Chapter 11 – Party Time
Zia proofread the last page of her history exam and put her pen down.
"Pens down please," the professor called. All around her, people rushed to get their things together before the professor reached their desk. Zia handed him her exam papers and laced her hands together. Waiting… waiting… "You may leave the exam room."
Chairs scraped along the floor and the cadets rushed from the room. Zia scooped up her satchel and followed them. She had no more exams and could relax somewhat before the party tomorrow. On her way to the library to return some books, she passed by the computer labs and spotted a familiar head inside the long-range sensor lab. She stood outside for a long moment, gathering up the courage, and headed into the lab.
"Hey, Uhura," she said quietly once she reached the computer, "any exams left?" That sounded okay. Uhura looked up at the intrusion and smiled.
"Hey! Yeah, well I'd just completed my last one when dumb Kirk decides he's taking Kobayashi Maru again." She rolled her eyes. "And just as I thought my term was over."
"Kirk?"
"Yeah, that moron. Captain Pike put us in the same group. I was gonna do what I wanted tomorrow, and now I have to take that stupid test."
"That doesn't sound good."
Uhura opened her mouth to respond, when something on the computer screen caught her eye. "Hold up." She examined the screen. "I just picked up an emergency transmission coming from the Klingon prison planet."
"The Klingons have their own prison planet?"
"Yeah…" She opened the message. "Oh god. A Klingon armada has been destroyed."
"How many?"
"Forty-seven ships." Uhura whistled. "I'm glad it was the Klingons and not us." Uhura wrote down the message and then turned off the computer. "I'm going to take the information to Admiral Barnett. I'll see you around, okay?"
"Okay."
The two went their separate ways, Zia wondering who could have destroyed forty-seven Klingon ships…
o.O.o
"This party is hopping!" Tara yelled.
The roommates stood at the entrance to Ripley's Bar. It was more like a club. Huge, bright, vibrant, and filled to the brim with Academy cadets and regular people. Most of the eight-hundred cadets seemed to be at this bar, drinking, dancing, and flirting.
"Tara!" They both turned to see a cadet making his way over. "You wanna dance?"
"I'd love to," she grinned, accepting his hand.
Now alone, Zia sat as close to the wall as she could. She fidgeted with the hem of the low-cut purple dress that Tara leant her. It was the first time she'd not worn her Academy uniform since arriving, and it was strange without it.
Someone slipped into the seat next to her.
"Well, Miss Abbott," Kirk grinned, "fancy seeing you here. Are you enjoying yourself?"
"It's very loud." She glanced to where Tara danced and wished that her roommate was with her.
"You know, I passed the Kobayashi Maru test this morning," Kirk said proudly, leaning close so she could hear him.
"That's nice."
"Hey, Zia, come over here!"
She spun at the shout and saw Uhura sitting at another table a short distance away. Sighing with relief, Zia ran over and left Kirk sitting there in shock. She dived into the seat next to Uhura.
"Thank you!" she shouted.
"You're welcome." Uhura laughed. "You know, when I got back to my room last night I found him hooking up with my roommate." She looked over at the dancefloor. "You wanna dance?"
"Me?"
"Who else?"
"I'm not-"
"Come on!"
Uhura stood and dragged Zia to the dancefloor. Once there, Uhura swayed her hips in time to the music and waved her hands above her head. Zia stood awkwardly beside her. She'd never danced before…
Uhura grasped her hands and started guiding Zia through some steps. Zia copied the beautiful woman and allowed her to lead them into a simple dance that was just for them. When the song changed to a faster beat, Uhura started stamping her feet and Zia copied. Soon they bounced around the floor and she couldn't hide her smile.
She wasn't sure how long they danced for, but after what felt like an age she yelled that she was going to go home. She searched for Tara and found her at the bar with some other women.
"Hey," she said, tapping her roommate's shoulder, "I'm going home."
"Okay. I won't be coming back tonight, so you've got it all to yourself." Tara pulled her into a tight hug and Zia awkwardly patted her back. Then Tara pulled away and forgot Zia was there.
It was much quieter outside, but the streets were still full of noise and activity. It was a Friday night after all. Zia untied her hair, so it flowed loose over her shoulders and covered her ears. She wandered down the main street, her mind coming back into reality, and once it did she realised she had no idea how to get to the Academy. Was this the way she'd come? No, it couldn't be. Where was the Golden Gate Bridge? This was very, very bad.
"Cadet Abbott?"
She spun and spotted Spock approaching her, dressed in a suit and tie. Talk about Spock Ex-Machina.
"Professor!" She couldn't hide her relief. "I don't know San Francisco that well and I'm kinda lost."
"Would you like assistance to return?"
"That would be great, thank you, Professor."
"Of course." He nodded and headed down the street. Zia walked beside him.
"Where did you go?" she asked.
"I attended a dinner for all the professors and senior staff at the Academy," he explained. A group of people pushed into them and he grabbed her arm and pulled her close. Electricity shot through her at his touch and her head swam. Was she going green? She had to be going green. Once the group passed, he let go and pointed at a silver car parked nearby. "I was on my way back to the Academy when I sensed your panic. This car will take us there."
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
He let her slide inside first and sat beside her, shutting the door. The car lifted off the ground and zoomed along the roads and bridge to come to a stop outside the Academy. Spock held the door for her and walked her to her room.
"I bid you goodnight," he said once they were at her door.
"Um, thank you, Professor." She couldn't help but wonder if this was very appropriate. Oh god, her face was going green again. She turned to typed in her code. "Night, Professor." Then she slipped inside, and the door hissed behind her. She didn't move until she heard his footsteps disappear up the corridor.
It was a relief to be out of the provocative purple dress and into clothes she was more comfortable with. She pulled on shorts and a singlet top, turned off the lights and slid straight into bed. Dancing was exhausting work.
She stared at the ceiling and thought of the feelings that coursed through her when Spock had touched her skin. What were they? Was it normal? And what did they mean?
Though her mind was active, her exhausted body succumbed to sleep.
o.O.o
Spock couldn't sleep. He'd tried, but his mind wouldn't silence. So, he resorted to exam marking until the clock struck midnight and anxiety pierced his heart.
He froze. Zia. She was… alone. Where was her roommate? The anxiety gave way to fear and he clutched his chest. The feelings were so strong. She was in danger.
He leapt from his chair and raced to her room, one thing on his mind: protect her. It was an animalistic urge, borne from the unpredictability from mind-melds. While she was in danger he couldn't think of anything else. He didn't care that he ran through the corridors barefoot, clad only in trousers and a jumper. He paid no mind to the drunk cadets stumbling to their rooms.
He thought only of her.
He reached her room and typed in the code, which he unprofessionally remembered, and entered the dark room.
She writhed in her bed, sobbing and whimpering, and he knelt by her bedside and splayed his hand across her face. At his touch, she stilled, and her breathing slowed. He pressed the back of his hand to her chest and felt her heartbeat returning to normal. His job was done, and he prepared to stand.
She grabbed him, so tight that for a moment he thought she was awake, and she whimpered.
"No," she whispered. "Please, don't go."
He was attuned to her mind. She was still asleep. Her hands pulled him close and guided him beside her.
No. He couldn't do this. He had to pull away and leave. This wasn't right. She was a cadet and he was her professor. He knew the rules better than anyone and this went so far beyond the rules that he would never find employment anywhere else.
Yet, her touch excited him. She draped an arm over his chest and wrapped her leg around his waist. His head swam. Why, oh why did she have to make him feel so… human? He felt her breath on his neck and turned his head to see her peaceful face inches from his.
Never, in all his life, had he wanted to kiss someone more than he did right now. His mind flicked to the moment she'd turned in the street and he saw her in that dress. He bit his lip and did his best to ignore the problem in his pants. Everything about this was wrong. He was her professor, and he was a Vulcan for heaven's sake. Vulcan's did not give into their basic desires. They prized logic above all else.
She wriggled against him, her torso melding into his, and he couldn't supress a moan.
Just… just go to sleep. And hopefully he would wake up in time to leave before she saw him there.
He did wake up once during the night. Not fully, but just enough to be aware that she had turned away from him, and he didn't like that. He rolled over, slid an arm around her waist and pulled her into him. They were almost the same height, so he rested his face in her hair and closed his eyes. She wriggled, her legs entwining with his, and reached up to grasp the arm he'd draped over her.
He lulled into sleep again, almost missing her whisper.
"Spock…"