THANK YOU REVIEWERS! This is a bonus chapter in apology for making you wait so long!

I own nothing, Rated M for later chapters…which are coming soon, and enjoy!

A special thanks to Lov2catnap for being a fantastic beta!

I'll be taking a break from this story for a bit soon, just to write some of my others…ones I have neglected in favor of this, because your reviews were so amazing that I had to write more.

OoOoOo

Spock glanced at the female, masking emotion form his face. Though his face was passive, there were signs of acute interest shining behind those deep dark irises. Her incredibly erotic display had stirred something deeper in him. A strange sort of heavy emotion, that Spock could only identify as lust, but there was a large wave of possessiveness, that rose in the wake of it being a public display. He acknowledged that others seeing her doing such an act had upset him. He had further deduced that James was unaware of what Vulcan's considered 'indecent'.

Though indecent, it had not stopped the rush of hot want from flashing through his body.

Her position, when the Romulan had last called, also had jerked something inside him to life. It was a primitive and decidedly dark emotion that Spock had sought to quell, quickly. And yet, he had only partially succeeded in doing so, for he had cut communications with the Romulan by forcing a technical malfunction of the communication line. He had told James the truth, for Vulcans never lied.

For all of his intelligence, he would not have needed even 24.569% of it to understand the fairly obvious returned interest of the terran female. Her heart rate sped up, quite noticeably whenever he was next to her, and her face lacked the signs of human distress. Or, had he failed to hear the difference, the plethora of pheromones James gave off would have been an excellent indication. A baser part of him reveled, as much as was logical, in her reciprocated attraction.

The one 'snag', as he had heard a terran state not 3.125 days ago, was that he was engaged to T'Pring; his very Vulcan, soon-to-be wife, who was waiting for him on Vulcan. A female that would only truly be his complete bond-mate after his first Pon Farr, which he had already been informed, would still be a year off. Spock understood the full ramifications of breaking such a bond would have on his family, and the society of Vulcan proper. So therefore, it was illogical to even entertain any of the thoughts he held toward the human engineer with sapphire eyes.

But by that same thought, he had been unable to stem the flow of such imaginings. His mind had turned slightly traitorous, and all of his meditations could not clear him of some inkling, that somehow, that woman was his. So it had been a sense of correctness that had prompted the Vulcan to invite James to dine with him. He had noted that human customs, like Vulcan ones, allotted for members of the opposite gender to ingest nourishment together.

Said female was nervously glancing about his sparsely decorated room. Items that denoted fondness or affection for certain people, places, and things, were not present, for they were unnecessary. He had consulted with his Chief Medical Officer, T'Starla, upon the appropriate temperature range for terran life forms. Though he was half-human, his Vulcan genes were extremely dominant, and therefore his physiology was nearly purely Vulcan.

In short, he preferred higher temperatures.

"It's nice," James stated as she turned her blue eyes back toward him.

"It is adequate for my needs," he interjected gracefully.

James gave him an amused look that sent a tingle of pleasure ghosting through his thoughts. "Right…"

He inclined his head toward a modest table with a pair of chairs. "Please sit."

"Gladly," she smiled at him kindly, and proceeded to her seat.

"I shall replicate our meal. What do you wish to consume?" His face and voice were perfectly impassive.

She tilted her head, and regarded him quietly for a moment. "I'll have whatever you're having."

Spock nodded curtly, and programmed the mechanism for two orders of a Vulcan cold salad dish, with a side of soup. He could hear her even breaths from where he stood, and for an undiscovered reason, the sound gave him a sense of tranquility. When the food was finished, from its replication process, Spock set the dishes in front of his guest first. He had chosen to honor the terran custom of serving the guest, instead of the Vulcan custom of the guest serving the host. Spock had gathered this information from the darker terran female, named Lt. Uhura, prior to his appointment with James.

"It looks great," James said politely.

Spock was given the distinct impression that she was not fond of the Vulcan diet.

"It is acceptable," Spock reiterated, attempting to subtlety neutralize the human tendency to embellish.

He watched her lips twitch as she repressed a laugh. "Indeed."

Spock nodded, and sought out utensils to aid in their nutrient consumption. When he had placed them, he sat on the opposite side to begin is nutrient intake. He noted that she waited for him to take the first bite before she followed suit. This dish was perhaps, one of the most preferable ones in his experience.

"What kind of soup is this?" She had asked him, a few moments later.

Spock eyed her imperturbably. James stared at him expectantly. He raised a brow in silent question, but found James still stared at him waiting.

"Shur t'bertakk," He stated blandly before returning to his meal.

"Ah-ha!" She exclaimed softly, "What's that?"

His dark eyes shot to her inquisitive face before he recalled that James was decidedly unfamiliar with the Vulcan language. "Bertakk soup," he clarified with dignity.

Silence stretched before them. James looked slightly discouraged, and Spock wondered at the cause. He efficiently ate through precisely 12.569% of his meal before James interrupted the quiet once more.

"And… what…salad?" she looked at him for confirmation. She continued when he said nothing. "What salad is this? It is different form the others I have had so far."

"Pla-savas," he replied.

"Oh," James' blue eyes wandered down to her plate. He watched as she poked a piece of the 'blue-fruit' in suspicion.

"Is the meal not acceptable?" He inquired after a few moments of observation.

She flushed and smiled tightly at him. "Oh, no… It's really good," she lifted a piece of the 'blue-fruit' to her lips before placing in inside her mouth in a flamboyant display. "See?"

Spock noted the slightly green color James turned. Human physiology, despite its fragility, was fascinating. James' smile faltered slightly, and she switched to her soup instead. Spock returned to his own fare with a raised eyebrow, amusement dancing in his eyes. He noted that she was contemplating how to cut up the Mashya, a tuberous vegetable, and picked it up with her fingers when she could not find an appropriate solution.

Spock knew that Vulcans did not like to eat with their hands. However, he was not certain if humans suffered the same preference. It also would have been rude for him to ask her while they were consuming their meal.

"So…your crew seems nice…," James interrupted yet again, and Spock turned slowly toward her. Her observations upon his crew were entirely uneducated. While Vulcans were in fact a passive race, they did not give themselves to the illogicalness of 'niceties'. He stared at her for a long moment before she flushed and resumed eating at a higher vigor.

Their meal had been completed in near silence. He had deducted by her facial expressions, that James was unused to Vulcan food, or the proper way in which to consume it. Spock had also neglected to mention that Vulcan's did not share the custom of speaking while eating. He had been pleased when James stopped attempting to engage him in conversation after the third time. They had cleared their plates and Spock had extended an invitation to his living quarters for a terran game of chess.

"I don't know the first thing about chess," she cautioned firmly.

"Then I shall educate you."

"I hope you have a large amount of patience," she joked softly as her eyes danced, " you are going to need it."

"I am Vulcan," he stated, as he blinked at her ludicrous sentence.

Her lips twitched. "Everyone keeps saying that like I don't have two perfectly good eyes."

"Fascinating," he stated passively.

"That I have two working eyes?"

He raised a brow at her confusion. "No, I believe that is what humans refer to as sarcasm."

Surprise and delight lit her features as she laughed. "That was good Captain Spock."

He noted a phantom squeezing around the center of his chest, where no organs were. Spock pondered the cause of such an internal anomaly. He pushed the observation aside in order to instruct James in the rules of chess. It was a simple terran game that he had replicated in order to entertain her after they had eaten. Spock had collected data that supported the theory that humans were a very energetic species, prone to act out when their minds were not thoroughly stimulated. Spock had refrained from commenting that they were very much like small children in that regarded as they entered his quarters.

James looked at him silently as he finished his explanation of all the rules. The female gave consent to a match, and they set up the pieces, and then sat down. She blinked twice before staring down at the board. "So, who goes first?"

"You are the guest, therefore the rules state that you are allowed to make the first move," he responded passively.

"Alright," she agreed with uncertainty lacing her words.

"It is unwise to move your queen as an opening move," he corrected tonelessly.

"Why? You said it was 'the most versatile piece'," James retorted.

"That is precisely why you wish to protect her." His dark eyes latched onto her blue ones with a hidden meaning buried within his words. "She is…invaluable."

Her lips parted slightly, and James cast her gaze back down at the board. "I see." Her fingers moved away from the queen piece and for a pawn. She slid it one square forward.

Spock calculated that he would be victorious in precisely 5 moves, given her novice status. He made his first move.

"So, what were you doing out in the neutral zone?" James ventured cheerily.

The Vulcan stared at her, with mild amusement. 'Indeed, they are like children in their unrestrained emotions, and curiosity,' He thought quietly. "We were coming back from a 3.412 year assignment."

"Ah," James picked up another piece before setting it down in favor of another. "Then I was very lucky that you stumbled upon us."

Spock recalculated that it would now take 8 moves to defeat her. "It was not 'luck'. That is unquantifiable, and illogical. Also it is impossible for a ship to stumble as it is not-"

Her laughter had stopped his detailed correction of her statement. Spock felt momentarily confused as to the source of her mirth.

"I forget that human statements, and humor, are not universal." The engineer said happily with her blue eyes sparkling at him.

"Indeed. Your observation is correct. Many cultures do not share the terran form of 'humor'." The Vulcan blinked down at the chess board. He reached for a rook and moved to take one of her pawns.

James grinned at him, clearly engaged in their conversation. Her slender fingers grasped a white piece, and Spock could see the area where she had pricked herself in the Engineering bay. His thoughts returned to the exact look she had on her face when her finger had been in her mouth. He looked back at her, and noticed the small flush on her cheeks.

He was mildly surprised that he was forced to recalculate yet again, now it would take 12 moves to claim victory. Spock was aware that Jim had confided in him that she had never played this game, and yet she was doing remarkably well. However, his superior Vulcan logic would garner him the win.

"Do Vulcans and Terrans have anything in common besides being bi-pedal creatures with similar structures?" queried James with interest.

"It has been my observation, that aside from basic physical characteristics, no, there is very little in common." The Vulcan replied, and made his next move.

"Oh, I think there could be a lot in common between us." Her voice changed inflection, and Spock glanced upward to see her concentration at the next move. She smiled lightly at him.

16 moves would be required to defeat her now.

"If you refer to the Federation, then I will modify my answer."

Something danced around in her blue eyes. "I was not referring to the Federation," she stated, and he watched her lips curl into a grin.

"Then I require clarification," He raised a brow, but his voice was neutral.

He mentally continued the game in his head; she was up to 18 moves. Her strategy was one that Spock could not place. It had not followed any form he had seen. His memory was eidetic and therefore he was confident that he had never witnessed such a 'bold' play from anyone.

"While the alliance between our races is a strong one, and has brought both sides a sense of prosperity, I believe that we think more alike than anyone cares to admit." Her head tilted to the side, and she steeped her fingers under her chin, with her elbows resting on the table. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Negative, Vulcan logic, and capacity, are far superior to any terran mind." The Vulcan blinked at her absurd statement.

"Really?" She leaned forward slightly; her eyes were focused intently on his.

He raised a brow at her unnecessary question. "Indeed."

"Checkmate," she called softly. His king dangled from the ends of her fingertips before her word registered properly in his mind. Her eyes were half-lidded, and she was smiling at him in a way that made that phantom muscle twitch appear again.

Spock glanced down at the board as he processed how he had been so unobservant as to not notice her queen as it crept across to defeat him.

"Fascinating," He muttered to himself and James laughed.

"Want to play again?," He watched her head tilt to the side once more.

The challenge was clear between them, and he narrowed his eyes are her. "Indeed."

They set up the game once more quietly. Spock felt her fingers accidently brush his when they had reached simultaneously for the last piece. His mind vibrated with the feel of her enjoyment, amusement, excitement, shock, and the intoxicating undercurrent of sexual attraction. His dark eyes sought hers, and James' were wide in shock. Their knuckles brushed over one another's, their pointer fingers sliding skin on skin.

Spock watched her pull back first. She cleared her throat.

"I won, so I believe you go first?"

"Affirmative," he answered his voice slightly off pitch. His fingers twitched minutely as he withdrew them to move his first pawn. His thoughts churned to safer avenues of discussion.

"I wish to inquire on the term you used upon our initial meeting with the Romulan Sub-commander."

Her face betrayed her puzzlement. "Which term?"

"You stated that the Romulan had been given five days to create a 'pick-up line'. I am still unfamiliar with this term as it was not in any of the standard databases." He intoned stoically as he scrutinized her next move.

A dull blush made its way onto James' cheeks and Spock was amused by how readily humans suffused excess blood into their faces. "You wouldn't find anything in the databases. It is a terran slang term," she peeked up at him, "slang meaning words or phrases that are regarded as informal that are restricted to a particular group of people."

Spock nodded for her to continue.

"A pick-up line, is a statement or joke made to engage an unfamiliar person for romance or dating." James added the last part almost as an afterthought, and she refused to meet his gaze.

"Humans are quite…illogical," he noticed her lips twitched at his words, "I do not see the purpose of such an exercise. I find it would be far more successful to state romantic intentions in the clearest terms possible."

James looked highly amused. "Well, humans do not like rejection."

"I have yet to meet another species that handles rejection amicably outside of my own." Spock raised a brow at her.

The amusement only deepened. "Or as modest," she commented.

"Both modesty, and illogical romantic rituals, have no place in the Vulcan mind," he corrected firmly.

"I take it Vulcans don't believe in love at first sight then, huh?" She moved her bishop to intercept his knight.

Spock blinked at her. "I am also unfamiliar with that phrase."

James chuckled to herself. "You will probably find this illogical as well then. Love at first sight, refers to a human anomaly of feeling romantic affection or attraction for a stranger upon first sight of them."

Something in Spock wriggled hotly at her words. His mental control slammed down harshly on the unknown sensation. He pulled his concentration back toward the game, and not the flurry of unspoken human emotion that warred underneath his control.

"Indeed, that is illogical. It is impossible to feel an attachment to something you have no previous knowledge of," Spock interjected logically.

"That is your opinion. It doesn't have to be logical to be probable. I personally believe it is very possible." Her blue eyes pierced his dark brown ones.

A tense moment passed between the pair. Spock's mind grasped for understanding, and why he felt a thrum of heat wash in his blood. TO his intelligent mind, he comprehended that she was implying something, but the only conjecture he could arrive at made no logical sense.

"Just because you accept it as true does not make it so, Chief Engineer Kirk." Spock slid his bishop for his next move.

"And, just because you cannot quantify it, does not make it any less real." She retorted, countering his move gracefully.

"Negative," he responded firmly. "When you can quantify something, only then is it proven true."

A soft indulgent sigh met his words, and James leaned closer.

"Some things cannot be 'proven'. Something's just are. And, sometimes, Captain Spock…," her fingers hovered dangerously close to his, "a human just knows."

He was silent for a single moment before taking his turn. "Checkmate," he stated neutrally.

The human grinned at him widely, a knowing look in her eyes. "I guess that makes us even."

Spock's katra surged with her words. The Vulcan contemplated the strange sensations that only came when she was in close proximity. James had stated that upon occasion a human can just 'know' when they are meant for another. He tried not to think too long on how what implications that meant for a being that was half-human.

"I should go," James said after a moment. "Bones' will be worried about me."

A flash of a recently familiar emotion coursed through him. He had found no kinship with the terran 'ape' male.

"Worry is illogical," he responded more out of want for something to say.

James grinned at him "It hasn't stopped him yet."

"Indeed," Spock nodded once.

They stood in unison and James headed for the door first. Spock opened the door from their private shared moment to the empty space of the hallway. He shepherded her toward the turboift and they descended to the ninth deck for the medical bay. Spock found he was….hesitant to release her back into the custody of her peers. He had found their chess games stimulating, and logically concluded that there was some sort of inexplicable…attachment between them. After careful mental reflection in the scant few moments in the turbolift, Spock had reached the culmination of all his insight. He recollected all the emotions that had swirled upon their initial meeting, and the way in which his katra sparked to life around her. If he also took into account the variable of terran 'romantics' then there could be no mistake in his calculations.

Logically, his intelligent mind concluded, James was his.

OoOoOo

It had to have been the most awkward meal of her entire life. James could not recall a single event more uncomfortable than dining, in near silence, with the Vulcan Captain. Also, she was pretty sure that all Vulcan food was simply disgusting by principle. It simply had to be, because every bite, of whatever the swill it was he made, had been near torture to keep her stomach from rebelling.

Fuck vegetarian! She wanted a damn chicken sandwich.

However, she was very proud of herself for not flirting more than she had. By her standards, some of her statements were equivalent to 'I'm available', but Captain Spock seemed oblivious. 'So much for Uhura's concern that the Vulcan was interested in me,' James thought with an internal scowl. She waited patiently next to said Vulcan, for the doors to open.

They departed the lift with Jim going over everything she could possibly construct tomorrow, given her time parameters. And she was also attempting to ignore the rather persistent itch that had started at the half hour mark since eating that 'salad'. 'Or whatever the hell that was,' she thought rationally. She moved a hand to peek under the sleeve of her borrowed Vulcan uniform, and was dismayed at the sight of large red and yellow splotches breaking out on her skin. She groaned quietly to herself.

Damn it all to hell and back, now Bones would get a chance to stab yet another hypo in her neck. If this was a date, which she highly doubted it was, then it was the worst date in the history of dates. And she had graciously included cuddling with Maelrock, the psychotic Romulan, in there! Some days just were not worth the effort of putting on pants. The only saving grace had been her ability to catch Captain Spock off-guard at chess. The look of sheer surprise in his eyes had made her night, mostly.

They were at the doors of the Medical bay before she knew it, and Jim watched Spock punch in the access code, which she had already memorized, but thought it prudent not to say anything, and the doors opened swiftly. She turned to bid Spock goodnight, but she noticed that he was staring at something, or someone, behind her. She looked into the room to see Bones glaring at the Vulcan.

Uh-oh, what was going on here? Because it looked like something she was certain it could not be.

"Welcome back, Jim." Bones greeted tonelessly, while continuing to assault the Vulcan with his 'Doctor Death' glare.

She fidgeted for a moment, uncomfortable with the tension in the air. She smiled brightly at her fellow crewmember. "Hi Bones!"

The greeting was overly cheerful, just as she had intended. However, it had caused the terran male to swing his gaze toward her.

"Did you have a nice time?" He drawled slowly, and warning bells went off in her mind.

'It's a Trap,' her mind screamed harshly. Jim blinked at him for a moment, before a sweet smile replaced her false one. "It was…," she stole a glance at Spock, who was still staring at Bones with an unreadable expression, "nice."

It appeared she said the incorrect thing because Bones seemed to glare even more at the Vulcan. "I'm glad."

No he wasn't; Jim was not an idiot. True, she was unable to pick up a language besides Klingon to save her life, but not an idiot. She turned back toward Spock, while discreetly attempting to starch her now swollen wrist. "Um… tha- I mean... I appreciate the invitation to dine with you; perhaps we should do it again sometime?"

"It was a satisfying experience. I would not be averse to repeating it," He responded stoically.

Jim looked nonplussed at his wording, and also that he would not take his eyes off of Bones while she was speaking with him. Also, that itch was getting worse, and she could not stop herself from scratching it. She wondered what would wound her pride less, asking Bones or T'Starla. So far she was firmly decided on the Vulcan Medical Officer.

"What's wrong with your arm Jim?" The low tone of Bones' voice was clear with warning.

She turned to face him, and hid her affected arm behind her back. "Uh…nothing," she replied innocently.

He didn't buy it and stalked closer toward her. "James."

Oh crap. Her blue eyes wandered the length of the Medical bay. She noted that the Vulcan medical officer was staring at them with a blank look. Her fellow crewmembers, and her captain of all people, watched them with interest.

Nosy bastards…

Jim saw Spock stiffen next to her. "You will change your tone of voice when speaking with Chief Engineer Kirk."

She gaped at the Vulcan openly. She visually sought out Uhura, who looked equally flabbergasted. They exchanged a silent female verbal communication

Jim's eyes said 'What is going on?'

Uhura's responded 'I don't know, but I don't like it.'

Bones turned to the Vulcan with near fury blazing on every line of his face. "Excuse me?"

"I have no reason to believe that you are incapable of understanding simple instruction. However, I will assist you by repeating my words. You will change your tone of voice when speaking with Chief Engineer Kirk." The Vulcan took a single step forward.

Jim darted in between the two males quickly. "I think I need medical attention," she blurted out. The effect was immediate. Bones changed from scary to doctor in a heartbeat. Spock relaxed his frame slightly.

She watched as Bones grabbed the tri-corder at his side, his other hand reaching for her. Her eyes widened when a gust of air moved past her body, and Spock was suddenly in front of her, slapping Bones' hand away.

"Are you out of your Vulcan mind? She needs medical attention, and I am a Doctor," Bones hissed, his free hand balling into a fist.

Jim felt a low rumble emit from the Captain's chest. "My medical officer is more than adequate of seeing to her needs."

Bones looked ready to argue, and so Jim stepped in. "T'Starla, would you please come take a look at my arm?" She contradicted her words when she nearly sprinted to the female Vulcan, who blinked at her.

"Affirmative," said Vulcan answered contemplatively.

Well, it looked a lot worse than she had thought. Her sapphire eyes locked onto Spock, whose eyes stared at her, endless pools of darkness gleamed in their depths. He moved closer to her position with T'Starla without expression.

Alright, this was just getting strange.

Bones grumbled, but Jim watched Nyota hold him back. She thanked the linguist silently in her head.

"An allergic reaction to something that was consumed," the female Vulcan announced neutrally.

Jim yelped when the needled penetrated her neck, and she nodded weakly to the medical officer. 'That should calm them down a bit.' "Thanks."

"Thanks are-

James would have interrupted her, however the room suddenly grew dark, and she plummeted to the ground swiftly.

"Fascinating," Two sets of Vulcan voices floated in her ears.

'Worst not-date ever', her mind snarled as blackness over took her.