Nyota hopes to get lucky on her date tonight. Christine wishes Nyota would drop dead.

Stay in my arms if you dare
Or must I imagine you there
Don't walk away from me
I have nothing, nothing, nothing
If I don't have you, you

~I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston~

What You Wish For

Uhura dressed in the plainest dress she owned as she got ready for her date with Spock. The last thing she wanted was to draw any more attention to herself than necessary tonight. She was prepared to have a nice, quiet dinner with Spock where they would talk about the next phase of their lives. But when she stepped through the doors of rec-room A, she stopped short. Spock was sitting in his usual spot at the back corner of the room strumming the strings of his Ka'athyra. As she stood there, she noticed that the room was filled with a lot of familiar faces and everyone had lowered their voices to hushed conversations. There were quite a few sets of eyes focused on her, and yet others surreptitiously glancing at Spock. The cat was already out of the bag about their marriage but it still chaffed that everyone on this ship knew her business and felt comfortable gossiping about it.

So this was the moment of truth. There was no point in keeping up the charade any longer. She had to admit, she just wanted to be with Spock, and she really didn't care who knew about them anymore.

She looked at her husband. He was so handsome. Her heart skipped a beat the same way it had the first time she ever saw him. Mind made up, Uhura marched boldly over to sit beside Spock in her usual seat. In this little corner of the room, they had shared hours of conversation, played their ka'athyra's together, and Spock had accompanied her as she sang for him. It dawned on Uhura as she listened to his song that she and Spock had been a duet for a very long time now. This wasn't just his corner, this was 'their corner' and she belonged there just as much as he did.

Uhura listened as Spock made his Ka'athyra sing, watched as Spock's elegant fingers glided across the strings. She had always loved to watch him play, which was why she had commandeered a seat right next to him years ago. It was a mesmerizing display, and from the first moment that she heard this gentle sound, it had captivated her. She had been drawn to the man, as much as the music, on that first evening after her first full shift on the bridge.

Sometimes Spock's songs were so sad they moved her to tears. Sometimes the songs were wistful and transported her to far-off places in her imagination where she could just drift and relax. But sometimes, when he acknowledged her playful mood, Spock played something fun and flirty and she felt compelled to sing along, making up nonsense lyrics to the delight of the audience.

Uhura became lost in her thoughts. Memories of all the times they shared right here in this corner in this room came rushing back. On that first night, others in the room ignored the beautiful music Spock was making, and she couldn't believe they were taking it for granted. She had known that Spock was not a friendly sort. He pretty much kept to himself back then and his conversations were the soul of brevity. But his music was something else altogether. His music told her all the secrets Spock would never reveal about himself.

As a new officer on the ship, Uhura understood the wistfulness and longing in his songs. Space service was such a lonely job. She had joined the service right out of secondary school as most recruits did. And she had skipped many of the milestones that marked the rights of passage of the average Earth adolescent. She studied hard in school and worked harder after school on her physical training to prepare for the Starfleet Academy entrance exams. She never had time for dating or any of the other frivolous activities that her brothers took part in. She didn't have time to hang out with the school friends she had grown up with. Uhura had tried to keep in touch with her friends while at the academy, but slowly they drifted away while she pursued her goal of serving on a starship. She had made that dream come true but she had sacrificed a great deal to do it, and Spock's songs echoed her story.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she became aware that Spock had stopped playing and was quietly contemplating her, waiting for her next move. Without thinking, she stood up, leaned over him, and then she did something that shocked the entire room including Spock and herself. She grabbed his head, cupping those sexy ears of his, and lowered her mouth to touch his lips with her own giving him a long deep kiss. His expression when she finally pulled away was priceless. Spock's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. Then she compounded her faux pas by wiping her lipstick from his mouth very slowly with her thumbs.

Spock sat still in his seat and his heart was racing with uncontrolled emotion. Nyota had physically claimed him in front of everyone! If they were among Vulcans, they would consider her actions a flagrant declaration that Spock was her consort now. Did she understand what she was doing?

While Uhura very publicly touched Spock, she tried her hand at projecting her thoughts through their bond to him. "Forgive?" she thought. That one word was a question, a promise, and a command.

"Forgive," Spock agreed, feeling like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. Nyota was willing to forgive him and everything was going to be all right.

The kiss was a terrible breach of Vulcan etiquette and Uhura was aware of all the eyes in the room focused on her and Spock, but she didn't care. "That's right you busybodies, suck it all in and then spread that gossip," she thought.

She saw the moment when Spock heard her thought. His composure slipped slightly, and the corner of his mouth tipped up in a subtle smirk. "That's right, Mister. Let them eat it," she thought to him too.

Some of the crew in the room stared in open-mouthed shock, while others openly laughed and still others pretend they hadn't noticed Lieutenant Uhura practically mauling Commander Spock! The room was abuzz with excited whispers. Uhura couldn't tell what they were saying, but she bet Spock knew. The way everyone was acting, you'd think she had whipped out her breast and gave him a motorboat with her cleavage or something! She had just kissed her husband!

Spock must have heard that silly thought too because he coughed and looked as if he struggled to suppress mirth. "Aduna," he said, "I believe that will do."

"Spoilsport," she grinned down at him.

"Indeed," he agreed.

She wanted to kiss him again just because she could, but she restrained herself for his sake. She took her seat again and urged him to play another song. She wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, and she hoped the rest of the crew would get bored with staring at them and get back to their own lives.

But instead of playing another song, Spock set down his instrument and looked at Uhura. "I have a gift for you, Aduna. It is long overdue."

"A gift? What is it?" She frowned, wondering what gift could he possibly give her that was better than his freedom?

Spock stood tall and then knelt down on one knee. Uhura's eyes nearly bugged out in disbelief when he pulled a small jewelry box from his pocket. Her mouth formed a perfect O, and she shook her head back and forth. No, no, no! This is not happening now!

The room exploded in cheers, applause, and catcalls of encouragement. "About damn time!" someone who sounded like Charlene shouted. Nyota couldn't tell because her ears were ringing and her vision was blurred by the tears that were forming.

"Spock, what are you doing?"

"I believe the correct term is putting a ring on it?" he said. "Nyota, I would like us to spend the rest of our lives together. Will you accept this ring as a token of my promise I will never leave you again?"

Uhura couldn't talk. Her throat was choked up with emotion, so she held out her hand and allowed Spock to slide his ring on her finger. Then she threw her arms around Spock's neck, nearly toppling him over. But he caught his balance, gathered her up in his arms, and stood.

"I'll take that as a yes!" Spock said loud enough to be heard over the din. The room had gone crazy with well-wishers cheering and applauding. All of their friends were present in the rec room tonight as planned by Spock, and they were all happy to see their friends finally acknowledging their relationship, but Uhura saw none of them. She just buried her face in Spock's neck and cried. Spock sensed that Nyota was in no mood for a party, so he walked towards the exit with his wife in his arms.

"Take me home," Uhura said when they left the noise of the rec room behind. Spock granted her wish and took her to their home where she belonged.

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Christine bolted from her seat tucked away in a little corner of the rec room with a look of both shock and disgust on her face. She simply could not believe what she had just witnessed. Spock and Uhura kissing in public! Uhura flaunting herself in front of everyone, and Spock had allowed it! He had even seemed amused by it. This was wrong, all wrong! Mr. Spock didn't smile into women's faces, he didn't grin and smirk and allow them to take liberties with his person! That was not the Spock that Christine has come to know and love.

When Uhura wiped his lips seductively, Christine got up and left the rec room before she could witness any more of the travesty. She actually felt sorry for Spock to allow Ny to embarrass him like that in public. What was she thinking? And why hadn't Spock stopped her? If Christine had tried something like that he would have told her in no uncertain terms to keep her hands to herself as if she had committed some crime. But there he was practically drooling, for Mr. Spock at least, like some kind of idiot. What kind of power did Nyota have over him?

Christine stormed through the corridors in a huff. It was mind-boggling. Just weeks ago they were practically at each other's throats. Nyota had literally broken his nose. And did he report her for striking a superior officer? Was Nyota written up on the report for her infraction as she should have been? No, Doctor McCoy and the captain had swept it all under the rug and labeled it an accident. Accident my eye!

But the captain had no trouble putting Christine on report and reprimanding her for disclosing Spock's private medical information to General Komack's office! And they had warned her to leave Spock and Uhura alone or she could face harassment charges. What kind of topsy-turvy galaxy was it where she was being punished for doing her duty while Spock gets away with mutiny, kidnapping, hijacking, and Uhura gets away with striking a superior officer?

It just wasn't fair! Uhura flaunting her supposed relationship with Spock in front of the crew? She didn't care what they tried to make people believe in that trial. Spock and Uhura were not in love! Uhura admitted as much to Christine the day they had their fight. And Christine had seen Spock in love when she had drugged him with the love potion. He had been hopelessly devoted to her then. It had been a dream come true until the dream turned into a nightmare.

No, he wasn't in love with Nyota. Not like he had been in love with her that one beautiful day. Spock was just in lust. Christine supposed even Vulcans got horny and could be wooed by a pretty face. After all, even Spock's father was married to a beautiful woman. But what did Spock see in Nyota? Yes, she was cute and petite, but she was nothing compared to Christine's classic beauty. Tall, long-legged, blonde, blue-eyed, and buxom. What did Nyota have that Christine did not?

"She's got a lot of nerve," Christine thought. And she's got Spock, for now. Christine didn't know why she didn't just give up on Spock, but she wasn't a quitter. You didn't win in life by bowing out to women like Uhura. It wasn't about who got Spock first. It was about who got him at long last and kept him, and that someone was going to be Christine. It was all she wanted.

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