CHAPTER 11

Dawn championed an unabated view of the bay shrouded by a thin layer of fog that hovered just above the surface of its chilly waters. Kirk and Uhura lay wide awake yet motionless on the bed as they faced the wall of windows that allowed them to drink in the sprawling vista. Kirk cupped her body, firmly locked in place by mimicking her curves. A powerful arm rested atop Uhura's chest and her fingertips charted an ambling path along his muscular limb. The tickling sensation her gesture produced shot a wave of shivers through Kirk which he was more than willing to endure.

"Mornin', babe," he greeted his loving lieutenant.

"Good morning, sweetie," she reciprocated.

"Did you sleep ok?"

"Mmmm … yes," Uhura affectionately confirmed.

Kirk planted feathery kisses behind her ear that continued along the lines of her neck before inquiring, "Did you have sweet dreams?"

Uhura playfully and exaggeratedly responded, "Yeah. I dreamed I went on shore leave and I had this really sexy boyfriend and he was the captain of this super awesome starship and … oh, wait. That's really happening isn't it?"

"You are crazy," he chuckled in response.

Uhura broke into song, "… And I'm crazy for loving you." She ribbed, "But crazy in a good sense. That's from a really old song that you probably know nothing about."

"Oh, really? If I'm not mistaken that's a line from the song Crazy, 1961—written by Willie Nelson, performed by Patsy Cline, among others. But Patsy's was by far the best."

Uhura pivoted her body so she could see him face-to-face and presented him with a delightfully surprised smile.

"You continue to impress me," she purred.

Kirk then crooned, "I've grown accustomed to her face. She almost makes the day begin."

Taken aback by the loveliness of his singing voice which she'd never heard before, Uhura struggled to collect her thoughts. She was eventually able to offer a breathy, "Captain, you're making me swoon."

"At ease, Lieutenant. I'm pretty sure I hear Mom and Kara in the kitchen. If we don't get up and at 'em we'll never leave this room."

"You aren't playing fair," she said with a pouty lip. "Promise this won't be the last time you sing to me like that."

"It won't be," he vowed.

Standing at the double vanity, Starfleet's cutest couple was putting the final touches on their daily personal care regimens. Uhura swooped up her hair into a loose bun on the crown of her head as Kirk applied a liberal amount of shaving cream to his face.

"No, no, no," Uhura protested.

"What?"

"Don't shave this week. I want to see you with some hair on your face."

"You've seen me with facial hair before."

"Seeing you with facial hair while you're recuperating in a biobed isn't quite the same," she clarified.

"Yes ma'am," he obliged.

Lifting the towel to his face to remove the cream, Uhura seized his hand and said, "I've got it."

She hopped on top of the cool, granite sink countertop directly in front of Kirk and wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him closer. She saturated the soft cloth with hot water then slowly and flirtatiously removed the frothy substance from his well-defined jawline.

"Am I taking too long?" she asked.

"Sweetheart, take as much time as you want."

"I know how much you like to eat, so I don't want to keep you from breakfast," she teased.

"Breakfast can wait," he declared.

Kirk dove in for a sensuous kiss, steeped with every ounce of love he could muster as Uhura possessively interweaved tufts of his hair within her grasp. The muscles in her thighs flexed tighter, signaling that she did not want him to move one iota from his current position. The two were of the same mind as he had no desire to move either.

Winona soon knocked on the bedroom door and announced, "Breakfast is on the table. If you two lovebirds can manage to peel yourselves off of one another, you can still get it while it's hot."

"Be right there, Ma!" he replied with flushed cheeks. "Well, even if breakfast can wait, apparently Mom can't," he proclaimed.

"Does she have x-ray vision?" Uhura wondered aloud as she giggled at Kirk's embarrassed reaction. "Come on, let's get you fed."

The pair walked out into the bedroom and Kirk grabbed the crisp, white button down shirt off of the bed and slipped it over his torso. He pulled on a pair of well-worn jeans and fastened them immediately. He looked at Uhura, admiring the form-fitting denim leggings that showed off her shapely limbs and the light pink blouse that so pleasantly complemented her skin tone. The lovers exited the room as Kirk remained barefooted while Uhura opted to slip on a pair of sandals. Walking down the long hallway, he fastened the buttons on his shirt and completed the task before reaching the kitchen.

"Nota!" Kara exclaimed as soon as she caught sight of the young woman. When her father came into view, she clapped her hands and chimed, "Daddy!"

Each greeted the tot with a swift peck on the top of her head.

"Good morning, you two," Winona addressed the duo.

"Morning," they replied in unison.

"You've been busy, Winona," Uhura noted as she scanned the table. "Oh my God, real croissants."

Uhura grabbed the pastry and tore off a bite-sized, buttery morsel that promptly melted in her mouth.

"Made with love," Winona elucidated.

"You made these?" Uhura asked as she swallowed the tasty nosh.

"Uh-huh. Special request from Jim," the elder woman offered and she filled their cups with fresh-squeezed orange juice.

Kirk planted a swift peck on Uhura's lips just as she looked up at him.

"I absolutely love this family! Thank you so much, Winona. These are perfect." Looking over at Kirk who had taken the seat between her and Kara, she continued, "And thank you for remembering what I said the last time I had a replicated croissant."

"You're welcome," he smiled. "Hands down, this woman can bake like nobody's business. Her apple pie is to die for. Seriously, you've never tasted a pie like this. It's better than …"

"I can take a hint, Jim. You want apple pie for dessert tonight. I'm ahead of you, son—I've got dough chilling in the fridge as we speak."

"Mommy, you're the best," he satirically clapped, causing his baby daughter to respond in kind.

"I know," she winked as she took a swig of her coffee, demonstrating exactly where her son got his trademark swagger and charm.

After breakfast, Uhura took Kara outside so the two of them could explore the grounds surrounding the house while the Kirk's remained inside to clean up after their bountiful meal. The captain stood at the kitchen sink, gazing out the window as Uhura examined the lush greenery in the yard. No doubt revealing the genus and class of all she could identify acting as docent to her young charge. Kara straddled Uhura's hip as they pulled off hearty leaves and tender blossoms to better examine texture and makeup of each plant.

"I like her a lot, Jim," Winona affirmed.

"Yeah, so do I," Kirk smiled.

"No, you're smitten and completely in love."

"And how exactly do you know that?"

"Because you're finally allowing yourself to be loved. Do you realize that I have never met any of your girlfriends in your adult life?"

Kirk was primed to object to his mother's observation, but as he thought on her words, he realized she was correct. No relationship he'd had before or after Tam left Iowa amounted to anything more than a fling.

"You've been officially dating Nyota for a matter of days and she's already here with you on shore leave, meeting your mother and spending quality time with not only you, but your baby daughter. If that's not love …"

"I've loved her for a long time. Longer than I wanted to admit because I thought the two of us being together was just a pipe dream." He took one last sip, emptying the contents of his coffee mug, and continued, "It's kind of scary."

"Why's that?"

"I don't know. I guess because I feel a bit out of control. Like I'm in free fall."

"Oh, honey. Love isn't something you control. You nurture it and do everything in your power not to let it die. Then you strap in and prepare yourself for the wild ride. It won't be easy, but as long as the good outweighs the bad, you're on the right track. Just cherish every moment Nyota makes you smile, or every time just the thought of her gives you butterflies in your stomach. But don't try to control it. That's a battle you definitely won't win."

Winona cupped her son's cheek in her hand and gave him an encouraging and knowing smile.

"I've been where you are. When I first met your father, I decided right away that we weren't a good match. The poor guy had to work double time just to overcome my stubbornness. And you know what? I don't regret for one second, opening up and allowing myself to fall in love with him."

Kirk caught his mother in a bear hug and expelled a sharp sigh of relief. "You always know what to say."

"I try my best."

Mother and son looked out the window to see Uhura and Kara peeping back at them. The lieutenant gleefully waved at her hosts and instructed the tiny girl in her arms to do the same. Winona and Kirk parroted the gesture before Uhura lowered Kara to the soft grass so she could run freely on the lawn.

"I hope you realize what a lucky man you are."

"I do."

"Good," she replied, mussing his hair. "You should take Nyota out to dinner tonight."

"Mom, I didn't ask you here to act as a built-in babysitter," he protested.

"And you still haven't. I'm offering. So take a guilt-free ride down to Half Moon Bay and eat at that restaurant you like so much."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm positive. I'm well aware of how limited your date-night options are on a starship."

"Ok. I'll make a reservation now."

Lieutenant Nyota Uhura was an absolute vision, seated opposite her captain at the cozy table tucked in an intimate corner of the restaurant's dining room. Soft curls delicately framed her face with the lion's share of her tresses secured tightly in a chignon bun at the base of her head. When she initially packed her favorite little black dress, she felt a bit silly, but now admired her foresight.

The cut of Kirk's navy blue suit made it difficult for her to concentrate at times. The jacket deftly accentuated the angled line from his well-toned torso down to his waist while the trousers showcased a sturdy pair of legs that seemed to go on for days. The open buttons at the top of his white shirt exposed a patch of freckles on his chest that were adorable beyond words.

The dinner was exquisite and the conversation they shared was equally fulfilling. The live band playing American standards from the mid-20th century provided the perfect audio backdrop for their evening. Anyone paying close attention to their interaction would have reckoned their romance had been years in the making rather than in its infancy. Although the love had been there for both of them for some time, the privilege of openly expressing their affections was still exhilaratingly new.

"You look really handsome tonight," she said through heavy lidded eyes that broadcast her desire.

"You think so, huh?"

"Mm-hm. And I'm pretty sure our waitress agrees. I noticed a little twinkle in her eye every time she smiled at you."

"Are you jealous?"

"Not at all. I can't really blame her for gawking when you look like that. Just as long as she doesn't touch," she expounded, tickling his wrist with her ruby-colored nails.

"Good. I don't want you to get us kicked out of here by getting in a cat fight. It's so embarrassing when women fight over me," he joked with a facetious eye roll.

"I bet it is, Casanova," she heartily laughed.

"And as far as the way you look tonight … um, hold that thought," he said cutting his statement short and rising from the table.

Kirk walked over to the band leader and Uhura deduced that he was placing a request. The orchestra wrapped up their current selection and Kirk walked slyly back to the table, each step perfectly timed with the music as he buttoned his jacket. He reached his hand out to Uhura who obliged and he briskly led her to the dance floor.

As the music started, Kirk pulled her in close as he lowered his left hand to the small of her back and used his free hand to clutch hers flush to his chest. He pressed his bristly cheek next to hers and sang softly in her ear at the appropriate musical cue.

"You're just too marvelous. Too marvelous for words. Like glorious, glamorous, and that old standby amorous."

Having Captain James Tiberius Kirk sing to her twice in one day was nearly too much as minuscule tears of joy pooled in the corners of her eyes. Uhura indulged in the warmth of his body as she closed her eyes, entranced by the unified swaying of their bodies. Oblivious to their surroundings, she was transported to a world populated by her and Kirk alone.

"Not bad for our first bona fide date," he seductively murmured in her ear.

Uhura tilted her head back so she could look into his eyes and replied, "Not bad at all."

Kirk scanned her features, drinking in every ounce of her beauty.

"You manage to take my breath away every time I see you," he professed as he rubbed his nose against hers.

Uhura responded by lifting her hand from his shoulder and stroking the back of his head, pulling his face near so she could apply a soft kiss to his awaiting lips.

"You do realize what today is, don't you?" Kirk asked.

Uhura furrowed her brow and she wracked her brain to figure out the significance of that particular day. She shook her head in silence and waited for Kirk to enlighten her.

"Ten years ago today, I first laid eyes on you"

"Really? No way. How do you remember the date?"

"Having your glutes handed to you in a bar fight tends to leave an impression," he chuckled.

"I'd think that would make you want to forget."

"Actually, enlisting in Starfleet the following day served as a better reminder," Kirk admitted.

"Happy Anniversary, baby," she said with a broad smile.

"Let's get out of here. I've got an idea."

About 30 minutes later, the happy couple pulled up outside of an unexceptional bar in the heart of San Francisco. They entered together, but upon crossing the threshold, quickly parted ways. Once they had successfully navigated through the maze of tables and dancing bodies, each took different positions at the bar.

The bartender made a beeline to Uhura and asked what she would have, slightly overzealous in his accommodating service.

"Give me a Budweiser classic, two Cardassian Sunrises, and a Slusho mix."

"That's a lot of drinks for one woman," Kirk barked from several seats down.

"Oh, I'm just getting started," she said to her fellow thespian. Looking back at the barkeep, she continued, "And a shot of Jack, straight up."

"Hey, pal. Make that two. Her shot's on me."

"Her shot's on her. Thanks, but no thanks."

"Can I at least give you my name before you shoot me down?"

"I'm fine without it."

"Yes, you are most definitely fine without it. It's Jim Kirk."

Met with the silence he was fully expecting, he continued the playacting and warned, "I'm just going to have to make one up if you don't tell me. And I'm not very good at coming up with names so it could end up being something like Bertha or Agnes, or ..."

"It's Uhura."

"Get out! That's the next name I was going to say. Obviously, I was saving the best for last. Your first name is almost as beautiful as you are. So what's your last name?"

"Just Uhura."

"Did you come from the land of one-named people, like Cher, or Madonna, or … Spock?"

At the interjection of Spock's moniker, Uhura could no longer hold in her laughter. Even though she couldn't remember their verbal exchange verbatim from that night, she was pretty sure Spock was not mentioned by name.

She gathered herself once again and said, "I come from a world you know nothing about."

Moving down to Uhura's end of the bar, he slid next to her and challenged, "Try me."

"I specialize in Xenolinguistics which is …"

"The study of alien languages; morphology, phonology, syntax. It means you've got a talented tongue," he expounded, drifting his sights down to her shimmering, full lips.

Uhura may not have remembered every word they hurled at one another that night, but the last sentence Kirk uttered had been permanently deposited in her memory bank.

To their surprise, the bartender insinuated himself into their conversation at the perfect time and barked, "Hey, buddy. Why don't you treat the lady like a lady? Is this guy bothering you?"

"Thank you, but I've dealt with his type before. It's nothing I can't handle."

"You can handle me. Well, that is if you can handle someone who is the captain of a starship."

"Really? I'm impressed. I've never met a starship captain before."

"Even if you had, you would have never met one like me."

"So how big is your ship?" she purred.

"It's big enough to house a crew of a thousand men and women. If you play your cards right, I might let you come on board one day."

"Hey, Jim. What do you say we get out of here and find someplace more private so we can get to know one another better," she suggested, working the soft fabric of his lapel between her thumb and forefinger.

"I'd like that, just Uhura."

"Play your cards right, I might give you my first name before the sun rises."

Since the bartender had already started on her drink order, Kirk promptly paid the mixologist for his trouble.

The couple walked away from the bar, but Kirk turned back to tell the unsuspecting third character in their impromptu play, "Starship captain—gets 'em every time."

Kirk sharply slapped Uhura's derriere, causing her to yelp in surprise. Hamming it up, he decided to close out the act with a flourish.

"Come on, cupcake. The night is young and so are we. Ha ha ha!" he cackled like a mad man.

"Starship captain … yeah, right," the bartender scoffed as he dumped the untouched libations into the sink. "What a grade 'A' jerk."

The couple scurried out to the car, laughing incessantly like a couple of teenagers. Ever the gentleman, Kirk took off his suit jacket and wrapped it around Uhura's shoulders to protect her from the night chill.

"Oh my God, that was so much fun. Ten years to the day and you're still trying to pick me up in a bar," Uhura said through her laughter as Kirk opened the passenger door so she could enter the vehicle.

"Trying? I would say I succeeded," he countered as he lowered himself into the driver seat.

"Oh, yeah. Good point. I'm just surprised you remembered so much of what you said that night. Although, you didn't call me cupcake."

"Yes I did."

"No, you didn't."

"I distinctly remember saying, cupcake."

"You said it, but it was directed towards your now security chief."

"What?!"

"Um … yeah. You tapped him on the cheek. Told him, 'relax, cupcake.' He was defending my honor."

"Really?" Kirk said, softening his resolve.

"Really," Uhura polished off.

The clarification of what happened that night brought Kirk to an epiphany and he continued, "Ohhh! That explains why he called me cupcake when he tracked down me and Scotty after we beamed on board."

Kirk and Uhura were met with an unfamiliar silence as they entered the dark interior of the home. Moments of calm and quiet stillness were few and far between on a starship, so the setting added to the effect that they were truly getting away from it all. The further into the home they advanced, the couple spied the warm glow of light coming from the kitchen. Fully expecting to find Winona seated at the large island, they instead found a lone apple pie sitting atop the counter, protected by a clear container.

"Yessssss," Kirk jubilantly whispered as he pulled the cover off of the dessert and took in a large whiff of its sweet and spicy scent.

Next to Winona Kirk's latest culinary creation was a hand-written sticky note that simply read, 'ENJOY,' in all capital letters.

Kirk pivoted his body towards the refrigerator and pulled out a container of vanilla ice cream from its freezer. He went on a scavenger hunt for a scoop while Nyota spent a few more seconds tracking down two saucers and spoons. By the time she had successfully located the items, she turned to find her paramour dumping large dollops of the creamy confection directly on top of the entire pie.

Looking at the tiny plates in her hands, he asked, "What are those for?"

"Don't tell me you plan to eat that whole pie."

"Of course not. I'm only going to eat what you don't eat," he said with a puckish grin as he bobbed his eyebrows up and down.

"So virtually the whole pie."

"That's entirely up to you, babe." Sitting down at the nearest counter stool and tapping the seat of the one next to him, he proceeded, "Now come over here so we can eat this the right way."

Abandoning the dishes, she shook her head with a wry smile of disbelief and walked over to his side. She lightly tapped the two spoons together that remained in her hands. Kirk reached out for one of the utensils which she pulled back just out of his reach.

"Ah ah ah … I need to verify first that this pie is worth eating in one sitting or if you're just being a glutton."

Uhura pierced the flaky crust and the delicious aroma of nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice immediately tickled her nose. The introduction of the payload to her tongue resulted in a reaction that Kirk fully anticipated. She slowly closed her eyes and let out a moan that undeniably communicated she was reveling in the flavor explosion taking place in her mouth. Silently nodding her head, she handed Kirk a spoon.

"Yeah, I thought so," he gloated in his vindication.

Foregoing occupation of the seat next to him, Uhura instead made per perch on Kirk's knee and conceded, "Oh my God, you weren't kidding. This is the best apple pie I've ever tasted."

The pastry's existence was ephemeral as the lovers continued their devouring assault. Uhura reasoned that not finishing the dessert would be wasteful and irresponsible since the ice cream had considerably melted, leaving the majority of the pie drenched in a gloppy soup. Kirk, on the other hand, required no rationale for finishing off his mother's latest masterpiece.

Uhura postulated, "I'm going to regret this in the morning, but right now, I don't care."

"I regret nothing," Kirk countered, arching his back and fully extending his arms out to the side. "That was the best, long day I've ever had," he punctuated with a lusciously warm kiss on her lips.

Examining the one-word note that Winona left on the counter intended to reference her apple creation, Uhura peeled the pithy missive from the smooth surface of the countertop and transferred it to her forehead.

"Is it over already?" she bewitchingly queried the drowsy captain.

The adrenaline rush of Uhura's suggestion and the sight of the simple five-letter word emblazoned on her forehead shot Kirk straightaway out of his seat.

He rambunctiously heaved the lieutenant over his shoulder and friskily declared, "Sleep is overrated anyway."

A/N: Apologies in advance—this chapter feels a bit rushed, but I'm attending a friend's wedding this weekend and didn't want to delay posting for another week. Plus I have ideas for the next chapter than I want to get started on a soon as possible.

Admittedly, my characterization of Kirk in this chapter pulls heavily from a lot of the behavior Chris Pine has publicly exhibited. Part of me wanted to pull back a bit, but with limited details about Kirk's backstory (at least with the reboot), I felt better about retaining the more "Pine-y" elements of Kirk's character. Hmmm … I call dibs on Pine Fresh Kirk! Can I get that trademarked?

Anyway, I've always liked Chris Pine, but absolutely went gaga over him when I discovered he was a musician, had some serious singing chops, and possessed a wide-ranging taste in music. As a hard-core musicophile, anyone who knows that Curtis Mayfield wrote the soundtrack to Super Fly AND really digs Frank Sinatra is aces in my book—so Chris has a special place in my heart. Seriously, if I ever meet the man, the first thing I want to do is compare our playlists. No, really!

So my Pine Fresh Kirk is a crooner, albeit on the down low. What better song to reveal his singing ability to Uhura than the one Chris recorded with Streisand? Additionally, Kirk's reply of, "breakfast can wait," is in honor of Prince (who wrote/performed a song with that title), because we're coming up on a year since he's been gone—and I'm still not over it.

Finally, given Zoe Saldana's revelation to James Corden that Chris is constantly eating and Chris's priceless response, I couldn't resist the moment with the apple pie. Especially since Kirk told Uhura in chapter six that he was going to inhale one the next time he was planet side. Besides, it's safe to say that Kirk, Pine Fresh or not, is a man of his word.