Ch 13: Last Day in Paradise

Had Spock not been extremely sensitive to any and all sensations, he would have walked barefoot on the warm sand like Kirk did. As the sand crunched beneath his shoes, he wondered if the potentially scorching hot sand would be worse than the sweltering heat within his shoes. The sea breeze was exponentially more pleasant though; to Kirk, it was a very slight breeze, but to Spock, it was just cool enough and strong enough to lower his body temperature to a more comfortable level.

The thing that was perhaps the most uncomfortable was the snugness of the jeans around his crotch. Normally the jeans fit him securely and comfortably, keeping everything in place without constricting him. Today it was a different story. Spock was unfortunate in the fact that his nether regions were still engorged with blood from that morning's earlier activities. Even the tiniest movement caused the denim to squeeze his member tightly, making the seemingly peaceful walk agonizing.

He looked over at Kirk, who was carrying his flip flops in his hands as they walked. The setting Kalthoria sun cast its golden light on the bronzed man as he stared at the beach ahead of them. His eyes twinkled and shined, looking more like the ocean than the water that splashed at his feet. Staring at Kirk, he didn't know why he had bothered going to the beach at all during their stay. Everything that made it beautiful was seen on a daily basis whenever he looked at Kirk.

Kirk felt Spock's eyes on him and looked back, aiming his ocean blue eyes at his beloved. Spock was bathed in another beam of sunshine as Kirk smiled at him. "You having a good time?" he asked.

Giving Kirk a smile that was equally as radiant but only showed a hint of the pearly teeth behind his lips, Spock replied, "I always have an enjoyable time when I am with you."

Laughing, Kirk asked, "Including last night?"

Spock reached over and intertwined their fingers, letting his love flow from him to Kirk. "Yes," he said softly, "including last night."

They climbed hand in hand to the top of a cliff over looking the ocean and sat down together at the edge. Salt water sprayed them as the waves crashed against rocks beneath them. They were fortunate that no one was in this spot today, as many people flocked to this area for a romantic view of the sun setting over the water. Then again, it was likely that many people were too busy trying to have as much fun as they could in the city since tonight would be their last night on Kalthoria.

Kirk rested his head on Spock's shoulder and smiled at the view before them. Spock's sizzling arm reached around him and pulled him closer to him. His body radiated enough heat to keep him warm had it been winter, but Kirk found no discomfort in it. He was used to Spock's intense heat and worried more when they were the same temperature.

For a while they simply sat in silence, enjoying the view and each other's company. Kirk was the one to break their silence, saying, "It's a shame this is the last night we'll get to enjoy this." Spock remained wordless but nodded his agreement. Pausing for a brief moment, Kirk asked, "Did you enjoy our shore leave?"

Spock turned to look at Kirk, who looked back at him with those shimmering blue eyes of his. Allowing himself a smirk, he replied, "You seem oddly self-conscious today. Is something concerning you?"

Kirk glanced away shyly. "Well, yeah. I mean, I know you enjoyed yourself on our anniversary, but I don't know about the rest of the week. And then there's what happened last night…"

A finger on Kirk's lips prevented any further doubts to spill out. Spock gave him an endearing look and said, "You know as well as I do that if I were having an adverse experience during our time here, I would have openly voiced my complaints. Our shore leave was an enjoyable one; prior to it I was never allowed the chance to explore new activities and gage their emotional effects on me."

Spock's finger slipped from Kirk's lips as he cupped his chin with his hand. He basked Kirk in a full smile, his perfect white teeth shining brightly in the setting sun. "Yet again, you have helped me to 'break out of my shell' as you humans say. Aside from my human heritage, that has proved to be the greatest gift anyone has given to me."

The space between their faces was bridged as their lips met in a tender kiss. Spock's hand moved from Kirk's face to the soft hair he loved so very much, his other hand slipping to the small of Kirk's back and pulling him closer. Spock leaned back and fell backwards onto the sand, taking Kirk with him. Kirk shifted his legs so that they straddled Spock's hips. A familiar hardness in the lower half of both men pressed into each other as their kiss became more passionate.

Kirk pulled back and took a moment to look at Spock, who was breathing hard and gazing up at him through half-closed eyes. Lust swirled in his dark eyes for a second time that day. Kirk chuckled and said, "You know, Sulu said he didn't want us to do anything while you're in his clothes."

No sooner than he said that did Kirk get flipped off of Spock onto his back. Their roles switched, Spock now towered over Kirk with a devious smile on his lips. "Lucky for him I had planned to remove our clothing in the first place."

Valerie and Jennings stood together on the balcony of Valerie's hotel room. Jennings' room was on a lower floor, so the view of the setting sun was better from hers. The wind gently caressed them as they looked at the ocean before them. Jennings' arm was wrapped tightly around Valerie's waist, absentmindedly stroking the soft fabric of her shirt with his thumb.

"This week blew by so fast," Valerie said. "I almost don't want to go back to the Enterprise."

Jennings laughed lightly. "Don't kid yourself Val, you love the Enterprise and you love your job."

She smiled and looked at Jennings. "Not as much as I love you."

"That's good to hear," Jennings said. He removed his arm from around her and pulled a small box out of his pocket. Sinking slowly to the ground and placing one knee on the floor, he opened the box to reveal a small gold ring with five sparkling diamonds. Valerie's eyes grew wide. She clapped one hand over her mouth, not wanting it to continue gaping open in surprise. With her other hand, she grasped tightly onto the railing, as she had suddenly gone weak in the knees.

They had been together for a year and a half, first taking an interest in each other after the party in the recreation room. He had fallen in love with her shortly thereafter, but she took longer to be caught in the waves of romance despite how wonderfully affectionate and loving he was. When she finally did fall in love though, she fell hard. She couldn't stop thinking about him and looked forward to spending time with him after their shifts ended. They even negotiated with their superiors to have shifts scheduled at the same time so they could see each other more. She had dropped hints that she was thinking of spending the rest of her life with him, but she never expected him to purpose during their shore leave.

"Trevor," she said, almost whispering his first name. "When did…"

"When did I find the time to buy you a ring?" he said, asking her question for her. She nodded. Grinning, he said, "Remember that day we dedicated to spend time separately with our friends? While I was out, I picked out this ring and bought it. I knew you wouldn't suspect anything if I did it then.

"So Valerie," he said, gathering all his courage to finally ask the question. "Will you marry me?"

Valerie dropped to her knees and threw her arms around Jennings. She planted kisses all over his face and hugged him tightly. Her laughter was rooted in the immense happiness that filled her heart. He returned the hug with the open box still in his hand. "So…what's your answer?"

She pulled back and looked at him with a huge smile on her face. "What do you think my answer is?!?"

"Well, I'd like to have a verbal answer, since I'll only get to ask this once…"

"Yes! Of course it's yes!" she said, throwing her arms back around him and laughing again. They held each other for a moment longer and then pulled apart. She took the ring and slipped it onto her left ring finger. It was a little tight and took a little effort to put on, but once it passed her knuckle, it twinkled brightly against her caramel colored skin.

"Sorry if it's a little snug," he said, noticing the trouble she had putting it on. "I didn't know your ring size so I guessed."

She kissed him on the lips and smiled again. "Its fine honey," she reassured him. "I love it."

She hugged him tightly one last time and then rose to her feet. Jennings watched her as she ran over to the door and cried out, "Hey wait! Where are you going?!?"

Stopping just in front of the door as it opened, she said, "Where else? I'm going to go brag to my friends!" She waved him over and added, "Come on, come with me!"

Smirking, Jennings shook his head and rose to his feet. Walking over to where Valerie stood, he took her by the hand and left the room to spread the good news.

Chekov stood inside the hotel, staring out the large window by the elevators. The night before was still weighing heavily on his mind. Why had he allowed himself to be seduced by Eliza? He knew that she and Sulu were getting serious with their relationship, so how could he let himself be swayed so easily? He was disgusted with himself; when he went to the bathroom that night to clean up, he couldn't bear to see his own face in the mirror.

Of course, as soon as they were done, Eliza slinked back out of the room as quickly and quietly as she had come in. His grand belief that his virginity would be sweet and romantic was shattered by her swift retreat. The bed felt so much colder after she left the room to return to Sulu's side. Was that really what he wanted? Was casual sex good enough for him? Was he so desperate for any kind of companionship that he'd be satisfied with whatever he got? More so, was it worth the heartache it would cause his best friend when he found out?

Yes, when he found out, not if. Sulu wasn't stupid by any means, nor was he oblivious. Eliza flirted with them both blatantly, so naturally after a while Sulu would become suspicious. Once the accusations began to fly, Chekov couldn't guarantee that he would be able to hide the truth from him.

He made a vow to himself that this was the first and last time he would conduct himself in such away. If Eliza tried seducing her way into his bedroom again, he'd put his foot down and send her out. He'd put her in her place and appeal to her human conscience, since what she was doing was acceptable to her Orion half.

An elevator pinged to his right. When he turned his head to see who was leaving the elevator, he saw Anja's face. Recognizing him immediately, she gave a small wave and walked over to him. She smiled radiantly at him and said, "So, we meet again Mr. Pavel Chekov. Enjoying the sunset?"

Chekov's shyness kicked in as soon as he heard her speak. He bowed his head and nodded. "Yes," he said in a small voice. "Eet's a very beautiful sight. I hawe seen eet eweryday since we came here and yet I still cannot help but to take the time to admire eet wherever I am."

"I agree," Anja said, clasping her hands behind her cutely. While she stared out the window, Chekov took a moment to admire the way the sun's orange glow reflected on her cream colored skin. Anja felt his eyes on her and looked back at him. Embarrassed that he had been caught staring at her he quickly turned away and blushed.

Anja giggled lightly. "You don't have to hide the fact that you're looking at me Pavel," she reassured him.

Chekov's ears glowed brightly as he gave her a sheepish smile. "I am sorry. I was taught you shouldn't stare at a woman, no matter how beautiful they may be. However, like ze sunset, I cannot help but admire your beauty."

It was now Anja's turn to blush. Not only had Chekov compared her to the sunset, but she also had verbal confirmation that Chekov found her attractive. She smiled nervously and decided to change the subject. "So…is there a reason you're admiring the sunset down here instead of from your room? I would think the view from up there would be more satisfying than it is down here."

The smile disappeared from Chekov's face. He stared out the window once more, no longer wanting to make eye contact with Anja. "I…I hawe a lot on my mind. I do not feel comfortable een my room right now."

Anja nodded slowly in understanding. She didn't feel right asking him to talk about his problems since they had just met each other the day before, but she didn't want to just leave him in such a sad mood. "Hey," she said, placing her hand on his arm as she had the night before. "I was going to try and find something to do tonight, but all my friends are busy. Since you're not doing anything, why don't we go catch dinner or something?"

Chekov's eyes widened and sparkled when he looked at Anja. Could she be asking him on an unofficial date? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, Chekov couldn't let the opportunity slip from him now that it was in front of him. Giving a confident smile, he nodded and said, "I would like zat. I would like zat a lot."

They stood smiling at each other for a moment before turning toward the staircase and walking together. Anja slipped her arm around Chekov's and gave him one of the most beautiful smiles he had ever seen. He felt his heart skip a beat; perhaps he would finally get the kind of companionship he had been seeking.

McCoy cursed himself for his culinary ineptitude. If he ever believed for a moment that he could be a chef, the fiasco before him soundly put that thought to rest. Then again, perhaps it was his unfamiliarity with how to prepare the foreign food he had chosen for the dinner that was the cause of his trouble. The formerly pristine stove top was now splattered with Christmas colored stains, the sad result of his attempt to cook the Kalthorian equivalent of mashed potatoes and collard greens. Maybe if he had looked up the directions for cooking Dodekan roots and Gunsa leaves he would have fared better.

Fortunately, nothing was burnt, or at least if anything was burnt, it didn't smell like it was. However, as McCoy fanned the plumes of white smoke that billowed out of the pots in front of him, he couldn't help but feel like he was doing something wrong. The roast in the oven seemed like it was cooking properly, but like any other meat, one never could tell until they cut into it and tasted it. It could turn out to be dry or undercooked or completely flavorless.

He felt like a moron for even suggesting that Chapel come by to enjoy dinner with him on their last night staying in Kalthoria. What possessed him to do that? He had no clue how to cook any of the things he had picked for the dinner; he prayed to God that everything worked out, and if it didn't, he prayed that it wouldn't land him and Chapel in the local hospital getting their stomach pumped.

A tap on the shoulder while he fussed over the food almost caused his heart to leap out of his chest. He spun around to see who was crazy enough to sneak up on him in his current position and came face to face with a smiling Chapel.

"Christine!" McCoy cried, clearly flustered by her appearance when he was far from prepared to serve dinner. "What are you doing here so early?!? I told you to come by at 19:00! It's only 18:40!"

"I know," she said, "but I wanted to watch you while you were cooking."

McCoy groaned. "Well, if you like seeing a grown man flailing around like a headless chicken in the kitchen then you're in for quite a show!"

Christine giggled and stood on tip toe to see behind him. "If you're having trouble, I could always help."

"Oh, like that's not cliché," McCoy said sarcastically. "I didn't invite you over to slave over the hot stove; I invited you over to enjoy my cooking…"

"…which you said you were having trouble with. I know my way around a kitchen and could help."

"You'll do no such thing!" McCoy said, putting his hands on his hips. "If I wanted you to do the cooking, I would've gone to your room, not have you come all the way up here to mine! Now, if you had come when you were supposed to, you wouldn't even know I'm having trouble getting dinner cooked, so why don't you sit down on the couch or something and let me finish, huh?"

Chapel ignored McCoy's requests and pushed past him. She looked at the steaming pots on the stove and stifled a chuckled at the green and red stains on the stove top. She grabbed the spoon McCoy was using and stir the contents of the two pots. McCoy turned around and gaped at her as she blatantly disregarded his request. "Hey, didn't I just say…"

"I can handle things from here Leonard," Chapel said, cutting McCoy off. "If you want to do something, why don't you set the table while I finish things up?"

McCoy's mouth worked as he tried to come up with the words to say to her, but could find none. Sighing, he went to the cupboard to grab the necessary dishes to set the table. He didn't know how their roles had gotten flipped, but he found himself very thankful he suggested going to the café for dessert instead of trying to make it himself.

"Well, that's exciting!" Scotty said as Valerie and Jennings made their way out of the café. They had heard that from Eliza that Scotty and Uhura were having dinner at the nearby café and rushed over to tell them the good news about their engagement. After sharing the news, they decided to go to dinner and dancing downtown to celebrate.

"Indeed it is," Uhura said, putting her elbows on the table and propping her head up with her hands. She gave a small smile at Scotty and asked, "Have you ever considered getting married Scotty?"

Scotty choked on the wine he was in the middle of drinking when Uhura asked her question. He coughed into a closed fist and struggled to catch his breath. When he did, he stared at Uhura with wide eyes. "Wh-why do ye ask that?!?" Scotty stuttered.

Uhura laughed and said, "I was curious since you're older than me. Besides it's nice to know for future reference. You know, in case things between us last long enough for me to consider it myself."

"Oh," Scotty said, placing a hand on his chest and letting out a sigh of relief. "Ye had me scared there fer a wee bit! Ah mean, ah know that we finally made things official between us durin' shore leave, but talkin' about getting' married is a little…well, premature, ye know?!?"

"Oh, yeah, I completely agree," Uhura said as she leaned back in her chair and threw up her hands. She gave him an apologetic smirk and said, "Sorry to scare you like that. I was totally speaking generally, not specifically."

Scotty took a long drink from his glass and nodded. "Right, o' course not! That would be silly!"

Fortunately for the two who had just shared a very awkward moment, Scotty spotted Chekov walking with a girl by his side. He leaned forward and whispered, "Nyota! Look!"

Uhura turned her head toward the direction Scotty looked in and dropped her jaw in surprise. "Oh my…when did Chekov get a girlfriend?"

"Ye've got me lass," Scotty said. "Do ye recognize her?"

Squinting, Uhura tried to see if she recognized her. She thought of the girls she knew that had cream colored skin and red hair and gasped. "That's Anja Liubov! She's friends with Janice and Jeannette! I don't get how they could've met though! She's always stuck in engineering, and when she's not there she helps with security!"

Scotty leaned even further forward and dropped his jaw as well. "Ye're right! That is Anja! Ah dinnae recognize her at first!" He tilted his head. "Ah never expected her ta go fer Chekov…ah'm rather surprised."

"You and me both..."

Not long after Anja and Chekov disappeared from sight they saw Kirk and Spock walking hand in hand back toward the hotel. Their clothing looked extremely rumbled and even from their distance they could see sand all over them. Scotty and Uhura smirked at each other and said nothing more. Nothing needed to be said about those two; one look at their disheveled appearance and how they hung off of each other tiredly told them showed exactly what they had just finished doing.

Uhura and Scotty resumed their dinner together and conversed about other things, like some of the things they did while they were apart and funny things they talked about with their friends. They were about to order a dessert when they saw McCoy and Chapel walking toward them. Uhura's face lit up at the sight of them. She raised her arm and waved broadly to catch their attention. Seeing her, they waved back and came to sit with them at their table.

"How was dinner?" Uhura asked when they settled in to their seats. "Is McCoy as good a cook as he is a doctor?"

McCoy and Chapel exchanged a look and smirked. "Well," McCoy said, "It seems my culinary skills are more attuned to Earth ingredients only. Christine on the other hand seems like she could become a galactic chef if she decides not to go the medical route with her career."

"I had to take over," Chapel clarified. "I also had to clean the mess he made of the stove. Luckily I came by early, so the food wasn't too far gone to save. He's promised to cook me a proper meal sometime in the future."

"Makin' future plans eh?" Scotty smirked. "Well, who woulda thought?"

As McCoy turned a bright pink, Jariden appeared at their table. His face lit up when he saw that McCoy and Chapel had joined Scotty and Uhura. "Well!" he said happily. "It is good to see you again! Have you come to place an order?"

"Yes, we've come for dessert," McCoy said. "Can we get a dessert menu?"

To their surprise, Jariden shook his head. With a wide smile on his face, he said, "No dessert menu is needed my friends. I will bring you our most popular dessert, a cobber filled with Enig berries and Sirian Fruit! It is to die for! Oh, and I'll also bring you all another bottle of our wine!"

A rolled up newspaper hit Jariden over the head. Walking into view from behind him was a shorter female version of him. She crossed her arms and shook her head at Jariden. "Brother dear, what have I told you about being so friendly with our customers? If you keep giving away our wine, you'll put us out of business!"

"But Areida…" Jariden whimpered, his ears pinned back, "they're so nice! And they're friends of Astinder too!"

"Yes Jariden, but you've been giving bottles of wine to every single member of her crew that's come here to eat! Do you realize how much profit we've lost from your little 'gifts'?"

Jariden whined and received another sound bop on the head with the rolled up newspaper. He grabbed his head and held in the tears that threatened to fall from his big brown eyes. "Why are you so mean?"

"Because you're too nice," Areida answered. "Now go get them that cobbler so they can enjoy their dessert. You can bring them each a complementary glass of wine to go with it since the flavor of the wine complements the cobbler, but only one for each of them, and they still have to purchase the dessert. Is that satisfactory?"

His face lit up when he heard that he could still give them free wine with their dessert. Areida turned to the smirking group of young humans and sighed. "I apologize for my brother's overzealousness. He tends to become overly attached to our customers like that."

"No problem at all," Scotty said with a smile. "It's nice ta have such a friendly server."

"You're too kind," Areida said, returning the smile. "Just don't let him hear that or you'll encourage his behavior. I am glad that you've enjoyed your meals here though."

Jariden hurried back to the table with a tray holding four glasses of wine and four steaming plates of the freshly made cobbler. He carefully placed each plate and glass in front of his patrons and then held his tray tightly. "Please, do try it while I'm here! And be certain to take a sip of the wine after your first bite!" Areida glared irritably at her younger brother, whose rapidly wagging tail was hitting her in her leg. His attention was so fixated on the group before him that he didn't even notice it.

They did as Jariden instructed and took a bite of the cobbler. The warmth of the cobbler spread to every part of their body, covering them gently in a soothing warm sensation reminiscent of a mother's embrace. The sip of the wine that followed added a refreshing burst of flavor that washed over them like a wave from the ocean. The same dreamy look appeared on all four of their faces, much to Jariden's delight.

"Ah! They like it! I can tell they like it! Oh this is so exciting! I'm so happy!"

"Jariden…" Areida said warningly. Jariden's ears pressed against his head again briefly at his sister's unspoken reprimand. "Now that you've seen their reaction, let's leave them to their dessert."

"Yes sister," Jariden said, reluctantly turning and walking away with her. Before they re-entered the café, he gave another glance at their table. Ears perked upward and tail wagging, he went back inside the café.

The dessert and wine was so divine that once again they ate in silence. When the last crumb had been finished, they all leaned back in their chairs and sighed contentedly. Areida returned to refill their glasses, adding with a wink, "The refill is free as well. Just don't tell Jariden I did it."

They all smiled back at her and raised their refilled glasses. McCoy said, "Well, tomorrow we return to the Enterprise. It was a relaxing trip that was enjoyed by all. Here's hoping that it leaves a lasting beneficial effect on the crew."

"Here's to Kirk and Spock," Chapel chimed in. "May their engagement continue to go well and may their eventual marriage be a beautiful one."

"And the same to Valerie and Jennings," Uhura added.

"An' let's not ferget our friend Mr. Chekov, who might be findin' love of his own as well!" Scotty said.

The four clinked their glasses together and gave a resounding "Cheers!" before drinking their freshly poured wine.

The sun finally went down over Ninolgog City as the members of the Enterprise enjoyed their final day on the beautiful planet of Kalthoria. Their peaceful stay in paradise would end the next day, returning them to their duties aboard the Enterprise. Though they were reluctant to leave, they were thoroughly pleased with the time they were granted to remember what it was like to enjoy each other's company and spend their days carefree and happy.