"Federation vessel approaching, sir."
Spock watched as the image on the viewscreen changed to a picture of the U.S.S. Corwin. "Speed?"
"Warp six, sir?"
"ETA?"
"Five hours, twenty-eight minutes."
"Mr. Spock," the replacement communications officer meekly addressed the Vulcan sitting in the captain's place. "We are being hailed."
"On screen." The haggard face of Admiral Connell appeared before Spock, who studies it, noting the weary eyes and lines from worry. "We were not expecting you, Admiral."
"Where is Kirk?" Connell was nearly growling.
"The captain is currently unavailable."
"Where is he?"
"The captain is at Starbase 28. We will inform you when he returns, if you wish."
"I do not wish," Admiral Connell replied. He was past growling and close to lashing out. "I'm going to talk with Kirk when I arrive, Mr. Spock. Face to face!" The screen went blank as the doctor exited the turbolift.
Spock looked up at McCoy, who stood at his right elbow. "The captain has grown fond of Lieutenant Montgomery," he stated bluntly.
Startled, McCoy looked down at Spock, who'd returned his eyes to the viewscreen. "I suppose you could say that."
Spock almost sighed. "Jim' habit of falling in love with women who are not his may one day be his undoing."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alive, but slightly disoriented, Kirk found the bottom of the pool with his feet and stood, looking around. Lexxi had not yet come up. In fact, he could not see any evidence that she had gone under. Panicking, he spun around and called her name. Suddenly, he felt a hard grip on his ankles, and before he could even shout, he was once again immersed in the water, flailing most ungracefully. Laughter echoes in his ears as he once more stood, sputtering, his nose full of water and burning.
"Lexxi slowly stood beside Kirk, still laughing. "Thought you could trick me, didn't you?"
"I didn't think I was swimming that fast."
"You weren't, I gave you a head start."
Startled, Kirk asked, "Why?"
"Dignity, always dignity."
"You were going to let me win?"
"You ruined it."
"It's a good thing I did," Kirk pouted. "I don't like being babied."
"You weren't being babied. I didn't pick you up and carry you across the pool." Lexxi proceeded to look indignant.
"No, I suppose not." Kirk paused and then planted his fists on his hips, stating, "I'm hungry. And you're too skinny. Let's eat."
"Thank you."
"What?"
"Oh…charm, subtleness, and the "direct hit" method didn't work? Now we've moved on to silliness?"
"Silliness?" Kirk asked. "Why, Lieutenant Montgomery! I must say I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Really? Well, just don't try too hard, Captain."
"Don't try too hard?" Kirk scooped Lexxi off her feet, sending water everywhere, and began to take giant steps toward the side of the pool. "I'm not giving up on you yet!" He set her down on gently to sit on the edge and jumped out of the water, grabbing her hands and puller her to her feet. "Get dressed, I'm taking you to dinner."
"Is that an order, Captain, sir?"
"Yes, Lexxi, dear."
"Thank you."
"Your welcome."
"What about the party?"
"Party?" Kirk looked briefly confused. "Oh! Don't worry about the party."
"Lexxi didn't exactly know what that meant, but as she headed to the dressing room, she began to get suspicious.
Minutes later, as she emerged once more dressed in her black slacks and a burgundy, silky, backless tank, as per doctor's orders, she was convinced she was somehow trapped like a fly in a spider's web, the victim of a twisted scheme mastered by the legendary Captain Kirk. Paranoia was becoming a bad habit. She told herself so and sighed.
Several minutes after that, Kirk came out in his uniform. Lexxi laughed. "It took you longer than it took me." Kirk smiled. "Oh, you're dry! No wonder!" Kirk ran a hand through his hair and them reached out and tugged gently on one of Lexxi's limp curls, laughing as he watched it spring back into place.\
"And you're not!"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Captain, sir. Is this a formal dinner?"
"Quite. We're waiting for your abandoned friends."
"I see now!" Lexxi exclaimed, "There was no party."
"Nope."
"It was a trick!"
"Yep."
"You're sneaky."
Kirk grinned his half grin.
Lexxi smiled. She couldn't ever remember smiling so much in one day. "All to get me to wear a dress."
"McCoy told me about your tirade against our uniforms."
"Tirade?" Lexxi laughed. Kirk love to hear her laugh, loved to make her laugh. "I hardly call that a tirade." They began to walk around the pool.
"He also told me about his song."
"His…song?"
"Yeah, the one you sang for him."
"Oh." Lexxi looked down at her bare feet.
"Rumor has it Mr. Spock got one too."
"Rumor…what?" Lexxi shook her head. "That was his own fault. Can I help it if I had a song in my head when he decided to barge in?"
Kirk chuckled, then, "So where's mine?"
Lexxi looked up and into the captain's earnest eyes. "Your song?"
"Yeah."
"All right." Lexxi stopped walking and stood facing Kirk with her back to the water. "Listen carefully." And in her soft but steady alto, she began to sing.
"Oh well I'm the type of guy who will never settle down
Where pretty girls are well, you know that I'm around
I kiss 'em and I love 'em cause to me their all the same
I hug 'em and I squeeze 'em they don't even know my name
They call me the wanderer, yeah the wanderer
I roam around around around…
A hard, strong force struck Lexxi across the face and she stumbled backward, right off the edge of the pool and into the water.
All of Kirk's anger dissipated with the splash that rang in his ears. Fear choked him as he realized what he had done. "Oh god…Lexxi!" Just as he thought to jump in after her, she came up and began to climb out. Kirk grabbed her trembling shoulders and hauled her to her feet, holding her shaking body close. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He kissed her dripping cheeks and tasted the salt of her tears. He held her at arms length and gazed into her eyes.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed, "I understand." Straightening, Lexxi pulled from Kirk's grip. "I understand, Captain. The loneliness. The wondering…not knowing…is there really someone for me?" She smiled and sniffed. "I know, Captain, I understand."
Breathing heavily, Kirk smiled. He put an arm around Lexxi and they continued walking. "I know too," he whispered, "and there is. The trick is finding them."
"Captain!" Both Kirk and Lexxi spun to see Lt. Uhura and Nurse Chapel enter the aquatic center. Approaching the pair, the communications officer giggled. "Why Captain, I didn't know you swam!"
Kirk grinned. "I do now."
Chapel surveyed Lexxi as Kirk took his arm from around her shoulders. "Dear, you're all wet!'
Lexxi glanced down at her soaked clothes. "So I am! Just trying to make a fool of myself." She paused. "Wait! I accomplished that yesterday. I guess I nee some new goals." The group fell silent as Lexxi's crude reference to previous events.
Uhura finally spoke. "Shall we get going? We have extra work to do with your hair all wet."
Lexxi stuck out her bottom lip. "Do I have to?"
"Yes, Lieutenant, that's an order. I want to see those legs of yours," Kirk answered.
"And much more, I'm sure. I am sorry, Captain, sir, my dress is floor length."
It was Kirk's turn to pretend to pout.
Lexxi laughed and followed Uhura and Chapel, wondering when was the last time she had had so much fun