The Prince: Absolution
Chapter 9
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She had called Professor Markham later that afternoon to let him know she would be busy with a special project. He hadn't asked for further elaboration, and she hadn't offered it. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't necessarily the truth either.
No, she had needed time to think.
She may have been making a mountain out of the proverbial mole hill, and she didn't want to embarrass herself, or jeopardize her career if she was wrong in her assumptions about Spock. Commander Spock.
Uhura was a realist. And it didn't take a genius to follow the trend. Those Cadets who had gotten involved with their instructors usually found themselves studying on distant outposts. Their superiors reassigned to the neutral zone.
There was precedent. And with her dream of serving on the Enterprise so close to becoming a reality, she had to be 100-percent sure that she was making the right move.
So, she did what she knew best. She sat down and studied, weighing the evidence, which was circumstantial at best.
His late arrival from the trip to Vulcan. The transfer. The dreams. His refusal to acknowledge me when in the same vicinity. And the discovery of the classified transfer form.
She had to know. Did he share her feelings? Was this really why he'd been so distant from her?
She looked out her dorm window at the stars now blanketing the San Francisco skyline. She hadn't even noticed it had gotten dark and…she checked the clock- quite late too.
She sighed. She knew Spock's habits. They'd worked together for years. He'd still be awake this hour.
"Computer, locate Commander Spock."
II
She stood outside his office door for exactly five minutes, working up the nerve to go in. What would she say to him? How would this conversation even get started? She began to feel light-headed and swayed a bit. At her wavering motions, the sensor picked up, opening his door with a whoosh. Her head cleared instantly at the action and she found herself looking directly at Spock sitting across the office at his desk.
She stepped forward as he stood to face her.
"Cadet Uhura it is quite late and well after your curfew. Why are you here and not in your specified location?
He looked at her, dark eyes burning into her own.
She stepped forward, her hands clasped behind her, back strait. Chin up. She met his gaze.
"I am here, Commander, because you have transferred me, ignored me for two weeks. I have been your assistant for two years. I demand to know why."
Silence.
His gaze never faltered, and through her study of his face, she saw his jaw clench minutely. It was an action that would have gone unnoticed by anyone else, but she had seen that expression before. And it didn't bode well.
"Cadet, as I stated before, it was unavoidable. Now, unless you wish to be written up for insubordination I suggest that you leave."
He had advanced closer and was now in her personal space, staring down at her.
Neither backed down.
"I am not leaving. I read the file Commander. So again, I demand an explanation."
She knew she was treading on dangerous ground. Spock looked absolutely volatile. And dare she say…pissed- for a Vulcan, that is.
His gaze never faltered, nor did he speak. He was so close she could feel the heat of his body on hers. It felt so….familiar...
Uhura made a split second decision not driven by thought, but by instinct. It felt right. Before her mind could even register what was happening she tipped up on her toes, grabbed his jacket and pulled their bodies together.
If she had thought he wouldn't respond, she was mistaken.
She felt strong arms close in around her, pulling her tight against his chest as their kiss deepened, and grew more urgent with…need.
She couldn't think. She couldn't focus. All she could do was feel. And he felt damn good.
She heard him breathe her name…Nyota…
Her body began to course with a heat she'd never felt before. She closed her eyes…
Instantly she was hit by a barrage of images.
They were naked, their limbs entwined in a bed. He was on top of her, beneath her, behind her… Vulcan- The fortress. A woman in a sheer gown. Screams. Snarls…Him, naked and feral- Fighting. She was drifting…Blackness…
The shock jerked them apart with force, each backing away and panting heavily. Uhura looked at him, her eyes wide, confused.
"Cadet Uhura I suggest you leave now." Spock commanded his voice hard. He was across the room, gripping the desk so hard she noticed his knuckles had gone white- the veins in his hands tight and raised against the skin.
"But…"
"NOW!" She had never heard him yell. But the tone sent a chill down her body and she hurried to the door as fast as her legs could carry her.
A beep and a swoosh later, and she was on the other side, away from him.
She ran down the hall, and turned into the first open door.
It was there in darkness that she sank to the floor, breathing heavily. Her heart felt pained, her body tingled and her mind…there was no description for what she felt.
Disorientation. Fear. Excitement. Lust. Shame.
What had she done to him? What had he done to her for that matter?
She began counting backwards, trying to slow her heart and her winded gasps…
"Ten...nine…eight…in…out….in…out…three…two…one…" she said in a faint whisper.
She felt her body begin to calm, and she pulled her knees to her chest, laying her head down.
Already the images she'd seen were starting to fade. What had she seen exactly?
She tried to hold on to an image. But they had been so fleeting, barely a blur. But she had seen them. They meant something.
She worked to focus her thoughts, latching onto one vision Spock had given her.
It was them. The very first thing she'd seen from him.
And then, a startling thought occurred to her.
Gaila was right.
Just ask quickly she was hit by another emotion. Fear. Uncontrollable, body-shaking fear that made her blood run cold.