My Best Friends Bonding

The Enterprise was back on course for Vulcan and in the meantime, it was business as usual for her crew. Spock and Uhura had not made any announcement of their marriage yet and so they were forced to resume their separate quarters. As much as Admiral Komack had caused her grief, Nyota was sad to leave Starbase 6 and the little room she and Spock shared there.

"Good morning Mr. Spock. Did you have a good night?" Uhura said smiling up at Spock from her station. Last night was the first night they had spent apart since her Pon Farr. She didn't like it one bit.

"Lieutenant," Spock said in his usual calm business-like fashion. "My evening was agreeable."

"Really? Only agreeable? How did you sleep, Mr. Spock?"

"I slept very well, Lieutenant," he said very politely as if she asked him a casual question. "Now if you will excuse me?" Spock went to his station.

The morning seemed to drag on and Uhura was feeling antsy. Usually, she found something of interest in her work but not today. Today all she could think about was Spock. She was forced to spend a cold lonely night in her bed alone and it sucked. It was odd to think that a few days ago she had lived fine without Spock but now she didn't think she could live without him.

During a lull on the bridge when everyone was enjoying a cup of coffee brought up by a yeoman she wandered over to Spock's side of their console.

"Mr. Spock, I'm glad to hear you are sleeping so well. I wish I could say the same." She said casually leaning on his console.

"Indeed Lieutenant? What disturbs your sleep?"

"Lately, I feel like I am being kept up all night by a succubus."

Spock stifled a coughed and he was sure he heard Mr. Sulu choke on his coffee. "Indeed?"

"Yes, you know some kind of sex-demon alien or something. It's an old Terran legend. It sneaks in at night and harasses women."

"I believe you mean an incubus, a male sex demon. Succubus is a female demon." Spock said leaning on his console as well.

"Oh, my mistake. An incubus you say? Imagine one being on the Enterprise." she shivered with mock horror.

"I cannot imagine it. Perhaps it was just a bad dream."

"Perhaps. You haven't had any interesting dreams lately have you?"

"Dreams?"

"Yes."

"No, Lieutenant, I have not had any particularly interesting dreams of succubi or otherwise. If you are having trouble sleeping perhaps you should seek assistance from Dr. McCoy?" he said.

"I don't think the good doctor has a cure for what ails me. Besides if there is a cure I don't think I want the doctor to give it to me," She smiled at him.

"If you don't want the cure then the illness must not be too serious?"

"Well, I didn't say that. It's just that sometimes the cure is far worse than the disease."

Spock and Uhura had forgotten they were on the bridge and had leaned into one another to continue their chat.

"Perhaps the cure simply requires special handling."

"Maybe I'm overreacting. Are you sure you didn't have any dreams or thoughts about me last night?" Uhura whispered.

"Lieutenant as you know Vulcans require little sleep compared to humans, also Vulcans rarely dream. I do not recall any of my dreams."

"Are you sure?" she looked suspicious now, she couldn't be the suffering this alone?

"Vulcans do not lie, however, I was thinking of you last evening."

Uhura smiled, "Oh, so you were, and just what were you thinking?"

"I don't know what he was thinking but I am thinking that you two should go get a room," Captain Kirk cut in from behind them. They had been so engrossed in their conversation that they had not heard him approach.

"Captain why should we 'get a room' we are occupying a room now are we not?" Spock asked knowing exactly what the Captian meant.

"It's an old earth expression that means take your intimate adventures somewhere private so the rest of us cannot see it."

"Intimate adventures?" Spock asked in shock standing up to his full height.

"Yes. In case you two didn't notice, you are still on company time. Save your flirting for off duty. Now if you don't mind returning to your stations?"

"Right away, Sir." Lt. Uhura said returning to her seat, her cheeks burning in shame.

"Mr. Spock," Kirk said staring at him for a moment.

"Yes, sir?" Spock asked calmly.

"You have the con," Kirk turned and headed for the lift.

"Aye sir, and may I ask where you will be?" Spock asked.

"Sickbay for a headache," he said and disappeared behind the turbo lift doors.

/*-/*-/

In the sickbay, Kirk sought out Doctor McCoy.

"Bones I need to talk to you."

"What's the matter, Jim?"

"In your office Doctor," he said when he saw Christine hovering nearby.

In McCoy's office, Bones asked him, "All right now what's up?"

"What have you got for a dull throbbing headache?"

"What happened, you run out of those pills I gave you before?"

"They are in my quarters and they take too long to work. What else have you got?"

"Is it that bad?"

"Its annoying isn't that enough?

Dr. Mccoy prepared a hypo and administered it to the captain.

"There, that should have you fit for service in a few minutes. Just sit here and let it settle in."

"Thanks. Bones you were right," Jim said after a few moments.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" Bones said and went to his desk rooting around for something, he pulled out a hologram camera.

"What's that?"

"Its a recorder, I wanted to film this moment for posterity."

"Bones this is no joking matter."

"You're serious? What's the matter?"

"You were right about Spock and Uhura, they've been nothing but trouble lately."

"What? What happened, what did that green goblin do now?"

"Its both of them. They are driving me crazy. They are a distraction. You should see them. They sit on the bridge making eyes at one another all during their shift."

"Wait, what? Spock making eyes? I don't believe it. I won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes."

"Believe it. I just caught them whispering behind my back when they should have been working."

"Caught them doing what now?"

"Whispering, talking quietly, in hushed tones. You know, whispering?"

"And?"

"And? And like I said making eyes."

"So you caught them talking softly and 'making eyes' on the bridge?"

"Yes!"

"And what else?"

"What else? Isn't that enough? They were practically... I mean the way he was leaning and hovering all over her... I told them to get a room."

"Jim, you didn't!"

"Bones if you had seen it you would have agreed."

"No, I would not! Jim, they are married remember? And they just started speaking to one another again, of course, they are going to talk on the bridge."

"Yeah well, they can be married on their own time. We have a ship to run. Bad enough we have to take another detour to Vulcan because of them. The ship is full of gossips talking about them. Komack is after them. And they have to go and make eyes on the bridge?!"

"Jim if I didn't know any better I would say you were against them. But that cannot be, can it? You're the one who said this would be a good thing, that they deserved to be happy."

"Yes, well like I said I was wrong. This whole thing is wrong."

"Well its too late now they are married and in case you didn't know, Vulcans mate for life. Let me give you some valuable advice, don't interfere with Spock and Uhura's marriage, you'll regret it."

"What are you talking about Bones? Why would I interfere?"

"I'm talking about you and Spock being best friends. When a guy gets married his single friends are left behind. It's natural. It happened to me when I was young. One by one my friends started to get married or pair off and the next thing is you don't see them or hear from them for longer and longer periods. They have families, responsibilities-"

"This ship is Spock's responsibility, we're his family." Jim protested.

"We were his family. He has Uhura now, and he has Sarek and Amanda again too, in no small part thanks to you. This is what you wanted Jim!"

"Yes. I need to mind my own business and stop meddling," the Captain grumbled.

"Yes you do," McCoy agreed, "but your meddling brought a family back together and brought about a marriage. You did good Jim, don't ruin it now by being jealous."

"Bones what are you talking about? Jealous of what?"

"Of Uhura and Spock. As they get closer he needs you less right? You're afraid he won't need you at all? But Jim, you're still his friend, he just needs his space, dare I say it but our Spock is growing up." Bones joked.

"Growing up? He's older than I am!"

"In Earth years maybe, but by Vulcan standards, he's just a kid. Even I can see how much he's grown over the past few years. He's more confident, more in command of himself. Not as obnoxious as the young officer I met when I came aboard, not that I will admit that to him."

"Bones-"

"No Jim listen. If you start interfering now you will lose him. He walked away from his own father when Sarek stood in the way of what he wanted. As much as he may care for you, if you force him to choose you'll lose."

"How do you know that Bones? Spock has risked his life for me a dozen times. He-"

"I know" Bones cut him off, "and deep down inside you know it too. He won't just give Uhura up, not after what he went through to get her. Just give them time. This is a period of adjustment for everybody."

"Bones what would you do if your best friend suddenly got married and didn't have time for you?"

"I'd wish you well and be happy for you," McCoy said slapping his shoulder.