Some things between them just got lost in translation, and Nyota had to accept that. A month had passed since they'd had their heart to heart or heart to mind as Spock was concerned and things had progressed quite slowly. After Chapel put in for a transfer to a space dock in the Lorentian system (making her only accessible to the crew every three months), the tension seemed to ease much more. Uhura didn't realize how much tension she was carrying around until Kirk told her that Chapel had officially left the Enterprise, not to be seen or heard from again until three months down the road. Uhura smiled to herself now that the woman was gone. Now, it was time for her and Spock to heal from the infidelity, now that she could breathe.

"McCoy, I need your help," Uhura said as she walked towards the turbolift. Her shift was over, but Spock was still in charge on the bridge. She and McCoy were on their way to the ship's mess hall.

"Anything for you, Miss Uhura," McCoy smiled.

"Well, as you know, Spock and I are trying to move on and I was thinking it would be healthy if we both saw a counselor," Uhura said. McCoy stopped mid-stride and started laughing uncontrollably. Uhura regarded him with a look that could kill. McCoy stopped his bawdy laughter immediately.

"I'm sorry, the mental pictures of Spock lying stock-still on a shrink's couch just made me laugh. Could you see him reiterating his daddy-issues in that placid tone of his?"

"Len, I'm trying to be serious," Uhura said, the corners of her mouth turning up, the mental image almost making her crack.

"Okay, I know you are," McCoy said and continued to walk towards the mess. They reached the mess hall quite quickly, ordered their food from the replicator and said across from one another.

"Here's the problem, and it's mostly me. I can't… I can't have sex with him yet. Let me explain" and she started a story about the other night.

Two nights prior

She didn't know if it was the wine she'd had with dinner or the way Spock's lips always affected her, but she wanted him. This was one of their only free nights together, and as usual for the past month, she and Spock had dinner in his quarters and then either played and sang or watched an old earth movie. Tonight after Spock had created a creative mix of Middle Eastern spices and Vulcan vegetables, both he and Uhura were on his sofa watching "Some like it hot." It was a movie Nyota's grandmother had always enjoyed and therefore he was enduring the illogical nonsense of Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as they dressed in drag to both win over Marylin Monroe and hide from the mob; highly illogical.

He was enjoying the movie in spite of himself, because of the placement of Uhura's small body. Her head was on his shoulder and her legs were curled underneath her body, their hands intertwined. This moment reminded him of times when they first started seeing one another, and those stolen moments of peace he experienced when she was with him in those Academy days. Yet, there was something different with this night. He could feel her emotions starting to flare and so he stiffened and moved away. Generally, she would put a stop their closeness, feigning that it was too fast to continue in such a way, but tonight, Nyota was unstoppable.

He felt her hands leave his own and snake around his torso as she slid gracefully over to him, straddling his lap. Spock swallowed reflexively. He felt her lips feather against his jaw-line and inhaled sharply. She worked her way to his lips and they kissed deeply. He couldn't resist wrapping his arms around her thin waist and pulling her hot center over his quickly hardening member. His hands traced down her back, and as she arched her back, giving his lips access to her neck, a moan escaped her lips that she'd been holding for far too long. One hand held her back and the other escaped and traced down the side of her face, down her chest to cup one of her small and perfect breasts. Uhura froze.

"I'm sorry," she said out of breath and stiff. She lowered her head in hardened shame.

"Why do you apologize?" Spock asked.

"For leading you on, for being a tease, I shouldn't have started something that I wasn't completely sure I would be able to go thru with."

"Do you not see this as progress?" Spock asked. Nyota stood up quickly, smoothing her uniform skirt and donning her boots quickly.

"No Spock. And you can blame it on me for making us go a couple of steps backwards. I gotta go," Nyota said and almost ran from the room.

"That's rough, kid," McCoy said, sipping on his drink. Nyota shook her head and exhaled.

"I know."

"Well, you'll be happy to know that the ship just picked up a counselor," McCoy said through a small bite of a sandwich.

"Really? When?"

"When we dropped Christine off in the Lorentian system I put in for a counselor. Her name is Anathema Sudri, she's a Betazoid. And she's quite a brilliant doctor; empathic, ethereal and all that Betazoid goodness. Talk to Spock and set up an appointment. I'm sure she'd be more than excited to help. You know, Betazoids are extremely friendly," McCoy swallowed, realizing that he was ranting. Uhura's eyebrows crinkled to the middle of her forehead, much like Spock's. It wouldn't do McCoy to point out that she'd been spending a lot of time with the Vulcan of hers, despite their problems they were rubbing off on one another.

"Why are you blushing?" Nyota asked, slightly amused.

"I'm not blushing," McCoy lowered his head.

"You're a bit red. And I never knew that you learned so much about Betazoid's personalities in med-school. I think someone has a bit of a crush," Nyota joked.

"I'm an adult, we don't crush."

"Well, if you do have one she already knows about it. Betazoids are telepathic as well, although she'd probably never read your mind without your permission, but you never can tell. Not that you aren't transparent enough, Len."

"This is the last time I help you," McCoy said, waiting for Uhura to finish her meal. She couldn't finish her food thru the fits of giggles.

"Where do I go to make an appointment?" Uhura asked.

"Her office is next to my office down in sick bay," McCoy said matter-of-factly.

"Kinky," Uhura laughed. McCoy rolled his eyes and got his things and got up from the table to walk away.

****

Dr. Sudri was a woman short in stature with remarkable long black hair that had a bluish tint to it. Her face was round and attractive and she had subtle curves to her figure that any man would find pleasing. Her eyes, much like others of her race were strangely dark with iris' just as dark. She was adjusting things in her office when she heard a knock at the door.

"Come," she said in a very soft and appealing voice. McCoy entered carefully, and stood in the doorway.

"Isn't it considered rude in your human customs, especially in the region of that world that you hail from to linger in doorways?" she asked, a look of levity in her dark eyes. McCoy could tell that she was joking. She'd always had a great sense of humor.

"I just wanted to come by and welcome you to the ship."

"Leonard it has been a long time since I've seen you or since last we spoke. I have some Tennessee whiskey in one of these boxes, I'm sure I could trouble you to join me for a drink," she smiled.

"I'm not on duty so I don't see why not. I actually stopped by on business," he said. McCoy watched as the petite Betazoid female removed two glasses and some Jack Daniels from her boxes.

"I'm listening," she said pouring the whiskey. McCoy sat down on her desk across from her.

"The First officer and the Communications officer want to come discuss some personal matters with you about their romantic relationship. It's a long story; I should probably let them tell you, but it includes an infidelity on the part of Spock."

"I see why this is so close to your heart," her face changed somewhat.

"You know Ana, if you think that it will help them reconcile everything, you should tell them about us. I don't mind. We were young and that was a long time ago," McCoy said, swallowing his drink quickly.

"I'll keep that in mind. I'll let them know that despite personal reservations that you reconciled with your wife and everything turned out fine," she was being slightly cruel. Leonard realized that he probably deserved that, but he wasn't going to stay here and rehash this old argument. He finished his drink, nodded his head in thanks and start to leave.

"Leo, did you ever love me?" Anathema asked. He found it hard to stare into her beautiful eyes, his heart breaking.

"Oh yes, so much. But I had a wife and a kid on the way and duties and responsibilities. What kind of man would I be if I let my love for you get in the way of my love for my little girl and the duty to my wife?"

"And now? What about now?"

"I'm not married now. And I think that if we could reconcile that I would be tempted to marry again. Goodnight, Ana." McCoy bowed his head and excited her office. Anathema smiled and finished her drink.