At the beginning of the third year, she finds him trying to reprogram a replicator in Engineering.

'Pavel, what are you doing?'

'Reprogramming ze replicator for Mr Scott.'

'I can see that. Why?'

'Because he has saved our liwes so many times. And eet's his birthday soon; at least zat is vat Keenser said.'

It is definitely true that Scotty has saved all their lives time and time again. He ejected the warp core to get them away from the black hole, he beams them up, away from angry natives, he managed to get them out of that magnetic field around the last planet they visited. She's not sure about the birthday bit.

'Is it a surprise?'

'Da. I am programming eet to make haggis.'

'Don't you think he'll notice that you're working on it?'

She's very much right. Scotty comes around the corner. Pavel mouths 'distract him' to her and she nods.

'Good morning Mr. Scott!'

'It's afternoon lass.'

'Oh. It is?'

'Aye. Are you feeling alright?'

'I'm fine.'

'What's the lad doing to the replicator?'

That didn't go very well. Ellen is not the greatest actress or liar. Her eyes are a little too wide when she tries to feign innocence, though perhaps only Pavel would know that.

'He's, um, programming the replicator! To make, erm, Russian borscht!'

'The lad misses his borscht?'

'Yes! Although anything made by the replicator won't be as good as his Mama's, it's better than nothing, right?'

She crosses her fingers behind her back and hopes that he doesn't ask why Pavel's programming the replicator in Engineering.

'Aye. I understand. I miss my Maw's cooking too. She makes great haggis.'

'Yes. Pavel's mother is a wonderful cook. In fact, she told me this story once...'

So Ellen spends the next couple of hours telling Scotty the stories of Pavel's childhood that his mother told her, when she visited Russia three years ago. Finally, he finishes modifying the replicator and surprises the Engineer.

'Thank you lad! It's not me birthday though, Keenser's lying to you! It's a pure dead brilliant idea though!'

They leave a ridiculously happy Engineer tucking into a large plate of haggis.

'Did you really have to tell Mr Scott zose stories?'

'Well, you asked me to distract him.'

'You had to tell him zat I vas scared of Baba Yaga ven I vas little? Or zat-'

'I'm sorry Pavel. He'll probably forget, I mean, the haggis will keep him busy for a long time. I'll make it up to you, I promise! Those stories are really cute though.'

She remembers how much he detests being called cute.

'Sorry! I didn't mean to, it just sort of slipped out, I'm really-'

'Eet's okay. I don't mind eef you call me cute, but no one else can!'

'I'm special then?'

'Da. Wery special.'

They finish the walk back to her quarters in comfortable silence. They pause at her door.

'Remember ze promise you made earlier?'

She rolls her eyes in mock annoyance.

'Of course you remember.'

AN: This chapter is very cliche in terms of food choices, but considering that Scotty drinks scotch and Chekov drinks vodka, it's not much of a stretch that Scotty likes haggis and Chekov likes borscht, right?