#lets keep uhura happy please

[pinazee]

This was the most Uhura episode to ever Uhura.

Praise to Celia 👏👏🫡

[dira333]

Blue - Jim Kirk x reader

Note: please listen to colours by halsey while reading. the lyrics might not fit, but the rhythm is what i had in mind while writing

-

Blue is what reminds you of him.

No, blue is the thought that stays with you, whatever you do, wherever you go, as if it’s the background music of your life happening.

It’s the blue sky stretching out over your head when you’re a child, making snow angels on the ground even in the summer.

It’s the sea you learn to swim in and the first bathing suit you are allowed to choose for yourself.

Blue is the color of candy you get when you have to see the doctor and the color of your school backpack.

Blue is childhood, growing up, remainders of innocent happiness.

-

Blue is your Starfleet uniform. You long for the color through the years you have to dress in the stark red cadet uniforms.

Blue is the drink in your hand when you meet him for the first time, in a small bar not too far from the academy.

“James T. Kirk,” he tells you, “But you can call me Jim.”

Blue are his eyes.

“Blue are the people here that walk around,” you tell him after three drinks, “Blue like my Corvette, it’s in and outside…”

You take another sip, your head is spinning and you’re afraid you will lose yourself in his eyes if you don’t take precautions.

“That’s a really old song,” you tell him before he thinks you’re weird. Not that you could blame him.

“Tell me more.”

-

“Blue are the words I say and what I think,” you read from the Post-it note you’ve written the night before after a drink too many, “Blue are the feelings that live inside me…”

You stare down at your own handwriting, at the little post-it note that reminds you so much of the small town you’ve grown up in, where the time seems to have stopped over hundred years ago.

You try not to think of the evening before. Of being asked out by another man that isn’t the one you love. Of saying no when logic tells you to say yes.

“Don’t be so pathetic,” you tell yourself with a bitter taste in your mouth, “Your Lieutenant Y/N, Science Division, Enterprise. You work on the best ship in the fleet. Don’t let that get you down.”

You nod at yourself, repeating the phrase. “Don’t let that get you down.”

“That” is your Captain, your friend, James T. Kirk, Jim, the man with the blue eyes.

“That” is the fact that you love him, ever since you laid eyes on the blue sky and fell in love with its color.

“That” is the fact that you’re too afraid to tell him.

“That” is the half-hearted decision to not act on it, because whenever you think of it, your fingers tremble, your heart aches and cold sweat drips down your back.

Fear is a monster.

-

“Hey,” Jim leans against your desk when you turn up for work.

“Morning,” you greet him with a smile, “I didn’t see you in the mess hall.”

“I wasn’t there. Came here right after I woke up.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Are we still up for drinks tonight?”

“I don’t have other plans,” you tell him before logging into your PADD to access the data Spock asked you to look over.

He laughs and it sounds forced. You keep your eyes averted, not looking at him.

“And you’re just hanging out with me because you have nothing better to do?”

“That’s not true and you know it.”

“Do I? The only thing I know is that Franklin from Communications asked you out yesterday. Uhura told me because she thought we were in a relationship.”

“So?”

“Did you say yes to Franklin?”

“No.” You really want to look at him, but his eyes are too blue for your own good.

“Why not?”

And there it happens. Your fingers tremble, your heart aches and you wait for the cold sweat.

“Don’t ask me that,” you whisper, your voice almost inaudible.

He leans down, his lips almost touching your ear.

“You were red, and you liked me because I was blue. But you touched me, and suddenly I was a lilac sky. Then you decided purple just wasn’t for you…” He quotes your favorite song before turning away.

You know what he’s asking you, telling you, begging you.

“Jim,” you call after him.

Your voice sounds weak, but he turns around anyway, an expectant look on his face.

You lick your lips, panic flowing through you. If only you weren’t so scared.

“I do like purple,” you tell him, unable to voice the feelings that you have. You can only do it this way.

“I love purple,” you tell him, hoping he will understand.

And when he smiles, his eyes light up.

“I love you,” you breathe out.

And everything is blue.

[thesconesyard]

Where the West Begins

24. Distant Howls

McCoy had been nervous when he’d ridden to town that morning. He hadn’t been certain the previous summer, when he had gone to Gaila for help, if anything would come of writing and trying to find Robert Scott. He’d finally gotten a reply to his great surprise.

And now, just a few weeks previous, he’d had another letter from Robbie Scott, letting him know when he would be arriving.

It had been hard, keeping the secret from Scotty, and everyone else. But McCoy knew, if he could bring it about like he hoped, it would be more than worth it.

Standing beside the two brothers, each trying not to cry with joy, McCoy knew; that moment was worth all the doubt he had given Scotty. Keenser and Jaylah stared from near where Scotty had been working.

“How?” Scotty asked his brother again. Then he looked over at McCoy.

“C’mon dar— c’mon to the porch,” McCoy said, catching himself before letting the endearment out. “We’ll go and get something to drink and you two can catch up.”

“Aye, let me just—” Scotty turned back in confusion to get the tools he’d been working with, but Keenser waved him off.

“We will take care of it Montgomery Scotty,” said Jaylah, sounding half confused herself.

“Aye… alright…” Scotty turned back to Robbie, took his arm and began to follow McCoy.

“Get settled,” McCoy said when they reached the porch. “I’ll send one of the gals out with something cool while I go take care of the horses.” When he and Robbie had arrived, the Scotsman on a horse borrowed from Gaila, they had tied up in the yard.

Before the door had even closed behind him, he could hear the two brothers throwing questions at each other a mile a minute.

“What are you doing Leo?” Christine asked as McCoy stepped into the kitchen. He couldn’t help smiling. He’d been smiling since the moment Robbie had begun singing with Scotty.

“We’ve got a guest,” he told the two women. “I’m pretty sure he’d like something to drink.”

“Who is he?” Uhura asked. McCoy heard the tentativeness in her question. He didn’t blame her for wanting to be cautious.

“Robert Scott.”

“Robert Scott?” asked Uhura.

“Scott?” asked Christine. “As in Scotty?”

McCoy nodded.

“A relative?” Uhura asked, looking more interested.

“His brother.”

“Brother?!” the two women said together.

McCoy couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’ve gotta take care of Honey. Scotty’s on the porch with him.”

When McCoy finally got back to the porch, Scotty and Robbie were not alone. Keenser and Jaylah had finished the garden work and joined them. Christine and Uhura were taking it in turns to check on lunch while joining the brothers.

McCoy took a seat across from Scotty where he could see the joy on his partner’s face. Happiness was still mixed with disbelief.

“And ye all live here?” Robbie asked.

“Aye, we all ended up here together,” Scotty replied.

“Isn’t that horse from Gaila’s?” a voice around the corner said.

“I believe so,” said another voice.

“Who’s here?” Jim asked as he and Spock came around the corner of the house. “Hey! Why isn’t anyone working?” He asked the question in a good natured tone.

Scotty stood up as the two men came up the steps.

“This is my brother, Robert Scott.”

“Brother?” Jim asked in surprise. “I thought—”

“Leonard wrote to him,” Scotty beamed.

“James T. Kirk,” Jim said, extending his hand. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you.”

“Ye too, please call me Robbie.”

“Jim’s fine for me. This is Spock.” Jim gestured over his shoulder. Spock came forward and greeted Robbie as well.

“It’s much nicer now the sun’s gone down,” Robbie said. “How long did it take ye to get used to this heat?” he asked his brother.

McCoy and the brothers were sitting in front of McCoy and Scotty’s cabin. Mr. Mitchell from Gaila’s had ridden out with Robbie’s trunk after lunch and had taken the other horse back with him. Robbie’s trunk was settled in Scotty’s old cabin.

“I had it easier than ye do,” Scotty laughed. “I came in the fall, so had the winter and spring to ease into it. Robbie-lad… are ye- are ye going to stay?”

McCoy heard Robbie sigh before he looked up at the night sky and the stars beginning to appear. Somewhere, a coyote was learning to howl.

“It’s a long way from home,” Robbie said slowly. “But it’s nae felt like a home since ye left… This is so different from where I always imagined ye had gone.”

“It’s a wonderful place here,” Scotty said. He glanced at McCoy, before reaching for the doctor’s hand. McCoy had been unsure how Scotty’s brother may react to them being a pair and had tried to keep things neutral and quiet. But Scotty knew his brother after all and had no such qualms about telling Robbie who he loved.

“I think I’d like to stay and see how I like it,” Robbie finally said. “Ye’re here and I just got ye back.”

[anasticklefics]

Hey Iris

Fandom: Star Trek

Characters: Jim, Bones

Summary: When Bones uses their new intelligent personal assistant to ask about tickling Jim starts to wonder if this was a bad idea.

A/N: In my active era?? Maybe not.

Words: 1k

The tech was new enough for Jim to be excited when he agreed to try it out, but he felt a twinge of wariness as he watched the intelligent personal assistant get installed on his ship. With the motivation to make life easier for them all, including the captain, Jim had decided it couldn’t hurt to bring some ease onto the Enterprise after the year they’d had. They called it Iris, though Starfleet insisted it had no gender.

“A non-binary helper,” Jim said as he stared at the tiny plug that had been connected to the system. “Let’s see how this goes.”

At first they used it because it was new and exciting; asking the most simple of questions just to see if it actually would work.

“I told you it came from Russia!” Chekhov exclaimed, pointing at the general air around them. “Iris just confirmed it. You can never question me again.”

“We can question you plenty,” Uhura said with a fond roll of her eye. “But I’ll give you that one.”

After a certain point, they used it because it was easy; work-related questions where the answer could be in their hands in no time.

“Iris is quick,” Sulu said, frantically writing down its words on his pad.

Jim hummed. “Wait. Let me try something. Hey, Iris. Could you print out the answer to Mr Sulu’s question?”

The stack of papers were in Sulu’s gleeful arms in no time.

One day, Bones decided to use it for pleasure. The pleasure of seeing Jim blush to death, that is.

Iris worked all over the Enterprise. Jim had to admit he’d used it more than once to see where a certain crew member was situated on the ship, but he tried not to ever break any boundaries using it and had urged his crew to be mindful as well. Just because they could technically know everything, it didn’t mean they should.

Bones started using it to mess with him after clarifying that no one else but the people in the room where a question or request had been uttered could hear the answer. It had been such an innocent request, but Jim knew how he looked when Bones asked Iris to explain what tickling meant to them, and he knew damn well how he looked when Iris complied immediately.

“Why are you doing this?”

Bones’s grin was softer, but fatal nevertheless. “To see you squirm, of course.”

Jim wondered if he would actually make him squirm, or if he was using Iris to get Jim to ask for it. It had become his new thing; especially once he’d realized Jim almost never could just straight out ask for it.

“You’re awful.”

“Hmm, you keep talking and I can’t hear what it’s saying. Hey Iris. Could you explain what tickling is again?”

“Tickling is the act of touching a part of a body in a way that causes involuntary twitching movements or laughter.”

Jim wanted to sink through the floor. It was stupid. This was just basic information. Not even teases.

Wait.

“Hey Iris.”

Oh no.

Bones was bluffing. He knew he was.

“What is a tickle kink?”

Jesus fucking Christ.

Jim stood so abruptly he probably would’ve interrupted Iris had it been human. “Bones, please.”

“Please what?” Bones asked over Iris explaining what a goddamn tickle kink was.

“Stop this.”

“Oh, but I’m not done. Hey Iris. Can you give us some tickle teases?”

Jim was going to murder him.

“Okay, okay!” he cried, holding up his hands. “I’ll ask for it, are you happy?”

Bones, fucking Bones, smiled innocently at him. “Ask for what?”

Iris had stopped talking and the silence was suddenly deafening. Jim huffed, feeling his face flush. Stupid, all of it. And yet he found he couldn’t let the moment drop. Not that Bones would let him, but still.

Still.

“For you to tickle me,” he finally said, aiming for accusation. “That’s what you want me to say, isn’t it?”

“I was mostly just messing with you, but if you want me to tickle you you could’ve just asked.” He let out a laugh. “Well, I guess you just did. Hey Iris? Make sure the door is locked and the room soundproof. I feel a sudden urge to go for your hips and I know you can’t remain calm for that.”

Bones was a dead man, but Jim was a dying one. He took a step back, unsure of why. Bones would get him anyway. He would let him get him anyway.

The couch was soft when he landed, knees on each side of him as fingertips brushed over his sides for starters. Just to wake his senses up. Just to show him what was going to happen. Jim started giggling immediately, which was embarrassing each time, but Bones simply laughed along with him before he latched onto his hip bones and wouldn’t let go. Jim screamed, once, outdrawn, before it got broken up by laughter. Maybe it was a good thing Iris had made the room soundproof. They’d been busy, his skin had been starved, and he’d forgotten just how good Bones was at this.

“Fuck!” he cried, head thrown back and hands flailing to grip something without shoving Bones off. “Wait, wait, wait-”

“For?”

Jim didn’t know. Jim couldn’t speak.

Briefly, as Bones sent ticklish shocks through his body, Jim wondered if Iris was registering what was happening at all. Wondered if it would use it against him somehow. No one on this ship would judge him, really, but this wasn’t theirs to hear.

Maybe he would bring it up with Bones afterward. He wasn’t really in a position to hold a discussion.

“Oh my god, switch spots please-”

“Say please.”

“I just fuckin’ did-”

“I didn’t hear you.”

It was a dance, with Bones leading just enough to keep Jim on his toes, but stopping for long enough to make sure he wasn’t overstepping. His pauses came as switching spots so that he was tickling one that wasn’t as bad, and so Jim made sure to breathe when he went for his sides again, gently teasing the curve of his torso.

He wasn’t done, and Jim was glad, because he wasn’t done either.

[mystery-star]

It’s a kind of Skill - Spock

Pairing: Spock x nonhuman!reader (gender neutral)

Warnings: mentions of banishment

Words: 689

Please do not repost my work on other sites or platforms!

-

“Do it again!” you groaned inwardly. Sometimes your captain could be like a child when he was happy about something. What was worse was that Chekov supported him.

“I should have never told you” you muttered.

“But of course you had to. This is fucking brilliant, (Y/N). It’s magic”

“It’s not” you defended yourself at the same that your fiancé spoke up.

“Magic is not real. (Y/N)’s power might be best described as telekinesis”

“Which is something rather unreal, don’t you think?” Spock raised an eyebrow

“Did humans not use to believe that reading minds was not real either?”

“Yeah, I get it... explore new worlds and civilizations... we’ll find anything we never thought was possible and so on. But still, to move objects without having to touch them. I imagine it’s real nice”

“It’s also tiring” one would think that the bigger or heavier the object the more difficult it was but oddly, that was not the case. It was, in fact, the density that decided how exhausting it was. Much to Spock’s surprise, moving objects with lesser density even were more difficult. Sometimes you wished you had an explanation. After all you had been banned from your home planet for your skills. Since then you had been hiding them from everyone, only using them in secret. However, once you had met Spock, he soon realized that you were not like most people from your species and after having tried to keep to yourself for a few weeks, you told him the truth. Ever since, he tried his best to help you control your powers and how to efficiently use them when you wanted to. For that, he also wanted to understand the science behind it. Occasionally you doubted it was science and too thought it was magic but then again, when he came up with a new explanation you had to admit it did make sense... until the moment you proved it wrong.

“But if you practiced you’d get better?”

“Only a little. I mean there are limits to everything. Yes, you can train to get better but at some point it’s not possible to do more. And the fact that it is tiring never really changes” Spock immediately piped up with the newest hypothesis he had but the captain cut him off.

“What’s the easiest thing to do?” you rolled your eyes

“I thought easiest was to keep it a secret” you had not wanted to tell the crew but then, yesterday using your powers had been the only way to save the ship and the crew, so you had found that was worth it. And luckily, only the bridge crew knew right now since you had been there when you had used the ability to send away an enemy ship that would surely have destroyed you otherwise. They had promised to not let anyone know as long as you told them everything.

“Don’t be like that. You know we’d never cast you out for your abilities. I mean... maybe it’s better your people banished you instead of doing worse. Like taking advantage of you, doing experiments or even kill you” you shrugged

“You’re right” Spock had once told you something similar and had then supported your wish to not let anyone else know, for fear that someone of Starfleet command might want to use your powers to their own benefit.

“And uh...” he leant back “You know, when I requested you show us something, I never wanted to take advantage of you. I just think it’s awesome and want to see more. Because I’m curious. That’s why I’m in Starfleet”

“I thought it was because of a bet you had with Captain Pike” Lieutenant Uhura said “That you could have your own ship in three years”

“Well, I did manage that”

“By breaking basically every rule” when Kirk denied the accusation, the communications officer listed up some things he had done wrong and with a happy sigh you leant back. It seemed like you were off the hook. At least for now. You exchanged a glance with Spock and he placed a hand over yours.

[baubeautyandthegeek]

But something happened for the very first time with you//My heart melted to the ground found somethin' true – Marie Batel/Una Chin-Riley, Christine Chapel/Nyota Uhura.

A/N: Part 2 for Day 4 of @startrekfemslashweek.

Tending to injuries was simple for Christine Chapel. She spent her life tending to little injuries and the fallout from many different attacks and most times she made it work, made it better. Now, though, as she looks at Marie, a quieter, more delicate Marie, she wonders why this one is hurting her. Una joins them when she’s finally able, leaning heavily even now, on Nyota Uhura. She’s settled into a seat by Marie’s bed before Christine can protest and Nyota slips into the space between Christine and the wall, resting a reassuring hand on her back. Marie heals slowly as she works, her eyes stinging when she steps away. The woman’s body had already been beaten, battered and broken, scars she knew their Marie, the one Chris Pike was so in love with, had never had. Uhura moves to her side again, wraps an arm around her and lets her cry, hushing her only long enough to bring her away from the others, to a more private corner, stroking a tender hand over Christine’s back. “You are a miracle worker Christine Chapel…” “You think so?” “I do.” Uhura smiles. “Have dinner with me, Una can keep an eye on Marie…” “She’s not…” “I know. Ours would never have dared love someone so unexpected.” Nyota laughs. “They deserve to be happy you know…” “I know.” Christine sighs. “I just hope Una’s ready for… whatever else is going on.” They would never know that Una had known, truly known, the Mirror Marie. They would never know that Una’s lips and voice where what was needed to steady Marie, the woman’s eyes had flickered open when Christine left and Una leant a sore cheek on her hand, crying softly. It had been easy for Marie, for Sophie, to rest her hand on the woman’s head, her voice soft even as she strokes tangled, silken hair. “I’m alright Una…” “Please don’t do that again..” Una means it and Sophie, Marie, would always try to spare her pain even as she sighs softly. “I’m not going to watch you die, Una…” “I don’t want to watch you die either…” Una’s voice cracks and Marie, Sophie, sighs again as she smooths Una’s hair again. “Don’t cry… please…” Later, weeks later, Una settles at Marie’s side, Sophie’s side, her smile soft as she leans to kiss her cheek. Everyone continued to call Sophie ‘Marie’ and slowly, so slowly, Sophie accepted it. For the times she was in public. Much later, weeks on from even the dinner, Una would surprise them all by calling the other woman Sophie. Sophie, the mirror Marie, had smiled, kissing Una softly and deeply. The truth was out, even if she was unsure how the others would see things.

[hummingbird-of-light]

In Our Favor

Part 31

McCoy

McCoy sat in his first class of the morning with a sense of dread in his stomach. Though he intended to be a doctor, to serve on a starship as Scotty wanted, McCoy had to be able to at least fly a shuttle in an emergency. So he sat, nervously twisting his ring around his finger in a class that would teach him ship flying basics.

He had been engrossed in getting himself into the actual classroom and hadn’t paid attention to anyone else around him. McCoy had no idea if anyone he knew was already sitting. He focused on breathing evenly.

He startled as a hand touched his shoulder.

“Leonard?”

“Ny! Hey,” McCoy said, looking up.

Uhura frowned gently at him.

“You alright? We waved at you, but you didn’t look at us.” Uhura gestured a few seats back. McCoy turned to look and saw Jaylah wave.

“I— yeah. Umm, I’m ok,” McCoy lied.

“Want to come join us?” Uhura still had concern on her face.

“Sure,” he nodded and got quickly to his feet.

“Good morning Just Leonard,” Jaylah greeted him as he sat down next to her.

“Hi.”

“You and Scotty ok?” Uhura asked.

“What? Yeah. Of course,” McCoy said in surprise.

“What is wrong?” Jaylah asked bluntly, looking between McCoy and Uhura.

McCoy ran a hand over his face as he let out a sigh. The girls were going to realize sooner or later if they were in the class with him.

“I’m scared of flying,” he said quietly.

“What?” Jaylah asked.

“You are?” said Uhura.

McCoy nodded. “Terrified. I’ve been trying to get better about it, and it has gotten easier when Scotty’s with me, but…, my mind just thinks up all the things that could go wrong.”

“Oh Leonard,” Uhura said gently. “And you still joined Starfleet?”

He nodded again.

“We will help you,” Jaylah said determinedly.

McCoy couldn’t help a smile at the alien girl.

“Thank you,” he told them. “But please don’t say too much to the others about it please?”

“No problem,” Uhura told him.

“Your secret is safe,” Jaylah said.

Relief spread through McCoy as he left the class with Uhura and Jaylah. It would be another week or two before they began to practice in the flight simulators and he hoped by then he’d be somewhat used to the idea. He said bye to the girls and headed for his next class.

In the classroom he saw an old familiar face and headed straight towards Spock.

“Hey Spock.”

Spock looked flushed as he glanced up at McCoy, and the prince just managed to keep from raising an eyebrow.

“May I?” McCoy asked, waving a hand at the seat next to the Vulcan.

“Fine.”

McCoy looked sharply over at Spock as he sat. Spock had spat the word at him almost angrily. McCoy racked his brain; had he done something to annoy Spock? He could think of nothing.

“How’s your morning going?” McCoy asked, keeping his voice casual. He turned his head slightly. He could see Spock’s jaw clench, then forcibly unclench as he appeared to draw a deep breath.

“It has been fine.”

McCoy watched Spock closer. The other boy seemed to almost be trembling. McCoy began to worry. Spock was always calm and collected.

“You alright? You aren’t getting sick or something?” It would explain the flush on Spock’s face McCoy thought. “Lots of new people in a new place, seems like a—”

“I am perfectly healthy!” Spock burst out, eyes dark with anger.

McCoy put his hands up calmly. “Ok, ok,” he said quickly. “Sorry.” He got his PADD ready to take notes. “Just wanted to make sure,” he muttered.

Part 32

Scotty

At lunch, Scotty noticed that not only Jim was acting strange, but Spock also appeared to be different from his usual self.

There was a flush on his cheeks and his body was trembling slightly. He didn't participate in any conversations and he tried his best to avoid the looks of the others.

It really was strange.

Jim, on the other hand, was looking at anyone except his boyfriend. He chatted with Chekov and Sulu about a class they had had together in the morning, teased Keenser about an alien girl that apparently had a thing for him and overall tried to act carefree and happy.

However, Scotty knew his friend well enough to tell that something was very wrong. If only Jim would talk about it...

In the evening, before dinner, Scotty brought his stuff to their room and he wasn't surprised to find Leonard sitting at his desk, jacket thrown onto the bed.

"Hey there, mo ghràdh," the Scotsman greeted his husband with a kiss to his cheek, hugging him from behind, and he caught a glance at what Leonard was looking at on his PADD.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Angry Vulcans?" Scotty asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

Leonard let out a sigh, eyes still fixed on the screen.

"Yeah, it's just... Spock acted very strange today in class. He basically yelled at me, not controlling his emotion. It was... scary."

"I can believe that," Scotty muttered, pulling over his own chair to sit down next to Leonard. "Did ye find anything?"

The prince groaned and shook his head.

"No. Nothing. It's just like... Vulcans are the greatest mystery in the whole galaxy! And Spock won't talk to me about what's wrong."

Scotty sighed, nodding his head.

"Aye, same with Jim. I know something is going on, but he says it's private and he doesn't want to talk about it."

Leonard moved his eyes from the screen to Scotty's face and smiled bitterly.

"Suppose we both have trouble getting through to our friends, huh?"

Scotty shrugged his shoulders.

"We cannae help it, Len. If they are ready to talk, they will surely tell us first. And then we can support them."

Leonard didn't seem satisfied with that answer, yet still he sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. It's just that... I'm worried. Spock has helped and saved me so many times and now there's nothing I can do for him."

A sad look formed on Leonard's face and Scotty gave him a gentle smile, placing one hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, Len. Ye are there for him. That's all ye can do at the moment. I'm sure that Spock and Jim... they'll get it all sorted out."

Leonard looked about to protest, but Scotty quickly used his chance to change the topic. He knew that talk wouldn't get them anywhere.

"So, how was yer day?"

Leonard sighed once again and he shrugged his shoulders.

"I had one class about learning how to fly a shuttle."

Scotty's mouth formed a silent 'oh' and he squeezed his husband's shoulder even tighter. He knew how scared Leonard was of flying so attending a class about it must have been quite troublesome for him.

"We only talked about stuff in theory. Practice will start in a week or two, but... it's still an uncomfortable thought that I'll have to fly by myself."

Scotty moved closer to Leonard so that he could pull him into a hug.

"I'm so sorry I cannae be with ye. This has to be so hard," the young Scotsman whispered into his love's ear and he could hear Leonard's voice trembling as he sighed.

"It's... it's okay. I have to overcome my fears myself. And, I'm not alone in that class. Ny and Jaylah are there too."

Scotty let go of Leonard so that he could look him in the eyes.

"Did ye tell them about yer fear of flying?"

Leonard nodded.

"Yeah. They would have found out sooner or later anyway, so I thought to myself, why not tell them right away."

Scotty nodded understandingly as he gently stroked Leonard's cheek with his thumb.

"I'm sure they'll support ye in every way they can."

A soft smile crossed Leonard's lips. He knew the girls as well as Scotty did. He knew that they would help him get through it.

"They sure will."

Then his eyes fell back onto his PADD and onto the clock.

"Suppose we better head for dinner now. The others will be waiting."

"Aye," Scotty agreed and a grin formed on his face as he pressed a kiss to Leonard's lips. "And after dinner, I'll make sure to distract ye from yer worries."

Leonard's face mirrored the grin.

"Oh? Well then... I can't wait for it."

[spockosurprise]

First time watch of "Amok Time" live thoughts

All I know going in about this epiode is that it is very iconic, possibly gay and that Spock becomes Horny To Death™ (is that a car seat headrest song?)

- Christine, my beloved.

- good soup.

- Spock is reaching new heights as an angsty bitch.

- WWHAT IS SPOCK DOING ON THE BRIDGE. a bitch almost dead and keeps throwing temper tantrums but no no,, let him be in the arguably most important part of the ship,,

- Chekov. I have been waiting for an episode with this bugger and now he has arrived.

- Spocks head: just empty. not a single thought. just the vacant static of nothing.

- decorations in Spocks quarters consist of: a set of 3D chess, a humanoid dog statue and a couple of multicoloured balls lumped together.

- watching Jim and Spock talk about sex is terrible. please no more.

- "The birds and the bees are not Vulcans, Captain. > : [" spock. spuck. spunker. what

- Spock is now drawing parrallels between Vulcans and salmons. okay...

- Simsalabim - either you die or commit a sin!

- yaayy Uhura is finally getting to actually have some lines here.

- ah, my bad, turns out Spock also has a couple of head sculptures he sleeps next to and suspicious weapons! (???)

- Christine mf Chapel is so beautiful.

- GOOD SOUP???

- McCoy just called Spock "Sir". what the fuck??

- T'PRING IS SO GORGEOUS. HOLY FUCK.

- ayo why does Spock have the bi lighting rn

- the gong stays during sex >:(

- THE VULCANS OUTFITS. WHAT. WHATT. highly logical i must say. amazing. can't Spock wear those clothes all the time too? just some tinfoil dress he struts around in.

- uh oh. I recognize Stonn from the glorious day known to man only as "Stonn Saturday".

- the whole time T'Pau is talking and Spock is having his moment Jim is just watching like this ; - )

- the sheer power T'Pau radiates.

- *shakes bells on sticks angerly*

- okay it's actually kind of sad how Spock is pleading to not have to fight Jim

- Spock looks like he's about to fuck this bitch up

- everybodys just standing there as Jim and Spock fight, like I know they cant legally do anything but,, but still,, just watching some sunday morning entertainment, how about you?

- tits are out. i repeat. TITS ARE OUT.

- Super Horny Man With Bowlcut Plays Tug Of War with Himbo Mommy Milkers Man.

- Jim has been successfully choked. hooray.

- uh oh... Spock... is that an emotion i smell? ouch

- I once saw a post that said something along the lines of 'T¨Pring doesnt want to become the consort of legend, she is the legend', and y'know,, i can see that.

- Spock has the same vibe as when Chekov says "Oh, yes, I'll live, but i won't enjoy it" (not that I have seen that episode yet) except less russian.

- OH GOD IT'S SO CUTE. SPOCK IS SO HAPPY WHEN JIM IS ALIVE!!

- and then he's a deer caught in the headlights when Bones and Chapel has been watching his,,, emotional outbreak

- Bones saves the day again, what else is new

- mmh yes... he lost all interest in T'Pring after he fought the captain. theres a BDSM joke somewhere in there but I'd rather not dwell on it.

- I love Jim, Bones and Spock together. Whatever relationship you may say they have, it's like a fine wine either way. Their interactions are,, superb.

Well that was a fucking ride. what the fuck. Mr Roddenberry i just wanna talk.

[damnredthing]

The mother of all trailers

If the show is anywhere near as good as the trailer, we are so going to be in for a hell of a ride.

This post will contain a lot of ramblings, guesses, what ifs and a bunch of observations. I’ll try to keep the topics chronologically to the scenes as they appear in the trailer, UNLESS I think scenes belong together. I’ll also borrow from some of the other trailers when I remember something that fits in here.

First off – the soundtrack

Will that actually be the soundtrack of the show? It sounds so unique and awesome. It totally adds to the hype. I actually felt like my heart was vibrating when the subwoofer went into hyperbole mode. The soundtrack has been stuck in my head since I heard it for the first time, arrrrgghh!

 Cuteness overload

Pike:

Me:

Nuff said.

The nurse onesie is not a Chapel trademark

This pic of the very cozy looking lounge shows that the nurse onesie Chapel is wearing in her promo trailer is not exclusively a Chapel thing (which I am a bit sad about).

On a side note, look at those reflections on the floor! I love the level of detail here.

Touching the space egg is never a good idea

I think the guy touching the space egg and getting a free flight in return is (for a change!) not Pike. I thought he was at first (because he is a trouble magnet), but at a second and third look, I think it’s a science officer. The away team consists of 2 reds (Uhura and La’an) and two blues (Spock and unknown science officer).

Here you can see it’s clearly not Pike.

My guess is it’s the guy on this picture next to Uhura.

And I go even further and call him Lt. Dever from episode 1.5 according to IMDB played by Graham Parkhurst:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8525925/?ref_=tt_cl_t_11

I love this job

I know this scene is meant to be funny and cute, but oh man am I glad to hear Pike say these words!

It is so good to see him come to terms with his fate, at least to the degree that he can allow himself to enjoy his life as long as he has it. Remember, he thinks he is going to die. He does not know what we know. He could also fall into a deep depression over this knowledge, but it seems he chooses the opposite path and makes the best of his life.

This whole dark fade shadowing over Pike is like a shadow over the whole show. He is such a lovable character, and yet we all already know what’s going to happen to him. Even though Pike will be able to live with Vina in the illusions created by the Talosians, it still means he will be exiled from Starfleet, Earth and everyone else he loves. It is not a happy ending in my book and I still hope they gonna retcon that… or rather continue to tell the story of what happens after Pike stayed on Talos IV for a while. It wouldn’t even be a retcon, just a continuation!

I mean, the producers said this show would be utopian and filled with positive vibes. Let the show end in a positive way, too, by finding a better solution for Pike and Vina, pretty please?

More additional badges!

Remember the additional badge I mentioned in one of my last posts, the one Ortegas is wearing?

The new trailer shows also Chapel, M’Benga and Pike wearing them:

I have no idea what that badge is. But in all scenes the crew seems to be stressed out. Sickbay is busy and crowded, Ortegas is very focused on piloting the Enterprise and Pike sits in a dark ready room or his quarters, probably due to power outtages. He also looks a bit sweaty. You can hear him conjuring his crew, motivating them. I am thinking this is a disaster scenario that probably involves a radiation leak or something like that, and the badges are maybe some sort of dosimeter.

Deserted base?

I think the scene with Spock and Pike on the sandy stormy planet is from the same episode as the scene in Una’s and Hemmer’s promo trailers:

The constructions look like earth design. It’s probably a deserted human colony.

What made me chuckle is how Uni hails the Enterprise telling them that the storm is only getting closer, and who do we actually see ending up in the storm?

Of course…

Have I already mentioned how much I love those jackets? I want one! I totally do! I’ve never been a cosplayer, but I want one of those jackets.

Alien infestation on the Enterprise?

It looks like the Enterprise is going to have some trouble with alien critters invading the ship.

Okay, I probably am weird, because I find this alien cute, too (minus the teeth)!

The sheer amount of aliens presented just in the few minutes of the trailers is amazing! Strange New Worlds, people. We really get what we asked for!

Okay people, we need to talk

This scene is what keeps me thinking about this episode for days now.

Besides that it looks absolutely beautiful, the one thing that sticks out to me is that you can see Pike on the right side standing next to a lady. That alone is not what makes me thinking, but the fact that he is the ONLY one from the Enterprise crew on this picture. And if you look at all the other scenes that (I think) belong to this episode, it’s always just him.

From the looks of it, there seems to be royalty involved. The boy in the foreground is probably a prince or the new young king or some such. The lady next to Pike is maybe his mother?

I wonder whether she is also the lady in ahem… this scene:

Why I think both scenes belong to the same episode?

Because you can see the bedroom again in a later scene:

First of all you can see the bed on the right side. The overall interior looks the same. Also, Pike shielding a woman (THE woman presumably), again being the only visible Enterprise crew. There are 4 guards (one of which is about to be vaporized) with lance weapons, I assume they belong to the royal guards. We do not see the attacker. I hope it’s none from the Enterprise because I want to see as few deaths as possible in this show, especially not caused by Starfleet crew. However, these guards are the same in their appearance as these 3 people here:

They are running on lawn. I guess this is part of the exterior garden we’ve seen in the first pic. I wonder who they are chasing.

Maybe this guy?

All these scenes combined and the fact that we only ever see Pike on that planet makes me wonder what’s really going on there. I gotta admit I was struggling with the picture of Pike and that other woman that is not Vina. My headcanon is now trying to find an excuse for that. :P

What if the royal family just doesn’t want Pike to return to his ship and somehow produce an interference signal that prevents him from communicating and beaming. The guards are probably trying to apprehend him. Who else should Pike point his phaser at? Also look at the two onlookers in the background. If there wasn’t a fuss to catch their attention – say a group of guards trying to apprehend someone – they wouldn’t even notice that Pike was threatening someone. No, there must be something going on that is enough of a disturbance to make them watch.

Maybe there is some trickery or seduction or aphrodisiac or mind fucking involved to keep Pike on that planet and to make him interested in that woman. As royals they maybe think they can have everything they want.

I know I am grasping at straws here (I really want Pike to be with Vina). I am curious what it will turn out to be in the end.

What is going on here?

Are Una and La’an standing on the Enterprise’s hull without EV suites? How is that even possible? Is that alien entity doing that? Or is that a force field bubble in the background? Or did the Enterprise maybe land on a planet? I have so many questions…

Diplomacy disaster

This is not going to be Pike’s diplomacy moment of glory. This could cost him a lot of diplomacy skill points for his Timelines cards. :P

I love Ortegas’s sass. I hope she’s going to walk that slippery slope without falling flat on her nose. Sass can get quite close to insubordination.

What is going on here 2.0?

Now this looks interesting!

And what a wonderful easter egg! Ortegas is the pilot of the Enterprise, and she is a fencer.

And Sulu – who is probably going to be Ortegas’s successor – is the pilot of the Enterprise, and he is a fencer.

But what in the heck is going on here on the Enterprise? This IS the Enterprise, the hallway, the floor and the red door all look like the Enterprise. We also see sickbay slightly modified as well:

We see Ortegas and in the background Hemmer.

We see Uhura, probably as the Queen. And is that La’an on the right side as one of her guards? I wonder who Queen Uhura is looking down to (I have an idea though).

And we see Una mastering her crossbow skills.

I wonder what Pike’s role will be, maybe the harlequin?

Or maybe he is the only one who is normal and finds himself on a totally changed Enterprise with his entire crew in other roles.

I think this is going to be a comedic relief episode.

Ooookay, we need to talk… again!

How can this

and this

lead to this?

I mean, come on! Pike beams over with 4 (!) redshirts and he is the one who gets captured? How did the other 4 even make it back to the Enterprise (presuming they did) and Pike not? Beam trap? Cold knock-out?

Pike’s company here is everything but good news. We have one Orion – who is probably the leader of this group – and maybe a Reman(?) who is doing the dirty deeds, and then a humanoid holding Pike, who we cannot see.

What do they want from Pike? Did they just grab the only one with the shiny golden armor assuming he must be a big shot? Or do they know who they captured and it was maybe even an assignment? We know from IMDB there is a piracy episode. Piracy in our times works like this: Get the ship under control, dispose of the crew, keep the Captain as the most valuable “asset”, demand ransom from the shipping company. Maybe there’s something like this going on here.

But then again, there is an Orion and that alone makes me nervous. It is a nice backlash to “The Cage” though, in which Pike pondered about running a business on the Orion colony (meaning joining their slavery business). And now here he is tied and on his knees with an Orion pirate staring down on him. Right in yo face (like, literally!).

This “conversation” must have been going on for a bit already, as the multiple bruises on Pike’s face and his disheveled hair suggest:

My first question is: Why - of all people - did Pike go on this mission into non-federation space with 4 redshirts? And if the pirates planned to capture the Captain all along, how did they manage to lure him on this mission? (okay, that were 2 questions)

My second (third) question is: What are they trying to get Pike to do that requires torture? Do they want his security codes (which would be useless because if the Captain gets captured, what is the first thing Number 1 is going to change on the Enterprise)? Do they want him to do anything else? Or are they just being a$$holes on a power trip?

The Orion guy is holding a small bowl in his hand. Maybe this is some “eat this dog food, or we make you” thing.

Whatever it is, Pike is in a quite hopeless and very shitty situation there.

I hate violence (especially directed at people I care for), I already struggled with this when I watched Hell on Wheels. But I also understand that this is an often used tool to create drama and suspense. I just hope Pike won’t get roughened up too much here and he gets freed fast. It is never a good thing to be around an Orion on the losing end. Never!

And please don’t let this be the last episode of the season ending in a cliffhanger. I swear to god, I would go batshit crazy.

 I wanna close this thing by wishing you all a happy First Contact Day! LLAP

[hailbop1701]

Curing a Rainy Day

A sort of five times Star Trek gen fic for your viewing pleasure. I mentioned I would write it but please be aware that I wrote this on my phone late at night and I has no beta. Typos and mistakes will be found. 🤣

-H❤🖖

Word Count: 2,166

Sulu:

Leonard McCoy wasn’t a huge touchy-feely type of man. Well, that’s what he really wants folks to think anyway. He was a doctor and that meant it was his oath-bound duty to cure what ails his patients. Whether it was from a physical malady or an emotional one. The first time he initiated his “Rainy Day Cure” --title courtesy of his daughter-- to one of the command crew he was surprised that it was Sulu of all people. If Len were being honest he thought it would have been Jim. Sure he had hugged the kid in the past but he always let Jim be the one to initiate contact. The reason why is complicated and a story for another time. 

When he found him the young pilot was huddled alone in Observation Room Five, his shoulders hunched, his down so his eyes were hidden and mind lightyears away. Leonard had a feeling he knew where. The chaos after Khan and Marcus had caused a lot of damage, and not all of it was physical. They were all still healing even a year later. They had left Kronos not three hours ago and according to the mission report, Sulu’s younger sister was…

Not who she claimed to be. ‘Yuki,’ McCoy recalled her name lamely as he made his way loudly over to the depressed man.

She revealed that she worked for Section 31 and was determined to fix the Federation the right way. Though the term “Right way” is skewed for many folks. War was almost started, again and the Enterprise had to stop it, again. Section 31 now had the last little pebble of Red Matter and was holding it like a…” Nuclear deterrent” as the old saying goes. 

Shaking his head Leonard pushed recent events to the back of his mind and continued on his own mission. Plopping down on the couch that faced the giant window of stars, McCoy leaned forward so his elbows rested on his knees. 

He didn’t offer his apologies or sympathies, he knew Sulu didn’t want them. So they sat in silence. Sulu just shook his head and looked up at the doctor with confusion and betrayal in his eyes. “I don’t - I” he stopped swallowing and the helmsman looked so young Leonard didn’t even think about it until after he had already done it. 

He wrapped an arm over Hikaru’s shoulder and squeezed. Sulu stilled for a moment before relaxing and saying what needed to be said, a weight slowly lifting off his shoulders and his chest. 

Scotty:

Leonard and Scotty were both having a terrible terrible time. The cold sucked in Leonard’s opinion and being trapped on an ice ball of a planet only confirmed his feelings. Looking over at the Enterprises Chief Engineer, Leonard had a feeling that he wasn’t alone in his thoughts and feelings. 

The Scot was curled into a tight ball up against the last running console the entire ‘Fleet base had. He was shivering and muttering to himself, glaring at the distress signal he had rigged up. There was nothing they could do but wait. Rubbing his hands together to warm them Leonard moved toward the console and slid down to the floor next to Scotty. Touching shoulders with Scotty, McCoy tucked his hands under his arms and sighed. There was nothing he could really say to ease the engineer’s anxiety -- which stemmed from Delta Vega no doubt --  so he simply let his presence be enough. 

Scotty glanced at Leonard to see that he was looking back at him with calm understanding. Grunting Scotty curled himself closer to the CMO and let the man wrap an arm around his shoulders. They didn’t speak a word and only moved when they heard the sounds of the rescue party on the other side of the sealed doors. 

Chekov:

Pavel Chekov was the youngest of the command crew, so he was automatically protected and treated like the youngest sibling of a giant family. The navigator understood that his friends didn’t mean to and that it was just sometimes a reflex but he was getting damn tired of it. Today was his birthday, he had finally turned twenty! Chekov was so pleased to find that after the incident with Khan he was being treated like he should. There was one person who always treated him like he was young and precious. 

Pavel found that he didn’t mind so much. Doctor McCoy treated almost everyone that way -- even though he wasn’t that much older than the rest of them --  in an almost fatherly manner. A true caretaker. Chekov allowed the behavior from no one but McCoy. 

Leonard walked into “Rec Room Two” taking in the crowd with a softening scowl. A small wrapped parcel gripped in his hand. He looked down at the present, weighing it in his hands carefully.  With a sigh, McCoy strode through the room looking for the birthday boy. Jim waved at him wildly from the other side of the room a huge grin on his face. Narrowing his eyes, Leonard saw that his captain wasn’t in fact drunk at all. Grunting in approval he smiled at Chekov who was hurrying over to greet him. 

“Happy Birthday Pavel,” 

Chekov grinned and his eyes widened at the present presented to him. Leonard gestured for him to open it and the young man did excitedly. The wrapping paper littered the floor a long black box in its place. Slowly opening the box the navigator knocked a silver antique pocket knife into his hands. Examining it closely he looked up at McCoy in confusion. 

Leonard shifted nervously on his feet. Clearing his throat he pulled out a similar from his belt. “My daddy gave me this one to match his when I turned twenty. I know your pa wasn’t around as you grew up and so I thought…” his sentence fell into silence. For once Leonard McCoy was at a loss for words. Pavel quickly wiped a stray tear from his eye and grinned at his friend holding onto the gift tightly. 

“Thank you doctor!” he said gratefully and Leonard understood that it was for more than just a knife. A small smile graced the CMO’s lips and pulled the kid in for a hug. 

With anyone else, Pavel would have been annoyed. This was an exception. 

Uhura:

Leonard was tired. He longed for his bed but as he looked around at all of the injured crew he pushed the longing away. There was no time for it. Rubbing the blurry fatigue from his eyes he pushed on. Triage, surgery, aftercare. He really didn’t truly stop to breathe until the middle of gamma shift when the ship was sleepy and quiet. The only noise was the soft beeps and whistles of monitors. His nurses quietly whispering and working. 

Christine hours ago told him to stop worrying and to go to bed already but something in him just couldn’t. Blinking dumbly down at the PADD in his hands he sighed and signed off on the next round of Spock’s antibiotics. During the Enterprises most recent scuffle the bridge took a hit and the science station exploded sending the first officer flying, earning him a ticket to medical. 

After the fight was over and things had only calmed down to a trickle of wounded instead of a flash flood, Nyota Uhura breezed through sickbay’s doors. She waited patiently and even helped where she could. When Spock came out of surgery and was placed in a private room she immediately went to his side and hasn’t moved an inch since. Jim would have been right beside her if he could afford to. But it appears the admiralty wanted words and had kept him busy since. McCoy had barely just convinced him to get some sleep saying that he would call if anything changes. 

That was three hours ago. 

Leonard walked -- though Nyota would say shuffled -- into Spock’s room, his eyes going straight to the monitors above the bed. The half Vulcan was resting peacefully. McCoy knew it was only a matter of time before he woke and would go into a healing trance. Something that should be monitored anyway. Leonard quietly wondered who he would grant the opportunity to slap Spock awake this time…

“Leonard!” 

The sound of his name made the CMO snap his head in Uhura’s direction. Her eyes were fire, filled with frustration, exhaustion, and worry. McCoy winced, “Sorry Nyota, guess my mind wandered a bit,” he said somewhat sheepishly. Her expression softened a flash of guilt passing through her features. 

“You need more rest. You’re going to run yourself into the ground at this rate,” she scolded half-heartedly. McCoy gave her a small smile and a shrug, 

"I'll rest when I'm not needed." He whispered and badly covered up a yawn. The hidden meaning behind his words wasn't lost on the linguist though. She pressed her lips into a tight line deciding not to comment. Instead, she rested her gaze on Spock once more her hand inches away from his. 

So deep in thought, Nyota hadn't even realized that McCoy had left and come back, a tray with a couple of hypos in his always unwavering hands. Catching her eyes he gave her another encouraging smile. He took care to tell her everything he was doing and how it would help keep infection away. Leonard knew he didn't have to explain but he felt it necessary to fill the quiet with "Illogical chatter" as Spock would surely call it. 

Uhura was so tired and so frazzled that she was startled to find the CMO crouching in front of her with concern all over his face. "You need to get some rest Nyota. I can have a cot brought in if you'd like…" 

Uhura, let a few tears fall before she bottled it up again. She shook her head wiping her face, "I'm alright Leo. Everything is just catching up to me…" she mumbled with a watery chuckle. Leonard snorted at the nickname she had given him, 

"Just let me know darlin' " 

And without truly thinking about it he pulled her into a hug. It only took Uhura a second to process what was happening before she wrapped her arms around him tightly. A genuine smile breaking across her face. The first time in hours she felt content, safe, and able to truly breathe. 

Jim: 

James T. Kirk was a touchy-feely type of man. Leonard supposed it may be from a less than stellar childhood. So whenever Jim would pull him into a one-armed hug or slapped his back or even leaned up against him, McCoy would let him. He would definitely bitch but only half-heartedly, Leonard needed to keep up appearances after all. 

So when they found Jim partially dead, hanging from his wrists in a cave all smirks and charm…

Well, no one batted an eye when -- after he made sure that the man would live -- Leonard pulled his best friend in for a hug. Jim just laughed, laid an arm over McCoy's shoulder, and leaned into the hug. 

"I only had to get tortured and offered to an alien God for you to hug me. Good to know," 

"Shut up Kid," 

Spock:

No one ever thought the words McCoy, Spock, and hug would ever be uttered but stranger things have happened on the Enterprise. 

No stranger than an alien device that turned back time. In a physical sense anyway. Leonard looked down at his adolescent hands and sighed with a heavy eye roll. "Not this again," he grumbled with a shudder. 

Looking around the room he saw Jim shouting at Mudd who had bought the alien weapon and decided to point it at him and Spock. McCoy tilted his head, his eyes going comically wide. 

Spock! 

Where was the green-blooded rugrat? Leonard looked around and sighed in relief at the sight of the first officer. He was hidden under a rickety wooden table. Crouching down Leonard gave Spock a small smile, he waved and gestured for the Vulcan to come closer. Apparently the younger you go the further your mind goes with it. Spock had a mentality of a...of well, a toddler. He couldn't have been more than two. 

Spock stared at Leonard intensely before darting out and crashing into his legs. McCoy stumbled a little before he got his footing. Spock looked up at him with wide scared eyes, tears threatening to fall. 'Must have gotten all Vucan-y at four or five,' Leonard thought as he picked up his friend. 

Leonard pulled Spock close, hugging him to his chest whispering softly. Spock seemed confused for only a moment before he buried his head into the young CMO's neck. 

Jim of course saw it all and later under the threat of meeting his end via an airlock kept his mouth firmly shut. The only thing the Starship Captain said -- which everyone agreed-- Doctor Leonard McCoy could absolutely cure a rainy day. 

Tags:

@lauraaan182, @chickadee-djarin, @cowenby2, @bluesclues-1234, @sayuri9908,

[spirkmemrspock]

fake dating with a little bit of there was only one bed?

Send me Spirk prompts

"Captain, I must myself declare much happiness to have found you not married,” Jim’s translator circuit provided, parsing Emperor Ohllak’s words in a somewhat clunky manner. “I, therefore, offer my beloved son's hand in marriage," the monarch exclaimed, motioning to the young prince to his side.

"Oh,” Jim gulped, surprised, “I'm sorry Emperor Ohllak, but I can't accept your offer."

"And why, in our Goddess Kuruna's name, can't you accept? Keep in mind Captain that in the great nation-land of Phnturia, refusing a royal's request is a war crime! I myself do not suppose the Federation would have sent a representative so willing to affront us!"

"Of course not, Ambassador. You see, the thing is... I…” Quick Jim, think of something! “I already have a boyfriend." Shit, not that!

"Boyfriend? You have a male... friend? I do not understand how this impedes you from marrying my Aanya."

"Well, you see...Emperor Ohllak...That is why we've arrived at this misunderstanding.” Fuck, Jim thought, he was only stalling at this point. Sometimes I can’t believe the things that come out of my stupid mouth. “I'm not married. But… I'm also not... single."

"You Captain have an intended?" The prince suggested helpfully, making Jim almost want to kiss him in the mouth.

"Yes! Yes, Aanya. You could say that I have an intended."

"And where is this intended, Captain Kirk? It is a terrible omen to travel without your spouse or spouse-to-be,” the Emperor boomed, shaking his vibrant tentacles vigorously as this species seemed to do when in agitation. “Oh, the great nation-land of Phnturia does not wish to form relations with beings of bad fortune!"

"Well, h-he—" Yeah, Jim, you dumbass, where is your imaginary fantastical boyfriend—

"He is right here.” Jim immediately knew whose voice it was behind him but still couldn’t help turning around in alarm. “I am the Captain's intended."

*

"Gods, Spock. You really saved my ass back there,” Jim gushed as they entered the guest quarters offered to them. “I don't know how to thank you enough. And I'm sorry that my little ruse means you're now forced to bunk with me."

"No thanks or apologies are necessary, Captain. It was Commodore Oh's responsibility to brief us on the details about the Phnturians traditions and values. And her office, as of late, has failed to do so."

"You really have a bone to pick with Oh's new tactical officer, don’t you,”

“I have ‘a bone’, as you say, Captain, with inefficiency and incompetence.”

“Wow, inefficiency and incompetence, even for you that’s hard. You must really be upset about our sleeping arrangements."

“No, Captain, that is not—”

“Relax, Spock. I’m just messing with you. Besides, we’ve shared quarters before it’s no big deal, right? Although...” Jim trailed off as he took in properly the room’s sleeping alcove. The smell of the room was divine, like vanilla, lavender, and strangely, freshly cut grass. There was no bed frame or mattress, only an elevated platform with a silk tent filled with an assortment of colorful pillows and quilts; the path leading up to it covered in white petals. There were also no artificial lights of any kind because the walls in that corner were completely transparent, letting the planet’s two moons loom brightly over them. He had never seen one, but Jim imagined that was how the newlyweds’ suites in a pleasure planet looked like. “Phnturians really go all out for couples, huh.” He turned to Spock but for some reason couldn’t look him straight in the eyes. “So, right tent side or left?”

*

Jim laid on his back staring at Phnturia's starry sky through the sheer fabric of their tent. He had tried miserably to fall asleep until he resigned himself to count shooting stars. His bed partner was turned away from him, completely still, but he somehow knew Spock was also awake.

The mission had been a success, the Emperor had lost interest in Jim's marital status and accepted the Federation's proposal for a mutually beneficial deal trade. But at what cost, Jim thought to himself. Spock had rescued him willingly from his loose tongue, only to give Jim the cold shoulder for the remainder of negotiations. Jim tried joking about their situation in an attempt to clear the air between them, but Spock was too far gone into the stiff and mechanical demeanor reminiscent of their earlier days. And just when Jim thought he'd started warming up to him.

"I'm sorry, Spock," Jim finally murmured, he couldn't stand the abyss that had formed between them any second longer. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable today. I don't even know why I said what I said."

"Apologies are unnecessary,” said Spock, back still turned to him.

"No. They are necessary when I have clearly crossed a boundary here. I know how much you guard your personal life and I as your captain, and friend, ought to never force you into a compromising position. Plus, you were forced to back me up on this lie when Uhura was right there,” Jim sighed. “And now you can’t even share a room on a gorgeous planet with your gorgeous girlfriend.”

“Jim.” Spock finally turned around to face him, brown furrowed in confusion.“ Lt. Uhura and I have terminated our relationship 5.2 months ago.”

“Wait, what? Well, ok. I didn’t know that, but anyway, my point still stands. I just want things to go back to normal between us." Spock remained silent, avoiding Jim’s gaze. "Talk to me, Spock. Please. I can't know what's going on in your head unless you talk to me."

"I do not... I do not wish for things to go on as before."

"You...?" Jim swallowed hard. "You don't want to work with me anymore?"

"No, Jim. On the contrary, the notion of being... involved with you in an amorous manner was extremely appealing to me. And for that, I am the one who must apologize. I am the one who crossed a boundary. I have already begun drafting my transfer papers and—"

Spock never got to finish his sentence because Jim stopped him with the only way his dumbass brain could come up with at that moment: with his own mouth.

.

.

.

"What now?"

"Now, Jim?"

"Yeah, what do we do? This doesn't have to, um, complicate things, if you don't want it to."

"I believe we do not have to do anything."

"Yeah, you're right, it was stupid of me to assume—"

"Since we have told our entire landing party I am your 'intended', and those officers have by now passed on this information to the whole crew, I believe we must continue to act accordingly. Lest we are accused of spreading falsehoods."

"Yeah, Mr. Spock, we can’t lie to our crew."

“No, we cannot, Jim.”

[jandjsalmon]

2021 Fic Reading Challenge Stats - September

It’s that time again - where I reflect upon what I’ve read for the past month to keep myself accountable - and for the @fanfic-reading-challenge.

What a month. I feel like there is no need to elaborate. I hope that through the trying times, you’ve all been able to find things that bring you joy this autumn. Let’s hope for a good October! :*

Here are the stats:

A marked improvement from last month. Just over 300,000 more words. I was surprised - but then not surprised, given what canon has given us lately... or all season. 

Anyway - here is me sharing just a few favourite stories I read this month. If you haven’t read them, you should. If it’s a pairing that is new to you, you should explore it!

In the Name of the Game by Sannikex (CoffeeFairy) Draco/Ginny (7/7 - T)  Enemies to Friends to Lovers - Fake Relationship - Quiddich Rivals. Absolutely DELIGHTFUL.

Of Stars and Motherhood by @sit-down-at-a-keyboard-and-bleed​ Tristan/Yvaine (1/1 - G) Short - but so so pretty. My favourite film but I’d never sought out fanfiction for it before.

Happy Is The Man by @thepointoftheneedle  Bughead (3/3 - T) Another CAPER! I really really love how fun Needle’s capers are. Read this.

Winds Against a Star by @valinde Spock/Uhura (36/36 - E) Really, I read this whole series and it was glorious. Starts Pre-Films at the Academy - the cast of characters is fantastic. The characterization is perfect and now colours my opinion of all other Spuhura fics. Really wonderful.

---

If you have any favourite pairings or fandoms that you think I may be interested in - please share!

I’m still working on the fic challenge portion of this experiment. I’m very very close to being done - and currently, I’m looking for the following entries:

Read a fic which crosses over with your main fandom.

Read a fic with more than two characters' perspectives.

If any of you can think of a story that fits one of these criteria (any fandom, really) - even if/especially if it’s one of yours - please hit me up. I’d be happy to read it. 💙💛

[thesconesyard]

Yeehaw!

When the Cactus Blooms

13. Yee-caw!

Keenser had seen Scotty then McCoy enter the stables. Jim had ridden off right after lunch. Spock and Sulu and Chekov had all wandered to different corners of the ranch to work on various things. Christine and Uhura were working and showing something to Jaylah on the porch.

Keenser smiled. The ranch was a happy place. The people here had accepted him and helped him and he was home in a way he never had been before arriving.

A bird nudged his leg with its head. The birds had all learned quickly which leg to bump. He leaned down to pick it up. It was still a small thing, he could pet the top of its head with one finger. With a smile he set the bird on his shoulder and continued on to the gardens.

He preferred to stay closer to the house. With only one leg and the prosthetic the doctor and Christine had set him up with, it was too much for him to hike all over the ranch. Keenser liked to help Scotty when he could, but he was quite content to raise all the birds on the ranch and do other small jobs for the ladies, like keeping the stoves going.

A growing flock was following as he walked. The bird on his shoulder peeped at him, and he chuckled before giving it another pet. He reached the garden and opened the gate that usually kept the birds out.

“Go on,” he told them.

The guinea hens would go after the pests that would bother the garden. Keenser watched for a few moments as the birds all scrambled quickly between the well laid out rows. He’d come back in the evening to lead them to their roosts.

The little bird peeped again and he reached up to get it. Keenser set it gently down on the ground and it hurried off after the others.

Uhura had asked for a pair of chickens for dinner, so Keenser made his way to the coop to take care of that unpleasant job. He heard the ladies laughing on the front porch and smiled. The new girl was laughing with them. Keenser’s heart went out to her. Jaylah she was named, and now she was alone in the world. He hoped they could at least find out what had happened to her family. And if they couldn’t, well, he hoped she’d stay.

Chickens clucked at him as he entered the coop. They had quite a large flock of chickens, for they had many hungry mouths to feed each morning at breakfast. Keenser found two of the older hens who had stopped laying, and picked them up. He carried them with him.

It was on the other end of the house, away from the coop when he stopped. He had insisted that the place where they killed the chickens and any other fowl they ate should not be anywhere the other birds could see. Keenser was as kind and understanding with his flocks as Spock was with the cattle during branding.

A few loud squawks and the business was taken care of. He hung the two birds by their feet over a pair of buckets. He would come back to pluck them in a bit. Christine would have something cool for him if he headed to the porch where the ladies were.

Keenser stopped in surprise as he passed the stables and heard Scotty singing lightheartedly as he worked. There was something new in his old friend’s voice. A moment later Keenser heard the low rumble of a second voice joining the song. He couldn’t help blinking in surprise and a slow smile spread on his face.

At last! Well, he was glad for them.

“Hello Keenser.” Jaylah was the first to spot him coming to the porch.

He nodded a greeting to the ladies, then found the small chair he liked best.

“Something to drink?” Christine asked.

“Please.”

She got up and went into the house. She came back with a full glass and handed it to him. Keenser looked her in the eye, then darted his eyes towards the stables.

“Happened,” he told her.

She looked at him, puzzled for a moment before understanding cleared her face.

“Finally?!” she asked happily.

He nodded again and Christine let out a delighted laugh.

“Took’em long enough,” she grinned, as she sat back down.

“What happened?” Jaylah demanded. Uhura had also raised an eyebrow in question.

Christine looked over at Keenser, then back at the other two gals.

“I think you’ll figure it out by dinner,” she said, smiling mysteriously.

The ladies turned their talk back to other things and Keenser was content to let their chatter wash over him. He put his feet up on the porch railing and tipped his head back.

After a while the sound of hooves entered the yard. Keenser slowly opened his eyes and saw Jim wave at them as he turned his horse for the stables. Keenser had a brief moment of worry for Scotty; he hoped the two men weren’t in a compromising situation. Lord knew Jim would never let the doctor live it down.

Uhura and Christine got up and went into the house.

“It’s nice here,” Jaylah said softly.

“Gonna stay?” Keenser asked. He looked over at the bright eyed girl. He saw her eyes welling up.

“I want to find my family,” she said fiercely, wiping a fist across her eyes.

“Hope you do,” he said quietly.

“Thank you,” she replied in nearly a whisper.

McCoy was with him when Jim finally came to the house from the stables. They settled in a pair of chairs near Jaylah.

“Christopher was sorry to hear about your situation,” Jim told her. “He’s gonna send some men out searching as soon as he can.”

Keenser saw Scotty heading for them. He wasn’t surprised when his friend stood leaning against the railing by the doctor instead of coming to the chair by him. He gave Scotty a knowing look when he glanced at him. Scotty’s face blushed and he mumbled something about helping the ladies, before he disappeared in the house.

Keenser stood. He still had chickens to pluck. Young Chekov came around the corner as he reached the place.

“Do you need help?” Chekov asked. He brushed his hands against his thighs.

Keenser nodded and handed him one of the birds. Chekov kept up a stream of talk as they cleaned the chickens. Keenser just smiled listening to the young man. He was enthusiastic and always raised Keenser’s spirits.

In the cool of the evening Keenser returned to the garden. He gave a chirpy whistle and waited for the guinea fowl to flock over to him. Something bumped his leg and he looked down at the small bird from the morning. A pet to its head and then he placed it on his shoulder once more.

He closed the gate again and began to walk. The birds followed, chattering amongst themselves. Ahead Keenser could see Scotty and McCoy walking off towards the creek. Something caught a ray of evening sun and glittered. Keenser smiled. A bottle. The two were off to share a drink.

Securing the birds and the chickens for the night, Keenser made his way to the porch again. Someone in the house was singing, probably Uhura, and the sound made Keenser’s heart swell. He sat in his favorite chair, popped his feet on the porch railing and leaned back. Yes, this was home.

[440mxs-wife]

New Recruit - Part 1

Pairing: Leonard “Bones” McCoy x Lt. Maggie Parker (OFC). Other Characters: Cmdr Spock, Lt. Nyota Uhura, Lt. Ruthie Warner (OFC), Ensign Miranda Nelson (OFC)

Word Count: 4040+

Warnings: None

A/N: This is my first attempt at a fic outside of the Supernatural fandom. I have @spacedancer1701​ to thank for that little nudge. :) This particular offering got away from me a bit, so I split it in two. Enjoy, and happy reading!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lieutenant Margaret Parker scanned the crowd as she waited for her turn to report to her assignment. She was one of six new recruits scheduled to board the shuttle that would take her to her next duty station as science officer aboard the USS Enterprise. The lieutenant grinned to herself, barely able to contain her excitement. The flagship of the Fleet. I can't believe this is happening, she thought.

The lieutenant then looked at her watch and frowned. She didn't want to board the shuttle without saying last goodbyes, but she could not be late. She wished that her parents could be here to send her off, but they've been gone for six years now. Her brothers had their families, so they couldn't make it either, due to work and school. This meant no immediate family to say goodbye before she left for her five-year mission.

However, there was one person she really wanted to make sure and say good bye to. Her roommate, best friend and almost-sister, Ruthie Warner. It was Ruthie who had supported her during her Academy years, helped with her studies and made sure she had some fun as well.

The two of them were well-known for their tag-team method of fleecing new recruits at Rocky's Bar by hustling games of 8-ball. Every year, the bar held an 8-ball tournament. Every year for the past four it had come down to Ruthie versus Maggie, as she was called by friends and family. Some of the time Ruthie won, and sometimes Maggie won, but they were always #1 and #2.

"I'm here! I'm here! Don't leave yet!" she heard as Ruthie came running towards her. The two women wrapped each other in a fierce hug, tears threatening for both of them. "You take care of yourself, you hear me, Lieutenant Maggie Parker, Science Officer for the USS Enterprise?" Ruthie whispered hoarsely.

"I will, I promise. You do the same, Lieutenant Ruthie Warner, Head Nurse of the USS Pegasus," Maggie chuckled dryly. "Love, you Sis," Maggie whispered.

"Love you too, Sis. Now get going," Ruthie ordered as she playfully pushed Maggie towards the shuttle's passenger loading area.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The energy waves of the transporter beams faded away, leaving Lt. Parker standing firmly on the pad. Waiting to greet her and the other recruits were Captain James T Kirk, First Officer, Cmdr. Spock and Chief Engineer, Montgomery Scott.

Maggie stepped down from the transporter pad and handed the captain a PADD with a copy of her orders and all of her information. "Lt. Margaret Parker, reporting for duty, Sir," she announced.

"Welcome aboard, Lieutenant. At ease, please," Capt. Kirk replied, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. She waited while he accessed a copy of her orders on the PADD in his hand.

"All righty, Lt. Parker, you are cleared to report to Dr. McCoy in the MedBay for your incoming physical. After that, someone will show you to your quarters," Kirk explained. "Good to have you aboard, Lieutenant." With a smile and a wink, the captain left the transporter room.

"Please follow me, Lt. Parker and I will show you where the MedBay is," said Commander Spock.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The doors to the MedBay slid open, and Cmdr. Spock strode over to a strikingly handsome dark-haired man with sharp, hazel eyes. "Dr. McCoy, this is Lt. Margaret Parker, here for her initial physical examination. Lieutenant, when you are finished, I will have someone escort you to your quarters. Excuse me," Spock turned and left the MedBay.

"Well, Lt. Margaret Parker, welcome to the Enterprise," remarked Dr. McCoy. "Hop up here on the biobed and we'll get this started," he ordered.

"Maggie," she said as she maneuvered herself up onto the biobed.

"Beg pardon?" Dr. McCoy asked.

"Maggie. Short for Margaret, in case you were wondering. It's a family name," Maggie explained.

"Oh. Well, Maggie, let's get this show on the road. I've got a mountain of paperwork to sift through," McCoy grumbled.

"Yes, sir," Maggie said softly as Dr. McCoy gave her an initial scan with his tricorder.

Dr. McCoy was about to give Lt. Parker her final assessment when two members of the engineering team walked in. One of them was holding her head, and looked almost ready to pass out. It took both her co-worker and Dr. McCoy to help her up to sit on the edge of the biobed.

"I'll be right back over, Lt. Parker, so just sit tight," Dr. McCoy called over his shoulder. Turning his attention back to his new patient, he began his examination. After a few minutes, he left the area to get what he needed to treat the young engineer.

While Maggie waited for Dr. McCoy to come back, she looked all around the MedBay to acquaint herself with her surroundings. Her attention landed on the engineer brought in about ten or fifteen minutes ago by her co-worker, who had already returned to duty.

The young lady was swaying a bit from side to side, holding her head. Suddenly, she leaned over too far and was about to fall off the edge. Maggie jumped up and rushed over to the engineer to catch her before she could cause further injury to herself.

"Whoa, easy there, I've got you. Let's get you set back up on here. So what happened that brings you down here?" Maggie asked. She had a suspicion that since the girl had a head injury, it could possibly be a concussion.

"I was down in Engineering, repairing a machine when something exploded and knocked me back," she explained.

"Did you hit your head?" Maggie asked.

"Yes, I did. Can I please lay down? My head really hurts and I'm so tired," she begged.

"No, honey, I need you to stay awake. You might have a concussion, and if you do, going to sleep is not a good idea," Maggie replied. "My name is Lieutenant Margaret Parker, but you can call me Maggie. What's your name?" she asked.

"Um....I'm Ensign Miranda Nelson," she responded.

"Nice to meet you, Ensign Nelson. Or, is it okay if I call you Miranda? Anyway, today's my first day here, and I can already tell it won't be boring around here. So how long have you worked in Engineering, Miranda?" Maggie kept asking Ensign Nelson questions to help keep her oriented and from going to sleep. Every so often, Maggie would interject pieces of information from her life into the conversation.

Dr. McCoy checked the hypospray to make sure it was the right one, and returned to the main patient area. Maggie was now sitting with Miranda, with her arm around the ensign's shoulder. McCoy took a few minutes to observe the situation currently in play with the beautiful lieutenant.

From the moment she stepped into his MedBay, McCoy knew Lt. Parker was different from any other woman he'd met thus far in his life. She had bright, expressive hazel eyes, and he could see a bit of mischief in them. Her hair was a light chestnut brown, curly and was just long enough to brush the top of the collar on her uniform.

Maggie had a gentleness about her, which was obvious to McCoy from his observations of her conversation with Ensign Nelson. She had a soothing voice and refrained from showing frustration with Miranda's repetitive requests to go to sleep. Maggie looked around and when she locked eyes with McCoy, he returned to Ensign Nelson's biobed to step in and take charge of the situation.

"Well, Lieutenant, I hope I haven't been replaced as CMO for this case, now have I?" Dr. McCoy asked.

"No, sir! Not at all! This is Ensign Miranda Nelson, who almost fell off the biobed, but I got to her in time. She's complaining of a headache and really, really wants to go to sleep," Maggie explained.

"So, why shouldn't I give her a painkiller and send her back to her quarters for some rest?" McCoy inquired.

"Because she said she was repairing a machine in Engineering and there was a small explosion. She said it knocked her off of her feet and she hit her head. My concern would be that she may have a concussion, and it is therefore inadvisable to allow her to sleep," Maggie answered.

McCoy nodded and continued to examine Miranda while Maggie shared her hypothesis. "Well, Lieutenant, it turns out that your suspicions were correct, Ensign Nelson does have a concussion," he said. He motioned for Nurse Chapel to step back over to his position and gave her some treatment instructions for the ensign.

Maggie went back over to her biobed and resumed her sitting position while she waited for Dr. McCoy's assessment of her physical condition. "Thank you for your help with Ensign Nelson. Had you not been here, she would've sustained further injuries," he remarked.

"You're welcome, Dr. McCoy," Maggie murmured.

Returning to doctor mode, "Your vital signs look good, vision perfect. In general, you're in tip-top shape, Lieutenant. Except," he ran the tricorder along her limbs to check the joints. "You have a bit of tendon damage in your right wrist and right elbow. Are you a tennis player by chance?" he guessed.

Maggie smiled and shook her head. "Nope, I don't play tennis, Dr. McCoy," she replied.

"Leonard," he added.

"Huh?" she asked.

"My name is Leonard. You're Maggie, I'm Leonard," he explained. "Forget it, never mind," he grumbled. What the hell am I doing?!? he thought. Is this--Am I--FLIRTING?

Before he had a chance to answer the last question he asked himself, Maggie was asking him what he could do to fix it. She had felt some tenderness in those joints, and was hoping for some relief. Besides, it had recently kept her from doing any real damage at the tables against the new recruits. "Doc? Doctor? Dr. McCoy!" Maggie's voice finally broke through his mental fog.

McCoy shook his head as if to clear it. "Sorry, darlin', didn't mean to check out on you there. I'll just go get a hypo for the pain, then we'll get on to fixing that tendon damage," he told her.

A couple of minutes later, he returned with a hypospray and another device in hand. "I must say, Lieutenant, I'm impressed with your diagnostic capabilities," McCoy smiled at her.

"Well, Doctor, it helps to have a sister for a roommate. She's getting ready to serve as Head Nurse aboard the USS Pegasus. Staying up all those late nights helping her study must have stuck in my head after all," Maggie grinned back.

"So you got to room with your sister, that was convenient," McCoy commented.

"Actually, my roommate became my best friend, and we've been through so much together, we're like sisters. Her name is Lieutenant Ruthie Warner," Maggie explained.

"Friendships like that are rare and priceless. Do whatever's necessary to preserve it," McCoy advised.

"I fully plan on doing that, Doctor. I remember when we first met at Rocky's Bar, near the Academy, one night over a rack of 8-ball," Maggie mentioned.

"You shoot pool?" McCoy asked in surprise. Well, damn if that's not sexy. Wait, what? he thought.

Maggie chuckled. "Yes, Doctor, I sure do. 'M pretty good at it if I may say so myself. Anyway, I'm sure that the tendon damage you detected is because I'm right-handed when I play. In fact, the twinges I've been feeling lately have seriously affected my game," she muttered.

"Well, we can't have that, can we? Let's see what we can do to alleviate some of that pain," McCoy said. Maggie tilted her head to the right to give him access to her neck for the hypospray. After administering the painkiller, McCoy gently rubbed the injection site to ease the sting. Then he took the other device and slowly passed it over her wrist then her elbows.

"That should take care of mending those tendons. Now, all you have to do is keep a cue stick out of your hand for about a day or two," McCoy smirked.

Maggie chuckled. "I'm sure I'll have plenty of work to keep me busy to where that won't be a problem," she grinned. She appreciated his calm bedside manner and the feel of his hands on her neck after the hypo injection. When he smiled, there were these adorable little crinkles around his eyes. What am I thinking? she admonished herself. You just got here and you're already making goo-goo eyes at the doctor? Didn't you learn your lesson with Ryan? you chided.

At that moment, a slender, dark-skinned woman with long hair entered the MedBay and strode over to you. "My name is Lt. Nyota Uhura, and I'm the Communications Officer. Cmdr. Spock sent me to escort you to your quarters, if you're ready. That is, if Dr. McCoy is finished with his examination," Uhura remarked.

"Everything checks out, Lt. Uhura, her physical exam is complete. I'll send my final report over to Jim once I'm finished with it," McCoy replied.

Maggie hastily climbed down from the biobed, suddenly anxious to flee the MedBay and its attractive CMO. She began an almost speed-walk to the door when Dr. McCoy called out to her. She turned to face Dr. McCoy. "Yes, Doctor?" she asked.

"Once your tendons are healed, I'm looking forward to splitting a rack of 8-ball with you," McCoy gave her a wink and a smirk.

"Until then, Dr. McCoy," Maggie replied softly, giving him a small smile. She continued her retreat from the MedBay to catch up to Lt.Cmdr Uhura.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"First day, hmm?" Uhura asked.

"Yep, kinda nervous, too," Maggie admitted.

"I understand that, but don't be. This is the best crew I've ever worked with, and I'm sure you'll be a fantastic addition. Seems like you've already made an impression on Dr. McCoy," she remarked slyly.

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Maggie asked.

"Well, he's usually kind of grumpy, and he's not exactly known for socializing much. But he seemed to have warmed up a little, from what I saw," Uhura answered.

"I dunno," Maggie shrugged. "I didn't get the 'grumpy' impression at all. He was fairly sociable towards me, and we had some pleasant conversation. He seems very dedicated to his patients," she affirmed.

By this time, they had reached the door to her quarters. Once inside, Uhura gave Maggie the grand tour. She explained to Maggie how everything worked and where to find everything, in case it was arranged a bit differently than on her last assignment.

"Things are little informal on this ship, more like a big family than anything. It's not unusual for the captain to join us at meals, or for drinks after shift." Uhura laid a hand on Maggie's arm. "If you ever need to talk, please let me know. I'm hoping we can become friends," she remarked.

Maggie smiled warmly at Lt. Uhura. "Thank you, I hope so as well. Really missing my best friend right now, but she has her assignment, and I have mine," she replied with a watery smile. "I just can't believe I'm finally here, on the flagship of the Fleet!" Maggie exclaimed.

Uhura laughed. "I'm sure you've worked very hard to get here, because the Enterprise only lets in the best of the best. Relax, you have made it to the big show, my dear! Try not to work too hard, though," she advised. "Hey, some of us are getting together later for a drink, why don't you join us? It'll give you a chance to meet the rest of the group," Uhuru offered.

"Hmm. Let me think about it, and I'll let you know, if that's okay? I was just going to relax in my quarters for tonight," Maggie answered. "Wait, what time is everyone getting together?"

"I think Spock said to meet in the rec area at 2100 hrs. It'll be great, got to have fun while we have downtime," Uhura replied, then left Maggie's quarters.

I can't believe I'm here, and making friends already, she thought. The captain was relaxed, easygoing, but Maggie was sure he had the utmost respect of the crew. Nyota was quickly becoming a good friend, and Maggie couldn't wait to meet the rest of the group.

Maggie decided one night out wouldn't hurt, but she wanted to take a nap before meeting the rest of the crew. As she stared at the ceiling, she wondered briefly if Dr. McCoy would be joining them this evening. Nah, he said he had a mountain of paperwork to do, so he probably won't be there. Perhaps some other time, Maggie sighed. Her eyelids began to droop, then finally stayed closed as thoughts of a certain CMO danced in her head.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Captain Kirk made his way to the MedBay to speak to his CMO. He had gotten word from Nyota that some of the crew was getting together tonight in the recreation area. He had also heard that Uhura had invited the newest crew member, Lt. Maggie Parker to join them.

"Hey, Christine, is he in?" Kirk asked Head Nurse Christine Chapel.

"Yes, Jim, he's been holed up in his office all afternoon. Try and get him out of there, would you?" she pleaded.

Kirk nodded and smiled at Nurse Chapel and knocked on McCoy's office door. When there was no answer, he let himself in.

"Well, by all means, Jim, come right in," McCoy remarked dryly.

"Thanks, Bones. Hey, I was wondering if you were almost finished here, some of us are going down to the recreation area for a drink," Kirk mentioned.

"I've got a ton of paperwork, Jim. I don't think so," McCoy answered.

Kirk decided to try a different tactic. "Oh, by the way, thank you for sending over the results of Lt. Parker's incoming physical so quickly. Looks like Starfleet sent us a stellar recruit," Kirk remarked.

"Yes, Jim, she's fine," McCoy replied as he leaned back a little in his chair. "Actually, it was a good thing she was in here, or I would've had a situation on my hands," he added.

"Oh, really?" Jim asked.

Dr. McCoy proceeded to tell him of the engineer that came in with the head injury while he was conducting Lt. Parker's physical. "I left the room for a couple of minutes to get something. If Maggie hadn't been there, Ensign Nelson would've fallen off the biobed," McCoy explained.

"Lucky for you 'Maggie' was there," Kirk responded.

McCoy nodded, then explained how Maggie sat with the ensign and was able to detect her concussion. "She said her sister was on assignment as Head Nurse on the USS Pegasus, a Lt. Ruthie Warner," he remarked.

"Wait a minute. Parker and Warner, why do I know those names?" Kirk wondered aloud.

"Well, now how in the hell should I know, Jim?" McCoy retorted. "Anyway, I've got work to do, so if you don't mind," he said as a way to encourage the captain to leave.

"Come on, have a drink with us, Bones. You need to loosen up a bit. Besides, Nyota said she got Maggie to agree to meet us there," Kirk indicated.

McCoy thought for a moment. A chance to spend more time with the lovely lieutenant outside of a work setting could be promising, he thought. "I'll see what I can do, Jim. What time is everyone meeting?" he asked.

"Spock said something about 2100 hrs. Come on, Bones, don't make me give you a direct order," Kirk warned.

"Jim. I said I'd see what I can do, I'm not promising anything. IF I'm there, I may be a little later than 2100 hrs.--"

"Good! I'll tell everyone you're coming. See you there, Bones!" Jim hollered as he left McCoy's office, leaving the good doctor shaking his head as he returned to his work.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Maggie had contacted Uhura to tell her she decided to join them for a drink after all. She was almost finished getting ready when she heard the chimes at her door. "Come in!" she called as she spritzed some perfume on her wrist. During the course of her unpacking, she had found her favorite pale peach sweater and dark gray jeans.

Uhura and Spock stepped inside Maggie's quarters. "Maggie? Where are you, hun?" Uhura asked.

"In here, just finishing up getting ready. Can't seem to get this earring in--ah, there it goes," Maggie said, stepping out of the bathroom and into the main living area. "Good evening, Cmdr. Spock. It's nice to see you again," Maggie remarked.

"Likewise, Lt. Parker," Spock returned.

"Please call me Maggie. So what brings you two by my quarters? I was just getting ready to head out to the rec area," she asked.

"I thought we could go together, show you how to get there and all," Uhura explained.

"Sounds logical, thank you. Oh, will the captain be joining us this evening?" she inquired.

"He's supposed to be, and I believe he mentioned something about it to Dr. McCoy as well," Uhura replied, watching for Maggie's reaction.

"Oh, well, won't that be lovely," Maggie remarked nervously. Uhura looked to Spock and nudged him out the door, with Maggie following.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"And that's the last time I tried to out-drink my sister!" Maggie exclaimed, to a chorus of raucous laughter. "When I woke up, I had the hangover of all hangovers, then had my final Chemistry exam that morning. Fortunately, I passed my exam. Then I went back to my dorm room, took two painkillers and passed out!" she finished to more laughter.

"Now, you said your sister is Lt. Ruthie Warner?" asked the captain.

"Yes, sir. She's the new Head Nurse of the USS Pegasus. She and I met at the Academy and hung out a lot at Rocky's Bar, playing 8-ball," Maggie explained.

"Parker and Warner....THAT'S where I remember your names from!" Kirk exclaimed. "You and your sister always ended up taking the top two spots in Rocky's annual tournament. Four years running, if I remember correctly," he finished.

"That's us, Captain," Maggie grinned. "Alas, now that I'm here, Rocky's torch must pass to someone else. I just play for fun now, except I'm under strict orders from Dr. McCoy NOT to have a cue stick in my hand for the next day or so."

"Good evening, all, is this seat taken?" Dr. McCoy gestured to the empty seat. He was wearing dark wash jeans with cowboy boots, a burgundy-colored button-down shirt and a thin black leather jacket. He greeted Spock, Uhura and the rest, then placed his drink on the table and claimed the barstool next to Maggie for himself.

"Speak of the devil, Bones! Glad you could make it tonight, pull up a seat," Kirk greeted the doctor boisterously.

"Don't mind if I do, Jim, thank you. Lieutenant, lovely to see you again. How are you enjoying your first day on board the Enterprise?" McCoy asked.

"It's like a dream come true for me. I've always heard that the Enterprise crew is the best of the best, and it's long been my goal to earn my place here. I've already met so many wonderful people like yourselves, and I'm looking forward to becoming friends with all of you," Maggie finished.

"Well said, Lieutenant," McCoy held up his drink in salute, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Thank you, Dr. McCoy, and please call me 'Maggie'. At least when we're not on duty," she requested.

McCoy leaned closer to Maggie. "Only if you call me 'Leonard', darlin'," he replied softly.

Maggie reached over and placed her hand on top of his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Agreed. Leonard," Maggie giggled. She'd only said it once, but already McCoy loved the sound of his name falling from her lips.

Across the table, Kirk and the others paid particular attention to the interaction between their CMO and newest addition to the crew. They exchanged glances with each other about what appeared to be happening between McCoy and Maggie.

It was clear to everyone that the pair were completely oblivious to what was going on around them except for each other. They liked Maggie already, and had hopes that something might happen between her and Dr. McCoy.

Part 2 here!

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[captainkirkmccoy]

We get a lot of Jim's birthday, but what about Jim doing something for Bones the first birthday he can't see Joanna? (my quarantine birthday is coming up and I need a pick me up 😊)

“Bones, love of my life, sole owner of my heart, can you promise me something?”

Jim locks himself in Bones office, not that his husband would notice really, because he’s too busy focusing on the PADD in front of him, glaring at it the way he glares at ensigns who don’t show up for vaccinations on time. 

“You say something, Jim?” Bones says after a minute, blinking up at Jim. 

“Can you not make Chekov cry again? Sulu might challenge you to a duel, and we know you can’t handle a sword, so I’ll have to do it, and I really don’t want to be eviscerated by my pilot.”

Bones sighs, rubs at his temples. “I didn’t make Pavel cry. I just wasn’t happy with the news he delivered. Might’ve overreacted.”

“You taught him some curses even I haven’t yet. And he thinks you’re mad at him. He’s commandeered the communications hub to make you an apology card.”

Jim leans into Bones, slotting himself into place the way he has more times than he can count. He knows about the news Chekov delivered--and he wished he hadn’t. He’s already been on the comm all day, figuring out ways around it. 

“I’m sorry we won’t be back Earth side for your birthday.” He says into Bones’ hair. 

“No big deal.”

“Mr. Chekov wouldn’t agree with you.”

He hears Bones’ huff of breath. “Every birthday I’ve seen her. I don’t even know what it would be without that.”

Jocelyn is militant about Joanna’s visitations. She gets to see Bones on her birthday, but she had the flu, and his. And the brief shore leaves on Earth, which every year during Bones’ birthday they’ve been on the Enterprise, has coincided. Not that Jim had anything to do with that. At all. 

But this year they’re too far to make it back. A milk run and a rescue mission back to back will place them to many systems away from Earth to get back in time. Jim tried pulling favors to get Jocelyn and Jo on a ship so they could meet halfway--no dice. 

“I’m so sorry, babe.” Jim threads his fingers into the nape of Bones’ neck. He knows about shitty birthdays. Before Bones, before the Academy, his birthday consisted of a warm body and bottles of whatever took the edge off. 

Bones takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, turns his face into Jim’s neck. “It’ll be fine. Just a day, right?”

Right.

***

“Jim.” 

“Nope, not right now.” Jim tells the guts of the display system. 

“Excuse me?” The voice incredulously asks. 

Jim’s head collides with the panel door. “Shit, ow, sorry, Uhura. What’s going on?”

“I’ve heard back from all the departments, we’re a go for the non-essential blackout.”

He could kiss her. “Oh, thank god.”

“What else do you need?”

“Right now? For this display to stop being a little shit.” 

Jim hears Uhura’s shoes click clack on the floor before smelling her floral perfume as she settles down next to him. “Want me to get Scotty?”

“I’ve got him and Chekov running Bones interference.”

“Good luck with that.”

“That’s what I said.” Jim slams the panel door closed sends a silent prayer to any deity that might be listening that this works.

***

“Bunch of halfwits. Who shaves off their eyebrows twice?” Bones says as he enters their quarters.

Jim winces and makes a mental note to send Chekov and Scotty a fruit basket or something later. 

Before Jim can get farther into their rooms, Jim stops him. “Bones! I haven’t seen you all day. We were supposed to have birthday lunch.”

“Thank the entirety of engineering who decided to actually show up early for their checkups.” Bones grumbles and accepts a kiss. 

“Aw, its like they wanted to give you a birthday present.”

Bones snorts. “Please tell me we can drink now.”

“Not yet. We’ve got that safety seminar, remember. On the observation deck?”

Bones face scrunches up. “This day keeps getting better and better.”

Jim tugs Bones into the hallway, nodding at two ensigns who quickly salute and then dart off, knowing smiles following behind. 

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” Jim says, pushing the wide double doors of the observation bay open. The large windows have been replaced with the display screens he installed earlier. 

Bones grumbles about being the first to arrive as Jim checks his comm. Right on time. 

The displays blink on and Jo’s toothy seven-year-old grin fills the large screen. Bones gasps--actually takes a shuttering breath and stumbles forward. Thank goodness, Jim’s there to hold him up and push him into a comfortable chair. “Jo? Baby?”

“Daddy!”

Jim’s not sure he can hand out commendations for this but he desperately wants to. He owes his crew. Big time. 

For all that their ship is high tech, best in class, and so on, they still can’t get past communication blackouts this far into the black. And Starfleet, no matter how much they owe Bones, can’t just grant resources to pushing a video call on a flagship’s CMO birthday. It took some major juice--the juice that running all systems and causing a virtual blackout would do--to power this call. 

But hearing Jo sing happy birthday and Bones blink away happy tears and grip his hand so tight that Jim thinks his husband’s palm lines are imprinted on his own--is worth it. 

“When you come home, Jim says we’re going to spend a whole week together!”

Oh yeah, and he managed to call in that favor after all. Couldn’t get Jo here in time but he could get Joce and Clay a Risa vacation in exchange for a week with Jo when they dock on Earth next month. 

Bones squeezes his hand again and mouths, Thank you. And Jim leans into him and hopes he knows that no thanks is necessary. 

“Happy birthday, Bones.” He says instead, kissing his temple and grinning as Jo holds up a large poster happy birthday sign. 

Maybe birthdays don’t have to be so bad after all. 

[startrekwintergiftexchange]

The fifth Star Trek Secret Santa Gift Exchange is happening soon!

Q: What is the Star Trek Secret Santa Gift Exchange?

A: This is an anonymous fanworks exchange for any fandom within the Star Trek universe, from The Original Series to Lower Decks!

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Q: How does it work?

A: When you sign up, you’ll make three requests. They can be from any of the Star Trek fandoms, or even a crossover! Try to keep the requests simple and not too specific. For example: Chapel/Uhura fluff, Julian Bashir and Kukalaka, a crew in the mirrorverse, etc. If you’re requesting characters in TOS/AOS, please specify which universe you’d like them to be from.

Once sign ups close, the mods will send you the url of the person you’ll make a fanwork for and their requests. You’ll have December to fill one of the requests. Since it’s an anonymous exchange, make sure to ask any questions to your recipient on anon, or you can contact the Star Trek Secret Santa blog and one of the mods will relay the question. Make sure your ask box is open so we or your Secret Santa can contact you!

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Q: Do I have to make fanart/fanfic for the exchange?

A: Nope! All types of fanworks are welcome :) Fics, art, edits, moodboards, podfics, among other things! As long as you’re creating it, it’s welcome.

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Q: Is the exchange Christmas themed?

A: Nope! The gifts don’t have to be focused on any holiday at all if you don’t want it to be.

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Q: What are the important dates I should know?

A: November 30, 11:59 pm EST: signups close

December 2-3: We’ll let you know who your recipient is

December 21-24: Post your gifts! Details here.

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Q: Sounds awesome! How do I sign up?

A: Fill out this form!

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Q: What if I only want to be a pinch hitter?

A: If you ONLY want to be a pinch hitter, fill out this form!

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If you have other questions, check the about or send us an ask. And don’t forget to spread the word! Happy holidays, and LLAP <3

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[Image description: A cast photo of Star Trek: The Next Generation, edited with various holiday decorations. Data and Riker are wearing elf hats. Picard is wearing a santa hat with a full beard and mustache so you can hardly see his face. Doctor Crusher is wearing reindeer antlers, and Geordi and Troi are wearing patterned winter sweaters. There is a string of lights around the image. The text on the bottom reads “Star Trek Secret Santa Gift Exchange 2020″. There are splotches of red and green behind the text. End image description.]