Thanks again to Monty and ban sidhe for the beta and suggestions.

Chapter 13

Lea's eyes were stinging, and she was sure they must look bloodshot. She'd stayed up late with Chekov, Scotty and Uhura discussing ideas for the new data system. The impromptu group had readily tackled the challenge, and Lea had been caught up in their enthusiasm. At first, she had been taken aback by the radical ideas being tossed around, but then, inspired by these overachievers, she'd joined the brainstorming.

After several hours, the four of them had come up with a working plan. She still didn't fully understand some of the extreme physics involved, but Scotty and Chekov seemed confident that they were on the right track. They were well-versed in time theory, and the great strides that had been made with Ambassador Spock's assistance.

Of course, Lea had known that the advanced technology brought by the time-traveling Vulcan had changed the landscape of modern science. It was impossible to not be aware of the sweeping breakthroughs that he had ushered in. She had not expected, however, to find herself applying his time theory to her own work. It was exhilarating!

Exhilarating and disconcerting. If she stopped to think about the source of this new science - the alternate Spock - she might break out in a cold sweat. The implications of his very existence could send her into a panic attack; she dealt with this by focusing on the task at hand, not letting her thoughts stray to the man from that other universe.

Luckily, any anxiety had been kept at bay last night because the brainstorming crew didn't give her time to dwell on anything but their crazy ideas.

They didn't let me get enough sleep, either, she thought with a tired, but pleased, smile. The expression abruptly morphed into an unexpected yawn as she moved forward in the short line at the coffee bar.

"Having trouble waking up, Miss Archer?"

She quickly snapped her mouth shut. Kirk was standing next to her, with that amused grin. When did he get here? she thought, realizing that this was the second time in as many days that he'd caught her with her mouth open.

"Just once, I'd like to run into you when I'm not at my worst," she said tersely, then promptly bit her lip, embarrassed at her less-than-professional greeting.

His grin only deepened. "You are going to have to get that non-regulation yawning under control."

She laughed, surprised at his levity. He'd already shown, several times, that he wasn't offended by the occasional breach of military protocol. It was a relief to know that she wouldn't be put off the ship for her irreverent attitude. Well, not yet anyway. The day is still young.

"The usual, Captain?" the barista asked.

"Make that two, please," Kirk said, looking at Lea with a provocative smirk.

Lea started to protest. She loved her coffee, and after having to skip it yesterday, she was almost desperate for her favorite, rich Kona brew. She liked it black, with no frilly syrups or spices. The rare species of Kona, grown in a special preserve in Hawaii, was too complex to dilute with other flavors. She had no idea what kind of mix Kirk had just ordered for her, but she knew that today wasn't the day to be experimenting: she needed some real coffee to jolt her awake.

"Drink up," Kirk said, handing her a large cup.

She accepted the cup apprehensively. "Are you always this pushy?"

"Only when I know I'm right," he replied cheekily.

Lea fought the grin that tugged at her lips. "And you're never wrong?"

"Not often, no," he replied with a reassuring nod.

She smiled again, trying not to roll her eyes. Taking a sip, she nodded her head in surprised approval.

"See, I was right," he pronounced. "You like it."

"Yes, I do," she replied. "It's the same thing I always get."

"Really?" Kirk said with mock surprise. "And here I thought I was going to impress you with my knowledge of exotic breakfast beverages."

"I am duly impressed, Captain," she replied with artificial seriousness.

"As you should be!" he responded with a barely-concealed grin. Gesturing to the mostly-empty seats, he continued, "Why don't we just have our meeting here?" Before she could reply, he began steering her toward a small table at the far end of the room.

Lea saw that a few of the women she'd met in the crew lounge the other night, the catty ones, were sitting near the entrance. They were picking at their breakfasts while watching her walk across the room with the Captain. Hoping to avoid their stares, Lea chose a chair facing the viewport.

"I've gone over your notes for today's shift, and highlighted a few passages for the bridge crew," Kirk began as he took his seat.

Immediately forgetting about the unpleasant women, Lea glanced at the highlighted sections on Kirk's pad. Pleased that he was taking her briefing into account, she asked if he wanted the information presented in a different format, but she had to make an effort to concentrate on his answer. She was just too damn sleepy, and the view of the passing stars was mesmerizing. Unbidden, another huge yawn parted her lips.

Kirk paused mid-sentence, one eyebrow cocked. "Am I boring you, Miss Archer?"

Mortified that she'd finally offended him, a little spike of adrenaline shot through her. She immediately tried to say "no, of course not," but her face muscles were still caught in the rigor of the yawn. The resulting noises couldn't really be classified as actual words, just a short series of distorted vowel sounds, and her eyes started to water a bit.

Kirk burst out laughing, loud enough to draw attention from several other tables.

"I'm so sorry!" Lea said as soon as she regained control of her facial muscles. She could feel the heat in her cheeks, and the knowledge that she was so obviously broadcasting her embarrassment only made her feel more self-conscious.

"That's all right, Miss Archer, I can take a hint," he said, still laughing good-naturedly. "No more talk of data infrastructure until you've finished your coffee."

"I didn't mean, um -

Her words trailed off when he lightly placed his hand on hers. "I know," he said, lips still quirked in a soft smile. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you."

She was caught off-guard at the intimacy of his tone, but the audacious sparkle in his blue eyes gave away his true intent. Her own eyes narrowed. "No, you're not," she said accusingly.

A snort of guilty laughter threatened to burst out, but he had just taken a sip of hot coffee, which he immediately swallowed in a big gulp to keep from spitting it all over her. He almost gagged before the hot liquid scalded its way down his throat, and then his own eyes began to water uncomfortably.

"Touche," he finally managed to say with a hoarse voice.

Lea shook her head, amused at his expression. She couldn't tell if the redness in his cheeks was from discomfort or embarrassment, but either way, she felt less awkward than before. His eyes still swam with moisture, making the blue seem even more intense than usual.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

He nodded, smiling now, truly smiling, rather than the arrogant mantle he usually wore. It touched the corners of his eyes, making them crinkle. She'd seen that expression before, usually when some inappropriate words had inadvertently popped out of her mouth.

"Forgive me for saying this, Miss Archer," he said with a raspy voice, "but you are perplexing."

Surprised at this pronouncement, she sat up straight in her chair. "What? I'm perplexing?"

Kirk held up his hands, as if in surrender. "It's not a bad thing," he said, customary arrogance returning to his voice. "I just ... haven't quite figured you out."

Lea leaned forward in her seat, ready to fire some witty line back at him, but he didn't give her the chance.

"Yet," he continued, voice low. His eyes pinned her in place, and she hesitated for a heartbeat. The underlying promise, combined with his overwhelming confidence, was enticing. She had to repress an unexpected shiver.

Refusing to let him know how easily he'd been able to pique her attention, she slowly lounged back in her chair, taking another sip of her coffee. "Good luck with that, Captain," she said. She had intended to come across as nonchalant, but the words seemed to take on a life of their own, sounding more like a challenge. She fought the urge to cringe at her own voice.

Kirk smiled again, his focus never wavering. "Definitely perplexing," he said quietly.

Lea laughed and rolled her eyes. "Look who's talking," she retorted.

Kirk's eyebrow arched in a self-satisfied expression, then he rose from his seat. "I hate to cut such an entertaining status meeting short, but I'm afraid I have a few things to do before alpha shift starts," he said. "See you on the bridge, Miss Archer."

"Aren't you going to finish your coffee?" Lea asked innocently.

"I think I've had enough for now," he said, glancing at the still-piping-hot brew distrustfully. He flashed her one more brash grin before striding out of the cafeteria.

Lea watched him go, noting that almost everyone else in the room was eyeing him, as well. Then she realized that several people were now looking at her. Including those catty women from the other night.

Oh great, she grumbled to herself. Everybody here saw us flirting.

That thought brought her up short. She certainly hadn't expected to find herself attracted to Jim Kirk. After spending so much of her youth learning to curb her anxieties, mastering panic attacks and bouts of nervous jitters, she had fairly dreaded the prospect of meeting him in person.

She contemplated this unexpected turn, as the momentary excitement of Kirk's presence faded. A relationship with the boss is never a good idea, she chided herself. And what happens when I have an unexpected panic attack? Just because I'm doing okay now doesn't mean I'm over this stupid phobia. I can't let my guard down.

Her fear of a resurgence of the Chios Syndrome that had haunted her childhood was enough to quash any lingering warm feelings about her newfound attraction to Jim Kirk.

I can't risk that, she thought determinedly.

Glancing at the time, she realized it was time to go to work. She took the last sip of her drink on the way out of the cafeteria. Then another thought struck her: How the hell did he know what kind of coffee I like?

That evening...

Kirk sauntered into the medical bay, grinning as he took a seat in McCoy's office.

The doctor looked up from his notes. "Just make yourself at home," he scowled.

"If you insist," Kirk replied, propping his feet on the corner of his friend's desk.

McCoy quirked an eyebrow in distaste. "What are you in such a good mood about?"

"I'm always in a good mood, Bones," Kirk responded. "You're the grumpy one."

"Not grumpy," the doctor said. He opened a desk drawer and pulled out a small bottle of whiskey. "Just realistic," he continued, pouring two glasses.

Kirk took his feet off the desk and reached for the drink. He held up the glass in thanks, then took a tentative sip.

"I would imagine that cheesy grin means you've made some progress in your, um, campaign," McCoy said.

"Which campaign is that?" Kirk asked, with an innocent cast to his voice.

"Oh, please," McCoy replied. "Miss Archer has been here for a couple of days now. Have you succeeded in wooing her yet?"

Kirk replied with a dismissive pft noise. "What's your rush, Doctor? Aren't you the one who told me patience is a virtue?"

"I doubt I ever said that," McCoy replied drily. "So, you're taking this slowly?"

Kirk shrugged. "I'm enjoying this. Getting to know her."

McCoy struggled to keep the skepticism off his face. "Getting to know her? Is that a euphemism? Did she already tell you to go jump out an airlock?"

Kirk barked out a surprised laugh. "No! Honestly, Doctor, where is your faith?"

"That, my boy, has always been in short supply," McCoy replied.

Kirk's laughter was interrupted when Scotty appeared in the doorway. "What's takin' ye so long?" he asked. "I'm starving!"

"The good doctor has waylaid me with a bottle of bootleg liquor," Kirk replied.

"Oh, well, in tha' case, I guess dinner can wait," Scotty responded. He pulled up another of McCoy's office chairs as the doctor poured him a glass.

Scotty took a slow sip, savoring the subtle undertones of the alcohol. "Ah, tha's noe bad," he said. "Now, tell me wha Doctor McCoy lacks faith aboot this time?"

Kirk started to respond, then halted with his mouth half open, as if he'd suddenly thought better of what he had intended to say.

"What he's not telling you, Mister Scott, is that he is taking a slow approach to his proposed seduction of Miss Archer," McCoy said.

Kirk almost winced, dreading the stream of objections that Scotty was sure to voice again. Surprisingly, he only nodded his head and took another sip of his drink.

"Mister Scott, are you alright?" McCoy asked, echoing Kirk's unspoken thoughts. Scotty never missed an opportunity to warn Kirk away from his "foolish ideas" regarding the admiral's niece. "Where are your dire predictions? Your pronouncements of doom?"

"Well," Scotty hesitated. "Mayhap I was a wee bit harsh aboot the lass."

"The lass?" Kirk repeated incredulously.

"You always call her a she-devil," McCoy reminded him. "You must admit, this is a surprising change of heart."

"I still maintain tha' the old admiral is a dangerous man," Scotty began heatedly. "But the young lady seems much ... less spiteful."

Kirk and McCoy both stared at Scotty in open astonishment. Kirk was the first to find his voice. "So you like her now?"

"Well, I wouldna go that far!" Scotty retorted. "Still, she di have some interesting ideas aboot our data cache. We've been discussing a new project."

"Is that what you and Chekov were working on today?" Kirk asked. He'd noted that the two of them had been fiddling with some new theory, but he hadn't had a chance to discuss it with them yet.

"Yes, Miss Archer had some additional ideas for her work station. She really seems excited aboot the potential of our computing system," he said, growing more enthusiastic as he spoke.

"Well, I guess that's good news," McCoy said, still somewhat puzzled by Scotty's abrupt reversal.

"Aye! And did ye know she talks to the ship?" he said.

Kirk and McCoy both seemed to freeze for a heartbeat, but Scotty didn't notice their pause.

"I mean, in Engineering, some of us talk to the ship all the time, ye know, please don't explode, and the like. But she talks to it like a person, a friend," he continued. He was almost gushing now. "Anyone who loves this ship enough to talk to it like tha' canna be all bad, can she?"

"No, of course not," Kirk said, not meeting anyone's eyes.

McCoy scowled, tapping his finger on the edge of his glass. "Only two days on board and she's already on a first-name basis with your ship, Jim."

Kirk's brash grin returned. "I guess it was meant to be."

McCoy just stared at him, his forehead wrinkled in thought, while Scotty took another sip of his whiskey. Kirk waited for his friends to return to their now-customary admonishments about his dangerous game, but when none came, he sat up straight in his chair.

"Gentlemen, are you telling me that you both approve of my relationship with Lea?"

"Well, it's not 'xactly a relationship yet, is it?" Scotty said pointedly.

Kirk held up a finger to object, but McCoy spoke first. "Not yet. So far, it's just a wishful delusion."

"Delusion!" Kirk sputtered through the pleased grin that he couldn't contain. "We'll just see about that!"