The Other Woman, chapter 6
Feeling radiant in her new dress, Uhura looked over at the man who walked beside her, and she smiled at the appreciation on his face. He looked very dapper in his formal clothing. It wasn't often that she saw him out of uniform, and even less often that she saw him dressed up.
"Ye look lovely, lass. I'm sure I'll be escorting the most beautiful woman here tonight. I want to thank ye for coming on such short notice."
"It was my pleasure, Scotty. This was a tough week, what with Spock's scare and the fact that I barely managed to stay ahead of my students after spending the weekend at the hospital. I'm ready to relax! Plus, it's been a while since I attended HQ's spring mixer, and it's especially fun to get to wear a real dress instead of my uniform."
"Personally, I liked this party much better when we wore our uniforms, but Nogura changed everything this year. He claimed that he did it to encourage everyone to forget about work, but I really think it was his wife's idea. And remember Nyota, when we see Mrs. Nogura, don't leave me alone with her. She'll start right in on how she wants to introduce me to her sister."
Uhura pushed at his arm. "Maybe you should meet her sister! Mrs. Nogura is a terrific person. If her sister is anything like her, she might be someone you would really like."
"Maybe so, but I'm tired of that woman's meddlesome ways. Hopefully when she sees I brought a date, she'll leave me alone."
"Well, I'm glad to be your decoy. Do you want me to snuggle up to you when we see her?"
Scotty smiled and looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Ah, lass, I'm always glad to have a beautiful woman snuggle up to me, regardless of the reason." He held out his elbow as they approached the wide entrance. "Shall we?"
Laughing, Uhura took his elbow, and they walked through the door. She had to pause for a moment to take in the large, brightly lit room. Everywhere she looked she saw people she knew, handsome men and beautiful women, everyone lively and animated as they laughed and talked. In the front of the room sat a group of musicians, and she recognized that they were playing a quiet version of a currently popular song. She smiled with the realization that the music probably wouldn't be so sedate later in the evening. She and Scotty stepped into the room, and she immediately began greeting people right and left.
Leaning close, Scotty spoke into her ear. "There's Admiral Kirk, over by the back wall next to Kevin Riley."
"Where?" She craned her neck. "Oh yes, I see them. Let's go say hello."
"Lead the way. I'll be right behind ye."
She wove through the clusters of people and waved discreetly when she caught Kirk's eye. Just as she approached, the crowd parted, and she realized that Admiral Kirk and Kevin Riley were not alone. There, beside Kirk, stood a very dark and familiar presence, tall and striking in his black Vulcan robes. He saw her at the same instant that she spotted him.
Ignoring her sudden self-consciousness, she stopped in front of the three men. "Hello! Fancy meeting you here."
"I didn't expect to see you tonight, but I'm glad I did," replied Kirk. "You look lovely."
"You sure do, Commander." Kevin Riley grasped her fingers in his. "I think you get prettier every time I see you. As a matter of fact, I'd better watch out that my wife doesn't catch me holding your hand."
Laughing with delight, Uhura said, "Thank you, Admiral, Commander. And you're both very handsome. All three of you, actually." She felt the blood rise to her face. "Spock, I'm surprised you're here. You must be feeling a lot better."
"I am much recovered, thank you."
McCoy, who happened to be walking up behind Uhura, added, "I told him to stay home, but you know Spock. He never listens to his doctor. Instead, he has to prove to everyone that he's invincible."
"Doctor, I am fine."
Kirk nudged Uhura. "Make Spock tell you the real reason he's here."
She turned toward Spock expectantly. After a moment, he sighed softly and said, "I wished to put to rest the rumors of my premature demise. It is only logical to demonstrate to everyone that I am quite well."
"I'd say that anyone seeing you tonight would be convinced that you're not on your deathbed," she said.
"Exactly."
Scotty scanned the crowd. "And where is Helen? I would think that she'd enjoy an event like this."
Spock hesitated, and Uhura could tell that he was uncomfortable talking about Helen in her presence. "A last-minute complication prevented her departure from the university. She requested that I attend without her."
"That's too bad. She's missing a fine party." Scotty shook his head, then looked toward the bar across the room. "I'm feeling a wee bit thirsty. Nyota, may I bring ye a drink?"
"Yes, thanks. A glass of white wine would be nice."
Scotty glanced at the others. "Anyone else?"
Kirk rattled the ice cubes in his empty glass. "I think I'll go with you. Bones? Kevin?"
"I'm with you, Jim," McCoy drawled.
Riley stepped in the opposite direction. "Actually, I'd better go find Laura. She saw someone she knew earlier, and I think they might have kidnapped her."
Uhura watched the others walk away, then stood beside Spock for several minutes while they gazed quietly at the activity in the room. Finally, he said, "I spoke with Saavik this afternoon. She said that the two of you conversed in great detail last night."
"We had a nice, long talk. Mainly, I just wanted to tell her how impressed I was with the way she handled everything last weekend, but we ended up discussing all sorts of things. I'm still amazed at how she seemed to grow up overnight. All of a sudden, I find that I'm treating her more like another adult than a child. I thought she should know that I noticed her new maturity."
"Is this part of your new philosophy to 'tell all'?"
She scowled playfully, knowing that he referred to her dramatic statement in the hospital. "Absolutely. I told you that the act of saying the words is often as important as the words themselves, and I meant it. I know you're teasing me, but I'm serious. I vowed to myself that from now on, I won't let things go unsaid."
He raised an eyebrow but refrained from comment.
"I can see that you still don't agree. Well that's okay. I suppose that you wouldn't be you if you didn't play your cards close to your chest."
"And I 'suppose' that you would not be you if you settled for anything less than total honesty."
Surprised at his serious tone, she looked up at him. His gaze was steady, and she suddenly realized that their conversation had simply picked up where they left off in the hospital right before he fell asleep. They had spoken very openly then. Did she dare speak so openly now? Should she jump in to something so personal, so quickly? If she didn't say it now, she might never say it.
And there was one more thing she had to know.
Searching his eyes, she said, "I have to ask you, Spock. You know that I, well, I thought you weren't as honest with me as you should have been. You know, back when we were seeing each other. Did I misjudge you? Was I wrong?"
He did not look away, but neither did he speak. After a long silence, he said, "You were not wrong."
She thought about it, then pointed out, "You're being honest now."
"It is easy to be honest now. It was not... then."
"Why?"
"The reason no longer matters."
The noise of the crowd faded as she studied him, trying to understand. Finally, she asked, "And you think that's an honest answer?"
At first, he didn't react to her question, and she continued to wait patiently for his response. When it came, it was not what she had expected.
No inflection in his voice, he said, "Yes."
She pressed her lips together in disappointment, then replied, "Yes. I suppose you're right."
They continued to look at each other. She thought that she detected some sadness in his expression, but she wasn't sure. She wanted to ask him what was going through his mind right now...
Is it regret, Spock?
...but she was afraid of what he might say.
A jovial male voice penetrated the blur of background noise, and she tore herself away to see Scotty approaching with her drink, and Admiral Kirk and Dr. McCoy right behind him. She quickly took the glass from Scotty's hand and sipped, hiding her muddled state. She felt Spock's eyes on her and knew that just like her, he was wondering what had just happened. What were they really talking about? When she finally mustered up enough nerve to meet his eyes again, though, she saw that he was gazing across the room, his back straight and his attention undivided.
She looked over her shoulder and was struck dumb by what she saw. Like a blonde goddess descending from the cloud-filled heavens, Helen emerged from the crowd and walked in their direction. Her chin was high and her clear blue eyes were on Spock, and a brilliant smile lit her features. Gone were the dust and the careless ponytail, and in their place were a strapless ruby-red dress and shiny blonde piled-up hair, combining to emphasize the long, pale, pristine lines of her neck and shoulders. She was breath taking, and Uhura finally realized what Chekov had meant. This woman was stunning. And the expression Uhura saw on Spock's face proclaimed to the universe that he knew exactly what he had: a gorgeous, intelligent, gifted, successful, extraordinary woman.
Raising her own chin defiantly, she stood as tall as she could and smiled her most confident smile. Helen clearly only had eyes for Spock, but Uhura didn't care. She would face Helen with assurance; she would display a conviction that she really didn't feel right now. From the corner of her eye, she could see Spock's expression soften as Helen neared, and she was reminded of the way he had looked at Helen in the hospital.
Just like he used to look at me.
It flitted through her mind before she could stop it. Suddenly, she felt as if something had pierced her to the core. She took a step backwards, nearly overwhelmed by the sensation.
"Greetings, Helen." Spock tilted his head slightly. "Am I to assume that you extinguished your 'fire' at work?"
Her heart pounding, Uhura looked back up at him. He didn't even notice that she was watching him, but she saw the subtle play of humor in his eyes and the hint of shared, tender moments. Oh, she looked at that face and remembered how the planes and angles had felt under her fingertips, she heard that voice and remembered how she had once felt when she knew it spoke only for her ears. Those old feelings... those familiar old feelings. They teased the edges of her mind, drifted just outside of reach, and she felt herself falling toward their seductive warmth.
Helen stopped about two meters in front of him, and Uhura couldn't help but follow the direction of Spock's gaze toward the other woman's perfectly sculpted features.
Utterly composed, Helen said, "Yes. I tried you at home but you must have already left, so I took a chance I'd find you here."
He nodded. "I am pleased that you were able to make it."
After a moment of silent communication, Helen turned away from Spock and greeted the others. Uhura thought that Helen's gaze might have lingered when the two of them said hello, but she wasn't sure. Before she could decide, Helen turned toward Kirk and started a discussion of the politics on Beliya Three, and Spock left to retrieve a whisky sour for his date.
Still trying to understand everything that had happened in the last ten minutes, Uhura watched Spock walk away before she turned slowly back to the others. She didn't want to look at Helen again, for she knew that she couldn't help but see the tall woman through new eyes. Through Spock's eyes, through dark, dark eyes that conveyed an intimacy Uhura had once known. Finally, however, she looked up, and she caught her breath when she found the other woman's cool eyes unflinchingly studying her. Although Helen conversed smoothly with Kirk, she gazed at Uhura, and Uhura understood. Finally, belatedly, jarringly, she understood.
Helen wasn't the other woman—she was. She was the interloper. The other woman, the one who didn't belong. Not Helen. Her.
Suddenly desperate to escape, Uhura looked over at Scotty. She noticed how raptly he followed Helen's dissection of the Beliyan Trade Agreement, but she didn't care. Smiling emptily, she jostled his elbow and forced a lightness she didn't feel into her voice.
"Scotty! They're playing our song. Do you want to dance?"
"Our song, lass?"
"It's lively, it sounds like fun, so it's now officially our song."
He grinned and ushered her toward the dance floor. "Since ye put it that way, how can I refuse? I would love to dance with ye, Nyota."
Relieved to be in the midst of the anonymous crowd, Uhura let Scotty pull her into his arms and spin her onto the dance floor. He wasn't much of a dancer, but what he lacked in ability he made up for in enthusiasm. She shut her mind to everything but the music, the lights, and the laughter around her, and concentrated on Scotty's smiling face.
...
Noticing that Helen seemed to be involved with Admirals Cartwright and Mulligan, Spock took a moment to look around the room. The hour was late, and the crowds had begun to thin. He, himself, had been ready to leave for the last forty-three point two minutes, but he could tell that Helen would not want to be pulled away from her discussion. So, he had waited patiently, taking the opportunity to converse with a number of people he did not often see, and to study the rituals of human behavior that invariably surfaced when an evening such as this wound to a close.
As he scanned the room, he noticed a small group of people standing by the bar. The lights had been lowered in that area, but he could still see very clearly the intelligent brown eyes and gentle smile of one individual in particular. Although there was still a great deal of noise in the room, his ears easily picked out her voice. She had obviously enjoyed the evening. He had noticed her on the dance floor with a succession of partners, smiling and flushed, and he saw now that she appeared to be in a relaxed discussion with a small group of people over in the darkened lounge.
He started in her direction, but before he had completely crossed the room, he comprehended the privacy of her setting. It was very possible that his appearance would be considered an intrusion. In addition, he did not have anything particular in mind that he wanted to say. He checked his step, suddenly uncertain, but she looked up and saw him before he could change direction, and she moved away from the group. He squared his shoulders and approached.
Fortunately, she spoke first. "Hi, Spock. Have you had a good time tonight?"
He raised an eyebrow. "I have found the evening interesting. I engaged in a number of interesting discussions with various members of Starfleet and was provided the opportunity to meet several people I did not know prior to this evening."
She smiled. "So you had a good time."
"That is not an erroneous statement," he conceded. "And you?"
"Yes, I did. I'm so glad I was able to squeeze this in before I return to the Lexington tomorrow."
"When is your next trip to Earth?"
She leaned casually against the bar. "Probably not for another six months or so. My last few trips fell a little closer to each other than I would have liked, so I'm planning to do a better job spreading them out in the future. That reminds me—since I won't be back on Earth for a while, I wanted to figure out a way to spend some time with Saavik..."
Uhura trailed off, and he turned to see that Helen was standing nearby, evidently waiting for him. When Helen realized that she had his attention, she said, "It's getting late. It's probably time for us to be going."
"Of course. I will be with you in one moment, Helen."
"That's okay." Uhura said coolly. "We can talk about this later. I'll give you a call when I get back to the Lexington, and we can make arrangements then."
Spock studied her for a moment, then glanced back over at Helen again. He knew that he was not always the most perceptive person when it came to the subtleties of human behavior, but it was obvious even to him that both women appeared to be on edge. Perhaps the best way to resolve this situation would simply be to surrender.
"Very well. It was agreeable to see you this evening, Nyota. I will speak with you soon."
"That sounds good. Goodbye, Helen. Talk to you later, Spock."
He nodded and accompanied Helen to the door. Behind him, he heard Uhura return to the conversation at the bar.
"I'm glad I could make it tonight," Helen said. "This was a good party. Did you know that Admiral Cartwright..."
As he lagged back to allow her to precede him out the door, he heard the warm sound of Uhura's laughter. It was very faint, almost covered by the swirling background noise of the room, but he clearly recognized it. Her laugh was unmistakable. The door closed behind him, however, and he stepped out into the cool, silent, starry night with Helen.
End story
The next story in this series is The Kobayashi Maru