Business as usual

Spock was as good as his word to Uhura. When they returned to the Enterprise it was all business as usual between the two of them. She was the communications officer and he was her Commander. Aside from the one slip by the Captain, there was no reason for anyone to suspect they were married.

Some of Uhura's friends asked about her shore leave and remarked that they missed her company down on Vulcan. She replied that she had unfortunately been ill and Spock and his family had graciously allowed her to convalesce at their home. She felt good about that answer since it was not precisely a lie, it just skirted around the actual truth.

See, she was acting like a real Vulcan already.

Luckily no one asked too many questions. They just wished her well. Those friends who Uhura knew would ask too many questions like Sulu or Charlene, she avoided. She knew it was wrong to avoid her but she needed some space from everybody. That included Spock, McCoy, and the Captain. They could all take a flying leap off a short pier.

Christine was a different matter altogether. She was a busybody and she had been trying to get a hold of Uhura since she had beamed back aboard. And unlike her other friends, Christine knew more of the story of Spock's illness than any of her other friends. Christine knew about Spock's fever since she treated him in the sickbay, and she also knew about her abduction. So if she ever got a hold of Uhura she would have to either tell her what happened or lie. Neither choice appealed so she was avoiding Christine like she was evading the law.

This whole situation was annoying. She had to hide out from her friends while Spock walked around as if nothing happened. Of course, she asked him to do that but still, he did it too easily for her liking. He called her Miss Uhura when he had to address her and acted like nothing ever happened between them. Like they hadn't spent two or three days in a cave together having sex. Like she hadn't given her all to him and let him use her body and take what he needed. That's what really hurt. She had opened herself up to him and given her all but he was forever hiding from her.

Uhura sighed at her console. She wasn't gonna waste any more time thinking about Spock. She had to get back into the swing of things and that meant getting through this shift. After that, she would have time to think about her life and how it had taken such a turn. She had managed to evade everyone that first day except for Sulu who she bumped into after her shift on her way back to her quarters.

"Nyota, Nyota!" Sulu ran to catch her before she got on the turbolift and shut the door in his face.

"Where have you been hiding?" He slid in next to her.

"Me? Hiding?" she feigned innocence.

"Yeah, you haven't been by to visit me since shore leave on Vulcan. I got you a gift. I know you were ill recently and missed all the excitement."

"I've had enough excitement to last a lifetime. But thank you Hik, you didn't have to do anything special for me. I'm ok."

"Are you really ok, you seemed distracted today."

"Yeah, I've just got a lot on my mind."

"Mmm Hmm. Anything you care to talk about, you know my shoulder is always available to lean on. Or cry on. Or sleep on," he wagged his eyebrows up and down.

"Oh, Hik. I wish there was something you could do but this is personal stuff."

"Personal huh? Not girl stuff this time?"

"What?"

"Last time you were looking this down in the dumps, Mr. Spock had just announced he was married," Sulu said watching her closely for a reaction.

He got it when Uhura nearly tripped on the way out of the lift upon hearing the word married.

"Girl what is wrong with you," Sulu said as he grabbed her arm to balance her.

"Nothing."

"I wish women would fall all over themselves when my name was mentioned."

"Hikaru, you don't know what you're talking about. I didn't trip because you said some man's name."

"Look at you," he said as he followed her out of the turbolift. "You can't even say his name."

"SULU!" she said in warning.

"NYOTA!, he said right back. "C'mon don't hold out on your old friend Hikaru, what gives? You and Mr. Spock are on the outs again?"

"What are you talking about? How could we be on the outs? When were we on the ins? And what do you mean again?"

Sulu gave a long-suffering sigh. He hooked his arm with hers and started pulling her along.

"Where are you dragging me to Mister?"

"My quarters. We're gonna have a little chat."

"No, Sulu stop. I don't want to talk about it."

"Then you'll listen."

"Listen to what?" She tried to pull away.

"Listen to me lecture you about shipboard romances."

"What? Are you out of your mind?"

"No, you are? If you think I don't see what's going on between you and Spock you are out of your mind."

"What!" She stopped dead in her tracks. "What do you know?"

"Ah ha! Come with me and find out."

Sulu dragged her to his quarters and settled her on his sofa. He took his time in his kitchenette and made two large steaming cups of tea. He brought them to the sitting area and plopped down beside Uhura.

"Now Spill," he said handing her a cup.

"Spill what? You're the one who says he knows something. You spill."

"Ok, be that way. I'll tell you what I see. I see a girl walking around like she just lost her best friend. And I see a girl whose face used to light up when a certain Vulcan Commander walked into a room now frowning when she sees him. And I see a girl who might need a shoulder to cry on," he said gently.

Uhura held on for a moment and then broke down crying.

Sulu grabbed her to his chest and hugged her.

"Is ok, let it out. I've got you."

"Sulu you don't know what's happened."

"No I don't, but if you tell me I will know."

"I can't tell you. It's a secret."

"I can keep a secret. I promise I will never betray your trust."

Uhura wiped her eyes and sniffles. "You promise?"

"I swear, whatever you say will not leave this room or my lips."

Uhura desperately needed to get this off her chest. And she could trust Sulu. Hew as like a big brother to her.

"Okay. What have you got to drink?"

"Drink? Tea," he slid her cup over to her.

"No, I mean booze."

"Oh, it's like that? It's too early for you to be drinking and I thought you hated alcohol?"

"It's not for me it's for you."

"Ny, you're starting to scare me, what could be so bad that I need a drink? Are you sick or something?" he asked and then he gasped. Was she pregnant? Was that why the drink was only for him?

"It's worse than that. I'm married to Spock."

Captain Kirk entered his bridge glad to be back aboard the Enterprise and well away from Vulcan. But there was still some unfinished business to attend to.

"Mr. Spock, Lieutenant Uhura may I see you two in my ready room, please?"

Spock looked at Uhura and she looked over at him in question and then she looked at the captain with a frown.

"Aye captain," she said stiffly as they accompanied the captain to his office. As she walked by Sulu gave her arm a pat in support.

"Captain, I must protest this meeting," Uhura said as soon as the door slid closed behind her.

"Spock and I agreed to keep our relationship and everything that happened down on Vulcan private."

"And you are free to do so," Kirk said taking a seat at his table.

"Then why did you call us into your office together so conspicuously?"

"Lieutenant, I called you here for an official meeting. I have received word from the federation. Vulcan has released the two of you into Starfleet custody. No charges are being brought against Spock at this time. However Starfleet demands an official report on the incident and you two are ordered to comply, this comes directly from the top brass."

"Spock, as of right now you are officially on report and technically you should be confined to quarters until this is settled. But I don't think that will be necessary. You don't pose any further threat to anyone aboard, do you?" he asked looking between Spock and Uhura.

"No, sir," Spock answered.

"Good. Starfleet will need a formal written account of the incident from both of you. Now, I cannot tell you what to include in the reports but I strongly suggest that you refrain from including any incriminating statements against each other, especially Spock."

"I understand Captain," Spock said.

"Very well Captain, is that all?" Uhura asked still annoyed.

"Yes, Lieutenant. You are dismissed."

Nyota left the room but Spock remained behind.

"Spock was that all about?" He said pointing to the door that Uhura just left.

"The Lieutenant is...angry with me I believe," Spock answered.

"I can see that but why is she angry with me?" Kirk said indignantly.

"She appears to be miffed with you for calling us into your office together. She is not ready to announce our marriage to the crew."

"I see. Spock what happened between you and Uhura on Vulcan is no one's business but your own, however, I will not have it disrupting this ship or her crew, do I make myself clear?"

"Aye aptain."

"Good. Now I suggest you try and patch things up with your wife."

"I intend to do so. But I must give her time."

"Time may not be on your side."

"It never is," he said with resignation.

"Spock..." Kirk didn't know what to say to his friend. Spock had brought all of this on himself by keeping secrets. He should have learned by now that secrets have a way of getting out and hurting those you loved.

"Captain, I know you were also displeased with me for withholding information about myself and my illness."

"Spock, I forgave you for that."

"I know and I thank you. However, how would you feel if I had not only withheld the truth about Vulcan mating habits from you, but I also took you by force from the Enterprise and forced you to mate with me?"

"Honestly Spock?"

"Of course Captain."

"I probably would have punched you in the jaw."

"I see. You would have challenged." It was a statement, not a question.

"Now, I didn't say that. I mean we're friends. I wouldn't want you dead, but I would be, as you say, very angry with you. A punch in the jaw is the least you deserve. But if I cared enough not to want you dead then, of course, I'd have to... to... you know..." Jim finished at a loss for the right words.

Spock tried hard to suppress his grin at the Captains discomfort.

"What Captain?" he asked innocently.

"Spock, you know what. Don't push your luck."

"Forgive me, Captain. I don't know what came over me."

"Think nothing else of it."

"Captain?

"Yes Spock"

"What would it take for you to forgive me? For ... you know?"

"That's a good question. I have no idea. But probably a lot of time and space to work out my anger."

"I see," Spock said. Jim's words did not inspire much hope for his future.

"And if I valued our friendship more than I did my bruised ego, eventually, I would have to forgive you," Kirk said.

"I suppose I will just have to wait."

"Spock, it's just going to take time. But look on the bright side, at least she didn't punch you in the jaw."

"There is that Captain, there is that."