Chapter 2: To tell or not to tell...

No, they didn't tell them right away. Well, Uhura wanted to, but Scotty and Sulu were way too curious if the captain and the doctor would learn about the valid marriage by themselves or if they already knew.

"No way", Uhura said and shook her head. "If they knew, they would have done something about it."

Scotty crossed his arms. "Hm... I don't know. They look pretty cozy and comfortable when they're together. And they're bickering like an old married couple. What if they're even a couple and just keep it under the wraps..." He coughed. "Literally..."

Sulu suppressed a grin and Uhura rolled her eyes.

"I don't think she would be subtle about it", Uhura threw in. "So... we should tell them about the Carah marriage being legal."

"But the captain must know that Carah is Federation now. Right?" Sulu wondered.

"I think she follows which planets join. But my guess is that she doesn't know that something went wrong with the 13-13b", Uhura replied. " I think she may have forgotten that she forgot about not sending that form." She blushed a little. "I have to admit that even I forgot about it. I guess it may have gone lost when the Indri incident happened. I remember the captain having the PADD with the paperwork, but we were called to the bridge and later on she never mentioned it again." She felt a little guilty now.

"Oh, my, that's almost like fate." Scotty laughed.

Sulu looked skeptically at him. "More like it had low priority for the captain and that she probably taught it didn't matter. You have to admit that Carah got unexpectedly fast on the track to join the Federation and to become a member."

"I still think we should wait and see if they find out for themselves", Scotty suggested. "If they really don't know, that is. And I would even bet a bottle of my best scotch that the lass will stay married to the lad."

Uhura und Sulu just looked at him.

"What?" Scotty gestured. "They're head over heels in love. Can't you tell?"

Uhura rolled her eyes again. "Of course. It's obvious to anybody except the two of them."

Scotty crossed his arms, feeling assured. "So we wait."

Sulu also crossed his arms. "I don't know... I think I changed my mind. It would be certainly hilarious when they found out one day, but it would also be..."

"...mean?" Uhura suggested.

"Yeah. The more I think about it... You're right, Uhura", Sulu admitted. "It would be mean and it could also backfire and a very likely accidental or forced alien wedding number ten could be the final straw. The doctor was really in a very bad mood. Worse than after the other ceremonies. You better tell them."

Uhura looked at him in surprise. "What? Why me?"

"Chief of Communications?" he gave back as if it was completely obvious.

And there was the next eye rolling. She crossed her arm now too.

"And you discovered it", Scotty added and came to Sulu's aid.

Uhura sighed. "Fine, I'll do it." She shook her head and started walking away. "But I'll need to prepare first, so I can give them options what they can do now."

"And the bet?" Scotty asked.

Uhura turned around while still walking. "I don't bet." Then she was gone.

Scotty gave Sulu an expectant gaze.

Sulu chuckled. "We would be betting on the same thing. I also think they would let the marriage stand."

Scotty made a disappointed sound.

"But..." Sulu started and patted Scotty on the shoulder. "We can still bet on the time frame in which they will decide staying married after Uhura tells them."

Both men started grinning.

"Alright", Scotty nodded. "I bet one bottle of scotch that it will take them less than 48 hours."

"Hm... okay, I say... 24 hours."

Scotty raised his eyebrows. "Really? That's very confident."

Sulu shrugged his shoulders. "You said yourself how close they are and behave. I'm no trained ship's counselor, but I see them every day on the bridge. I think they just need a little nudge into the right direction."

Scotty laughed. "You call a suddenly valid marriage a nudge?" Then he shrugged to. "Yeah, in their case it probably is."

"24 hours", Sulu repeated. "And I have this bottle of Romulan ale."

"That's illegal."

"I know."

They grinned again.