DISCLAIMER: I Don't Own Star Trek. And I'm not making any money from this.

SUMMARY:

In the movie, Spock was worried about appearing to give favoritism to Nyota -- there must have been some reason he was worried about giving that impression. Someone KNEW something was up. And how would a 'logical' guy like Spock wind up wrapped up in something like that to begin with?

Also, Spock seemed to be Pike's second in Command, but apparently had been some sort of instructor at some time...how did he go from instructor to second in Command on the Enterprise?

Finally, love Spock as I do, he has some anger management issues.

UPDATE: Thank you JAGNikJen for the grammar help!

Accusations

The Hall of Sciences was dim. Four humans and three Vulcans convened at the tip of a giant meeting table shaped like a Starfleet insignia.

Sitting at the head of the table was Commander Doris Sharpton, acting dean of the School of Sciences. She was a no-nonsense looking sort of woman with short white hair, very little makeup wearing a Starfleet pant suit uniform. Usually, her appearance would have been softened by a face etched with laugh lines, but at this moment she was sitting stiffly, eyebrows scowling, trying to contain her annoyance.

An older man was standing at the right side of the table flanked by the three Vulcans. His white hair and beard were unkempt. He was oddly shaped, with a strange potbelly emphasized by a pair of pants worn slightly too high. "You do know what I'm talking about, although I know you all like to pretend otherwise..."

"Professor Xelium," Doris replied, "I'm racking my brain and I can honestly say I have no idea what you are referring to."

The two other humans next to her nodded and murmured in assent. The Vulcans did not move, nor did they say anything. Xelium smiled. "He touched her, right up there for everyone to see. He took her hand, and squeezed it ever so lightly. Oh it was cute. And did you notice how he looked at her at that moment?"

"And you are basing your accusation of improper conduct between an instructor and a cadet, putting both their reputations at risk, and jeopardizing the reputation of this institution on the basis that he may have touched her hand, and maybe, maybe looked at her fondly?" Doris' voice was low, even and controlled. Her eyes shot knives.

"You know I would never make this accusation if he was human of course," Xelium said, his voice softer now, a smirk plastered to his face. "But the Lieutenant in question is not human, he is Vulcan. That is why I've requested the presence of three of Starfleet's Vulcan Council on Interspecies Relations at this meeting."

Next to Doris, one of the humans, a short compact man in his early forties, snapped, "What sort of bloody witch hunt is this?"

Doris nodded at the man in acknowledgment. "You express my feelings exactly Lieutenant Commander O'Hara. I am sure our Vulcan guests are just as baffled by the accusation as we are."

Doris turned her eyes to the elder Vulcan in the group, expecting for him to confirm her assumptions. She was sorely disappointed.

"In point of fact," the elder Vulcan began, "we found this public display highly inappropriate in nature. Not only was it physical contact between an unbonded pair, but it was between a superior and a subordinate. Moreover, it occurred in a public venue. It was an unprecedented display of emotion, and suggests intimate relationships beyond what is acceptable. We believe his logic and rationality are compromised."

Doris sighed inwardly. Generally interspecies counselors defended their members against cultural misunderstandings. That is why they were required at these sorts of proceedings. Damn Vulcans and their sense of propriety.

Another member of the human team, a neat man of Japanese descent, also in his mid-40's, replied to the Vulcan, "D'Zorack, he is half human and he has been on living with humans for 7 years. Maybe he has picked up some human mannerisms?"

D'Zorak regarded the man coldly. "Professor Matsumura, he was born and raised on Vulcan, no matter what his genetic heritage. What he did was wrong based on his upbringing -- and his Vulcan ancestry. Further, Vulcans don't just pick up mannerisms. They only consciously adopt behaviors based on long hours of careful meditation. The adoption of such an emotional display would suggest a severe lapse in judgment. This is particularly disturbing since his choices and recommendations will affect the cadet's future."

Dr. Xelium jumped in here. "You see Doris, your wunderkind has feet of clay." Then he added, "What I believe, D'Zorak is trying to say is that it would be terrible if an unqualified cadet promoted on the couch were to put the lives of her fellow officers at risk on board a starship."

"That was uncalled for," shot Doris.

O'Hara spoke up, his voice cold as ice this time. Although responding to Xelium he spoke to the Vulcans. "And, it's an inductive argument. You can't say that because he touched her wrist and looked at her funny that he's got her on the couch. It's a fallacy…and illogical." O'Hara turned his gaze directly to the leader. "Right D'Zorak?

D'Zorak looked at Patrick for a moment and then turned back to Xelium. "We agree that his relationship is far too intimate, and that his logic is compromised. But the act we are discussing cannot logically be used as evidence for another act. We regard the public display as an indication of further intimacy between the two. We would suggest Spock be questioned as to the extent of the relationship, but what we saw is not proof."

"Then why don't we bring him up here and ask him," Xelium said addressing everyone, continuing to smirk. "Let him clear the air for us."

Doris was thinking that this might be a good idea, just to shut Xelium up. It would be entertaining to watch Spock castrate Xelium with his cool logic--and give the Vulcan a chance for public exoneration.

Professor Matsumura spoke up. His voice was very soft. "Vulcans are intensely private about such matters, I'm sure a public trial, even just before us would be extremely uncomfortable for him. If Spock is to be implicated by Vulcan standards, any inquiries into his conduct should be done in a private way by his immediate superior -- this is a right that would be granted to him on Vulcan, would it not?"

Of all the humans at the table Matsumura had the most experience with Vulcan culture, Doris remembered, this and only this caused Doris to hold back her urge to have Spock immediately called before the committee.

D'Zorak spoke now. "Indeed, we would not suggest otherwise. He needs to be questioned about other possible improper conduct, but a public confrontation might be too…revealing."

At this statement, Doris noticed Xelium's smile shrink a little.

D'Zorak continued, "However, whatever the outcome of that conversation we would submit that he be subject to observation to monitor his mental condition."

Observation would mean that Spock would have his movements and contacts with other Starfleet personnel and students monitored at all times via his commlink. Depending on the terms of the observation period, all his conversations could become part of public record too. Doris watched disgusted as Xeliums' smile slipped back onto his face.

"Isn't that a little much, D'Zorak?" Doris asked.

D'Zorak tilted his head. "I suspect after this impropriety is brought to Lieutenant Commander Spock's attention he will request a period of observation himself. Both to clear his and the cadet's name, and to protect himself against the possibility of further deterioration in his mental abilities."

Doris pushed herself back from the table and stood up, smoothing her pants with agitated hands. "This is utterly ridiculous. But if it is the position of the counsel that his immediate supervisor question him, I will do it. Does this satisfy everyone?" The last sentence was said with undisguised venom, and she drilled her eyes into Xelium's as she spoke.

All three Vulcan's nodded. Dr. Matsumura bowed his head in ascent.

O'Hara, rolled his eyes and muttered, "Yeah it's fine," Then he added, "This is worse than God Damn Victorian England."

Doris turned her attention to the one remaining member of the gathering. "Xelium?"

He tilted back in his chair, and stroked his beard theatrically.

Doris realized with great frustration that he was doing this to irritate her and the other humans in the committee...and unfortunately it was working.

"Well normally, I think a meeting with all of us would be more appropriate. But....with the condition of further observation I see no problem with it."

"All right," Snapped Doris, "Meeting adjourned."

The next day, Doris made her way down the hall to Spock's office. She felt vaguely sick, Spock was innocent, and probably would only have an intellectual curiosity in the accusations at best...But it was still troubling to her to have to even bring the subject up at all.

She had no doubt as to Xelium's motivations. Spock was a wunderkind. In his few short years at Starfleets' Academy his rise had been meteoric. Due in no small part to her efforts to navigate him more quickly through the maze of bureaucratic road blocks, and getting him installed in his own lab in record time. The only hurdle she hadn't been able to help him hop was his assignment as most junior officer and instructor in the department to teach the Xenolinguists students the Science of Signal Transmissions, Sub- and Non-Subspace Curriculum.

She sighed. Twenty years ago the Xenolinguist Department had lost their own professor while he'd been on mission with the U.S.S. Kelvin. Unfortunately, the temporary assignment of one of her colleagues to teach the course had proved so successful -- in the eyes of the budgeting department at least, that the original position was never replaced.

Spock vindicated her efforts to advance him quickly. His discoveries in the realm of radio subspace transmissions put Starfleet Academy in the same league as the Vulcan Science Academy.

Moreover, his discoveries rearranged the Terran history books. Doris mentally corrected herself, Spock was always quick to point out that the historical implications of his research were due in large part to the curiosity of his assistant, Cadet Uhura. Always logical Doris mused, never the narcissist, very different from Xelium.

Once Xelium had been considered a wunderkind himself. But his theories had largely been disproved or overshadowed. Until lately, Xelium's research had been unheralded and obscure…well, he still didn't seem to think his new work was heralded enough. To make up for the lack of attention professionally, Xelium pretty much lived to get attention personally--by ruffling feathers, upsetting others, and generally being a nasty obtrusive nuisance.

She shook her head; not for the first time she silently cursed the academic tradition of tenure.

Spock's Vulcan demeanor had been off putting at first; Doris realized even now that in four years she'd never really had a personal conversation with the young researcher. But gradually she and the other members of the department had begun to warm to him. He was a cold, emotionally detached Vulcan, but he was their cold, emotionally detached Vulcan. Spock was always willing to take up an intellectual conversation. He could detect almost any logical flaw in a theory, but his criticisms were never emotionally driven. He was a remarkable asset if you were a researcher who found yourself painted into a corner...if there was a logical way out, he could see it. Not surprisingly his opinions were often sought and always respected.

And well, Spock knew his demeanor was a problem. He spent a great deal of time in his early years at the Academy studying human psychology and culture. He did his best to respect the niceties, and in the last year and a half or so he'd become much better dealing with human foibles.

The good thing about Spock's logical disposition was that he would undoubtedly take these accusations with his normal cool detachment. That didn't mean she didn't feel sick to her stomach telling him about them.

She reached the door to Spock's lab. It was open, of course. His door was always open. She didn't see him at the simulation consoles but she could hear Cadet Uhura's laughter bubbling from the open door to his office. And she paused...because she heard something she had never thought she'd hear from Spock. For an instant she felt a twinge of uncertainty.

A/N:

Thank you for reading. I know that starting OC's is a dangerous thing! Next chapter Uhura and Spock interaction...
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