"Good morning, Lieutenant."  The voice was like wedding bells, the face so cheerful, and the eyes so bright.  There was beauty, young and sweet.  "Are you lost/'

Lexxi studies the African woman who'd approached her as she entered the transporter room.  "Yes, she smiled back, forcing a slight blush, "just a little.  I was told to report here now, but I don't know what to do."

"Why don't you come with Christine and I on shore leave?'  Lt. Uhura couldn't hide the mischievous glint in her soft brown eyes, and Lexxi could sense a plan being put into action.  She decided to go along with their manipulation.

"And what will we be doing today?" Lexxi asked, including herself in the generaliztion to make her compliance known.

"Shopping!" came the joyful answer.

"This doesn't happen often?"

"No, it doesn't," Uhura agreed.

Nurse Chapel entered the transporter room smiling.  Uhura addressed her.  "Hi, Chris.  Lieutenant Montgomery is going to come shopping with us."

Lexxi spoke up.  "Please call me Lexxi."

"Lexxi," Chapel almost breathed, "is that short for something?"

Lexxi nodded.  "Alexia."

"Such a pretty name."

"Thank you."

Uhura stepped up onto the platform, motioning gracefully.  "Shall we go, girls?"

Lexxi followed the other two around the store, in and out of aisles, between racks, smiling passively and making observations.  For example, even with all of the technological advances made, there were still consumers who preferred to tough, feel, and try on before they bought.  And even with Lt. Uhura and Nurse Chapel, who were doomed to wear uniform miniskirts everyday, fashion had enormous pull.  She was about to analyze each of her companions' choice in clothing when she heard her name and had to stop abruptly before running into Uhura.

"You need a dress," Uhura stated.

"A dress?"  Lexxi was startled.

"Yes, for the dinner tonight."

"Dinner?"

"Dance, party, celebration, reception.  Whatever you'd like to call it.  It's formal."

"Formal?  Why…"

"The commodore is throwing a party to welcome you back to civilization."

"Me?"  Lexxi's heart sank as she watched Uhura's grin widen.  Too much attention.

"Yes," Uhura replied, "and you need a dress."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The place was eerily quiet.  In fact, except for the constant whir of pumping water, the large room was silent.  There was one figure gliding gracefully through the water.

Kirk stood in the doorway to the aquatic center of the Starbase and watched the easy motions of Lieutenant Montgomery as she swam down the lane, flipped off of the wall, and swam back.  He smiled, drinking in the peace as he walked over to stand just inches above her head as she once more flipped, pushed off the wall, and glided away from him, not breaking the surface until she was halfway across the pool.  He contemplated how to stop her without upsetting her.  Taking off his boots and sock and rolling up his pants, he dipped his feet into the surprisingly warm water.  His contemplation did not last long as he momentarily felt a gentle tickle on the bottoms of his feet and saw Lexxi's dark head emerge from the water, a smile gracing her lips.

"Are you following me?" she asked teasingly.

"Yes." Kirk answered, drawing his feet from her touch.

Lexxi pulled herself up to sit on the edge of the pool right beside Kirk, splashing him in the process.

"Watch it!" he exclaimed playfully, wiping uselessly at the spots on his gold tunic.

"What am I hearing about a party?" Lexxi asked, suddenly becoming serious.

"Party?  What party?" Kirk asked in reply, a twinkle in his eye.  "I guess I wasn't invited."

"The commodore…"

"Where'd you learn to swim like that?"

Lexxi sighed.  She knew the game he was playing all too well.  "I was on the swim team in high school."

"High school.  And how long ago was that?" Kirk asked, trying to get some insight on Lexxi's age.

"Too long."  Lexxi replied.  "How'd you know I was here?"

"You're abandoned friends told me where to find you."

"Abandoned friends…that was a set up, wasn't it?"

"Where'd you go to school?"

"All over the place.  Do you swim?"  Two can play his game.

Kirk was caught off guard as Lexxi stared up at him earnestly.  "Yes, well, never competition.  I'm afraid my swimming has been limited to creeks and watering holes."

Lexxi smiled.  "How…quaint."

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

"Lexxi.  Swim with me?"

Again, Kirk was startled.  If anything, he was expecting her to follow him.  "What?"

"Get a suit.  Swim with me."  Lexxi couldn't believe she was begging this human to stay with her.  After… "Please?"

"All right."  Kirk stood.  He left and returned, in his own suit, to find Lexxi also standing, dripping wet, in a puddle of water.  Her suit was blood red with bold flame licking diagonally across her torso and abdomen.  The skintight material accentuated her slim figure.  She turned to lead him away and Kirk could see the crisscrossed straps of her suit cut into the burn on her back.  The water and chemicals weren't doing it any good.  He'd have hell to pay with the good doctor when they got back.

Lexxi led the captain around the pool to the deep end where a diving block was set up at the beginning of each lane.  She turned and spoke to him.  "Let's race.  Do you know how to start?"

Kirk grinned.  "Show me."  He watched as Lexxi stepped up onto the square platform and planted her feet, one in front of the other.  She motioned for him to come closer.

"You can dive with both feet forward or one foot back," she stated.

"You have one back?" he asked her.

"Yes, Captain."

"Okay, then."  Kirk put his attention back on her feet, studying the details of her stance.

"You have to have your toes slightly over the edge.  When told to take your mark, you bend over and grip the edge."

"And then you dive."

"Well, yes.  The most common way to…"

Kirk interrupted her.  "How do you do it?"

Lexxi couldn't help blushing.  "I…"

"Show me."

Sighing, Lexxi bent over.  "I lean back like this and push off to dive, while you can also lean…"

"I got it."  Kirk again cut her off, flashing a killer smile loaded with legendary charm and a touch of ego.  "Let's do this."  He too climbed onto a platform and planted his feet one in front of the other.

"Captain, I must inform you that the pool in only five and a half feet deep," Lexxi warned.

"Jim, Lexxi, call me Jim."  Kirk gave her the look of patient suffering that always seemed to work for Spock when pleading logic.  "Are we ready?"

"Can you turn, or shall we only do a twenty-five?"

"I'll manage."

"Down and back then?"

"Sure."

"Okay…take your mark."  At Lexxi's words, both figures snapped down and leaned back.  "Go!"  Kirk leapt from the block and dove cleanly into the water.  Ten seconds later, Lexxi followed, her splash nothing compared to his.

On his way back, almost smiling to himself and expecting Lexxi to be way ahead of him, Kirk crossed under the rope and into her lane with a burst of speed to catch up with her.  His hands reached for her ankles, but brushed her hands, and before either of them registered what was happening, their heads collided.