A/N: I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, especially since it's been so long since I've updated, but hopefully the next will be longer and I'll have it up sooner. ;)

Chapter 5: Destination

The corridors were empty, the lights turned down low to conserve energy. The ship was set to nighttime hours, and most of its occupants were asleep, the bridge manned only by the skeleton crew of Gamma shift.

Spock's footsteps echoed down the passageway, magnified by the absence of the noises that were typical of everyday life aboard a starship. Without the loud chatter and heavy, ungraceful footfalls of his shipmates, his highly sensitive ears could pick up the hum of energy speeding through the wiring overhead and in the walls.

He rarely roamed the hallways during night hours. If he was not on the bridge at this time, he was usually either in meditation or sleeping next to Nyota. But as he neared the conference room, he found comfort in the rare tranquillity that now settled over the ship like a blanket.

The door opened at his arrival. He stepped through the doorway and paused just inside, his eyes roving over the people gathered around the long conference table as they all turned to look at him.

At the head of the table sat Captain Kirk; at the far end was the ambassador. To the captain's left sat Chekov and Sulu, and across from them was Lieutenant Gaila, who beamed at Spock as he crossed the room to sit beside her in the only remaining chair.

Only one member of the team was absent from the proceedings: Scotty was on the bridge overseeing Gamma shift and could not make it.

"Now that everyone's here, we can get started." Kirk stood from his chair and placed his hands on the table, inspecting each of the people gathered around him one by one. His blue eyes finally came to rest on Sulu, who sat directly across from Spock. "Report, Mr. Sulu?"

"Course is laid in, but it won't be long before people start noticing we're not headed for Bolarus," Sulu said grimly. "If we were headed there, we would arrive in forty-six hours. We have two days, at the most, before the crew starts asking questions. And a few days after that, we'll have a whole new barrage of questions to answer."

A tense silence followed Sulu's report as the bridge crew glanced uneasily at each other. Even Gaila, who was normally very animated - to the point of annoying those around her - was unusually subdued, her elbows propped up on the table and her chin resting on her hands as she frowned at the wall.

"Mr. Chekov." Kirk's voice, quieter than before, broke the heavy silence.

As the officers seated around the table each updated the group, Spock stared down at the PADD before him. But he did not really see the data flashing across its screen.

There was only one person missing from their midst that had every right to be there, but was not. Only one person who would want to be involved with every fiber of her being, but was not. And it was through his insistence that she had been excluded. He had been sure of his actions before, certain that he was acting in her best interests, but now...

He was beginning to wonder if she would ever be able to forgive him once the truth came out.

XXXXX

The mess hall was crowded, as it usually was at 1300 hours during Alpha shift's lunch break. The tables were full of boisterous crewmen talking and laughing over their meals, relaxing with their friends before they had to return to their stations for the remainder of the shift.

Crewmen who were completely oblivious to what was really going on in the ship they called home.

Uhura barely glanced around her as she wended her way through the maze of tables to join the line in front of the replicators. Arms crossed over her chest, she stared at the broad back of a security officer as she waited for her turn, her mind drifting as it had so often the past few days to the perplexing situation at hand...

She was finding it difficult to think of anything else. How could she not, considering what she had discovered on the observation deck three days before? The truth that she had so relentlessly sought - even against her lover and commanding officer's wishes - was proving to be a heavy burden. She was starting to wish she'd listened to Spock's warnings and kept her curiosity in check.

It was an accident, she told herself firmly as the security officer moved and she stepped up to a free replicator. I wouldn't have found out if the ambassador hadn't slipped up...

That was little consolation. She had been prying before the ambassador arrived, even if she hadn't been prying in the right place. If she hadn't been there at all, she wouldn't have found out...

Banishing the subject from her thoughts, Uhura inserted her rations chip into the replicator's slot. When a plate of fettucine al fungi had materialized, she picked it up and turned to find a seat.

There were few empty chairs. Scanning the crowd, she searched for a place near someone she knew; after a few seconds, her eyes came to rest on a table in the far corner, where there sat only one person.

Spock.

Uhura bit her lip. She hadn't been alone with him in over a week - not since the first evening they'd been back on the Enterprise. They had been working opposite shifts, and sometimes he worked doubles so she couldn't even see him when she was off-duty; she had begun to suspect that he was purposely scheduling her shifts opposite to his so he could avoid her.

Normally, she would be bothered by their long separation. But this time, she found that she was... relieved. If she was alone with him, she knew she wouldn't be able to keep from blurting out that she knew the truth - thereby admitting that she'd broken her word. She didn't even want to imagine how angry - and maybe even hurt - he would be at the revelation that she hadn't kept her promise to him.

She stood there for several seconds, debating about what she should do. But, before she could decide whether to join him, she spotted a familiar head of fiery-red hair bent over a PADD nearby.

"Gaila!" she greeted, glancing furtively over at Spock as she sidled into the empty chair on Gaila's right.

Perhaps hearing her voice even from clear across the room and through the din created by their shipmates, Spock looked up from the PADD he had been engrossed in, a quizzical expression forming on his face when he saw her sitting beside the Orion. His eyebrows drew together in confusion; he was no doubt puzzled that she hadn't sat with him instead, but, suppressing a twinge of guilt, Uhura turned to her friend. "Nice to see you."

Gaila looked up at Uhura, then over at the same corner where Spock sat. The Vulcan had returned to his PADD, but his eyebrows were still furrowed. "What, you're not sitting with your lover-Vulcan today?" she asked curiously. "You two always sit together."

Brushing this aside without a response, Uhura picked up her fork and said, "Haven't seen you in a few days. How are things down in Engineering?"

"Oh, you know, the usual." Gaila waved her hand dismissively. Then she peered at her human friend, eyes narrowed with suspicion. "You aren't still mad at the commander, are you, Nyota?"

"What? Oh, no." Uhura shook her head. "I just... felt like sitting with you today."

"Uh huh." One red eyebrow shot up in an uncanny imitation of Spock's raised eyebrow. "Then why are you so fidgety?"

"Fidgety? What do you -?" Too late, she realized that her left leg had been bouncing up and down nervously, her heel tapping against the floor, and her hands were clenched into fists on the tabletop. Shaking her head again, Uhura bent over her plate. "It's nothing. I've just had a stressful day."

Uhura could almost sense the Orion's skepticism, but she said nothing further. They ate in silence for the next several minutes. Then...

"Hey, the commander's leaving," Gaila said, nudging Uhura's arm and bringing her out of her reverie.

Blinking, she looked across the room. Sure enough, Spock had risen from his chair and was heading toward the exit. As she watched him go, she again felt the sinking sensation of dread she experienced whenever she thought about the Enterprise's destination...

She couldn't get it out of her head. Lives were at stake. Everyone around her - Gaila, Spock, everyone she knew and loved - was in danger. She was in danger, and they were all being led into it by the very people whose duty was to protect the ship. And she didn't even know why. The knowledge of it was pressing down on her more than ever, following her around, nagging at her - there was no escaping it, even for a moment.

I can't stand this, Uhura thought to herself. Standing by, waiting for whatever might happen to happen - avoiding Spock. I can't just sit here, not knowing why - not when I know someone who has the answers...

Before she realized she'd made the decision, she was standing from her chair. Ignoring Gaila's confused inquiries as to where she was going, Uhura left her half-eaten lunch and followed Spock out through the mess hall doors.

The corridor was deserted except for Spock, who was already halfway down the passage.

"Commander!" she called, running to catch up. He did not slow, nor did he look around at her.

"Lieutenant," he acknowledged.

She knew she could very well get in trouble for what she was about to ask, but her mind was made up. She was willing to risk even Spock's anger to get at the truth. She had gone too far - learned too much - to turn back now.

"Sir, I have a question for you."

Spock inclined his head toward her, but his step still did not slow. "Continue," he said.

She did not miss the coolness in his tone. Uhura was used to Spock's aloofness with her while on-duty, but something about his demeanor - the way he refused to even look at her - ignited a flame of anger within her.

Gritting her teeth together, she continued; "Until now, I was determined not to pry any further. But I think, considering the circumstances, I deserve to know at least something."

"And what circumstances are those, Lieutenant?" There was a definite coldness in his voice now, and Uhura saw the stiffening in his shoulders that bespoke his anger.

"The fact that the entire goddamned crew is in danger, sir," she replied just as icily.

Finally, Spock stopped in the middle of the corridor. He turned to her, his face set into a rigid mask, eyes flashing with warning - but before he could speak a word, she cut him off.

"So I'd really like to know, Commander." She glared fiercely up at him, her chin jutting out defiantly, hands balled into fists at her sides. "Why the hell are we heading straight for the Romulan Neutral Zone?"

XXXXX

A/N: For those of you who are unfamiliar with the original series or Next Generation and do not understand the significance of it, the Romulan Neutral Zone is a big deal. It existed to separate the Federation territory from Romulan territory. Crossing into it - from either side - is considered an act of war. If you want to know more about it, look it up here on Memory Alpha: http:/memory-alpha(dot)org/wiki/Portal:Main