Epilogue

The recreation room had blue and gold streamers strung on every wall. Blue and yellow balloons were inflated with helium and hung in various places on the ceiling. Some were clustered and carefully placed in the corners of the room while others were allowed to float freely wherever they may roam. Speakers were set up to play music in the background as well as a handful of tables for people to sit and chat. The usual comfortable chairs had been pushed against the walls, allowing enough space for a dance floor as well.

Sulu stood behind a table covered with various hors de'oeuvers and snacks on one side of the room; next to him was Chekov behind a table with various drinks. Scotty, who had arrived long before Kirk and Spock, was piling his plate high with snacks, much to Sulu's annoyance. Chekov was barely able to swat him away from the drinks to make sure other people were able to have some. Crew members chatted amicably and danced to the party music that played in the background.

Chapel and McCoy stood together, each with a drink in their hand. Azrael had recovered to a point where he could join in the festivities, though he sat in a wheelchair since he was still too weak to walk on his own. McCoy had allowed him to eat whatever he wanted, but kept a strict eye on him to make sure he consumed not even a drop of alcohol. Azrael would have protested, but the number of female crew members that flocked to him kept him distracted. When they asked him what had happened, he lied and said that he had gotten in a fight with an unidentified humanoid life form during the exploration party. He proclaimed that if it weren't for Commander Spock, he wouldn't have survived. Luckily for him and Spock both, everyone believed him.

Uhura stood with her friends, chatting about guys and how much they sucked. They asked about Spock and she told them honestly that he had fallen in love with Kirk, who also loved him. Some were surprised, but others weren't. Her friend Valerie, who was a fellow communications officer, said she knew all along that Kirk and Spock would eventually become romantically involved. Uhura pretended like she didn't say anything to prevent herself from getting angry. She may have accepted their relationship, but she was still a bit sore about the whole ordeal.

Kirk and Spock were the last of the quests to arrive. As soon as they entered, the music stopped as they were greeted with a warm round of applause, much to their surprise. Everyone came up to them with broad smiles on their faces. Some patted them on the back, some even winked at them, but everyone seemed to be in a very positive mood.

At a loss for words, Kirk shouted over the din, "Whoa, hey, guys, what's going on?"

"What do you mean, Captain?" said Eliza, a green-eyed science officer with chestnut brown hair and ruby red lips. "We're celebrating your partnership with Mister Spock!"

Kirk and Spock looked at each other with wide eyes and jaws dropped. They immediately turned their gaze to Sulu, who simply shrugged from afar. Valerie spoke up from further back in the crowd, "We got to celebrate our new captain back at Starfleet, but we didn't know who our commanding officer would be at the time, so there's been no official party to honor you both!"

An ensign from engineering chipped in, "This is our way of showing you both that you have our full support as a crew! You've done so much in the short time we've worked together, and we want you to know how much we appreciate what all you do for us! We wish you all the best and look forward to you leading us together!"

Another round of applause ensued, followed by cheers and whistles. Kirk and Spock were so taken aback by the immense show of support from their crew that all they could do was smile in response. A security officer yelled, "Look! Spock's so happy he's actually smiling!" Laughter and cheers broke out, causing the poor Vulcan to blush a bright green.

With a plate full of food, Scotty waved his free arm and shouted, "All right, all right! Give tha boys some room! They didnae come here ta be crowded, they came here ta have a good time like tha rest of ya! Ye've shown yer support, now get back ta tha festivities!"

Still smiling, most of the crew stepped away from the captain and his first officer and returned to the enjoyment of the party as the music was resumed. Some lingered and continued to lavish the two with warm words of support and adoration, but were promptly shooed away by Scotty, who had deemed himself their bouncer for the night.

Kirk and Spock injected themselves into the crowd and engaged in typical party behavior, though Kirk's normal flirtatious charisma was taken down a few notches considering he wasn't in the market for a pretty girl. Meanwhile, Sulu and Chekov were chatting amongst themselves in a corner of the room. The amount of people wanting food and drink had waned enough were they could safely wander away without worrying that Scotty would scarf down all the food and down the drinks without anyone else having any.

Sulu shook his head at his Russian friend. "I don't see what it is you find so attractive about her, man."

"Eet ees her eyes," Chekov responded. "They are an amazing color of green! They are like emeralds! And her lips! They are red like roses! How can you not find dat attractiwe?"

"I dunno," Sulu said, shrugging. "I'm a little more interested in that communications officer."

"Which one?" Chekov asked, craning his neck.

Sulu pointed at the girl who stood talking to the security officer who had pointed out Spock's smile. The dark haired security guard stood only a couple inches taller than her because of the heels she wore. Her hair comprised of many thin braids and her skin was the color of milk chocolate.

"Why her?" Chekov asked, a confused look on his face. "She ees so plain een comparison to ze emerald eyed beauty!"

Again Sulu shook his head, this time laughing, "To an untrained eye like yours young Pavel, of course she's plain! You're looking for something colorful to capture your eye, but there's much more to look for in a woman! Look at her figure! She's got curves in all the right places! And her face! She's got a beautiful smile, sensual eyes, a beauty mark…" Sulu shivered. "That right there is one hell of a woman!"

Chekov smirked and said, "Eet seems ze security officer she ees speaking to agrees with you!"

Sulu watched in horror as he noticed the body language of both the security officer and the woman Sulu had his eyes on. When he took a closer look at the security officer, he recognized him. "Wait a minute, I recognize that mustache and goatee…damn it! That's Jennings! He's making a move on my girl!"

"I do not beliewe he knows that she's your girl Hikaru," Chekov said with a laugh.

Grumbling, Sulu craned his neck. "Alright, Valerie may be off the market, but I bet Eliza's still up for grabs."

The laugh stopped in Chekov's throat. "Hey, that's not fair! I already called 'Dibs' on her!"

It was Sulu's turn to laugh now. "All's fair in love and war, Pav!"

He rushed off to find Eliza, Chekov right behind him, not wanting him to get an advantage over him. As Sulu and Chekov raced to reach Eliza first, they passed by Scotty, who was eyeing the now unprotected drink selection. He found himself being sadly disappointed by the severe lack of whiskey. With a heavy sigh, he turned and saw that Uhura was also inspecting the drink table. Seizing the opportunity to start a conversation, he walked over to her.

"If it's a good drink yer lookin' fer lass, ye won't find it here," he said sadly.

Uhura looked at Scotty and smiled. "Yeah, I know," she said. "I figure if I look hard enough one might look appealing enough to make myself drink."

Scotty laughed and popped the last of his hors de'oeuvers into his mouth. "Ah get tha feelin' I'll be retirin' to mah quarters soon an' partakin' some real alcohol. D'ya think ye might wanna join meh?"

Uhura turned around and searched the room for her friends. Each of her friends were off with some random crew member flirting, the most successful of them being Valerie, who was engaged with a security officer she didn't recognize. Sighing inwardly at her current lonely state, she faced the Scotsman who was still chewing the last of his mouthful of food. He had a hopeful look in his eyes much like a child hoping to be treated to ice cream.

Shaking her head with a smirk on her face, she looked at him and said, "Sure, why not?"

While Scotty managed not to cheer out loud, the smile on his face spoke volumes. He put his plate down, wiped his hands clean on the front of his uniform pants, and crooked his arm. Uhura slipped her arm through his and walked out of the recreation room with him. As they left the room, they passed by Kirk and Spock, who were surrounded by talkative crew members.

Though Spock was chatting enthusiastically with his fellow crew members, the fatigue he felt was beginning to show on his face. Kirk spotted this and said, "Hey Spock, you alright?"

Spock nodded sleepily. "Yes Jim, I am fine. I am just a little exhausted from the day's activities is all."

Kirk smirked. He couldn't blame the Vulcan for being tired. As usual, he had awakened before him and wondered off to do God knows what. He replied, "Well, I want to talk to you before you drift away to Dreamland, so why don't you head to my room and wait for me there? I'll wrap the party up and get things winded down here."

"Are you certain?" Spock asked. "If you wish to stay longer, I am certain I can continue to engage in social interactions."

"'Course I'm sure." The blue-eyed captain smiled. "You go to my room; I'll meet you there in a few minutes."

Spock nodded, his eyes lightly blood shot as fatigue crept through his body. Quietly excusing himself from the group of crew members that had clustered around him, he bid them a semi-formal farewell before exiting the recreation room and heading to Kirk's quarters.

Kirk finished his conversation with his fellow crew members and then excused himself as well. He took a moment to look around the recreation room and saw that many of the guests had already left. He had planned to announce the end of the party, but the guests that remained seemed to be having such a good time that he doubted anybody would miss either Spock or himself.

He turned on his heel and left the recreation room just as some ancient music from the 20th Century started playing. He shook his head in amusement, wondering who had infiltrated the ship's memory banks with that. Not that he minded. At least it was good music. Besides, he had something – rather someone – else to think about.

The song crooned on the speakers as Kirk left the room:

I go crazy, crazy, baby, I go crazy
You turn it on
Then you're gone
Yeah you drive me
Crazy, crazy, crazy, for you baby
What can I do, honey
I feel like the color blue...

The ancient song wafted through the quieting party. One girl stayed on the dance floor as others drifted off to mingle with the remaining guests. She had her eyes closed as she danced alone to the song. In one hand she held a glass of sparkling white wine, the other twisted through the air in time with the music.

Chekov and Sulu stood to the side of the dance floor, watching her quietly, though anyone who was looking at them could see they were rooted to the spot, riveted by the sight of Eliza dancing. The chase to find her had ended abruptly when they'd finally found her and now they were both trying to gather the courage to be the first to approach her.

The song finished and Eliza's green eyes opened. She saw the two men staring at her and took a sip of her wine before making her way over.

"Hello boys." She smiled, looking at them both.

Now that she was closer, they could see that her skin had somewhat of a greenish tint to it. Sulu made a mental note to find out what race she was. In the meantime, he tried to get his mouth to function.

Chekov swallowed nervously, his previous boldness evading him. He managed a shy smile at the pretty science officer. Eliza chuckled softly, taking another sip of her wine. "What's wrong, Pavel? Cat got your tongue?"

Her eyes twinkled with amusement as she finished her wine and set the glass on a table nearby. Raising her eyebrows, she laid the palm of her hand on Chekov's slack jaw and closed his mouth. "It's not polite to let your mouth hang open when you look at a lady." She smirked, winking at the flushing ensign.

Sulu watched the girl flirt with the younger man and began to feel a little left out until Eliza turned to him and smiled slightly. "Did you like my dancing, Hikaru?" She asked, her eyes twinkling again cheekily.

"Uh… yes." Sulu blushed slightly, not wanting to admit that he'd been staring at her for most of her dance. "You uh, you dance beautifully."

Eliza laughed softly and tapped his nose with a forefinger. "Well, you two are just adorable." She smirked. "It looks like the party is winding down… would either of you like to escort me back to my quarters?" She batted her eyelashes at both men. "Or perhaps you'd both like to?" She added in a breathy whisper. Sulu and Chekov exchanged a glance then resumed their star struck gaze with the woman before them.

When neither man responded, she gave a slightly amused pout and turned. "Guess I'll just go on my own then…" she murmured. Just as she was about to step out the door, she found herself flanked by the two handsome men as they raced after her. She chuckled inwardly, before smiling winningly at them both and leading them toward her quarters.

On the other side of the room, McCoy and Chapel stared in amusement at the antics of the two helmsmen. Chapel tittered lightly, swaying slightly on her feet. In her hand was a slender glass that held the slightest amount of a blue drink that she finished with a final sip.

"Isn't that cute Doctor?" she slurred. "It looks like everybody's finding someone to leave with tonight."

McCoy eyed the tipsy nurse, surprised by how quickly she had become inebriated from the sole drink she had consumed that night. Politely, he said, "Perhaps you'll need someone to escort you to your room as well. You don't look too steady on your feet and the last thing I need is my nurse coming in to sick bay as a patient."

Another chime-like giggle escaped Chapel's lips, which she covered coyly with her fingers. "Why Doctor, it sounds like you're trying to get into my bed!"

Rolling his eyes, he muttered under his breath, "Hardly."

Chapel's legs suddenly gave out under her. Luckily McCoy's hands were free, so he was able to catch her quickly before she fell to the floor. Amused looks from some of the remaining guests around them turned McCoy's face red from embarrassment. As he lifted her up and put her arm around his shoulders, he hissed, "Alright, you've had enough fun for the night. Let's go."

Spock entered the captain's room and stood in its center for a moment. It seemed an eternity since the last time he had set foot in it when it was really a matter of days. The room was unsurprisingly messy; stray articles of clothing lay in various places on the floor and furniture, the covers on the bed were wrinkled and unkempt, and an assortment of knick knacks lay on the desk. Spock shook his head at the level of disorder the room was in. He would have to make sure that Kirk did a better job of keeping his room tidy if he was expected to visit it more often.

On the desk furthest from him sat a data pad that caught his eye. When he picked it up, he recognized it instantly as his own, seeing the poem he wrote during shore leave written in Vulcan. He pondered whether or not Kirk had read it, but paid it no mind. After all, he and Kirk were now in a relationship, so his reading it would be of no consequence now.

Placing the data pad back on the table, he moved toward the bed and straightened out the sheets on it, sitting down once he was done. A long yawn escaped his lips as fatigue washed over him. Patting the pillow at the head of the bed, he lay down upon it and closed his eyes. Surely the captain wouldn't be much longer, so taking the opportunity to rest his eyes for a bit would be fine.

By the time Kirk finally made it to his room, Spock was sound asleep. Kirk sighed and smiled, shaking his head at the snoozing Vulcan. It hadn't even been twenty minutes since he left the recreation room, yet there he was asleep on Kirk's bed.

Kirk walked over to his sleeping beauty and softly kissed his brow. Though the kiss was gentle, the Vulcan proved to only be sleeping lightly, as his eyes opened the moment Kirk moved away from him. In a weary voice, he called out to him.

"Jim...I apologize. It was not my intention to fall asleep before you could arrive..."

"Nonsense," Kirk said with a warm smile. "You looked like you were about to drop when you left the recreation room. I'm not surprised that you fell asleep. Besides, I can wait until tomorrow to tell you what I wanted to say."

Spock was now fully alert again. He sat up on the bed and looked at Kirk curiously. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"

Kirk took a seat next to Spock and placed a hand on his thigh. "First, I wanted to apologize for the things I said on the bridge during the Nero incident. I never did apologize for that, and after what we went through, I don't want that to linger in your mind. It was so easy for me to say those things without really knowing you, but now…" He sighed. "I know better now. I know how you feel about your mother. I know that you feel. And I'm sorry for saying what I did, regardless of why I did it."

Spock looked at Kirk in disbelief. Surely that wasn't something he was still concerned about? He thought it had been made clear that his actions were a necessity for the situation. Then he remembered their argument just before they confessed to each other. Spock had brought Kirk's actions up and thrown it in his face that he never apologized for it. It occurred to him that with the recent events, Kirk probably wanted to clear the air about it officially to put both of their minds at ease.

In a quiet voice, Spock said, "I forgive you Jim. I realize you only said those things in order to gain control of the Enterprise and save both the Earth and the Federation. I should also apologize for attacking you as I did. While my violent reaction was what you were aiming to elicit, I still regret bringing you harm."

Kirk smirked. "Don't worry about it. If I were in your shoes, I probably would've belted me long before you did."

The two smiled at each other for a moment until Kirk turned his head. He felt his heart racing in his chest and couldn't help but chuckle at himself. With all that had happened in the last three weeks, he had to remind himself that he and Spock hadn't really been together for all that long. The butterflies that fluttered in his stomach were a reminder that he was still very new to this whole 'love' thing.

"You know," he began, breaking the silence, "when you lost control of yourself in the brig, I realized something. You mean more to me than anything else in my life, even more than the Enterprise herself. I know I put my life on the line a lot, but I usually do it when I think it's possible for everyone to come out alive. When I went into your subconscious with Prime, I didn't have that security. I was seriously risking my life to save you...and if I had the chance, I'd do it again."

"Jim..." Spock could feel emotion swelling up in him, but Kirk didn't give him the chance to express it. He continued, "I've never felt this way about anyone else in my entire life. I've never wanted to be with someone as much as I want to be with you. Spock…" Kirk turned his head and looked deep into Spock's eyes. "I really, really do love you."

"I...I love you too Jim," Spock said, feeling his throat become tight. He swallowed hard and said, "I apologize for my actions earlier today. You know I would never do anything to deliberately hurt you or anyone else. But now that I am one with Gabriel, I can see what it was he was thinking when he did those things. He was...I was threatened by your relationship with McCoy and the fact that he loves you. Even if he hides it now for our sake, I still sense that love within him. I was, and still am, afraid that someone will take you away from me."

Kirk shook his head and took Spock's hands in his. "You don't have to worry about that, not now, not ever. I am yours, and you are mine. There will never be anyone that can change that. I...I want to be with you and only you. Always."

He leaned forward and kissed Spock sweetly on the lips. Spock reciprocated the kiss fully, removing his hands from Kirk's grasp and cradling his face with them. Kirk moved his now free hands and wrapped them around Spock's waist, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. They fell backwards on the bed and intertwined their bodies, anxious to close any gaps between them.

They broke this kiss only to fill their lungs with air. Lust and want were in both of their eyes as they stared at each other. Kirk smirked and asked, "Are you too tired for a little bit of fun?" Spock rolled on top of Kirk, straddling him. He removed his tunic and undershirt in one fluid motion and threw it behind him. With a smirk, he replied, "You are most fortunate, Captain; I just got my second wind."

Uhura marveled at Scotty's room. She felt as if she had been teleported to Scotland the moment she stepped foot inside of it. Pictures of Scottish landscapes hung from the walls; Scotty's formal uniform, complete with kilt, hung from an open armoire against the back wall. Scotty walked over to the armoire and pulled out a drawer at the bottom of it. From the drawer he pulled out a large bottle of whiskey with a white label on it. Old English printed the spirit's brand name across it. She wasn't familiar with the brand, but if Scotty had a bottle that size of it, it must be good.

"This whiskey was given ta meh by mah great-great-grandfather when I joined Starfleet," Scotty said, holding the bottle much like a proud father would hold his first born son. "It's a hundred an' fifteh-two years old. Ah haven't touched a drop o' it since ah got it. Wanted ta save it fer a special occasion." He carefully unwrapped the plastic covering on the top of the bottle and unscrewed the cap, which he sniffed much like a wine connoisseur would sniff a freshly popped cork. Giving a dreamy sigh, he grabbed one of the empty glasses that sat on his dresser and poured a glass for Uhura. She promptly took the glass from him so that he could grab and pour another glass for himself.

Scotty raised his glass to Uhura and smiled. "Here's ta true appreciation o' fine spirits." Smirking, Uhura raised her glass and clinked it against Scotty's. They drank from their glasses in unison, holding the whiskey in their mouths for a moment before letting it glide down their throats. Uhura felt the familiar burn in her chest as the whiskey made its way to her stomach. The whiskey was strong, but its age mellowed it out and allowed it to go down smoothly. The rich flavor made her tongue tingle, eliciting a smile from her face.

"Good, innit?" Scotty asked, eyeing the beautiful smile on Uhura's lips. Uhura nodded at Scotty and said, "Yeah, it's really good. A little on the strong side, but I like it that way."

A grin spread on Scotty's face when he heard Uhura say the magic words to his heart. Noticing that she had drank a sizable amount of the whiskey he had poured for her he offered to pour her some more. She placed her glass under the open bottle's mouth and happily took the healthy amount of whiskey he poured.

Without missing a beat, she downed the entire glass in one gulp. Scotty stared at her with eyes that rivaled the size of the bottle's bottom. The grin on his face grew wider as she said, "I'm no lightweight when it comes to alcohol. If you want to enjoy your whiskey, you better drink faster."

Feeling an indecent tingle below his waist, he threw back the whiskey he had planned to savor and poured himself another glass. He raised his glass and smiled. "Looks like it's goin' ta be a long night!"

Azrael rolled his wheelchair down the hall as he left the recreation room. After Doctor McCoy and Nurse Chapel left, he partook of a couple of drinks, but sadly there wasn't much left by the time he was able to grab a glass. His head had a pleasant fuzziness to it though, so it wasn't a total loss.

As he rolled down the hall, he passed by the captain's quarters. From behind the closed door, he heard a muffled but very audible shout. "OOH!"

He stopped in the center of the hall and stared at the door in horror. His face had gone completely pale from hearing the shout which clearly came from the Captain, but instantly turned red when he heard the shouting continue. "OH GOD, YES! AAH! AAH! OH SPOOOOCK!"

With a face redder than the shirt on his back, Azrael faced the hall before him and continued his journey back to sick bay, wishing his wheelchair had warp speed to get him there faster. He wanted to pretend he hadn't heard anything and that the alcohol was just playing tricks on his ears, but knew that what had been heard could not be unheard.

What would have easily been a five minute walk to Chapel's room had turned into a fifteen-minute battle with the intoxicated nurse. Though she was definitely light enough for McCoy to lift her off her feet and walk her without interruption, he had elected to drag her very limp and very tipsy body the entire way. His punishment for doing so was being forced to constantly stop and "wait for her legs to work" or to redirect her when she starting flailing and singing, which apparently she couldn't do while she walked. By the time they had arrived at her door, he was half tempted just to let her try and crawl into her room on her own, but the Southern gentleman in him prevented him from doing so.

Luckily, it seemed like arriving at her room gave her the strength to stand on her own. She spun around to face McCoy and grin madly at him. She continued to giggle at some unsaid joke that only she knew the punch line for.

"Doctor McCoy, won't you join me in my quarters tonight?" she said, swaying dangerously on her feet. "It gets so lonely in there."

Stone faced, McCoy said, "No Nurse Chapel, I don't believe I will."

Chapel balled her hands into tight little fists and stomped her feet. "Quit callin' me Nurse Chapel! I told you to call me Christine! Is it that hard for you to understand?" She flung her arms around him and said, "Come oooooon, call me Christiiiiiine! Pretty pleeeease?"

Her attempt at being cute and sweet was counteracted by the smell of alcohol on her breath. Turning his head, McCoy politely removed her arms from around his neck and stood her up on her feet. In a very clinical voice, he said, "It wouldn't be professional."

She pouted, a tear forming in the corner of her eye. "You don't like me, do you?"

McCoy sighed in frustration. All he wanted to do was drop her off and go back to his room to sleep. Why couldn't this be simple? "Listen, this has nothing to do with whether I like you or not! Now you're a nice girl and I think you're pretty and all, but I just got rejected by my best friend and I'm still recovering from the woman that took me for everything I had, only to come back and try to take even more from me! I'm damaged goods! Why are you so damned interested in me? Are you looking for a charity case or are you looking for someone to pull the wool over their eyes?"

The tear that formed at Chapel's eye fell down her face. In a sad yet sincere voice, she said, "No…I'm interested in you because I know that underneath that rocky exterior is a sensitive guy that's dying for the chance to be loved, and I thought I could be the one to love him…"

That was the moment that McCoy felt the bottom of his boot touch the inside of his throat. If he had put his foot any further in his mouth, the sole of his shoe would be melting away from his stomach acid. He covered his brow with his hand and rubbed hard. Did he really want to go through all this again?

"I'm sorry to have bothered you, Doctor," she said sadly. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow…"

She turned to her door and was just about to open it when McCoy grabbed her wrist. "Now wait just a minute. I'm not about to leave you on a bad note like this." She turned back to face him, her beautiful blue eyes sparkling with tears still unshed. Something pulled at McCoy's heart strings when he saw her eyes filled with sadness. Defeated, he sighed. "Listen, I'm in no condition to try and fall in love again so soon, but maybe, just maybe, with enough time, I might be willing to give things a try between us, but only if you give me some space to recuperate! You think you can do that?"

A small smile appeared on Chapel's lips. She nodded and said, "For you, anything." Leaning forward and tilting her head up, she placed the softest of kisses on McCoy's cheek. She pulled her hand through McCoy's grip and squeezed his hand gently. In a whisper soft voice, she said, "Good night Doctor."

Turning around, she opened her door and walked rather unsteadily into her room. When the door closed behind her, McCoy's hand drifted to the spot on his cheek where she had kissed him. For a kiss that had been feather soft, it lingered like no other kiss he had felt. He smirked and shook his head. That woman is going to be the death of me, he thought to himself as he turned down the hall and made his way to his own room.

Scotty and Uhura sat on the floor of Scotty's room, their backs against his bed. The bottle of whiskey was completely empty, the last of its contents being downed by Uhura. They had split the bottle fifty-fifty, but it was clear that Uhura was affected on a greater level than Scotty was. He lifted the bottle and inspected the label. When he saw the small "90 proof" at the bottom of the label and took into account the increased potency of 152 years of aging mixed with the very thin frame of the woman who drank it, he was surprised he wasn't rushing Uhura to sick bay for alcohol poisoning.

"An' den she said it wuz jus a matter o' time 'til Spock an' Kirk hooked up!" Scotty was realizing that Uhura was either a very chatty drunk or had a lot on her chest that the alcohol was letting out. "Ah di'nt say anyt'in, but ah wuz pissed! Even if she'z right, dat don' mean ah wanna herr it, ya know?"

"Aye, ah know," Scotty responded half heartedly. He couldn't blame her for spilling her guts to him, especially with so much alcohol coursing through her veins, but it didn't change the fact that he wasn't exactly thrilled to hear her go on about how she and Spock should still be together.

"But ta hell wit it, ya know? Ah'm a beyudaful woman. Ah'm shmart, ah'm hot, an' any guy who'z straight will be lucky ta haf meh!" She laughed madly and wrapped her arms around Scotty. She looked up at him and smiled. "Ya know, ye're pretty cute."

Scotty's slightly rosy cheeks turned red when he heard Uhura call him cute. "Me?" he said, unable to conceal the surprise in his voice. "Ye think ah'm cute?"

Giggling, Uhura nodded. "Uh huuuuh! Ye're reeeeeeeally cute." She pinched his nose and shook it for emphasis. "Ah dunno why ah never saw it b'fore though. Guess ah wuz too busy looking at Spock's pointy-eared ass…" She hiccupped and grinned widely at Scotty, who was now beet red.

"Ah wish…ah wish ah had fallin' in luff wit you Scotty," she said. Scotty was now so red they could have used his face as a light bulb for the red alert. "Ye're a really great guy, ya know? Ye're strong n' handsome n' sweet…" She put her head on his shoulder and nuzzled his neck.

Scotty's eyes darted around him. He couldn't believe this was happening! Well, he could; after all, she was far beyond just plastered at this point. Even so, he never expected her to hit on him! He figured that she went for the silent and composed intellectual type since she was into Spock, and while he was extremely intelligent, he was far from silent and composed!

With a shaky voice, Scotty said, "Uhm, look, Uhura, ah'm very flattered an' all, but ye just got out o' a relationship with Mister Spock. It wouldn't be proper ta just pluck ya up so soon. Ye need time ta heal an' all that. Don' get meh wrong, ye're a bonnie lass and ah'd be lucky ta have half a chance with ye, but…"

Scotty's flustered rant was cut off mid-sentence by the sound of Uhura snoring softly. He pulled her back just enough to see her face and saw her eyes were shut. It was likely that she hadn't heard a single word he had said, which might have been for the better. He blew a sigh of relief then scooped her up in his arms. Standing up carefully with the snoozing woman in his arms, he laid her gently on his bed and covered her with the flannel comforter. He took a moment to gaze at her as she slept, smiling at how peaceful she looked. Brushing her ponytail away from her face, he kissed her gently on the cheek.

Straightening himself out, he walked over to the couch near the back of his room and sat down on it. He was now very glad he had brought his favorite couch back from Scotland after the shore leave ended. It was a pain getting it into his room, but now that he found himself using it as a bed he praised himself for his foresight. He lay back on the couch, shifted his body until he got into a comfortable position, and then promptly fell asleep.

Kirk's head rested on Spock's chest. The two lay naked in the bed, sticky with sweat and spent bodily fluids. Normally the two would shower after a romp in the bedroom, but both were so exhausted they had just enough energy to readjust their position on the bed so that body parts didn't dangle off the side. The soft sounds of the two men snoozing filled the air. It had been a long and arduous day, and they had more than earned a long rest.

End of Complexity