Then BLTS Archive- Love is the Message by T'Maia (T_Maia@altavista.com) --- "Hello Nyota." "Happy birthday to you, Lt. Uhura." "Nice party, Uhura." My smile is almost stuck on my face. I am so happy! Tomorrow I will have sore cheeks, but I don't care. Scotty really has outdone himself in organizing this party. All of my friends are here, and I feel like I'm in heaven. "Oh, there you are," I hear Hikaru's voice. "Happy Birthday to you." He is almost completely hidden behind a huge bunch of gorgeous flowers. "Oh, let me take them." Quickly I relieve him of his burden. Their sweet fragrance and their beautiful colors make them a treasure. Having friends in the botany section obviously has its advantages. "Thank you, Hikaru. You couldn't have found a better present. I would love to hug you now, but..." I hear Christine laughing gently behind my back. "Come, let me rescue you." She has managed to find a bucket somewhere, and I gladly put the flowers inside. Beautiful as they are, I rather be able to watch my friends *and* see and smell the flowers. Christine carries the bucket into a corner, and I quickly hug Hikaru and thank him again. Releasing him, I let my eyes wander around. There are almost a hundred people in the room, and everybody is enjoying themselves. "Lieutenant Uhura?" Spock addresses me from behind. I turn and greet him with a smile. "Hello Mr. Spock." "I would like to wish you a *Happy Birthday*." "Thank you, Mr. Spock." "I have this gift for you. I hope it is a sufficient replacement for the one you lost a while ago." He hands me a flat and square black box. Opening it I find a delicate golden necklace with a gemstone shaped like a tear resting on red velvet. Its beauty is only enhanced by its simplicity. How sweet of him! "Oh, this is wonderful." Suddenly the devil is riding me, and I stand up on my tiptoes and quickly place a kiss on his left cheek. Seeing Christine's expression, I immediately regret my action. Several other crew members have seen it too, and I blush. "Sorry, Mr. Spock. I don't not know what has gotten into me." His face impassive, he nods solemnly. "Christine, can you help me put it on?" I ask her, and her smile returns to her face. She takes it and places it around my neck. Although not even the most precious jewelry in the world will be able to replace the gold-chain and gemstone Jim gave me as an engagement present a long time ago, it is very nice of Spock to think of the fact that I lost it. "Thanks for remembering." "You are welcome, Miss Uhura", Spock replies. Suddenly the door swooshes open and Jim and Leonard enter. "Please excuse me", I say, and hurry over to them. "Hello Captain Kirk. Dr. McCoy." "Happy Birthday Lt. Uhura." The Captain's smile is even more charming than usual. Being a southern gentleman Leonard takes a bow and places a kiss on my hand. "Happy Birthday, Miss Uhura." "Thank you both." Leonard nudges Jim a little. "You go first." "Here. Open it." Jim hands me a small package wrapped in a stylish traditional Korean gift cloth. Curious, I peel away the silken pojagi. It's a book, a real novel printed on paper. Hmm, Victoria Holt. A love story. "Beware of people bearing gifts. Sometimes the gift says more about the donor than people care to think of," McCoy comments, obviously having seen the title. Jim's eyes and mine connect for a second before he turns to Leonard. Our mission ends in about 4 months, and we will both be serving in Starfleet headquarters then. Maybe he wants to revive our former relationship as lovers... "Thank you, Captain." In times like these I wish I still had the privilege to call him Jim. But we both had agreed to stick to "Captain Kirk and Lt. Uhura" ever since he took command. "Bones, I assure you," I hear Jim address the good doctor, "I had no such thing on my mind when I chose my present. In case you forgot, it's perfume that's considered to be the most intimate gift. That is because like jewelry it is worn close to the body thus signaling that the donor wants to be as close to the recipient as the gift." "Well, you know, I am a doctor, not a psychiatrist", McCoy mutters, somewhat embarrassed. "So what do *you* have, Bones?" Jim pries. Leonard mumbles something under his breath, blushing visibly. He pulls out a small package about the size of a man's palm. "I asked Christine to help me with a present for you, and that's what she suggested." he apologizes. I open it and almost laugh. It's a set of pretty hair clips. "Thank you very much, Leonard. But you don't need to be embarrassed. I guess I know you." "Yes, who would not want to be close to our beautiful communications officer." Typical for Jim. Always the charmer. Then I see Scotty waving in my direction. "Please excuse me," I tell them. As I leave, I see Commander Spock joining them. I am even able to hear Jim asking Spock what kind of present he gave me, but then the noise drowns out he rest. Later that evening I catch myself thinking about what Leonard and Jim had said about gifts and hidden messages. No one has given me anything more romantic than Jim. It's probably complete nonsense. I toy with my new necklace and let my mind wander. The stone glitters and one of the sparks catches Jim's eye. He turns his head and stares at me for a long time, deep in thought. Well, maybe it's not nonsense. Maybe Jim and I will become lovers again. He can't be just admiring my necklace when he looks at me ... --- The End