Oh yeah chapter 2! Hope you like it, we finally get some Spock towards the end of this episode!
The large office that Kirk sat in was poorly it, though he was sure it had something to do with Commodore Erwing's constant headaches. Either way, Kirk smiled as he listened to Erwing talk about his growing family which was probably cause for all the headaches. Seven children and number eight on the way- that was definitely likely to cause headaches.
Behind Erwing was a large window overlooking the San Francisco bay, a nice natural light in the room, but still not much of a light to be honest.
"Kirk the request is- well it's completely stumped most of the people around. Especially since the Enterprise is leaving in just five days time, your crew has already started to board and prepare for the next five year mission, and now you're coming to us asking- no, demanding we release Ramirez to you?" Commodore Erwing said as he looked at Kirk with a slight shake of his head before pinching the bridge of his nose. "Some want us to just deny you,"
"And others?"
"They want us to just give you what you want." Kirk smiled at that before leaning back in his chair.
"I know which one I'd vote for." The captain smiled.
"Yes yes. Well the decision is down to me at this point so before I make a decision, I have to ask- why do you want her?"
"Alex is a girl out of a time that was more primitive than ours, yes, but she'd shown a great aptitude to learning, she'd shown a great desire to be useful, and her previous training has her as a damn good fighter. These are all things I need on board my ship- not to mention she may be able to whip my crew into shape- some of them are getting a little lazy."
"I still don't know if it's a good idea…" the commodore said hesitantly.
"Think about it this way," Kirk suggested. "We're going out for another five years, that's five years you have to figure out what to do with Alex when she gets back, without her constantly coming to your office to beg to be allowed to do something other than reading."
The Commodore was silent for a minute, mulling that answer over before he slowly nodded. "The Enterprise leaves in five days- if you really want her, and she clears psych eval, you can offer her the job, and if she says yes, you can take her for the next five years." The commodore agreed before pressing a button. A moment later Alex walked into the room, looking at Erwing and giving him a nod before looking at Kirk.
"Commodore, Captain," she greeted them both.
"Alex," the Commodore sighed as she took a seat neat to Captain Kirk. "Shouldn't you be in the library reading files?"
"This seemed much more interesting Commodore," she gave him a tight smile before looking at Kirk.
"Alex, you know the reason we're asking you to join the meeting," Kirk said and she nodded, her face neutral as if she wasn't hoping, praying that the Commodore would take the request seriously and actually let her have the opportunity to go with Kirk into space.
"I do," she said.
"And The Commodore has said as long as you can clear it with your psychiatrist, you will be cleared to join the Enterprise on our next mission." Kirk smiled at her before leaning forward slightly. "As long as you want the job."
"I do." she nodded quickly. "I want to join the crew of the Enterprise."
"Then all you need to do is get your therapist to sign off on it." Commodore Erwing said and she nodded.
"I understand sir." then turning to Kirk she bit her lip gently before asking. "Sir? May I ask you a question?"
"Of course Ms. Ramirez."
"Why me?" she asked.
"Well, I've read your personnel file," he told her. "Your history as well as you could give it when you got here, and I think you're a brave young woman who deserves a chance to be the soldier you were trained to be." he explained. "Not to mention we on the Enterprise know what it's like to accidentally time travel- and having a historian on the ship is a good idea- especially a historian from the twenty-first century."
"I'm not an expert on all of the twenty-first century," she pointed out. "Just the time I lived through."
"And that's the era we'd like to have an expert on. Not to mention you'd be a very good addition to our security team." he added. "We could use someone like you."
"I agree," she said and smiled, Kirk smiling in response. "You could definitely use me."
"Now we just have to convince your therapist of that." Kirk smiled at her, Alex nodding as she stood up.
"Is that all Commodore?" she asked and he sighed before nodding.
"Yes Alex, that is all." he said before closing the folder he had in front of him. "You to talk to Dr. Zendar, see what she has to say about this, and then we'll go from there."
"Zendar?" Jim asked as he watched Alex and then stood up moving to walk with her to the door. "Maybe I'll walk you."
"Sounds good." she smiled at him and the two walked out of Commodore Erwing's office.
"So you know Dr. Zendar?" she asked as they walked to the elevator and took it down to the ground floor.
"I know Elizabeth Zendar," he told her as he tried to look like he was innocent. "We were old friends." Alex snorted softly before nodding.
"Gotcha."
After getting to the office Dr. Zendar worked out of Alex pressed the button on the wall indicating she was there looking at Kirk. "Old friend huh?" she asked as she took a seat in the waiting room. "Think you can convince your old friend to send me to space?"
"Alex, that would be a misuse of my power," Jim said, feigning innocence. Alex just chuckled in response and when the therapist walked out her usually stern expression when it came to Alex turned to a look of surprise.
Alex stared at her for a moment, considering the therapist who looked at Jim, her face softening. When she wasn't staring you down for not speaking the therapist was actually pretty.
"Jim," she said as she looked up at Kirk, taking her glasses off quickly. "It's been-"
"Too long Elizabeth," Kirk said as he stepped close to her, staring down into her eyes with what Alex would soon call the Captain's Smoulder.
"No- Well, yes," Elizabeth agreed as she looked up at him. "What I mean is- I have a- a patient."
"Yes," Jim said as he moved his hand to the back of her arm, running his fingers along the back of her arm lightly. "My new historian, we just need an okay from you to get her onto the Enterprise, and we are very excited to have her on the Enterprise Elizabeth," he explained softly.
"Well I- Jim I have to make sure that the trip won't be too much for Alex-" she mumbled, looking at him as he leaned in, tracing his lips along her jaw.
"Come to dinner with me tonight," Jim said lowly, Elizabeth leaning towards him before pulling back.
"Oh- Jim, I- I shouldn't."
"Come on, you remember that cute little restaurant we went to, with the band…" he traced his lips from her jaw up to kiss her on the lips. After the kiss Alex knew that she was definitely going to space.
The therapist spent the session absentmindedly listening to everything Alex said, how excited she was to go to space and Elizabeth just seemed to take notes here and there until the end of the session when she asked "Do you think I should let my hair down when I see Jim?"
Alex smiled as she looked at the doctor before nodding. "Yeah, I think Kirk will like that." she smiled at the other woman. "So what do you think?"
"I think I will put my hair down," she nodded.
"What do you think about me going to space?" she pressed with a sigh.
"Oh- oh of course, I think what you've been missing is a mission, you're a soldier and you need a mission, now this is giving you one." she said as she set the notepad down and looked at Alex. "I think you will thrive under a chain of command and I think you'll be an asset to the Enterprise." she smiled at Alex warmly for the first time in their sessions. "Of course, I want you to keep seeing a therapist, so I'm going to pass your file along to a psychiatrist onboard the Enterprise."
"I see," Alex replied with a short nod, Elizabeth smiling at her.
"You didn't think you'd get away that easily did you?"
"I had hopes." Alex admitted with a smile but stood as she did, extending her hand to the Therapist. "Thank you, honestly, thank you."
"Good luck Alex."
With that Alex walked out of the office, surprised to find Jim still in the waiting room. "Well?"
"Apparently, I am a good asset to the Enterprise. So long as I still have weekly sessions with a psychiatrist on board." she told him, Kirk smiling in return.
"I have no doubt you'll be a good asset to us Crewman Alex."
"Thank you Captain- oh, and have a good night tonight." she added with a grin before walking out of the office and going to her quarters, in a few short days she was going to go where no one in her time had gone before.
For the first time in two hundred years Alex was grinning, she was practically beaming as she made her way to her quarters- she had an assignment that was more than just "Rest" or "Go to therapy". She had a boss with a face, and she was going to do something that no one from her time ever got an opportunity to do, she was going to go to space, not as an astronaut but as a soldier and she was going to see more than just the planets that were known to her in her time, she was going to see more than anyone had ever dreamed of.
The next few days were packed for her, Kirk showed up at her quarters to give her a brand new PADD that he said would help her onboard the ship as well as in life in this century. After that she was brought to a doctor's office where she was given a very thorough physical by a Dr. McCoy who Kirk introduced her to and told her that he would be the head doctor on board the Enterprise.
After her physical where she was deemed 'remarkably fit and in shape for someone from the twenty-first century', she was told to go home and pack because somehow there was only twenty four hours until the Enterprise would leave.
That night she had packed everything she owned, Elizabeth had surprised her by appearing at her door and giving her a blank journal, something she said she thought Alex should use while onboard the ship; but aside from that she didn't own much.
Clothes were donated things from the nurses at the hospital, not much, just enough to fill the duffel bag.
She was thinking about going for a run, her final run on earth when there was a knock on her door. Standing and moving to the door she opened it, surprised to see Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy standing there.
"Captain," she stepped back, wordlessly inviting them into her small quarters. "Dr. McCoy, how can I help you?"
"We wanted to take you out for a drink before tomorrow," Kirk smiled at her. "A last hurrah on Earth before you join the Enterprise."
"I see," she replied before nodding. "I'd like that Sir, thank you."
"Should we wait for you to change?" Kirk asked and she looked down at herself before letting out a chuckle.
"You know what, sure," she nodded as she looked at Kirk. "Give me ten minutes." with that she went to her closet and grabbed one of the three dresses that she had been given by the nurses from Starfleet medical out of the duffel bag she'd packed, and a small bag.
It was black, it was short and it had off the shoulder sleeves that made it impossible to wear a bra with it unless of course she were to have a strapless bra, which she did not. After putting on the dress she managed to throw on some quick makeup and then walking out of the bathroom realized she had no shoes to wear with a dress like that- either her running shoes or her boots.
Deciding it was perfectly acceptable to wear her boots she put them on before looking in the makeup bag and taking out the small thing of perfume. Putting a drop on her middle finger she dabbed it between her ears and then one dab right between her breasts while Kirk and McCoy were talking by the door. Satisfied they hadn't seen that she took her hair out of the messy bun it had been in while she was packing and let her curls out before she walked over to them.
"Ready?" Kirk asked and she nodded.
"Yes Sir,"
"Alex, please feel free to call me Jim."
"I'll do my best," she told him and at the look he gave her she sighed with a grin before adding "Jim."
"Thank you." he smiled at her before the three left her quarters.
The bar that Kirk and McCoy took her to was surprisingly busy, people were ordering drinks, dancing, having a good time, and for a minute Alex almost forgot that she wasn't on earth in her time, it all seemed so familiar to her.
Of course that was until a man with bright orange skin and black hair walked by her, Alex unable to look away as he walked past their table for a moment.
"You'll get used to that." McCoy assured her.
"Oh I'm sure I will Sir," she nodded as she looked back at him, sipping the drink Kirk had brought her and then looking back at them.
"Ah, Spock," Kirk smiled as he gave a wave to a tall dark haired man who was walking over to their table. Alex was taking another long drink of her beer when she looked up, making eye contact with the man and she almost choked on her beer.
The tall man had an angular haircut, long pointed ears and his skin had an almost abnormally colored tint to it.
"You alright Alex?" McCoy was asking as she forced down the mouthful of beer she'd inhaled and nodded.
"I'm okay," she gasped, coughing slightly before looking at the newcomer who sat down.
"Alex, this is the first officer Spock, Spock this is our new historian Alex Ramirez," Kirk introduced the two, Alex nodding to the first officer with a smile.
"Nice to meet you Sir,"
"You are the soldier," Spock said simply, Alex's smile tightening slightly before she nodded, taking another sip of her beer.
"I am," Alex nodded.
"You'll get used to Mr. Spock's bluntness Alex," Kirk assured her. "Mr. Spock is a Vulcan."
"It means he doesn't have feelings." McCoy commented.
Alex looked from McCoy to Spock whose head had tilted only slightly. "Is that true Mr. Spock?" she asked, taking a drink from her beer.
"There is more to it than that." he explained. "But it is not customary for my kind to express feelings openly the way your kind does."
"Try being a woman in the military," she chuckled, lifting her drink in his direction. "If I showed any slight emotion people accused me of either being hysterical or on the rag." she chuckled as she shook her head.
"On the- Is that a slang from your century?" Kirk asked, making her nod.
"It means menstruating." she explained with a roll of her eyes.
"I do not understand why your biological cycles would have an effect on their respect for you. You were a soldier were you not?"
"I am a soldier Mr. Spock," she corrected him quickly, looking at him as she did. "But I am also a woman, and in my time women were regarded highly as second class citizens, especially within the military. I had to work twice as hard to prove myself to them." she explained.
"How illogical of the men in your time."
"I know right," she agreed as she took another drink of her beer and then set it down.
"Well rest assured Ms. Ramirez," Kirk said as he looked at her. "If any of the men on my ship treat you with anything less than the utmost respect they will be dealt with."
"Rest assured Captain, you won't need me to tell you which men on the ship need to be dealt with, you'll be able to tell from the number of men with broken fingers or other injured extremities." she smiled.
As the night went on Alex was given plenty of drinks, as were the crewmen of the Enterprise, with the exception of First Officer Spock.
"You know what I really miss the most?" Alex asked as she looked at Kirk. "I miss the music. Oh- the music of my time was fucking boooomb." she sighed. "I used to- I was like really into the music from the past, but also the music that was new. I loved music." she explained.
"We have good music now." KirK told her and she shook her head.
"Look, I've heard some of the music now and it's cute, but like, I heard some song and it was no Black Parade." she sighed. "Ugh I know it's such a stupid thing, but I loved the music of my time."
"It is quite logical for you to have an attachment to the music of your time," Spock spoke up, making her look at him. "It's very common for humans to form attachments to things that give them comfort, it would seem that you drew comfort from music, and that type of comfort is lacking in the new life you have in this time."
"Okay, are you sure he's not the psychiatrist?" Alex asked as she looked at Dr. McCoy who snorted softly.
"I am a science officer," Spock told her. "And as a Vulcan I have some insights into the human mind."
"As a Vulcan you have insights into the human mind?" Alex asked with a frown as she looked over at him. "What?"
"Spock is half human," McCoy explained.
"I do not see why that is necessary to share with others." Spock spoke to McCoy whose face was pink with drink.
"Well, I've upset Mr. Spock and we've got to go to space in the morning," McCoy said as he stood up. "I will see you all tomorrow."
"G'night Doc," Alex waved at Dr. McCoy as he left, and she looked at Spock. "Don't feel bad, I'm half white," she explained with a small wave of her hand as she took another drink of her fourth- or was it fifth drink? "So I get it." She watched as Spock lifted one of his eyebrows, encouraging her to continue. "Well, because to each side I was too much like the other." she explained.
"It is like that with the human half and the Vulcan half of myself." Spock nodded, just once, but he nodded.
"Right?" Alex asked before shaking her head.
Kirk returned to the table a moment later, a woman with him who was giggling and leaning against his arm. "Are you two making nice?" Kirk asked as he wrapped his arm around the woman.
"Yes Sir," Alex said quickly, before she'd even realized that she'd spoken.
"It would appear our new historian had had a drink too many," Spock said as he looked at Kirk. "I will walk her to her quarters."
"That's probably a good idea." Alex nodded as she put her hands on the table and stood up. "I will see you tomorrow Captain."
"Bright and early." Kirk smiled at her before turning his attention to the woman next to him.
Stepping outside into the briskness of the night Alex let out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair. "Spock," she said looking at him. "Where is Vulcan?"
"Vulcan is Orbiting 40 Eridani A in the Vulcan system in the Alpha Quadrant," he explained, Alex frowning slightly as she thought about that.
"Outside of the Milky Way?"
"No, my system is within this galaxy."
"So how does one come from both Earth and Vulcan?" she asked. "Is there like- an- an interstellar dating service?"
"There are many interstellar dating services," Spock told her. "But my father was an ambassador to Earth. It was logical for him to marry a woman from Earth to keep the link between our two planets strong."
"How romantic." she hiccuped. Before shaking her head. "I should not have taken those shots. This is going to suck tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Spock turned to look at her.
"Do Vulcans not get hangovers?" she asked.
"You were drinking synthahol." he explained. "The Captain made sure of that."
"Synthahol?"
"Synthetic Alcohol."
"If you tell me I've been drinking O'Douls all night I'm going to pitch myself off a cliff." she sighed as she looked up, though not too far up into the eyes of Mr. Spock. He was about 6' tall and she stood at about 5'8".
"I do not know O'Doul's, but synthahol is made to copy the effects of alcohol, without the unfortunate after effects." he explained. "If you were to get a burst of adrenaline the effects you're feeling will dissipate."
"So, if you're saying I'm not actually tipsy, why did you offer to walk me home?"
"To get out of the bar." Spock said simply, drawing a smile from Alex.
"I get that." she nodded as the two resumed walking towards the quarters she had been living in. When they got there she looked at Spock before giving him a nod. "I look forward to working with you Mr. Spock." she offered her hand. He seemed to consider it for a moment before giving her a small nod, Alex dropping her hand back to her side.
"It is not within our custom to shake hands as your kind do."
"I understand." she replied.
"I also look forward to working with you. I believe you will be able to give us a good deal of knowledge about your time that was until now lost to us."
"I look forward to it Mr. Spock." she nodded before opening the door to her quarters and walking into the room, giving him a final nod before he turned and left, and she closed the door.
After changing into a pair of cotton shorts she had left out of her duffel she went to her bathroom, washing her face and brushing her teeth before climbing into bed and running her fingers along the hairband around her wrist as she considered what she was going to be doing the next day.
A smile formed on her lips as she thought about that, wishing not for the first time that she could talk to her mother, tell her all about the five year mission she was going on, and the real life alien she'd met that night.
"Told you so mama." she mumbled as she rolled over, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh, willing herself to fall asleep.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you think!