*Spock*

Nyota joined him at his office at precisely 16:00 hours and they made their way towards the campus transporter room together. As an officer and an instructor Spock was afforded use of the transporter in place of a shuttle. The ensign manning the console saluted and didn't inquire as to his purpose on Space Station 1 or why a cadet was accompanying him. This was against regulations, but Spock was pleased he didn't have to omit and imply things other than the truth.

Nyota walked beside him like a well behaved cadet and no one gave them a second glance. Spock was wearing his grey instructor's uniform so being accompanied by a cadet would have appeared perfectly normal to anyone who noticed them.

They made their way through the Starfleet section of the station and into the public transit zones. He did attract some interest from the civilians there, but that interest was directed at his Vulcan features and he was well accustomed to it. Nyota clearly was not however. 'Do people always stare so much sir?' She was frowning at a young woman who had pointed at him and was talking excitedly to her companion. 'Haven't they ever seen a Vulcan before?'

'Perhaps not. My race is not known for its adventurous and gregarious nature.' he remarked. The woman who had pointed was blushing in embarrassment and staring at her feet. She'd obviously been at the receiving end of Nyota's glare. 'Curiosity does not offend me cadet.'

'If you say so sir.' She sounded sceptical.

They made their way to the transit accommodation deck in the civilian zone. Spock led the way to the suite that T'Sul's assistant had directed him to the previous week. They were on time. The same assistant welcomed them and led them to a sitting room. The room had not been prepared in the same manner as those he had previously met with the healer in. The usual functional space station furniture provided decoration - two low couches, a table, generic framed prints on the walls, a replicator and a computer console.

'Lady T'Sul will join you shortly.' The Vulcan assistant spoke standard in deference to Nyota's presence.

Spock and Nyota sat on one of the couches. Spock could feel Nyota's nervousness. He took her hand in his own, carefully joining his middle and index finger to hers so he could share his calm with her. She sighed audibly and whispered. 'I am so jealous of your Vulcan calm Spock. Nothing phases you.'

Spock raised an eyebrow. 'There is no reason meeting with T'Sul should 'phase' me as you put it.'

Before she could comment further the inner door opened with a swoosh and T'Sul made her entrance. She was dressed in formal Vulcan robes as befitted her status. Spock felt Nyota's interest in the elaborate costume and headdress. She had never seen a Vulcan in such ceremonial robes in person. He could tell she was translating and deciphering the glyphs and lettering that lined T'Sul's robes and puzzling over their meaning. Her curiosity was endearing.

They both stood. Spock gave the ta'al with his left hand and bowed his head slightly. 'Live long and prosper Okasu T'Sul.'

She returned his greeting then turned her full attention to Nyota. Spock could feel Nyota wilting slightly under her intense Vulcan inspection, but she admirably kept that from her expression and posture. She raised a hand and greeted the elder politely. 'Live long and prosper Okosu T'Sul. It is a great honour to meet you.'

'Peace and long life Nyota Chausiku Uhura.' She seemed to enjoy vocalising Nyota's exotic Swahili name - a novelty for her. Spock could tell Nyota was surprised at hearing her middle name. He himself had never called her by it, aside from when she had been unconscious after the accident at the Academy and he'd been in the midst of melodramatic introspection. From observations of his mother's family, he was aware that human middle names were rarely used outside of the most formal occasions or when a parent wished to express particular disappointment at a misbehaving child.

He recalled his young human cousin Eric Grayson being called 'Eric Steven Grayson' a great deal during his occasional visits to his relatives on Earth. Eric had been an extremely curious child.

T'Sul took a seat on the opposite couch and Spock and Nyota returned to their own. 'I will inspect your marriage bond individually then you will meld and I will observe. If necessary I will assist you in ensuring the bond is complete.'

Nyota was a little put off by the manner in which the healer had gotten straight to the point, but Spock was pleased that they wouldn't be making human small talk. He nodded. 'That is acceptable.'

The elderly Vulcan indicated that Spock should kneel before her. He rose and did so without further comment. Her fingers were dry and warm against his face. 'My mind to your mind. My thoughts to your thoughts.' He opened his mind to her familiar touch.

She required little guidance to sink down within his mind to the place within him that housed his familial bonds. Her scrutiny of the bond to Nyota was intense. He felt no concern from her, just interest. Through their bond Nyota could sense T'Sul within him. The sensation was odd. Nyota found it disconcerting.

/The bond is very strong. Show me exactly how it was strengthened./ T'Sul's voice within him was much stronger and more vital than it was out loud.

Spock had no particular desire to share such an intimate memory with her, but he knew her interest was not voyeuristic. He attempted to remain perfectly calm and unaffected as the events of a month previously, when Nyota had accepted is claim of koon-ut so'lik, played over for the healer's perusal. Mercifully she withdrew from the memory shortly after he had melded with Nyota rather than letting it play out.

/A full mating bond was created after your koon-ut so'lik was accepted, however the bond I sense within you is a mature marriage bond. You and your human continue to surprise me./ At her words Spock thought of his pon'farr. The healer sensed his thoughts. /You have endured your time with your human?/ She sounded intrigued.

/Yes./ Spock certainly was not going to share those memories with her however.

She no doubt sensed his hesitation. /I do not require to see your time, but I must verify that the plak'tow was shared for your marriage to be fully validated./

/You will not require to see such things in Nyota's mind?/ He didn't want Nyota to have to endure such an invasion of privacy. It was difficult for him and he was Vulcan, it would be intolerable for a human.

/I will not./

Though he was loathe to allow anyone to see him in such a state, Spock accessed the memory. He allowed T'Sul to see the moment he had melded with Nyota and she had been afflicted by his madness.

She seemed satisfied and withdrew completely from his mind. Spock felt relief.

She turned her dark gaze to Nyota. 'Nyota Chausiku Uhura. I will meld with you now.'

Spock felt her fear, but she dutifully stood and knelt beside him at T'Sul's feet. Impulsively Spock took her hand in his, uncaring of what T'Sul might think of the action. The healer repeated the ritual phrase and pressed her fingers to Nyota's face.

Spock felt Nyota within him, and the healer within her, both through the bond and the link of their fingers. It was a disturbing sensation, like a mirrored room, reflections within reflections. He focused on remaining utterly calm, distancing himself from his discomfort. He could feel Nyota drawing upon him to remain so herself.

The healer was much slower with her, Spock could not tell precisely what she did, but he could tell she was using a particularly gentle touch on his human wife.

She remained melded with Nyota for 9 minutes and 38 seconds. Nyota had calmed quite soon after the initial contact and Spock had felt little other than curiosity and amazement from her over the intervening minutes.

At length T'Sul sat back, pulling her hands from Nyota's face. She had a quite unguarded expression on her face. 'Fascinating. The human mind is not at all as I anticipated. I had thought to find a mind like that of a V'tosh ka'tur or perhaps our ancient forbears.' She tilted her head as she regarded Nyota like a particularly interesting mathematical problem. 'But you are not so at all.'

Spock listened with interest to T'Sul's observations. It was interesting to hear a neutral opinion of the human psyche from a Vulcan perspective. His own experiences with humans were very much compromised with his own emotions. 'I feel the difference between you and a Vulcan in the most basic sense. You have no need for our logic and strength of control because your feelings, even your most primitive ones, are far more gentle then those of our race. The base emotions of a Vulcan are more primitive than those of a Human' She sounded about as openly shocked as Spock had ever seen a Vulcan. 'I had not considered this.' Her words matched his own observations. Nyota's emotions guided her actions, but those emotions were very different to those of a Vulcan. Far more moderate.

Nyota frowned. 'I would say they are more powerful, not more primitive.' She glanced at Spock then back to T'Sul. 'You feel things so deeply. I would happily trade my softer human emotions for the profound feelings of a Vulcan. But I would not be able to control them as you do, they would drive me mad.' She smiled softly. 'It is a great joy to feel them within Spock.'

T'Sul was regarding Nyota thoughtfully. Spock could tell that she'd had something of a small epiphany inside his wife's mind.

'I had thought Vulcan and Human an illogical match. I see now our races complement one another in quite a satisfactory manner.' She met Spock's eyes. 'Spohkh. I will now initiate and observe a mind meld between yourself and Nyota.'

Spock nodded. T'Sul placed her fingers to his face once more and repeated the ritual phrase. She then repeated the process with Nyota, so that she was melded with both of them forming a conduit. He heard her thoughts once more. /Meld with your wife./ Spock acquiesced.

If holding Nyota's hand whilst T'Sul melded with her was odd, melding with both of them was unsettling to a completely new level as his mind was split in three. Instinctively he sort out Nyota. He could feel her doing the same. They minds merged into each other and in that manner they were able to hold themselves apart from the healer and the meld was more tolerable.

T'Sul only held the meld a few moments before pulling away so that only Spock and Nyota remained merged. Spock allowed himself a moment to enjoy the feel of Nyota's mind against his own before he too pulled away and severed the connection.

'Your bond is complete, your marriage valid and recognised by Vulcan law. I will provide documentation to this effect following my return to Vulcan.' She regarded Nyota once more. 'S'chn T'gai Nyota.' Spock felt a strange thrill at hearing Nyota named his wife in truth, a member of his house. 'It was most intriguing making your acquaintance.'

Nyota gave the aged healer a wide human smile.

*Nyota*

'Married!?' Gaila looked horrified. They were quietly talking in Gaila's native Yrevish at the communication's console of the Academy's simulation bridge. They'd been rostered to participate in a Kobayashi Maru test for one of the command-track cadets of their cohort. The cadet in question had yet to arrive so Nyota and Gaila were gossiping.

Nyota smiled at her Orion friend's opinion on monogamy. 'Yes. T'Sul formally recognised our bond. S'chn T'gai Spock is my husband.' She couldn't hold in the smile that threatened to split her face in two. She was married. Spock was her husband. hers hers hers! Just thinking about it made her giddy with happiness.

Gaila shuddered dramatically in disgust. 'Yuck! Married at 23. Next you'll be having little pointy-eared...' Her face twisted with disgust once more, 'children.' She said the word as if it were a contagious disease.

'That's right, I am only 23 Gaila. There won't be any children, 'pointy-eared' or otherwise anytime soon.' She hadn't actually given it much thought. She doubted Spock had strong feelings on the matter. He'd probably made the logical assumption that they would 'reproduce' at some stage since they were bonded, but she sensed he'd be content letting her decide the how and when. It would probably be an involved process requiring the aid of geneticists. She was in no hurry to rush into such a thing. Maybe after the Enterprise's first five year mission she'd give it some serious thought. She glanced up at the mirrored glass of the observation deck. Spock was up there over-seeing the test with several other instructors. Nyota wondered idly what a child of theirs would look like. Dark hair and dark eyes no doubt… and tall….

'Sure sure Ny.' Gaila interrupted her thoughts sceptically. 'You're imagining his babies right now aren't you?' She was smirking.

Nyota's eyes widened at her friend's clairvoyance.

Gaila snorted. 'I'll take that as a yes!' Her roommate punched in a few commands on the console in front of them and continued in a sing song voice. 'You want to have Commander Spock's baaaaabiiesss…'

'Gaila!' Nyota glanced around, she was certain no one would understand what they were saying, but it was still mortifying. She could sense Spock's curiosity at what Gaila was teasing her about through their bond. Thankfully even his Vulcan hearing couldn't hear through walls.

'… his pointy-eared Vulcan baaaabbbiiesss…' Mercifully Gaila dissolved into giggles and her 'song' ended.

'Captain on the Bridge!'

Nyota turned towards the voice. It was a cadet. She sighed. Correction - it was Cadet Kirk. Apparently he was the command-track student being tested. He looked around and made an impatient gesture that they should stand. Rolling her eyes Nyota got to her feet beside Gaila. Kirk made a show of waiting until they were all at attention before reclining indolently in the captain's chair like a Roman emperor and waving a hand to indicate they resume their positions.

Kirk went through the standard procedure, checking in with the chief officers of each department. When he reached communications he shot her a leer. 'I see I've gotten the...' he paused and raked his eyes over Gaila, '…two loveliest communications officers in Starfleet.'

Gaila giggled. Nyota sighed. Even though she couldn't see him, she could feel Spock raising his eyebrow at Kirk's flirtatious behaviour. He most certainly did not approve.

'Status Lieutenant?' For the purposes of the test everyone was given the assumed rank of lieutenant.

'All communications systems fully operational.' Nyota informed him.

'All communications systems fully operational… Captain.' Kirk corrected her. Nyota stabbed at her console controls with far more force than necessary. Kirk was such an ass. On cue her console lit up. Gaila, playing the role of an ensign communications assistant, patched the incoming message through to her headset. Nyota dutifully reported the communication. She knew it off by heart anyway, she'd sat in for a dozen of these scenarios. If Klingons ever did blow her up, she was confidant with the amount of practice she'd had she'd do a bang-up job of it.

'We are receiving a distress signal from the U.S.S. Kobayashi Maru.' She allowed herself a bitchy hair-flick-and-pout-combo just for Kirk. '…The ship has lost power and is stranded. Starfleet Command has ordered us to rescue them.' She'd heard Kirk had already failed the test once, she was almost looking forward to watching him fail a second time.

'Does the ship check out Lieutenant? Does it's registration and position match Starfleet records?' Nyota was almost surprised. No one had ever asked her to check that before. She spun in her chair and did so. Of course, considering who had programmed the simulation, the information was there. Spock was nothing if not thorough.

'Affirmative. The USS Kobayashi Maru registry UCC- 8599 is a mixed cargo and passenger freighter based out of Mars Colony 1. Their current position matches with the flightplan as logged.' At Kirk's quirked eyebrow she sarcastically added 'sir.'

Spinning to the front he issued his next order quite theatrically. 'Helmsman! Plot a course to intercept the Kobayashi Maru, warp factor 8.'

Nyota shared a sceptical look with Gaila. The ship they were supposed to be in, the inventively named 'USS Trainer', was a Kelvin-Class Scout-Cruiser and had a maximum safe cruising speed of warp 6.8.

'Warp 8 sir?' The helmsman apparently shared their disbelief.

'Did I stutter helmsman?' Kirk responded.

'But, sir, we'll break up under the strain of warp 8…' The engineering cadet at the navigation console was looking at Kirk like he was a simpleton. Nyota was wondering the same thing.

'Yes we will, but simulations estimate that'll happen between 12 and 18 minutes at warp 8. We'll reach the Kobayashi in 6.' Nyota wasn't a warp engineering specialist, but it almost sounded plausible. She suddenly knew what Kirk was doing. The scenario was fluid, with the Klingons arriving on the scene randomly within quite a large window of time, but their arrival was calculated independently of their own. Kirk would have significantly more time on arrival at the stranded ship than most cadets completing the simulation.

'Course plotted… captain.' The helmsman had his arms crossed. 'We might want to take a moment and pray to our respective deities before we jump to warp... Sir.'

Kirk ignored his barb. 'Engage warp.'

The next six minutes were boring. Engineering reported with increasing desperation on the stability of the warp core, but Kirk was unfazed. Gaila took the opportunity to give Kirk the once over. 'He's hot. How come I haven't dated Kirk?' She asked in Yrevish. 'Or have I?' Gaila on occasion 'forgot' paramours.

'You haven't dated him because he's an insufferable ass remember?' Nyota responded evenly. She felt Spock's amusement and belatedly recalled that the microphones in the simulator would be playing through the observation deck now that the test had begun. She prayed Gaila wouldn't start singing again.

'I'm not looking to marry the man Ny.' She smirked. '…or have his baaaaaabbiiesss.' She drew the last word out in teasing reference to their earlier conversation. Nyota felt her face flush with embarrassment and she glanced around the bridge to avoid Gaila's smirking. Her heart sank as she noted that the cadet at the tactical console was the doctor who'd treated her pon'farr related injuries. She carefully avoided eye contact with him and wondered what the heck he was doing sitting in on the simulation. Medical department cadets weren't required to participate.

'We've arrived at the co-ordinates sir.' The helmsman informed Kirk.

'Good.' He turned to Nyota. 'Inform medical to prepare to receive all crew and passengers of the Koyabashi Maru.' He shot Gaila a wide smiled, 'And you, my lovely Orion Lieutenant, hail the Captain of the Koyabashi Maru and instruct him to instigate evacuation code Alpha-3.'

Gaila batted her eyelashes. 'Yes sirrr...'

Nyota rolled her eyes. They deserved one another.

To Nyota's amazement they'd gotten half the crew and passengers off the stranded ship before the Klingons arrived.

'Two Klingon ships have entered the Neutral Zone and are locking weapons on us.'The Doctor - McCoy - Nyota thought his name had been, reported from the tactical console. He sounded almost as thrilled to be part of Kirk's simulation as Nyota.

Kirk responded promptly with similar orders to most cadets taking the test. 'Load photon torpedoes, arm phasers and divert power to shields.' He spun his chair towards Nyota. 'Open hailing frequencies, inform the Klingon's we're on a peaceful rescue mission.'

Nyota did as asked, and as always, received only static is response. By the time she informed Kirk of this three more warbirds had de-cloaked and there were now five Klingon ships in total, all firing upon them.

'Shields at 60% Jim!' called the doctor from the tactical console.

Kirk's next order took her by surprise. 'Disengage all weapons systems and divert power to shields and engineering.'

The doctor raised an eyebrow but did as asked. 'Weapons off-line and power redistributed.'

'Navigator, plot a course to Qo'noS. warp factor 5.' Kirk casually informed the cadet manning the navigation console.

'What?' The cadet was looking at Kirk like he had two heads, and they were both unbalanced. Nyota was in complete agreement.

'You heard me!' Kirk yelled as he turned to the helmsman, 'And you, use the calculated flightplan to plot our co-ordinates 17 seconds into warp and use them to plot a course to the nearest starbase at warp 7.5.'

'Course to Klingon homeworld plotted sir.' The helmsman informed him.

'Shields at 40%!' the doctor yelled at no one in particular. He was really getting into, you'd almost believe he was on a ship captained by a madman and surrounded by Klingons.

Kirk looked to the cadet at the navigator's console. 'And your calculations navigator?'

'One second...' He paused, fingers flicking frantically over his console. 'Done.'

Kirk nodded and turned back to the helmsman. 'Engage warp along course plotted for 17 seconds precisely then drop out and use the course plotted by the navigator to return to Federation space.'

The helmsman sighed dramatically but did as instructed.

The simulation viewscreen blurred with the jump to warp. The Klingon vessels did not follow straight away, in Nyota's experience they took a few seconds to blow up the Koyabashi Maru before following. She was surprised however when they dropped out of warp after 17 seconds and there were no Klingons. Stationary stars filled the screen for only a moment before they were once more at warp, but heading in the opposite direction.

Kirk was grinning.

They were safely within Federation space three minutes later.

Nyota was shocked. Half the passengers and crew of the stranded vessel were dead, but Kirk's efforts were certainly the closest she'd seen anyone come to beating the scenario.

'What the heck just happened Jim?' Doctor McCoy gruffly inquired.

'Well Bones, it seems our Klingon friends were well prepared to chase us to the nearest spacestation, had the courses pre-plotted in fact. By the time they'd calculated our actual trajectory, cleared their navigational systems of the pre-plotted courses and entered the actual one and followed us - we were already on our way home.' He sounded utterly in love with himself.

'Okay, but why 17 seconds?' The cadet at the helm was still looking at Kirk like he was crazy, but a genius kinda crazy.

'Because when they realised we'd reversed course, they would have looked at more obvious points along our trajectory first, 10, 15, 20 seconds, for our warp signature before checking random arbitrary points like 17 seconds.' He was smiling indolently from his semi-horizontal position sprawled in the command chair. Nyota would have been impressed if not for his attitude.

It appeared he'd pushed his luck too far however, Nyota's console flashed, the red alert alarm wailed for a moment and then the simulation bridge when dark.

The engineering student acting as chief engineer spoke into the silence. 'Um. The warp core just exploded. We're all dead. Captain.'

The simulator bridge fell deathly silent for a few moments.

The doctor sniggered.

Nyota fought the urge to laugh.

'GODDAMIT!' Cadet Kirk's test ended with as much drama as it began. He stormed out of the room. The lights flicked back on.

Gaila shot to her feet. 'I'm going to go console the poor 'captain'.' She adjusted her dress. 'Don't wait up.' Without waiting for response the Orion practically skipped after Kirk. Nyota sighed. That was a trainwreck waiting to happen.

The medical cadet, Doctor McCoy, was frowning and staring after Kirk in concern. Perhaps they were friends. It would explain his vague familiarity despite them not sharing classes. 'I'm sure Kirk will be fine Doctor. Gaila's on a mission to 'console' him.'

The Doctor nodded distractedly. 'Lucky bastard.'

Nyota stood to make her way from the room. It was early evening and she'd not eaten yet. A trip to the cafeteria was required. Doctor/Cadet McCoy rose beside her and followed her from the room. 'You're Cadet Uhura aren't you?'

'That's right.' Nyota answered warily. She hoped he didn't remember her from her appointment. Or at least that he wasn't about to bring it up.

'The poor girl Jim's been pestering for over three years?'

Ah. 'One of many I'm sure.' She responded.

He rolled his eyes. 'I'm sure as hell not gonna sing his praises to you.'

They passed out of the simulation room and into the foyer that housed the turbolift. Nyota could feel Spock nearby. The Doctor continued as they waited on the lift. 'You'll be pleased to know that doctor-patient confidentiality prevents me from telling him your name.'

Nyota turned to him, crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

He cowered slightly. 'Not to mention common sense.'

Spock materialised behind them. 'Cadets.' He greeted them with his usual arctic Vulcan charm.

The doctor mumbled a response and Nyota offered him a polite nod. 'Commander Spock sir.'

The lift arrived with a soft chime. The men politely waited for her to enter before following. Doctor McCoy stared hard at the closed doors. Spock adjusted the PADD he held and managed to quite artfully brush his index finger across the back of her hand. The tiny touch felt electric and Nyota had to stifle a gasp. For a split second Spock's thoughts became clearer to her. He was… hungry? She wondered why he'd gone to such efforts to share the thought with her.

Unable to resist she turned to look at him quizzically. He raised a perfect black eyebrow in response.

'Thou art hungry?' she inquired dubiously, assuming she'd missed something.

McCoy glanced back at her curiously. She kept her face as polite and neutral as possible.

'Indeed. Hath thou had thy evening meal?' Spock's face of course gave away nothing. Not that what they were discussing was really all that cloak and dagger. She decided to switch back to standard so that McCoy wouldn't think she and Spock were hiding something. She didn't want him thinking about her and Spock - Spock who was a Vulcan and therefore the super strong owner of a set of non-human teeth - in the same sentence too much.

'I have not sir.'

'Then I shall accompany you Cadet.'

She nodded and turned back to face the doors, a smile playing on her lips. Only Spock would think to use telepathy to ask her to dinner.

As the doors opened Spock remarked in what passed as conversationally for him. 'Perhaps you could offer enlightenment as to the context of a phrase of Yrevish Cadet U'Aidat utilised earlier which I find confusing.'

Nyota felt herself flush. She had a bad feeling about where Spock was going with his line of inquiry. She darted out of the lift and offered McCoy a half wave before turning towards the cafeteria.

Spock, of course followed beside her.

He continued his question unperturbed. 'Prior to the commencement of Cadet Kirk's simulation she was singing a most curious song, the refrain of which if I recall correctly was…'