Skylar took the ensign by the shoulders and hoisted herself over his head, tucking and rolling out behind him. As he spun around to kick her, Skylar swung her leg out and knocked the ensign off of his feet where he fell onto his back. A few other red shirted men began to clap as Skylar took a bow before them.

"Lieutenant, you have a visitor," one of them called out over the loud rock music that pulsed the walls of the tumbling room.

Skylar looked up and saw Lt. Amelia Takashi approaching with a tricorder slung across her curvy torso. Skylar touched a button on her arm band that immediately paused the music. To the guys, she instructed, "Let's get this place cleaned up, then an hour of PT." She looked back toward Takashi. "Amelia, right?"

Amelia nodded and stopped before her. "Yeah, I'm your next door neighbor."

"That's right," Skylar said. "Sorry, I'll try to keep it down. I'm sure you need to concentrate and on your codes and data entry."

Amelia laughed. "I actually liked that song. From the twenty first century? Circa 2001?"

Skylar beamed. "Oh my gosh, you know your music. I only listen to the classics."

"I always enjoy your music selection. It helps me concentrate," Amelia said with a smirk. "Anyway, Scotty just got in contact with me. He said he's been trying to reach you."

Skylar pursed her lips and looked over at her communicator which sat on her discarded red shirt. "Oh yeah. I need to remember to keep that on my belt." She turned to Amelia. "It really gets in the way sometimes."

"I can imagine. Well, he said that you need to report to the bridge to run diagnostics on the phaser deck to make sure all weapons are operational."

"Have we come into contact with anything?"

Amelia shook her head. "Just some static interference. Captain Kirk is just being cautious I think."

Skylar crossed her arms over her chest. "Or being logical. I'm sure he doesn't want to upset Spock by running into one of his precious asteroids."

Amelia laughed. "Aside from Leonard – uh, Dr. McCoy, you're the only other person I've heard make a crack about Spock. He seems very … what's the word?"

"Vulcan," Skylar finished for her. "Reserved and stubborn beyond any humanistic means." She glanced off while the ensigns began putting the worked out in room back together again.

Amelia watched Skylar closely. Her eyes almost twinkled. "Ah! I know that look."

"What look?" Skylar asked, coming back to reality.

"That look! You like Spock," Amelia stated in a lower decibel, glancing around at the busy ensigns.

Skylar smirked at her. "Oh, that's right, you're new here. And I'm assuming you haven't had much time off with Sulu to have been filled in on all of the Enterprise gossip. Spock and I are together."

Amelia looked sincerely happy as she clasped her hands together. "Oh my goodness, how amazing is that?"

Skylar laughed. "Oh yeah, it's like being on Cloud 9," she said playfully.

"You two must be so happy," Amelia stated dreamily.

"Lt. Takashi, he's a Vulcan. He doesn't know happiness," Skylar explained as she bent down and began to put a mat back into place. "He doesn't feel like us at all."

Amelia crouched down modestly as she was in a red tunic dress and assisted Skylar in moving another mat. "I do know some things about Vulcans. And I know something about unrequited love. But at least yours holds you and returns the gesture."

"Yeah, to a degree," Skylar considered.

"Maybe he's holding out to say the L word for a really special occasion, like in a wedding vow or something," Amelia suggested as they both stood.

Skylar laughed out loud. "A wedding vow?" she repeated.

Amelia smiled slightly but seemed take aback. "Yeah, what's so weird about that? Vulcans get married."

"Yeah, they marry other Vulcans."

"What gives you the idea Spock wouldn't marry you? I've heard he's half human."

"Regardless, Spock would not marry me," Skylar replied matter-of-factly.

Amelia countered, "Well, that just doesn't make any sense."

"Where's the logic in Spock marrying me?" Skylar asked with a hint of hurt in her tone. "I mean, he sits up on the bridge all day and night long, making critical scientific observations for this ship and its missions. Me, I just tumble around down here all day long, blasting incoherent classic rock music, have a drink in the bar and waste away in space with no real contribution to science." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at her feet.

Amelia took a step closer to her. "But you are significant. You hold the safety to this ship. You know everything there is to know about offensive and defensive strategy and weaponry skills. Your jobs are different but equally important to the preservation of our mission."

Skylar sighed. She looked up at Amelia and forced a smile. "Look, I'm sorry. I don't mean to come off all 'pity party for one' here, but I just don't think it would make any sense for Spock and I to get married. That isn't even an option for me. I don't have time for that. I have my work. He has his. He'd be stupid to waste his time on something as ridiculous as that."

Amelia stood clutching the strap of her tricorder.

"Look, Lt., just tell Scotty I'll be up in a second, ok?" Skylar said to her.

"Yeah, I'll do that," Amelia said. She turned and almost immediately halted as Spock entered the room with his hands behind his back. "Mr. Spock," Amelia said in a surprised greeting and promptly walked past him towards the door.

At this, Skylar stood up straight, her heart pounding. "Spock," she started, taking a step toward him. "I didn't expect to see you down here. At all."

Spock stopped before her. "I was sent by the captain to alert you that you are requested for a weapons check on all phaser decks immediately," he said.

Skylar nodded. "I really need to start wearing my communicator."

"That would be wise," Spock agreed. He turned to leave.

"Spock," Skylar started, taking hold of his arm. He looked back at her. "How – how are you?"

"Quite well, thank you," he replied. "And yourself?"

Skylar smiled. "Great. Just getting ready for PT. Or, well, the guys are. Will you walk me up?"

"Of course, Lt."

As soon as Skylar was in her proper uniform, they headed together toward the bridge. While Skylar and Spock brief meaningless chats here and there, Spock's mind raced. His Vulcan ears had picked on the entirety of the conversation she and Lt. Takashi had shared. In fact, Spock was going to walk in right behind the Lieutenant until he was stopped by Scotty who had asked him whether or not the captain required his assistance on the bridge. Spock had directed him up to the bridge and had paused before the door as he had heard the conversation between Amelia and Skylar turn from Skylar's summons to the bridge to her relationship with him.

"Where's the logic in Spock marrying me?" repeated over and over in his head like Scotty's drunken rendition of his homeland's national anthem; Spock wanted desperately to tune it out but he could not. The analytical part of his brain began to calculate the question. Was there actually any logic to him marrying her? Or was he allowing his human side to get the best of him. The inner Vulcan anger coursed through his veins like magma searing his insides. It plagued him to the point where he had to mentally focus on keeping calm. He could not let his emotions get the best of him. He could not let Skylar see him in such a barbaric state.

Spock had never second guessed himself in his life. But suddenly he was cut down to feeling sincerely human. He felt disgusted.

:::::

"The program is almost ready to go, Captain," Amelia called to Jim as he sat in his chair. "I'm just feeding in the last codes of data into the computer."

"And this should sync all of the recorded data?"

"And everything new that feeds in," Amelia stated.

Jim looked back at Uhura. "Lt. Uhura, any change of pace?"

Nyota turned around. "Up to thirty seconds per minute, Captain," she replied. "The computer is still unable to process what exactly the frequency is or its origin."

A low rumble sounded throughout the shell of the Enterprise. Everyone paused for a moment before returning to their work.

Jim looked to his helm. "Sulu? Chekov?"

"Instrument read out is fine, Capatin," Sulu responded. "No damage."

Chekov added, "Course is unaffected, Cep'ten."

Jim's hands tightened around the arm rests of his chair. "Scotty, I want a thorough diagnostics exam on the core, keep a close eye on her. I want to know the second any of these tremors begin to cause any disturbance to my ship."

"Aye, Captain," Scotty called from over his shoulder just as Spock and Skylar exited the turbo lift. Jim stood from his chair and gave them a small smile.

"I'm assuming Spock talked to you," he said as he walked toward Skylar, Spock heading over to his scanner.

Before Skylar could join Scotty at their mutual console, Skylar stopped before Jim. "Yes, Captain, I was fully updated. I'm sorry I didn't contact you sooner."

Jim beamed and took her by the shoulders. He chuckled. "Well, you could be less robotic about it. I'm surprised about how professional you're being, Skylar. I'd thought you'd be jumping for joy. It is, after all, every girl's dream."

Skylar laughed. "I'm quite used to it now, Jim."

Jim laughed again. "I knew you were a fast girl, but it's only been a few minutes. You can't let Spock take away that inner passion you have, just because you're going to be his wife.

"Jim," Spock called from across the bridge. Everyone silently stopped what they were doing. Skylar's eyes slightly widened and her lips parted as though she wanted to say something but could not find the words. She pulled away from Jim and looked over his shoulder at Spock. He was tight lipped, not far away from how he normally appeared, but Skylar could read his face quite clearly.

Jim looked back at Spock. "But –" He whipped his head around to Skylar. "You said he – he talked to you."

"About running a scan on the phaser deck," Skylar replied firmly. She looked back at Spock. "He mentioned nothing about a proposal."

Amelia watched horrified as she focused on Spock's back.

Jim shook his head. "I am terribly sorry, I shouldn't have said anything at all," he muttered more to himself than to anyone else.

"The fault was entirely mine, Captain," Spock said. "I should have alerted you of the change in plans." Spock turned around toward Amelia, who was sat there awkwardly in his chair. Guilt began to form in the pit of her stomach as she recalled her first and only conversation with Skylar.

Skylar approached Spock. "You were going to propose?" she asked quietly while Jim watched, his face contorted in embarrassment and annoyance.

Spock faced her. "I was, yes. But the idea became invalid after the conversation I heard between you and Lt. Takashi in the tumbling room."

Both Sulu and Chekov eyed each other before looking back towards Amelia, who now sat horrified.

"You listened to our conversation?"

"It was the correct decision," Spock replied. "I could have made a dire mistake. I am satisfied that I was able to avoid it."

Both Jim and Skylar widened their eyes. Jim anxiously ran his hand through his hair while Skylar's eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. Nyota and Scotty exchanged shocked looks and Amelia's hand covered her mouth as though she were going to gasp.

"Skylar, Spock, I need you in the conference room, now," Jim ordered. "The rest of you, get back to work. We need to monitor the situation at hand. I wish to be updated with every change in frequency and instrument."

The Enterprise rumbled beneath their feet for a few seconds longer as Spock, Skylar and Jim walked into the conference room. As soon as the door slid shut, Skylar yelled, "How dare you humiliate me like that in front of everyone!"

It took a surprised Jim to realize that it was not him she was yelling at. Skylar pointed a long finger right at Spock, who leaned against the table with his arms crossed over his chest.

"How did I humiliate you, Lt. Pike?"

"By announcing to the crew that you revoked the proposal you were going to make to me," she explained angrily.

"Your argument is unsound considering you have rejected my proposal in the first place," Spock stated.

Jim approached Skylar. "Skylar, what the hell did you say down there to Lt. Takashi?"

Her eyes brimming with angry tears, Skylar replied, "Amelia found out that Spock and I were together and she was on this kick about us two getting married, and I simply told her that Spock would never marry me."

"She then proceeded to tell Lt. Takashi that it would be illogical for us to be married. She was also concerned about her work, so despite her dispute about the fact that I overheard her conversation, I am satisfied I did. If she does not wish to be married, we shall not be married."

"You say that so calmly, as though you feel nothing about the entire situation," Skylar spat at him. "It was completely rude to listen to us. And instead of saying anything to me while we were walking up to the bridge, this whole thing was displayed for everyone on the bridge."

"I hardly think anyone cares about our affairs," Spock replied.

"You're an ass, Spock," Skylar yelled, her fists clenching at her sides. "Everyone on that bridge cares. If you knew anything about humans, you'd know that they care. You absolutely humiliated me."

"They would be unwise to be affected by such matters. The preservation of this ship is the number one priority."

Skylar groaned loudly. "That is all you think about, work, work, work! You are just like your computer, you never stop working."

Spock's hands dropped to his sides. "As I recall from you conversation with Lt. Takashi, you yourself were quite concerned with being able to work." He paused. "I believe we have reached an impasse in this relationship."

Jim stepped forward. "Spock," he said quietly.

Spock continued as though Jim had said nothing, "It is illogical to remain in something which has become stagnant. If we cannot progress, what is the point in remaining like this?"

Skylar could feel her heart crumbling to pieces in her chest. It was hard to believe how much pain she felt as the explosive anguish tore through her having lived through a considerable amount of let down. She had felt something similar to this before, disappointed as a child when her mother had to return to her starship for another mission. Her heart had been pierced profoundly when she had found out that her mother's ship had been destroyed in battle; and the hole in heart from her mother's death always widened when her father drank until he became an animated shell, as dead as her mother.

Skylar knew disappointment from men. But she had never opened herself to anyone the way she had to Spock. She felt very foolish all of a sudden. She also felt Jim's hand on her shoulder. She laughed bitterly, brushing him away. "It's alright, Captain, I'm a big girl." She gave him a smile. "I'll be fine." Placing her hands on her hips, she walked towards the door. "I'm going to go run diagnostics on the phaser deck, as you ordered."

"Skylar, you may take a break after," Jim offered.

Skylar shook her head. "No rest for the wicked, Captain. The preservation of this ship is the number one priority."

"So it is," Jim said after Skylar walked through the door. After a moment, he looked to Spock, who was staring at the door. "Spock …"

"I have nothing more to say on the matter, except that Lt. Pike is correct," he said as he walked to the door. "We must figure out what will happen to the Enterprise." Spock left Jim alone, Jim staring after him. He remained feeling completely horrible. After a moment, he composed himself, his hand running the ship's frame as he made his way back toward the bridge.