Taking On Responsibility Stardate 2258.29+

Scarlett had been in love with Spock and those feelings had never faded. She knew he had feelings for her, but he frustrated her to no end because he would never express them to her. When Spock looked into her eyes she felt like she could get lost in them.

She sighed a little when he changed the subject and mentioned that the Enterprise was looking for a new Science officer. That would mean them working together. Scarlett could see that going one or two ways, however the opportunity to be apart of such a mission was difficult to pass up.

“I might consider it,” she said after a few moments. She was giving him an opportunity to reveal his feelings for her in this moment.

How could Spock explain himself to her? Especially now that he knew that he had hurt her. Did she not understand that him, carrying on with her...what that alone meant?. But he knew something of humans. They liked vocality. Something that was very difficult for Spock and so he did the only thing he could think of. He reached out and took her hand in his. Gently he held her hand and rubbed the back of her knuckles softly with his thumb.

“I have missed you Scarlett,” Spock said in a neutral tone. And he had missed her. The long talks, the collaboration. Her lips on his and the feel of her close proximity to him.

Scarlett felt Spock pick up her hand into his. His touch was familiar and soothing. She remembered the way he used to brush his fingers across her cheek as he was looking into her eyes. She always knew when he did that that he was going to kiss her. She missed those moments. Spock could be quite passionate, despite his almost always calm exterior. She had liked those moments, because it was the closest she had ever seen to him losing control of himself. 

"I've missed you too Spock."

Then the moment was gone as two starfleet personnel walked past their table. Spock was still in uniform. He didn't see a need to get out of it. "I could speak to Captain Kirk about meeting you, if you would like," Spock said decidedly not looking at her. Her eyes seemed to know too much and it made him feel...vulnerable, sometimes. She had a remarkable intelligence and was a real beauty. Men had walked into walls or posts when she stepped by kind of beauty. And yet, Spock held himself back before because of the improperness of their relationship. What excuses could he give her now? That he'd be her superior officer? It was a long, 5 year mission. Maybe he could dissuade her interest? He knew her to be a stubborn woman when she wanted to be. She had exposed herself to him to get him to respond to her. What would she do if he tried to avoid her? Likely make him wish he hadn't.

Scarlett sighed as she felt Spock let go of her hand and pull it back as two Starfleet personnel walked past their table. She truly didn't understand him sometimes. As with the relationship back at the Academy, he had been the one to initiate things and yet he held her at arms length at the same time. She pulled her hands back off of the table and put them in her lap so he couldn't take hold of one again. Her emotions were getting toyed with enough as it was.

"That would be fine," she responded when he suggested setting up a meeting with Captain Kirk. She was quiet a moment and then she looked at him again. "I really wanted you at my graduation," she admitted softly. "It wasn't the same with you not being there." She of course knew why he hadn't been able to be there, but it had still hurt.

Spock looked up at her. "Curious, as I believe your parents would have been there," Spock said. He recalled meeting her father and she neglected to tell her family that they were together. Her father had tried to set Scarlett up with the son of a friend of his. Like her, he was very stubborn and Spock knew she had not told him of their relationship. He knew why but didn't call her out on it...until now. He didn't blame her but Scarlett had a way of making the truth suit her sometimes. It didn't change that he had hurt her though.

"If you decide to come on this mission, you will do it because you want to, not because you believe we will get back together. I will not guarantee that," Spock said. He wanted to get that clear though that would likely depend on her. if she wanted it to happen...what would he do to dissuade her? He didn't know but what he did know was that she was an excellent scientist and the mission needed her. He thought Ensign Laishon was competent, but, she wasn't Scarlett Wright.

Scarlett felt herself becoming emotional and upset. Two things she knew Spock didn't like. She couldn't help it though. Although she knew how to speak Vulcan fluently, she was not Vulcan. She was human and humans had emotions...a lot of them. Seeing Spock again so suddenly had brought back up those emotions that she had thought were gone. Clearly, she had been wrong about that. She also felt herself getting angry at what Spock had just said. She stood up and of course he immediately did as well. "Fine. I need to go. Arrange the meeting...I'll be there. I'm staying at the Titan Hotel," she said and then stepped away from the table and walked away.

Kirk and Kaia were on their stomachs and they held one another's hands as a Vulcan woman and a Vulcan man massaged their backs. The woman worked on Kirk while the man worked on Kaia. Their backs had oils applied to them and the Vulcans massaged the oils into their flesh. Incense burned in a copper brazier nearby and neither of them wore a stitch of clothing. The Vulcan's had white smocks on and were actually lithe and beautiful creatures. There was Vulcan music playing softly in the background and Kirk smiled when he saw that Kaia was really liking this.

"So what do you think? should we bring them with us?" Kirk said jokingly. And then his face cringed and he groaned when the woman kneaded out a knot in his back that had been there forever. Then his face was all relaxed relief once again. He saw the bulge from the side of Kaia's right breast as she laid on the white towel. Her backside, her butt included glistened from the oils that had been applied to her. He saw Kaia looking at him too and he guessed his did too.

Kaia had never felt so relaxed in her entire life. All of her muscles felt like mush. She felt as if she could lay there forever and never grow tired of the feeling of being massaged. This was quite intimate being there with Kirk and she smiled at him as he held her hand. She laughed a little at his suggestion.

"I don't think you or I would ever get any work done ever again if we brought them with us. Although I think if we ever stop at this station again we definitely need to do this again."

Kirk was glad that Kaia liked doing this. He loved massages and perhaps, he could persuade Kaia to learn the art. The Vulcans were masters though and each movement of their hands touched knots and sore muscles and loosened them. It was not easy to get up off of the tables. Their bodies were completely relaxed. The Vulcans left them alone and Kirk handed her, her glass. They had been drinking a Vulcan spirit. It was mild in it's alcohol content but it reacted to the herbs they had both ingested. Their bodies were covered in oils and Kirk touched her between her legs as she sat on the messaging table. He stepped up to kiss her and he smiled as she touched him as well. Her oiled hands felt wonderful on him and he made love to her right there.

An hour later...

Kirk and Kaia had showed together and even that had been an experience. The shower was like they were in a rain storm. They washed one another and made certain they had gotten all the oils off. That was an experience that he had never had with Kaia either. She was provided with makeup, the best, and everything she needed to do her hair up the way she wanted. When they exited the spa Kirk's communicator went off. Apparently, the spa had some kind of dampening field so those that entered would not be bothered.

"Kirk here," he said. "Captain," Spock said. "I may have found a replacement for Ensign Laishon. A Starfleet Scientist I mentored while at the academy. Would you be free to meet with her?" Spock asked. Kirk looked at Kaia. He had a whole afternoon of delights planned with Kaia. They were both starving.

"Sure, how about 1500 hours?" Kirk said. "I will inform her," Spock said. "Excellent, Kirk out," Kirk said as he smiled at Kaia. They continued to walk around the Promenade. They passed a Jumja stick vendor and Kirk got Kaia one to try. It was very sweet and he saw that she liked it. He had tried a bit of it too and they ate it together as they walked.

They made it to the Bolian restaurant and Kirk took her inside and told the hostess that they had a reservation. They were shown to a private booth and Kirk sat beside her. "Do you trust me?" Kirk asked with that knowing smile.

Kaia had a difficult time getting redressed as Kirk seemed to enjoy distracting her. He kissed her neck and whispered things into her ear as she tried to fix her makeup and hair. However, she finally was ready and they left the spa. Almost immediately after they left Kirk’s communicator went off. Kaia stood by quietly as Kirk and Spock spoke. After they finished talking, she and Kirk continued walking along the promenade.

They eventually reached the Bolian restaurant and Kaia smiled as they were shown back to a private booth. She grinned at Kirk when he asked her if she trusted him.

“Of course I do. Why?”

"I've already ordered with the reservation. I wanted to keep the surprises coming. I got one of your old favorites and a couple new things as well for us to try," he said. "I don't know when we'll get another chance to actually have a real date. I guess I wanted to recapture our time at the Academy," he said. He shifted slightly toward her and put his hand on her thigh. On the inside of her thigh. It was a sign of possession. That he alone possessed her. Something he could not show her while on the ship.

Eventually the food came, covered with Cloches. Three plates. Some kind of Quiche, Shepard's pie, though obviously with a Bolian twist and what she knew was definately a Romulan dish. It was a giant, Romulan Mollusk over a bed of egg, fried rice. She had developed a taste for it, her adopted mother made it for her often. He saw her look at the Mollusk. "Kaia, you don't have to eat it. I've never had it either...it's a Romulan dish I'm told," he said.

Kaia smiled at Kirk when he told her he had already ordered. Kaia wasn’t picky about what she ate and was pretty adventurous. She loved being able to spend this kind of time with Kirk. Once they reboarded the Enterprise they would not be able to do things like this. Her eyes met his when she felt his hand on her thigh.

They talked quietly until the food came. There were three dishes that were watched covered by a cloche. There was a Quiche and a Shepherds pie, both of which looked delicious. However, as the third cloche was removed Kaia’s eyes widened at what she saw. A Romulan Mollusk over a bed of rice and a fried egg. Kaia was very familiar with the dish. It was something that her adopted mother used to make a lot.

Kaia glanced at Kirk. Did he know? But how could he? She gave him a little smile. “No, I’ll try it. I’m adventurous.”

They began to eat and a Romulan wine was served with the Meal. Kirk was very happy. Kaia was every bit the woman he thought she was. She was smart, funny and adorable. He loved her more than anything. They were enjoying one another's company a great deal and this did make him feel like they were a real couple.

"So, Spock was pretty impressed with you," Kirk said. When she asked why he elaborated. "With those Klingon ships. You pulled out something you read and put it into practice. A very starfleet move," he asked. "Starfleet knows that the Klingons got the technology from the Romulans in fact. The D7 battlecruiser, the Bird of Prey, the cloaking device, the Disruptor Cannons, all Romulan designs and reverse engineered by the Klingons. The Treaty of Algeron was put in place because The Romulans didn't want the Federation to employ cloaking devices either," he said in between bites. "But I'm certain you learned all that at the Academy," he said.

Kaia smiled as they drank some wine. Between the spa treatments, the sex, and now the wine she was feeling pretty relaxed. She wanted to savor this time with him...to make it last for as long as possible. She was surprised when Kirk said that Spock was impressed with her. She listened as Kirk told her why Spock was impressed with her. She looked across the table at Kirk. She wanted to tell him the truth, but she couldn’t make the words come out of her mouth. She didn’t know what she was going to do.

“Yes, I’m just glad that knowledge came in handy.”

The food was amazing and they ate and talked and laughed. It was just like it was when they were at the academy. They enjoyed one another. The last thing he had for her was a Virtual Arcade. Holograms were becoming more sophisticated. He selected a beach walk in the moonlight next to an ocean. The alien landscape made the moon glow in violet color that set the water ablaze with color. There was a warm breeze that came to them from across the water and they could even smell the salt. Both her and James removed their shoes so they could feel the warm, white sand under their feet. It was just amazing.

The afternoon was just far too short. Kirk had to get back to the Enterprise and see how the repairs were coming along. That and he had a meeting with a replacement for one of the Science Officers. He kissed Kaia goodbye and bid her to enjoy the station.

The day was perfect for Kaia. She and Kirk laughed and she felt like they were back at the Academy. She hated that time went by so quickly. She knew that once the repairs were completed that they would have to go back to hiding their relationship. However, if that was how she could have Kirk then she would do it.

She hated parting with Kirk, but they both had things they needed to do. They shared one final kiss before they parted. However, Kaia knew she would never forget that day.

Kirk got back into his uniform. He went down to Engineering to check on what Scotty and his teams down there were doing. They had done alot in a short time and Kirk wanted them to get in some Station time before they headed out on their mission. Tomorrow morning, he didn't want anyone doing any work on the Enterprise.

He went into his ready room to prepare for his meeting with Spock and Lt. Wright. He did some research on her and all the pieces seemed to fit together, save for one. Was anything going on between her and Spock? How did Spock even come to know her? That, he wanted to hear about!

When the door chimed he stood. "Enter," he said.

Being a graduate of Starfleet Academy, Scarlett had a Starfleet uniform, although she had probably only worn it once or twice since being assigned to this research project. She put on her uniform and fixed her hair. Most people looking at Scarlett would not assume she was a scientist because of how beautiful she was. Scarlett cared first about her mind, but she did like looking nice as well. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about Spock since their chance encounter earlier that day. She fingered the Vulcan necklace he had given her just before he had left. She had done research on the necklace and she knew it was given by Vulcan males to a female they deeply cared about before being gone for long periods of time. Scarlett had never taken it off once she found that out. She knew, in a way, that that necklace was Spock's way of telling her his feelings, but Scarlett needed to hear them said out loud, even just once. Was joining the crew of the Enterprise such a good idea given their history? Had Spock told Captain Kirk about their relationship at the Academy? If he had, would Captain Kirk judge her for it? She didn't have any answers to these questions. All she knew was that this was an incredible opportunity and she needed to at least see if Captain Kirk thought she would be a good fit.

Spock had arranged to meet her at her hotel at a specified time to walk her to the Enterprise. He was there right on time and they walked quietly to the ship. They made their way inside and he led her to a turbo lift. Once again, they stood quietly in the turbo lift, even though no one else was in there with them. They made it to the bridge level and Spock walked with her down to the ready room. Spock rang the bell and waited for Kirk to give permission to enter. Scarlett stepped inside with him. Scarlett stood at about 5'7" and had blonde hair and blue eyes. Her skin was fair, but the natural rosiness to her cheeks and lips gave her skin a natural glow. She looked over at Captain Kirk as he approached and extended her hand in greeting with a little smile.

Kirk smiled once Scarlett came into view. She was knockout gorgeous! Now he had to REALLY find out where Spock had met her and 'if' there was more going on between them than what it looked like. "Welcome aboard Lieutenant," he said and gestured for her to sit. Spock sat to her right.

"So, i've been doing some reading on you. It says here that you've been doing a research project on Circini 3 and its completed. So, you've spent very little time aboard a starship? You do know that we're in for a 5 year mission. Being out in the FIELD, with all that open space, starships can be..confining. And i need officers who aren't going to want to jump ship because they get a bit of cabin fever from being in an enclosed space," Kirk said. Though he said it all lightheartedly.

Scarlett took a seat and Spock sat to her right. She kept her hands folded on her lap and sat up straight as she looked at Kirk. She was quiet as he spoke and she truly listened to everything he said and waited until he was finished before speaking. "To be honest, while I enjoyed the research I was doing on Beta Circini 3 regarding micro organisms, it got repetitive doing the same research everyday. What I'm most excited about regarding this 5 year mission is the fact that your purpose is to explore uncharted areas. That is every scientists dream. Discovering new species, both flora and fauna, and studying new habitats. While I have not spent a significant amount of time aboard a Starship, I do not foresee that being an issue. It would simply be a new challenge for me. I have also spent a little bit of time this afternoon researching the layout of the Enterprise and I noticed there is a large lab. That would certainly keep me occupied," she said with a little laugh.

Kirk listened to what Scarlett said and how she said it. It was not easy not to look at her breasts. They are formidable, maybe even nicer than Kaia’s and that was saying something.

“So what are your aspirations for your career? Or starting a family?” Kirk asked. He couldn’t help but shift his eyes to Spock a moment but the man held a vacant expression just then.

Scarlett wanted to glance at Spock when Kirk asked her specifically about her aspirations for starting a family, but she didn't. At this point, she didn't know what the status of their relationship was and the fact that Spock still wouldn't reveal his feelings for her made her question it even more. 

"There are no current plans for marriage or starting a family. I would simply like to continue to expand my knowledge of the scientific workings of the universe. My main area of focus is Life Sciences, but I am also a mathematician and have an extensive knowledge of Physics. I am trained in Planetary Survival and Advanced Field Medicine. I feel that I could bring a strong set of skills to the Enterprise for its 5 year mission."

“So Spock, what are your thoughts in all this?” Kirk asked. Spock had thought he would get out of this meeting without saying much. And he knew he had a duty to divulge his past discretion.

“I feel it is my duty to inform you that Lt. Wright and I were involved in a relationship while she was a student at the Academy,” Spock said.

“Why Spock, you mean you and Scarlett had a fling?” Kirk asked curiously. “Captain...While I won’t say that my judgement was less than...proper, Lt. Wright is a very capable Scientist and Officer. And I care about her very much,” Spock said. Lie lie nearly giggled and his gaze loved from Spock to Scarlett and back.

“Why Spock, you sound almost...sentimental,” Kirk said with a very pleased smile. This was new ground for Spock. “So, what about now Spock?” Kirk said. Spock had hoped this line of questioning would have ended but it didn’t. “I find that my feelings for Scarlett are...complicated,” he said.

Scarlett blinked when Spock decided to divulge that he and she had engaged in a relationship while she was studying under Spock at the Academy. However, she couldn't say anything. She just sat there quietly while Kirk questioned Spock further about it. Scarlett did, however, glance over at Spock when Kirk asked him what his feelings for Scarlett were presently, but like she had expected, he dodged the question. She looked away from him and felt her frustration growing.