A/N: Another big THANK YOU!! to mrstater for her beta-reading and her suggestions. She's really been helping me clean up my "final drafts". I am so sorry this took a while getting up -- blame real life and work and the fact that my computer's been sick all week, and I was just able to get her from the Genius Bar yesterday. Consequently, I've been sitting on this chapter for a week; I think it's finally time to post it!

In case you need a refresher -- this follows Nyota and Gaila's double date that Spock inadvertently stumbled on in part four. I am working on part six, but I have to do a bit of editing and transferring one part of the story to part seven. I'm not stopping writing on this, though. Just taking things... slowly ;-D Thank you to all the awesome reviews and favoriting/alerting to this story. I know I'm a slow writer, but I really do appreciate the support you've given me.

Check out my Spock one-shot, written between part four and part five: "This Most Illogical Matter"

Thanks for your patience.


Sunday morning, Nyota walks toward the language lab for her meeting with Commander Spock. She wishes she could enjoy the clear sky and lovely warm weather.

But she is with someone who refuses to leave her alone.

"I'm telling you, I'm pretty sure we just witnessed a massive Vulcan smackdown Friday night. Wait — do they have pissing contests on his planet?"

"Gaila, please," Nyota pleads. "You're not supposed to encourage my depravity." It is, of course, too late. The Orion woman spent the better part of the night after their date, and last night as well, poring over the run-in the four cadets had had with Commander Spock. To Nyota's chagrin, Gaila does nothing to lessen the niggling feeling scratching at the back of her mind; Spock was, somehow, unbelievably, jealous that Cadet John Carver had been her companion at dinner. They enter the building that houses the language lab while Gaila continues her incessant chatter.

"Look, I'm just a mere observer of all species, but what I saw with my own two eyes on our dinner night was Spock telling Carver just how big his ears actually are."

Nyota smacks her.

"Ow! He was!"

"Was not."

"He was!"

Nyota stops dead in her tracks, nearly making Gaila walk smack into her. "Oh my God! Are you, like, twelve with the he-was-he-wasn't crap? And why are you following me here, anyway?"

"Remember? The Kobayashi Maru program? Mr. Tall, Dark, and Vulcan told me to come with you this morning." She huffs at Nyota and waves her palm in front of her, making a big circle. "Or did you not hear that part of the conversation over all the unresolved sexual tension between you and Commander Big Ears?"

Nyota narrows her eyes at her "friend." "There are no words in any known prime language to the Federation that can convey how much I dislike you right now."

Gaila grins smugly and rolls her eyes. "Whatever. You love me, if only because I let you borrow my sex boots."

"Can we please not call them that?" Nyota is now desperate to shut Gaila up. She looks around the building; there are a few cadets about. She waves at those who know her, and she searches for a topic that will preoccupy the Orion woman. "So," Nyota says quickly, "you're doing Jim Kirk's simulation then?"

"Yeah — hey, how'd you know it's Kirk's test this week?"

"Because I'm his 'communications officer'," she says, crooking her fingers. "The idiot gave me a pathetic song-and-dance number about how he needed 'the best' on his crew. And he'll need it. By all accounts, the Kobayashi Maru's a killer."

"Yeah… oh!" The Orion nodded twice. "That's right. You know Kirk pretty well then?"

"Unfortunately, I do. You were there when he changed my messages to say, 'You have reached Cadet—'"

"'Strawberry Shortcake!'" Gaila snaps her fingers, the memory returning to her. "How could I forget that? You rag on me for my pheromones, and yet humans are responsible for silly drawings that move."

Nyota fumes. "Yes, well, I sure as hell haven't forgotten." Her roommate has a completely different reaction, giggling loudly enough so it echoes in the hallway of the building. They walk by other cadets who turn to watch Gaila with curious expressions.

"You know, after Kirk did that, I totally admired his tech skills. Or at least whomever he bribed to alter your message unit for him. "

"Thanks for your loyalty, Gaila," Nyota replies darkly.

"But... I've never seen him."

"He's just your ordinary, hot-to-trot cadet meathead who only has sex on his mind." Nyota waves her hand dismissively. There is only one benefit to this conversation; at least if they discuss Kirk, they are not discussing Spock, giving Gaila fewer opportunities to tease her about the commander.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Gaila clicks her tongue and shakes her head. "Humans and their sexual hang-ups."

Nyota presses her mouth together and drawls flatly, "On behalf of the entire human race, I apologize that our sexual appetites are not as advanced as Orion's."

Gaila smiles devilishly. "I heard from Janice that Kirk's hot."

"Objectively, yes. But then he opens his mouth and ruins the whole effect."

"What does that mean?"

"He may be hot. He's also pretty smart and, for some women, he's charming."

Gaila's eyebrow flies up. "I take it you're not susceptible to his charms, though?"

Nyota snorts in response. "He's a cocky, obnoxious, arrogant man-whore who I find to be less welcome than a fly in a Samarian Sunset."

Her roommate scoffs. "Come on. You know Rand's got great taste in men. If he's as cute as she says he is—"

Nyota spins around and points at very stern finger into Gaila's face. "Oh no! New rule: you are not allowed to meet Jim Kirk."

"Why?"

"Because, you're his type! Neither of you will be able to resist each other. At least he won't be able to resist you. And I have a feeling if you two somehow got together, both of you'd make my life a living hell."

"Nyota," Gaila says, her voice thick with mock sincerity, "have I ever made your life hell?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

The Orion giggles again. "Fair point. Probably not."

"Besides," Nyota continues, "what's this sudden kick to meet Kirk? What about Berkeley?"

Gaila sighs. "He's nice and all but I don't know. I'm feeling… restless."

"You always feel restless."

"Yeah, and I think he feels this is a permanent thing between us, which is so not what I'm looking for right now. I'm an Orion woman. I've got very complex sexual needs and desires." She shrugs. "Berkeley's simply not enough to satisfy me—"

Nyota's hands slam against her ears. "I don't need to hear this!"

Her roommate rolls her eyes. "Puritan. Plus, I'm still young. We're all still young. We should be out exploring strange new worlds. Heavenly bodies. All that good stuff."

Nyota lets out an inelegant grunt. She is about to say something, when the entrance to the lab slides open. Both women look up, right into the calm face of Commander Spock.

"Good morning, Cadet Uhura, Cadet A'baa'ntan."

Nyota and Gaila square their shoulders and stand at attention. "Commander Spock," both say in unison.

He steps aside and allows them both to enter the lab. The door shuts behind them. The bright lights from the laboratory's monitors and computers fill the room, and there are small beeps and other sounds that come from the machines.

"I will confer briefly with you first," Spock says to Gaila, "as you will be working in the Kobayashi Maru simulation room today." He turns next to Nyota. "Cadet Uhura, you and I will then focus on the questions that the cadets brought to you during your office hours. Will that suffice?"

She nods, once again feeling the quick palpitation of her heart and the fluttering of her stomach. She feels utterly stupid for the way her body reacts to him. "I can start looking through my notes and the students' questions, Commander."

Spock nods and motions for Gaila to follow him to a monitor. She walks behind him some paces.

"Nyota…"

She turns at her roommate's whispered voice. Grinning, Gaila silently points at Spock's back, and then at his ears. Biting her lip, she then gestures to her crotch, and she finishes by holding her hands at least a foot-and-a-half apart, parallel to each other. Gaila nods and not-too-subtly mouths, "Oh yeah!"

"I'm – going – to – kill – you - later!" Nyota's expression is exaggerated as she moves her lips.

Gaila and Spock have their conference, which lasts for fifteen minutes. The Orion woman takes the PADD and the programming cards that Spock gave her. As Gaila waves goodbye — wearing the most obvious, knowing grin that Nyota has ever seen on anyone — the xenolinguistics aide manages to flash a very quick, very obscene gesture in Orion behind the Vulcan commander's back.

The entrance slides shut again, this time, leaving Spock and Nyota alone. Her eyes never leave him, and she can feel things heating up all around her as he approaches. He stops just in front of her. The beeps of the largest console behind him echo in the quiet. For the briefest moment, something flashes across his face. Nyota thinks he is hesitating; however, after a few moments, he speaks.

"I trust you had an enjoyable dinner Friday night."

She manages to cover up her choking, surprised cough with a chuckle. "Y-yes. Uh, I did." No words pass between them for a second. Nyota decides to clarify. "It was just a group of us going out. As friends."

He nods — very slowly. "Humans thrive on social interaction. It is acceptable to enjoy these activities with a suitable partner."

She thinks she mistakes it, but she can hear the slightest emphasis on "suitable." Spock continues speaking, his face never showing anything out of the ordinary. "I was under the impression that you were engaged in the human ritual known as a 'date'."

She resists the urge to gape. Instead, she speaks low and slow. "A date? Well, yes… I guess I was."

"You were on a date with Cadet John Carver?"

She stifles a laugh. "You have a good memory."

Spock raises his shoulders the barest amount: the Vulcan version of a shrug. "A Vulcan's memory is infallible."

There is a hint of a shallow line on Spock's face. Nyota finds that, the longer she looks at Spock, the more she wants to smile. So, she does, and she taps the corner of her PADD on the console nearest to her. "Don't ask me why I even let Gaila talk me into it. He was a nice guy. It was a fun night. But," she says with a sigh, "sometimes things don't work out." she says softly. And she chuckles. "And, he's definitely not my type."

She chances meeting Spock's eyes. Although his face is as stoic, as impassive as ever, he watches her, his eyes never wavering. They slope up just a bit, as if they are opening up to her, as if they wanted to ask her something…

"I hope you do not mind, but there are a couple of matters that I must discuss with you first before we conference about your office hours."

Of course, she was imagining it — and what a stupid, romantic notion! Asking a question with his eyes!

Nyota hums and nods. "That's fine, Spock. Go ahead." She sits her PADD down on the console and folds her arms in front of her. She keeps an expression of mild amusement on her face, a good disguise for the fact that her chest wants to explode after the conversation about Friday night.

Spock stands before her, his legs pressed together, his hands behind his back. "I do not mean to be so indirect. But I wanted to inquire as to your plans for the future."

Nyota blinks in surprise. "My plans for the future? Well, my hope is to be assigned to a vessel on a long-term exploratory and diplomatic mission. I'm hoping for the USS Enterprise."

His mouth, almost imperceptibly, twitches. "The Enterprise?"

She hums affirmatively. "Mm-hm. I guess I never told you. I've wanted to fly on her since I first saw her being built in Iowa, almost three years ago."

Spock turns away and takes two steps to the right. "Fascinating."

"Really? Because I didn't think it'd be all that surprising."

He pivots sharply around and faces her. "Please elaborate on your reasons as to why you wish to serve on the Enterprise?"

Nyota's brow creases. She hardly knows what any of this has to do with Spock's cryptic conversation. But she chuckles quietly to herself and thinks. The long nights of discussing her obsession with the Enterprise to Gaila have prepared Nyota well for this moment. "Her mission," she starts, reverently, "is a godsend for any xenolinguistics specialist. I'll quote Admiral Robert April's own words from the Federation's press release: 'The five-year mission of the USS Enterprise will be to explore new worlds, to seek out life-forms and species with whom we share our corner of our galaxy.' She is the Federation's crown jewel in their exploratory and diplomatic armada. No other vessel will make as many first contacts as she will."

She laughs and shakes her head, looking up at the ceiling with a contemplative expression. "Think about all the languages, all the cultures and all the species that she's going to meet. It would be any xenolinguist's dream come true." Her head drops down and she focuses her gaze on him. "And you wonder why I want the Enterprise? She is my first choice, especially if it's true that Captain Pike will be commanding her when she flies out."

At this, Spock's shoulders pull back. He lifts his head slightly. "Captain Pike?"

Nyota smiles broadly. "I only want to work with the best."

Spock takes five seconds to consider something. "Nyota, I will impart this information to you as you and I are friends."

Her face falls. She is taken aback. Friends? "Oh, we're... friends?"

"You were not under this impression?"

Nyota thinks she should feel flattered at Spock's regard for her. Truthfully, though, she feels a twinge of disappointment. Unreasonable, sure, but to hear him call her "a friend" invariably leads one to think of the clichéd excuses used when one wants to let another down easily.

"Y-yes," she stammers. "I do think of us as friends."

"I have come to regard you as a friend, a true colleague of mine. It is my experience that friends can share confidences between each other when necessary. I will state that, until the official announcement is made, it would be best to not publicize what I am about to tell you outside of this room."

Nyota gazes at him with a serious expression and nods. "Of course." This, more than anything else Spock says, whets her curiosity.

"Captain Christopher Pike will be in command of the USS Enterprise when she embarks on her first voyage."

Nyota yelps in triumph and shakes her fist in the air. "Oh, it's good when Starfleet makes the right decisions. But, if this hasn't been made public yet, how do you know for sure?"

"My appointment yesterday, the reason you and I could not meet, was with Captain Pike. He informed me that he will be assuming captainship of the Enterprise for her first mission."

Here, he hesitates, but only for a moment. She sees a hint of a smile, the barest glimpse of one, peek across his face; it returns to its normally impassive expression. "Normally, I would not mention this news to a cadet, as it is has not yet been made public. However, Nyota," he says, pausing for a moment, "you are different."

She cannot help but feel her face warm.

"I trust you would not speak of this conversation, nor any aspect of it, outside of this room?"

She nods. "Absolutely. If it hasn't been made public knowledge yet, no one will hear it from me. Especially Gaila. She loves goss– "

Nyota stops talking. Spock doesn't need to know that she's rooming with 'the biggest mouth in Starfleet'. "She won't find out from me. Trust me."

The corners of Spock's mouth remain turned up. "You are the first to know that Captain Pike has requested me to be his first officer. There is a possibility that I may also act as his science officer."

She stares at him, her heart practically bursting at the news. She walks toward Spock. Nyota is unsure of what this would accomplish; she cannot shake his hand or hug him or do anything that wouldn't get her into trouble with the Academy Council. No matter how much she may want to give him a congratulatory kiss. Instead, she smiles at him, proudly and without reservation, keeping her hands behind her back. "Congratulations, Spock. That's a huge honor."

He nods once. "I thank you."

"And the Enterprise just became my only choice for my assignment."

Nyota barely realizes she utters her thought out loud. Her mouth falls open, and she cannot talk. Silence ensues. Spock's head tilts the opposite direction.

"Please pardon this query, but what do you mean by that?"

Nyota kicks herself. Of course, what she had meant by that is that she would jump at the opportunity — any opportunity — to work with Spock beyond the Academy. As his peer. No more of this cadet-instructor dynamic.

Or those pesky rules about cadet-instructor relationships…

She wills her mind to shut up. "What I meant, Spock," she begins carefully, "is that serving with a captain and a first officer such as Captain Pike and yourself would be an experience I could never refuse. Both of you would make an exceptional team."

His nostrils expand subtly, but the half-smirk (of course, quite small by human standards) remains on his face. "This is a compliment to both Captain Pike and myself, then?"

"My attempt at one, yes."

He pivots and takes two steps away from her. "If you do not have any objections, I wish to make another inquiry of you."

Relieved that he believes her explanation for now, she lifts her shoulders, as if this is no big deal. "Sure. Go on."

"Have you given much thought about what you intend to do once your work with me has come to an end?"

She hopes he cannot hear the hitch in her chest; Vulcans, after all, have rather acute hearing. They can pick up sounds from much farther away than humans, and they are able to discern abnormalities that are too soft for human ears. "Truthfully, I've been thinking a lot about that," Nyota begins, exercising caution but feeling relief that he has broached this topic before she could. "I'm almost finished with the paperwork to submit to Commander Kyle and Commander Patel. I'm going to apply for the aide position that's currently open in the Advanced Acoustical Engineering Department."

She can see him stiffen, but the way his eyes barely widen and the way the lower half of his face falls slightly, tells her he is surprised with her news.

"This is a fortunate development."

His reaction startles her. Nyota cannot help but feel miffed. "I didn't realize that you'd feel my leaving would be 'fortunate'."

Spock's normally stoic demeanor falls for the briefest of seconds. His eyelids flutter for a moment, and his mouth barely opens. He looks — dare she say — flustered? It does not last long. "I did not… my intent was not to suggest that I felt any such thing. I would be losing you as an aide. I cannot see how this would put me in a fortunate position."

Nyota rubs her lips together, pondering what to say next. "Okay. So what did you mean when you said, 'This is a fortunate development'?" Her voice is sharp in tone, catching them both off guard.

Spock walks to her right, his hands behind his back. Rather than look at her, he stares at the in front of him. She angles her body and rotates to keep her eyes on him the entire time.

"I only meant that it is fortunate that you are thinking about your future. Should you take a position with Commander Kyle, the expertise you would accrue under his tutelage will serve your training to be a communications officer on any vessel."

"Including the Enterprise?" She raises her eyebrow.

He stops walking and twists around to face her. He shows no emotion. "Including the Enterprise."

Nyota moves closer to Spock. "So as my mentor, you believe that it would be in my best interests to apply for this aideship?"

"That I do. You have grasped the applicable theories and techniques that underlie the foundation for xenolinguistics. Your work with alien languages is unrivaled among your peers. As your mentor, what I would recommend as most beneficial for you is to focus on noise control, noise reduction and operations of the instruments that you will utilize on whichever vessel you will be serving."

Nyota nods. She realizes she is standing awfully close to him. Probably no more than a foot separates them. If she only had the guts to move a bit closer… "That's what I was thinking. I'm glad you agree."

"It is a logical path."

She watches him, her smile closing into a grin. "You're talking as if I've already gotten the position."

"Do you doubt your qualifications?"

"There's always doubt. There will be several qualified applicants to be Commander Kyle's aide."

"But none with my recommendations. Save for one."

She blinks and giggles softly; he has left her flustered, and she hates that she's letting him see this. "I take it you're not referring to Cadet Alden. He's got some xenolinguistic skills himself."

Nyota catches Spock's eyes; for the Vulcan, he is watching her with curiosity, and a hint of confusion.

"I could really only give a recommendation for you, Nyota. I have worked the closest with you, and I have found your instincts, your intellect, and your work ethic to be satisfactory." He arches his brow. "Highly satisfactory."

She smiles broadly again, finally laughing when she can no longer hold back. "Thank you. That certainly means a lot. If you do decide to give me a recommendation," she says, not wanting to appear presumptuous, "I think I'll have as good a shot as anyone to be chosen as his aide."

"You have been and would be the ideal aide for any instructor."

It is uncharacteristic for Spock to compliment her so thoroughly, although his tone and expression remain reserved. But, she will not debate why he's choosing to praise her so. Sometimes, Nyota discovers, she simply needs to know when to say something and when it would be best to say nothing.

After a few moments, Spock breaks the silence. "Might I suggest that you work on completing the application for Commander Kyle and send it to him and Commander Patel as soon as possible."

"I'm almost finished with it. I think I can have it into him by the middle of this week."

Spock nods once. She takes this to mean he approves. "Very well. I will offer my reference for you in person to him. I have been meaning to consult him about upgrades to our transmission cleaners in this laboratory. I have noticed some distortions leaking through several playbacks of subspace transmissions. These are unacceptable to our training modules as we study these recordings."

Nyota's smile never falters. There is something about their conversation that feeds her ever-increasing giddiness and nervousness. Why she is nervous, though, she cannot say. "Thank you. Honestly, I don't think I could've asked for better."

For another fleeting moment, something closely resembling a close-mouthed grin appears on Spock's face. He says nothing to her and instead turns his attention to the PADD that he has been holding in his hands.

Surely this cannot be it? A thousand thoughts, and other things, run through Nyota's mind. Their dinners… their conversations together… the time they have spent inside and outside the language lab…

Her face, alight as Spock spoke compliment after compliment, returns to a more serious expression. Regardless of whatever he may think of her, Nyota does not want to lose this thing she has built with him. But to bring this up could raise some thorny issues between them.

"Perhaps now it is an appropriate time to discuss the cadets' concerns regarding—"

"Spock, can I ask you something?"

His open mouth closes and he stands ramrod straight, looking at Nyota without emotion. "You may."

She swallows as she steps forward. "You know, I'd… I don't want to… what I mean is that I want to make sure that you and I can still talk."

Way to go, Nyota. Think before you speak.

She feels she is digging a hole for herself. Of course, when in this position, she can do little else but keep blabbing. It only gets worse when his eyebrow peaks up.

She attempts to recover. "Maybe meet whenever. Sit and talk. As colleagues. And friends."

The corners of his cheeks twitch. "Nyota, there is no reason for us to discontinue our discussions concerning xenolinguistics and alien cultures, including my own. Indeed, there are other areas of interest to myself that would be most fascinating to discuss with you. And, did we not already agree earlier that we were…" There was the slightest hesitation. "We did agree we were friends, or am I mistaken?"

Once again, she is thankful she didn't botch anything. For a cadet who is supposed to be proficient in languages, Nyota manages to forget all proper communication whenever she has to deal with something far more personal. She does not understand why her brain seems to fail her so.

"No. You're right, Spock. We're friends. So that means I'll still get to see you, even if I start working for Commander Kyle?"

"Without doubt."

"And if I were to ask you to join me for dinner, would you say no?"

Nyota?

What the hell are you doing?

Spock freezes. To anyone else, he would appear normal, but Nyota can see, can even sense his body tightening, his face hardening. It is so subtle, but her discerning eyes notices. His mouth remains shut and he says nothing. For the first time, Nyota finally understands the meaning of the words "an echoing silence."

Her eyes drift slightly to the left. She wants to make something up, go back, and cover her tracks. But she cannot, because her words are already out there.

Dammit!

After a moment, his face relaxes. "I would not deny the opportunity to socialize with you outside of the Academy environment, if that is what you mean."

Too quickly, Nyota replies. "Oh, of c-course I that's what I mean. What would make you think that I mean anything else?" She forces a giggle, which sounds infinitely immature and she quickly bottles it back up. "As friends."

Spock approaches her. "Might we make an arrangement to have dinner together upon your selection as Commander Kyle's aide? This would serve a dual purpose: to demonstrate my appreciation of your work in my lab and with my classes, and to celebrate your new job."

She smiles, although she still feels her nerves. "Aren't you being a bit optimistic, Spock? That I'll be selected?"

"I am only being logical."

She presses her lips shut, but she chuckles quietly. "I accept. Dinner then, but on the condition that Commander Kyle and Commander Patel select me for the aideship."

"Agreed." His expression is soft and his stare lingers on her for a few seconds longer, making her heart throb loudly in her chest.

Talk about Andorian dialects! Talk about Andorian dialects!

Move on! The words ring like the klaxon of a red alert in her head. Move on! Move on!

"Right. So that's done. Moving on." Her voice is uncharacteristically bright as she begins to address the cadets' questions. Nyota keeps her eyes glued to her log, but she cannot help looking over at Spock far more frequently than normal.

And she is certain that his eyes linger on her for a few seconds longer than was necessary.

****

Nyota yawns. This has already been a long week, and now she must bear witness to the slaughtering of Cadet Jim Kirk at the hands of the Kobayashi Maru.

Although, with all the crap he has put her through, Nyota cannot say she would not mind witnessing the destruction of his ego. The bastard deserves it, not only for annoying her at every given opportunity, but because a little humiliation would benefit him, since he will one day command a starship. And captains should not be prisoners of their own arrogance.

She pushes all of this from her mind. The last thing she wants to think about is Kirk, despite the fact that Gaila is desperate, utterly and infuriatingly desperate, to meet him.

"Where is he, Nyota?"

"God, would you stop asking me that?" she asks through gritted teeth. They are just outside the control room for the simulation. This is Gaila's destination, and Nyota will continue downstairs to the mock bridge. The Orion has had one thing on her mind ever since they entered the building — and it wasn't computer programming.

Nyota smacks her friend to get her to pay attention. "You'll see Kirk soon enough. When the simulation starts."

The Orion woman sighs and ceases standing on her tiptoes. "Fine. I can be patient. Besides," she says, narrowing her eyes and grinning in an unnerving manner, "I'll have my revenge on you for being so mean to me." She laughs in a most evil fashion.

Nyota jabs her fists onto her hips. "And what do you mean by that?"

"I get to spend the entire simulation with Spocky-Poo!"

Nyota whacks her.

"Hey!" Gaila rubs the offended spot on her arm, glaring at Nyota. "You've been doing that a lot lately."

She rolls her eyes at her roommate. "Stop giving me reasons to hit you!"

"Stop reacting so much every time I mention your little Vulcan love muff—"

Nyota slams her hand over Gaila's mouth, because the door to the control room beeps. It slides open, revealing the commander himself.

Of course.

A stream of curse words flow through Nyota's mind, but she manages to smile at him. "Good afternoon, Commander."

"Cadet Uhura, Cadet A'baa'ntan." Spock's eyebrow cocks up sharply. "Is there a problem?"

"No sir. Why do you ask?"

"You appear to be covering Cadet A'baa'ntan's mouth with your hand."

Be smooth, Nyota. Be smooth…

"Trust me, Commander," she says, "it's for the better." She hears Gaila huffing behind her hand and she cannot help but feel slightly triumphant with her victory over her chatty roommate.

"Indeed." Spock looks at both women. "Perhaps," he says, finally addressing Gaila, "you should check in at your station. We are almost ready to begin the program."

Nyota removes her hand and stares at Gaila with a sharp expression. She looks pointedly at the now open control room, sending a mental message to her roommate — "Well, you heard him!"

The Orion gives Nyota one final glance. "You haven't heard the end of this, Nyota." And with a smirk that is not lost on her, Gaila wiggles her fingers cheekily, and turns on her heels to enter the room properly.

Nyota presses her lips together; as much as Gaila infuriates her, she brings out Nyota's other side. She makes craziness acceptable; she allows laughter at the occasional insanity that strikes Nyota without warning… mostly when it involves Spock.

"She's a mess," she says with a grin. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

Spock looks at her, perplexed. "You consider her a friend?"

With a smile, she shrugs. "Gaila's been there for me in a lot of surprising ways. When you've lived with someone for almost three years, you learn a lot about each other. And you find your life would be a lot emptier if you had never known them." Nyota smiles and shakes her head. "She's the closest thing I've had to a best friend here at Starfleet."

"This is still true even if you feel annoyance or anger at something she has done?"

Nyota now laughs, even with a slight grimace. "Well, that's how we work together. I'm the one whose feet are on the ground, the sensible one. Gaila's up in the clouds, always restless, always out for fun. I don't let her lose total control, and she doesn't allow me to get too serious about life."

Spock considers this, nodding twice, his mouth barely sloping upward. "Fascinating. Although I admit that it is confusing, the ways in which humans engage each other in their interpersonal relationships has always intrigued me."

She cannot meet his eyes, for if she did, he would certainly see her skin darkening. Instead she gulps and looks at her watch. "You said the simulation's about to start, Spock?"

"We are about to begin. However, I also wanted to inform you that I spoke with Commander Kyle, informing him of the quality of your work for me as my aide, and my recommendation that he hire you as his."

Her breath stalls in her chest. "Oh? You did?"

"He disclosed to me that he has not yet received your application. And neither has Commander Patel."

Nyota visibly winces. "I just turned in the paperwork. Actually, right before Gaila and I got here. I was up all last ni—" A perfectly timed yawn escapes her. She puts her wrist to her mouth as it passes. Spock tilts his head. "L-… last n-night finishing so I could submit them today." The escaping air cuts off her words. She gives her head a small shake. "I meant to turn everything in yesterday, but I got caught up in proof-reading and making sure everything was perfect."

His brow folds inward. "Will you be able to assist Cadet Kirk properly, even though you are clearly fatigued?"

She gives him a slightly peeved look; she knows she can handle her duties, regardless of whether or not she has gotten a proper amount of sleep. "I'll be fine."

"I meant no offense. I wanted only to express concern about your well being. And that after you are done here, you will be able to rest — in order to perform at optimal levels for the rest of the week, of course."

Nyota bites her tongue. She wants to assure him that, yes, she can take care of herself, and that he doesn't need to worry…

But she knows she is particularly cranky because she is so tired. However, more than this, it hits her that he is expressing a degree of care for her condition. Her chest gives a pleasant lurch and she smiles politely at him.

"I'll be fine," she says far more mildly this time. Nyota pivots sharply on her boot heels and walks toward the door. "Besides, I don't think I'm the one you should worry about."

Spock cocks his head. "I should not be concerned about any effects lack of rest will have on your performance tonight?"

She cannot help but laugh; the lack of sleep is making her a bit giddy. "Well, I'm not Cadet Kirk, and this is, thankfully, not my simulation. So, no. I don't think I'm the one you need to worry about." She smiles one last time before giving him a wave so she can take her place downstairs.

****

Five minutes into the test, and Nyota Uhura is sure about one thing—

"This is Captain James T. Kirk," the idiot bellows, unable to keep the swagger out of his voice "USS Kobayashi Maru, do you copy?"

Jim Kirk cannot be separated from his overly-inflated ego.

She pushes down every last bit of sarcasm that threatens to infect her words, and she summons the most professional voice that she is currently capable of. "There's a lot of distortion, but I am picking up chatter on their frequency."

"Put it up on the… er, the… the… thingy."

Her eyes roll so far back, she is certain she can see her brain stem; this is going to be a long day. "The intercom?"

"Yeah. That."

She snorts; behind her, from the center of the bridge at the helm, she hears another cadet grunt disgustedly. And then, a growling observation—

"Maybe you should've picked up a manual teachin' you how to fly your own starship!"

"Bones, is that any way for a first officer to talk to his captain?"

The intercom clicks on, but this time, the voice comes from a slightly annoyed administrator. "This is a reminder to all cadets. Please treat this exercise as if it was an actual mission, and not a simulation."

"Yeah, that's right. You all heard the man. Better treat this seriously!"

"That goes for you as well, Cadet Kirk."

Jim glares up at the observation deck; Nyota thinks he is tempted to flip them off. Thankfully, he does not.

"Resume the simulation." The dispassionate voice of the administrator fills the bridge. Nyota takes this as her cue to turn back to her console, swallowing another yawn.

"Captain Kirk," she says, attempting a little bit more professionalism, "I'm receiving the transmission from the sector now. I'll put it through the bridge."

There is a crackle of static… and a voice cuts through the air.

"This is… Kobayashi Maru… inside the Neutral Zone… hit gravitic mine… ship lost power… life support at sixty percent…"

The transmission fizzles out in static. "You know," Kirk says to his crew, "the more I think about this, the more it could be a trap." He taps his chin with his ring finger. "I'm starting to think that maybe we shouldn't go risking our necks for what could be an ambush—"

There is a loud series of beeps from Nyota's console. She is all too grateful to interrupt Kirk; she can also hear grumbling from McCoy, undoubtedly, he's about start swearing at his friend. Again.

"Oh, would you look at that! Captain Kirk, we are receiving new orders from Starfleet. Since we're the only nearby ship in the system, we're to rendezvous with the Kobayashi Maru and rescue any survivors."

He smirks at Nyota and she blinks rapidly at him, feigning innocence.

"Now, now… watch the sarcasm."

"Be thankful I called you 'Captain,' Captain," she says with a slight sneer. And once again, an audible click fills the mock bridge.

"To all cadets — be professional. We don't want to remind you again."

Jim looks up at the observation booth, exasperated. Nyota scowls; she quickly remembers that Spock is in the control room and can see her throwing attitude at Kirk. However, her annoyance at the cocky cadet and her overall crankiness today seem to be surpassing proper decorum.

Jim sighs, and then he starts barking orders. "Uhura, alert all decks… eh, red alert."

The familiar klaxon sounds and red lights flash across the "bridge."

"Mitchell," Kirk says, his arms crossed in front of his arrogantly puffed-up chest, "set a course for the Neutral Zone. Warp… oh, surprise me."

McCoy turns around, staring at him incredulously. "That's your idea of professional, Jim?"

"Fine, go to maximum warp." The tone of his voice remains as lackadaisical as before.

"Maximum warp, aye."

The display screen counts down from sixty seconds, at which point the simulation will bring them to the Neutral Zone.

Kirk shrugs at McCoy. "Hey. So far, so good."

"For Chrissakes, Jim, you're supposed to take this seriously. You seem to think you're playing a damn board game!"

The intercom snaps on again. "Cadet McCoy, no swearing during the simulation." The doctor grumbles a reluctant acceptance.

"Come on, Bones. I want you to admit, before the end of today, that you would love to serve on my ship."

"Will there even be enough room for a crew once your ego's squeezed on board?"

Nyota takes the opportunity to throw in her two cents; there was thirty seconds left on the clock, after all. "You'd do well to act more professional than you are now."

Kirk struts over to her station, and props himself on the back of her chair. "The way I see it, I've got this whole thing down."

She swivels her entire body to face him. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

He leans down and smirks at her. "I'm running a starship. My crew needs to see me exude confidence—"

She interrupts him. "No, what they need is competence. Also, a tip from your friendly neighborhood communications officer — 'thingy' is not acceptable in any professional parlance."

"You are so freaking uptight, Uhura!"

"Jim… er, Captain," McCoy shouts, "ten seconds to arrival at the Neutral Zone."

He winks at her. "Now, watch me kick this simulation all the way back into the Delta Quadrant!"

She can only shake her head as the counter on the monitor flashes zeros. "I have a feeling that the simulation's got nothing to worry about." She returns her attention to her station, fairly certain that Kirk is about to have his ass handed to him by the computer.