Kirk reentered his quarters, stopping short at the sight of Lt. Uhura sprawled comfortably across his bed. She sat up as the door closed behind him, stretching slightly within in the loose confines of her silvery robe. "I was afraid you weren't coming back after all." Might as well take the bull by the horns; sometimes he admired confident women.

Kirk frowned, then stepped into the room and slammed his hand against the privacy lock, not once removing his gaze from her. He deliberately uncorked the bottle of Saurian brandy he'd been carrying, took a healthy swig, then set it just as deliberately onto the table. "I went to Sickbay to get something to drink," he said. Uhura was encouraged; he didn't usually deign to explain himself. "What are you doing here?"

She smiled and stood, allowing the robe to fall from her shoulders. It slid to the floor in a shimmering puddle as she took a single step toward him, then stopped. "Dr. McCoy says Marlena Moreau is ill. She's in Sickbay. Something about the toxins from one of her plants being released. So I figured you might need some...company...this evening."

"Company," Kirk repeated. He reached out and lifted her chin in his hand, looking her over critically. Uhura waited a beat, then turned her head and deliberately nipped at his thumb. His grip tightened, and before she could react further he moved with lightning speed to pin her against the wall, his hand tightening on her throat as she started to choke. "You put Marlena in Sickbay, don't lie to me."

"She's not your Woman here," Uhura managed to gasp out. "If you went to her, you'd give us away."

Kirk stared at her, the fury in his eyes giving way to a gleam of calculation as his hold eased. Uhura gasped for breath as he shoved her away from him. "And what do you think this soft Federation crew could do to us?" he asked contemptuously.

"Never allow the enemy an advantage," Uhura shot back with the most famous quote in the Empire. Surak, the father of Vulcan logic, had said that. Logic gave Vulcans the strength to master their violent, passionate natures, and that made them even more deadly than the Klingons. Because of this iron control, a Vulcan was a ruthless foe, and an invaluable ally. Once they understood their place in the hierarchy, of course.

Kirk smiled at that, and Uhura relaxed a fraction. "You're saying that we should continue to pretend to be the lambs that this crew expects, and not the wolves we really are."

"Scott and McCoy agree," Uhura reminded him. "You yourself told them to do what they can to get us back where we belong. If our counterparts haven't already fouled things up," she added with a frown.

"We'll worry about them when we get home," Kirk growled. "You know I'd already decided we need to just play along until Scott can work out the way to get us home." He conveniently neglected to give McCoy credit for the idea, and Uhura wasn't about to bring it up. He reached out for her with a cruel smile. She flinched, then submitted to his touch. He pulled her close for a passionate kiss, then without warning threw up his arm and backhanded her. With a cry, she stumbled back, half-falling against the bed. Kirk was on her like lightning, his weight pinning her down as he yanked her head back by the hair and forced her to look at him. "But don't you ever go behind my back like that again, you understand me? Never touch Marlena again, or you will pay. I don't care what universe we're in."

He waited for her choked promise, then pulled her up for another brutal kiss. Uhura endured it, waiting for his passion to overcome his anger, biding her time. Patience was a trait she'd cultivated, and this time she was determined to get everything she wanted. Kirk was her ticket to the good life, and she'd be damned if she'd let anyone--or anything--get in the way.

As soon as she felt his kisses become more of a demand and less of a punishment, she squirmed beneath him in a manner designed to emphasize the fact that she was a woman and he was a man, and hid a triumphant smile as he groaned and impatiently fumbled with his uniform. She reached with eager hands to help him, her last coherent thought that she was going to get everything she ever wanted, and no one was going to stand in her way.

oOo

Uhura allowed herself a contented smile as Kirk rolled off her and collapsed onto the narrow bunk. She decided to go for dignity, rather than waiting for him to throw her out, which she expected to be the outcome of this night. She left the covering on the bed, allowing him a lingering look at her body as she scooped up her robe and reached for the bottle. A momentary hesitation, then she turned back. To see if he was looking at her.

He was, and at the bottle, nodding permission as she raised it in a silent question. She took a long swig, then handed it to him. He drank, but held onto the bottle, showing no sign of returning it to either her or the table. "I guess I'd better go now." Her tone made it a question.

Kirk shook his head and reached for her with his free hand. "No," he said with a growl as he pulled her back into bed. Her robe tumbled unheeded to the floor. "But don't be here when I wake up."

"And if we're still here tomorrow night?" Uhura murmured as he nuzzled her neck. It was a calculated risk, but she suspected she already knew the answer.

"Be waiting for me when I get off duty," Kirk said, an impatient edge to his voice. He shoved her back onto the bed and raised himself over her. "Enough talk."

He was ready again, Uhura could see it, and licked her lips in anticipation. She'd never been satisfied by any man the way Kirk satisfied her, and she'd been stunned both the last time and now to find that she didn't need to fake any of her responses. Kirk was a selfish bastard most of the time, but he managed to give as good as he got when it came to sex.

And she was determined that he realize the same about her.

oOo

Kirk rolled over as his comm chimed discreetly, preprogrammed to wake him for his counterpart's duty shift. He ignored it. Uhura was gone, just as he'd demanded, but traces of her perfume lingered, and he sniffed appreciatively as he took a bracing swallow of the last of the brandy. Just a little pick-me-up to get the morning off to a good start.

Uhura wanted something, more than just keeping him from getting restless and chasing after some other woman on this ship. This was the second time she'd made herself available to him without making any demands in return for her services. He wondered what it was she wanted, then shrugged it off. He'd find out soon enough. If she caught him in the right mood, he might even give it to her.