And heeeere it is…the moment you've all been waaaiiittting for…The Disclaimer! I don't own Star Trek, do own Planet Naturalis and its inhabitants, don't sue, don't steal, respectively. (Talk about an anticlimax!)

At seven o'clock prompt, Rebecca heard a knock at her door. She gave her hair a final brush and opened her door. "Good evening, Captain," the princess said, her heart fluttering.

For a moment, Kirk eyed her in her evening dress with rapt interest, then he cleared his throat and said, "Wow, you look beautiful! And you're obviously ready to go! Shall we?"

"Certainly!"

When they arrived at the party, it was ablaze with lights and the varied colors of the other ambassador's costumes. Drinks were clinking, the band was playing a soothing melody, and the general atmosphere was one of pleasant joviality. Kirk and Rebecca collected their refreshments, then they meandered towards a couch in a secluded corner. Noticing that the princess had only a beverage, Kirk inquired, "Didn't you want any fruit?"

Rebecca asked, "Do you mean the bright-colored squares in the center of that table over there?"

"Yes," the captain answered, curiously.

Bursting into a peal of laughter, she grinned sheepishly and explained, "I didn't know those were fruit! They were so funny looking, I thought they had to be some sort of decoration!"

Captain Kirk chuckled ruefully. "You know, I doubt that fruit tastes any better than the decorations anyway!"

"So you're a princess. I suppose you have the golden crown and everything?" Jim asked, conversationally.

"And the castle, and the fairy godmother?" Rebecca finished for him.

Kirk grinned. "That sort of thing."

"Yes, pretty much. Well, not the fairy godmother."

Noticing Kirk's amused smirk, she continued indignantly, "But I don't just sit on a throne all day! My dad taught me more about politics than I ever wanted to know, and also, I seem to need to be acquainted with just about everyone important on the planet."

"So you get to know important people. How about me? Am I important enough to make your royal acquaintance?"

Rebecca's eyes glowed as she replied impishly, "I think it's worth finding out."

"I'm all for that," Kirk said softly.

A hoot of laughter penetrated the romantic conversation. Jim looked up to see the doctor galloping over, laughing the whole way. "Jim!" he cried, "Come see Spock!"

Shrugging apologetically at his date, Captain Kirk got up and followed Bones to the food table, where Spock was standing, holding Dr. McCoy's baby son, Billy. Spock had a rather rueful expression on his face, and his nice blue dress shirt had a large white stain on one shoulder.

"What happened, Spock?" Jim asked, eyeing Spock's shirt and chuckling.

Spock raised an eyebrow with dignity and replied stiffly, "The good doctor requested I hold his son, and it appears the baby has become ill…on my shirt."

"He spit up on Spock!" McCoy burst out, spluttering with laughter. "Only three months old, and he already has my sense of humor!" He trailed off into another howl of laughter, gripping the table for support.

The princess, who had followed Kirk over, laughed at the trio and asked, "Do you three always tease each other this way?"

"These two do, they're always at each other's throats!" joked Kirk.

"I'm just trying to get this green-blooded…Vulcan to show some emotion!" Bones retorted.

Drawing himself up to his full height, Spock replied, eyes bulging slightly, "I am a Vulcan, and as you well know, doctor, Vulcans are incapable of emotion!"

"Incapable of emotion! Ha! I don't believe that for a minute!" McCoy scoffed.

There was no doubt that Spock's eyes were bulging this time as he said, firmly and with measured tone, "Dr. McCoy—"

"Gentlemen! Must we spend out time arguing in front a the lovely lady here?" Kirk cried, interrupting what was turning into a full-blown quarrel.

"Don't stop on my account. It's very entertaining," Becky giggled.

Both Bones and Spock looked rather affronted at this comment, and Spock handed little Billy to his father, and excused himself, presumably to change his shirt. The baby promptly started to cry, and Bones walked off with Billy, grumbling something about Spock having started the whole spat. Becky watched them go, still smiling. "I've heard life on a starship gets rather monotonous, but I can see that isn't the case for you, Captain."

"No, monotony is one thing I'd never attribute to starship life," Jim said dryly.

The party was winding down, and the couple had wandered into the hallway. They chatted happily as they walked, and Jim thought that he had not seen a girl as smart or pretty as the princess in a long time. They made their way through the decks, laughing and talking, until they stopped in front of a porthole showing space outside. Becky was laughing at a funny story Kirk had told, he suddenly found himself observing her soft pink lips, and wondering what she thought was romantic. "Captain Kirk, what are you looking at?" the princess asked curiously.

"I was thinking something about you, actually."

"What might that be?" Rebecca asked coyly.

"Well, I was just thinking I haven't met a girl like you in a long time."

"Really?" Rebecca beamed. "Well, I know I haven't met a guy like you, ever.'

They were standing very close as they talked, and the romantic atmosphere was palpable. Inwardly, Jim sighed with contentment. He had been a little jittery at the start with Princess Rebecca, but he was finally back in his own comfort zone, as far as flirting went. Kirk was entirely made up in his mind as to what he should do next. He leaned over and gave Becky a big kiss. Then, suddenly something was wrong. "What's the matter?" he asked nervously.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I'm ready for that," Becky said.

"What do you mean? Why not?"

"I just don't like taking things that fast. You know, most people on my planet don't even kiss until marriage."

"Oh," Jim muttered, sounding deflated.

Pleadingly, Becky stammered, "It's not that I don't like you! Really, it isn't."

"Right."

"Will you be there tomorrow, when I beam down for the summit?"

"I'll try to make it," Kirk grunted.

Becky smiled. "I hope you can. I'm a little nervous about using that transporter device, and I'd like to see a friendly face." She turned to her cabin door, which they had reached by this time, and pressed the "open" button. "Goodbye, Jim."

"Goodbye."

Rebecca sighed and disappeared inside her cabin.

The next day, in the transporter room, Rebecca scanned the little room for Jim Kirk, with a bad feeling all the while that he was not coming. Heart aching, she sat down on a bench and silently willed Kirk to come. She had been sure he liked her, at first, but then he became so gruff after the kiss last night Becky was not certain he did anymore. She hoped he would show up and allay her suspicions.

After she had been sitting about ten minutes, an attendant gently tapped her on the shoulder. "Princess Rebecca? We have to leave now." Rebecca nodded automatically, and reluctantly stepped onto the transporter pad. She was still a little squeamish at the thought of her atoms being scattered by the transporter, but there was no reason to tell anyone that now. The only person that could make her feel better was just not there. Her spirits sank as she realized she had fallen in love with Jim Kirk over the last few days, and there was no reason to believe he loved her back.

Sorry to leave you with a bit of a cliffhanger, and I'm even more sorry because this is as far as I am with this story, so I might leave you hanging for awhile. But I will really, (wish I could use caps here) really try to get the next chap up soon. By the way, will someone mention in their reviews if they liked theBones and Spock quarrel? I want to know if it was funny to anyone. That is, if I get any reviews, seeing as I didn't last chapter! And that is not a good thing, because my muse eats reviews, and right now she's hungry and cranky! Please feed my poor, starving muse!