Fic : STXI : Time and Time Again (G)
Written for fifmeister 's prompt at Fuck You, She's Awesome: A Commentfic Meme
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek, and I gain nothing from this work but my own amusement and warm fuzzy feelings when other people enjoy it.
TIME AND TIME AGAIN
(A/N: I had to think for a while to come up with something for the prompt. Hope this fits!)
Nyota Uhura never really realized what she was doing to him, until the one time it mattered most.
It started innocently enough, as these things do. Her first paper for Interspecies Ethics came back with an 88%, and she was livid. But he was gone from the classroom before she could confront him, so in the 24 hours before his next office hours, she channeled her anger into an argument so reasonable and convincing that he couldn't possibly refuse her.
When she stepped confidently into his office, he looked up at her with the calmest expression she had ever seen.
"Cadet Uhura."
"Commander Spock. I was wondering if you could look at my paper again."
"Cadet, I do not make errors in my grading."
Her irritation flared. "Of course not, sir. But I would appreciate it if you would have another look."
She didn't understand the significance of his taking the PADD from her and promising to reread it. She didn't understand the significance when he returned it the next day with a grade of 88.5%, and a comment about her tenacity.
The second time was only a few weeks later, when she arrived during the last minutes of his office hours. Her request for a proofread of her paper was met with a cool stare and a level tone. "My instructions were explicit, Cadet. I doubt that my input at this time will be of any use to you."
"Please?" She set the PADD on his desk and dropped into the chair facing him. "I really want to do better this time."
"88.5 percent is a perfectly acceptable grade."
"Well, maybe acceptable isn't good enough for me. If I want to be on the Enterprise, I have to be the best."
With another long look, he agreed. When he gave it back to her the next day, his comments were meager, but she took them to heart and felt good when she turned it in on the due date. It came back with a 95% and a comment that simply said "Better than acceptable."
In the next three years, similar interactions happened more times than either could have kept track of, had they tried. She needed something, had great reasons and a solid argument. He always agreed, and as time went on, he seemed almost eager to give in.
"Uhura, Farragut."
Her eyes narrowed. This was not right. She spotted him quickly and tried not to stomp in anger as she went to him. This was probably the most important day of her entire career, and she was not going to let him screw it up for her.
"Commander, a word?"
"Yes, Lieutenant?" He turned and started walking away. She followed, almost jogging to keep up with his long strides.
"Was I not one of your top students?"
"Indeed you were."
"And did I not, on multiple occasions, demonstrate an exceptional aural sensitivity, and I quote, 'an unparalleled ability to identify sonic anomalies in subspace transmissions tests'?"
"Consistently, yes."
He stopped and faced her, and she wrapped up her argument with more than a little venom. "And while you are well aware that my unqualified desire is to serve on the USS Enterprise, I’m assigned to the Farragut?"
He shifted uneasily and glanced around. "It was an attempt to… avoid the appearance of favoritism."
It was now or never. She went for it. "No. I’m assigned to the Enterprise."
His dark eyes studied her for a long, tense moment before he looked down at his PADD. "Yes, I believe you are."
"Thank you."
As he turned and walked away, it hit her. This shouldn't have been that easy, but she knew it would work, she knew he would give in to her. Time and time again, she had implored him for some little favor, and he had never disappointed her.
Tenacity, indeed.
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek, and I gain nothing from this work but my own amusement and warm fuzzy feelings when other people enjoy it.
TIME AND TIME AGAIN
(A/N: I had to think for a while to come up with something for the prompt. Hope this fits!)
Nyota Uhura never really realized what she was doing to him, until the one time it mattered most.
It started innocently enough, as these things do. Her first paper for Interspecies Ethics came back with an 88%, and she was livid. But he was gone from the classroom before she could confront him, so in the 24 hours before his next office hours, she channeled her anger into an argument so reasonable and convincing that he couldn't possibly refuse her.
When she stepped confidently into his office, he looked up at her with the calmest expression she had ever seen.
"Cadet Uhura."
"Commander Spock. I was wondering if you could look at my paper again."
"Cadet, I do not make errors in my grading."
Her irritation flared. "Of course not, sir. But I would appreciate it if you would have another look."
She didn't understand the significance of his taking the PADD from her and promising to reread it. She didn't understand the significance when he returned it the next day with a grade of 88.5%, and a comment about her tenacity.
The second time was only a few weeks later, when she arrived during the last minutes of his office hours. Her request for a proofread of her paper was met with a cool stare and a level tone. "My instructions were explicit, Cadet. I doubt that my input at this time will be of any use to you."
"Please?" She set the PADD on his desk and dropped into the chair facing him. "I really want to do better this time."
"88.5 percent is a perfectly acceptable grade."
"Well, maybe acceptable isn't good enough for me. If I want to be on the Enterprise, I have to be the best."
With another long look, he agreed. When he gave it back to her the next day, his comments were meager, but she took them to heart and felt good when she turned it in on the due date. It came back with a 95% and a comment that simply said "Better than acceptable."
In the next three years, similar interactions happened more times than either could have kept track of, had they tried. She needed something, had great reasons and a solid argument. He always agreed, and as time went on, he seemed almost eager to give in.
"Uhura, Farragut."
Her eyes narrowed. This was not right. She spotted him quickly and tried not to stomp in anger as she went to him. This was probably the most important day of her entire career, and she was not going to let him screw it up for her.
"Commander, a word?"
"Yes, Lieutenant?" He turned and started walking away. She followed, almost jogging to keep up with his long strides.
"Was I not one of your top students?"
"Indeed you were."
"And did I not, on multiple occasions, demonstrate an exceptional aural sensitivity, and I quote, 'an unparalleled ability to identify sonic anomalies in subspace transmissions tests'?"
"Consistently, yes."
He stopped and faced her, and she wrapped up her argument with more than a little venom. "And while you are well aware that my unqualified desire is to serve on the USS Enterprise, I’m assigned to the Farragut?"
He shifted uneasily and glanced around. "It was an attempt to… avoid the appearance of favoritism."
It was now or never. She went for it. "No. I’m assigned to the Enterprise."
His dark eyes studied her for a long, tense moment before he looked down at his PADD. "Yes, I believe you are."
"Thank you."
As he turned and walked away, it hit her. This shouldn't have been that easy, but she knew it would work, she knew he would give in to her. Time and time again, she had implored him for some little favor, and he had never disappointed her.
Tenacity, indeed.