Just going with the flow here guys so I'm hoping this is all making sense, no I don't own star trek eek forgot to mention that until now ahaha

Enjoy!

It was only the sixth day back in space and they were currently 36.4 hours away from their destination in which they had been given orders from starfleet to observe and obtain data from a nebula, though Spock suspected there was information they could still learn from these beautiful star-forming regions in space he believed that most information was already known. The only thing that still hadn't been witnessed first hand in regards to a nebula is the moment a nebula changes its status to that of a star. He halted his contemplation when he heard a knock at his door. He placed his padd on his desk hoping that he would still have time to check is messages and go to the mess Hall after this interruption.

"You may enter." his voice betrayed nothing of the apprehension he felt, he knew exactly who it was behind the door as he heard it swish open and close again he stood and turned on his heels, hands behind his back he offered the woman infront of him a curt nod. "lieutenant, I was not expecting visitors at this time, may I assist you with something?"

"No Spock, I actually just came here because I need to clarify something so I just need you to stand and listen okay?"

Spock raised a brow but did not answer, Uhura was standing straighter than usual, confident and professional as always but her tone suggested apprehension.

"Okay good. I just wanted to clarify that despite your decision to stay on the enterprise, i think it would be best if we just stayed friends, I know we originally broke up because you were going to leave for new vulcan and help in the efforts to re populate but I've been thinking… there's more to it than that."

"Please clarify Nyota, are you suggesting that I lied, vulcans do not lie-"

"I'm not saying you lied Spock, I'm saying that there is more to it than I think you realise. and i'm not implying that because you stayed on the enterprise either of us expected to resume a romantic relationship with the other. i think we both know that it's over permanently no matter the decision you made."

"May I inquire as too the other reasons for our break up that you have discovered, if I have hurt you emotionally in any way Nyota I apologise, it is never my intention-"

"Don't apologise for something you haven't even realised yet Spock, it's been years and I've only just realised myself." she laughed but it was humourless. Her face took on a more sombre expression as she looked down at the floor as if it held all the answers to the questions she had. "All I know is i saw you fall apart, that one disaster of a day, our hardest mission, I saw you fall apart Spock. I watched as you cried and I knew right then you'd never cry for me, now I've been selfish to keep you to myself for this long. We both know the reason that you stayed Spock, and it wasn't for me, because I'm not the one that can make you feel that strongly, even if I was the one behind that glass door. You stayed for Jim, Spock."

Spock was stunned into silence, he had no idea what Nyota was suggesting and was struggling to make sense of it all. All he could see was Jim in front of him.

Bruised and discoloured skin damp with sweat, not how he should be. The warm colour of his skin turned to a grey and green ash, no roseiness to his cheeks just bloodshot eyes with purple bags under them. His irises no longer vibrant blue, they seemed to be turning to grey with every second that passed as the life faded from him and that caused something inside Spock to snap.

"I'm scared Spock...Help me not be...How do you choose not to feel."

"I do not know… Right now I am failing."

Spock visibly winced at the memory and looked down to meet Nyota gaze who was looking at him knowingly.

"You'll figure it out Spock, don't worry this doesn't change our working relationship or our friendship. I'm here for you if you ever need to talk." she gave him a gentle if not sad smile and left, leaving the vulcan confused at being forced to remember such a painful memory. He decided to store the conversation that had just transpired for later to assess it's meaning during meditation and head to the mess Hall.

When Spock arrived at the mess Hall he replicated one of the few vulcan meals programmed into the machine and scanned the room for his captain. He found the blonde man almost immediately, sitting across from his cmo and new medical officer, with Mr Scott leaning in towards the table making exaggerated gestures with his hands, the man's facial expression changing 8 times within 20 seconds. Spock concluded the engineer must be telling an over exaggerated story. As he approached the conversation had died down as everyone was slowly eating there food, Jim gave him a wide grin when he sat down next to him, well… the widest grin anyone could give with a mouthful of beef burger. There was a groan from across the table as Dr Ried checked her padd.

"why won't they leave me alone." she muttered under her breath frowning at the device in her hands.

"What are you complaining about now woman." Bones raised a brow as he took a sip from his glass.

"Men." she sighed looking deflated as she set her padd on the table.

Scotty snorted from across the table "I hate to break it to ya lassy, but your sat with a bunch of us." Jim and Bones both sniggered.

"Well yea, but none of you have sent me messages asking me if I want to have coffee some time after only being here a week."

"I definitely had the same problem when I was first made captain." Kirk smirked at her laughing when she smiled and sarcastically rolled her eyes. This one has a hell of a personality and isn't shy either, she seems so comfortable with us all already. She's gunna fit in just fine. I wonder if she's met Uhura yet…

"The hell you did Jimbo, like you'd bother asking anyone out for coffee." Bones chastised him as he feigned being deeply hurt.

"Not meaning to sound too forward lass but you're very bonny, and you're a new face to most of the lads on this ship, I'm not surprised you've got a few of them asking after ya already." the Scottsman leaned back in his chair poking at the rest of his food with his fork.

"I have to agree with Mr Scott doctor, by terran standards you are visually very aesthetically pleasing, as physical attraction is a key factor for most humans in forming an intimate relationship it is hardly surprising you have officers 'pinning after you' as Dr McCoy would say." Spock raised a brow as the woman seemed to nearly choke on her drink. He briefly noticed the strangely defensive look on doctor McCoys face and the shock on his captains.

"And for the record Spock I'm gonna tell you what I told Jim, you better not start pinning after my new medical officer." McCoy frowned slightly until he noticed Dr Reid laughing from the small fit of coughs she had been having due to inhaling her drink at Spocks comment.

"God this is the second time in my life a vulcan has called me hot and I don't think I'm ever going to get used to it." she laughed.

"Spock I've never heard you say anything like that to anyone before are you feeling okay?" Kirk questioned looking at his cmo with humour and something else in his eyes. Spock can find people attractive? Why do I care...

"I am adequate captain, and to clarify I was not attempting to flirt, I was merely stating a popular opinion, and was more intrigued at how Dr Reid seemed annoyed at the fact officers were propositioning her."

" I'm annoyed because of how many there are, and because I've hardly had time to settle in properly, it'd be dandy if I could focus on just doing my job for the first week or so, plus I have no idea who any of them are, the only person I know on this list is lieutenant chekov and he's inviting me to come sit with him and Mr Sulu if I'm ever by myself for lunch which is nice to be honest, but the rest of them." Dr Reid pulled a strained face instead of finishing her sentence making Bones chuckle into his drink.

"There can't be that many of them surely." Kirk raised a brow in the red heads direction.

"27 in the space of 6 days, Captain."

"Well shit-"

"Hold up a second lass, did you say that was the second time a vulcan has called you 'aesthetically pleasing' in your life? I kinda wanny know what happened the first time." Scotty made air quotes with his hands which made the woman laugh openly.

"Same here, the hobgoblins aren't known for throwing out compliments just like that. What did he say?"

Alex looked around the table to see all four men staring at her with curiosity, the gentle buzz in the room continued as people ate there food and chatted with one another around them. But she found herself readily wanting to indulge them with the tale, like she wasn't sat in front of mostly her higher ranking officers but rather that of friends. She gave them all a joking suspicious glare before leaning into the table.

"Alright I'll tell you the story, but you can't know his name, patient confidentiality." she whispered seeing how all of them had subconsciously leaned further into the table. "in his defence he was drunk, and no no your correct in thinking vulcans don't get drunk off alcohol, he was in a nearby cafe that stays open pretty late, and the heaters had recently malfunctioned in the area so my surgery, the entire row of buildings in that section were cold, especially at night. So it's 10 o'clock at night and I'm already in bed because obviously I'm a party animal, and I hear this knocking from my surgery front door, so I throw on my robe and head out into the surgery barefoot because this knocking is just getting louder and louder and I open the door and a 6ft 4 vulcan stumbles through my door with the barista from the cafe trying to hold him up and she's tiny, she's like 5ft 4" at the most, so I'm confused as hell, groggy, and kinda amused. Then she starts to tell me she has no idea what's wrong with him, he came in fine but was obviously freezing so she'd made him a hot chocolate to warm him up. He didn't even ask what it was he apparently just seemed thankful for the hospitality, his card was stolen by some kid earlier in the night but he didn't want to hurt the kid so didn't get it back, in essence he had no money on him to even pay for a cup of tea."

She looked around to make sure everyone was still listening and was surprised to find chekov and Sulu had also sat themselves around the table and we're listening intently to her story, Leonard looked confused, obviously wanting to know how the he the vulcan was inebriated and Scotty was chuckling to himself, probably at the thought of the small woman trying to prop up a tall and disorderly vulcan.

"Anyway I knew straight away what had happened so I told her to go back to the café and warned her about serving vulcans anything containing chocolate, yea he was inebriated because she gave him a hot chocolate, vulcans react to it like we do to alcohol, apart from it doesn't take much to start affecting them. And he'd drank the entire mug, probably infused with another flavour as well like vanilla so he didn't realise till it was too late."

"Well I'll be damned, Spock you should have told me this so I could put it on the list of things you're allergic too."

"I had not thought it relevant information doctor as I actively avoid chocolate."

"accidents can happen you smart ass hobgoblin, it's always better to be safe than sorry." Bones grumbled returning his attention to un amused face of his medical officer next to him. "Sorry, go-ahead." he ground out frowning at being silently scolded. Spock was observing their interactions quietly from across the table.

"Anyway yea he was in a state so I sat him on a bio bed, turned the lights on low so it didn't disorientate him any more than he already was and you know asked him if he was experiencing any nausea or dizziness all that crap. He said no, so I asked if I could take a blood sample-"

"To try and analyse what was causing the reaction." Bones breathed out in contemplation.

"Exactly. Anyway when I was preparing the needles and such I hear him talking to himself, I'm not exactly that far away maybe a couple of feet away so I thought at first he was talking to me. So obviously I'm listening in and then I here this sentence come out of his mouth. ' I find myself wanting to know if the rest of her body is a pleasing to the eye as her face, illogical. When have you entertained such inappropriate thoughts.'"

"Jesus Christ, he must have been absolutely hammered." Scotty looked like he was in shock. Jim and Sulu seemed to be giggling

"He was, he also didn't realise he'd said it outloud until he noticed me gawking at him. And I swear I saw the colour drain out of his face. Then he was all like 'My apologies it seems that I currently lack the control to stop myself from voicing my thoughts, that was most inappropriate of me.' What's worse is while I'm taking the blood samples he starts growling."

"What the hell." Bones's southern drawl filled the tense air as everyone was waiting to hear what happened next.

"Spock can vulcans even do that?" Kirk questioned, turning to his first officer noticing how he had went rigid in his seat. The man didn't move a muscle as he replied.

"It is an involuntary reaction for a number of vulcan males, but it is not without cause. Dr Reid must have provoked him somehow."

"Ahh Spock I can stop talking if this is gunna make you feel comfortable, I realise I'm about to reveal some things that most vulcans don't like talking about with each other let alone having other races know about it." her voice was soft and slightly concerned.

Spock looked around the table, noting the officers and how he considered them all quite close friends and respected them. He also trusted them but he wasn't sure he trusted the other officers in the room to not gossip if they overheard what he thought Dr Reid was about to talk about. He could feel the worry and apprehension mixed in with confusion emanating from his captain. "May I suggest we continue your story when we all have free time available and there is no risk of anyone overhearing certain details?" Spocks voice was calm and flat but Dr Reid smiled at him with appreciation he immediately felt Jim relax beside him, only just noticing that beneath the table there legs had been touching for quite some time. He felt a certain warmth rush through him knowing that Jim had been worried about his well being.

"That's fine by me Commander." she looked down at her plate and the chips that remained on it. "Boys I'm afraid i've made a grave mistake."

"Huh?" Bones grunted looking mildly concerned as of she was about to have an allergic reaction to something.

"I've forgot to replicate some tomato sauce for my chips."

"Jesus woman I thought it was something serious, you're so over dramatic, here." Leonard grumbled turning his plate so that the sauce on the side of his plate faced her. "And for the record it's called ketchup."

"I speak English, not American."

"Even chekov calls it ketchup and he's Russian, and watch it, I can take that ketchup away just as easily as I gave you it." he emphasised the word just to annoy her, it seemed to be becoming a regular thing making small digs at eachother.

"You traitor." Dr Reid stared at chekov from across the table with a pout, chekov just laughed and started talking about how ketchup was originally made in good old mother russia. "And yea but you won't take it off me." she turned to Leonard who raised a sarcastic brow at her.

"and why the hell wouldn't I?"

She leaned in with a smirk till she was right next to Leonard's ear and whispered something that made the man turn tomato red. Bones felt a warm hand resting on his thigh as she spoke, if the hobgoblin hears this I'm screwed. But the way Spock was looking at him he already knew it was too late.

Kirk was watching them aswell with a knowing look on his face as Dr Reid got up to leave after saying thanks to Leonard for the ketchup and saying goodbye to them all and headed back to sick bay. He wiggled his eyebrows at bones suggestively which just made the man glare and frown.

"So Bones what was that about, telling me not to go pinning after your medical staff and it seems like I never had a chance in the first place anyway."

"From Dr Reids observations that you seem to be attracted to her, in more ways than one it seems." Spock raised a brow.

"Zip it hobgoblin." Bones pointed accusingly.

"Well to be quite honest you canny blame the man for being attracted to her, Commander. You did say that you thought she was a looker earlier as well. I for one have to admit it took me a while to be able to look her in the eye and talk to her, to have emerald green eyes in a rarity in itself but combined with red hair and ivory skin, it kinda turns you into a blubbering idiot until you get used to it."

"Well thank God I was already a blubbering idiot." Bones grumbled knowing exactly what Scotty meant about her eyes, as much as she was attractive in every other aspect. Her eyes were mesmerising and the hair just went with her feisty personality.

"So what was it that she shut you up with Bones, don't think I've forgotten."

"She appeared to have noticed Dr McCoy staring during the week."

"staring at what?" Kirk looked confused.

"I believe the term Dr Reid used was 'her ass'." Spock raised a brow at how the usually easy to rile up doctor wasn't affected. He seemed to just be grumbling with a deep set frown about vulcans and their 'freakish hearing'.

"appreciate from afar, I can get behind that…" Sulu spoke slowly clicking on to what his words sounded like as everyone turned to look at him, including a rather agitated McCoy with crossed arms and a raised brow. "Well not literally of course. I'm just say there's nothing wrong with looking, especially if it's worth being caught over."

"I agree with Hikaru, however I vould not try and pursue Dr Reid, I fear she could break me, ya?" and with that everyone except Spock was laughing.

"What makes you think that kid?" Bones chuckled, thank God he wasn't the focus of the conversation anymore. Just like Sulu said, there was no harm in looking.

"Vell, she has a lot of confidence for one, and being completely honest she is very much stronger than I am. A woman with confidence is A. Very sexy or B. Very very dangerous."

"That sounds suspiciously like wisdom from previous experience, I didn't believe her when she said you weren't all that innocent kid. But apparently she's read you like a book."

"Now I don't see what's wrong with a mixture of A and B, spice things up you know, it's great when they know what they want." Jim added folding his arms defensively. Not noticing the eyebrow raise directed towards him by a certain first officer.

"the danger lies with disappointing a woman who has the strength to crush yur skull between her thighs like it's a melon." Scotty joked, smile dropping when he realised he was probably exactly right, especially with who they were talking about. Leonard choked on his drink.

"Jesus what the hell kinda women have you been seeing, you know what don't answer that. I don't want to know." Bones covered his face with his hands and sighed "How the hell did we get onto this topic?"

"When Spock told us what Dr Reid said to you. Does she flirt alot?" Sulu piped up.

"I have no idea man, why?"

"Because by the looks of it Bones, she's pinning after you." Jim smirked at his cmo seeing him frown at him as if he was stupid.

"Yea sure she is Jimbo, she's pinning after me as much as she's pinning after you, as in not at all. Anyway gotta get back, see you boys later." as soon as Leonard was out of earshot Jim was turning towards Sulu with a devilish grin on his face.

"So we're starting a poll right now on when they'll shack up I'm betting 3 months from now, you can change bets up to one week prior to it finally happening, if you change your bet 6 days before they shack up it won't count for shit."

"On it captain." Sulu spoke seriously tapping away at his data padd. "How much are you betting captain?"

"50 credits."

"Yes sir!"

Spock was looking at him like he'd officially lost the plot and Jim just laughed. "It's only a bit of fun Spock trust me even if both of them find out they won't take offence, to be honest I don't think they'd tell each other about it. I bet Dr Reid would bet on it if she could."

"indeed. Are you free for a game of chess tonight captain? At approximately 19:00 hours."

"Sure thing Spock, remember just walk in don't bother knocking." He grinned at the vulcan slapping the man on the shoulder as they both got up to return to the bridge for the rest of their shift. He made a mental note to meditate before meeting with the captain for their chess match. There was much he needed to reflect on.

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