Four Walls

	Newly promoted Captain Spock tried to sit comfortably in the chair in the temporary housing that Star Fleet had supplied him with while he stayed on Earth until the Enterprise and her ship full of cadets could take off for their training run.  While it was free, it was not a spacious cabin by any means.  Meant more to be slept in overnight or perhaps a weekend, the thought of spending all his extra planetside time in a cabin the grand total of 3 meters square with a small lavatory and no kitchen facilities, was not desirable.  He basically had a bunk, a chair, a window only large enough to prove that it was daylight outdoors, and a desk.  There was no question about entertaining anyone in these quarters.  It simply wasn’t possible.  “Computer,” he said finally frustrated with the chair and moving to the desk.  
	“Working.”
	“Show listings for all area apartments for rent,” Spock said and waited for them to appear.  There were a multitude of apartments, but none were precisely what he was looking for.  He would only be on Earth for perhaps two months a semester, and the expense of a large apartment was not particularly appealing.  He looked through the ads for lofts or efficiencies that would do.  By the listings, they were all either in some of the more unpalatable areas of San Francisco or in the middle of the areas normally reserved for younger cadets.  That would not do either.  Then, a last one under the ‘boarders and roommates’ section caught his eye.  It read:

Wanted: Mature, responsible person to rent partially furnished downstairs suite of a beach house.   Separate sitting and bedroom with access to the main rooms including the kitchen.  Laundry facilities on the same level and walk out to the beach.  Will be sharing with three other housemates.  Call ABP-2256 or come to 1896 Alameda Beach Place, house 4.  

That seemed a promising advertisement.  Renting a suite of
rooms in someone else’s house seemed a most logical solution to his problem at the time.   With access to the kitchen, he would be able to feed himself if he so chose or order out to eat in the sitting area.  He would have to look into the matter immediately.  

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	1896 Alameda Beach Place was a nice cul-de-sac of older beach homes.  House #4 was a post-modern design based on a nautical house.  Painted mainly pale gray with red, white, and blue trim it rose some four stories above the street.  The street level was a latticework carport and a set of stairs that led to the main level.  Spock hurried up the steps with an air of confidence.  So far he liked what he saw immensely.  Once at the top of the stairs, he could see the appeal of the house.  Its true face had a view of the ocean and the semi-private beach.  A hill acted like a dike of sorts and swept back down to the street level on the other side.  Stopping at the entry door, he pressed the buzzer and waited.  It was some time before he could hear anyone stirring.  Apparently, they’d been in the upper floors of the house.  Hearing the click of heels approaching, he stepped back a half pace to keep from being too assertive.  He had learned a long time ago how to best greet humans.  The door opened and a very familiar woman stood in the door, “Spock?”
	“Dr. Chapel,” Spock said and felt the entire excitement of the moment hit the pit of his stomach.  
	“Uh, hello, come in,” she stammered a little flustered.  She hadn’t seen Spock for a several weeks since the Enterprise had been brought in after its second five-year mission.  She hadn’t really expected to see him unless it was around Head Quarters either.  
	Spock entered to find himself in a most tastefully appointed house.  Stairs at the entry went down to the lower level as well as up to the second floor.  A long thin area served as a dining room and a fire pit occupied the center of the boundary of that area and allowed all the rooms to enjoy the warmth of the embers at one time.  Soaring ceilings and windows allowed in so much light and horizon that it was almost like being outside the entire time.  Christine led her former superior officer to the living area.  A viewscreen nearly the size of the one on the Enterprise Bridge occupied the space on the far wall between two windows.  It had an idle screen on it now of ocean waves and seagulls.  
	Spock turned to sit on the black vinyl sofa.  He had a view of the loft from this vantage.  It was a lovely house.  If the rooms that he was inquiring about were similar in appearance, he would be fortunate indeed to have them.  
	“Would you care for something to drink?” Christine asked.  She felt a little self-conscious in a non-regulation uniform while he was in his.  She noted the Captain’s bars, “When did you make Captain?”
	“Just this week,” Spock answered a little proudly.  He had stated for the last twenty years that he did not seek a command but this one was a special circumstance.  
	“Congratulations,” she beamed genuinely.  The last five-year mission had gone much better than the first between the two of them.  Spock had not said anything about a drink, so she dropped the idea.   “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”	Spock cleared his throat, “I came in answer to your advertisement.  You requested a mature, responsible person…”
	“You want the suite downstairs?” Christine asked after a few moments of realization.
	“If they are suitable, I have not seen them,” Spock added.	“Oh, well let me get the keys,” she said and grabbed a set in a bowl on the kitchen counter.  Showing him downstairs, she tried explaining why she was renting the room out, “We decided to rent it to try to generate some more money with the place, and it’s a rather nice area for that.  Other than the lack of kitchen facilities it’s pretty well self contained.”
“We?” Spock asked remembering that the ad had said he would be sharing a house with three others.  Christine stopped at the bottom of the stairs, “Yes, Nyota, Janice, and I.  Do you still want to look at the suite?” 
Spock thought for a second.  It would be a rather unusual situation, but it was not one that would be impossible to deal with.  “Yes, I still need a place to stay.”
Christine smiled shyly.  The level that was even with the carport on the first floor was unimpressive in that it was not anything extraordinary.  It was clean, well maintained, and an efficient use of space.  “This is the utility room; this is the semi-private bath.  There is another door in the suite itself.  Like I advertised, it has a sitting room and a bedroom.  There are two sliding glass doors that lead to the stone patio that is under the deck.”
	The door swung open easily to reveal a room already larger than the quarters he presently occupied.  Shelves lined one wall.  A pit grouping supplied the room with seating and the sliding doors looked out on the beach area.  The bedroom was equally large, had ample closet space, a full bed, dresser and another set of sliding doors.  The bath was quite a bit larger than he was accustomed to even on the ship.  He was pleased with the accommodations.  He had somewhere to entertain people, somewhere separate to sleep and to meditate.  The only problems were the other occupants of the house.  
	“So, why are you interested in this particular place?” Christine asked as they stood in the sitting room.  
	“My present assignment makes it necessary to have accommodations for only two months out of a standard semester.  The cabins that Star Fleet provides are not at all adequate,” he stated simply.
	Christine laughed, “No, I don’t think a closet with a lav is exactly a place to spend your spare time.  This part of the sofa turns into a bed by the way.”
	Spock turned back to look at the sofa.  It looked oddly familiar.  With eyebrows wrinkling together, he tried to place it.  Christine noticed the expression, “It’s from the Enterprise.”
	“You have a piece of the ship’s furniture in your home?” Spock asked incredulously.
	A slow smile spread across her face, “Don’t look so surprised.  Leigh bought a few things when the old Enterprise, when the one under Pike was refitted.  This was one of them.  It’s still in excellent condition, but if you prefer other furniture I’m sure we could come to some arrangement.”
	“No, it is most suitable,” Spock assured and remembered the other thing that struck him, “The viewer?”
	“Is the old viewer from the auxiliary bridge.  There was an auction of surplus parts, and she bought a few things that’s all.  When I inherited the house I didn’t think twice about keeping them.  That viewer is worth a lot of money if you bought it on the regular market.  She got it for practically nothing simply because no one else could wire it up.  She hung it like a painting, hooked it into the main entertainment computer and whammo, instant virtual video.  It will also receive comm unit transmissions,” Christine revealed.  “Uhura has made a few new improvements since she moved in too.”  
	Spock nodded.  Yes, it would be a simple matter to wire that together, especially if Christine Chapel’s older sister had done it.  His former superior officer was quite ingenious.  “So, this was Number One’s beach house as well?”
	“Uh-huh.  I inherited it and stayed here when we were in port, but this time I decided to hang around for a while.  There are three bedrooms, a loft, and enough space to sleep eight people so it is great for those impromptu parties Uhura likes to give.  We sleep upstairs, by the way.  With our odd schedules it really isn’t like rooming with people.  I work such crazy hours that I rarely see anyone unless it is their day off,” she was explaining nervously.  While it would be perfect to have Spock as another roommate, she had spent ten years being perpetually nervous in his presence.  Now she was confronted with the possibility that he wanted to live here too.  “Jan is at HQ, and Nyota is at her teaching position at Berkeley.  They should be home in oh, another hour or two.”  
	Spock digested this information.  “Would I be given a separate key?  I would not wish to have to rely on someone being home every time I came and went.”
	“Sure.  We all have separate keys as well as separate comm addresses so we don’t get each other’s messages.  We may be friends, but we’re not that friendly,” the physician replied with a chuckle.  That had been the first of the arguments within the first week they moved in.  That had been the modification that Uhura had worked on.  
	“Well, if we’re done down here, do you want to see the rest of the house?” 
	“Of course, I do wish to have a full tour,” he stated.  It was illogical to base any judgments simply on the occupants or on the arrangements of one room.  Christine led him back upstairs, pointed to a room that actually looked out over the street, “That is Ny’s room, mine and Jan’s are upstairs.”  
	They kept walking up more stairs.  Spock found the view from the small loft area picturesque.  The windows in the main room were huge and allowed an almost eternal view of the ocean to come through.  
	“The other common area of the house is up here,” she said and started up a tight spiral staircase.  They were going up to the tower of the house.  It was a pseudo-tower Spock discovered as they emerged into a rooftop garden.  Walls shielded any prying eyes from seeing anything.  In fact, from the front and the ocean, it looked like it was an actual tower.  Only the sides gave way to show the façade.   Dwarf trees, bushes, and flowering shrubs were planted in large pots along the walls.  A lily pond occupied the center and gurgled soothingly.  The sun had gone from its apex and slipped past the tower to cool the roof off and create a pleasant atmosphere.  Spock instantly liked it.  “If Ms. Uhura and Ms. Rand agree, I will take the suite.  That is if you also agree,” he decided quickly.  
	The announcement rather startled Christine, but she recovered quickly.  “I’ll see them for supper.  Like I said, they’ll be home in just a couple hours. You’d be welcome to stay here and wait to see for yourself.”
	“No, I must return for another appointment.  I will leave my number, and you can give me your verdict when they decide.”
	“Okay.  I don’t know what to do about the rent though.  I mean, the three of us live here full time, but if you only want to live here part of it…”
	“Do not charge me any less than you would have if I’d stayed full time,” Spock reasoned.  “In that way, I can stay as long or as little as the time warrants.  There will no doubt be periods when I will stay longer than I expect.”
	“Fine, makes it easy to figure that way.  Oh, there is only enough space to fit two skimmers in the carport.  I have the one, and Jan’s is the other.  Nyota opted to take the bus or use one of ours if she needed it.  If you have one you’ll have to park on the street or something,” Christine explained as they started back down the spiral stairs and headed for the first floor.  “Do you need to see some utility use information or would you rather wait on that?”
	“I shall wait.  After all, I may not be staying here.  Do not hesitate to call the moment the decision has been reached,” Spock said and took his leave.  He was certain that it was a logical decision for everyone.  

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	“I have some news,” Christine was saying as the three chums sat down to the fettuccini and salad.  
	The other two women looked at her expectantly.  Almost ashamed, the physician continued, “I had an answer for our ad today.”
	“Wow that was fast.  Well, tell male or female,” Jan asked with a slight hope it was the former of the two.  
	“Oh male.  He’s definitely male and very responsible,” Christine added and shoved the food around on the plate.  Finally, Nyota set her wine glass down and demanded, “Well, what’s his name?”
	“Spock,” she said with a groan.  Looking up she wished she’d had a camera.  The expression on her two friends’ faces was too priceless to lose.  
	“You’re kidding!” Rand exclaimed and at the slow shake of Chapel’s head, she repeated, “You’re kidding.”
	“I’m not kidding.  He’s been promoted to Captain and needs a place to stay while he waits to take the Enterprise out on cadet training runs.”  The former Starship chief medical officer wiped the exasperation out of her expression.  She was suddenly not hungry at all.  
	Nyota Uhura sat back and shook her head as if to clear it. “I knew that he was due for that promotion, but Spock living with us…  Well, in essence we’ve all been living together for the last 5 years or so, why would this be any different.  It’s not like we’re sharing a bedroom with him.”
	That reasoning was sound.  If anything they would only see him at meal times and with the way Vulcans ate that might never happen.  Jan considered a second, “Well, I think he’s okay.  Nyota?”
	“I don’t think it’s so much what we think as what Christine does,” the Bantu said turning the matter over to their friend.                     
Christine was still emotionally attached to Spock.  She had done a great deal to push those feelings down a back road, but it would be awkward for her, and she owned the house, “Please, don’t leave this up to me.  You two live here as well.  Look, we shouldn’t say yes or no just because it’s Spock.  We all know first hand how difficult he can be to work for.  Do we really want him living here?”
It was a valid argument.  Janice proposed the counter argument however, “Yes, but Spock is a friend of ours, well maybe at least an acquaintance, and it would certainly be easier to deal with him than a perfect stranger.  After all, we can trust Spock implicitly with our stuff and the house and everything.”
That was true.  Christine nodded, “Okay, he’s trustworthy, loyal, brave, and housebroken.  If he fetched newspapers he’d make a perfect Great Dane…”
Uhura nearly spat her wine across the table at Janice.  She’d never heard Chapel refer to Spock in that manner.  For ten years she’d always talked about the Vulcan with near awe.  The strain of the decision clearly weighed on Chapel’s shoulders.  Uhura leaned over to her, tapped her hand, “You decide.  It’s your house.”
The former CMO of the Enterprise took a long deep breath, exhaled slowly as she weighed the options.  “I’m 45 years old, you’d think I would be able to control my emotions by this time.  You’re right.  It’s the only logical thing to do.  We have a space that is perfect for him, and he is the perfect tenant.  He’s in.”
With a cheery smile that belied the churning stomach, she lifted her glass in a toast, “Ladies, I dub this beach house, the Enterprise II.”
“To the Enterprise II,” the others echoed and clinked their glasses.