Author's warning: Here be plot. These next chapters are not like the previous chapters (at all). I'm leading up to my next Jim and Marissa adventure: Complications. Hope no one minds. ;-)

First Impressions and Quality Time

Chapter 11 Stratnon V (AKA Planet U)

Marissa took a calming breath as she stood behind the curtains in the Zebona Clerkenval Auditorium, the second largest auditorium in New Christchurch on the planet Stratnon V. Months ago when Admiral Pike had given her the newly earned Lieutenant's stripes and the notification that she and Aja Killian had won the Cochrane Xenocultural Medal of Honor for Contributions to the Federation Mission Statement the idea of speaking about their database and its benefits to the Federation had seemed exciting. Now she felt scared to death.

Fortunately she would be part of a panel that included Aja, several of her professors from Starfleet and two other historians whom she respected, but only knew through their published works. It was an honor and she was totally flabbergasted that she was included in such a universe-renowned group, but that only made her that much more terrified. What if she messed up? What if she said the wrong thing? What if she didn't know the correct answer?

Jim had laughed at all her worries the night before and managed to distract her – something he was very good at doing. She wished he was here now, but he'd had his own meeting to attend with several other captains and at least three admirals that were on planet for this event. She wouldn't see him again, probably, until the reception dinner that evening.

"Don't be nervous," Aja said, startling her by giving her a friendly squeeze on her shoulder. "You will do fine."

Marissa shook her head, peaking around the curtain again. "This auditorium holds over two thousand beings. I've never… How can I…?"

Aja smiled warmly, amused by her counterpart's nervousness, but not unsympathetic. "Once we are out there you will not see the crowd, only the speaker. I promise, you will do well. The database is your idea. You know it inside and out. It was your enthusiasm and firm belief of what it could do that convinced me to help you, and now I am riding on your coattails – a phrase I learned from your professor, Dr. Greegan."

Shaking her head, Marissa immediately countered her friend's statement. "If it wasn't for you…"

"If it wasn't for me," Aja interrupted, "it would have taken you a year to finish rather than the six months it took both of us. I only helped. It was you who came up with the idea and guided it to fruition. I am very proud of you," Aja said fondly. "You are so very young and you have done so much already." She laughed. "I am also jealous too."

"Now you're just being silly," Marissa grinned.

"It is true," Aja told her. "I am just a bit jealous, but also thankful that you have included me in your work. It was a most stimulating project. I look forward to collaborating more."

"Of course," Marissa agreed absently, once again distracted by the noise on the other side of the curtain. "I wish Jim was here."

"All is well?" Aja asked and Marissa knew she didn't mean the crowd.

"All is very well," she smiled.

"That is good. And I will get to see Abigail?"

"Yes, Rand, Jim's yeoman, will be bringing her down tonight after dinner. We each have two more commitments during the conference, but they're staggered enough that we can share baby duties or one of our friends can watch her for a little while."

"So she will no longer be a secret?" Aja asked.

Marissa shook her head. "She was never a secret, per say, but we didn't really announce that she was born."

"Semantics," Aja smiled.

"Yes," Marissa agreed with a grin, "but an important distinction. We're not going to take out an announcement in the New Christchurch news ticker, but we're not going to hide her either. We have nine days here and this is the closest to an Earth-like planet that we've been to. I mean there are malls and shopping and amusement parks and… all the fun stuff that we don't often see on other planets."

"True," Aja agreed, "I must admit I enjoy the shopping locations. And the food."

"Oh, the food," Marissa practically groaned. "I love the fact that we can get food from twenty different star systems and we can get just about every cuisine from Earth, too. I am dying for some good, old fashioned American hamburgers and teriyaki."

"I have not had these before," Aja told her. "I do enjoy French food, but I find the British and German styles to be a bit heavy for my tastes."

"You never made it to the Americas?" Marissa asked.

"Once, briefly, in the area of New Orleans, so the food was very similar to the French continental."

"I've never had real French food, I don't think," Marissa said thoughtfully. "Maybe we can find something here and you can tell me if it's authentic."

"We shall do that," Aja agreed with a small nod. "But now we will go on stage and answer the questions they have for us."

Marissa eyes widened almost comically. "What? Now?"

"Yes, my friend, now," Aja said with a small push in the back as she guided Marissa on the stage and to their seats. "You will do well," she whispered as they sat.

Marissa managed to nod at the speaker when he introduced her to the audience, her expression wooden as she tried to smile through her nervousness. She could feel her palms sweating where they were grasped together in her lap.

"Relax," Aja said softly, leaning over and squeezing Marissa's white knuckled fingers. "You know everything you need to know about the database and more."

Marissa nodded stiffly in return and did her best to relax at least a little bit, still it wasn't until the third question was posed directly to her rather than to one of her colleagues that Marissa relaxed fully.

It was like flipping a switch. One moment she was anxious, the next moment she was in charge explaining the genesis for the database and how the parameters were chosen and then set. There were a few pointed digs at their research and their suppositions but between the members of the panel they were brushed off easily. Marissa was quite flustered when Dr. Greegan and Dr. Larkham, two of her professors from the Academy spoke so effusively about her graduate work and studies.

In the end it wasn't nearly as bad as she had thought it would be. Her next two meetings would be of a much more intimate nature. One was an invitation only for her peers in the xenohistory and cultural field, the other was for the Starfleet brass to sound out her ideas and ask questions as to how her database could truly benefit the fleet.

She wasn't nervous about facing her peers. They could be extremely harsh in their judgments, but as her peers she could speak to them on the same level. So far she hadn't heard any ripples of discontent from the historical community.

What really terrified her was the idea of speaking in front of an assembly of Admirals, Captains, Commanders and other top officials. They wouldn't care about her theory, they'd want results and while she believed that her database would provide results, it wasn't going to be an instantaneous thing. After all, as Jim pointed out, Starfleet was used to doing things a certain way and they really didn't like to change. She had to convince them that this change, as small as it seemed to her, was for the good of Starfleet and the Federation. She definitely had her work cut out for her.

xXx

"I heard you knocked their socks off," Jim whispered in her ear when he came up beside her.

Instinctively Marissa turned towards him, her body curving against his side. He gave her a quick squeeze and then they separated, mindful of all the people around them. Now was not the time to start any speculations about their relationship.

"It went well," Marissa told him, sipping at her punch and watching everyone socialize. "I was incredibly nervous, but Aja got me through. Once the questions started I was fine. How'd your meeting go?"

"Boring," Jim told her, his arm brushing against hers as he lifted his glass for a drink.

Marissa leaned toward him, her head and body still facing forward. "Have I ever told you how sexy you look in your dress uniform?" she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

Jim smiled, hiding it behind his glass. "Not lately."

"You're a walking hazard," she told him with a playful frown. "All the women are staring at you."

Aja was making her way towards them when Jim leaned down, a little too close to be considered proper. "Just so you know, you'll have ten seconds to undo all those blasted buttons when we get back to our rooms, otherwise I'm tearing them off. I'm not the only one who looks good in a dress uniform." Straightening he nodded to Aja who had just arrived. "Ms. Killian, it is good to see you again," he bowed politely.

"Captain Kirk, it is good to see you too, but I believe we are beyond such formalities," she smiled at them both. "I hope I am not interrupting anything?" She glanced at Marissa, who was blushing lightly and pointedly not looking at Jim.

"Nothing," Jim grinned, "nothing at all, Aja. We were just discussing plans for the evening."

"I see," Aja said slowly, her large nostrils flaring slightly, causing Marissa to turn bright red. "Unfortunately the night is still young," she said with a mischievous smile. "Your plans will have to wait. I am sorry."

"No sorrier than I," Jim replied with a smirk.

"Jim!" Marissa elbowed him in the side. "Behave."

Jim winked. "Always," he told her softly before turning away. "Admiral, it's good to see you again. We really have to stop meeting like this."

"Shut up, Kirk," Chris Pike grimaced. "I would like to congratulate Lieutenant O'Donnell on what I hear was a very well received Q&A. Those things can be murder," he told her, "if you don't know what you're doing or your idea isn't strong enough. It can be make or break time for whole careers if you blow it at one of these conferences."

Marissa just stared at him dumbfounded, unable to speak. She hadn't realized it could be that bad.

"Fortunately for Starfleet, Admiral," Aja said smoothly, "Marissa is one of the brightest minds in her field. She did amazingly well today. You should all be proud."

"Oh, we are," Pike nodded, smiling at Marissa, "aren't we, Jim?" he questioned slyly.

"Of course we are, Admiral," Jim smirked back, one hand running quickly down Marissa's arm and squeezing her hand, "nothing but the best for the Enterprise."

Pike nodded. "So," he began, glancing around briefly, "do I get to see Abby anytime soon?"

Marissa couldn't help smiling at his obvious interest in seeing their daughter. "Yeoman Rand is bringing her down later tonight," she told him.

"She's what? Thirteen, fourteen months?" he asked.

"Thirteen," Jim answered, "and she's a terror on two legs."

"Jim!"

"Well, she is," Jim countered with a wide smile. "Now that she's fully mobile she's all over the place. Nothing's safe. I found her on my desk the other day and she climbed up some shelves to get to her toy that I put up there the week before."

"It was her lyre," Marissa with a frown.

"Yes, it was and it was driving me crazy," Jim replied, with exaggerated patience. It was obvious they had had this conversation before. "I'm all for musical appreciation and I know she likes it, but a man likes to have some peace in his quarters sometimes."

"Spock's giving her lessons," Marissa pointed out. Jim shook his head, giving Marissa a crooked smile.

"She's thirteen months, Mariss," Jim said with a heavy sigh. "She's a bit young for music lessons. She's not really learning anything yet."

"Yes she is! She's not banging on it any more. She's learned to strum. Besides, it makes Spock happy."

"Wait a minute," Pike broke into their conversation. "Spock is giving a one year old music lessons?" he asked incredulously, suppressing a grin.

"Yes, Admiral, I am," Spock said calmly, coming up behind them with Uhura. "And Miss Abigail is doing admirably." He looked over at Jim. "She has shown an appreciation for music and is already able to recognize a melody."

Jim rolled his eyes. "She's a baby, Spock, she likes music. Of course she recognizes different songs. You play to her all the time."

"I am not the only one who indulges Miss Abigail's musical interests," Spock pointed out.

"Well, who wouldn't like Uhura's voice," Jim said.

"I was not referring to Lieutenant Uhura, Captain, I was referring to you."

Pike, who had been watching their brief exchange with avid interest, his heading moving back and forth between the two men, a bemused expression on his face, now waited for Jim to say something.

"Do you sing and play, Jim?" Aja asked.

Seeing a blush spreading across his checks, Marissa took pity on him. "Jim's not only good at captaining ships. He can also play the guitar and sing fairly well. Too bad you didn't get to hear him last time, Admiral. He's a bit shy."

"Hey!" Jim protested.

Marissa smiled and patted his arm soothingly. "Abby's taken a liking to any kind of music, really, and likes it when people sing or play an instrument. Spock and Uhura got her a mini lyre for her birthday and it was an instant hit. Thing is, it doesn't have a volume control and it's her favorite toy."

"I see," Pike nodded thoughtfully, "this is a whole other side to the two of you," he said to Jim and Spock. "I am definitely intrigued." The dinner gong rang out and they all began to make their way towards the dining hall. "Think of it this way," Pike said, slapping Jim companionably on the shoulder, "at least they didn't get her a drum set."

Everyone except Spock laughed at Pike's quip.

Jim looked beseechingly at the ceiling, though he was smiling. "Thanks so much, Admiral. And when did you want to babysit…Pa pa?"

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