No Hiding Place

Sulu decided to take Nyota away from her troubles after their shift ended. He knew all the best nooks and crannies on the ship to explore when you needed to get away from it all, well as away as you could get on a starship. He was sure Christine wouldn't think to look for them together and at this time of the day, the observation deck was usually deserted.

"I never get tired of looking at the stars," Uhura said as she sat beside her friend and looked out of the window at the starfield surrounding them. "I still wonder what's out there, or rather now that I've been out there, what else is out there?"

"I prefer nature. Plants, animals, growing things. I think I missed my calling as a botanist," Sulu said.

"I could have done a dozen different things with my life. I was trained to be a musician but I fell in love with dancing and then running. I had been off-world a few times with my dad when he took us kids with him for his gigs. I even sang backup for him. But I always thought I'd be a dancer."

"So how'd you end up out here?" Sulu had never really asked her such personal questions, they always kept their friendship light and casual.

"Life is strange. I think I just rebelled. Some cadets from Starfleet came to recruit at my school and I saw the uniforms and the tales of adventure and they said were looking for the best of the best. I thought, 'I'm the best, you need me'. And poof here I am."

"I mean I always loved studying languages and cultures so it wasn't that much of a stretch. I guess I was always pushing myself to be better and training for Starfleet pushed me to my limits. Once I got in, the next goal was to be captain. But everybody has that goal."

"Not everybody. Spock doesn't seem to be angling for a Captaincy."

"Why are we discussing Spock?"

"He seems like the elephant in the room."

"I suppose Vulcans don't have a need to be in charge or that thirst for power that we humans have. Leadership is a duty and they'll take on the duty but they don't chase it down. At least not modern Vulcans. Ancient Vulcans probably would have wiped us out when they made the first contact with Earth."

"Well, luckily we don't have to deal with ancient Vulcans."

"No, you don't," Uhura said thinking of how she would have to face a primitive Vulcan male of her own in a few years if things worked out between her and Spock.

"You know what Sulu? I think I ran away from Earth to avoid real-life interpersonal drama, and somehow I ended up smack dab in the middle of interpersonal drama anyway. Only its the Vulcan kind."

"You know that the old Earth song says, there's no hiding place."

"I went to the rock to hide my face and the rock cried out no hiding place," Uhura sang.

"That's the one. I think we all joined up for different reasons but one thing we all have in common is that we wanted off Earth. For some of us, Earth was a prison we couldn't wait to escape."

"You're right, Sulu. I wanted to escape. But there's no hiding place. You can't escape yourself. No matter where you go there you are," she mused.

"You just said a mouthful, Sister."

Uhura stood up. "C'mon lets go."

"Go where?"

"Back to life, back to reality. I can't hide from Spock or Christine or myself. I've got to face life head-on or not at all."

"That's my girl! Let's go get em," Sulu said all gung ho.

"Well, let's just go back," Uhura said calmly.

Christine was unsuccessful in her mission to hunt down Sulu. He was off duty but he was not in his quarters. He was not in his usual haunts either. She looked in the ship's garden and the gym. He was nowhere to be found. She took a chance and checked on Uhura as well. She was also off duty but she was not in her quarters, at least she was not answering her com or her door. So where were they? She knew they often met in the rec room so she checked each one and they were not there either.

She did, however, learn some interesting ship's gossip. Nyota and Spock were not speaking to one another. Checkov happened to mention that things were chilly on the bridge since the Vulcan shore leave.

"What do you mean things are chilly Checkov? What's happening?" Christine asked as she sidled up to Scotty and Checkov who were seated at the ship's bar.

"Oh Nurse, I was just telling Mr. Scott that things are a bit strange lately. Mr. Spock and Lt. Uhura do not seem to be speaking to one another."

"Really?" She took a seat beside Checkov.

"Well Ladd you can't expect those two to chat during working hours, the bridge is serious business," Scotty said.

"But we are not that way on the bridge. There is always something to discuss. Usually, there is a light friendly atmosphere. But lately..." Checkov shivered as if he were freezing. "Commander Spock and Lieutenant Uhura are always talking about something, they keep things from being boring on those long shifts when nothing happens," He said.

"Do you think they had a fight?" Christine asked eagerly.

"A fight? Mr. Spock and Uhura?" Checkov asked incredulously.

"Now lassie you know those two. Why would they ever fight? Spock is a gentleman and he sets great store by the Lieutenant."

"Yes but if they're not speaking-"

Scotty shut that down. "I saw them both when they beamed up from Vulcan and I can tell you they were..." Mr. Scott stopped to think.

"What were they, Mr. Scott?"

"Well, they looked..."

What! Christine wanted to yell. What was he hinting at?

"Mr. Scott vhat are you trying to say?" Chekov asked before Christine could.

"Well I know those two, they looked downright cozy if you ask me."

"Cozy vhat does that mean?"

"Well, the Lieutenant had the Vulcan flu, didn't she? I'm sure Mr. Spock and his family took right good care of her. The poor dear. I hear she was on her back the entire time," Scott shook his head sadly.

I just bet she was, Christine mumbled.

"What's that?" Scott asked

"Oh, nothing I was just thinking, I've never heard of this Vulcan flu. It must be something new."

"Well, you know how secretive the Vulcans are. I hear Spock got sick on the bridge first. He must have infected the Lieutenant somehow."

"Funny nobody else on the bridge got it," Chapel said

"Well nobody else seems to get as close to Mr. Spock as Uhura, that's for sure."

"Da!" Checkov agreed as he downed his drink. "She has a way about her, even the Vulcans cannot resist her charm."

"Yes, I'm sure she does. Well if you gentlemen will excuse me?" Christine stood prepared to leave when Sulu and Uhura walked into the room arm in arm.

"Well, speak of the devil," She said. She was about to make a beeline towards them when the Captain, Dr. Mccoy, and Spock walked in and took a table in a corner.

Damn! She couldn't approach Uhura with Mccoy watching. He knew that she knew and he'd be watching to see if she caused a scene. But she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. No, she was going to bide her time.

Sulu and Uhura took a table of their own and had a little tête-à-tête. When they spotted her at the bar they whispered to one another and Sulu seemed to be comforting Nyota.

It was disgusting. "Look at them," Christine didn't realize she spoke out loud but Checkove and Scotty turned to the room.

"Oh there's Sulu and Uhura, C'mon lets join them," Scotty said taking his bottle and hopping from his stool. He turned to Christine, "Nurse, care to join us?"

"No, you go right ahead. I have a headache. I think I'll turn in."

Scotty and Chekov pulled up chairs and joined the pair while the Captain, Spock, and the Doctor chatted and McCoy watched everything from his corner.

Uhura had all her men surrounding her now, Chris thought, but she would slip up. This was a small ship. She couldn't hide from Christine forever.