Summary: Shortly after she and Spock secretly begin their relationship, Uhura throws a Christmas party.

Disclaimer: Paramount owns Spock, Uhura, and company. I have just borrowed them for a while and will not profit from any of this.

The character of Suzanne Brandt is owned by Jungle Kitty, who graciously gave me permission to use her in this story. Note that her Kirk/Brandt Trekiverse and my Spock/Uhura Trekiverse only overlap occasionally, so there are many events in her timeline that did not take place in mine, and vice versa.

Also, thanks to Jungle Kitty for cheeseball assistance (and more) and to Rabble Rouser and Kathy D. for comments, encouragement, and support.

This story takes place between "Almost a Kiss" and "The Flame Within."

Feedback is desired.

You Would Even Say She Glows, chapter one

"Computer, lights off. Illuminate tree."

Uhura paused just a moment to appreciate the tiny white lights that twinkled from the corner of her San Francisco living room, then scampered across the floor and threw herself onto the sofa. Flames crackled from the fireplace, but she still wanted to hurry under the comforter. Doing so turned out to be a bit of a challenge, however, because her companion didn't want to give any of it up.

"C'mon, Spock, let me under."

"Nyota, I do not understand why you insist on keeping the temperature so low."

She smiled as she pulled the blanket up to her chin. "Because it's December! It's almost Christmas, and we're supposed to cuddle by the fire, drink spiced tea, and listen to Christmas carols."

"I see." He put his arm around her shoulders. "It would appear that we are successfully cuddling by the fire, and we satisfied the hot tea prerequisite earlier, but we do not have any Christmas carols."

"I can take care of that. Computer, play Christmas assortment by Bing Crosby, Perry Como, and, um, the Martian Pops."

The first song that drifted into the room was "Silver Bells," and she sighed in contentment. "It's been ages since I was on Earth during the holidays. I don't know who Dr. McCoy bribed to schedule the refit of sickbay this close to Christmas, but whoever it was, I owe them. I can't get over how lucky we are to be here now."

"It is unfortunate that the Enterprise will leave for Sector Six before Christmas day."

"Oh, that doesn't matter. The weeks leading up to Christmas are always better than Christmas itself, anyway. Walking around town to admire the decorations, window shopping, being part of the hustle and bustle... That's the best part. I know you don't like to shop, but maybe we can find a performance or something we'd both enjoy."

"That would be agreeable, although I anticipate that we will not have a great deal of free time until the weekend."

"Our sessions at the seminar should be over no later than suppertime each day, so at least we'll have the evenings. I'll have to spend a little of my free time preparing the portion I'm teaching, but I've done the material often enough that it won't be too bad."

"I hope you are not offended that I signed up for the lab instead of your session."

"Not in the slightest. You'd be bored to death. I'm just tickled that you agreed to do the rest of the seminar with me. I know that communications aren't a big interest of yours."

"On the contrary, I have always found them fascinating, although I must admit that they have become even more fascinating over the last months."

"Maybe you're just motivated to see them from a new perspective."

"That is possible. There are certainly a number of things I see from a new perspective now. Ah, I did not intend a double entendre by that."

She chuckled. "And here I was, just getting ready to ask if you wanted to see something else from a new perspective tonight."

"Nyota, it will be difficult for either of us to see anything from a new perspective tonight, because I assure you that I will not come out from under this blanket if you do not raise the temperature."

"Mmmm." She came to her knees and shifted until she faced him. "I'll keep you warm."

She slipped her hand behind his neck and kissed him, lazily running her tongue across his upper lip and catching his lower lip between her teeth. The fire popped in the background, the perfect accompaniment to the music and the sound of their moist kisses. Neither of them was in a hurry, and she savored the moment--her housemates were off-planet, their shipmates were away visiting friends and family, and there was absolutely no reason for Spock to leave before morning. On the ship it was different, but that was part of the price they paid to keep their relationship a secret. She didn't really mind. Although there were times when she wanted to share it with their friends, he was uncomfortable with the idea of going public. And as far as she was concerned, there was definitely something to be said for the thrill of knowing that no one in the universe had a clue about them.

The current song ended, and she smiled against his lips when she heard the next one.

"You find something amusing?" he asked.

"Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer," she sang, "had a very shiny nose. And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows. All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names. They never let poor Rudolph---"

"Laughing reindeer?"

"Sure! At Christmastime, the reindeer fly, play games, do all sorts of things." She chuckled. "We used to love Rudolph when we were kids. These songs bring back so many memories of being with friends and laughing and singing." She pulled away. "You know, I should have a party. Maybe on Saturday. I'll make punch and decorate the rest of the house, and have everyone over. What do you think?"

"If it pleases you, it is a good idea."

"Will you help?"

"Of course."

"Wonderful! I'll have to invite all our friends from the Enterprise, and there are bound to be a lot of people I know at the communications seminar. My housemates are going to kill me when they learn that I had a party without them, but heaven knows they've had enough parties while I was off-planet. I need to be sure to invite the neighbors. I don't see much of them because I'm gone all the time, so this will be a good chance to get to know them better. For a group this size, I probably don't want to have a dinner party. Maybe I'll just make some finger food. And some desserts. Oh, and eggnog, and---"

"Nyota." He touched her lightly on the lips. "Perhaps you can wait until tomorrow to plan your party."

She grinned. "Sorry. I suppose that I do have better things to do right now."

"Yes. You do."

As she pressed her lips to his again, she made a mental note to find her recipe for eggnog. She should probably make some mulled wine, too, and...

Spock gently eased her down onto her back, and she decided that maybe he was right. The party could wait until tomorrow.

* * * * * * * *

As Spock crossed the Academy quadrangle, he reflected on the fact that everyone he met seemed to be livelier than usual. People walked purposefully, and the subdued greetings he normally received were instead hails of good wishes accompanied by broad grins and waves. It was fascinating to observe, for even those beings who attached no special significance to this Terran holiday appeared to be affected by the general high spirits. Of course, the low temperature and occasional flake of snow no doubt contributed to everyone's brisk movements, but he suspected that the mood would be the same regardless.

He ascended the front steps of the Stubblefield Communications Building and brushed a few snowflakes from his hair as soon as he stepped through the door. The snow was another curious matter. Even though snow was not typical of the climate, no one had objected when the weather engineers announced yesterday that they would not dissipate the rare snow clouds that were gathering overhead. It seemed that people actually welcomed this sort of weather during the weeks prior to Christmas and Hanukkah. At least it was not the artificial snow that inevitably appeared on the Enterprise each year at this time, along with tinsel and other rather gaudy decorations.

He entered the lab. The objective of this session was to explore the decryption of subparticle communication bursts using Daystrom self-aware computer technology, and he was pleased to see eight of the latest model M5-d consoles arranged in the room. There were already eleven people present, a combination of communication specialists, scientists who like himself were interested in the topic, and people he did not know.

"Mr. Spock!"

He turned to see a familiar face beaming at him from the doorway.

"Lieutenant Rand. Greetings."

She stopped before him. "Fancy meeting you here! It's been ages since I saw you. How have you been?"

"I am well. And you?"

"I'm fine. I didn't know that you were interested in communications."

"I have always been curious about the practical applications for Dr. Daystrom's research. The session promises to be fascinating."

"I've always been curious, too." She looked around. "I thought that Nyota might be here, but I don't see her. I can't believe she'd miss this. Have you talked to her recently?"

Spock raised his eyebrow just a fraction of a centimeter. He had indeed spoken with her very recently--sixteen point eight minutes ago, to be precise. There was no need for Lieutenant Rand to know that, however. He decided to avoid the question.

"She is attending the seminar," he said, "but she is teaching a class during this time period."

"Oh. I guess I didn't look too closely at the other sessions being offered this week. This is the only one I'm attending. You don't think she'll be upset when she learns I'm not taking her class, do you?"

"I anticipate that she will not mind."

"Good. I---"

A man entered the room. "Good morning, everyone. I'm Bob Marsdon, and I'll be your lab instructor this week. If you could, please pair off and claim a computer."

Rand looked up and grinned. "Do you want to be partners?"

"I would find that acceptable."

"Great! This should be fun. It's probably just as well that Nyota didn't take this class, because then we'd either have to fight over who got to be your partner, or the two of us would be partners and you'd be too close to avoid listening to us gossip the whole week."

This time, his eyebrow traveled all the way to his hairline as he followed her to the nearest console.

* * * * * * * *

A shopping bag swinging from each hand, Uhura lifted her chin and inhaled the clean, bracing air. The seminar was over, but she hadn't had time to relax yet. After staying up late last night, she was out this morning as soon as the stores opened--which was unusually early, since most places were accommodating holiday shoppers--and she couldn't wait to sit down in that little French cafe and have a hot bowl of soup with Janice. Too bad she couldn't stay for a long lunch, but at least she and Janice would have some quiet time to catch up with each other. There wouldn't be much quiet time at the party tonight, or at least she hoped there wouldn't.

She mentally reviewed her shopping list as she trotted across the street. Five big, crusty loaves of French bread were in one of her bags, as were the cranberries for the salad, a couple of wheels of brie, and the other odds and ends she'd needed. She'd picked up the holly for the mantle, the wreath was already on the door, and she had enough appetizers in stasis to feed an army. She'd sent Spock in the other direction to buy whatever fresh produce looked good this morning, and hopefully he was already back at her house cutting it up. She couldn't forget to stop by the deli for the dip, and the first thing she needed to do when she got home was make two ice rings for the punch.

When she neared the restaurant, Janice waved from a table just inside the front window, so Uhura hurried inside.

"Janice!"

Janice gave her a quick hug, then helped find a place for her bags.

"Hi, Nyota! It looks like you've been busy."

"I sure have." Uhura hung her coat on a nearby hook and sat down. "I was able to get a lot done after class the past few days, but you know how it is. No matter how much you prepare in advance, there's always a lot left to be done on the day of a party."

"Can I help? How about if I go home with you after lunch? I can't stay long, because Hendrik's coming in this afternoon, but I can help for a while."

"I appreciate the offer, Janice, but I'm fine. Enjoy your Saturday."

"But getting ready for a party like this is a monumental task, and I hate the thought that you're having to do it all by yourself. Honestly, I---"

Uhura reached across the table for Janice's hand. "Janice, relax! I have it all under control. Tell me about Hendrik. Where did you meet him?"

"I was in Antwerp last spring, and I sat down in the park to watch some children chase the pigeons. One of the little girls fell and skinned her knee, so I got up to help. It turned out that she was his daughter, and when she ran to join the other children again, Hendrik sat down with me. The next thing we knew, the sun was setting and we were still talking. We've been going out ever since."

"That's a great story. What's he like?"

"He's terrific. He's a pilot for Belgian Shuttlelines, tall, blond, and divorced. He likes the same things I like, and he has a wonderful sense of humor. We really don't get to see a lot of each other, especially now that I'm on the Reliant, but we try not to let that bother us."

"Are you serious about him?"

"Oh, no, not really. Not yet, anyway." Janice lowered her voice conspiratorially. "So, tell me all about the man--or men--in your life. I want to hear all the juicy details."

Uhura shrugged lightly. "There's nothing to tell."

"What?" Janice sat back in mock astonishment. "Nyota, you always have something to tell. Aren't you seeing anyone right now?"

"Nope." Uhura felt a flush rise in her cheeks, and she covered it by pretending to study the menu. "I'm not seeing anyone. No one at all. Not a soul."

"I can't believe it. When you walked up, I thought, 'Now, there's a woman with the glow that comes from having a man in her life.' I swear, you were all lit up like Rudolph."

"Oh, no, not me. It must be from the cold weather."

"Well, then we need to do something about that. Hendrik's copilot is a great guy, and he's single. Maybe I can get him to come with us tonight. I think you and he might---"

"Thanks, Janice, but no thanks. I'm fine."

"He's tall and blond, just like Hendrik. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Why not? You don't have anything to lose."

To Uhura's great relief, the waitress chose that moment to approach their table. It was hard to get anything past Janice, and after a few more minutes of this interrogation, she might not have been able to resist spilling it all.

After they ordered, Janice folded her hands on the table. "Well, you won't believe who my lab partner was this week. Spock!"

"I know! It sounded like the two of you made a good team." She tensed in the middle of unfolding her napkin. "Uh, we were both at Thursday's lecture, and he told me about it."

"He went to the lecture, too? He said that he was taking the lab just to learn about Daystrom's research, but evidently he's more interested in communications than I thought."

Uhura couldn't help but grin. "It's a recent interest."

"I guess so. I'll have to ask him about it on Monday when we go back to check our results."

"Your lab session isn't over? Monday is our last day, I mean..." Uhura caught her breath before she let slip that Monday was her last day of leave with Spock. "I mean, I thought Friday was the last day. Of the seminar."

Janice narrowed her eyes slightly. "Nyota, is something up? You've been acting odd."

"No, no, I'm fine. I was just surprised to hear that you have to go back to the lab. For a moment, I thought I'd gotten my days mixed up. It must be from the excitement of planning the party." Uhura smiled with what she hoped was calm reassurance.

Her eyes still on Uhura, Janice responded, "We left our programs running over the weekend to see if the computer will make any intuitive leaps. You should know that. You were one of the pioneers of using Daystrom techniques for decryption."

"So I was. Like I said, I'm in a whirl. Don't mind me."

Janice finally looked away when the waitress brought their food, and after that, Uhura was careful to steer the conversation to a safe topic.

End chapter one

You Would Even Say She Glows, chapter two

"Spock? Could you please come here for a minute?"

More than content to escape the scent of the eggnog Nyota had just prepared, Spock put down the knife and left the kitchen. He had found it difficult to stay with any single task until completion today, and apparently preparing the fruit salad was going to prove no exception. Nyota evidently knew what she was doing, however, because progress was clearly being made.

She stood at the fireplace with her hands on her hips. "I bought a bunch of holly for the mantle, but now I'm thinking that it might work better over the dining room door. Would you mind holding some of it up so I can see how it looks?"

"Not at all."

The holly was tangled up in a shopping bag, but he dug around until he had selected several branches. He positioned them over the large archway that separated the living area from the dining room and turned back to wait for her opinion. She tapped her foot a few times and frowned.

"No, that doesn't do it," she said. "I liked my first idea better."

"Very well."

He knelt on the floor and separated the branches, careful not to knock off the small red berries, and handed them to her one at a time. He could hear her humming along with the Christmas music that played in the background while she worked with the branches, experimenting with various combinations of candles and tiny holographic stars. When she finally exclaimed "There!" and stepped back to admire her results, however, his attention was on something in the very bottom of the bag.

He pulled it out and studied it. At first, he had assumed that it was merely another small piece of holly, but on closer examination, he saw that it was a different sort of flora entirely.

"Nyota, what is this?" he asked.

"That? That's mistletoe. The man who was selling the holly had some, so I asked him to throw in a sprig."

"What do you intend to do with it? It is too small to add to the mantle."

"I'm going to put it over the dining room doorway."

He looked at the door. "Why?"

"Because that's what you do with mistletoe at Christmas."

"Do you want me to purchase more of it? You do not have enough to make an attractive display."

"I don't intend to make an 'attractive display' with it." She crossed her arms. "You don't know about mistletoe."

"Of course I know about mistletoe. It is a parasitic shrub, native to---"

"But you don't know about mistletoe and Christmas traditions."

"Ah. Apparently not."

"I can't believe it! Something you don't know." She shook her head. "Didn't your mother ever put it up at Christmas?"

"My mother was raised in the Jewish faith."

"I still can't believe you've never heard about mistletoe. Here, take a little of this adhesive and put the mistletoe over the dining room doorway."

He did as she instructed, then stood underneath and studied it. "Are you going to tell me why we are doing this?"

"Nope. I think that you need to figure it out for yourself tonight. It'll be a challenge. No fair looking it up or asking anyone."

"Very well. I accept your challenge."

"Great!" She chuckled and moved into the open doorway with him. "Now, give me a kiss and get back to work. We only have a few more hours until the party, and we're going to have to get ready pretty soon."

He obediently kissed her on the lips, then returned to the kitchen.

* * * * * * * *

Uhura lit the last candle on the dining room table, then carried the lighter toward the mantle. "Everything looks so pretty," she said. "Thanks for all your help, Spock."

"You are welcome."

He stood rather stiffly in the kitchen, and she shook her head because he'd so obviously chosen a place that couldn't be seen from the front door. What did he think he'd do if someone arrived early enough to discover that he was here before the party started? Run?

Oh, well. At least he wasn't any further away than the kitchen. He'd actually wanted to go back to his apartment so he could arrive just like any other guest, but she'd managed to talk him out of it. He was the only person she knew who came exactly on time for a party; no one would question the fact that he was already here.

"Spock, you don't have to hide. Nobody will be surprised to see you."

"I am not hiding."

"I promise that no one will be here soon. Yes, it's just a few minutes until the official start time, but you're the only person I know who doesn't understand the concept of 'fashionably late.' Will you come over here and help me light the candles on the mantle? Please?"

He pulled his brows together and hesitated, but finally left the kitchen. "Very well. Do you have another lighter?"

"Yes, right here in the sideboard by the fireplace--"

They both froze at a signal from the door.

"Oh, no!" she whispered.

"So," he said. "It would appear that I am not the only unfashionably punctual person among us."

The door buzzed again.

Her eyes darted around the room until they landed on his cloak, hanging on the hall tree by the door.

"Quick!" she said. "Come over here with me."

"Why---"

"Just do it!"

They hurried across the room, and she snatched up his cloak just before opening the door. Dr. McCoy stood on the porch with a cheeseball in his hands.

"Doctor! Welcome."

He held out the cheese. "Merry Christmas, Nyota."

"Oh, thank you! Let me hang up Spock's cloak, and I'll take that from you."

Dr. McCoy leaned around the doorway, clearly unaware that Spock had been standing to the side. "Well, Spock! I'm surprised to see you here. I was afraid I might be early."

Spock didn't respond, so Uhura jumped into the silence. "You're not early at all, Doctor. You're right on time, just like Spock. C'mon, let me get you a drink."

As expected, the prospect of a drink made Dr. McCoy forget about his early arrival. She grinned at Spock as she led the doctor to the bar.

* * * * * * * *

"Hello, hello! Come on in, everyone!"

Spock watched Uhura accept a cheeseball as she ushered another group through the door. She had not stopped moving since the party began, circulating around the room, seeing to her guests, hugging and smiling and chattering and laughing... She had even managed to express gracious delight at the cheeseball despite the fact that she had already received seven. He knew that he would not be allowed to stay in a corner and observe her all night, but it would certainly be easy to do so. This vantage point also provided an unobstructed view of the mistletoe, but so far he had detected nothing unusual about it. No one had touched it or commented on it, and even now, instead of providing the clue for which he had hoped, Mr. Chekov merely greeted Dr. Chapel affectionately as he walked beneath the mistletoe on his way to the buffet table.

When Spock returned his attention to the main room, he realized that Nyota had caught him looking at the mistletoe, so he joined her in the entryway.

"Haven't figured it out yet?" she asked.

"The evening is still young."

Janice Rand came up behind him with her date in tow. "This sounds interesting. What are you two talking about?"

He could tell that Nyota wanted to tease him, but he could also tell that she was uncertain if she should divulge the details of his ignorance. He signaled permission with a small nod, so she leaned close to Rand.

"I happened to learn," she said, "that our science officer doesn't know why people put up mistletoe at Christmas."

Rand threw back her head and laughed. "Is that what he has to figure out?"

"Yup. He's not allowed to look it up or ask anyone, either. He has to solve the mystery by sheer observation."

Janice's eyes grew wide with innocence. "Spock, I think you should go over there and stand right underneath it. That way you won't miss anything."

To his undeniable relief, a signal from the door interrupted their conversation. Nyota excused herself, and a moment later he heard two loud squeals of delight.

"Nyota!"

"Suzanne!"

He turned around to see that Nyota had her arms around a sandy-haired woman. The woman's face was obscured, but he had no doubt who this was. His assumption was confirmed when Admiral Kirk stepped through the door behind her.

Kirk handed a cheeseball to Nyota. "Merry Christmas!"

"Thank you, Admiral." She gave him a quick hug and took their coats. "Come in and make yourself at home. Can I get you a drink? I have eggnog and spiced wine in the kitchen, as well as just about anything else you might want."

"Thanks," Kirk replied, "but we'll check it out in a minute. I have a feeling that Suzanne will want to examine all the choices before she decides."

Suzanne Brandt waved at several people as she looked around the room. "Your house looks great, Nyota. I love the tree. And what's that over your dining room door?" She motioned at Kirk, who was several steps behind her. "Hey Jim, there's something over there I want to show you---"

Janice Rand clutched Suzanne's forearm before she could walk away, then whispered in her ear.

"Oh, is that so?" murmured Suzanne.

Spock sighed as Suzanne relayed to Jim what she had just been told. Jim laughed and shook his head, then took Suzanne's hand and started toward the bar.

He patted Spock on the shoulder as he passed. "Spock, trust me. This is one human custom you need to experience. Fully."

"That is my intent, Admiral."

Spock met Nyota's eyes at the laughter that trailed after Jim and Suzanne, and she winked before following them. He turned toward the mistletoe once again, determined to unlock its secrets.

* * * * * * * *

Careful not to burn herself, Uhura transferred some freshly-baked Deltan chetha tarts onto a platter. Of course, they weren't completely authentic, but she didn't want to get arrested for trying to buy the ingredients. It was just as well, anyway. The party might have gotten a little more exciting than she'd intended if she'd followed the recipe exactly.

She popped one into her mouth, picked up the platter, and left the kitchen. The party was in full swing, and she sang along with the group by the tree as she headed toward the dining room. She had to lift the platter over her head to squeeze through the dining room door, where her neighbor Mario was enjoying the mistletoe with her friend Jill from the seminar, but soon she safely deposited the tarts on the table. She checked the level of the punch, moved a cheeseball closer to the edge of the table to encourage people to eat it, picked up an empty bowl, and started back toward the kitchen.

Mario and Jill had left the mistletoe to check out the new food, so it was easy to make it through the dining room doorway this time. She saw Scotty heading her way, however, so she lingered there just long enough to get a kiss from him before she continued into the kitchen. She couldn't resist sneaking a peek at Spock, who was talking to Mary from down the street, and she wiggled her eyebrows when she saw that he'd witnessed the kiss she had exchanged with Scotty.

As she got rid of the bowl, she decided to rescue him from Mary. Mary had a good heart, but she tended to be a little excessive. Excessive hair, excessive voice, excessive perfume, excessive gestures. Everything was excessive about her except for the outfit she wore tonight, and you could even say that the outfit was excessive in terms of the excessive amount of skin it showed. Yes, it was definitely time to rescue him from Mary.

"Hi, you two," she said.

"Oh hi, Nyota." Mary giggled. "This is a wonderful party. I'm having a fabulous time."

"I'm glad to hear it! I just put out some Deltan tarts, but they're going fast. You might want to get in there and try one."

"Oh, I couldn't!" She giggled again. "If I eat one more thing, I might just pop out of my little dress."

Uhura smiled. "Mary, you might pop out of that little dress even if you don't eat one more thing."

Mary moved close, and Uhura could smell the rum on her breath.

"Only if I'm lucky," Mary whispered. She squeezed Uhura's arm, cast a glance toward Spock, and picked up her empty glass. "It's time for a refill, so maybe I could try just one while I'm over there. Spock, can I bring you anything?"

"No, thank you." He waited until Mary was gone, then said, "I believe the appropriate phrase is 'I owe you one.'"

"She's not so bad. Or at least, she's only bad when she wants to be bad. Was she hitting on you?"

"Why would she hit me?"

"That means flirting with you. Making a move on you. Trying to convince you of her appeal."

"Ah... Yes."

"I'm not surprised. She'll flirt with anyone, male, female, it doesn't matter. Just be careful that you don't end up alone with her."

He lowered his voice. "There is only one person with whom I intend to end up alone tonight, and that person is not her."

Unable to believe that Spock would be so daring right here in the middle of the party, Uhura felt her heart begin to beat a little faster. His demeanor hadn't changed a bit, and anyone looking at them wouldn't know what was going on, but that was definitely a provocative thing for him to say.

She shifted just enough to let her arm brush against his. "I wonder who it could be."

"Perhaps someone equally... bad."

She licked her lips as she looked up at him, wondering if maybe--just maybe--he'd be willing to slip away for a minute or two. Before she could continue, though, her timer went off in the kitchen. Damn. The second batch of tarts were ready.

"I have to take something out of the oven. Care to come help me? I don't think I'm ready to end this conversation."

"I will help, although I have doubts about the wisdom of continuing this conversation."

"Afraid of where it might take us?"

"If you are speaking literally, yes, I have my reservations."

She laughed and started toward the kitchen. As she passed the hallway that led to her bedroom, however, she paused.

"Spock? My bedroom door is closed. You haven't been in there, have you?"

"No."

The timer sounded again, so she hurried to the kitchen and took out the tarts, but she couldn't stop thinking about the bedroom door. Directing Spock toward the high shelf that held the dish she needed, she said, "It's really odd that my door would be closed. Someone must be in there. Have you noticed anyone missing?"

He stepped back so that he could see the main room. After a moment, he said, "Admiral Kirk and Captain Brandt are not in sight."

She motioned him close and whispered, "You don't think that they had the same idea we had, do you?"

"What idea would that be?"

"Of sneaking away for a little hanky-panky." At his look of incomprehension, she added, "Sex."

Both of his eyebrows flew up. "I did not realize that we were thinking of sneaking away for that."

"We were, believe me." She chuckled. "It wouldn't surprise me if they did. Suzanne said that she just got into town yesterday, so I imagine they have some catching-up to... Oh, no. Oh my gosh."

He frowned. "What is wrong?"

Her hand on her forehead, she said, "I just remembered something. I, uh, kind of left your meditation robe on the back of my bathroom door." He looked at her without responding, so she babbled, "I was cold! It was close to the bed, and I put it on when I got up to take a shower. I forgot about it."

"Nyota, for the moment we will overlook the fact that my meditation robe is not a bathrobe. If Jim and Suzanne are indeed... utilizing your bedroom at the moment, they are certain to use your bathroom, ah, afterward."

"I know!"

Sulu came into the kitchen, so she hastily started pushing the tarts around on the plate. He picked up a cheeseball, gave her a quick smile, and left.

Uhura raised both eyebrows. "I can't believe someone actually came looking for one of those."

"Jim will recognize my robe," said Spock.

"Of course he will, but what can I do about it? Do you want me to knock on the door and say, 'Excuse me while I get something out of my bathroom'?"

"Perhaps they are not yet involved. You could--"

"Spock, they've been apart for three months! They were probably 'involved' before they even shut the door!"

They both fell silent, but finally she picked up the tarts. "There's nothing we can do about it now. We'll just have to hope they don't look behind the bathroom door."

He sighed, then nodded. Neither of them spoke as they left the kitchen. Before they had taken five steps, she felt a blast of cold air, and someone opened the front door.

Her cheeks rosy, Suzanne came inside. "You should see it out there, Nyota! The sky is so clear you can count every star."

Admiral Kirk shut the door behind them. "I froze my ass off."

Spock and Uhura watched speechlessly as Kirk and Brandt continued on to the fireplace. Finally, she met Spock's eyes and he shrugged lightly, then they both jerked around when the bedroom door opened in the hall behind them.

Mary stepped out. When she saw them both staring at her, she waved. "One of the straps on my dress was coming untied, so I went in there to fix it. I wouldn't want to accidentally expose myself!"

Uhura laughed in relief. "On purpose maybe, but not by accident."

"Don't forget accidentally on purpose. That's been known to happen, too." Mary ran her finger lightly down Uhura's cheek as she passed, but then halted and turned back. "Oh, and Nyota? I love your robe. Where did you get it?"

"My robe?"

"Yes, that gorgeous black robe on the back of your bathroom door."

"Er, ah, I got it on Risa. That's Risan silk, and, uh, I bought it. I bought it at a store."

"I tried it on, and it's so comfortable. And sensuous! I'll bet it feels wonderful against your naked skin. It smells really nice, too. Well, time to find my drink. I think I left it somewhere near the mistletoe."

Mary's curvaceous hips wiggled as she squeezed into the crowd, and Uhura just stood and watched her go. She could picture the expression on Spock's face, and she really didn't want to see it right now. Finally, though, she handed the tarts to him. He accepted them without a word, and she headed down the hallway to put away his robe.

* * * * * * * *

As Suzanne left the buffet table with a mouthful of fruitcake, she noticed that their hostess was standing motionless just outside the kitchen door with the empty punch bowl in her hands, clearly watching something. Nyota had a little smile on her face, so Suzanne knew that it must be something more interesting than counting cheeseballs. Suzanne sidled up beside her and peered over her shoulder in an attempt to see what it was.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

Nyota jumped. "Oh! Sorry, Suzanne. I didn't see you. I'm, uh, just looking at Spock. He's been there half the evening trying to understand why I put mistletoe over the door."

"If he hasn't figured it out by now, he probably never will." Suzanne put her hand on Nyota's shoulder and whispered slyly in her ear. "Maybe someone should give him a personal demonstration."

Nyota's mouth dropped open. "Huh? Not me," she stammered. "I wouldn't dream of, uh, I mean, who, what, uh, who are you talking about?"

Suzanne pointed to the other corner of the room. "Christine. Look at her. She's all fixed up with no one to do."

"Suzanne, you're evil! That's why I like you so much. C'mon and help me make some more punch."

They walked into the kitchen, and while Nyota poured several containers of fruit juice into the bowl, Suzanne checked out the selection of alcohol on the counter. As soon as Nyota turned away to get the ice ring, Suzanne uncapped a bottle and emptied the contents into the bowl.

"Suzanne!" exclaimed Nyota. "Stop that!"

"You asked me to help you make the punch, so I'm helping you make the punch. I hate to break it to you, but you needed my help with that last batch. It wasn't very exciting."

"Maybe not, but there are some people here who don't drink alcohol."

"Who? Spock? Everyone else is drinking."

"So what happened to the last bowl? Are you going to tell me he drank it all by himself? I know that Hikaru's wife can't have alcohol, and I'm sure there are some others who aren't drinking."

"Okay, okay. We'll just have to get rid of this so you can make some more." Suzanne picked up two glasses, filled them, and handed one to Nyota. "Cheers."

Scowling, Nyota accepted the glass and took a sip. After a moment, the scowl vanished, and she took a bigger drink. "This isn't bad."

"What did I tell you? The punch needed some doctoring."

"You were right." Nyota drained the glass. "Dr. Brandt, fill me up again."

* * * * * * * *

"She's driving me crazy. She has all these weird cravings. I had to get up at two this morning to fix her a peanut butter sandwich."

Spock warmed the backs of his legs at the fire while he listened to Mr. Sulu describe his week. Although his words seemed to express annoyance with his wife's recent behavior, his proud expression and indulgent tone made it clear that he did not mind.

Sulu continued. "And she's obsessed with getting the house ready! I swear, I'm seeing pink bears in my dreams."

"Are you talking about me?"

They all turned to see that Susan Ling approached. She had some difficulty squeezing between the Christmas tree and the overstuffed chair by the sofa, and she came very close to knocking a cheeseball off the end table, but soon she had joined them.

Sulu put his arm around her waist. "Now, why would you automatically think I was talking about you just because you heard the words 'pink bears'?"

"Because I know you prefer the pink bunnies."

Dr. McCoy laughed. "So, Susan, when are you due?"

"It was supposed to be in two weeks, but my doctor told me yesterday that it could be any time."

Sulu nodded. "I hope it's not a problem that I'm staying behind when you ship out on Tuesday, Admiral."

"Not at all," replied Kirk. "I approved your request for leave and sent it to personnel this morning, so you're all set."

"Thanks."

Someone opened the front door, and Spock edged closer to the fire.

"Brrrr. I can't believe how cold it is, but maybe I'm just accustomed to our weather in Honolulu." Susan rubbed her arms and moved next to Spock at the fireplace. "Oh, some of Nyota's candles went out. Does anyone see her lighter?"

Without stopping to consider his actions, Spock turned toward the sideboard, opened the drawer, and removed the lighter. It was not until he saw everyone's surprised expressions that he realized he should not have known where Nyota stored it.

"Ah... It was a logical place to keep it."

Susan stepped forward and took it from him. "Of course it was, right next to the fireplace like that. Now, does anyone want to hear the name we picked out for the baby?"

Spock silently thanked Susan Ling when the conversation returned to the impending birth of Sulu's daughter.

* * * * * * * *

Propped up against the counter, Uhura wiped her eyes and tried to stop laughing. Her side was starting to hurt, her make-up was going to be ruined, and she didn't even remember what they'd found so funny in the first place.

She refilled their glasses. "Getting rid of this punch is hard work."

"Yeah," said Suzanne. "They're lucky we're willing to make the sacrifice."

"I wonder if anyone needs anything. It's been a while since I checked the table. Maybe I should make the rounds."

Suzanne stuck her head out the door. "Everything looks fine to me."

"Good enough." Uhura licked the inside of her glass, trying to get to a cherry from the ice ring. "We've eaten all the best food, anyway."

"If anyone gets hungry, they can just eat a cheeseball. You have enough of them to last until Y3K." Brandt snorted. "I told Jim we should have gotten wine, but no, he said, 'Buy a cheeseball. You can't go wrong with a cheeseball. Everybody loves cheeseballs.'"

"Oh, but your cheeseball was really special."

Brandt laughed. "Yeah, right. My CO thought it was, too, when he gave it to me yesterday. Don't tell Jim, but I didn't have time to go shopping."

"Your secret is safe with me."

Uhura continued to pursue the cherry, and there was a lull in the conversation until Brandt said, "Nyota, just what kind of party games did you plan for tonight?"

Uhura looked up to see that Brandt held a small package. "The balloons! I was going to decorate with them, but I forgot."

Suzanne snickered. "I thought they were little condoms."

"You did not. Let's blow them up."

Suzanne opened the package and handed Uhura a long green balloon. "Here, you can have a Vulcan condom."

Uhura's punch went down the wrong way, and Suzanne pounded her on the back until she quit coughing, then pulled a blue balloon from the package. "Look," she said. "Mine's Andorian!"

Uhura didn't trust herself to speak, so she just took the green balloon and started blowing. She tried not to laugh when the balloon stretched out in front of her, but evidently Suzanne had the same thought she did. Her hands over her belly, Suzanne sputtered, "That looks like a big Vulcan dick!"

Uhura tied off the end and held it out in front of her. "It doesn't look a thing like a Vulcan dick!"

"Oh yeah, how do you know?"

"Well, I read about it in a story. I think they look more like"--she put her hands around two spots close to the end and squeezed--"this!"

Suzanne doubled over with laughter, then grabbed the balloon and twisted it. "No, like this!"

"Ouch, no, that would hurt! Give it back!"

Uhura tried to wrest it from Suzanne, but she was laughing too hard to coordinate her attack. Elbowing each other, they had all four hands on the balloon when they heard a noise at the door. They looked up to see Spock standing there, an expression on his face that made it clear he thought they were both out of their minds.

There was a moment of silence, then they both burst out laughing louder than ever. Just as he turned to leave, the air was shattered by a loud report, and the little green fragments of the balloon flew across the kitchen. They collapsed against each other, laughing so hard they had to hold each other up.

"Shit!" Suzanne gasped. "That's the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life! Now give me a pink one, and maybe we can lure Jim in here."

End chapter two

You Would Even Say She Glows, chapter three

It had been precisely three minutes before two when the last guest left. Spock had experienced some awkwardness when he tried to make it appear that he, also, was preparing to walk out the door, but fortunately Nyota had thought of a last-minute task she required from him, and he had not been forced to continue his charade. Now, they were attempting to restore the house to something approximating its former condition.

He walked through the living area in search of the last chair for the dining room table. "It is my opinion that your party was a success."

She nodded as she gathered dirty glasses from around the room. "I think so! Everyone seemed to have a great time. Did you see Dr. McCoy flirting with Jacqueline from across the street?"

"Yes. I saw that. I am certain everyone else saw it, as well."

"It was definitely hard to miss. I actually thought he might end up at her place tonight, but I saw him leave with Christine. Too bad. Maybe he'll call her later."

"If he remembers meeting her."

"He was putting away a lot of bourbon, and I saw him drink at least three glasses of eggnog." She grimaced. "I wouldn't want to be him tomorrow."

"Nor would I. There was actually a great deal of imbibing, and I suspect that he will not be the only one feeling unwell. For example, I noticed that Suzanne seemed to have a fondness for the punch."

"She'll be fine. I admit that she and I got a little tipsy together, but we didn't drink all that much. We were mostly being silly."

"Do you care to tell me what was so humorous about the balloon in the kitchen?"

"Well, it was green and long, and the shape was suggestively masculine. We weren't thinking of you when we were playing around with it, but then you came into the kitchen, and your timing was just too perfect."

"I see. Perhaps I should be flattered, considering the size of the balloon."

"Definitely. And I won't even mention how the balloon popped when we played too rough."

"I would prefer that you did not."

She laughed and shook her head. "You know, we had some close calls tonight. When Suzanne pulled out that green balloon and said that it was a Vulcan condom, I about died. It's a miracle we made it through the evening without giving ourselves away."

"A Vulcan condom? I assure you that condoms are uniquely Terran, popularized by the human propensity for casual sex and unreliable methods of birth control." He gestured toward the now-cold candles on the mantle. "I confess, however, that I too almost revealed our relationship. When Susan Ling asked for a lighter, I carelessly retrieved one from your sideboard. I do not know what I was thinking."

"Oh, well. It doesn't matter. We made it through the evening, and our secret is safe."

She carried the glasses into the kitchen, so he located the chair and took it into the dining room. On the way out of the dining room, however, he paused to look up at the mistletoe. This doorway had been a very popular location tonight, to the point that at times it had been difficult to pass from one room to the next. He raised an eyebrow and nodded to himself.

"Nyota," he called out, "what do you wish to do about the stain on the dining room rug?"

"Oh, no! Someone spilled something on my rug?" She hurried out of the kitchen and stood in the doorway beside him. "Where? I don't see a stain."

"There is not a stain. I merely wanted you to join me."

She faced him, and after a moment, a devilish smile crept across her features. "So, did you figure it out?" she asked.

"Indeed I did. I must add, however, that it did not especially tax my powers of deduction."

"Mmmm. I'm not convinced. Maybe you need to prove it to me."

"Perhaps I will," he murmured.

* * * * * * * *

Banking McCoy's flitter toward his apartment, Christine glanced over at her passenger. He had his eyes closed, and she hoped he wouldn't be sick. Thank heavens she'd caught a ride to the party with Hikaru and Susan. It would have been a pain to leave one of the flitters at Nyota's, but there was no way she would have let him drive home tonight.

"That eggnog is good stuff," she said.

"Hmph. Wasn't my fault I got drunk. Had to sit and drink with Spock for near to twenty minutes before anyone else got there." He opened one eye. "Come to think of it, there's something odd about that. When I got there, I sat in my flitter for a long time 'cause I thought I was early, and I didn't see him go in. He must have been there well before me."

"You know how he is about being exactly on time."

"But I was early."

"Sure, you were. You must have been really early to drink that much." She waited for a biting response. "Len?"

At the sound of a loud snore, she looked over to see that McCoy had fallen asleep. She shook her head and decided that maybe she should take him to her place tonight. He was probably going to need someone to look after him.

* * * * * * * *

Suzanne made room for Jim in bed beside her. "That was a fun night."

"I had a good time, although judging by the laughter from the kitchen, I'd say that you and Uhura had a better time."

"We were just playing with some balloons. When you were a kid, did you ever see a clown make shapes with them? It was something like that."

He gave her a long look. "Right."

Suzanne scooted closer. "We were watching Spock puzzle over the mistletoe, too. It was really funny, because you could almost see the wheels turning." She paused. "There was something strange about that, though. When I told Nyota that Christine should give him a mistletoe demonstration, she acted guilty. I wondered if I'd put my foot in my mouth."

"It's not supposed to be common knowledge that Chapel had a crush on Spock. Everyone knew, of course, but we pretended that we didn't. She was probably surprised that you'd say anything."

"Oh. Maybe that's it. What a relief."

"Why? What did you think it was?"

"Well, for a minute there, I wondered if Nyota wanted to be the person who kissed him under the mistletoe. It's silly, I know."

"Yes, it is. And that's enough talking for now. I have something better in mind." He put his arms around her. "Computer, lights off."

* * * * * * * *

Sulu put the flitter on automatic controls once they were out over the Pacific. "How do you feel, Susan?"

"I'm tired, but it was worth it. I like your friends." Susan laced her fingers across her belly. "You're lucky to be part of such a close group."

"We've been together a long time, that's for sure. Sometimes it even seems that we can read each other's minds." He frowned. "It was almost eerie that Spock knew where Nyota kept the lighter, however. Maybe it made sense that it would be close to the fireplace, but there must have been six drawers in that sideboard."

"Um..."

"That wasn't the only piece of furniture there with drawers, either."

"Uh, Hikaru?"

"But yet he knew exactly where she kept the lighter."

"Hikaru! Shut up!"

He turned sharply. "What is it?"

"Ow! Owwww!" She clutched her midsection. "Go faster!"

"The baby?"

"Yes! She's coming!"

"I'll turn the flitter around and--"

"No! I want my doctor!" She took a deep breath, then roared, "NOW!"

His eyes huge, Sulu hit his knee on the edge of the console. The flitter dipped briefly as he fumbled with the controls, but soon they were traveling at top speed toward Honolulu.

* * * * * * * *

Mary carried two drinks across the room and was careful to bend very low when she handed one to her guest. As she had hoped, his eyes weren't on the glass, and she smiled when he almost dropped it.

She sat down next to him. "It must be exciting to be in Starfleet."

"It is. My work is very interesting."

She turned so that her knee would brush against his. "You get to go to so many places. I've never even been off Earth."

"You should take a trip. If you want, I will help you find a good place to go."

"That would be fun." She put her hand on his knee, then slowly walked two fingers up his thigh. "Is Risa very far away?"

"It is very far." He bent close and nibbled on her neck. "But you would like it there. It is worth the trip."

"Mmmm." She put down her drink, then took his drink from him. "Maybe if you go sometime, you could bring something back for me."

"I would be very happy to do that."

Weaving her fingers through his hair, she said, "I want a robe made out of Risan silk, just like Nyota's."

She felt his hand slide up the back of her leg. "Can you describe it?" he asked.

"It was jet-black, very long and flowing." She untucked his shirt and whispered, "It had a white design on the front that looked like some sort of writing."

"I will ask Nyota to show it to me, and I will find you a robe just like that. Oh, Mary."

"Oh, Pavel..."

* * * * * * * *

Janice hopped out of the flitter before Hendrik had even brought it to a complete stop, and hurried down the sidewalk. It was too late to be messing with this! And to make it even worse, there were already two flitters parked in front of Nyota's house, so they'd had to park about half a block away. Janice recognized one of them as Nyota's, but no telling who the other one belonged to. Maybe it was a neighbor's. Anyway, she was already irritated with herself, and this just added to her irritation.

She stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets as she wobbled along in her impractical shoes. "I can't believe I left my gloves at Nyota's," she groused.

Hendrik trotted up behind her. "Why don't you just use my extra ones? She may have already gone to bed."

"I'm sure she hasn't yet. The party hasn't been over for twenty minutes, and besides, those are my best gloves. I'll need them tomorrow when we take Alison ice skating."

"Nyota was probably exhausted by the time everyone left. Twenty minutes is more than enough time to turn out the lights and go to bed."

"Okay, okay." Janice rounded the corner and started up Nyota's sidewalk. "I'll peek first to make sure she's still up."

She climbed the steps and peered through one of the narrow windows by the front door. "There she is," she whispered. "Spock's here, too. He's such a nice man. He stayed to help her clean up."

Hendrik crowded close to her shoulder, and she raised her hand to knock. She paused with her knuckles only centimeters from the door when she saw Spock look up at the mistletoe. She chuckled and nudged Hendrik in the ribs.

"Spock must have learned what the mistletoe is all about. Oh, look. How sweet! He's going to kiss her... OH MY GOD!" she hissed. "He's kissing her! HE'S KISSING HER! Oh my God oh my God oh my God!"

Grabbing Hendrik's arm, she turned him away from the window and dragged him back down the front steps before she exploded. Spock! Kissing Nyota! And that wasn't any chaste peck on the cheek, either. Spock had taken her in his arms and kissed her like he really meant it.

When they were far enough from the house to make noise, Janice started laughing. "If I hadn't seen it for myself, I wouldn't have believed it. I was expecting a token little kiss--I wasn't sure Spock even knew how to kiss--but damn! He definitely does. That was incredible!" She dropped her voice. "He even put his hand on her butt!"

Hendrik grinned. "Do you still want your gloves?"

"Heck, no! I wouldn't interrupt that for anything." She tucked her arm around his elbow as they headed back to the flitter. "That sneaky girl. She told me that she wasn't seeing anyone."

"It must be a secret. I would have never guessed from the way they acted at the party that they were having an affair."

She stopped in her tracks. "An affair. Now, that's even more mind-boggling." She started walking again. "But of course you're right. She used to flirt with him like crazy. I guess it finally paid off."

As she climbed back into the flitter, she thought about what she'd seen. Spock and Nyota had been great friends for a long, long time. When did they become more than friends? It couldn't have been too long ago, because Nyota had dated that guy from the Potemkin briefly, and there's no way she would have been carrying on with Spock while seeing someone else. For all Janice knew, Spock had romances like this all the time, but she really doubted it. This was probably a big deal for him, and Nyota would respect that.

Besides, she'd be nuts to even look at another man when she had someone like Spock putting her in a liplock like that. No wonder she was glowing.

Spock and Nyota. Wow.

As the flitter left San Francisco, her eye was caught by the cheeseball Nyota had foisted off on her when she left the party earlier. She picked it up and absently studied it, and she realized that it sure looked a lot like the one she had given Dr. McCoy yesterday. She smiled and shook her head before looking out at the brilliant, starry night.

End story