McCoy tapped the panel by the door to Nyota and Spock's quarters and waited for an answer. When the door slid open, he had to pick his jaw up off of the floor.

Nyota smiled at the reaction, hoping that her soon-to-be-husband would have a similar one. "You like?" she asked, indicating the long white dress that she was wearing. It was simple, with thin straps and an empire waist, but elegant. Her hair was pulled up in an elaborate bun with a few curled tendrils hanging loose.

McCoy finally got his tongue working again. "It's a good thing you've got an escort," he told her, making her laugh. "You look beautiful, Uhura, absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you."

"You ready to do this? There's a crowd in the mess hall that's liable to get antsy pretty quick."

She nodded. "Let's go."

In the mess hall, Spock and Kirk were waiting with several of the couple's friends from the ship. "I still say that you shouldn't get married without having a best man," Kirk was telling him. "It's bad luck or something."

"The most logical candidate for the position is otherwise occupied at the moment," Spock replied.

"So pick the next guy. Who's going to give the toast at your dinner?"

"I was unaware that that responsibility fell to a single individual."

"Well, no, it doesn't, but the best man always makes a big toast."

"Even if I had selected someone, would there be any way to stop you from making a statement?"

Kirk considered that. "Probably not."

Spock nodded. "Then whether or not I have a best man during the ceremony does not matter."

The doors opened, and everyone turned to look. As recorded music began playing through the overhead speakers, McCoy led Nyota inside. Kirk didn't even try to hide his reaction. "You are a lucky, lucky man," he muttered to his friend. Spock was fully aware.

Nyota smiled at her fiancé as she stopped beside him. He took her hand and they both turned to face Kirk as he began to speak.

"Since the days of the first wooden vessels, all ship captains have had a special privilege: that of uniting two people in the bonds of matrimony. And so, we are all here today, in accordance with our laws and many beliefs, to see Nyota Uhura and Spock pledge their eternal commitment to each other…"

The ceremony went off without a hitch, as did the celebration dinner afterwards. McCoy was the first to stand and offer a toast to the couple.

"Never thought I'd be the 'father of the bride'," he commented. "I unfortunately do not have adorable embarrassing stories to share about Uhura as a child, but I could share a few about her Academy days…" Several people cheered. "One comes to mind involving a space-jumping incident – how's that ankle, by the way?" he asked her, earning a glare in response. "I'm just kidding. She always was an exceptional student, an exceptional officer, and I wish you both all the best."

Chekov was next. "It is old tradition in Russia that when first toast is made, someone will declare that champagne is bitter. The only way to sweeten it is for bride and groom to share kiss." That statement earned a few wolf-whistles and other teasing calls. They indulged the crowd and kissed, which received a raucous round of applause. Chekov was laughing as he continued, "My hope for you is that your love will sweeten the difficulties of life and you will be very happy together. Za molodykh!" (For the newlyweds!)

Scotty, Sulu, and a few others shared their own best wishes before Kirk stood up. "I guess it's my turn," the Captain proclaimed. "I already got to do a lot of talking earlier, so I'll keep it brief. To two of the best friends a guy could have – congratulations and good luck. A new adventure's just beginning and I hope you enjoy the ride."

FIN.

A/N 1: Again, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has left feedback. Especially to the ones who had comments after every chapter and those who have followed me around between different fandoms. I really, really appreciate it. And if you haven't left a message before, now's a great time! :-) I'll be starting to post the sequel to this story soon; it's titled "Blood and Water."

A/N 2: The beginning of the wedding ceremony was adapated from the TOS episode 'Balance of Terror' (1x08).