Keep Calm and Keep on...
"I'm not speaking to you," Charlene said as she sat down beside Uhura in the rec room a few days later.
"Charlene! what's up?"
"You tell me, stranger. You ghosted on me again!"
"I'm sorry Char. I've been going through some changes."
"Yeah, I know. Its all over the ship, you and Spock are fucking."
"What! Charlene language!" Uhura chastised her.
"What? I'm just repeating what I've heard. I came to check on you that day after my shift and was informed by a guard outside your door that you were quarantined. And the last time anyone saw Mr. Spock he was headed off to your quarters to check on you. Next thing you know he's MIA. So, the two of you were quarantined and MIA for 3 days? Conclusion? 'Fucking'."
"That's not what happened!"
"Then what happened?" Charlene asked concerned.
"Well," Uhura looked around. "I can't talk about it here."
"Well, I would say let's go to your quarters but I don't know if has been disinfected yet."
"Charlene!"
"What? If you were really sick I don't want it. What did you think I meant?"
"Nothing."
"Mmm hmm. Let's go to my place."
They grabbed their coffee and went to Charlene's cabin.
"So, spill," Charlene said as soon as they took seats on her sofa. "What happened after I left you that day? I remember you did feel warm were you really sick?"
"Well, Spock came to check on me and he saw the pregnancy test kit."
"And?" Charlene leaned in for the story.
"And I told him I wasn't pregnant. And I asked him to say until I went to sleep because you know I hadn't been sleeping well."
"Okay and?"
"And next thing I know I wake up with him on top of me," Uhura said trying to remember what happened.
"What!?"
"Well not like that, I mean yeah like that, but not how you think."
"How was it then?" Charlene said getting angry on her friend's behalf.
"I was sick with that same fever Spock had that time."
"Oh my god! How?"
"We don't know, that's why I have to go back to Vulcan. But according to Spock and Dr. McCoy, I was going to die unless Spock and I...you know..."
"So you had to have sex?"
"Yes."
"Are you okay now?" Charlene asked still concerned.
"I don't know. I am trying not to worry about it."
"What about you and Spock?"
"We're together. I mean we decided to just be married from now on. It seems the only logical thing to do."
"I bet. So the rumors were true! You spent the past few days fucking?"
"Charlene! Will you stop saying that?"
"Am I wrong?"
"No, but stop saying that word," Uhura said annoyed.
"What word? Fucking?" Charlene feigned ignorance.
"Yes! No wonder Spock was upset with me."
"Upset about what?"
"I called him a succubus! He didn't like it."
Charlene laughed. "You're too much, girl. Why a succubus?"
Uhura laughed, "I said Vulcans were sex demons because of that damn mating fever," Uhura said dramatically. "Anyway, he didn't like it. He said it was a stupid word."
Charlene shook her head at her friend's antics. "It is a stupid word."
"Oh, hush you. In my defense, I was half out of my mind with fever at the time."
"Only half?" Charlene teased.
"Yes. But apparently, I'm alright now. I hope."
"And you and Spock are good now?"
"Yes, I told him how I felt just like you suggested," Uhura said honestly, "And he told me how he felt too. It was nice." She said sweetly and grinned broadly.
Charlene saw the dreamy look on Uhura's face. "Hey there, you with the stars in your eyes..." Charlene sang.
"Huh?"
"Its a song from the olden days. You're sitting there looking like you are head over heels in love. You should see your face. Love looks good on you."
"I'm not in love." Uhura protested automatically.
"Ugh, not this again. I am not about to argue with a fool in love."
"I'm no fool either. I'm just not stressing anymore that's all."
"Let's drop it okay? So you and Spock are good and you're all married and booed up? It's too cute." Charlene grinned.
"Booed up? Where do you get this stuff?"
"Books. So you and Spock are booed up? Now what?"
"We are not booed up, whatever that means."
"It means the word you don't like. So where were you on Starbase 6 during shore leave?"
Uhura blushed. "We just hung out together."
"Where?" Charlene prodded.
"We just hung out in a room there."
"Oh my god look at you! Finally getting those pipes cleaned! I'm proud of you." Charlene teased her.
"Okay, let's drop it. No more sex talk."
"Fine, fine. I can see you're no fun."
Uhura tilted her head and said softly. "I am honored."
Charlene hit her with one of her small sofa pillows.
"He's corrupted you completely I see."
"No, he hasn't. I was just joking. You know I've always had fun with Spock though. We always used to talk for hours."
"Yeah I know, you're the only person I know who could have fun with a Vulcan."
"It's not that hard. I just don't take him as seriously as some people do. You just have to know how to push his buttons."
"I bet you pushed his button."
"Charlene, you are incorrigible."
"I am honored." Charlene mimicked Uhura and then they broke into laughter.
"You look so happy," Charlene said.
"I feel happy. But..."
"Uh-oh. But what?"
"But of course, there is always trouble brewing. We went to starbase 6 because Admiral Komack summoned me. He wants to charge Spock with assault and mutiny and gods know what other charges he can trump up."
"That sounds serious."
"It is serious. And I don't know what Spock will do. He sounded kind of ominous when we talked about it. He said he would make Komack answer for his actions."
"That sounds like a typical male protecting his woman."
"But Spock is not a typical male. He can be dangerous. I know I said he would never hurt me but I can't vouch for what he'd do to another person."
"Vulcan's are super strong compared to Humans, both physically and mentally. He could easily kill a human with his bare hands and not even break a sweat. Only their logic prevents Vulcans from being flat out violent and barbaric. With their emotions in check, they are fine but if Spock were to lose it I fear what he could do. And he's only half Vulcan, its really the human half I worry about. I think that's the part of him that goes off half-cocked and tries to save the day alone."
"Ny, I can see this is eating you up. But this is the kind of thing married couples deal with together. As long as you two stick together you'll be alright. And I still have your back. If you and Spock need me you got me. But why does Komack have it in for Spock?"
"I have no idea. I asked Spock if maybe he slept with the man's wife or daughter because this sounds personal."
"You know that movie they make us all watch at the academy? The final Frontier?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, remember there was something about a terrorist organization who hated aliens? Maybe he's like that."
"Terra Prime?"
"Yeah, I think that's it."
"That got disbanded years ago. Besides I can't believe people would still hold such xenophobic views. I thought we had outgrown such prejudices."
"Girl, we're still only human with all the foibles that go along with it. I'm sure every species has some xenophobic elements. Even the Vulcans as logical as they appear have xenophobics views. You said yourself that Spock, as a hybrid, was teased and taunted as a child because of his mother and still does not fit into Vulcan Society."
"Charlene, just when I think Spock and I have overcome an obstacle something else rears its ugly head. We need to spend time together bonding so that I don't get sick again and yet now we have to think about Komack and people like him who want to destroy us just because we are different. It's ludicrous. We've been involved with Vulcans for generations and they have never harmed us. Yes, they keep to themselves but you see what happens when they mingle with us? Dr. McCoy teases Spock mercilessly. They may be good-natured jabs but it still points out how Spock is different!"
"Ooh girl, you got it bad. Look at you defending your man. These haters better watch themselves, the champ is in the building!"
"Charlene I'm not fighting anyone for Spock. He can defend himself better than anyone in Starfleet. I just don't like bullies."
"Mmmhmm like Boma? Or Hernandez? Or Stiles?"
"They were out of line but I'm not worried about them. They are just small players. I'm worried about people like Komack who are high up in Starfleet and the Federation. They could hurt us. I can't lose Spock now that I finally got him."
"You won't lose him. And he's not alone in this. He has all of Vulcan behind him and everyone on this ship too. The Enterprise has never failed a mission and we are not going to start now. Whatever Komack has planned will fail. And it will expose whoever or whatever is behind this anti-Vulcan nonsense too. You and Spock just concentrate on bonding and let your friends and family handle Komack and his ilk."
"Charlene, I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything. Just keep calm, and keep on-"
"Shut up Charlene!"
"I wasn't going to say 'Fucking'. That one's on you." Charlene grinned.
"Ugh," Uhura sighed defeated. With friends like these...