Spock

x

"Thanks again, Jaylah."

Jaylah nodded at the petite woman, as she packed her tools into their carry bag. "I am happy to be helping."

Lt. Bailey smiled brightly at her. "It'll be such a relief to not have to go down to a cafeteria for a late night snack!"

"Yes." Jaylah agreed shortly. Conversation with people other than the Enterprise crew was becoming easier, but still did not come naturally to her. "It is better to not have to go all the way to the main floor for midnight snacks."

Lt. Bailey nodded, friendly smile still easily presented on her round face. "Exactly right."

"I have to go now, I have plans for sparring." Jaylah pointed to the exit of the woman's quarters.

"Oh, fun! I hope you win." Lt Bailey offered, stepping to the side.

"I always win." Jaylah stated, pulling her tool bag onto her shoulder, and making her way out.

Jaylah had been fairly busy over the last few days, ever since she returned Yeoman Yukimura's communicator, and Ensign Downy's PADD to them. It had been almost infuriatingly easy to fix them, and it took her less than an hour for both devices. It had led to her being asked to fix lots of other things, though, and her incurable boredom had lessened considerably.

Most tasks that people were sending her way were simple fixes, much like Yeoman Yukimura and Ensign Downy's. More than a few had required her going into people's personal quarters and apartments to fix things. Sonic showers and replicators, mostly. She preferred those jobs, since they tended to take a little more effort.

She arrived back at her quarters quickly, them being only down the hall from Lt. Bailey's. She looked at the time and frowned. Everyone here seemed obsessed with the time of day, but no one more so than Mr. Spock. She was supposed to meet him in only a few minutes. She was probably going to be late, and then she would have to endure that look on his face. The one that made her feel small.

She changed into her sparring clothes as quickly as should could, dropping her tools on the floor in the middle of the room, and rushed back out to the gym.

She pushed the doors to the gym open with a loud bang, and saw Mr. Spock standing on a mat in the far corner. He, as well as the several other people in the room, turned to look at her disruptive entrance. Jaylah didn't pause or apologize, and instead walked confidently over to him.

"You are late." Mr. Spock admonished, giving her that look that she hated.

"I am sorry, Mister Spock. I was working." Jaylah defended, taking up position across from him.

Mr. Spock bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment. "I have heard you are keeping busy with smaller repair jobs."

"Yes." Jaylah nodded.

"Are you enjoying it?" Mr. Spock asked, falling into a stretch.

"It is better than doing nothing all day while you all are doing your jobs." Jaylah answered, falling into her own stretches. "It would be nice if I was fixing harder things."

"That will come once you begin your training at the Academy." Mr. Spock stated.

"I hope so. I spent so much time fixing my house, that these small things are very boring." Jaylah answered.

"Perhaps you should consider building something." Mr. Spock suggested.

Jaylah looked at him, considering his words. "There is nothing that I need to build."

"You could build something that someone else needs. The Federation is always looking for new innovations."

"Hm." was all that Jaylah said. She had built many traps on Altamid. She had also built more than a few tools to help her fix up her house. Beyond that, she hadn't built something from scratch since she was a child, before her family crashed and ended up in that death place. She used to love it. It was a passion that she'd forgotten when it became a necessity of survival. She hadn't felt like building anything these days. Maybe some day.

"Perhaps I will build something in the future. For now I am happy to fix things." Jaylah stated, falling into a fighting stance. Spock did the same in front of her.

"Fixing things is an admirable calling." Mr. Spock said as she lunged forward with a firm fist aimed toward his face.

He dodged her with a quick movement, grabbing her fist and pulling her off balance. He stepped back as she stumbled. She caught her balance, and turned around to face him again.

"You give your intent away by leading with your right foot." Mr. Spock explained.

Jaylah looked down at her feet with a frown, before nodding. She fell back into a fighting stance, and met his calm gaze.

"I will work on that." She said. This time she waited for him to strike first.

When he did, she blocked his hit with her forearm and threw one of her own, which he blocked in a similar fashion. They began slowly at first, but as they got used to each other's movements, their match picked up speed.

She kicked at his torso, which he caught and took the moment to throw her off balance, which caused her to fall to the mat. She rolled away just as he began to strike down at her, lunged outward with her legs, wrapped them around his chest, and thrust him onto his back. She rolled away, getting to her knees and swinging her arm out.

He grabbed her fist and pulled her forward. She fell, catching herself with the arm he wasn't holding. He sat up, and twisted her arm behind her back, and thrust her forward onto her stomach.

She huffed, realizing she'd lost, and tapped the mat. "I yield."

Mr. Spock released her, stood up, and stepped back from her. Jaylah pushed herself onto her knees, breathing heavily. "How are you so good at this?"

"Training and practice." Mr. Spock answered calmly.

"I have been fighting for all of my life." Jaylah said, standing up and turning to face him. "But still you win."

Mr. Spock bowed his head. "You are very skilled. With some training, you would easily best me."

"What kind of training?" Jaylah asked.

"When you arrive at the Academy, you will take placement exams, including one for your self defence courses. Your skills will easily have you placed in the advanced classes. There, they will teach you new techniques to improve upon your current style. By the time you graduate, I imagine I will stand no chance in beating you." Mr. Spock explained.

Jaylah grinned. "I think you are exaggerating."

"Vulcans do not exaggerate." Mr. Spock responded.

"So you say." Jaylah rolled her eyes.

"Jim mentioned to me the other day that you turned down his offer for a match. You realize that you would likely win with him?" Mr. Spock asked.

Jaylah nodded. "Humans aren't very strong. I prefer a challenge."

"Jim is an accomplished fighter, he would likely provide you the challenge you seek."

Jaylah made a noise from the back of her throat.

"You will have to spar with humans at the Academy, Jaylah. It would not be a bad idea to try it before you get there." Mr. Spock stated, falling back into a fighting stance. "You would be better prepared."

"Maybe you just want me to beat James T in a fight." Jaylah joked.

"Maybe." Mr. Spock agreed.

Jaylah struck first this time, and they fell back into what was fast becoming a familiar rhythm. Strike, block, strike, block. It ended the same way that their matches always did, with her yielding. She tried very hard not to take it personally. This was a friendly match.

"I have noticed that you delayed your departure again. Weren't you meant to leave this morning?" Mr. Spock asked, as he helped her back to her feet.

Jaylah shrugged. That was true. She'd had her bags all packed and everything. She'd gotten a message from Lt. Bailey about her replicator, and Jaylah had just canceled her her flight out on the merchant ship Celestia. She hadn't thought twice about it. She didn't want to leave her new friends yet. Maybe that made her weak, but she didn't care. She didn't care about the boredom during the days, because her nights were always filled with laughing and company. She wouldn't give them up until she had to.

"I did not need to leave yet, so I decided to stay." It was obviously an excuse, and she was embarrassed to have given it. Especially to Mr. Spock who would surely see right through it. Why was the entire crew of the Enterprise so observant? They always knew when she was lying, and why.

"There is a ship scheduled to leave in four days. It will the your last opportunity to make it to Earth before the next school year begins." Mr. Spock stated, and she thought perhaps he hadn't actually noticed what a poor excuse she had offered.

"That is the one I will leave on." Jaylah confirmed, quietly hopeful she wouldn't have to address the real reason she delayed her departure. Mr. Spock was so fearless. She didn't want to admit to him that she wasn't. It was easier with Montgomery Scotty. He wasn't fearless either.

"You did not wish to have some time to adjust to life on Earth before beginning classes?" Mr. Spock asked, tilting his head slightly.

Jaylah shrugged, realizing that she was most likely going to have to admit the truth to him. "My whole life is an adjustment."

"All the more reason to take extra time to acclimate yourself to your home for the next four years." Mr. Spock pressed. He knew. She knew that he did. She wondered briefly if it was because he figured it out, or because Lt. Uhura told him. She was too smart.

Jaylah sighed, once again accepting defeat at the hands of Mr. Spock. "I am not ready yet to leave here."

"Why is that?" Mr. Spock continued.

"Because, Mister Spock," Jaylah paused, "I do not want to leave to where I am alone again."

"You understand, then, that you will not be able to become a Starfleet officer? When the Enterprise's construction is complete, we will be leaving on it and you will not be permitted to join us." Mr. Spock explained.

"I understand that. I am still going to go. I just don't want to leave until I have to." Jaylah answered. "I will join you all someday on the Enterprise."

"You also understand that you will not be alone when you leave here?" Mr. Spock said.

Jaylah sighed loudly. "Not physically."

"You fear you will not find companionship once you leave Yorktown?" Mr. Spock offered.

Jaylah frowned at him, but said nothing. She wasn't sure she wanted more friends, but she was sure that she didn't want to be lonely ever again.

"I knew no one when I enrolled at Starfleet Academy." Mr. Spock said.

"Did you make friends?" Jayah asked, despite herself.

"Not at first." Mr. Spock answered. "Admittedly, I was not concerned with forging friendships."

Jaylah stared at the ground. "I am concerned with it very much."

Mr. Spock paused, looking uncertain for the first time. "The Academy offers a wide variety of clubs and various extracurricular activities. I imagine, if you were to join one or two, that you would find companionship fairly easily."

"Yes, I have been told these things. It does not help with the nerves." Jaylah answered.

"It is normal to be nervous about beginning a new journey, or so I have been told." Spock said, standing stiffly across from her.

"You did not feel nervous?" Jaylah asked. Vulcans were stranger to her than any other species she had encountered in her life. They were so… monotone. She knew they must have feelings, or he couldn't love Lt. Uhura like he did. He couldn't have the friendships that he did. But sometimes it felt like he didn't feel anything at all.

"I was eager to begin my studies." Spock stated.

"I am too eager to begin my studies." Jaylah nodded. "That does not stop the nerves."

"This is a subject that I am… ill equipped to address. Nervousness is not something that I am qualified to help you with." Mr. Spock stated.

"It is alright." Jaylah patted his shoulder kindly.

The corners of Mr. Spock's mouth tilted upward slightly, and then nodded. "Vulcans are not known for their ability to provide comfort."

Jaylah laughed lightly. "Yes, Doctor Bones said something like that the other day."

"Did he?" Mr. Spock asked, sounding annoyed. Well, as annoyed as he could sound anyway.

Jaylah nodded. "He also said that you are a green blooded hobgoblin."

Mr. Spock released what she had come to learn was his version of a sigh. "Yes, that sounds like him."

"In his defence, he was very deep in his whiskeys." Jaylah teased, feeling the tension ease from her body.

"That is also not uncommon for him." Mr. Spock answered.

Jaylah nodded, shifting on her feet. "Is this why you asked me to spar with you today? Because I canceled my flight?"

Mr. Spock nodded slowly. "Lieutenant Uhura suggested that I could offer more insight than the others could, as a non human enrolling at the Academy."

Jaylah laughed. "She loves to be helpful."

Mr. Spock's face softened considerably. "She does, but I am afraid I was unable to offer the help she had hoped."

Jaylah shrugged. "Perhaps not, but I will tell her you did."

"There is no need to lie, she is aware of my shortcomings." Mr. Spock dismissed her.

Jaylah shrugged. That was true. "Then I will tell her you tried your best."

"I appreciate that." Spock nodded.

"I am afraid that people will think that I am strange." Jaylah confessed.

"People often think I am strange. It has not stopped me from having friends." Mr. Spock said, looking her in the eyes.

"But you did not make friends right away." Jaylah pointed out.

Mr. Spock shook his head slowly, agreeing with her point. "No, it took some time to happen."

"Were you lonely?" Jaylah asked, the true root of her fears finally coming out of her mouth.

Mr. Spock lowered his head, briefly. "Sometimes I was."

"I had no friends at all for a very long time. I don't want to go back to that. I don't want to be lonely anymore." Jaylah confessed.

"We will be a com call away at all times, however." Mr. Spock stated, "You will never be truly alone again. I know Nyota would be thrilled to speak with you any time that you are feeling lonely."

"She stops you from feeling lonely." Jaylah smiled softly.

"She does." He confirmed, fondly.

Jaylah smiled. "I will miss you all very much while I am away."

Mr. Spock nodded. "And you will be missed as well."

"Thank you Mister Spock." Jaylah said, "I think you were very well equipped for this conversation."

"You're welcome, Jaylah. I'm relieved you think so." Mr. Spock answered.

Jaylah looked at the time, feeling annoyed with herself for checking. "I have to meet Montgomery Scotty for dinner in an hour."

Mr. Spock followed her gaze. "I have dinner plans with Nyota as well."

Jaylah nodded. "I will talk to you later then."

"I look forward to it." Mr. Spock said as he turned to leave.

"Also, I am glad that you are no longer being stupid." Jaylah smiled, earning an imploring look from him.

"Oh?"

"About Lieutenant Uhura. I am glad you are done being stupid about her." Jaylah elaborated.

"Yes." Mr. Spock nodded. "I am glad as well."

Jaylah watched him leave the room, before following his lead and leaving herself. She felt a little better about leaving. Not a lot, because he was right about being bad at comfort, but a little. Mr. Spock had left his family behind to go to Earth, where he knew no one. Things turned out all right for him, so maybe things will be alright for her as well.

And she really was happy that he and Lt. Uhura had reached some sort of understanding.