DISCLAIMER: I don't own Star Trek or any of the Characters below
Bad Timing and Logical Choices
"She's there? I thought she might be!" His mother was smiling as she said it. She looked overjoyed in fact.
He had never been as happy about his mother's emotive capacity as he did in that moment. He had heard that humans could discern a smile just from vocal inflection alone. He hoped it was so. He looked up at Nyota.
She was standing with her arms across her chest in the doorway with an unreadable expression on her face. Her eyes darted between Spock and the monitor.
Spock was still sitting but his eyes were on Nyota.
"Is now a bad time?" Amanda asked.
Nyota looked at the floor. "No, now is the perfect time."
"What?" asked Amanda.
Spock looked at the monitor. "She says now is acceptable, Mother."
He stood up and offered his hand to Nyota as she sat down. It wasn't a motion of gallantry; he just wanted to re-establish the link. He felt her nervousness and relief as his fingers slid against hers.
Bringing a chair around he sat down so that both of their faces were in the view frame of the camera. "Mother, I would like to introduce you to Cadet Nyota Uhura, Nyota I would like to introduce you to my mother, Amanda Grayson."
"Nice to meet you," said Nyota, oddly shy.
"It is so nice to finally meet you." His mother beamed. "I'm so sorry if I didn't sound friendly before, I really expected him to tell me I was being illogical."
x x x x x x x x
After a few minutes of listening to the conversation between his mother and Nyota Spock went into the kitchen and started preparing dinner -- for two. He hoped it wasn't an erroneous assumption.
There was a counter between Nyota and where he was working so he could observe her expression. The phone call seemed to be going very well. It was amazing how quickly they could slip from formal niceties to personal intimacies. His mother already knew how he had met Nyota, at least the first meeting of significance...he'd told her. Did she really need Nyota's perspective?
"...yes, he seemed so intimidating," said Nyota. "But he went through all this trouble to discover the rest of the transmission...I thought it was so thoughtful of him. Of course he said it was just to prove me wrong."
"I assure you, Nyota," Spock interjected, "My only motive was to prove you wrong."
"He was really nice about it when I turned out to be right...that the transmission was really something after all," Nyota said.
"I was not nice. I was logical. It is logical to admit ones mistakes." Spock said swirling some chopped ginger with soy sauce, vinegar and sugar in a bowl.
Nyota looked up at him somberly for a moment.
Amanda piped in, "Sometimes their logic isn't such a bad thing."
"I suppose not..." Nyota said.
"Must I remind you, Nyota, we still do not know what the transmission really is..." Spock began.
"But we get to spend the whole semester finding out!" said Nyota grinning at him.
It would be very un-Vulcan to sigh...It would be very un-Vulcan to sigh...
"Did I just hear a Vulcan sigh?" asked Amanda. Sadly, he could hear the amusement in her voice.
"I think he's going to be wrong. It will be a genuine Romulan transmission -- Descartes Error again," said Nyota conspiratorially to his mother's image on the screen.
Spock started dicing some tofu with slightly more force than was necessary. "We are speaking Federation Standard. Not Romulan. If the Romulans had been here..."
"Nyota and I would have pointy ears too?" asked his mother.
Nyota laughed. Then put her head in her hands. "I probably am crazy...during the time frame the transmission was received the Romulan empire was expanding and laying bloody ruin to every civilization they encountered...it is pretty unlikely that they were here...but if you could hear the sadness in the Romulan's voice when he says, 'Switching to subspace'..."
"Hmmmm...well, it sounds like you have a while before you learn anything more about that mystery for a while." His mother wisely switched the subject. "I did hear from Sarek, Spock's father, on another mystery you've pondered though..."
Nyota sat up straighter in her chair. Was it Spock's imagination or had her ears physically perked?
"The results are preliminary...but...it appears there is no physical differences in the regions of the proto-Romulan and Vulcan brains in the areas responsible for processing logic and emotions..." Amanda said this slowly, Spock realized she was trying not to hurt Nyota's feelings.
Nyota's shoulders sagged a bit. Spock put down what he was doing and went to sit next to Nyota. He slipped two fingers into hers. The disappointment she felt slipped through the link. He squeezed her fingers.
"However, it does appear that there are differences in the regions responsible for communication and telepathy," His mother finished.
Excitement flashed through their finger link. Nyota's face visibly brightened.
"You seem to be very happy about that tidbit of news," said his mother.
Spock spoke, "Nyota has a theory that when there is telepathy, the display of emotions is not as necessary for interaction between members of a species."
His mother could be logical. "Betazeds are telepaths, but they practically revel in emotional displays."
Nyota said, "But Betazed telepathy does not require touch, so they really can't hide their emotions."
"The Betazed environment is more benign than Vulcan's too," Spock postulated. "It has been theorized that harsh environments tend to create violent territorial cultures."
The link flashed with happiness and excitement. Nyota said, "Yes, that is true...Vulcans might have to hide their emotions if they tend towards the violent and territorial...
When she said the word 'territorial' Spock noticed his mother adjusting her sleeves...and her eyes went back and forth between him and Nyota, although not unkindly. Spock looked at Nyota, if she'd noticed his mother's gesture she hid it very well.
"...it is hard to be peaceful with your neighbor if you display such feelings outwardly," Nyota said. "Still, with individuals they care about Vulcans have an invisible connection, an emotional vent.
"Humans and Romulans don't have the benefit of that connection. We have to get by however well we can communicating our emotions verbally and physically. And sometimes we display too much...it can be hard to shut them off. And since we need to show our emotions to reinforce our bonds to those close to us, it might actually be detrimental to shut them off."
"Its an interesting theory..." said Amanda. She smiled, "I can see why Spock likes you, Nyota." Then she winked at Spock. "Logical choice, Spock. You are your father's son after all."
Spock would have raised a disapproving eyebrow, but he was momentarily engrossed by the picture in the monitor. His mother's smiling face filled the entire screen except for the tiny inset where he could see himself and Nyota, their shoulders pressed together. Illogically, the moment seemed to hang in time -- his mother's wide smile, Nyota's widening grin and his face flat and unemotional.
He was actually very happy. He kept his hand on Nyota's, to be sure she knew.
x x x x x x x x
After they switched off the comm Nyota said, "You know Spock, for a cold emotionless Vulcan, sometimes you have rather good ideas." The link was buzzing, but even without it he knew that this was a joke. She was trying to release the tension they'd felt earlier.
He didn't know what to say, he just pressed his forehead against hers. Perhaps she would stay for dinner.
Nyota moved from her chair and repositioned herself on his lap. That seemed promising.
With one hand he linked with her fingers, his other hand wrapped around her waist.
"You kind of went off on a logical tangent earlier, and then I went off on an emotional tangent...sorry about that. When you took the link away, I really felt like you were retreating."
"I did not want to cause another fear loop," he said.
"Oh." She kissed his forehead absently. "I think I would rather have felt your fear than feel nothing. Sometimes even I can't read you."
She sighed. "And I'm not crazy about our timing either...breaking the rules puts me on edge...That probably set me off a bit. I'm a good student. I don't do this sort of thing..."
"Nor I," said Spock.
They were quiet for a long time.
"You are right, you know...it was ironic that my brother put you on that tangent." The link buzzed although she wasn't laughing. She sighed. "And you're right about the other part too...It is better to reform instead of evade. But it takes so damn long..."
"And the only opportunity we have is right now." Spock finished.
"You know, it doesn't have to be either or. We'd actually stand a much better shot at pushing our point if we were both distinguished graduates. After we've proven that it didn't hinder our ability to perform admirably and make rational decisions."
"That is actually...logical." Spock replied.
Nyota took a deep breath. "It would be better if I wasn't your assistant."
"I have considered you more of a colleague than an assistant for quite some time now." Spock said lowering his head. Was he rationalizing?
"Yes, but no one else will. The rules have to be drawn somewhere. In most cases, prohibiting relationships between instructors and the students they are actively teaching and assistants makes sense."
"I accept the logic of your position." Spock said. He would miss her in the lab, but as long as he could see her here...
She pulled away and looked him the eyes. "But I can't quit until we finish the Sol System and discover just what sort of Romulan neuvo-Piltdown man crank transmission maker I've discovered!"
Spock blinked. "Does that mean that you want to curtail our activities until..."
"No." She kissed him. "And yes, I realize that isn't logical. But I'm human. "
He would have accepted it if she had said 'Yes.' He wouldn't have liked it. Actually, he really wouldn't have liked it. He raised an eyebrow. "I am relieved to know you are not forsaking me for your Romulan neuvo-Piltdown boyfriend."
Nyota laughed and his fingers buzzed.
"You will be staying for dinner, then?" He asked.
"And more, I hope." She shifted in his lap, and gently nuzzled an ear. "Seems the perfect time for make-up sex."
Spock tightened his hands around her waist. "I have heard the expression. It is a ritualistic human bonding activity is it not?"
"I would say so," said Nyota slipping her hands down and gently pulling on his sweater.
"I am a great believer in abiding by rituals," Spock whispered bringing his lips to hers.
A/N:
Not as melodramatic as you might have hoped...but I hope it was natural.
I keep reading "And the Rest is Rust and Stardust" over and over again. It is just the best Kirk/Uhura story ever (with implied Spock longing for Kirk). It is a beautiful love triangle -- where they actually all love each other...but not all in that way. (So, no, Uhura doesn't do them both at once).
/s/5347458/1/And_the_Rest_is_Rust_and_Stardust ... or just go to my favorites.
Love reviews...they help keep me writing.
