She enjoyed his presence, his charming smile, and joyous aura. She would go so far as saying she that she was prideful of the ships captainn. But jealously was a terrible thing, where love could be turned bitter and ugly with hate. It fueled her heart with a terrible rage, and for the first time, Uhura dreaded and regretted the day she met James Tiberius Kirk.
