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I woke up the next morning, and fell out of bed.  No matter, I was too excited about my plans for the evening.  I decided to get some exercising done on the holodeck.  Once I had finished, I resumed my duties on the bridge.  It was quite uneventful, as the Captain spent most of the day in her ready room, talking on the sub-space frequency.  No doubt she was discussing her espionage mission with some Vice-Admiral back on Earth.  When the evening finally rolled around, I walked briskly back to my quarters and showered.  I looked through the ship's computer, and had it replicate a red cocktail dress in my size.  While it was busy, I showered and put on some makeup.  When I had changed into my dress, it was 18:45.  As I strode through the halls, several of the men whistled at me.  I didn't care; quite the contrary, I liked the attention, especially the feeling of power I had over them, knowing that they wouldn't be getting any action from me.

I rang the buzzer on the Captain's door.  "Who is it?"  Her voice came over, and I suddenly felt weaker.

I cleared my throat.  "It's Ens…er, Brenda."

"Enter."  The door hissed open, and I stepped inside.  Her quarters were about three times the size of mine.  I felt no need for complaint, though; she'd worked hard to get where she was.  "That dress suits you very well."

I looked at the Captain.  She was wearing a dress uniform that was usually reserved for such occasions as meeting ambassadors from civilizations that were applying for admission to the Federation.  "And your uniform looks really hot on you," I returned the compliment.

She raised an eyebrow.  "No, it's quite comfortable.  It regulates my body temperature quite well."

I laughed.  "What humans mean when they say that someone looks 'hot' is that they look sexually appealing."

"I see.  So, you desire me for sexual purposes?"

She had set the table up with a white table cloth on top.  I walked in the direction of her replicator.  "Well, yes, but not just for that.  I'm also interested in companionship."  I turned to the computer.  "Computer, replicate dinner for two.  Make one a ribeye steak cooked medium rare with a side of garlic bread.  For the other entrée, make a hot lasagna Italiano with a side of garlic bread as well."

"Please specify drinks."  The computer said.

"Spiced apple cider for both, twenty-five degrees Celsius."

The dishes appeared on trays in the replicator space.  "Which one would you like?" I asked the Captain.

"The lasagna," she said.  "It looks more intriguing."  I handed her the tray and grabbed my own.  No sooner had we sat down at the table than she had a question for me.  "I was wondering, Brenda,"

"Yes?"

"From what I have observed amongst humans aboard the Yamato, it's males who seek out females for sexual activity.  Is it common for females to seek out other females?"

"Well," I said somewhat nervously, "Most women usually do go for men, but it's common for humans to be attracted to both sexes.  I have been in a relationship with a man."

"What was he like?"

I took a bite of my steak, and swallowed.  "Back when it happened, I was sixteen years old, and rather insecure about myself.  One day, while I was waiting at a transit station, a rather handsome man came up to me.  I felt myself drawn to him, and we talked for a while.  I was having troubles with my parents, which was quite common for children my age, and he listened to me complain.  Then, he invited me to have dinner with him.  I agreed, and we went to a small family restaurant.  I agreed to see him again, but the second time, he took me to a hotel, which was a clear indication that he wanted sex with me.  This didn't really bother me because, well, I wanted sex, too.  But from then on, every time he took me out, we hardly talked at all.  He just took me to a hotel every night.  The fifth time he took me out, I noticed a circular indentation in his wallet.  It was from his wedding ring.  Even though I knew he was married, I kept seeing him.  I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't stop.  We finally broke up when his wife caught us.  She stabbed me right in the chest, as if I was the one responsible.  If we hadn't been walking by a hospital when she showed up, I probably would have died."  I pulled away part of my dress and lifted my breast up, showing her the scar from the incident.  "The blade missed my heart by half a centimeter. I recovered just fine, but ever since, I've had a difficult time trusting men "

T'Janikrel took a deep breath.  "I can certainly understand why.  Amongst Vulcans, while plenty of us are attracted to both sexes, we only act upon our attraction to the opposite sex, because we know that the purpose of copulation is to reproduce, and that can only be done with a male and a female.  To seek out someone of the same sex is, to us…illogical."

I downed some of my cider.  "Then why did you ask for a second date?"

She cut off a piece of her lasagna, speared it on her fork, and twirled it in the air.  "I've been rather ambivalent towards my people's culture as of late.  The main reason I agreed to socialize with you on such an…intimate level is because I want to experience human culture as much as possible."  She put the lasagna in her mouth, savoring it.

I smiled.  "No offense, but if you don't have emotions, you can't fully experience being a human."

She sighed.  "The truth is, while many Vulcans claim that we have no emotions, we're really just in denial.  In reality, Vulcan emotions are even stronger than human emotions.  We've just taught ourselves to repress them, as our capability of extreme anger has caused many wars amongst our people."

"I see."

"So…you said my dish is Italian, correct?"

I nodded.  "Everything except the drink.  The drink, I believe, is German.  The interesting thing about Italian food is that three of its primary ingredients-wine, pasta and tomatoes-are not indigenous to Italy."  I punched up a holographic image of Earth, and pointed to the different areas as I spoke.  "Wine comes from Greece.  Pasta comes from China.  Tomatoes come from the New World."

"And where is your home country-America, I think you said it was?"

"It's in the New World."  I pointed to it.  "And even America had its subcultures.  I'm from the northeastern part of America, which is sometimes referred to as 'New England'.  My ancestors were from England, but they left for America.  After they and some of their descendants had been there for awhile, the English King was over-taxing them, so they declared themselves an independent nation and they were recognized as such after they won a war for independence.  When they had settled, there were already people inhabiting the land.  So, America is a country made up almost entirely of immigrants and their descendants."  T'Janikrel seemed to be deep in thought.  "Am I boring you?"  I asked, feeling a little worried.

"Not at all," she said.  "What you've been telling me explains a lot of phenomena in the history of Human-Vulcan relations.  It explains why my people landed in your country, why your country encouraged the rest of the planet to stop its warring, and why it was representatives from your country who proposed the creation of the United Federation of Planets.  Now, I'm not at all surprised that the capital of the Federation is on Earth."  She polished off her lasagna before speaking again.  "So, tell me, Brenda.  Why is it that humans crave emotions so much?"

I took a sip of cider.  "Several centuries ago on Earth, when our science of the mind, or psychology, was in its middle stages of development and we were just beginning to understand the chemical and biological effects of different medications, it was quite common for human parents, unable to find their own answers, to give their children drugs in hopes that it would solve common problems, such as inattentiveness in school, or hyperactivity.  The most popular drug was one called 'Ritalin'.  It managed to calm children down, but it also killed emotions.  Children who took Ritalin were studious and attentive, but they had very low creativity.  It was abandoned after about fifty years.  Users often said that they felt as though they were dead inside.  Not surprisingly, a few years after Ritalin was banned, there was a tremendous blossoming of culture."

"So you need emotions to create art.  Fascinating.  I guess that's why I find my own people's art to be so dull and plain."  As she looked at me, I noticed her subconsciously stroking the stem of her glass with her pinky.  We soon finished our meals.  T'Janikrel stood.  "The food was appetizing.  Are you pressed for time at all?"

"No.  Why?"

She moved over to a couch in the corner, and sat on it.  "I wish to experience what humans call 'sex'.  I won't call it 'mating' since we, as two females, cannot produce a child."

I stood and smiled.  "You're pretty fast, T'Janikrel."

"Do you not want to demonstrate sex to me?  I remember you saying that you found me desirable."

"I do," I said, blushing.  "It's just…this pacing's rather rushed."

"I see.  So how do humans normally proceed?"

"Computer," I said, "Dim the lights to 20% current brightness.  Play some music.  Something…soft."  The lights went down and the music started.  I sat next to the Captain.  "First, we set the mood."  I put my hand on hers and looked into her eyes.  "Then, we do this."  I leaned in and kissed her.  She seemed a bit surprised, but soon loosened up.  I moved my hand and put an arm around her shoulders.  She did the same, leaning in to kiss me.  Her kiss was warm, but it felt rather mechanical.  I remedied that by putting my hand on her cheek, hoping she would feel the tenderness of the moment.  It worked well enough, and I felt her fingers lightly caressing my back.  I took my hand down from her cheek, and grabbed her legs, pulling them over my lap.  Her hand on my back felt heavier, and I could feel her fingers moving around, brushing on the side of one of my breasts.  Since she seemed to be in the proper mood, I started unbuttoning her uniform.

"Vulcans usually don't undress for this," she said.

"But humans do," I told her.  "It makes the experience more exciting."  I pulled down her uniform and slid it off her body, leaving her completely naked in my lap.

Without further ado, the Captain unzipped my dress and pulled it off my shoulders.  She put her thumb on my scar.  "It's beautiful."

I set the Captain on her couch and stood up, letting my dress fall onto the floor.  I crouched over the Captain on the couch and kissed her, our bare breasts pressing together.  She put her hands on my rear and squeezed, which surprised me.  I broke the kiss, but moved my lips down to her breasts.  She moaned and stroked my hair.  "I never knew…they were that sensitive," she said.

"Sorry," I said, moving further down my body, "but I won't be able to carry on a conversation for the next few minutes, as I'll have my mouth full."

"Do you mean…"  Her sentence was cut off as I put my mouth right where she was expecting, although it still seemed to surprise her.  It had a copper-like taste, which wasn't especially exciting, but also wasn't unpleasant.  After about a minute, I noticed myself getting wet.  I also felt the same sensation that I imagined the Captain was feeling.  My pleasure intensified as I applied suction to her; just to be sure my hypothesis was correct, I stuck my tongue inside of her, and sure enough, I felt as though I, too, was being penetrated.  Another three minutes, and we both climaxed.  The Captain's thighs trembled as she breathed heavily.  She gave an unmistakable smile.  I climbed onto her, and she craned her head up, kissing me between my breasts and on my scar.  "I now see why humans enjoy the by-products of emotion so much."

I ran my finger along the back of her ear, feeling the pointed tip.  Like an elf, only real,, I thought.  "I didn't know Vulcans had that ability during intercourse."

The Captain raised an eyebrow.  "What ability?"

"You didn't know?  The ability to transfer what you were feeling to me."

"I didn't attempt such a thing.  None of the three males I mated with during different Pon Farrs reported such a sensation."  She appeared to be thinking.  "Perhaps it is because your brain is more structurally similar to mine than mine is to that of a Vulcan male."

"It is?"

"I don't know for certain, Brenda," she clarified.  "I'm just hypothesizing."

"Still, it doesn't matter," I said, kissing her on the forehead, "We've discovered something new about Vulcan females."

"If I told my people about it," she said, "I'm sure they would censor me.  They don't want to encourage sexual activity that does not promote reproduction."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be," she smiled again.  "You've helped me to discover one of the pleasures of being human.  And it has given me an idea."  She sat up.  "I should have done this earlier today."

"Done what, T'Janikrel?"

She stood and walked to a corner in the dining area, where she opened a box on a table and took something out of it.  She came back over and handed the small object to me.  It was a black button with a gold outline and a fastener on the back.  "Ensign Brenda Holtz, by the power vested in me as Captain of this vessel, I hereby promote you to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade, a promotion I believe overdue."

I was flabbergasted.  "Captain, are you sure I…"

"Yes," she said, putting a warm hand on my back, "You deserve this."

I wrapped my arms around her.  "Thank you, T'Janikrel."

"I would like to be getting to sleep now, if you don't object."

"Of course not," I said, picking up my dress.  "I'll go back to my quarters now."

"Is that what humans usually do after activity like ours?"  She asked.

"Not usually," I said, "They usually sleep together."

"Then join me in my bed," she instructed.

I decided to play a game with her.  "I think I really should go back.  Just to allay suspicion."

She walked over to me.  "I don't think you heard me clearly, Brenda.  I order you to join me in bed," she said in a firm voice, grabbing my butt and squeezing.

That's more like it.  I smiled.  "Yes, O Captain, my Captain.  But only if you will carry me there."

Without another word, she scooped me up in her arms as easily as if I weighed twenty pounds, and carried me over to her bed.  She climbed in after me and pulled the sheets up.  "What do humans usually do in bed?"

"The same things we just did on the couch.  We also hold one another."

"How so?"

"Roll over," I instructed.  She faced away from me and I put one arm over her shoulder, grasping her right breast, and the other around her waist as I took the tip of her ear into my mouth.  I lightly sucked on it-something I'd been anxious to try all evening.

The Captain put her hand on the one I had around her waist.  "Computer, deactivate lights."  The room went dark and I fell asleep.

***

I awoke the next morning, but I was alone in bed.  I sat up and looked around, but the Captain was nowhere in sight.  "T'Janikrel?"  I called.  "Where are you?"

The computer spoke.  "Captain T'Janikrel is on the Bridge.  She left a message for you.  Would you like to hear it?"

I climbed out of the bed and started slipping my dress back on.  "Yes, please."

The message played in the Captain's voice.  "I'm sorry I left without you, Brenda, but I had duties to attend to, and I didn't wish to disturb your sleep.  I enjoyed what happened between us last night, and I wish to maintain a relationship of that nature with you.  I will be attending your cooking class at 1500 hours, where I hope you will be every bit as informative with the other officers as you were with me."

I picked up my watch, and discovered that I'd overslept.  It was already noon.  I picked up my uniform's rank indicator and my communicator and left, walking briskly through the hall to the turbolift, which unfortunately wasn't empty.  The ship's counselor, a man named Argos, was waiting there, and he looked over me.  "In a hurry, Ensign?"  He asked.

"Lieutenant," I corrected him.  "And yes, I am in a hurry."  It was only then that I considered what state I must have been in.  My makeup was probably smeared, and my hair was definitely disheveled.  Argos would doubtlessly notice both of those things, and, trained as he was to read other people, he would probably decipher them.

"How was your evening?"  He asked, a thinly-disguised tone of amusement in his voice.

"It was quite enjoyable, thank you."

"Tell me what made it so enjoyable," he said.

"I spent it with the Captain, and she promoted me."  I answered, trying to be vague.

"I discerned that much.  Tell me more."

"I'd rather keep it a secret."

He smiled.  "So, how is she?"

I turned my head away, a bit ashamed.  He'd figured it out.  "You may not be a Betazoid, but your powers of observation serve you well."

He snapped his fingers.  "Dammit.  You beat me to the punch.  Don't worry, I won't tell anybody."

The turbolift miraculously stopped, and he stepped out.  "Talk to you later, Argos."  I didn't want to continue the conversation considering which way it was going.  True, he was the ship's counselor, but at that moment, he was off the clock, and he could say whatever he wanted.  I shouldn't have been surprised that a man would say such things.  When I finally arrived at my quarters, I hurriedly changed into my uniform, gathered the supplies I'd need, and ran straight to Holodeck three.  "Computer, run Holtz Educational Program 1."

A few seconds of waiting, then the computer announced "Program is complete.  Enter when ready."  I walked inside, donned my chef's hat and apron, and got to work making the example dish for that day's lesson.  The replicator had finished synthesizing all the necessary ingredients when my students began filing in.  The holodeck resembled a well-equipped kitchen with several high stools around the stove, where they sat.  I usually had around six students.

"Welcome back," I said, once everybody I was expecting showed up.  "I see that we are privileged to have the Captain with us today.  Welcome, sir."

"Thank you," she said.

"Anyway, today I will be showing you how to make my favorite recipe for baked ziti.  This dish contains ziti, tomato sauce, beef, pork, white wine, and two types of cheese.  As usual, if you have questions at any point, feel free to ask me."  One of them already had a question.  "Yes, Lieutenant Warner?"

"What kind of tomato sauce should we use?"

"For this, I go with Marinara.  A good rule of thumb to follow is to use thinner sauces for dishes in which the sauce is not a topping, but rather an integral part of the dish."

"So," he continued, "What you're saying is applicable to dishes such as lasagna and pizza?"

"Yes.  You seem to get the general idea.  So, the first thing to do is to cook the pasta until it's tender."  I pulled out a bowl full of boiled ziti.  "In the interest of time, I have prepared it beforehand.  But while you're waiting, you should prepare the meat in a frying pan.  There's no need to grease the pan, as the pork should provide all the grease you'll need.  Put it on medium heat, and as it cooks, keep breaking it up with a spatula."  I demonstrated.  "Even if you're sure it's safe, you should still cook pork thoroughly.  The trichinella worm has not been completely eradicated, and you can never be too careful."  The Captain raised her hand.  "Yes, sir?" I continued my demonstration.

"What is trichinella?"

I felt uneasy giving an explanation while cooking.  "It's an Earth parasite that infested a number of animals, in particular bears and pigs.  The only way to ensure that its eggs do not infest the meat humans eat is to cook it thoroughly."

"I see," she said.  "We Vulcans have had similar problems, but we discovered them much earlier, and decided to stop eating meat altogether."

"That's interesting."  At this point, the meat was fully cooked.  "Now, we add the sauce.  It should be of a slightly higher net weight than the cooked pasta.  At the same time," I uncorked one of the bottles that I'd brought from Earth, "You'll be adding the wine.  It's not essential, but it works wonders for the flavor.  Now, you combine these all in the pot, and add some oregano.  While it's heating up, you prepare a baking pan for it, but at the same time, be careful not to let the sauce burn.  Coating the sides of the pan with unsalted butter is usually the best.  Put the pasta into the baking pan."  I poured it in, and checked on my sauce.  "Now, you'll want to use a potholder to move the frying pan, as it will be quite heavy."  I grunted, and poured the sauce over the ziti.  "In this step, make sure you pour it evenly over the pasta, and coat every single piece.  Then, we sprinkle ground Parmesan cheese over the top and put it into the oven at 190 degrees Celsius.  After thirty minutes, cover the top in mozzarella, and let it bake for another ten minutes.  When it's done," Here I pulled out the completed dish, "It should look like this.  There's enough for each of you to sample some."

They each grabbed a plate and dished up what they wanted.  The Captain's serving was rather small, but I'd never thought of Vulcans as having large appetites.  Her eyes opened wide.  "This is a rather wide variety of flavors to experience at once."

"Do you like it, Captain?"

"Yes," she nodded.  "As I've explained before, Vulcan cuisine is rather bland.  It interests me to see what humans do with food."

I smiled.  "Before he started his business, my father did the cooking for my family.  He considered it to be an art form, much like painting, sculpting, or poetry.  I had plenty of fun helping him in the kitchen when I was a child."

Lieutenant Warner spoke.  "The wine really helps the flavor in this.  Personally, I'd consider it essential to the recipe."

I shrugged.  "If that's the way you wish to do it, go ahead."  I cleared my throat to address the other students.  "The next class will be held in three days, at the same hour.  For that class, we will be concocting our own recipe, so be sure to bring some suggestions.  Thank you all for coming."

All of the students filed out except for the Captain.  She smiled, and kissed me on the cheek.  "Do you have any free time later tonight, Brenda?"

I decided to tease her a little.  "You're becoming a human, T'Janikrel."

"I had plenty of assistance from you.  Still, I am putting in some effort to keep my emotions in check."  She set her plate down.  "I have decided only to show them in your presence, since I still have an image to maintain."

I put an arm around her waist.  "Yes, you may stop by my quarters tonight.  I've just got some reading to do on warp coils.  It shouldn't take me too long."

"I'll be there," She pulled me in and embraced me.  "See you then."

I watched her as she walked out.  She seemed to be anxious to try something.  I was just as anxious to find out what it was.

Description
I woke up the next morning, and fell out of bed.  No matter, I was too excited about my plans for the evening.  I decided to get some exercising done on the holodeck.  Once I had finished, I resumed my duties on the bridge.  It was quite uneventful, as the Captain spent most of the day in her ready room, talking on the sub-space frequency.  No doubt she was discussing her espionage mission with some Vice-Admiral back on Earth.  When the evening finally rolled around, I walked briskly back to my quarters and showered.  I looked through the ship's computer, and had it replicate a red cocktail dress in my size.  While it was busy, I showered and put on some makeup.  When I had changed into my dress, it was 18:45.  As I strode through the halls, several of the men whistled at me.  I didn't care; quite the contrary, I liked the attention, especially the feeling of power I had over them, knowing that they wouldn't be getting any action from me.

I rang the buzzer on the Captain's door.  "Who is it?"  Her voice came over, and I suddenly felt weaker.

I cleared my throat.  "It's Ens…er, Brenda."

"Enter."  The door hissed open, and I stepped inside.  Her quarters were about three times the size of mine.  I felt no need for complaint, though; she'd worked hard to get where she was.  "That dress suits you very well."

I looked at the Captain.  She was wearing a dress uniform that was usually reserved for such occasions as meeting ambassadors from civilizations that were applying for admission to the Federation.  "And your uniform looks really hot on you," I returned the compliment.

She raised an eyebrow.  "No, it's quite comfortable.  It regulates my body temperature quite well."

I laughed.  "What humans mean when they say that someone looks 'hot' is that they look sexually appealing."

"I see.  So, you desire me for sexual purposes?"

She had set the table up with a white table cloth on top.  I walked in the direction of her replicator.  "Well, yes, but not just for that.  I'm also interested in companionship."  I turned to the computer.  "Computer, replicate dinner for two.  Make one a ribeye steak cooked medium rare with a side of garlic bread.  For the other entrée, make a hot lasagna Italiano with a side of garlic bread as well."

"Please specify drinks."  The computer said.

"Spiced apple cider for both, twenty-five degrees Celsius."

The dishes appeared on trays in the replicator space.  "Which one would you like?" I asked the Captain.

"The lasagna," she said.  "It looks more intriguing."  I handed her the tray and grabbed my own.  No sooner had we sat down at the table than she had a question for me.  "I was wondering, Brenda,"

"Yes?"

"From what I have observed amongst humans aboard the Yamato, it's males who seek out females for sexual activity.  Is it common for females to seek out other females?"

"Well," I said somewhat nervously, "Most women usually do go for men, but it's common for humans to be attracted to both sexes.  I have been in a relationship with a man."

"What was he like?"

I took a bite of my steak, and swallowed.  "Back when it happened, I was sixteen years old, and rather insecure about myself.  One day, while I was waiting at a transit station, a rather handsome man came up to me.  I felt myself drawn to him, and we talked for a while.  I was having troubles with my parents, which was quite common for children my age, and he listened to me complain.  Then, he invited me to have dinner with him.  I agreed, and we went to a small family restaurant.  I agreed to see him again, but the second time, he took me to a hotel, which was a clear indication that he wanted sex with me.  This didn't really bother me because, well, I wanted sex, too.  But from then on, every time he took me out, we hardly talked at all.  He just took me to a hotel every night.  The fifth time he took me out, I noticed a circular indentation in his wallet.  It was from his wedding ring.  Even though I knew he was married, I kept seeing him.  I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't stop.  We finally broke up when his wife caught us.  She stabbed me right in the chest, as if I was the one responsible.  If we hadn't been walking by a hospital when she showed up, I probably would have died."  I pulled away part of my dress and lifted my breast up, showing her the scar from the incident.  "The blade missed my heart by half a centimeter. I recovered just fine, but ever since, I've had a difficult time trusting men "

T'Janikrel took a deep breath.  "I can certainly understand why.  Amongst Vulcans, while plenty of us are attracted to both sexes, we only act upon our attraction to the opposite sex, because we know that the purpose of copulation is to reproduce, and that can only be done with a male and a female.  To seek out someone of the same sex is, to us…illogical."

I downed some of my cider.  "Then why did you ask for a second date?"

She cut off a piece of her lasagna, speared it on her fork, and twirled it in the air.  "I've been rather ambivalent towards my people's culture as of late.  The main reason I agreed to socialize with you on such an…intimate level is because I want to experience human culture as much as possible."  She put the lasagna in her mouth, savoring it.

I smiled.  "No offense, but if you don't have emotions, you can't fully experience being a human."

She sighed.  "The truth is, while many Vulcans claim that we have no emotions, we're really just in denial.  In reality, Vulcan emotions are even stronger than human emotions.  We've just taught ourselves to repress them, as our capability of extreme anger has caused many wars amongst our people."

"I see."

"So…you said my dish is Italian, correct?"

I nodded.  "Everything except the drink.  The drink, I believe, is German.  The interesting thing about Italian food is that three of its primary ingredients-wine, pasta and tomatoes-are not indigenous to Italy."  I punched up a holographic image of Earth, and pointed to the different areas as I spoke.  "Wine comes from Greece.  Pasta comes from China.  Tomatoes come from the New World."

"And where is your home country-America, I think you said it was?"

"It's in the New World."  I pointed to it.  "And even America had its subcultures.  I'm from the northeastern part of America, which is sometimes referred to as 'New England'.  My ancestors were from England, but they left for America.  After they and some of their descendants had been there for awhile, the English King was over-taxing them, so they declared themselves an independent nation and they were recognized as such after they won a war for independence.  When they had settled, there were already people inhabiting the land.  So, America is a country made up almost entirely of immigrants and their descendants."  T'Janikrel seemed to be deep in thought.  "Am I boring you?"  I asked, feeling a little worried.

"Not at all," she said.  "What you've been telling me explains a lot of phenomena in the history of Human-Vulcan relations.  It explains why my people landed in your country, why your country encouraged the rest of the planet to stop its warring, and why it was representatives from your country who proposed the creation of the United Federation of Planets.  Now, I'm not at all surprised that the capital of the Federation is on Earth."  She polished off her lasagna before speaking again.  "So, tell me, Brenda.  Why is it that humans crave emotions so much?"

I took a sip of cider.  "Several centuries ago on Earth, when our science of the mind, or psychology, was in its middle stages of development and we were just beginning to understand the chemical and biological effects of different medications, it was quite common for human parents, unable to find their own answers, to give their children drugs in hopes that it would solve common problems, such as inattentiveness in school, or hyperactivity.  The most popular drug was one called 'Ritalin'.  It managed to calm children down, but it also killed emotions.  Children who took Ritalin were studious and attentive, but they had very low creativity.  It was abandoned after about fifty years.  Users often said that they felt as though they were dead inside.  Not surprisingly, a few years after Ritalin was banned, there was a tremendous blossoming of culture."

"So you need emotions to create art.  Fascinating.  I guess that's why I find my own people's art to be so dull and plain."  As she looked at me, I noticed her subconsciously stroking the stem of her glass with her pinky.  We soon finished our meals.  T'Janikrel stood.  "The food was appetizing.  Are you pressed for time at all?"

"No.  Why?"

She moved over to a couch in the corner, and sat on it.  "I wish to experience what humans call 'sex'.  I won't call it 'mating' since we, as two females, cannot produce a child."

I stood and smiled.  "You're pretty fast, T'Janikrel."

"Do you not want to demonstrate sex to me?  I remember you saying that you found me desirable."

"I do," I said, blushing.  "It's just…this pacing's rather rushed."

"I see.  So how do humans normally proceed?"

"Computer," I said, "Dim the lights to 20% current brightness.  Play some music.  Something…soft."  The lights went down and the music started.  I sat next to the Captain.  "First, we set the mood."  I put my hand on hers and looked into her eyes.  "Then, we do this."  I leaned in and kissed her.  She seemed a bit surprised, but soon loosened up.  I moved my hand and put an arm around her shoulders.  She did the same, leaning in to kiss me.  Her kiss was warm, but it felt rather mechanical.  I remedied that by putting my hand on her cheek, hoping she would feel the tenderness of the moment.  It worked well enough, and I felt her fingers lightly caressing my back.  I took my hand down from her cheek, and grabbed her legs, pulling them over my lap.  Her hand on my back felt heavier, and I could feel her fingers moving around, brushing on the side of one of my breasts.  Since she seemed to be in the proper mood, I started unbuttoning her uniform.

"Vulcans usually don't undress for this," she said.

"But humans do," I told her.  "It makes the experience more exciting."  I pulled down her uniform and slid it off her body, leaving her completely naked in my lap.

Without further ado, the Captain unzipped my dress and pulled it off my shoulders.  She put her thumb on my scar.  "It's beautiful."

I set the Captain on her couch and stood up, letting my dress fall onto the floor.  I crouched over the Captain on the couch and kissed her, our bare breasts pressing together.  She put her hands on my rear and squeezed, which surprised me.  I broke the kiss, but moved my lips down to her breasts.  She moaned and stroked my hair.  "I never knew…they were that sensitive," she said.

"Sorry," I said, moving further down my body, "but I won't be able to carry on a conversation for the next few minutes, as I'll have my mouth full."

"Do you mean…"  Her sentence was cut off as I put my mouth right where she was expecting, although it still seemed to surprise her.  It had a copper-like taste, which wasn't especially exciting, but also wasn't unpleasant.  After about a minute, I noticed myself getting wet.  I also felt the same sensation that I imagined the Captain was feeling.  My pleasure intensified as I applied suction to her; just to be sure my hypothesis was correct, I stuck my tongue inside of her, and sure enough, I felt as though I, too, was being penetrated.  Another three minutes, and we both climaxed.  The Captain's thighs trembled as she breathed heavily.  She gave an unmistakable smile.  I climbed onto her, and she craned her head up, kissing me between my breasts and on my scar.  "I now see why humans enjoy the by-products of emotion so much."

I ran my finger along the back of her ear, feeling the pointed tip.  Like an elf, only real,, I thought.  "I didn't know Vulcans had that ability during intercourse."

The Captain raised an eyebrow.  "What ability?"

"You didn't know?  The ability to transfer what you were feeling to me."

"I didn't attempt such a thing.  None of the three males I mated with during different Pon Farrs reported such a sensation."  She appeared to be thinking.  "Perhaps it is because your brain is more structurally similar to mine than mine is to that of a Vulcan male."

"It is?"

"I don't know for certain, Brenda," she clarified.  "I'm just hypothesizing."

"Still, it doesn't matter," I said, kissing her on the forehead, "We've discovered something new about Vulcan females."

"If I told my people about it," she said, "I'm sure they would censor me.  They don't want to encourage sexual activity that does not promote reproduction."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be," she smiled again.  "You've helped me to discover one of the pleasures of being human.  And it has given me an idea."  She sat up.  "I should have done this earlier today."

"Done what, T'Janikrel?"

She stood and walked to a corner in the dining area, where she opened a box on a table and took something out of it.  She came back over and handed the small object to me.  It was a black button with a gold outline and a fastener on the back.  "Ensign Brenda Holtz, by the power vested in me as Captain of this vessel, I hereby promote you to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade, a promotion I believe overdue."

I was flabbergasted.  "Captain, are you sure I…"

"Yes," she said, putting a warm hand on my back, "You deserve this."

I wrapped my arms around her.  "Thank you, T'Janikrel."

"I would like to be getting to sleep now, if you don't object."

"Of course not," I said, picking up my dress.  "I'll go back to my quarters now."

"Is that what humans usually do after activity like ours?"  She asked.

"Not usually," I said, "They usually sleep together."

"Then join me in my bed," she instructed.

I decided to play a game with her.  "I think I really should go back.  Just to allay suspicion."

She walked over to me.  "I don't think you heard me clearly, Brenda.  I order you to join me in bed," she said in a firm voice, grabbing my butt and squeezing.

That's more like it.  I smiled.  "Yes, O Captain, my Captain.  But only if you will carry me there."

Without another word, she scooped me up in her arms as easily as if I weighed twenty pounds, and carried me over to her bed.  She climbed in after me and pulled the sheets up.  "What do humans usually do in bed?"

"The same things we just did on the couch.  We also hold one another."

"How so?"

"Roll over," I instructed.  She faced away from me and I put one arm over her shoulder, grasping her right breast, and the other around her waist as I took the tip of her ear into my mouth.  I lightly sucked on it-something I'd been anxious to try all evening.

The Captain put her hand on the one I had around her waist.  "Computer, deactivate lights."  The room went dark and I fell asleep.

***

I awoke the next morning, but I was alone in bed.  I sat up and looked around, but the Captain was nowhere in sight.  "T'Janikrel?"  I called.  "Where are you?"

The computer spoke.  "Captain T'Janikrel is on the Bridge.  She left a message for you.  Would you like to hear it?"

I climbed out of the bed and started slipping my dress back on.  "Yes, please."

The message played in the Captain's voice.  "I'm sorry I left without you, Brenda, but I had duties to attend to, and I didn't wish to disturb your sleep.  I enjoyed what happened between us last night, and I wish to maintain a relationship of that nature with you.  I will be attending your cooking class at 1500 hours, where I hope you will be every bit as informative with the other officers as you were with me."

I picked up my watch, and discovered that I'd overslept.  It was already noon.  I picked up my uniform's rank indicator and my communicator and left, walking briskly through the hall to the turbolift, which unfortunately wasn't empty.  The ship's counselor, a man named Argos, was waiting there, and he looked over me.  "In a hurry, Ensign?"  He asked.

"Lieutenant," I corrected him.  "And yes, I am in a hurry."  It was only then that I considered what state I must have been in.  My makeup was probably smeared, and my hair was definitely disheveled.  Argos would doubtlessly notice both of those things, and, trained as he was to read other people, he would probably decipher them.

"How was your evening?"  He asked, a thinly-disguised tone of amusement in his voice.

"It was quite enjoyable, thank you."

"Tell me what made it so enjoyable," he said.

"I spent it with the Captain, and she promoted me."  I answered, trying to be vague.

"I discerned that much.  Tell me more."

"I'd rather keep it a secret."

He smiled.  "So, how is she?"

I turned my head away, a bit ashamed.  He'd figured it out.  "You may not be a Betazoid, but your powers of observation serve you well."

He snapped his fingers.  "Dammit.  You beat me to the punch.  Don't worry, I won't tell anybody."

The turbolift miraculously stopped, and he stepped out.  "Talk to you later, Argos."  I didn't want to continue the conversation considering which way it was going.  True, he was the ship's counselor, but at that moment, he was off the clock, and he could say whatever he wanted.  I shouldn't have been surprised that a man would say such things.  When I finally arrived at my quarters, I hurriedly changed into my uniform, gathered the supplies I'd need, and ran straight to Holodeck three.  "Computer, run Holtz Educational Program 1."

A few seconds of waiting, then the computer announced "Program is complete.  Enter when ready."  I walked inside, donned my chef's hat and apron, and got to work making the example dish for that day's lesson.  The replicator had finished synthesizing all the necessary ingredients when my students began filing in.  The holodeck resembled a well-equipped kitchen with several high stools around the stove, where they sat.  I usually had around six students.

"Welcome back," I said, once everybody I was expecting showed up.  "I see that we are privileged to have the Captain with us today.  Welcome, sir."

"Thank you," she said.

"Anyway, today I will be showing you how to make my favorite recipe for baked ziti.  This dish contains ziti, tomato sauce, beef, pork, white wine, and two types of cheese.  As usual, if you have questions at any point, feel free to ask me."  One of them already had a question.  "Yes, Lieutenant Warner?"

"What kind of tomato sauce should we use?"

"For this, I go with Marinara.  A good rule of thumb to follow is to use thinner sauces for dishes in which the sauce is not a topping, but rather an integral part of the dish."

"So," he continued, "What you're saying is applicable to dishes such as lasagna and pizza?"

"Yes.  You seem to get the general idea.  So, the first thing to do is to cook the pasta until it's tender."  I pulled out a bowl full of boiled ziti.  "In the interest of time, I have prepared it beforehand.  But while you're waiting, you should prepare the meat in a frying pan.  There's no need to grease the pan, as the pork should provide all the grease you'll need.  Put it on medium heat, and as it cooks, keep breaking it up with a spatula."  I demonstrated.  "Even if you're sure it's safe, you should still cook pork thoroughly.  The trichinella worm has not been completely eradicated, and you can never be too careful."  The Captain raised her hand.  "Yes, sir?" I continued my demonstration.

"What is trichinella?"

I felt uneasy giving an explanation while cooking.  "It's an Earth parasite that infested a number of animals, in particular bears and pigs.  The only way to ensure that its eggs do not infest the meat humans eat is to cook it thoroughly."

"I see," she said.  "We Vulcans have had similar problems, but we discovered them much earlier, and decided to stop eating meat altogether."

"That's interesting."  At this point, the meat was fully cooked.  "Now, we add the sauce.  It should be of a slightly higher net weight than the cooked pasta.  At the same time," I uncorked one of the bottles that I'd brought from Earth, "You'll be adding the wine.  It's not essential, but it works wonders for the flavor.  Now, you combine these all in the pot, and add some oregano.  While it's heating up, you prepare a baking pan for it, but at the same time, be careful not to let the sauce burn.  Coating the sides of the pan with unsalted butter is usually the best.  Put the pasta into the baking pan."  I poured it in, and checked on my sauce.  "Now, you'll want to use a potholder to move the frying pan, as it will be quite heavy."  I grunted, and poured the sauce over the ziti.  "In this step, make sure you pour it evenly over the pasta, and coat every single piece.  Then, we sprinkle ground Parmesan cheese over the top and put it into the oven at 190 degrees Celsius.  After thirty minutes, cover the top in mozzarella, and let it bake for another ten minutes.  When it's done," Here I pulled out the completed dish, "It should look like this.  There's enough for each of you to sample some."

They each grabbed a plate and dished up what they wanted.  The Captain's serving was rather small, but I'd never thought of Vulcans as having large appetites.  Her eyes opened wide.  "This is a rather wide variety of flavors to experience at once."

"Do you like it, Captain?"

"Yes," she nodded.  "As I've explained before, Vulcan cuisine is rather bland.  It interests me to see what humans do with food."

I smiled.  "Before he started his business, my father did the cooking for my family.  He considered it to be an art form, much like painting, sculpting, or poetry.  I had plenty of fun helping him in the kitchen when I was a child."

Lieutenant Warner spoke.  "The wine really helps the flavor in this.  Personally, I'd consider it essential to the recipe."

I shrugged.  "If that's the way you wish to do it, go ahead."  I cleared my throat to address the other students.  "The next class will be held in three days, at the same hour.  For that class, we will be concocting our own recipe, so be sure to bring some suggestions.  Thank you all for coming."

All of the students filed out except for the Captain.  She smiled, and kissed me on the cheek.  "Do you have any free time later tonight, Brenda?"

I decided to tease her a little.  "You're becoming a human, T'Janikrel."

"I had plenty of assistance from you.  Still, I am putting in some effort to keep my emotions in check."  She set her plate down.  "I have decided only to show them in your presence, since I still have an image to maintain."

I put an arm around her waist.  "Yes, you may stop by my quarters tonight.  I've just got some reading to do on warp coils.  It shouldn't take me too long."

"I'll be there," She pulled me in and embraced me.  "See you then."

I watched her as she walked out.  She seemed to be anxious to try something.  I was just as anxious to find out what it was.