Archive of Our Own

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“I’m gonna kill that asshole six ways from Sunday,” McCoy growled in front of the mirror.

“What’s wrong now, Daddy?” Joanna’s heels clicked on the tile as she walked in the bathroom.

Joanna only gave her father a brief glance while using the mirror to slide the backing onto her earring.

“I’m gonna murder, Jim,” McCoy loosened the bow tie under his collar for what seemed like the thousandth time.

“Oh please,” Joanna slid the other earring post into her lobe.

Frustrated at another failed attempt, McCoy yanked off the fabric and threw it onto the counter. Joanna chuckled as the rows of medals on her fathers formal dress jacket jingled.

“It’s that bastard's fault. He agreed to this dog and pony show with Command.”

“Let me try,” Joanna picked up the discarded tie.

“Bones? Hello?” the voice of the last person McCoy wanted to hear echoed through the apartment.

“Back here,” Joanna hollered back.

“You look wonderful, Miss Joanna,” Jim beamed at the sight of his favorite kid all grown into a beautiful young woman in the stylish formal gown her father nearly had a heart attack buying. He held out her hand to spin her around and let the skirt billow around her.

“Hello to you too, asshole.”

“What has crawled up your dad’s ass now, Miss Joanna?” Jim turned to the mirror to straighten a crooked medal dangling from his own formal jacket.

“Daddy’s having trouble with his bow tie, Uncle Jim.”

Jim looked over at the fuming doctor with a sloppy knot under his collar, “Does this make you the only Southern man who can’t tie a bow tie?”

McCoy pulled at the fabric, “This is all your fault you bastard.”

Jim reached for the tie and smacked the man’s hands away when he wouldn’t stop trying to choke himself, “And how is this my fault, Bones?”

“This damn dining-in gala thing you’re making us attend. And why does it have to be formal-formal?”

Jim smoothed out the wrinkled fabric the best he could, “Bones, this party is literally for the crew finishing the first ever five year mission in the history of Starfleet. Try to enjoy it a little will ya?”

Joanna moved out of the way so Jim could stand in front of the steaming CMO and tie his bow tie for him. She’d realized she’d seen a lot of her ‘Uncle Jim’ since she arrived on the shuttle a few days ago. He would show up while her father took her sightseeing around San Francisco and even went hiking with them in Muir Woods. Joanna noticed the way her father stilled when Jim set to work on the tie. The captain’s intense blue eyes were laser focused on her dad’s neck.

“How’s this?” Jim moved to the side to let her inspect his work.

“Much better. Daddy, I thought you said you had the steadiest hands on the ship?”

McCoy nearly choked and Jim let out a guffaw.

“No denying she’s yours, Bones. C’mon, kiddo, let’s go find something to eat while your dad finishes. I’m starving and sometimes the food at these things is weird.”

McCoy gave his hair one less brush over with his hands, “I’m ready now. Why don’t we head out and swing by that taco place on the way there?”

“Tacos?” Jim questioned Joanna.

Joanna looked down at her expensive dress and furled her brow.

“It’s okay, we’ll throw a napkin over your dress. We’re old pros at this.”

“Okay. Is Uhura and Spock coming?”

“No sweetpea, we’ll see them at the reception.”

“Let me grab my clutch.”

She saw her dad and Jim talking closely when she met them at the door.

“Ready?” her dad patted his pockets to make sure he had everything.

“Yeah,” she held up her matching clutch.

The cafe wasn’t far but they had hailed a cab to save their feet from having to walk in their dress shoes. Joanna placed her order and moved aside for her father who ordered for both himself and Jim, but it was Jim who waved his credit chip.

Are they together?

“Joanna?” McCoy shook her out of her thoughts.

“Yeah, dad?”

“You looked lost in space there.”

“What? Oh. Just thinking.”

McCoy placed her hand on his arm and led her to a table on the patio, “Well don’t think too hard. This is supposed to be a fun evening.”

“Weren’t you just threatening to kill Uncle Jim for making you go to this like ten minutes ago?”

McCoy waved his hand dismissively, “Eh, he’ll live.”

“Well thank you for inviting me. I’m sure it wasn’t easy convincing Momma.”

“Of course I would invite you. I couldn’t ask for a better date.”

Jim arrived with a cardboard tray of drinks.

“Can I borrow one of your hair pins?” Jim shook out several napkins.

Joanna was confused but did as requested. After some kind of sorcery, Jim had covered the top of her dress to protect it.

“Where did you learn to do this, Uncle Jim?”

“Five years of being Starfleet’s greatest diplomatic toy and you pick up a few tricks on how not to ruin your clothes.”

Joanna looked at the two men who’d shoved napkins down their collars to protect their own formal wear.

“You’re not tired of these parties?”

“Oh believe me, we are,” McCoy pulled his drink from the tray.

“The ones we hosted on the ship were usually alright but some of the ones we had off the ship could get…”

“Interesting,” McCoy didn’t want to divulge how many ended up as shit shows for some reason or another.

“Hey, Bones, reminder that one with that blue goo stuff?”

“You’ll have to be more specific.”

They paused long enough to accept the food from the waiter and divide it amongst themselves.

“The one that gave Chekov a purple rash all over his face,” Jim said, biting into a taco.

The food was good but nearly as good as the tales they told, each one seemingly more ridiculous than the previous one.

“So what happens next?” Joanna crumpled up her trash.

“We hitch a ride over to the reception hall,” McCoy leaned back and pulled the napkins from his collar.

“I mean after the coming home stuff settles down. Are you going back out there?”

If she felt Jim tense up next to her she didn’t point it out.

“That’s really far away, sweetpea.”

“Yeah, Bones, what are your plans?” Jim’s voice only had a hint of malice behind it.

McCoy’s eyes tightened and Joanna knew she’d hit a sore topic.

“I’m not sure. SFM has been making some tempting offers and there’s no guarantee we’d be given a second tour.”

“You want to stay here, Daddy?”

“I wouldn’t mind getting to see you finish growing up.”

“Should we head out?” Jim ended the conversation.

McCoy was grateful for the way out, “Yeah.”

Jim was the perfect gentleman and held out a hand to help Joanna into the cab. The ride was short but the tension could be cut with a knife.

“Ready, sweetpea?” McCoy hooked his daughter’s hand on his arm to escort her.

“Doesn’t Uncle Jim have a date?”

“I’m flying solo tonight, Miss Joanna,” Jim lined up behind them in the entrance line.

Joanna had always tried not to read the gossip rags when they published about the Enterprise crew, but even she was aware of the tabloids’ fascination with her Uncle Jim’s love life. The line to enter was slow and her feet had started to hurt from her shoes.

Jim was immediately surrounded once he entered. She saw Jim look longingly at her and her father before he pulled them away and they were sucked into that black hole.

“Will Uncle Jim be okay?” Joanna watched the throngs of people in formal uniforms swarm the captain.

“We’ll give him an hour before any rescue attempts,” McCoy steered them to their table to see Uhura and Spock already there.

Uhura quickly threw her chair back to hug Joanna, “Oh I’ve missed you, Jo!”

“I’ve missed you too!”

“Miss McCoy,” Spock looked even less eager to be there than her father did.

“Hey, Spock.”

“Has Jim arrived?”

McCoy only had to throw his thumb in Jim’s general direction.

“I see, one hour then before extrication then?”

“Yup, standard op,” McCoy headed for the closest bar.

He brought back a pair of champagne flutes, “Do not tell your mother.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” Joanna took the glass.

“You can have two tonight and that’s it.”

Uhura grabbed her hand and was dragging her to a table of desserts before she could protest.

“This is the only good part about these things,” Uhura was unabashedly piling a plate high with confections.

“Does no one like going to these things?” Joanna put a few things on her own plate.

“No. They’re all the same and it gets old fast. Christine set up the pool for this one and I have fifty credits each on Scotty beaming in several bottles of his home brew and Jim bleeding.”

“What?”

“Don’t worry, there’s good odds on your dad saying ‘dammit Jim’ at least five times.”

“This is what you guys do?” Joanna followed her back to their table.

“Pretty much.”

Spock eyed Uhura’s plate and wisely chose to remain silent about the amount on it.

“There’s a sight for sore eyes,” a thick Scottish brogue came from the seat next to her.

Joanna dropped her fork to give the chief engineer a hug, “How’s anyone going to recognize you without grease everywhere?”

“Aye you’re a right smart lass,” Scotty laughed and pulled out a flask.

Sulu and his husband arrived at the table by the time she had given up on trying to scoop up some sort of pink wispy blob onto a spoon.

“Where’s Dem?” she gives up on the dessert and stands for a hug.

“By some miracle we found a babysitter.”

Joanna watched her dad roll his eyes when Chekov showed up with his date of the week.

“Doing okay, sweetpea?” McCoy noticed Joanna had given up on her plate.

“Yeah, saving room for another round.”

“Want to dance to make room for more?”

Joanna laughed, “Please tell me how you got with Momma again?”

“Clearly it worked well enough to get you here,” McCoy led them to the dance floor.

“Isn’t it time to go save Uncle Jim?” Joanna saw the top of dirty blonde hair from the middle of the throng of people still huddled around Jim.

“Nah, he’ll be fine,” McCoy spun them around so he could see.

“Are you really going to stay on Earth now?”

McCoy pulled back to stare into his daughter’s hazel eyes, “Well that wouldn’t be so bad would it? What are your thoughts on it?”

“You wouldn’t get bored?”

“Believe me when I say I’ve had enough excitement for several lifetimes.”

“What’s Uncle Jim doing?”

“I’m sure they’ll give him a new ship or another tour. He’s not ready to fly a desk yet.”

If Joanna felt her father’s hand in hers get sweaty, she kept it to herself.

“You’d leave him and the ship?”

“Are you trying to get rid of me?” McCoy spun Joanna around.

“Of course not, Daddy. I just want you to be happy.”

“Maybe being here with you is what makes me happy. I know I’ve missed a lot of you growin’ up.”

“It’s not like I’ll be here for much longer.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” McCoy nearly stepped on his daughter’s foot.

“I’ll be headed off to college in a couple of years. Maybe earlier if I can get some of my classes done more quickly.”

“Where exactly do you want to go?” McCoy recovered from his stumble.

“I was thinking Urey…”

“Urey?”

“They have one of the best xenozoology programs in the system.”

“Hmmmph. You couldn’t pick anywhere closer?”

“Just saying, it’s a short trip on any warp ship…”

“We should—“

“Do you mind if I cut in, Bones?” Jim had managed to slip his admirers.

“Yeah, I think I need another drink since Jo here wants to go to school on the other side of the damn galaxy.”

“Love you too, Daddy,” Joanna giggled as Jim took her hand and waist.

“Bye, Bones,” Jim smirked.

“Dammit, Jim.”

“So school huh?” Jim watched McCoy’s back disappear into the crowd of dancers.

“Oh not you too.”

“Never, go wherever you want. Bones gets dramatic over everything.”

“I know, Momma calls him a ‘drama queen’. How did you get away from your fans?”

“My dear Joanna, I am the master at these kinds of things. Though I’m afraid I’m here to request your participation during the awards part.”

“Daddy always says you get everyone into trouble.”

Jim sighed, “This isn’t trouble, I promise.”

“Well what is it?”

“Command is handing out awards and stuff, and I think your dad would appreciate it more if you get to change his epaulettes. It’s usually done by a family member or close significant other. ”

“I’d love to, Uncle Jim. Does he know about it?”

“I’m sure he’s guessed it by now.”

“Are you getting one?”

Jim smiled, “I hope not, I turned the last one down.”

“So you can stay in space?”

“Yeah.”

“You know Daddy is thinking about staying right?”

Joanna felt Jim tense.

“He says that but he’ll be bored by the second week. All he did at Yorktown was complain about the routine surgery they had him doing. ‘If I have to cut out another ingrown toenail I’m going to head straight for the nearest air lock’.”

Joanna laughed at Jim’s poor impression of her father.

“Has Uhura given you the odds for this becoming shit show yet?”

“You know about that?”

Jim’s bright blue eyes twinkled, “Who do you think keeps putting credits on the ‘dammit Jim’s?”

“You guys are ridiculous,” Joanna laughed.

“C’mon, I need a drink,” Jim took her hand and led her back to the crew’s table.

McCoy already had a drink ready for him and as Jim sat down everyone discreetly positioned themselves to shield him from the room. Joanna marveled at the system they had.

“Hungry, kid?” McCoy asked.

Jim nodded. Joanna watched her father grab a plate of food.

“Thanks, Bones,” Jim picked at the offerings.

Someone in a suit tried to approach the table but Scotty slapped his arm around the guy and led him away talking animatedly. The gap was filled quickly by Chekov before anyone else could get near their captain. Jim took a few moments to stay seated and finish his drink before standing. The group dispersed and Jim was immediately reswarmed.

Joanna watched her father watch Jim charm the group away from their table, “No wonder Uncle Jim likes being in space.”

“Probably the only peace he gets.”

It wasn’t long before everyone was asked to take their seats and the band was given a much needed break.

“This is the really boring part,” Uhura whispered to Joanna as someone in a uniform began speaking.

She noticed that Jim had taken a seat in one of the chairs on the stage. Even she could tell his attentive demeanor was a hundred percent for show. Everyone at the table was only half listening until it was time for Jim’s speech.

Joanna was sure everyone in the room who wasn’t already Starfleet was going to sign up immediately after listening to Jim recount the incredible adventures and achievements from their five year mission. She knew that there was no way her father would be happy on Earth after having done all that. Despite his grumbling, he would always be meant for more.

“At this time I’d like for crew members from the Enterprise who are with us tonight and their significant others to come to the stage.”

“Dammit, Jim,” Joanna heard her father mutter.

She signaled Uhura for ‘two’.

“Come on, Daddy,” Joanna looped her arm around McCoy’s.

They took their spot between Scotty and some tall burly man she didn’t recognize.

“Chief of security,” McCoy whispered in her ear.

The lights on the stage were hot after only a few moments of listening to Jim read off a seemingly endless list of Spock’s accomplishments. Joanna didn’t understand what half of them were but after the list Jim held open a small clamshell case while Uhura pinned the new medals to Spock’s formal dress jacket. Jim returned to the lectern to rattle off a new list of accomplishments and pinned several medals onto Scotty’s jacket. Jim changed the shoulder boards on the Scotsman’s jacket before giving him a hearty handshake.

“I’m not really sure where to begin the list of accomplishments for our Chief Medical Officer, Lieutenant Commander Leonard McCoy. We’d be here all night if I had to read them one by one. Not only has he countlessly saved my life or the lives of the crew several times over without complaint, there’s more than a dozen entire civilizations that continue to thrive because of his tireless efforts. He always brushes off his miraculous feats as ‘doin’ my damn job’ but he sells himself short. On top of being an exemplary Starfleet officer, Doctor Leonard McCoy is the very embodiment of our mission to act as the humanitarian armada of the Federation. He’s probably going to scowl and maybe toss out a few ‘dammit Jim’s, but it’s truly an honor to promote Doctor McCoy to Commander.”

Joanna’s heart swelled with pride listening to Jim gush over her father. His blue eyes were electric in the stage lighting as he looked down the row of officers to McCoy. She couldn’t help but chuckle when Uhura wiggled three fingers.

“Dammit, Jim,” McCoy grumbled when Jim walked over with a small case in his hands.

“Miss Joanna, if you please,” Jim opened the case to reveal three shiny medals and a pair of epaulettes with three gold bands on them.

“Which ones first?” Joanna asked as she moved to stand in front of her father.

“This one,” Jim wiggled his thumb closest to the medal with the pale blue ribbon.

Joanna would never admit that her hands shook as she undid the clasp on the back of the medal. She felt her father breathe heavily as she pinned the first medal under the last row already on his jacket.

“Now the shoulder boards,” Jim whispered when she finished with the last medal.

Joanna undid the button that held the current epaulettes to the jacket and slid the old one off. Jim shoved the outdated rank into a pocket. She couldn’t help but notice her father looking over her head to Jim when she fastened the new shoulder boards.

“Congratulations, Commander,” Jim looked genuinely happy as he shook McCoy’s hand.

“Dammit, Jim.”

“You better slow up on those if you think you’re going to get any of the take,” Jim clapped McCoy on the arm.

Joanna stared in disbelief that Jim and her father were working together to win the bet. Jim winked at her before returning to the lectern. She haphazardly watched as Uhura was presented with a case of medals since she had chosen to wear her own dress.

“So now what?” Joanna watched the new medals on McCoy’s jacket jingle when they returned to the crew table.

“A few more speeches and then back to partying.”

Joanna hadn’t been paying the least bit of attention to the Andorian giving a speech until a loud bang nearly ruptured her eardrums. The room went dark as it filled with smoke. She didn’t have any time to process what was happening before someone hauled her roughly from her seat.

“Stay here,” a voice told her.

“What?” she couldn’t focus over the sound of her ears ringing.

“Stay here!”

Joanna opened her eyes to see a fuzzy image of her father crouched in front of her.

“What?”

“Do. Not. Move.”

Joanna’s head ached as she twisted it to see she was behind the bar by their table.

“Do you hear me?” calloused hands pressed around her ears.

“Stay?”

“That’s right, Joanna. Stay put.”

“Okay,” her brain struggled to keep up with what happened.

When her ears stopped ringing, the cacophony of whatever crisis was just as deafening. There was no way to follow the din of screaming or shouting. Things broke over her head and she crouched deeper in the recess of the bar over the totes of extra supplies. The only thing she could process was that her father and everyone else was somewhere on the other side of her little protective barrier. She put her hands to her ears to block out the noise.

“Jo?” she didn’t realize the noise had stopped. “Joanna?”

Warm hands pulled hers away from covering her head.

“It’s alright, sweetpea. It’s over,” the owner of the voice squeezed her hands.

They pulled her from the spot under the bar.

“Can you look at me?” thumbs gently pulled down the skin under her eyes.

The smoke had started to clear but she could easily recognize her father’s figure. She couldn’t figure out why it was so hard to focus.

“Daddy?”

“That’s right, sweetpea,” hands swept through her hair. “Did you hit your head?”

“I don’t think so,” Joanna began to shake.

“Hey it’s okay, just shock. You’re gonna be fine.”

Joanna’s brain kept misfiring.

“Joanna okay?” some voice called from the other side of the bar.

“Yeah, she’s a little shaken up,” McCoy’s dress jacket was still warm from being next to him when he wrapped it around her shoulders.

“What happened?” Joanna’s brain finally loosened the stuck gears.

“Damn anti-Federationists,” McCoy ripped the knot of his bow tie free.

Joanna only nodded.

“You want to sit here for a minute or are you ready to stand up?”

“Stand?”

She felt her father’s hands press into her biceps.

“Just take it slow. We’re not in any hurry. Deep breaths.”

The rise in elevation was glacial but she made it to her hurting feet. The ballroom was in absolute shambles. Broken glass was everywhere, tables and chairs overturned, a few people milling about, bodies on the floor, and a slowly dissipating haze filled the atmosphere.

“What?”

“I’ll explain later, let’s just get you out of here first.”

Joanna’s feet had horrible timing to remind her about the hours they spent in strappy dress shoes.

“Joanna?” McCoy easily caught his stumbling daughter.

“‘m okay, my shoes hurt.”

“Need me to carry you?”

“No, I can make it, Daddy.”

McCoy swept away some of the broken glass in her path away with his foot. Her toes finally started to numb themselves and she was able to take shaky steps away from the bar and into the middle of the carnage. McCoy easily guided her around the worst of the debris and bodies.

“Is everyone okay?” Joanna tried not to focus too hard on the body to her right.

“Yep.”

Joanna was led to the lobby where the rest of the crew had gathered. She watched a pair of armed military police walk over to where Jim and Spock had someone pinned to the floor. Joanna couldn’t hear what they said but magnetic cuffs were slapped on the being’s hands before Jim and Spock moved.

“Joanna?” Jim caught sight of her under her father’s arms.

“She’s okay, Jim.”

Jim visibly relaxed and walked to the set of nearby stairs. He groaned as he sat down on the steps.

“We’re getting too old for this shit, Bones,” Jim pulled the knot of his bow tie free.

“I’ll say,” McCoy brought them closer to the group.

“You sure you’re okay?” Uhura walked over and brushed dirt from Joanna’s dress.

“I’m fine, I promise.”

“Scotty, can you?” McCoy nodded to her.

“Aye,” Scotty traded places holding her steady.

“Alright, Jim, how bad?” McCoy crouched in front of Jim.

“Think they got the back of my head.”

McCoy nodded and used his thumb and index finger to open up each of Jim’s eyes. Jim hissed when McCoy’s probing fingers found a good sized gash under his hairline on the back of his head.

“Dammit, Jim,” McCoy tilted Jim’s head into the light to see the oozing wound better.

“I think it was a champagne bottle,” Jim winced when the doctor's fingers pressed into the laceration.

Joanna could see the back of Jim’s shirt collar was stained red. McCoy must’ve hit a tender spot again because Jim twisted away with a yelp. His jacket shifted and she saw a larger swath of red blossoming on the white dress shirt underneath.

“Daddy?”

McCoy only half listened, “What is it, sweetpea?”

“Look,” Joanna pointed to Jim’s side.

“Traitor,” Jim sighed when McCoy peeled open his jacket.

“Dammit, Jim!”

“And now we’re going to lose the bet,” Jim flinched when the doctor pressed his fingers to the wound.

“Can someone go find a medic? This self sacrificing asshole has earned himself a trip to the ER,” McCoy freed the tucked in shirt from Jim’s waistband.

“I’m not going,” Jim’s words stopped Chekov, who had turned to do as the CMO ordered.

“For fucks sake, Jim, you’re going. You’re bleedin’ all over yourself.”

“Who’s winning that one?” Jim looked over to Uhura.

Uhura tried not to look guilty.

“The least you can do is split it with me.”

“The only thing that’s splitting will be your head when I finish beating you,” McCoy dug into the wound for emphasis.

“I…ah…get it, Bones. Still, I’m not going.”

“And who do you think is going to patch you up?”

Joanna watched Jim give her dad puppy dog eyes.

“Absolutely not. I’m on leave, as it not working, vacationing—“

“Please, Bones?” Jim’s voice dripped with charm.

“And what makes you think I have what I need at my apartment?”

“Really, Bones? I know I’m concussed, but I’m not brain damaged.”

The stare down continued until, predictably, McCoy broke first.

“Dammit, Jim.”

“Thanks, Bones, now you’ve lost it for us.”

“You ungrateful brat,” McCoy hauled Jim to his feet. “I should just leave you here.”

“C’mon, Bones. The longer you stand here and rant, the more I’m bleeding out.”

Joanna watched her father stop himself from throttling Jim.

“Can someone grab me an ice pack?” Jim’s eyes blurred for a second before they refocused.

“Bring a clean towel or something too.”

“Aye, sers,” Chekov dashed from the group.

“Ye alright, lassie?” Scotty asked.

“Is this normal?”

“Aye, that it is. Ah, Jimbo, I see that ye ripped another shirt.”

“Yeah, tell Chapel you win that one again,” Jim pulled at the edges of the ripped shirt and sighed.

“Here!” Chekov ran to Jim with a chemical ice pack.

McCoy took it and popped the inner membrane with more force than really necessary. He handed the ice pack to Jim who placed it to the back of his head.

“Are we almost done here?” McCoy wadded up the cloth napkin and pressed it to Jim’s side.

“I believe so, Doctor.”

“If not, can we be done?” Jim kept his eyes closed against the pounding headache.

“Yeah, kid. We can be done. Let's get you outta here so I can take care of this,” McCoy pulled Jim towards the doors.

“This one was supposed to be fun,” Jim whined as they stepped out into the crisp San Franciscan night.

The process to get Jim down the stone steps was slow and took a Vulcan on the other side to make sure he stayed upright.

“Joanna still with us?” Jim asked as they waited for a cab.

“Still here, Uncle Jim.”

“S’rry about your first party.”

“It’s okay, Uncle Jim. I had fun for most of it.”

“Might throw up, B’nes,” Jim went pale.

“You do and we’re going straight to the ER for neurological scans.”

“Maybe not,” Jim swallowed hard several times.

They got Jim back to McCoy’s apartment with his stomach contents remaining inside his stomach.

“Are you sure we don’t need to take him to the hospital?” Uhura eyed Jim as he was deposited onto the dining table.

“I should be fine,” McCoy pulled his bow tie free.

Jim leant back onto his elbows with his legs dangling off the side, “I think they’re questioning my safety, Bones.”

“Oh no, we’re definitely making sure Leonard is going to be okay.”

“Kick me while I’m down, why don’t you?”

“If that’s all, Jim, I think Nyota and I will take our leave.”

“Oh thanks, leave me alone with Mr Hypo Happy here. I can take those commendations back, you know?”

“Don’t worry, Kirk, I’ll buy something nice with those credits you lost.”

“You, stay put,” McCoy sent a pointed finger in Jim’s direction before disappearing into his bedroom.

“Night, guys,” Jim’s dress shoes hit the floor with a loud thud as he toed them off.

“Good night, Miss Joanna.”

“G’night,” Joanna hugged Uhura before they left the apartment.

McCoy came back with his arms full.

“Oh this’ll be fun,” Jim watched as the pile of medical paraphernalia was dumped onto the table.

“Daddy, are you sure he doesn’t need a hospital?”

“Not you too,” Jim swatted the tricorder wand away from his face.

“It’s fine, Jo. It’s not like I haven’t done this a thousand other times. You don’t have to watch, you can go to bed.”

Jim grunted as he was helped out of his dress jacket.

“I’ll stay up with you, but I will change at least.”

She saw her father nod as he got to work on Jim’s shirt buttons. Joanna hurried down the small hall kicking off her dress shoes. The plush carpet felt heavenly to her swollen feet.

Joanna could hear Jim whine, “Owww, Bones. Stop it.”

“Stop being such a damn infant!”

The grumbling was indistinct as she changed into more comfortable pajamas and washed the make up from her face.

“Uncle Jim?” Joanna heard a loud hiss before she entered the dining area to see Jim using his arm as a pillow and her dad holding instruments deep into the wound.

“I’m fine,” Jim flinched as a tool was twisted.

“Hold still, dammit,” McCoy growled.

“Hey Joanna, can you grab me a new ice pack and coffee for your dad?”

Joanna appreciated a task that took her away though she could still hear the two of them from the kitchen.

“Let me give you something else, Jim.”

“Nope, keep going.”

“I don’t know why I listen to you.”

“Because you know I have a concussion and we’re on your table?”

“Brat.”

“But your brat?” Jim said quietly but Joanna was already within earshot.

“Thanks, Joanna,” Jim put the new ice pack over the dermal regenerator that was blinking at the base of his skull.

“Thanks, sweetpea,” McCoy set down his instruments to take a long pull from the mug.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Uncle Jim?” Joanna eyed the wound with a raised eyebrow that rivaled her father’s.

“Yeah, it’s not that bad.”

“Ready?”

“Do your worst, Bones.”

“I think you did that well enough for the both of us here.”

“How did that happen?” Joanna took a chair facing Jim.

Jim eyed the gash, “I think it was the Champagne bottle my head had the courtesy of breaking first.”

“Next time get sliced by something a little less jagged.”

“I will definitely make that request of any future attackers. Tell me more about this college you want to go to?”

Jim would’ve sworn McCoy purposefully shoved something deeper in his side out of spite.

“It’s really not that far,” Joanna knew how her dad felt about space travel.

“What school is it?”

“Urey.”

“Where is that one?”

“Cerberus.”

McCoy flinched.

“Shit, Bones, watch what you’re doing there,” Jim hissed.

“Oh c’mon, Daddy, you’ve been all over the galaxy. It’s hardly that far away compared to where all you’ve been.”

“Sorry, Jo. Is it a good school?”

“It’s the best xenozoology department in the quadrant.”

“Does your mother know?”

Joanna’s ears reddened, “We might’ve already visited once…”

“What?” McCoy looked up from Jim’s side.

“Bones, before you have a stroke, know that you still have shit in my side,” Jim tried to calm down the doctor before he erupted.

“When?”

“A couple of months ago. Clay went with us. We stopped at Geneva III on the way back to go skiing.”

McCoy had to take a few deep breaths. He’d known about the ski trip but not that it wasn’t the reason for their trip.

“And did you like it?” McCoy asked after a few moments.

“I did,” Joanna sat up taller.

“Why not an Earth school?”

“Because I want to go to the best school and I have the grades to do it.”

“Just think, Bones, if you take another tour we’ll be able to stop by and visit her more.”

“You stay out of this.”

“Daddy, we all know you’re going back up there.”

“And how does everyone know something I don’t?”

“Because everyone knows you wouldn’t leave Uncle Jim alone on that ship.”

“What?” McCoy sputtered.

Jim chuckled but was silenced with a glare from McCoy.

“It’s okay if you want to go back into space. It has to be way more exciting than anything happening here. Uncle Jim said you were bored at the starbase you got held over at.”

“I haven’t made a decision yet, either way.”

McCoy’s tone closed the door for any more discussion and he continued to close Jim’s side in silence. Jim pushed himself off the table and grabbed a nearby t-shirt once the doctor finally declared he was finished.

“Where did you get that?” Joanna pointed to a nearly invisible scar that was illuminated by the blinking lights of dermal regenerators.

“What?” Jim looked down.

Joanna motioned to the line that went clear across to the other side of Jim’s chest. She saw her dad freeze.

“Old battle wound,” Jim covered himself quickly.

“Oh, sorry,” Joanna. “It just looked bad.”

“It was pretty bad,” McCoy said, avoiding their eyes as he cleaned up the table. “It’s time for all of us to get to bed. Jim, let me make up the couch since it’s late…well early and you’ll need neuro checks.”

“Boooooones,” Jim whined.

“Then learn to start ducking.”

Joanna understood this was her cue, “Night, Daddy. Night, Uncle Jim.”

They bid her good night and she retreated to the guest room. The exhaustion was no match for her racing brain and she was asleep after hitting the pillow. She vaguely remembered hearing voices from the living room at some point, but it wasn’t until well into mid morning before she began to wake up. Her stomach demanded food even though her brain wanted more sleep. She caught sight of Jim on the sofa as she tiptoed to the kitchen. Fixing a real breakfast would wake everyone up so she settled for a bagel.

“Joanna?” Jim was upright on the sofa when she tried to sneak back to the guest room.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t,” Jim was already up and moving towards the kitchen. “Take a seat and I’ll make breakfast.”

“It’ll wake Daddy up. I can help.”

“I doubt it, he was pretty beat. I disabled his alarm a few hours ago. Here, sit. I’m not a half bad cook.”

Joanna noticed Jim was wearing a pair of pajama bottoms and t-shirt he didn’t have on before she went to bed. He also seemed to know his way around her dad’s kitchen.

“You like pancakes?”

“Of course.”

Jim set a griddle pan on the stove.

“Where’s your apartment?” Joanna watched Jim make the batter without measuring anything.

Jim chuckled, “Like eight floors down. I always thought it was weird Bones got a unit so high up.”

“Coffee?”

“Please?”

Jim scooped out coffee grounds into a French press.

“Nana makes coffee that way.”

“I learned this from her. She gave me the one I have in my apartment for Christmas.”

“When you were sick and you and Daddy stayed with her?”

“Yes ma’am. Blueberry or chocolate chips?

“Both?”

“I like the way you think,” Jim mixed blueberries and chocolate chips into the batter.

“What kind does Daddy like?”

“Pecan.”

Joanna digested that Jim easily knew her dad’s favorite kind of pancakes.

“Are you and him together? Like together-together?”

Jim’s back was to Joanna as he scooped batter onto the griddle but she saw his spine go rigid.

“What makes you think that, Miss Joanna?”

“Because I’m not blind, Uncle Jim. If you aren’t, my next question is going to be ‘why not’.”

Jim chuckled and turned to the girl, “So if we already were?”

“Then good.”

“You know, Uhura was a lot less generous and called us both idiots.”

“She wasn’t wrong. How long?”

“Officially?”

“Yeah,” Joanna accepted the cup of coffee he handed her.

“A year and a half ago?”

“It’s about time Daddy is happy.”

Jim transferred the finished pancakes to a plate and poured more batter, “Does this mean you get to give me the ‘if you break his heart’ speech?”

“Do I need to?”

Jim chuckled, “Only if you want to.”

“Huh, I thought he’d be up by now,” Joanna looked at her dad’s closed door after Jim finished the last of the pancakes.

“Here, we can wake him up,” Jim pulled a small sensor she hadn’t noticed from his hairline.

The little device gave out a few chirps.

“What’s that?”

“One of his neurosensor things. I’m sure it’s connected to his data pad. Any second now.”

There was a muffled thump from behind the closed door.

“Jim?” McCoy stumbled from his bedroom still half asleep.

“See?” Jim smiled over his coffee mug.

“Over here, Daddy,” Joanna spun around on the stool.

“Where’s Jim? His neural sensor went down.”

“I’m not dead, Bones. Breakfast is ready.”

“Christ, Jim. Can’t you wake someone up like a damn normal person?”

“Mornin’, Daddy.”

“Hey, sweetpea,” and just like that McCoy had calmed down from an eleven to his usual six or so.

McCoy left to use the bathroom while Jim set the dining room table. Joanna took the pancakes to the table. Jim had just finished refilling coffee cups when McCoy returned.

“Try again? Good morning, Bones,” Jim sat down.

The doctor only grumbled into his coffee cup.

“Yes it’s still morning but not for much longer,” Jim dug into his pancakes.

Joanna took that as her cue and started eating, she was starving.

“Sleep well, Jo?” McCoy set to work on his own stack.

“Like a log.”

“McCoys and their damn metaphors,” Jim mumbled into his coffee cup.

###

“Uncle Jim isn’t joining us?” Joanna slid into the rental hovercar.

“Nah, I thought we could have a day without him since he’s got Fleet business today.”

McCoy programmed their destination to Santa Cruz.

“He doesn’t get much of a vacation does he?”

“Perks of being top of the command chain,” McCoy guided the vehicle out of the city.

Their peaceful drive south was interrupted by a trill buzzing that came through the car speakers. McCoy looked at the comm signature on the display screen and shriveled in his seat. Joanna saw her mother’s name.

“You better answer momma or she’ll keep callin’.”

“I know,” McCoy tapped the screen to connect the comms.

“LEONARD HORATIO MCCOY!!”

The occupants in the car winced. Jocelyn was clearly unhappy.

“Hello to you too, Jocelyn.”

“Hi, Momma.”

“Hey, Jo. Leonard, take me off speaker.”

Just the mere sound of his ex-wife’s voice made his teeth rattle, “Sorry, Jocelyn, but I’m driving.”

“Oh, switch it over to auto like everyone else.”

“No, what do you need?”

“Why am I hearing that there was a terrorist incident at that damn Starfleet party just now?”

Joanna rolled her eyes, “Momma, I’m fine and Daddy’s fine.”

“The news is saying it was because of Captain Kirk.”

“Jocelyn, it had nothing to do with Jim.”

“It’s bad enough he puts you in danger so much and now he gets Joanna involved in his mess again.”

“Momma…”

“Joce—“

“I’d like for Joanna to come home tomorrow.”

“What? No,” Joanna couldn’t believe her ears.

“I think she’d be safer back in Georgia.”

“C’mon now, she’s supposed to be here another week.”

“I’m not coming home early, Mother.”

“I don’t want her getting hurt.”

“Jocelyn, the only thing she’s in danger of is sunburn out here. I just got back from our tour, let me have the mere two weeks you would let me have.”

Joanna pulled a discarded gum wrapper from her purse and crinkled it over the speaker, “Mo…breaking…”

McCoy tried to hold in his laughter as he disconnected the comm, “And just who taught you that?”

“Uncle Jim told me Nyota does that for him on the ship,” Joanna smiled.

“Dammit, Joanna. You better not let your mother know.”

“Don’t worry, his secret for getting away from Command’s comms are safe with me.”

“Forget, Jocelyn, I’m gonna murder him myself for corrupting my child.”

Joanna silenced the comm when her mother tried to reconnect.

“So about that school on Cerberus?”

“Yeah, I get it, sweetpea.”

“Are you really thinking about staying on Earth?”

McCoy looked at his daughter, “I am.”

“You’d leave Uncle Jim?”

“Why does everyone seem to think we have to be together?”

“Daddy, please, you two don’t hide it nearly as well as you think you do.”

“What aren’t we hiding so well?”

“I know you two are together, like dating together.”

“Joanna, we’re not—“

“Jim already confirmed it.”

“That bast—“

“He only confirmed it because I asked him if what I saw was true. He makes you happy, Daddy. Just enjoy it instead of worrying about what the rest of us think.”

“No one off the ship knows.”

“Yeah about that, I’m pretty sure Nana knows.”

“Is there anyone who doesn’t seem to know?”

“Doesn’t sound like Momma did,” Joanna giggled.

“You know you want to go back into space with him. There’s nothing wrong with doing what makes you happy and you like being with him and you like exploring.”

“Joanna—“

“You two have been together for like two years?”

“How? I’m not even going to ask. There’s nothing wrong with long distance relationships. People in Starfleet do it all the time.”

“You know you wouldn’t trust anyone else to take care of him.”

Damn McCoy’s were always too damn insightful for their own good.

McCoy’s reply was cut off by the comm ringing through the speaker again.

“We’re your ears burnin’, Uncle Jim?” Joanna answered it before McCoy could silence the comm.

“Surely there’s more interesting things to talk about, Miss Joanna?”

Joanna laughed.

“What do you want, Jim?”

“Hey, Bones, you’re driving right?”

“Yeah, we’re headed to Santa Cruz for the day.”

“Can you put the car in auto for a minute? I don’t need you driving off a cliff.”

“Is this good news or bad news?” McCoy hit the auto controls and took his hands off the wheel.

“I think it’s good…”

“Well let the damn cat out of the bag already.”

“It’ll be official in another month, but crew selection for the next five year tour will begin this spring. I’ve been asked to start with department leaders next week if I want to take her out again.”

“That’s fantastic!”

McCoy’s ears stumbled on a small detail, “What do you mean ‘if’, Jim?”

“Well, I didn’t give them my answer just yet.”

“Is this the part I was supposed to worry about crashing over? Is that laceration draining? What’s your temperature? What’s today’s stardate?”

“Funny, Bones. I, uh, didn’t give them an answer because I wanted to see what your plans were.”

“And why would that matter?”

“If you want to stay on Earth—“

“And why the hell would I want that?”

“What?”

“I know you heard me.”

Joanna could hear Jim’s elatement.

“You’d want to take another five year mission?”

“I know I’m gonna regret it, but Joanna here is a witness. Yes, I’d be willing to sign up for another extended deep space mission.”

“I heard him loud and clear, Uncle Jim.”

“I’m not going to lie, but you had me pretty worried there, Bones.”

“It’s okay, Uncle Jim, he knows that I know.”

“You told her?”

“Didn’t have to, darlin’. Like I could have anyone else’s hands in your abdominal cavity when you inevitably turn things into a shit show.”

“You old romantic, Bones. Look, I have to finish up here. I’ll comm you back when I’m done.”

“Uncle Jim, can you meet us in Santa Cruz for dinner?”

“I’m sure I can find a transporter tech willing to give me a lift.”

“There’s room in the rental to drive you back.”

“Sure, send me the details later. I gotta run.”

They said their goodbyes and ended the comm.

“So Cerberus huh?”