Disclaimer: I don't own. I don't profit.

Special thanks to beta Notes From the Classroom. Check out her latest "Crossing" for happier S/U and Pike and his Number One.

Thank you every one who has taken a chance on this story and reviewed!

Intermission

The lights flicker on in the rec room. "Hang in there, we'll get this fixed," says the ensign who must have pulled a short straw to get to run the obscure late 20th century movie that's been holofied tonight.

Staring down at the popcorn she's barely touched, Nyota feels her eyes sting a little. Spock's not here. He's not interested in these things. The holo is "based on a real story" which to Spock equates to "approximately 97.5% fiction and 2.5% fact." But tonight it aches more than usual. Spock was hurting, and tonight she wanted to be somewhere alone with him, to help ease his pain.

The Vulcan High Command issued an edict that all male Vulcans contribute "genetic samples" to rebuild the race with the most robust, diverse gene pool possible. Kirk and Bones discreetly let Spock know that the medical facilities were at his disposal. But it turned out that "diverse" didn't include human DNA and the High Command let Spock know his contribution was not necessary. Spock hadn't even told Nyota about it; she'd found out second hand through Bones who just assumed she'd known.

The whole thing made her burn with disgust at the Vulcan High Command and made her stomach twist in knots for Spock.

Spock was withdrawn today, bitter and angry - more bitter and angry than normal. Most people can't see it, but she does. It's understandable; she can't imagine being treated as an alien among her own people. Even boarding school with all those rich kids can only have been a shadow of what Spock went through, still goes through.

Jostling her popcorn, she remembers asking him if he wanted to spend the night with her. He told her he planned to run some experiments in the lab. She knows the experiments aren't vital, and it make her heart fall. But it makes her a little irritated, too. She shakes her head. She has no right to feel this way.

"This is a pretty good holo," says Jim, the only other member of the audience.

At the front of the room the ensign says, "Almost got it figured out!"

Das Leben der Anderen is good. An East German secret police officer is assigned to spy on the private life of a playwright. The spy expects the playwright to be the stereotype of the decadent artist. Finding instead a man of deep principles, courage, and humanity, the spy falls in love with the playwright – or at least his life, and begins to protect him from the mechanisms of the state.

"It is moving," says Nyota, not looking up from her popcorn. But she thinks she might have to agree with Spock on this one. In real life there is no guardian angel who swoops in to rescue you.

"But what I want to know," says Jim, "is when's the killing going to start? If I'm going to watch a holo on East Germany's secret police I expect more blood. And car chase scenes!"

He's not serious. Nyota knows how much he enjoys tense psychological thrillers based on historical events. He's been her only company in more of these old revival holos than she can count. She tries not to admit that she enjoys his presence, or the discussions they have afterwards...just like she doesn't admit she enjoys his presence at the poker games where he's her only real competition, or when he drops by her table in the cafeteria just to harass her. Of course she dishes it right back.

Rolling her eyes, she throws a piece of popcorn at him. Because damn it, the whole crew is so respectful of him, so in awe. She's respectful on duty. He's a good captain, a great captain. But off duty - well, she's not going to let his greatness go to his head.

Catching the popcorn in his mouth, Jim grins at her.

Not hiding her smile, she says, "Wow, we used to have a dog that could do that."

Putting a hand over his heart in a campy imitation of wounded pride, Jim says, "There's just no impressing you, is there?"

Nyota actually is impressed by Jim. A little more every day. "Nope," she says.

"And what's with you always comparing me to animals?" says Jim.

She doesn't always compare him to animals; he's referring to something that happened only once - the night they met. Then she didn't compare him to an animal. She suggested he had sex with farm animals, and was just doing her best to repel the annoying drunk he was. She doesn't correct him, just raises an eyebrow and holds out her popcorn.

"Although," he says reaching a hand into the box, "I suppose I have a lot of dog like qualities. I'm loyal. Intelligent. Honest. A great friend."

Putting the popcorn in his mouth, he smiles at her.

Pulling the popcorn close to her, Nyota says, "And you get around..." Because it's the truth. And really it's the only thing that keeps her from trusting him completely, from letting Jim be the good, really good friend she sometimes has the urge to let him be. She doesn't trust that sort of man.

Jim's face falls. "Hey, I don't become romantically involved with anyone on my crew."

Nyota raises another eyebrow at the excuse. "Yeah, what are you running from, Jimmy?" Half the ship is running from something. There are more divorcees and children of broken homes among the crew than she can count. She's glad she's beyond that. She's built herself a home with a stable man right here in the stars.

Not answering he says, "I do enjoy the company of the fair sex while I'm at port, Uhura." She may call him Jimmy, but he still calls her Uhura. She's never asked him to call her anything different; she's not sure why.

Chin tilted down, eyes a good impression of deadly earnestness, he says, "But I'm always honest. I don't lie to them, I don't make them think that I'm sticking around."

The lights of the rec room go dim.

"Fixed!" says the ensign.

Nyota turns her eyes to the screen.

"I'm serious, Uhura," Jim whispers.

Casting a sidelong glace at him, she sees his eyes still on her. Gaila always said that Jim had more depth than anyone gives him credit for, even told Uhura that he was honest and faithful in his way. Of course, then he'd gone and swiped Gaila's computer access codes to reprogram the Kobayashi Maru.

But right now, with his mouth slightly open and his brows slightly drawn, he looks so sincere. She almost wants to reach out to him, to run her fingers down the cheek that's handsome and a map of tiny scars at the same time. Or press her lips there softly...just to reassure him that she believes him, or pretends to believe him, or something.

She catches herself, and draws back repelled. She's spending too much time with Jim and enjoying it too much. He's a lot of fun, but so is Chang, so was her father. Now here she's falling under his spell, just like all the other women in his orbit.

She's got a good man. A good Vulcan man, who reminds her how logical they are for one another. Vulcans don't lie. And they don't get around. And if Spock is often cold...often withdrawn...well, no couple is perfect. And he's had a hard time after all, losing his planet, and his mother, and no Vulcan will take him because he's half human. If she sometimes feels unappreciated, like his fallback girl, well, that's because she grew up watching her mother's overly dramatic relationships. Real relationships are about understanding that you're not going to enjoy all of the same interests, compromising, and not getting everything you want all the time.

Swallowing she says, "Sure, Jimmy." She turns her eyes back to the flickering light of the holo, but she can feel the heat of Jim's eyes still on her.

A/N:

If you read and enjoyed - or didn't enjoy, but in a good way, please leave a review!