Disclaimer: I don’t own anything. Wish I did...but I don’t so no money being made here! Some stuff is taken from other Sci-fi ideas so I also don’t own the Turians.

She sighed lightly as she woke, stretching her arms out and above her head in a vain attempt to relieve the muscle tension in her lower back. It didn’t work. Nyota Uhura huffed as she rolled over onto her side, her eyes opening and brow creasing in confusion. She didn’t even hear him get up this morning.

She never did.

Since the attack from Nero and the destruction of Vulcan, something had changed profoundly in their relationship. Spock, normally so withdrawn and logical, had been giving into his human side more and more. She smiled remembering the first night he had turned up at her door looking so sheepish.

“Lieutenant Uhura, I am sorry for the interruption so late” he said quietly, his eyes soft. Uhura smiled gently at him.

“Not at all Commander, I wasn’t sleeping” it was the truth too. She had gone to bed an hour previously and had spent most of that time lying awake staring at the ceiling. “Can I help you with anything?”

Spock stood silently for a moment, motionless, before letting his eyes close and a small sigh break free.

“May I come inside? This is not a matter I wish to discuss with you in the hallway” he said. Uhura nodded lightly and stepped aside, allowing the door to slide shut behind them. She walked to the bed and sat down, motioning for him to do the same. There was something wrong, she could feel it. His jaw was set in what appeared to be determination and he seemed, dare she think it, restless.

“Spock, what’s wrong?” She asked, watching as he paced up and down in front of her. “Come on, talk to me!”

He suddenly stopped and turned to face her, his heart thumping in his chest.

“I want you to know that what I am about to say is not easy for me. Growing up on Vulcan, I had been brought up to restrain my emotions” He said, his smooth voice tight. “But every time I look at you, I find myself perfectly willing to push aside these teachings”

Uhura smiled. He was nervous.

“After losing my Mother and my home world I had a chance to reflect on our situation” Uhura scrunched her nose in distaste at the word ‘situation.’ Situation implied a problem that something needed to be fixed. How she felt was anything but a situation.

“I wondered if my Father had ever told my mother how he felt and I came to the conclusion that although she most likely knew, she may never have heard it from him personally more than a handful of times.”

He moved over to kneel in front of the bed edge which Uhura sat and he took both her hands in his own.

“It had come to my attention that had you not demanded I switch your station to the Enterprise that I would have lost you as well, I do not think that I could handle the pain that would have brought me to lose you also”

“Spock....” She began but was soon cut off.

“Please allow me to finish Nyota” He said gently, his voice barely above a whisper. “I suppose what I am trying to tell you is that... I love you”

She didn’t say anything, she didn’t have to. Without warning she leaned forward, falling gently onto him and crushing her lips against his. The action was a surprise but not unwanted and he wrapped his arms around her waist returning the kiss with equal passion.

Spock did not return to his quarters that night.

She smiled to herself, brushing through her long hair and pulling half of it into a pony tail and leaving the rest to hang down her back. With one last check in the mirror of hair, make-up and clothing she finally decided she was ready to go.

She walked quickly through the halls of the great ship that she had come to view as her home. It wasn’t just because the Enterprise was the flagship of Star Fleet, not anymore; she had grown close with all the members of the command crew and really began to feel like this was where she was meant to be. Fate, she called it.

“Good morning Lieutenant Uhura, nice of you to join us” Kirk said from his usual position in the captain’s chair.

“Good morning Captain” She said lightly, putting her ear piece in. The familiar static was comforting in her right ear and the controls welcoming under her hands. The corners of her mouth lifted the smallest amount as she felt Spock’s sideways glance at her from his own station. There was a familiar buzz in her ear as a message was relayed to them.

“Alright everybody, listen up” Kirk said, authority written in his voice. “We have orders from Star Fleet to pick up the Turian ambassador to earth and bring him back with us for democratic discussions. It’s a simple escort mission, nothing we can’t handle” He said, a small smug smile playing on his lips. Uhura rolled her eyes and shook her head lightly.

“Mr Sulu, set a course, warp 4” Sulu nodded and within seconds the ship was moving towards its destination. Uhura loved the bridge when it was like this, of course she loved it at all times but there was a certain laid back family atmosphere that made her feel especially at home on the Enterprise.

“Permission to speak freely captain?” Chekov said suddenly causing some of the other crew members to turn around and take notice, including Uhura and Spock.

“Of course, go ahead” Kirk said. The young Russian scrunched his brow and shrugged.

“What do Turians look like? I’ve never seen one before” He said. There was a small chuckle among the crew members of the bridge. Kirk shrugged.

“I’m going to be honest Chekov; your guess is as good as mine! I’ve never seen one before either” Kirk said, “You’ve seen one right Uhura?” He said turning to the communications officer.

“I have” She nodded then looked at Chekov, “They look basically like lizards but their mouths are shaped like a cat. They also have blue blood” She said. Kirk smirked at her.

“Lizard cats Lieutenant?” He said attempting to hold in a laugh, Uhura shrugged at him.

“It’s the best description I can give Captain, you’ll have to just see for yourself” She said. Kirk turned back to the view screen with an amused grin.

“Dropping out of warp in 3, 2, 1...” Sulu announced as the ship suddenly slowed and began to come to a halt. Kirk stood up out of his chair, Uhura and Spock doing the same.

“Okay, Uhura you’re with me. I’m going to need someone to translate Turian for me” He then looked to Spock. “Spock you have the bridge”

The three walked along the corridors together towards the transporter room Kirk and Spock walking side by side as Uhura fell slightly behind. It was funny to think that the two men who had started out with such a hostile and tense relationship were now suddenly almost what you could call best friends. They had their professional relationship of Captain and First Officer but then there was a new layer forming, a less formal layer that allowed the two men to talk about other things beyond just Star Fleet and the ship. They had even begun playing chess together on a regular basis.

Uhura stood on her pad as Spock walked up to her; Kirk was busy talking to Scotty.

“Promise me you will be careful Nyota” Spock said quietly. Uhura smiled softly at him and reached out for his hands.

“I promise” She smiled, “But you have to promise that if I come back in less than perfect condition that you won’t give Jim a hard time” Spock frowned.

“If you are referring to the last time you were off ship and you returned with an inch long cut on your forehead and a sprained ankle then I would like to defend myself by pleading that I was simply vexed by the situation and concerned for your well being” He said, the smallest hint of a smile on his face.

In hindsight he may have gone slightly overboard in his reaction. Uhura and Chekov had beamed down to the surface of a planet on a basic reconnaissance mission. Uhura had simply tripped while running, hitting her head in the process. On returning to the ship, the Vulcan gave Chekov a look that rendered the Russian speechless and terrified. Even now the pilot found it hard to look Spock in the eye.

“Whatever you say” She smiled. Jim sighed and walked onto his pad.

“Geez are we going to have a tearful goodbye every time one of you beams off this ship? It’s getting exhausting” He said sarcastically. Uhura rolled her eyes at him then looked at Scotty.

“Energize Mr Scott”

Spock stood for a moment and watched them disappear before sighing lightly and turning back out the door towards the bridge.

I know it’s a bit slow starting but I promise it will get better, I just needed to set some things up!