A/N: This is the sequel to Silence in the Dark...if you haven't read that, this will make absolutely no sense to you. I've decided to make this a mini multi-chaptered fic. I don't know yet how many chapters it will be, but it probably won't be too long, and the chapters themselves will be shorter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek. Really. I'm not joking.

Essential-Chapter 1: Motives

The room was silent as Spock contemplated his next move.

He had been surprised to find that Jim Kirk was an exceptional 3D-chess player...for a human, anyway. He was the sole being on the Enterprise who could challenge Spock and have the slightest chance of winning.

Kirk had unexpectedly invited himself over to Spock's quarters half an hour ago. Although well aware that humans were illogical and therefore acted on illogical impulses, Spock knew he had an ulterior motive that had nothing to do with chess. He had decided that he would comply with Kirk's wishes for a chess match and patiently wait for whatever his captain really had in mind.

Spock had just moved his bishop up a level and Kirk was countering his move when he spoke for the first time since the game started.

"Have you visited Lieutenant Uhura yet?" Kirk asked, his eyebrows furrowed. His eyes did not move from the chess board as he moved a knight. Ahh...so this was his motive, Spock thought.

Spock did not reply. He placed his elbows on the table, his fingers interlaced with the pointer fingers pressed against his lips. His eyebrows drew together slightly. His eyes also did not move from the chess board.

"Bones told me she was released yesterday. She's confined to her quarters for the next three weeks." Kirk continued. His eyes darted up to Spock, registering the blank expression on his face and the way he would not meet his gaze, before looking back at the board. "She's recovering well, apparently."

Again, Spock did not reply. He was again countering one of Kirk's moves with one of his own. Kirk knew he was going to be reluctant to talk about Uhura.

"Well, have you seen her at all?" Kirk pressed, starting to become impatient. Spock finally looked up at him.

"I would prefer not to discuss private matters...as I am sure you are attempting to coerce me into doing, Captain." Spock replied.

"It's a simple yes or no question, Spock." Kirk sighed. "And I thought we've been over this? When off-duty, I would prefer that you call me Jim."

"Jim." Spock said, with just a touch of coolness in his tone. "I do not comprehend why you are interested in knowing whether or not I have seen Lieutenant Uhura since the incident on Scorpius Three."

"Because she made it plain to me that she wanted to see you while she was in sickbay." Kirk retorted. He didn't usually use this tone with Spock, but at the moment, even he was a little disgusted with him.

"If it would set you at ease, Captain." Spock replied slowly, his gaze wandering back to the chess board. "I saw Lieutenant Uhura yesterday, as soon as she was discharged."

"Even though I told you repeatedly that she wanted to see you before that, while laying in a biobed and in pain?" Kirk asked, his tone almost condescending.

"It would not have sped up her recovery if I did visit her." Spock replied. "And I believe it is your turn, Captain."

This time, Kirk made no comment about Spock calling him 'captain'. He knew it was Spock's way of informing him politely that he thought Kirk was prying into his private affairs. But Kirk didn't give in that easily. He made a hasty move with his rook and returned to their 'conversation'.

"It doesn't matter whether or not it would speed up her recovery. Judging by her injuries, she went through quite an ordeal down there on that planet. She needed you for moral support, to know that you cared about her. Damn it, Spock! How can you not understand that after spending the last several years among humans? When a human- especially a woman- is in pain, they need someone to be there for them!"

Spock was again staring at the board, his pointer fingers still pressed against his lips. He had heard this already, of course- from Nyota herself.

"If someone were to see me visiting Lieutenant Uhura in the medical bay, they would be able to deduce the state of our relationship. While our relationship is not, in itself, against Starfleet regulations, it is the reactions of the crewmembers I am concerned with. I suppose you have heard about Captain Jennison and Ensign O'Hara?"

"Yes, but this is different! No one on the Enterprise would do that!"

"You cannot possibly be able to speak for all members of the crew, Captain." Spock replied. He moved his queen as he spoke. "Allow me to refresh your memory. Captain Jennison of the U.S.S. Freedom pursued a romantic relationship with Ensign O'Hara. Their relationship was public knowledge, and everyone aboard the starship was aware of it. Three months passed without incident, until members of the ship's crew began to claim that Captain Jennison was showing Ensign O'Hara favoritism. From the slight changes in her schedule to delegation of duties, it was believed that he made these changes because she asked him to while in the privacy of their quarters. Starfleet Command investigated the matter, and refused to accept that the changes were not motivated by favoritism, but rather because Miss O'Hara's expertise was needed in other areas at different times. They were court-martialed and demoted.

"It was later revealed that the crew members who reported the 'favoritism' had conspired together for that purpose. It was never revealed why they should wish to separate Jennison and O'Hara, but one of the conspirators stepped forward and confessed. He even had evidence by way of a recorded conversation to prove it."

"What's your point, Spock?"

"This is an example of why I would like to keep my relationship with Lieutenant Uhura private, Jim. If it were widely known throughout the ship that we are not merely Commander and subordinate, others may see it as an opportunity to create trouble for myself and Nyota. Any professional decisions I make regarding the Lieutenant may be wrongly interpreted or accused as a sign of favoritism, even if it is not. Nyota and I have agreed on this, after the Jennison debacle. We made this decision to preserve both of our careers, and also our relationship."

Kirk didn't point out that Spock had slipped and called her Nyota. He found it strangely endearing.

"Spock, I still don't see why you didn't go see her. You have no idea how disappointed and angry she was when I spoke to her about you. She's your girlfriend for God's sake! You're supposed to be there to comfort her at times like these! Favoritism and false accusations be damned! Your reasons for keeping your relationship a secret are weak, and you know it! You should have thrown all that out the window as soon as she got back from whatever the hell happened to her! You should have gone to her!"

"Captain." Spock said, his voice even, but quieter than usual. "It was necessary to stay away."

Kirk scoffed and stood, not caring that their game was not even over yet. Both of them had forgotten about it, anyway. "Necessary? Maybe you think so. But imagine how hard it was for Uhura...everything she went through, and maybe she thought about you a lot during it. She almost died in medical. Then she woke up with only Bones for company...how do you think she felt about that? Bones told me that the first thing she did was ask about you. She was obviously worried about you. And even though I know different, I'm sure she thinks that maybe you weren't worried about her. It wouldn't have hurt for you to take that tiny risk and go see her when she needed you most."

He was pacing back and forth, his eyes on Spock, who would not look up from the hands holded on the table before him. It frustrated him that there was no way for him to know if Spock was listening to his words and actually considering them. He sighed.

"I know it's none of my business. I'm prying. But really...you can't have actually thought it would be good for her not to see you?"

Spock finally met his gaze. His face- and even his eyes, which usually did show a hint at what he was feeling- was carefully blank.

"Perhaps my reasoning was not quite so selfless." He said slowly, as if weighing each word. Kirk stared at him, beginning to comprehend.

"Well...just don't hurt her anymore, okay? I need her fully focused when she reports back to the bridge in three weeks."

Spock's eyebrows slowly drew together. "Captain, it is not- and never has been- my intention to hurt Lieutenant Uhura."

"Well, if you ask me, she's plenty hurt. Try to make it up to her." Kirk said. He glanced around at the digital clock over the door. "It's time for me to report to the bridge. I'll see you later, Spock."

He turned and left the room. Spock turned back to the abandoned chess board and began to reset the pieces.

He was unsure how he felt about his captain's interference in his private affairs. On the one hand...he appreciated Kirk's seemingly thorough knowledge of what humans may require in times of need, something which Spock was still struggling with. Yet, a part of him was fuming. Kirk claimed that he and Spock had been friends in the alternate timeline, and since the events that centered around Nero, he had been attempting to establish a friendship. While they did seem to get along well, Spock did not believe that they were friends enough for Kirk to tell him what he did wrong in his romantic relationship. They were not friends enough for Kirk to give him advice and berate him for his errors- beyond his professional duties, of course.

Spock steepled his fingers once more and stared at the chess board unseeingly. Yet, Kirk did have a point...Spock's decision not to visit Nyota in sickbay had not been beneficial to her. It was decidedly selfish...and despite what Kirk thought, it had been necessary to stay away...

Spock closed his eyes, thinking back to five days, eight hours, and twelve minutes ago...

A/N: I MAY decide to make this fic longer...I guess it depends on reviews! So, if you want me to write a full-length fic, you'd better let me know!

The next chapter will be longer (to make up for the shortness of this one), and will mostly be flashbacks exploring Spock's thoughts and feelings while Nyota was missing in Silence in the Dark. This chapter was written mainly to introduce Kirk's stance on the subject, and also to clarify just why Spock's and Nyota's relationship is secret. I know, the reasoning was weak...so in other words, SPOCK'S reasoning was weak. The secrecy will be addressed in later chapters.

Also...my original intent was to have this be entirely from Spock's POV, but I will occasionally venture into Nyota's because I feel that there are still some points that need to be addressed by her, not Spock.

Please review, it motivates me to write faster and really lifts my mood!