Misunderstandings

The party was a full success. As always, Spock was distancing himself slightly, observing Jim and the Doctors Chapel and McCoy picking up some drinks from the bar, intent on joining him later. They were the only senior officers present as of now, as it was still early and Uhura, Chekov, and Scotty had a shift to finish. But the room was already filled with happy laughter and clinking glasses and soft music. Spock doubted that Mr Scott would appear at all, as the engines had had a 'wee bit of a hiccup', as the engineer had explained.

Over at the bar, Christine happily took the alcoholic beverage Leonard offered her and downed it. It still felt strange to spend private time alone with the "golden trio", as Christine liked to call them in her head, but she was sure she had read the term before, referencing the three officers. Probably some third-class newsfeed.

"Somethin' funny?"

McCoy grinned at her. She must have chuckled out loud, thinking about the unrealistic descriptions the news could procure.

"Oh no, not really, just really happy, Leonard."

Leonard smiled at her while they both downed another shot of whisky.

"Well, I'm happy, you're happy," he slurred. "You see, some people just don't seem to be able to be happy. Just fussin' about and trailin' after people they love, never being quite able to face it."

He had stopped looking at her and glanced at Spock with a thoughtful frown.

Christine stared at him. He couldn't have meant what he said. He couldn't have meant her…Christine didn't know what to say and her head felt dizzy, but she knew she needed some space.

With a horror-struck glance and a murmured apology, Christine whirled around, wiping her eyes while she left the room. She stopped only a few meters away from the door, wiping her eyes, not wanting to cry, and trying to remain calm against all odds.

She wouldn't say she was feeling necessarily sad, as she knew from a rational point of view that there was no logical reason to be sad about, but she also knew that emotions had no rational basis and needed venting from time to time, and, apparently, that time was now, although she knew perfectly well that Leonard hadn't planned on upsetting her, and she also knew that she had been drinking quite a bit, which would have lowered her emotional barriers.

Christine snorted bemused. If Spock could hear her now… rambling on about logic and rationality…

Inside, her sudden departure had been noted by both the Captain and Doctor McCoy, but neither had noticed her leaving the room altogether. They were deep in discussion, Jim trying to calm down McCoy, who had just realised what he had said and what Christine must have made of it.

"Oh god, Jim! I can't be in my right mind to act this way! Let me go, I have to get to her!"

"Bones, wait." the Captain interjected, who hadn't had been quick enough to prevent the small catastrophe.

"What she needs the least now is you hysterically rambling about what you've done. I can go and look for her."

"No, Jim, it has to be me! What did I think saying something like that to her?!"

McCoy struggled to free himself from Jim's grip on his shoulders, but to no avail.

"Listen, Bones! You both had a bit to drink. I believe she just needs a bit of calm now. She'll know you didn't want any harm done. Calm down and sit down with us."

Jim realised that he couldn't go to Doctor Chapel alone without Doctor McCoy making even more of a fuss.

Not very far away, but out of earshot of human ears, Spock rose from his table. Having observed the quick escalation, and having heard exactly what was being said, he chose this moment to intervene.

"I hate to interrupt an argument," Spock said softly, as he joined his oblivious friends, "but the object of your concern is no longer present."

"Oh damn, I should go after her," Leonard repeated himself, already turning towards the door.

"Wait!" Jim held his arm. "You're more panicked than she is. I told you to calm down! Calm down and take a deep breath, Bones."

"I'm her friend, Jim! I have to help her." McCoy was indeed rather panicked at being the cause of his friend's distress.

"I know, Bones…,"Jim struggled while looking helplessly at Spock. "But not in this state…" While his friends were still debating who should go after Christine, Spock followed her wordlessly.

"Oh damn, now Spock has gone after her!" McCoy cursed, turning again towards the door. "Wait!" Jim repeated, having a pretty good idea of the misunderstanding that had happened here.

"What better person for this than Spock?" He smiled encouragingly at Leonard, who deflated abruptly.

"Well, I suppose you're right, Jim. He has his manners…"

"Oh, hello Spock!" Christine said, startled, furiously trying to hide her unshed tears. "Oh, how silly this must seem to you…" she murmured.

She shook her head sadly and averted her gaze, leaning against the bulkhead, feeling embarrassed and immature.

Spock pondered her for a moment, unsure of how to proceed.

"Doctor Chapel..." He started again. "Christine…I believe there is a slight misunderstanding. I can assure you that the good doctor never intended this effect of his statement."

Christine glared at him in a slightly exasperated manner.

"Oh, I know that! I'm just frustrated that he would say something like that to me. You heard! You know what he said!"

She cast her eyes down, slightly ashamed of confessing her concerns to Spock of all people. But at a movement beside her, she looked up again.

Spock had moved next to her, lips pressed tightly together.

She was surprised to see that now his gaze was averted and he even seemed to be blushing a bit. But she could be imagining that last part. She waited for him to speak.

"Christine, I believe, Dr McCoy used the term 'love' rather freely, referring to affectionate feelings as a whole, not a specific one."

Christine looked at him, puzzled, unsure about what he was trying to say.

"Moreover," he continued, "his wording was rather harsh, although meant, I believe, more or less as a joke, which I know only because he has been known to make such comments towards me in the past and is only now entering a new...phase."

Christine furrowed her brow, as her perception and Spock's didn't add up. She was just opening her mouth to voice this, when Spock continued again, now looking at her. "And lastly, his…statement…was directed at me. Although his insults have become less over time, he is, as I said…"

"Oh, Spock!", Christine exclaimed before he could end his sentence.

She flung her arms around Spock's torso, hugging him firmly.

Spock draped his arms slowly around her, not knowing what to say although he had expected such a display from the moment he had seen her leave the room.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr Spock…," Christine whispered embarrassed, trying to push away.

"It's perfectly all right," Spock said, and meaning it, he gently pulled her head back to his shoulder, padding it in a way he wished would seem comforting to her.

He could only wish because Christine began to sob in earnest at this unexpected display of caring, although both knew that Spock would have denied this quite illogical notion.

"Are you…sad?" he asked, very confused at her sudden tears.

"No, Spock. Relieved, feeling stupid, but mostly a bit too drunk," Christine answered with a mostly calmer voice than before. She looked up and laughed out loud at Spock's perplexed look, which became only more confused at her reaction.

McCoy furrowed his brow as he saw Christine and Spock re-enter the recreation room together, Christine smiling slightly and Spock trailing behind her towards them.

The two of them joined Leonard and Jim silently.

Jim threw a questioning glance at Spock and was reassured by his nod.

Leonard shifted uneasy in his seat and looked at Christine, who only smiled calmly back. "Look...Christine…"

"It's okay, Leonard, it is."

"Well, I wanted to apologize nonetheless, I should have said what I meant and not be so vague..."

"It's okay, Leonard," Christine repeated. "It could have been worse, what you implied and what you meant. I mean I'm only single, not divorced with a partner who left me only my bones, eh?"

She grinned at Leonard.

"You…That's not fair! All right, I deserved this, I know. Drinks?"

"No" was the unanimous answer.

"Thanks, Spock," Leonard said after a time and so quiet that only Spock could hear him. Spock only smiled at him in his special way that would never have been seen by an outsider.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a review and tell me what you liked (or didn't) :)