One more chapter of domesticity from our favorite couple and more stress for our favorite captain.

A Bit Rough

"Mmm, Captain we are receiving a transmission from Starfleet command on a priority channel, audio-only."

"What is it M'Ress?"

"New orders Captain. We have been instructed to divert to Betazed immediately."

"What? On whose authority?" Kirk asked.

M'Ress asked for further clarity and responded with a silky voice, "The directive comes directly from Admiral Komack, Sir."

"Komack!" the Captain asked. "Why the devil..."

"That is all they will say, Captain. We are to continue on to Betazed and remain in radio silence. When we arrive at Betazed we will receive new orders."

"Don't they know we are on a mission of grave medical importance and time is of the essence?" Kirk demanded.

"They broke transmission and do not answer, Captain," M'Ress informed him.

"What in the devil is Komack up to now?" Kirk wondered to himself. He didn't have any way to file a formal protest, he was ordered to maintain radio silence, and he was already on thin ice with the admiral since their last encounter on Vulcan.

"Helm set a course to Betazed at fastest possible speed."

"Aye captain!"

Now he had to break the news to the happy couple that they would not be returning to Vulcan anytime soon. But first, he needed to talk to Bones. He was starting to wonder if they were trapped in another dimension, one in which their journey to Vulcan was delayed forever.

*/*/*

Spock routinely shaves his facial hair precisely every 24 standard hours and has done so since the day his mother kissed his cheek and remarked that "her little boy was growing scruffy". Most Vulcans would not have bothered with such a vain and time-consuming routine, however, his father and their clan were one of the rare, more hirsute lines of Vulcans. Sarek took it upon himself to groom his facial hair for conformity's sake, and so Spock had followed suit. Though it was highly illogical, Spock had always followed his father's example when he was young. And when he entered Starfleet Academy, being cleanly shaven was a requirement for first-year cadets, so he continued the practice even when he wanted nothing more to do with his father.

Many years after his mother's observation, he still practiced this morning ritual, even though regulations regarding personal grooming habits were more relaxed for officers of his rank. So Spock had been clean-shaven his entire adult life.

Now that he shared his quarters with Nyota, he found the practice of shaving to be ever more time-consuming and tedious. Not because he had more hair, but because he had a woman in his life now. Nyota also had to share his bathing facilities and his allotted time in the said facility was growing shorter and shorter. This morning Nyota had invaded his private grooming time by shoving the door open and peeking her head inside.

"Almost done sugar?" she asked sweetly.

"I've yet to complete my ablutions," he told her.

"Are you shaving?" she made a frowning face.

"Yes, I do so every day as you well know."

"Yes, I know. But do you know, you could skip it once in a while? You are off duty, and I think you'd look very handsome with a rakish bit of scruff."

"I don't believe Starfleet would appreciate a ship's first officer looking 'rakish'."

"Oh, I don't know. I liked that devilish goatee you had on the ISS Enterprise. It was badass." She grinned.

"That was not me on the ISS Enterprise, and I prefer to be clean-shaven."

"How do you know you prefer it if you've never been anything else?" She stepped fully inside the bath suite and pressed herself beside him at the mirror. "I mean, you are so handsome already, but a change might suit you just as well." She reached up to stroke his freshly shaved cheek. "Besides, you know I like it a bit rough."

Spock stopped what he was doing to look down into her sweetly upturned face. "I am not sure how I should take that remark."

"You take it however you want it," she said, grinning seductively now.

"You are incorrigible," he said turning back to his task.

"Are you blushing, Adun?" she teased him.

"Vulcans do not blush," he informed her in a tone that said she should know better.

Uhura rolled her eyes. If she had a credit for all the things Vulcans did not do... "Oh, they don't? How do you know this? Is this something that Sarek told you or do you have empirical evidence of the phenomenon? Because I've seen you, with my own two eyes, blush at least a dozen times in my presence. Now being one of those times."

Spock stopped what he was doing to address this affront. "You may have seen me, when suffering from an illness, show the symptoms of flushed skin caused by fever. However, I would say I do not blush when confronted with social embarrassment or discomfort."

"Like now?" she asked.

"I am not embarrassed. If I am flushed, it is because it is rather warm in this room with both of us in such a confined space."

"Mmm-hmm, this room temperature is considered mild for Africa and it would be downright chilly for the average Vulcan," she pointed out.

"I am not your average Vulcan."

"No, you are not, lucky for me." She reached up and kissed his cleanly shaven cheek. "I'm glad I have such an effect on you, anyway. I won't tell you the effect you have on me." She pressed her body against his.

"I believe I already know," Spock said continuing to shave.

"Have you already showered?"

"I have."

Uhura pouted. "Why didn't you wait for me to join you?"

"Because I want you to rest and I didn't want to disturb you."

"I wish I could go back to work. What's taking us so long to get to Betazed now?"

"We're making good time. We had to answer a distress call yesterday that took us quite a bit off course but we are back on the correct heading now."

"I miss knowing what's happening up on the bridge. I never realized how uninformed you become when you're considered non-essential personnel."

"There is nothing non-essential about you, Lieutenant. You are merely on an extended leave. You'll be back on duty in no time. However, in the meantime, I suggest you enjoy this brief respite."

"Hmm, I'd enjoy it a lot more if you could join me in a brief respite," she smiled seductively.

Spock shook his head. As much as he appreciated his wife's attention, she was starting to worry him. She was not her usual energetic self, and he was beginning to think their confinement was taking an unusual toll on Nyota's health. Healthy libido aside, Nyota didn't do more than sit around reading journals, watching vids, and sleeping. That was not like her at all.

"Nyota, why don't you go back to bed and rest a while longer? I want to talk to Doctor McCoy about my prognosis and treatment once more before we get to Betazed, and when I return you will be fully rested."

"I'm okay. I think I'll try to get some work done."

"No," he said hastily. "I would prefer it if you rest. You and I must still go to Vulcan. When we get there, you'll need all your stamina to deal with the harsh climate."

"I need all my stamina to deal with you anyway," she joked. "But okay, I'll go back to bed. Your wish is my command." Uhura stumbled back to their bed and lay down. Her eyes were closed as soon as her head touched the pillow.

Spock found the covering he had procured just for her and placed it over her as she napped. "My wish is simply for you to be well. Aduna."

Uhura said with a sleepy voice, "That's what I want for you too. I want us both to finally be okay." Then she drifted off to sleep.