This was requested by Kvettegirl  so very very long ago! I am terribly sorry about how long it has taken, but I hope you enjoy it!

You strolled around the temporary exposition, glancing around you at the exhibits. You stopped at every single one, not wanting to miss a thing. After all, the Star Trek 50 Years: 1966-2016 world tour exposition was only in Honolulu for a week.

As you looked at the people milling around you, many in red, blue, and yellow Star Fleet uniforms, you smiled. It made you happy to know that the franchise was still popular, whether it be diehard original series fans or people who were hooked by the reboot films. Even little children were glancing up in wonder at an original phaser used by William Shatner.

You yourself, wearing your blue Star Fleet uniform (homemade: you were very proud), were currently watching a two-minute documentary on the evolution of prosthetics in the franchise, specifically Vulcan ears. You were utterly captivated until you heard a loud BANG echo through the exposition hall followed by shouts. You dropped to the floor immediately, knowing a gunshot when you heard one.

As you glanced around trying to understand what was happening, you decided to crawl behind a column to take shelter, urging other people with gestures to do the same. Of course, most of them just kept running around and screaming. Idiots.

You counted the minutes you stayed behind the column, as it kept your mind busy. The numbers helped distract you best, after trying to sing songs inside your head and recite dialogues between Spock and Captain Kirk under your breath. You got to twenty seven minutes and thirteen seconds before you stopped, hearing footsteps, many of them, approaching. You shrank against the column, feeling fear coursing through you until you heard the crackling sound of voices through machinery. Walkie-talkies. You sighed in relief. These people were cops.

Slowly, you edged out, unnoticed because of the bustling activity around. You decided to make your way out before someone saw you and made a silly assumption, cuffed you, and brought you to jail. That would effectively ruin your day completely.

However, your tiptoeing maneuvers were interrupted. "Ma'am! Please stay exactly where you are," an authoritative voice exclaimed. Fantastic.

You slowly turned around to be met by the sight of two officers, a brunette and a blonde. You had never really interacted with police officers in situations where their guns were pointed at you (nor had you ever felt the need to find yourself in one), so you just based yourself off of what pop culture had taught you and raised your hands behind your head.

"Hi," you said.

"Hi," said the blonde, while the brunette smiled. "We aren't going to arrest you, don't worry, you can put your hands down." Relieved, you did as he said. "We just have a few questions we'd like to ask you. You've been here this whole time, haven't you?"

"Um yes, but I didn't really see anything, sorry."

One of the officers was about to say something when their walkietalkies crackled and a voice came through. "Commander! Come quick!"

The two men, without a second glance at you, ran down the hall. Not knowing what to do, you followed them.

When you arrived at the end of the hall and turned to the left, you were greeted by a rather awful sight. There, on the floor, was lying a man covered in blood. Doctors and police officers were milling around him shouting instructions. If this situation hadn't been real and happening to you, you would have laughed at the fact that he was, of course, wearing a red  Star Fleet shirt.

One of the blue crime scene coverall wearing people was bending down over the head of the victim, seemingly observing his ears. Slowly, he said, "Commander, there seems to be something strange here."

The brunette officer approached, so you assumed he must be the commander. You slowly edged forwards too, although you didn't really realize it.

Sciency Man continued. "The murderer seems to have not only repeatedly shot and stabbed the victim in the chest, but has also made additional cuts behind the ears. This may have been a method of torturing the victim further, but it does seem strange. "

You glanced over the wounds Sciency Man was talking about. Something about them seemed familiar. Suddenly, you gasped. "Oh my sweet tribbles!" Your exclamation attracted everyone's attention, and it seemed they all thought simultaneously, Wait, who are you? And why are you here?  It seemed like some men were coming to show you out when you decided to start talking. Fast.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait! I know what these wounds are!" You saw Sciency Man raise his head and look at you, his interest sparked. "There's a video in the exposition that explains it! This man must've been wearing C3 series prosthetic ears! Those were among the models they used for the actual show! They're very good, very resistant prosthetics, but there's a very specific way of removing them. If you don't do it properly, you can end up with severe wounds all around the ears, wounds that look very much like the ones this poor man has. In fact, judging by how bad they are, I would say they were ripped off rather carelessly. If you don't believe me, look closer: C3 series use a specific kind of glue that creates blue flakes when it's exposed to air. Are there any on the man's skin?"

Sciency Man took out a magnifying glass and bent down. "She's right!" He exclaimed. "There are minuscule blue flakes on this man's skin! I initially assumed they were veins, but they rub off!"

The commander looked to you again. "How common are these types of prosthetic ears?"

"Oh, not very! In fact, they are rather rare!" You replied. "They used them in the show, which means technology has evolved since. In fact, this man must have been the only one wearing them." You paused, then your eyes widened. "OH! You think that-"

"Yeah, we're looking for a killer in C3 series prosthetic ears!" The commander interrupted you, shouting orders into his walkie talkie. "Get photos to everyone's phones so they can identify the suspect! He probably left the crowd of civilians that came out of the building, but he can't be too far! Alright, let's move!" And with that, most of the cops left, leaving you behind with the medical officers.

"That was quite impressive. I am personally a great Star Trek fan, but I never considered the possibility of the abrasions being caused by prosthetic ears," Sciency Man said. He had moved toward you, letting the rest of his team take care of bagging the body.

"Oh, thanks," you replied, "but it was just luck, you know. I only saw that video an hour ago, so it was fresh in my mind."

"Nonetheless, it was quick thinking. Max Bergman," he introduced himself, extending his hand for you to shake. However, it was gloved and covered in Red Shirt's blood.

"Y/N Y/L/N. It's nice to meet you. But I would rather not," you said, motioning to his hand. He looked at it and chuckled before putting his arm back down. The two of you stood there a moment, not really knowing what to say to each other. You thought you should probably go, as you were making things awkward.

"Well, I will see you around, I guess, Mr. Max Bergman," you sighed, walking away. However, you turned back and raised you hand, splitting your hand between your middle and ring finger. "Live long and prosper," you told him.

He smiled and copied your Vulcan salute. "Peace and long life," he replied accordingly.

You smiled at each other a while, and then you turned around and started walking out. He seemed really sweet. And adorable. In fact, you rather liked this Max Bergman. So... Why were you walking away from him? You stopped in your tracks, and slowly spun around again. He was still standing there, watching you. You could do this. 

"Actually," you said, trying to sound calm and collected, "they're going to end up putting the exposition back up soon, and it's still here a few days...Maybe you would like to, perhaps, come with me to see it without the whole murder? "

There. You had asked. You had actually done it. Go you! That wasn't so hard, weirdly. But now he was going to answer you, and you mentally prepared yourself for rejection and humiliation, already recalling which ice cream flavours you had at home.

He looked at you and said, slowly,"That would be... phenomenal." Your eyes widened in shock, but a smile slowly crept onto your lips, eventually growing into a full-fledged ear to ear grin. "Can you come the day after tomorrow?" He asked.

You responded with a twinkle in your eye. "I can do zat, keptin!"

*A FEW MONTHS LATER IN TIME AND SPACE*

"MAX! MAX! WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE IF YOU DO NOT GET INTO THE CAR RIGHT NOW THIS MINUTE AND SO HELP ME, IF WE MISS EVEN A MINUTE OF THIS MOVIE, I WILL-"

"I am in the car now, Y/N, there is no need to shout," he replied with a smile. "Now we should go," he added, his smile growing at your eagerness.

You switched into Drive and slammed your foot down, zooming out of your driveway. "STAR TREK BEYOND, HERE WE COME!"

Your boyfriend clutched the car interior and his seat belt, trying to maintain a grip so as not to fly out the window from the crazy speed at which you were driving, just as excited as you were to get to the newest movie of the franchise you both loved.

However, Max was nervous and excited for another reason, and was making sure your crazy driving didn't send him flying and smash the small velvet box in his pocket, containing a beautiful silver ring. He had been stressing about it for the last few days, practicing speeches and what to say by reciting them to corpses in the morgue, but nothing he ever said seemed beautiful and wonderful enough for you. He was extremely frightened that the moment, at dinner after the movie, wouldn't be as stellar as you'd expect and that you'd refuse.

Scared, he glanced your way, but seeing your face so happy and exhilarated and beautiful and you suddenly calmed him. He felt his breathing calm down and his palms stop sweating because he knew he was doing the right thing. He loved you infinitely and knew that he could do nothing else but tell you that from the heart and hope you would take him.

And you would. And you did. You absolutely did.

Hello lovely geckos!

I am so so so SO SO SO SO SO SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry about the lack of updates! I know I have requests that have been pending for months, and that it is totally not ok to leave all of you hanging like that. What excuses do I have? Not very good ones.

Anyway, if you still stick around to read my infrequent little stories, THANK YOU! You all are so sweet, and I love you to infinity and beyond!

Lots and lots of love,

Helen