I know this has taken a long time to post, it took a long time to write too. I never intended this story to go in this direction but hey, this is where the characters dragged me. So, I am rewriting a lot of later scenes/chapters to fit the new story arc. This story is still on and popping, I am hard at work and busy writing later scenes so hopefully I can post them more regularly. This scene is a bit of closure for part one.

The Enterprise was nearing the end of its 3rd five-year mission and the ship was due for a massive overhaul. Rumor said the ship would not be upgraded, but rather replaced with a newer model of galaxy class star ship. There were rumblings that Starfleet wanted a kinder gentler fleet and the Enterprise was the flagship that would usher in the new era of space exploration. There were plans for future ships to be not just comfortable homes away from home for the crew members, but to be the actual home of its crew. To that end, Starfleet intended to include family crew quarters on future ships.

Commander Spock and Lieutenant Uhura were discussing the possibilities for the future Enterprise one afternoon in Spock's private quarters. They often discussed these topics when Uhura visited Spock for private Vulcan language lessons or for instruction in playing the Vulcan harp. Uhura valued Spock's opinions and insights on not just the workings of Starfleet, but on the federation especially since he had grown up among the intrigues of diplomacy with his Ambassador father.

"Do you really think there will be family crew quarters on the next Enterprise?" Uhura asked as she sipped her plumeek tea. Uhura loved the plumeek, it was an amazing Vulcan vegetable as far as she was concerned, it reminded her of a ginger root due to its spice, but it also had a starchy smoothness that could be made into a variety of dishes.

"Miss Uhura you seem to be uncharacteristically distracted today."

"I'm sorry Mr. Spock. I've had a lot on my mind lately. We're coming up on the end of our mission, things will be changing for all of us, and I'm just pondering the possibilities. It's time to make plans for after the Enterprise goes into dry dock."

"Indeed. Do you have any thoughts about what you will do during our hiatus?"

"Hiatus? No, not yet. You make it seem like a brief break. We will be out of commission for at least two years. In that time a lot can change. You yourself said that the newer ships are being spec-ed out with more sophisticated communications arrays. They will probably decommission specialized communications officers like me."

"While it is true that newer designs will eliminate the need for communications officers, that does not mean they will decommission the position immediately. And there will always be a need for competent officers, especially in engineering."

"Me, in engineering?"

"Yes, I often to encounter you down below decks whenever I have meetings with Mr. Scott. I inferred it to be an interest of yours."

"Well, I'm just down there visiting friends, I'm no engineer."

"But you could easily switch fields. The new communications arrays will need to be maintained and when vital ships functions are performed by the computer it is always wise to have a measure of redundancy, a backup plan if you will. Having communication experts on board in engineering would be wise."

"Thanks, it's nice to be thought of as a redundancy."

"I meant no disrespect to your expertise. I value all your contributions to this ship. You could be anything you like, even captain of your own ship in the future."

"Thanks, but I think I'll leave ship command to you and the captain."

"You have always proven to be a competent command officer and I recall you rescuing the captain and myself a time or two."

"Yes, well those were extreme circumstances. I wouldn't want the pressure and responsibility on my shoulders constantly, though I do believe we need more female captains and command officers."

"I don't see why gender should effect the performance of a captain."

"Oh, you don't? Did you see it when the female crew had to rescue you and all the gentlemen from that man hungry planet?"

"Could not the same incident occur on a female hungry planet with a female captain."

"Of course, anything can happen, which is why diversity is so important. And not just male/female diversity, but also other races too. The Federation is adding member planets all the time, but the main military and exploration service is almost entirely Human."

"I agree Starfleet could use more diversity, but the Enterprise has a diverse crew of member planets represented."

"We do now, but recall the beginning of the mission when you were one of the few non-humans aboard."

"Yes, I recall vividly." Spock said dryly remembering the stares, and remarks whispered when people didn't think he could hear.

"I'm sorry if I brought up painful memories," Uhura said laying her hand on Spock and recalling her own vivid memories of how some people treated him.

She had no way of knowing that Spock could feel just how sorry she was through her casual touch of his hand and he didn't have the courage to tell her how or why he knew. Instead he said, "I have no feelings on the matter."

"If you say so. I'm still sorry." She squeezed his hand before releasing it. Spock felt at once excited and disappointing at the loss of that touch.

"It isn't easy being green," Uhura said.

"I beg your pardon" Spock said surprised at the statement coming from her, she had never called him green before or any of the other insults people used for Vulcans.

"It is not about being Vulcan." She rushed to say noting his expression. "It's an old Earth expression, it's a song in fact."

She stood and went to his computer console. "Computer please play 'It's not easy being green' by Kermit the Frog, Earth circa 20th century."

"Kermit the Frog?" Spock asked in bewilderment.

"Hush" Uhura waved him off as the terminal screen brought up the image of a crudely made cloth velvet being that must be this 'Kermit the Frog'. It was obviously a toy made for children's entertainment.

He rose from his seat to stand beside Uhura as the vid began to play.

And as he listened to the song Spock became aware of something disturbing. The song was eliciting an emotional response from him and he struggled to contain it.

Uhura had no such struggle to contain her emotional response. As the last notes of the song faded Spock noticed she wept openly beside him.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" she asked turning towards him.

"Quite beautiful" Spock said considering Uhura's big brown eyes now wet with more unshed tears. Still not in control of himself he reached up and palmed her cheek and gently wiped away a tear with his thumb. "Quite beautiful indeed."

Uhura took a deep breath "Spock-"

Just then the ship suddenly lurched forward throwing both Spock and Uhura off balance and causing them to tumble one atop the other on the floor of the cabin.

"Well, that's one way to get a girl on her back" Uhura quipped in an attempt to break the tension between them, but there was none of the usual sass in her voice. She was pressed against the floor with Spock on top of her and his hips resting between her thighs.

"Lieutenant... Nyota...", he had no words to express what he was feeling in that moment, so he did the only logical thing, he leaned down and gently kissed her lips.

And Uhura allowed it, encouraged it as her lips parted for his and he felt her arms snake around his neck.

This was what Spock has always dreamed of, that Nyota would someday want him as much as he wanted her. He always dreamed that she would accept him just as he was. And she did. She kissed him back and then she pulled away to pepper kisses on his cheek and his chin and his sensitive earlobe.

Meanwhile Spock found himself pulling her uniform tunic from her shoulders. He slid his hand along her leg and realized she was bare legged and not wearing her standard uniform tights. It was very strange. Stranger still, usually at this point in his dream the red alert klaxon would begin to blare, and they would part awkwardly and head for the bridge, but the klaxon did not sound. He stilled Nyota's kisses and looked down into her face where there were still traces of her tears.

"What is happening? Why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying, not really, I'm just so tired Spock. Please can we just finish this?"

"Finish? If you are tired I cannot continue-"

"You have to," she cut in, "so please just let us finish this."

"No! I cannot harm you."

"You're not harming me." She said touching his face, her hand cool against his overly warm skin. "Don't you understand, don't you remember yet?" she pleaded.

He looked around and realized they were not on the floor of his quarters.

"I was dreaming that you were in my quarters and we were—"

"Yes, I was there, I saw it too. It wasn't a dream, it was a memory. Our memories and our dreams are all mixed up."

"What is happening to me, to us?"

"It is the Pon Farr and the mind meld you started. Do you understand now? We have to finish this. Please?" she said pulling him back down towards her.

"I cannot!"

"Yes, you can." she said, and she reached down and began to stroke his erection.

Spock's body began to shiver. "See, you can do this, you have to. Don't you want to go home."

"Home?" he panted.

"Hmmm, I want to go home and so do you, so please let's just get this over with."

"But-"

"No buts, you need this. Please, for me?" She pleaded with her big brown eyes.

How could he ever deny Nyota? But this did not seem right.

"I... I hurt you, didn't I?" Spock noted faint bruises on her skin.

"No, you didn't hurt me, but you will if you don't finish this soon. How do you think I will feel if you die when I could help you? I don't want you to die Spock. Please don't die after all we've been through." She began to cry earnestly.

"Nyota, please do not cry, it was never my intention to cause you any pain."

"I am not in any pain, you are, and you won't allow me to help you, to help us. We will not be free until you make love to me, so love me already!"

Spock did love her very much but he could not bring himself to say it in words. This was his dream come true, to have Nyota in his arms but he was spoiling it. What was he doing!

####

His body shivered. It was so cold in this cave; this world was so cold. Why was he naked? Where were the furs that Zarabeth had given him? He started to move in search of warmth when he realized he was already pressed against the warm flesh of a woman and he looked down.

"Zarabeth?"

"Who?"

"Zarabeth, what is happening here, what are you doing to me?"

"Oh, not again," she cried.

"Again?"

"Yes, you've been ill, I've been caring for you."

"Ill?" he said confused.

"Yes, with a fever, now let me-"

"Where is Dr. McCoy?"

"He is home where he belongs, where we should be too."

"We? Home?""

"Okay, please don't go back to one-word answers. Snap out of it!" Zarabeth shook him.

"Now listen mister. I've put up with this dream/meld stuff long enough. Wake up Spock! Please wake up and stop hiding from me, from this. I don't know who Zarabeth is but she's not here and I am, so please wake up."

"Nyota?"

"Yes, it's me, Nyota. Are you ready to face reality?"

"Reality, what is reality?"

Nyota laughed, "you got me on that one," she said without humor. "Listen Spock, please, you and I are in a cave on Vulcan, you are in heat, and I am bone tired and ready to go home."

"I am not in heat, Vulcans don't-"

"Baby I don't care what you all it, you're burning up with fever and it won't break until we have sex. So, I never thought I'd have to say this to a man, but please, please let us have sex already."

"I admit I never thought I would hear you say it either."

"Don't get smart mister, let's just make love and get on out of here okay?"

"I don't think I can." he confessed.

"Spock, do you want to die? Because if the fever doesn't kill you I think I just might!"

Spock smiled despite the situation. Here was the Nyota he admired most, when she was being sassy and fearless. And he had frightened her, kidnapped her, bonded her against her will. He could not harm her further. "I cannot."

"Spock whatever nonsense is going on in that logical mind of yours just stop it. Don't think. Just feel. Sometimes all you can do is feel your way through, you can't logic your way out of this." She touched his shoulder. "You're still hot, you need this, and I need you to be okay. We've come this far."

Spock touched her in return, he bushed his fingers across her bruised skin. He remembered he had boldly kissed her earlier but now he did not feel so bold and reckless and that kiss seemed merely a dream.

"May I kiss you?"

"Yes, kiss me, do anything you want."

"You don't know what you are saying."

"Yes, I do." She climbed into his lap straddling his thighs with her long legs. "This isn't our first go round you know?"

"It isn't?"

"No, we've done this a few times, only now you're aware. So, don't try to get shy, it's too late for modesty."

"Vulcans are not modest."

"Yeah, I know." She leaned in, kissed his ear and whispered, "I am so tired Spock, you're gonna have to do all the work this time."

So many emotions pooled in Spock's chest. Here was the woman he always wanted in his arms begging him to make love to her and yet he hesitated. Yet this was his woman now, his wife, and she needed him to take care of her, and above all a Vulcan male must care for his bond mate. It was an imperative ingrained in his DNA. He must care for Nyota, must see to her needs. Right now, Nyota needed rest but she also needed to leave this cave. And the only way out was to break the fever and to do that he must make love to her. He had to.

"I am sorry Nyota," Spock whispered in her ear.

"Don't be sorry, just be quick."

Spock agreed and proceeded to be both.