Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry. The new universe belongs to J.J. Abrams and Paramount.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait… I really have no excuse. The next chapter will be longer, I promise. Thanks to SmillyReaper for the encouragement to get off my butt and finish this chapter. It contains a really fun scene to write, with two people sitting at a table and talking and by the end, it is two different people at the table. I'd never done anything like that before that I can recall. Hope you enjoy!

.~.

Chapter 7: Rejection

.~.

The next day

Before he went on shift, Kirk contacted Lt. McGivers and told her about the whole plan to have the survivors of the Botany Bay invited to their reception, should she and Ensign Palmer agree. Not surprisingly, she quickly got back to him with her and her fiancé's overwhelming approval. Kirk was pleased with their response, and promised them that the women who volunteered to plan the reception would be able to factor in the new attendees. They would have quite a party on their hands in a few days!

The wedding and reception couldn't have happened at a better time, Kirk realized. It would be held on the day before the Enterprise arrived at planet Pelasia. A little moral boost couldn't hurt right before an important first contact. He was determined that they would do whatever it took (within reason) to gain an alliance with Pelasia, as the Federation could not afford to lose a planet so rich in dilithium to the Klingons. He didn't foresee any major complications – however, oftentimes it was the seemingly easy missions that gave them the most trouble.

At least the mission should help to take his mind off of Spock and Uhura. Frankly, he was getting tired of having to play relationship counselor for them. Why had he ever decided to be responsible and put his own feelings aside? Oh right – when he signed on to be the captain of the Enterprise. At this point, he just wanted an answer. Were Spock and Uhura going to be able to work out their differences, or were they going to break up? The not-knowing was keeping him a little on edge. Of course, his refusing to allow a deep meld with Spock was going to affect their decision to stay together, but he didn't know how much or in what way. All he knew was that he had to tell Spock, and soon. He was more than ready to relieve his stomach of the knots that had taken up residence.

.~.

During the morning shift, every time Kirk looked at Spock, he squirmed a little with guilt. He was really dreading having to tell the Vulcan that he wouldn't allow a full meld. It was going to hurt Spock's feelings for sure, even though the Vulcan would never admit it. But it couldn't be helped – Spock couldn't find out about Kirk's true feelings for him. Unfortunately, it was Kirk's only option.

After the shift ended, Kirk asked Spock if he would meet with him in his office. Spock, of course, agreed. Once inside Kirk's office, Spock took a seat across from Kirk's desk. He stared expectantly at Kirk, who seemed more subdued than usual.

"I know you know what this is about," Kirk began. "And I just want to say that my answer doesn't have anything to do with how much I trust you. Because I trust you with my life. You know that, right?"

"You have decided to decline my offer," Spock said flatly.

"Yes," Kirk said softly. He almost reached out to touch Spock's arm in reassurance, but stopped himself at the last second. It was getting more and more difficult to curb the instinct to reach out to Spock. "I'm so sorry. I want to help you and Uhura, but I just can't allow a deep meld."

"May I ask why?"

"There are some things about me that I need to keep private," Kirk said firmly.

"I see," said the Vulcan, his emotionless mask securely in place.

"Don't be that way, Spock," Kirk pleaded. "Don't close up on me. I know you're disappointed, but this was the only choice I could make. You must understand that."

"Because you value your privacy." Spock raised an eyebrow, as if to call 'BS'.

"That's right." Kirk bit his lip. He hated, hated denying Spock mental intimacy, but he had made the mature decision. It would be so easy to allow Spock in, to show him how much he meant to Jim. But Spock was still in a relationship, and until that relationship was over, Kirk could not allow mental intimacy between them.

Spock stood up from his chair. "Thank you for informing me of your decision, Captain. Now, I must tell Lieutenant Uhura."

Kirk nodded, and watched Spock calmly walk out of his office. As soon as he thought Spock was out of hearing range, he banged his fist on his desk in frustration. If Spock only knew…

But he couldn't spend his lunch hour wallowing in despair. For one thing, he was getting hungry and he didn't want to waste valuable time sulking. For another, Cochrane was expecting him – at least he didn't hate him right now. That was something, at least…

.~.

Kirk spotted Cochrane and invited him to sit with him at the officer's table. They were joined by Sulu, Chekov, and Giotto – head of security. McCoy and Scotty were still on shift, but Spock and Uhura were suspiciously missing. Kirk, of course, knew why but he didn't tell his friends when they commented on their absence.

"So whatcha been up to today?" Kirk asked Cochrane. It was getting harder and harder to think of him as Khan. Cochrane seemed to suit him better. Also, Kirk didn't want to keep judging him based on a past the man didn't even remember.

"I switched gym schedules with one of my people," said Cochrane. "I worked out with two of my kinsman this morning. I hope you don't mind."

"'Course not," said Kirk, between bites of grilled chicken. "You don't always have to work out with me."

"Actually, Jim, there's more to it than that," said Cochrane, lowering his voice. He glanced over at Sulu, Chekov, and Giotto, who were having an animated discussion about a topic that he didn't understand. They weren't paying attention to him and Kirk at all.

"Yes?" Kirk prompted him.

"The two men that I worked out with, we used a private room and they showed me how much weight they could lift," Cochrane said in a rush.

"Could they lift as much as you?" Kirk whispered.

"Almost," said Cochrane. "I knew then that they must have had their DNA genetically altered as well. They knew that their strength was greater than that of normal humans. They had a reaction similar to mine when I first found out. Thankfully I was able to calm them and tell them that it wasn't their fault. I told them what you said about the Eugenics Wars and it seemed to placate them. Still, I had them promise to keep their strength a secret from your crew, as I don't want to alarm them, or isolate my people any more than necessary."

"Sounds like you handled that very well," said Kirk. "Kudos." He raised his glass of water and clinked it with Cochrane's. But Cochrane didn't return the gesture.

"You aren't concerned that you have three people on board your ship that have superior strength to that of your security forces?"

"No." Kirk started on his apple, chewing thoughtfully. "Should I be?"

"Of course not," Cochrane said hurriedly. "You and your crew have been nothing but kind to us. You could have just ignored our ship, but instead, you brought us back to life."

Kirk was silent, remembering how, at first, he wanted to ignore the life signs on the Botany Bay. He'd been overruled by Spock, of course, and they had followed Starfleet protocol. His insides squirmed guiltily and he quickly changed the subject.

"You never did tell me exactly what you thought of the books you borrowed."

"I practically devoured A Tale of Two Cities," Cochrane enthused. "I can't be sure, but it seemed familiar somehow. I might have read it in my old life."

"I'm glad you liked it – that book's a personal favorite of mine," said Kirk with a grin. "And what'd you think about Sherlock's mysteries?"

"I liked it better than I thought I would," Cochrane admitted. "Sherlock was an interesting character, if a bit eccentric. I liked how he used his powers of deduction to solve his cases."

"If you want to borrow more books, you can. We can set up at time where you can swop the old books for some new ones," said Kirk, feeling satisfaction as he saw Cochrane's face light up.

"I would like that."

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Kirk made a mental note to tell Spock about the two other men with superhuman strength. Not that he thought it would be an issue, but it was just good practice to keep his First informed.

"Jim, I would like your advice on something," Cochrane abruptly asked.

"Anything," said Kirk, and meant it.

"I have overheard several members of your crew talking of Mr. Spock's relationship with Lt. Uhura, and how they are having problems."

"And?" Kirk prompted, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. He really didn't want to discuss that particular subject, but of course Cochrane didn't know that. He shouldn't fault him for it. The subject of Spock and Uhura's no longer solid relationship was one of the top subjects of gossip these days – it was only natural Cochrane had heard about it.

"The men on this ship say that Lt. Uhura is the most desirable woman on the ship. I have decided, as other men have, to inform her that I would be interested in dating her should she and Mr. Spock break up."

Kirk frowned. "And you want my advice on how to do that without sounding like a creeper?"

"Not exactly." Cochrane gave him a sheepish smile. "The women say that you are the most desirable male on the ship."

"Male human, maybe," Kirk muttered under his breath, not really getting where Cochrane was going with this.

"What was that?" Cochrane asked.

"Nothing," Kirk said, his ears burning. How would he explain to Cochrane that he knew that most women on the ship would choose to date Spock over him, and that that fact didn't bother him at all, as he had also fallen for the Vulcan's charms? He really couldn't. "Please continue."

Cochrane cleared his throat. "I wanted to know if you were also interested in pursuing Lt. Uhura, and if so, then I will bow out gracefully. I believe the phrase I have run across was 'bros before hoes'."

Kirk choked on his drink, coughing and wheezing before he could catch his breath. He glanced to see if his tablemates had heard Cochrane, but they were still in deep discussion. Thankfully.

"Jim, are you alright?" Cochrane asked, concerned.

"Fine." Kirk took a deep breath. "Wow, man. That was just one of the funniest things I've heard in a long time. Thanks – I needed that."

Cochrane blinked. "Did I use the phrase improperly?"

"No, not at all." Kirk grinned, still chuckling. "Look, I appreciate your concern, but I am in no way romantically interested in Lt. Uhura. If you want to let her know you're interested, it's your funeral. Just make sure to tell her that you would be willing to wait until she was ready to date again. I know Uhura, and if she and Spock break up, she's going to need some time to sort through things before she puts herself back out there."

"I will," Cochrane promised. Then he frowned. "What do you mean, it's your funeral?"

Kirk laughed. "A long time ago, I let Uhura know I was interested in her. It didn't go so well. But hey, don't let that stop you." Cochrane would just have to find out for himself how Uhura reacted to being hit on by a practical stranger. It would be good for him – rejection always built character.

Just then, Lt. Uhura entered the mess hall, walking straight toward the replicator. Kirk was surprised that Spock hadn't come with her, but surmised that the Vulcan had been called away by one of his lab experiments. Both he and Cochrane watched as the pretty Communications officer then headed towards them, carrying her salad. She sat down next to Kirk, who gave her a sympathetic smile which she returned. He was positive that Spock had already told her that he was not on board to play guinea pig for a second meld. Thankfully, Uhura did not look angry, but merely contemplative.

"Now's your chance," Kirk whispered to Cochrane. "Be nice." Then he stood up, holding his tray. "I was just leaving," he announced. "Lieutenant." He nodded to Uhura, and then departed.

Uhura barely had taken a bite of her salad when Cochrane scooted into Kirk's empty chair. "Uhura, isn't it?" He began, his low voice subtly seductive.

Uhura closed her eyes briefly, letting out a slow breath. She knew she had to be polite to their guest, but that didn't mean she had to like it. "Yes?"

"My name is Cochrane."

"I know who you are," said Uhura, her eyes narrowing just a bit. This was Khan, a genetic superhuman who was allowed to freely roam around the ship thanks to his amnesia and Captain Kirk's leniency. He hadn't done anything to disrupt shipboard activities, but she still did not trust the man. Personally, she would feel safer once Khan and his bunch were off the ship.

Cochrane decided not to compliment one of her features, as that hadn't worked so well with McGivers. Instead, he tried the direct approach. "I just wanted you to know that, should your current relationship not work out, I would like to show you a good time. But only when you are over Commander Spock." He only added that last line at the captain's urging. Cochrane supposed it made him sound sympathetic to her plight.

"Well, Cochrane," Uhura answered, her voice laced with sarcasm, "you'll have to get in line. You're the fifth man to ask me out today."

"So, is that a yes?" Cochrane asked hopefully.

"What do you think?" She glared at him.

"I think you need some time to think about it," said Cochrane, wincing a little at the vibes he was receiving.

Now Uhura did roll her eyes. Some guys just didn't get the message. She hadn't want to shut him down completely, but she didn't want to give him hope either. "Look, Cochrane, all I want right now is to eat my lunch in peace. Alright?"

"Hey, I can take a hint," he said, standing up and grabbing his tray. "But I hope that if things don't work out with the Vulcan, you'll eventually give me a chance. I think we could be great together."

"Goodbye, Mr. Cochrane," Uhura said firmly. She watched as he placed his tray in the recycler and headed for the door, a dazed look on his face. She snorted. What did he expect? She was still with Spock. And even if she was single, there was no chance in hell she'd go out with the guy. She was positive she could do so much better than him.

She had just started on her potato soup when Mr. Scott sat down next to her, his tray loaded with two sub sandwiches. "Lt. Uhura!" He beamed at her. "You're just the woman I wanted to talk to. Listen, I wanted to ask you something."

This was just ridiculous! Six men in one day? Even for her, this was a new record. "No, I don't want to go out with you if Spock and I break up," she gritted out.

Scotty leaned back away from her, a hurt expression forming on his usually jovial face. "That wasn't what I was going to ask."

"Oh God, I'm so sorry," she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Scotty, I didn't mean to assume…"

"It's alright, lass," said the engineer with a nod, and she knew she was instantly forgiven.

"No it's not," she said. "I was awful to you. It's just that I've just been getting propositioned left and right all day and I'm not in the best of moods. It's almost like everyone's expecting Spock and I to fail."

"I'm sure that's not the case," Scotty said kindly. "But, just the slightest hint that your relationship is in trouble, it gives men hope. Look at it from their perspective. You can't really blame them, lass. If you dinnae mind me saying so, you are quite a catch."

"Thanks," she said, touched that he would say such a thing right after she had snapped at him. "That's really sweet."

Mr. Scott flushed. "Well. I'm not the kind of person that would ask a woman out if she was still in a relationship. That would be disrespectful, to her and to her partner."

"Exactly," she said, surprised by Scotty's declaration. "Why don't guys get that?"

Scotty shrugged, mentally thanking the captain for talking him out of asking Uhura out while she was still with Spock. He would've blown it for sure!

"Miss Uhura, I did have something to ask you, if you aren't busy."

"Oh!" She winced. "Yes, of course. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I just asked out Lt. Parthasarathy yesterday," said Scotty, smiling as he remembered doing so. "She's in your department and I was wondering if you knew her?"

"Yes, we're friends," said Uhura, admittedly shocked that the engineer had had the guts to ask out the pretty Indian woman. "Good for you, Mr. Scott!"

"Don't look so surprised, lass. Did you think I'd rather spend all my time recalibrating the engines?" Scotty teased.

"No," she said, a little too quickly.

"Yes you did," Scotty said cheerfully. "And that's okay. It was true, until very recently. You see, at the start of the mission, I really didn't have hardly any time for recreation. Then, when I began to trust my subordinates with my bonnie engines, I gradually had more free time. But I was so used to having to work all the time, I didn't change my routines. I was either on shift, eating, or studying the latest technical journals."

"So what made you want to start dating?" Uhura was curious.

"The captain had a talk with me," Scotty said quickly. "He noticed that I wasn't socializing much, and he helped me gain the confidence to ask out your friend. If you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly 'Mr. Smooth'."

"Trust me, not all girls want 'Mr. Smooth'," said Uhura, secretly impressed that Kirk had gone out of his way to help Scotty in the dating department. Her captain really was nothing like the reckless boy he'd been back at the academy. "I think you'll hit it off fine with my friend. Just as long as you don't talk too much about work."

"Of course not," said Scotty, sounding affronted. "I wouldnae want to bore the lass. Here's what I have planned for our date. I thought we'd start out with something physical. I've booked the tennis court for tomorrow night, since I know how much she loves to play tennis. I'd like to improve my game, so I thought she could give me a few pointers before we play. Then, after she showers and changes clothes, I'll ask her to meet me in the observation lounge. I've already asked around and found out her favorite foods, and I'll replicate our meal and have it ready for her when she enters the observation lounge. I figured we could talk and eat while we watch the stars fly by. Then I'll top off the evening by letting her choose a movie for us to watch together, under the stars."

"But there's no vid screen in the observation lounge," Uhura pointed out.

There is now," Scotty said smugly. "I had a crew install one this morning."

Uhura's eyes widened. Surely he hadn't done so on a whim. "You had the captain approve it, didn't you?"

"Of course." Scotty looked at her strangely. "He went through all the proper channels and everything."

"Huh." Uhura knew she shouldn't still be surprised when she found out that Kirk had done something by the book, but she was.

"So do you think she'll like what I have planned?" Scotty asked.

"It sounds wonderful," Uhura said wistfully. She couldn't think of the last time that she went on an actual date. It had to have been at least a year. Sure, she and Spock spent plenty of time together, but he had found the human courtship ritual to be illogical once they had decided to begin a relationship. She really hadn't minded at the time, but after she heard Scotty describe his date she suddenly realized how much she missed the special treatment. "She'll love it."

"I'm glad you think so," said the Scot. "I just want us to have a lot of fun while we're getting to know each other. You know, no pressure. Well, I'd better get back to engineering. Thanks for listening." He nodded at her, and left her sitting alone at the table, as Sulu, Chekov, and Giotto were long gone.

Uhura couldn't believe the change in Scotty. When they'd first been introduced, the man had practically stammered through the conversation. But apparently once the captain reached out to him, he was almost like a new man. She'd never seen him so enthusiastic about something that wasn't related to engineering or science. It was kind of cute. And it was all thanks to Kirk.

She'd assumed that the captain had been helping her and Spock with their relationship because he didn't want things to be strained between them on the bridge. But wasn't necessary for him to help Scotty – they didn't work in close quarters. But Kirk had helped him anyway, seemingly for nothing in return.

Not for the first time, she found herself reevaluating her opinion of Jim Kirk. If she and Spock did break up, at least she knew that Spock wouldn't be friendless. She'd noticed Kirk going out of his way to build a strong friendship with his first officer. She knew Kirk wouldn't let Spock go through the aftermath of a break up alone. There must be more layers to Kirk that she had realized. Perhaps the things he did weren't just for the good of the ship. Perhaps he did them because he cared. That thought made her smile.

.~.

That night, when Kirk ate dinner with Cochrane in his quarters, he was treated to the story of the man's epic failure at trying to seduce Uhura. He told Cochrane not to take her reaction personally, as Uhura had shot everyone down who had asked her out. When Cochrane asked him why she had done so, Kirk guessed that she wasn't in a place where she wanted to consider giving up on her relationship with Spock. Cochrane then informed Kirk that he'd never understand women. They'd parted amicably, planning on eating breakfast together in the morning.

An hour before he was planning on going to bed, Kirk received a comm from McCoy. The doctor told him that he was ready to release the last group of Botany Bay survivors from Sickbay. While this was good news, Kirk would have to find other accommodations for them. Most of the couples on the ship had temporarily moved in with each other, as had several pairs of friends. But they had been volunteers. Kirk had been counting on more of his crew to volunteer to double up, but it just hadn't happened. He hated to order people to give up their quarters, but it looked like he had no other choice. Although, Cochrane still had the entire VIP suite to himself. Kirk supposed he could squeeze four people in there, if some agreed to sleep on the couches.

He also toyed with the idea of sharing his own quarters. Except for the VIP suite, the Captain's Quarters was the roomiest accommodation on the ship. However, the only person he really knew from the group of survivors was Cochrane. He supposed he could ask Cochrane to room with him, and see what he said. He vowed to do so in the morning. If Cochrane agreed to share his Quarters, that would be a huge burden off his shoulders. Then he would only have to place two more women.

The captain also knew that the third most spacious room was the First Officer's quarters. If he could convince Uhura to room with Spock, that would free up Uhura's quarters for the two women to use. He really hated to ask it of them, since they were already on the rocks. Would living together hurt their already fragile relationship? Kirk didn't know. However, they were the only couple on the ship that was not already sharing a room. He knew Spock would see it as a logical choice, but would Uhura? He also had to be sure that by ordering them to share a room, he wasn't trying to sabotage their relationship. It took him awhile to convince himself that he would ask it of any couple, regardless of who they were. Sometimes sacrifices had to be made when you were serving in Starfleet. All of his crew knew this, as did Spock and Uhura.

The door chime jolted him out of his thoughts. He wondered who'd be disturbing him at this hour.

"Come in," he called.

"I did not wish to intrude at this hour, but it could not be helped," said Spock as he walked inside.

"Spock. Good, I was just about to comm you." Kirk didn't look up from his desk, where he was studying the list of room assignments to make sure that he hadn't overlooked a better solution. He didn't think he had, but it would be best to double check. "Hey, do you think Uhura would be willing to move in to your quarters? I still need to place two more people who were just released from Sickbay…"

Spock didn't answer.

Kirk finally looked up, shocked by what he saw.

Spock's shoulders were slumped, in strange contrast to his usual perfect posture. It was as if he'd just done battle with some invisible force and lost. His tired eyes met Kirk's, who couldn't miss the raw desperation in his gaze. "Captain, I regret that I cannot room with Lt. Uhura at this time, as she has just terminated our relationship."

End Ch. 7

A/N: So S/U are broken up, and yes it's for good. You'll find out why she did it in the next chapter. Thanks for reviewing!