Spock realizes that kidnapping his wife was the simple part. Keeping her was another story.

Also, I'm too tired to put the lyrics to Back at One by Brian McKnight here so just sing it to yourself :-)

Back At One?

"Not guilty!" Admiral Stone announced.

Spock was exonerated. It didn't take the judges long to come to their decision and as soon as the verdict was read, the courtroom crowd erupted in cheer. Kirk and McCoy reached Spock first, as they had been seated directly behind him the entire trial as a show of support. They eagerly slapped Spock on the back, congratulating him. Jim even kissed Areel sweetly on the cheek to thank her for her efforts. But Spock barely noticed any of the excitement going on around him. He searched the crowd looking for his wife.

Uhura had to push her way through the crowd of people surrounding Spock, but she finally made her way to his side and wasted no time throwing herself into his arms. Public spectacle be damned. Spock was free! She wasn't a Vulcan like her husband, so she gave in to the emotion of the moment and cried freely. Spock held her tight with one arm and with his free hand he touched her face to wipe away the tears streaming down her cheeks. For Uhura, the crowded room melted into the background like shadows, and there was only the feeling of Spock holding her against his solid body and a sense of peace she had not known in the past few days.

"They almost got you," she said, and she knew he could read her thoughts as he touched her.

"They failed, Aduna," she heard in her mind.

"Spock, I'm so tired of everything. I just want to go home."

Spock withdrew from her mind and with his touch, he took the calm and peace she so desperately needed with him. He looked over Uhura's head and wordlessly signaled to Jim that they were ready to head back to the ship. A pair of redshirt security officers from the Enterprise came forward and acted as escorts for the group as they made their way through the crowd of spectators. People were desperate to get a look at Spock and Uhura together as a couple. Reporters and photographers were trying to get shots of them walking out of the courtroom, arm in arm.

The trial of the century had come to an end, but the revelations were just beginning to make headlines in all the gossip news publications. With the release of the official transcripts from the trial, everyone on the Enterprise and the rest of Starfleet now knew for certain that Spock and Uhura were more than just friends and were actually married!

Once they beamed aboard the Enterprise together, it all began. The technicians operating the transporter controls congratulated them as soon as the transporter pad stopped humming. Mr. Scott slapped Spock on the back and shyly gave Uhura a peck on the cheek by way of congratulations.

And it didn't end there. As they strolled down the corridors to their quarter's random crewmen congratulated them or smiled and nodded knowingly to them. Uhura sensed that Spock was uncomfortable with all the attention, though you could never tell by his outward appearance. Meanwhile, Uhura simply felt overwhelmed. Nobody seemed hostile or showed any negative reaction to their revelation. In fact, everyone seemed genuinely happy for them and wished them well, but she felt overexposed.

Of course, they were not the only married couple on the ship. Romantic relationships happened fairly regularly in Starfleet. People working closely together in tight quarters were bound to develop strong relationships of the romantic type. The fact that one of those relationships involved an aloof Vulcan first officer didn't happen every day, but besides that, they were just an ordinary couple. Which meant they were in for the regular ship celebrations, gag gifts, and pranks visited upon all newlywed shipmates.

Uhura looked sideways at Spock. Did he even know what they had opened themselves up to? Some crewmen prided themselves on upholding the post-marital traditions no matter what. If the captain himself were to show up on the Enterprise with a wife, he would be hazed.

Uhura supposed this was all her fault. She was the one who insisted on returning to the Enterprise as if nothing had changed after their bonding on Vulcan. She had insisted they behave as if they were still just Commander Spock and Lieutenant Uhura; friends and colleagues. Now people would have all kinds of questions and make all kinds of speculations that they probably would not have made if she and Spock had just announced their elopement to the crew like normal people. Uhura looked at Spock and couldn't help but smirk to herself though. There was nothing normal about her and her husband.

When they reached Uhura's quarters there was an awkward moment of indecision. She wanted to escape the scrutiny of her shipmates and hide in her room for a while, but did she invite Spock to join her? If she didn't there would be gossip about that too. On the other hand, she didn't feel up for talking right now. She just wanted to unwind and unpack all that had happened to her recently. She was glad Spock was free, but once again she had returned to the Enterprise with a new reality. She and Spock were officially married and everybody knew it. What now?

As she stood staring at her door, deep in thought, Spock said, "Nyota, I will take my leave of you now. When... if you wish to see me I will be..." he hesitated before he continued, "in my quarters until I return to my duties."

"Spock wait." She grabbed his arm. "It's not that I don't want to be with you. We're okay. It's just that I need a bit of time to get myself together and sort things out. We're official now. I know, we've been bonded for months, but to the rest of the crew we're newlyweds and everyone will have questions and expect to throw us parties and I just need some time to get ready for it all. I hope you understand? I told you on the Starbase that I'm in this for the duration and I meant that. But I am still me, and I sometimes need me time. Do you understand that? Will you help me?"

"Yes, Nyota I'll help you in any way that I can."

"Alright then, let's meet in rec room A in 4 hours and have dinner together. We can hash out the rest of our lives together then. That'll give me time to shower and maybe take a nap. I'm actually pretty exhausted. I didn't get a lot of sleep during the trial."

"I regret that I have caused you so much inconvenience."

Nyota rolled her eyes heavenward at his unnecessary apology. "It wasn't your fault, Spock. I blame Komack for this entire ordeal." She reached out to him with her two fingers. "Until dinner, Adun."

Spock touched her fingers, and with his keen hearing heard someone down the hall giggle. He didn't bother to look. He didn't care who it was, this moment was just for him and Nyota, his wife, who once again was walking away from him. But all he could do was say, "Until dinner, Aduna," and watch as she entered her quarters without him.

*/*/*

The first thing Spock did when he returned to his own quarters was to message his parents to let them know the outcome of the trial. Amanda was beside herself with relief, while Sarek maintained his usual stoicism.

"And where is Nyota?" Amanda asked, looking hard at the viewscreen.

"She is resting in her quarters," Spock said.

"Her quarters? Why? I thought she was living with you in your quarters now?"

Spock took a moment to think about his answer. He didn't know the reason Nyota was in her own quarters instead of where she belonged in his.

"Spock, what's happened?" Amanda asked, with concern in her voice.

"Nothing's happened, Mother."

"Then where is your wife, why isn't she with you?" Amanda demanded.

"Amanda," Sarek tried to calm his wife, "the boy has been through an ordeal. I am sure there is a logical explanation for Nyota's absence." Then Sarek also looked at Spock for that logical explanation.

"We beamed aboard the Enterprise together after the verdict," Spock explained to his parents. "And then Nyota asked to have some time to herself to rest."

Amanda shook her head. "Go get her," she said.

"Mother-"

"Nope. I don't like it. She should be celebrating your victory with you. You two have been separated for several days. I know what I'd be doing if my husband had just been let out of prison," Amanda insisted.

"I was not in prison. It was only a few days in the brig."

"Whatever it was, it was too long to be separated from one another in the early stages of a marriage. Go get your wife and bring her home."

"She is resting, Mother. We have plans to meet tonight."

Amanda frowned. "Meet? It sounds so formal. Sarek, tell that boy to go get his wife and bring her home."

Sarek had been silently listening to his wife scold their child, and he was content to stay well out of it. But now she had dragged him into the fray. He agreed that Nyota should be with her husband. However, it was not his place to tell Spock how to handle his wife. Spock must decipher that on his own. "My son, do what you think is logical," Sarek said finally.

Amanda pinched his arm. Not enough to cause any damage or pain, but just enough to show her displeasure in his answer. "My wife, your propensity for violence is both illogical and unworthy of your otherwise gentle personality."

But Amanda was having none of it. "Oh pooh! I didn't injure you, you thick-skinned-"

"Mother," Spock cut in before Amanda could finish. "I believe I also require rest after my ordeal. I was not able to meditate properly while in the confines of the brig." That was not entirely true, but it was not a lie. He needed some time to himself as well. He had a lot of time to think about his life while in the brig on the Starbase. With the help of the captain and Dr. McCoy, Spock had made explicit plans for his and Nyota's future no matter what the outcome of the trial was. Now it was time to put one of those plans into action.

"Do not worry Mother. I will bring Nyota home soon. Spock out."

*/*/*

When I wrote the summary for this chapter, it occurred to me it pretty much sums up the entire story so far. Then I went back to see what the story summary actually is since I forgot what I wrote. Apparently, I promised Uhura's family? Why!

Anyway, I do have stuff written about them. So don't worry, this story isn't nearly over yet. And wait until you meet The Uhura's (tease, tease) lol.