Disclaimer #1: Star Trek and its characters belong to Paramount. No copyright infringement is intended.

Disclaimer #2: I have no idea where this piece of fluff (and I mean that literally) came from, though I can point a few fingers...

Summary: A missing scene from the end of "Charlie X".

The Final Straw
By Rocky


"I have never," declared Janice Rand emphatically, "been so glad to see the last of anybody as that creepy Charlie Evans!"

"Definitely creepy," said Uhura, glancing around the room before turning back to her companions. "Those eyes? I mean, that slanty brow look works for Vulcans, but in Humans?"

"That boy was a real menace," Christine Chapel agreed. "It's a wonder it took the Captain as long as it did until he decided enough was enough."

"Especially after what he did to me," Janice went on, full of indignation. "I have never been so embarrassed in my life!"

"You mean the 'in the buff' incident on the bridge, or that spank on the rear?" Christine asked.

Uhura giggled. "The first one, of course." She leaned back in her seat and murmured, "I hear the Captain's Yeoman doesn't at all object to spanking, depending on who's administering it."

Janice flushed. "I heard that!"

Uhura attempted to look contrite. "Sorry."

Christine glared at Uhura and patted Janice's hand soothingly. "You're right, this isn't a laughing matter." She sighed. "Lord knows, it's hard enough maintaining our dignity when we're in uniform."

"Children don't belong on a starship anyway," Janice said with an injured sniff.

Uhura sipped her coffee and bit back a comment about how Janice seemed to have a problem in general with kids, if her experience on Miri's planet was anything to go by.

"You're right about that," said Christine. "Even without super powers!"

"At any rate, it's a good thing the Thasians finally showed up and took him away," Uhura said.

"Indeed," Spock said, as he approached their table, Dr. McCoy in tow. "May we join you, ladies?"

"Certainly!" Christine and Uhura said in unison. There was a brief scuffle as each of them tried to get the first officer to sit next to her. The problem was solved when McCoy took the seat next to his nurse. Uhura refrained from sticking her tongue out at Christine and settled for smiling triumphantly.

"You know why Captain Kirk finally gave up on the boy, don't you?" asked McCoy.

"Mr. Evans demonstrated he was a danger to the ship and crew," Spock said. "And he was already responsible for the destruction of the Antares."

McCoy shook his head. "Even so, Jim was still willing to give him another chance."

Spock gave him a puzzled glance. "Then I am curious, Doctor, as to what you consider to have been the final straw."

"It's like I said before, what that boy did to me!" Janice insisted. "Barging into my quarters, having me show up on the bridge wrapped in nothing but a--"

"You've got it all wrong," McCoy interrupted. "It was the galley incident."

"Galley incident?" asked Christine.

"Captain Kirk asked the chefs to try and make the meatloaf look like turkey," Uhura said slowly. "But when they opened the ovens, there were real turkeys inside."

"Only they weren't turkeys," McCoy said.

"They weren't?" Uhura said.

"Nope. Oh, still in the fowl family--or foul as the case may be." McCoy grinned. "Let me give you a hint: they were shaped like chicks--bright yellow and fuzzy. Only they were made of marshmallow instead of meat."

"Ew," said all three women and shuddered.

"The mystery is solved," Spock said gravely. "It was no single incident, but a combination of events."

"You mean to say--" McCoy began.

"Exactly.  Mr. Evans was a two-time Peep-ing Tom."

FINIS

Back to Rocky's Road

email the author