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Another Life - a Star Trek fic - (Chapters 21 - 25)

Sequel to ‘On Borrowed Time’

Fandoms: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS), Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (AOS) Pairing: McCoy x Original Female Character (Dr. Jennifer Hope) Characters: The Crew of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) Rating/Warnings: None Tags: Romance, Friendship, Love, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, Mild Angst/H/C, Caring/Protective/Tender/Comforting/Happy/Grumpy/Worried McCoy Word Count: This is a long one. Again. 😄 (71 chapters - 177k)

Read it on AO3: Another Life

Chapter 21

When he could finally bring himself to let her go, McCoy took Hope back to the hotel, where they made good use of the big, comfortable bed. This time, there was no doubt that it was him who couldn’t keep his hands off her, and the doctor was very relieved to see Hope back to her confident, joyful self.

It seemed that every time he thought their love couldn’t possibly get any stronger, Hope managed to prove him wrong. Despite all the worrying she put him through, he’d found a kind of happiness with her that he’d certainly never expected to find in life. But even though he thought he’d learned to accept it as a gift and rejoice in his good fortune, a tiny voice in his head would always keep warning him that all good things must come to an end, and that he really didn’t deserve it.

Deliberately pushing those unbidden thoughts aside, he followed an eager Hope into the shower, trusting that her tender lips and caressing hands would help him wash all negativity down the drain. And it worked. As always, her soothingly exciting, and excitingly soothing presence filled his soul with a sense of well-being that simply left no room for anything else.

Afterwards, they went for a long, blissful stroll through the gorgeous countryside, where she made him tell her every little detail about his meeting with Joanna, and he happily obliged. Hope listened attentively as he told her of their talk about his marriage, the divorce, and the years after, squeezing his hand comfortingly when she heard what Jocelyn had put their daughter through. He realised only now, that because Hope had been too tactful to ask, he’d never really told her any of this. And when he couldn’t seem to stop going on about how happy he was to have had this conversation with his daughter, the doctor was incredibly touched to see how genuinely delighted Hope was for him.

Watching her soak up the beauty and scents of the place, McCoy was reminded of Paradise Earth, another beautiful planet, where they’d enjoyed a wonderful hike on an assignment and spent two unforgettable, if innocent nights together. Just like then, being surrounded by nature was balm to Hope’s soul, leaving no trace of her being insecure or troubled. She seemed perfectly all right again. Maybe her insomnia and general tenseness of late had been nothing more than a reaction to all her recent traumata after all. Maybe she was right, and he did worry too much about her, just as she always said. He certainly hoped so.

“As much as I enjoy this time alone with you, shouldn’t we meet up with the others, too, at some point?” Hope broke into his musings. “After all, you’re the reason they’re here.”

“Not unless you want to,” he replied with a smile. “I’ve already taken them out to dinner yesterday, since Joanna wanted to thank them, too, and I’ve sent them to watch a show tonight. Today is all about you, my love. We’ll do whatever you want.”

“Well, I’m certainly not objecting to that, Leonard,” Hope laughed, turning towards him and blowing him a kiss.

Feeling the sudden need to thank her again, McCoy stopped in the shade of a few enormous trees, grabbed a surprised Hope by the arms, and pulled her around to face him, looking deeply into her eyes.

“I know, I’ve said it before, love, and I’ll probably say it again, but I just can’t thank you enough for sacrificing half of your well-deserved shore leave for my daughter. I wish I had the words to tell you how much this time with her meant to me.”

“I know, Leonard,” Hope replied softly, but emphatically, an indulgent smile curling up her lips, “and it’s a shame Joanna couldn’t get more than two days off. But while I greatly value your appreciation, please stop treating me like this selfless saint. I mean, seriously, two days of shore leave versus the rare chance for someone to spend quality time with their daughter, that’s a no-brainer, wouldn’t you agree? You’d have done the same for anyone. But, of course, it’s even nicer to do it for the person you love most in the world.”

McCoy looked at her a little longer, blinking back the tears at what she’d just said. He really was too emotional today, and not only on Spock’s scale, either. So, letting a wide grin spread across his face, he raised a self-deprecating eyebrow and shrugged.

“Come along then, oh wise one,” he chuckled, and pulled Hope further along the path.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Jenny enjoyed walking hand in hand with the doctor through this amazing scenery. Being able to be so close to him and show her affection openly in public felt incredible and reminded her of their first shore leave together. The one that had led to them admitting their feelings for each other at long last. There were so many fond memories attached.

The first thing Jenny wanted after their stroll was dinner at a cosy restaurant, and McCoy took her to a lovely place serving food from all corners of the galaxy. They chatted throughout their meal, and Jenny was once again amazed by how the two of them never ran out of topics to talk about. Even after all this time together, there was still so much to learn about each other, so many thoughts and experiences to share, so many words of love, appreciation, and encouragement to exchange.

Not to forget about the number of stories and memories to share a laugh over, something she especially loved about their relationship. Serious and focused as McCoy was on the job, which, unfortunately, was most of the time on the Enterprise, he could be so much fun off-duty. When he wasn’t worrying about something or other, of course. His dry sense of humour often had Jenny in stitches.

On their way back to the hotel, they passed a club advertising romantic dancing, and Jenny didn’t have to think twice before pulling the doctor inside. The music playing at the moment was fast paced and rhythmic, and didn’t strike her as overly romantic, but in his current state of happiness McCoy didn’t seem to mind. Jenny was really glad to see him like this, and was rather impressed with his dance moves. She didn’t often get the chance to watch him dance, and was full of admiration for the gracefulness with which he moved. And, truthfully, more than a little turned on, too.

After a while, the music slowed down, and McCoy didn’t lose a second before drawing Jenny close. Her arms around his neck, while his were wrapped around her waist, they swayed to the gentle rhythm, smiling from ear to ear and nearly drowning in each other’s eyes. Only halfway into the second song, they were already locked in the most tender, never-ending kiss.

When the pace of the music picked up again, McCoy grabbed her hand and pulled her outside, finding a bench for them to sit on, not overlooking the sea like on their first shore leave, but the beautifully moonlit lake instead. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders to keep her warm, he rested his head on top of hers, and she could feel his lips curving into a content smile against her hair.

“It’s just like our first shore leave,” Jenny murmured, “only better, because I don’t have to persuade you to hold or kiss me anymore.”

McCoy’s answer was to pull her even closer, and she happily nestled further into his embrace.

“So much has happened since,” the doctor drawled, his voice sounding dreamy, “and yet, I can perfectly recall my feelings when we first danced together. I could feel you under my skin, you’d completely turned my head, and I was just helpless to resist. I knew kissing you was so very wrong, but I was utterly under your spell. All those months of secretly loving you, of restraining myself. All that pining.”

“You were pining for me?” Jenny giggled.

“Every night, my dear,” the doctor chuckled, lovingly running his fingers through her hair. “Like a lovesick teenager. Living only for the moments I could be near you. Look at you, touch you, or even hold you.”

“Me too,” she sighed softly, then turned her head to look up at him thoughtfully. “And do you regret it? Giving in to that kiss, I mean?”

McCoy’s reply was instant.

“Never,” he shook his head. “No matter what the future holds. I could never go back.”

“Not even to be rid of all the worrying I put you through?” she wanted to know.

“Do you really think I’d worry less about you, if I hadn’t kissed you and we weren’t together?” he laughed incredulously.

“Wouldn’t you?” she asked, looking at him quizzically, but really already knowing the answer.

“Jenny,” he chuckled indulgently, “you know perfectly well that my love for you doesn’t depend on us being together, or even on your reciprocating, as a matter of fact. I’d love you just as much if you didn’t even know I existed. But, of course, knowing you love me back is my preferred version.”

The doctor treated her to one of his trademark smiles, the kind that lit up his whole face and melted Jenny’s heart, and pulled her in for a deliciously passionate kiss, which she returned with fervour. This was definitely going to be another unforgettable night.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Upon their return to the Enterprise, they found themselves more than grateful for the past two days of peaceful bliss, when, unsurprisingly really, they immediately found themselves in the middle of the next crisis.

One of the ambassadors aboard broke down almost the moment they stepped off the transporter, showing all the signs of heavy organ failure.

“Of course, it has to be the one ambassador whose species has only recently joined the Federation, and whose medical details I only know in theory,” McCoy grumbled to Hope with a heavy heart, as they quickly changed into their uniforms.

And pressing a last wistful kiss on her lovely lips, he hurried out the door of his quarters towards sickbay, feeling his default worried frown sliding firmly back into place.

Chapter 22

“Are you coming, Doctor?” Nurse Chapel stuck her head around the door to McCoy’s office. “We’re all set, you can start anytime.”

“Be right there, give me another minute,” the doctor replied, keeping his eyes fixed on the screen, where he was studying a display of intricately intertwined organs.

He was scared. Honest to God terrified. Sure, this was not the first time he found himself in a situation like this. Actually, quite a number of medical procedures he’d had to perform since joining Starfleet had been a first for him. And that wasn’t even counting the Horta. Operating on Sarek, for example. That had been a tough one, and while the Enterprise had been under attack, too. But then, Vulcan organs were not that different from those of humans, just in different locations. Plus, he’d had years of at least theoretical knowledge, even if he hadn’t performed that exact procedure on a Vulcan before.

And, of course, there was Spock, who’d kindly provided more opportunities for hands-on practice over the years than McCoy cared to remember. With him being a hybrid, and thus unique in his physiology, fixing Spock had always been a challenge. Fortunately, one he’d mastered every time so far. And even though he liked to make fun of the first officer and the layout of his internal organs, McCoy had made it his priority to know everything there was to know about the differences between Humans, Vulcans, and his unique friend Spock.

What he was supposed to do now, however, was something else entirely. The ambassador, who had barely been responsive when McCoy had arrived in sickbay and was now in an induced coma, needed part of his digestive organs removed instantly. Before whatever they were infested with could spread to the other organs, the functions some of which fulfilled the doctor didn’t even comprehend. Fact was, they were all located scarily close together, overlapping even, and McCoy had no idea what would happen if he inadvertently damaged any of them while operating. He’d rarely felt so insecure. At least not in his capacity as a doctor.

Part of him wished that Hope were still working in sickbay. He could certainly use her moral support now. She had this way of grounding him, of keeping him focused, of making him grow beyond himself. But on the other hand, he was quite relieved that she wasn’t here to see him like this. Dithering and shaking with nerves.

Sure, she’d seen all his flaws, seen him at his weakest only recently, when he’d broken down over Joanna. But the one thing she still had complete faith in were his medical skills. And somehow that was incredibly important to him. He couldn’t bear the thought of her losing that. It’s what he was. A doctor, a healer. He needed to excel at that.

McCoy just couldn’t help it, protecting and staying strong were the sine qua non of his very existence. It was his default make-up, what he lived for. He couldn’t be strong all the time, of course, couldn’t protect everyone from everything. He’d made his peace with that over time. But he could, no he needed to be the best physician there was.

As for Hope, he wanted to be her rock, her safe haven, her protector, more than anything else. But he’d learned to live with not always being able to fill that role. Had accepted that sometimes it was okay to let her take care of him. What he desperately needed, however, was to see in her eyes this utter trust and belief in him and his abilities as a healer.

-x-x-x-x-x-

The ambassadors, especially those of newer planets to the Federation, provided a myriad of new information for the intuitive enhancement of the universal translator, and Jenny was in the middle of a meeting with her team when Christine called.

“We need you down here,” was all she said, but Jenny knew immediately that this was about McCoy.

Excusing herself from the meeting, she hurried towards sickbay and found Christine already waiting for her outside.

“Has something happened to Leonard?” she asked, her whole body trembling with fear and adrenaline.

“No, sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Christine quickly replied, resting a reassuring hand on her arm, “but I think he needs you now. He has to perform this obscenely complex operation, and I’ve never seen him so nervous, so reluctant. Time is of the essence, and I think he could do with a little pep talk.”

“All right, I’ll see what I can do,” Jenny smiled, exhaling sharply with the relief of learning that the emergency was nothing to do with McCoy being hurt or in any kind of danger.

-x-x-x-x-x-

“Anything I can do for you, before you’re off to your next brilliant performance?” she smiled as she sauntered into McCoy’s office.

The doctor snorted and briefly glanced at her.

“Sorry, love, can’t talk. Gotta get started,” he said, his gaze returning to the screen, and when she stepped behind him to peer over his shoulder, he added with a worried frown, “Did you need anything?”

Count on him to worry about her on top of everything else.

“No, Leonard, I’m all right,” she was quick to assure him. “Just checking in on my favourite doctor.”

Jenny could see that he was itching to get going, yet uncharacteristically hesitant to leave his desk, and her heart went out to him.

“This is what you’re up against?” she asked softly, trying to make sense of the display.

“Mhmm,” McCoy nodded slowly, heaving a sigh.

“Not that I’m an expert, of course, but that’s not your usual layout of organs, is it?” she probed carefully.

“That’s the understatement of the year,” he mumbled, lifting one corner of his mouth into a wry grin.

“Care to show me what you’re intending to do?”

“I need to remove this part here,” he indicated one of the blobs on the screen, “without so much as grazing any of the other organs, a damn near impossible feat, considering how interwoven they all are.”

He looked tired, and Jenny had to fight an urge to wrap her arms around him and just hold him tight.

“What happens if you do?”

“I don’t have the faintest idea,” he sighed. “That’s just it. What if I get it wrong, and he dies before I even know what I’m doing?”

“And if you don’t operate now? If you wait for a healer from his planet?”

“Then he’ll die for sure, he doesn’t have that much time.”

“So, there’s your answer. Exactly what you told me, when I thought I couldn’t do field surgery on Chekov. That was my first – and hopefully last – time, too, and I did it!”

“But that was different.”

“How?”

“You had me right there in the next cage, guiding you through every single move.”

“That’s right, and I was very grateful for that. But it was still no walk in the park for me.”

“I know,” he relented, briefly cupping her face in his hand, and Jenny felt a bout of affection ripple through her at the tenderness of his touch.

“Treating Chekov might not have seemed difficult from your point of view. But then, you’re a surgeon with years of experience. Decades even,” she teased, happy to elicit a huff and a little grin from McCoy. “And you’re certainly not squeamish or almost have to throw up at the mere thought of digging into someone’s innards.”

“You’re right, love, I’ve got everything going for me,” he smirked, lifting himself out of his chair, and Jenny was happy to hear his voice sounding firm again. “Enough with the dilly-dallying.”

“You’re the best doctor in the galaxy, Leonard. If there’s anyone who can pull this off, it’s certainly you,” Jenny wrapped her arms around his waist to give him a quick hug. “I’d put my life in your capable hands any day.”

That was obviously the right thing to say, she thought, relieved, when she felt his lips brush a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

“Do you want me to give Christine a hand?” she asked on impulse. “Just in case something unexpected happens? We used to be quite a good team.”

“Would you?” the doctor looked up, and Jenny could see his shoulders relaxing a little at her suggestion. “I’ve actually got someone else lined up already, but I wouldn’t mind having you there, too. As backup, so to speak, someone who’s able to think on their feet.”

“Give me a minute to get ready,” Jenny beamed and ran out of his office.

She’d never even known how much he valued her assistance. But she had to admit she was awfully flattered.

-x-x-x-x-x-

The procedure turned into a marathon operation, and there were several moments when it was touch and go. But having Hope by his side, with her unswerving faith in him, he couldn’t help but feel optimistic, too. She’d been right. He did have decades of experience, had pulled the odd rabbit out of the hat before, and was definitely able to get this right. He had this.

Hope was a real blessing, but she wasn’t only there for emotional support. Even without proper training as a nurse, she’d always had a knack for knowing how to make herself useful without having to be told. Like feeding him and Chapel nutrition bars and liquids for sustenance as time moved on. Or endlessly wiping beads of perspiration off their foreheads and pushing aside stray hairs that pricked their eyes or tickled their ears. Taking care of little annoying things like that, and generally providing everything they needed while disposing of things they didn’t.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her repeatedly exchanging meaningful glances with Chapel. If he knew his head nurse right, it had probably been Christine who’d called Hope to sickbay in the first place. And he was more than grateful for that. Hope’s presence was immensely reassuring. It was what kept him going and confident even when his mind was screaming with the impossibility of this turning out successful.

Almost seven hours later, they were done. Part of the organ neatly removed, and the ambassador still, if barely, alive. McCoy was dead on his feet and gratefully sank into a chair one of the orderlies had placed next to the ambassador’s bed. There was no way, of course, that he would leave his patient’s side anytime soon, and so he didn’t object when Hope pulled up a chair next to his and sat down, handing him a steaming cup of coffee and a sandwich.

For the next few hours, she kept him awake with all sorts of funny stories, most of which he was sure he wouldn’t be able to remember the next day. But Hope, being Hope, had of course noticed his mind wandering all the time and, with a loving smile, told him not to worry. By the time they were old and grey, he was bound to have heard those same stories several times over, anyway. She was the sweetest, most supportive partner he could imagine, and he fantasised about laying his weary head down in her lap and just going to sleep there.

When six hours later the ambassador was still stable, and McCoy had almost nodded off as many times in his chair, Hope and Chapel ganged up on him and tried to convince him to go back to his quarters for a couple hours of shut-eye in his own bed. And knowing that he was in no fit state to fight the collective force of the two women, he surrendered.

So, with Jenny promising to wake him up after two hours sharp, and Christine vowing not to leave the ambassador’s side and to call him the moment there was the slightest change in his condition, the doctor followed Hope out of sickbay and to his quarters. There he fell straight into bed, fully clothed, and smiled weakly as he felt his boots and uniform pants gently being pulled off, quickly followed by his blue medic shirt.

There was an awkward moment when Hope slid into bed next to him and started to run her hands all over his clammy, exhausted body, caressing and massaging, and the alarm must have shown on his face, because she started to laugh.

“Don’t worry, Leonard,” she chuckled fondly, as the touch of her gentle hands started to relax him, “I’m not expecting you to … er … you know what. But I happen to know, and I have it on good authority, that you fall asleep faster and wake up better rested with a certain, very lucky lady snuggled up in your arms.”

“You might have a point there, love,” he drawled, rolling onto his side and wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her closer.

He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, but was out like a light before he could get another word out.

Chapter 23

Fortunately, there were no complications following the operation, and the patient’s condition was improving steadily, if slowly, over the next few days. McCoy, of course, still spent long hours in sickbay, wanting to be close by, in case something happened. Although Jenny strongly suspected that it was also quite a welcome pretext for the doctor to excuse himself from most of the dinners and parties in honour of their guests. She knew how Leonard detested his dress uniform, which was a shame really, since she thought he looked rather hot wearing it.

With all the meetings and social gatherings she had to attend, Jenny was rather busy, too. So she didn’t see much of McCoy at all, one of them usually already dead to the world by the time the other climbed into bed, or back on duty before the other woke up again. Therefore, she tried to spend as much time as possible between meetings in sickbay every day, ostensibly to do her eagerly expected rounds of entertaining and talking to patients, but really to exchange a few words with Leonard and generally be close to him.

“Come to bed, love,” McCoy called her one night, when he’d left sickbay early and found her still awake and chewing over some glitch in the translator’s programme.

“Just a couple more minutes, Leonard, I’m almost done,” Jenny replied, longing to fall into bed and his loving arms already, but sensing that the solution to her problem was almost within her grasp.

“What’s so urgent that you still have to work on it this late at night, anyway?” the doctor asked, coming to stand behind her, tenderly kissing the top of her head and giving her tense shoulders a gentle massage.

“Mmmmmh,” Jenny moaned, closing her eyes, momentarily distracted by his skilled hands, and relaxing against his chest. “There’s a glitch in my latest upgrade, and I can’t seem to fix it. But I’m nearly there, I can feel it.”

“Anything else you can feel, love?” McCoy murmured close to her ear, breaking her concentration and sending a shiver down her spine. “It’s not like this is life or death urgent, is it?”

That stung a little.

“No, Leonard, it’s not. Unlike your job, mine rarely is. But it’s still important to me.”

“I’m sorry, love,” McCoy’s fingers ceased their gentle motions, and his tone went from playful to sincerely apologetic. “I didn’t mean to belittle your job. That came out all wrong. You know that I’m fascinated by what you do. I admire your work greatly!”

“It’s ok, you can stop now,” Jenny laughed, shutting down the computer and turning around to face the doctor.

Of course, he’d never disparage her work, she thought affectionately, as she got up and put her hands on his hips to guide him over to the bed, backwards.

“We both know that what you do is far more important and admirable. And I’m very grateful and proud that you’re such a gifted physician.”

“You think I was just trying to placate you?” McCoy asked in between covering her face with gentle kisses. “No, Jenny, I meant it. You’re amazing.”

When his legs hit the bed, he plopped down and rolled onto his back, pulling her with him, and soon all thoughts of jobs and glitches were forgotten, as she lost herself in his tender ministrations.

-x-x-x-x-x-

“You know, nobody’s expecting you to keep up your honorary shifts in sickbay, now that you have a full-time job, love. Especially not at a busy time like this,” McCoy told Hope later, as they were lying on rumpled sheets, her warm and relaxed body nestled comfortably in his arms. “I don’t want you having to work through the night for your real job, just to keep my patients happy. Even Dr. Jennifer Hope needs to rest now and then.”

He smiled, listening to the little sighs of pleasure that accompanied every stroke of his hand, as he ran his fingers lightly up and down her back. McCoy loved the cuddling and talking in bed, another one of those things he’d completely failed to appreciate before Hope. He loved the closeness, the intimacy of it. Getting to see a side of her that no one else ever saw. Especially after they’d made love and she was all drowsy looks and languid movements.

“But I love sickbay,” she purred, reaching out a hand to play with the hair on his chest. “I’ve always enjoyed working there. Besides, I want to see you, be close to you.”

Cuddling and talking after making love was also the time when Hope dropped her shields, affording McCoy rare and precious glimpses of the vulnerable girl hiding behind all the strength, efficiency, and energetic cheerfulness. It helped him look out for her, give her what she really needed. But this time, her words had struck a nerve. This was about what had ruined his previous relationships.

“Do you really feel you need to come to sickbay to see me, love?” he asked quietly, not quite able to hide his uneasiness. “Am I neglecting you?”

“Neglecting me?” Hope repeated, sounding genuinely surprised, and McCoy let out a soft sigh of relief.

“Not at all, Leonard, whatever gave you that idea?” she laughed before continuing in a more serious tone, as she copped on to why the thought bothered him so much. “I simply love to be around you every chance I get. But that doesn’t mean I feel neglected when you’re at work.”

McCoy had rolled onto his side and propped himself up on one elbow, so that he could search her face closely. But he detected no trace of disappointment or reproach in her eyes. Only love and happiness. A happiness he still found hard to believe he had helped to put there.

“There’s so much going on in my life, Leonard, with work, with my friends, I certainly don’t need you to babysit or entertain me. I just love you. And I certainly don’t feel neglected right now,” she chuckled, giving him a naughty wink before pulling his head down for a passionate kiss.

-x-x-x-x-x-

A week later, the Enterprise arrived at their next destination, Trias, a small planet full of valuable resources and prepared to negotiate a treaty with the Federation. Kirk’s orders were to escort the ambassadors and ensure their safety throughout the negotiations and their sojourn on Trias. The captain’s original plan had been to take only Spock and Hope, as well as a security detail of six, but now that one of the ambassadors was still convalescent, McCoy had to be included in the landing party, too.

Not that the doctor would mind, Kirk thought with a grin, amused by how Bones’ attitude towards getting picked for landing parties had changed since Hope was in most of them.

Conforming to protocol, the captain had the security detail beam down first to secure the area, then followed with his officers. The ambassadors would only be transported down after Kirk’s final all clear.

Materialising in a vast clearing, surrounded by huge trees, the captain spun around and tried to take in every detail as quickly as possible, like he’d been trained to do. They hadn’t got a lot of information on Trias and its population so far, and Kirk didn’t like surprises. One thing they’d been told already, was that the planet sported what would appear to be dinosaurs among its wildlife, and the captain had to admit that the boy in him felt almost disappointed at not spotting one right away.

He felt a little different about it, however, when, right at that moment, the forest seemed to come to life with roaring animal sounds. Especially, since the expected welcome committee obviously hadn’t arrived yet.

-x-x-x-x-x-

McCoy couldn’t believe his ears. They’d come here to negotiate, not to go on a safari. Or get trampled by a herd of angry dinosaurs.

Why couldn’t anything ever just be straightforward?

Within moments, the doctor found himself surrounded by his crewmates, their backs towards him, phasers drawn. When attacked or in danger, Starfleet officers had been trained to form a circle, facing outwards and keeping the medic protected in their middle. It was standard procedure and made sense, although McCoy always felt bad hiding behind his crewmates. With Hope around, he found it particularly hard, every fibre in his body screaming that it should be the other way around, that he should be the one protecting her.

He had, however, learned not to voice such thoughts in Hope’s presence. She was very touchy on the subject, probably because she’d spent the first twenty years of her life in a world that still treated women as weak and inferior. Hard to imagine really. As he saw it, he was always protective, and especially of loved ones, because it was in his nature, what had made him become a doctor in the first place, just like she longed for security, because she had lost her family and everything else that gave her stability at such a young age. Nothing to do with being male or female.

But since it was one of the few issues Hope still had with her past, he cut her some slack when she overcompensated. No matter how much he knew she liked feeling safe and protected when it was just the two of them, the moment she went into Starfleet officer mode, she was nothing but tough and efficient, and he respected that.

His mind was jolted back to the present, when a few giant dinosaur heads, that looked very much like the real thing, popped out of the woods. His eyes shifted to Hope’s back, tense like a cat’s before it pounced, but before he could decide on whether or not he really gave a damn about protocol, there was a sizzling and hissing in the air, as the animals were repelled by some kind of forcefield, almost as if there was a fence between them and the clearing.

Watching the spectacle before them in awe, the officers let out a collective breath of relief, as grips on phasers loosened and backs relaxed. McCoy stepped to Hope’s side, taking in how mesmerised she seemed by the creatures.

“This is ‘Jurassic Park’,” she whispered, her eyes glued to the scene. “Incredible. My little students would have had a field day here.”

“What little students?” the doctor asked, perplexed, watching a shadow of confusion crossing Hope’s face, too.

“Just saying that little kids in my time were absolutely obsessed with dinosaurs,” she eventually explained, her smile looking strained.

But before McCoy could question her any further, several hovercars came whizzing towards them. Apparently, their welcome committee had finally arrived.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Jenny was grateful for the diversion. What was wrong with her? Why did she keep saying things that made absolutely no sense? And in situations that definitely required her to have all her wits about her, too? If this kept happening, she’d have no choice but to tell McCoy. Keeping it a secret would be irresponsible. Although she genuinely didn’t feel as if it impaired her performance as a Starfleet officer in any way. She’d think about all of this later, after the mission. Now was not the time to question her abilities.

The Trians stepping out of the hovercars looked a bit like Terran orang-utans, which struck Jenny as an amusing contrast to their very slick vehicles. They came hurrying towards them, arms outstretched in greeting and apologising profusely for the delay that had enabled the Starfleet officers’ surprise encounter with the dinosaurs.

“They are mostly quite harmless creatures,” the leader of the local representatives, Pa-T-Ric, reassured them, after Kirk and he had made the introductions. “They can be found all over Trias, but all populated areas are shielded off by forcefield fences like this. There is really nothing to worry about.”

“I see,” Kirk replied carefully, obviously not prepared to give up a healthy mistrust just yet. “And why did we have to meet here, quite obviously not in one of your more populated areas?”

“We wanted to keep the negotiations under the radar for now,” Pa-T-Ric smiled. “Not everyone on this planet is pro-Federation. Quite a few would rather not share our resources. So we chose this safe, secluded location, a place our government often uses as a retreat to discuss long and difficult decisions.”

“Forgive my curiosity,” Kirk smiled back, and Jenny was once again impressed by the captain’s easy way of talking to complete strangers, aliens he’d never met before. “But I still don’t understand why we had to beam to this clearing. Wouldn’t it have been more convenient to beam directly to your ‘safe, secluded location’?”

“Ah, but Captain,” Pa-T-Ric chuckled. “This is exactly what makes this location so safe. No one can beam in or out of there within a radius of five kilometres.”

As she listened to the conversation, Jenny was happy to see the translator working so smoothly and felt a little proud about it. She loved how it even managed to convert measuring units to relatable scales. She’d come well prepared, using every bit of information she’d been able to find about Trias in advance. Thankfully, she’d also been able to fix the latest glitch in time. It had actually been Uhura, who’d helped her solve the problem in a flash of genius. Much as she appreciated her team, nothing compared to the ‘linguistic chats’ she so often had with Uhura.

-x-x-x-x-x-

When Kirk was satisfied that the place was safe enough, he had Scotty beam down the ambassadors, and the group climbed into the hovercars for the short journey, Kirk making sure that every party included one of his department heads and at least one security officer.

The government retreat turned out to be a curious blend of cottage and castle, very grand and spacious, yet somehow in harmony with nature. There was a big buffet laid out on low tables laden with all kinds of colourful fruits, berries and nuts, carefully decorated with leaves and grass. Or maybe they were there to be eaten, too.

Spock and McCoy discreetly scanned the food, but apparently the Trians had done their homework on the Federation. Everything on offer was safe to eat for all species present. For once, things really seemed to move along smoothly.

Chapter 24

The negotiations made good progress. The Trians were a sensible people and had come well prepared, knowing exactly what they expected in return for their resources while staying reasonable in their demands. Not being in charge was admittedly a little hard on Kirk, who had to leave the talking to the ambassadors and was more or less confined to watching from the sidelines. But with Spock’s calming influence, he could just about cope.

The captain was always grateful for his first officer’s sharp intellect and encyclopedic knowledge, but it was at times like these, that he came to fully appreciate the empathy and subtle emotional support his reputedly emotionless friend offered. Spock always seemed keenly aware of his captain’s moods, and unfailingly came up with some helpful little remark or comment where it was needed.

Looking around the long table, the only one of his officers currently in action was Hope, busy fingers flying over her PADD, as she kept making minute adjustments to the universal translator, ensuring that all the different languages whirring around the room didn’t get confused. She was a truly valuable addition to his crew, and he was very glad he’d insisted on having her transferred back to the Enterprise.

Kirk let his eyes wander on to his security officers, strategically placed among the ambassadors, and was satisfied to see them attentively observing their surroundings. Sometimes he wondered, if they were there to keep the ambassadors safe from unknown dangers on Trias or from each other. The captain’s gaze finally settled on McCoy, who was sitting right next to the convalescent ambassador, eyes fixed on Hope whenever he wasn’t checking the readings on his tricorder, which he frequently did.

Seeing the warmth and tenderness in McCoy’s eyes, looking at Hope, this mixture of love and pride, whenever he thought no one was watching, Kirk was suddenly struck by how impeccably professional and disciplined the two of them still were on duty. And generally, in public, come to think of it. Although knowledge of their close friendship had certainly made its way down to the last crewman, even he had yet to see them so much as kiss.

The captain was probably the only one aboard the Enterprise who really knew of their relationship, knew how much McCoy adored and cared for her. Bones himself had told him, when he’d needed someone to confide in while Hope had still been on the Lexington. But even Kirk could only imagine what they did behind closed doors, since although he’d seen them holding each other for comfort or warmth on several occasions, they’d always stayed well within the boundaries of decency. He’d actually seen McCoy being just as gentle with a lot of patients over the years. Grumpy and gruff as the doctor could be, his caring bedside manner always came through when called for.

But he knew how good Hope was for his friend, too. Since she’d returned to the Enterprise, Bones might not have relaxed exactly – Hope still gave him enough reason to worry – but he’d definitely been a much happier version of himself. And after seeing Hope stand by McCoy throughout the whole Joanna fiasco, even tricking him into letting her give up half of her shore leave, he was more than convinced that she genuinely loved his friend, too. He just hoped that Bones would eventually find the courage to open himself up for love, as ‘in an official relationship’, again.

Kirk was startled out of his thoughts by a sudden, grumbling noise, that sounded like thunder, and seemed to come closer at speed. Not losing a moment, the Trians jumped up from their chairs, and shouting, “Earthquake!”, started to hurriedly usher everyone towards a small staircase leading into a basement.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Jenny heard a sudden rumble, and then all hell broke loose. Everybody was being hustled downstairs into some sort of bunker, and within moments, everything around them started to vibrate, then shake.

McCoy’s eyes briefly met hers, as they both helped the ambassadors down the stairs, and she could clearly see that he wanted nothing more than to come straight over to her, to keep her safe. However he intended to do that. But just like her, he kept doing his job, and she admired that in him. No matter how much his overprotectiveness might drive her up the wall when he had the time to indulge in it, the doctor showed enormous self-restraint when his job demanded it.

Behind her, Jenny heard Beverly, one of the security officers, cry out as she lost her footing and landed at the bottom of the stairs with a thump. But all Jenny could do at that moment was hang on to the railing for dear life and ride out the earthquake.

As soon as the quaking stopped, she turned around and fell to her knees beside Beverly, who was bleeding heavily from a cut right under her eye, and had one arm twisted at an awkward angle. McCoy was there instantly, too, his eyes scanning the rest of the bunker for any other casualties as he hurried towards them. Thankfully, Beverly seemed to be the only one in need of medical assistance.

McCoy knelt down at the young security officer’s other side, gently cleaning and fixing her wound, murmuring, “You’re all right, darling”, and, “I’ve got you, sweetheart”, when she flinched at his touch.

Jenny loved watching McCoy being so gentle and caring with his patients. It was even sweet how he called them ‘darling’, or ‘sweetheart’, or ‘sugar’. She would have found it patronising coming from anyone else, but with Leonard’s Southern drawl and kindly twinkling eyes, it somehow worked. It made patients less afraid and trust him, exactly the effect he intended. It suddenly occurred to Jenny that the doctor rarely ever called her any of those terms of endearment. He usually called her ‘love’, a term he seemed to use exclusively for her, and Jenny felt her heart swell at this new and unexpected insight of how special she must be to him.

When McCoy was done with Beverly’s face, he looked intently at Jenny, mouthing, “Dislocated shoulder.”

And grateful, as always, for her additional medical training, she immediately helped him ease Beverly into a sitting-up position, holding her tight as the doctor said, “Sorry, honey, this is going to hurt for a moment,” yanking her arm back into position right at the word ‘hurt’.

Beverly’s eyes widened in surprise and pain, but before she even knew what was happening, her arm was back in place, treatment over.

“That wasn’t so bad now, was it, darling?” McCoy winked at the stunned security officer, and, with a kind smile and a little pat on her good cheek, straightened up and went on to check on everyone else in the bunker.

After maybe a minute, there was another rumble, another quake, but this time everyone was prepared and no one got hurt.

“Care to explain?” Kirk stepped towards Pa-T-Ric when the second earthquake was over. “How long will this be going on, and is this bunker even a safe place?”

“I’m terribly sorry, Captain Kirk,” Pa-T-Ric replied, and he sounded genuinely contrite. “We didn’t expect the next earthquake for at least another month.”

“Are you saying that earthquakes are a frequent occurrence on Trias?”

“Not too frequent, Captain, but periodically,” the Trian explained. “No more than once or twice a year. But they are usually not strong and over soon.”

“And is this a strong one?” Kirk asked.

“Well, stronger than usual,” Pa-T-Ric admitted, the fur on his back standing up, possibly with worry. “And if it comes back a third time, I suggest we head outside to the cars and take you back to the beam-up location without further delay.”

“Maybe we should do that right now?” Spock spoke up, raising a meaningful eyebrow at the captain.

“Maybe we should,” Kirk agreed, but was cut short by another rumble coming closer, as everybody braced themselves.

The third quake was equally as strong as the ones before, and even longer. So, when the shaking stopped, everyone hurried upstairs again, McCoy supporting Beverly, who was still a little wobbly on her legs. They made for the main doors as fast as they could, but were shocked at what they found outside.

Several trees had fallen over, some of them directly onto the cars, and after closer inspection they found only one functional hovercar left.

“We’ll use the one car to take you to the clearing, going back and forth,” Pa-T-Ric suggested, “so please decide on who we should take first. And I strongly recommend that the rest of you follow me on foot in the meantime. We want to get you back to safety as soon as possible.”

The oldest and least mobile of the ambassadors were bundled into the first car with Beverly, and the rest broke into a run, following the Starfleet officers and Trians in the direction of the clearing.

The car had just come back and left with the second party, when another rumble heralded the arrival of the next quake, and everybody dropped to the ground covering their heads with their arms, Starfleet officers trying to protect the ambassadors as well as themselves.

Jenny briefly caught McCoy’s gaze, needing to feel his comforting presence and to communicate her love, and was rewarded with a reassuring wink and a warm smile. It never ceased to amaze her how the restless and fretful, perpetually worried doctor turned into a tower of strength and calm confidence the moment a real crisis arose.

The fourth quake was really frightening, or maybe it just felt worse without the protection of the bunker, but Jenny started to get seriously scared, when the first cracks appeared, and the ground seemed to be ripped open in several places.

“Let’s keep going!” Pa-T-Ric shouted over the noise, “We don’t know how much longer the forcefields will hold up!”

Oh, boy! Jenny thought, imagining the dinosaurs on the loose on top of everything. This keeps getting better.

Everybody got to their feet again, and Jenny saw McCoy even manage to fix a nasty looking gash on Peterson’s arm while running, after the security officer had been hit by a falling branch.

What was it about Peterson and falling branches?

The doctor never even broke his stride, Jenny noticed, impressed. And that was the man who constantly complained about being too old for everything.

The single bouts had turned into one endless, rumbling quake, and it was getting harder and harder to stay upright. Jenny was comically reminded of a movie called ‘Ice Age’, she’d once seen in her old life. She felt like this squirrel chasing its acorn, only she wasn’t an animated character, she was in actual fact running for her life. Watching every step carefully, Jenny tried to avoid the cracks that kept opening up in the ground with increasing frequency, while simultaneously trying to keep an eye on the remaining ambassadors.

By the time the hovercar picked up the third party, Spock had managed to establish contact with the Enterprise, and Jenny heard Scotty tell Kirk that the first two parties had already been beamed back aboard safely.

Jenny was starting to feel relieved as they approached the beam-up location, when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of the ambassadors stumble and slip, rapidly disappearing into one of the rifts. She reflexively darted over to try and help, at the same time as Peterson reached for the ambassador’s hand to pull him back up.

What happened next, was all a bit of a blur, but Jenny was somehow knocked off balance and tripped while helping to haul the frightened ambassador up again. She tried to hang on to the ledge, but her fingers lost their grip during another quake, and suddenly she was sliding, falling, tumbling.

She heard McCoy cry out her name in horror and knew that she should be afraid. But she felt no fear, no terror, just a dull sense of disbelief that this should be happening. The only thing she could think of as she fell, were Leonard’s reassuring wink and smile, telling her that everything would be all right. And then – nothing.

Chapter 25

McCoy felt his heart stop, as he struggled to comprehend what had just happened. Practically flying over to the ledge, crying out Hope’s name over and over again, all he knew was that he needed to go after her. And if not for Spock’s presence of mind, the Vulcan arriving at the ledge seconds before the doctor and forcefully holding him back, he might have done just that. Gone after her over the edge.

It took a few moments of fighting the first officer, before the horror of the situation and the futility of jumping after her finally caught up with him.

“What are you waiting for? We need to get down there!” he yelled at Kirk, who hesitated only slightly before shaking his head.

“We need to get the rest of the ambassadors back on the Enterprise first,” the captain said quietly.

“Are you out of your mind, Jim?” McCoy panicked, refusing to believe what he’d just heard.

Surely, Kirk couldn’t be serious.

“What are you even saying? That we just leave her and get on with business as if nothing happened? Hope just fell off a cliff, for Christ’s sake!”

“I know, Bones,” the captain replied, and McCoy didn’t recognise his friend anymore.

The Jim he knew could never be so cold, so cruel, would never just leave a crew member behind. Any crew member.

Kirk looked away, so the doctor couldn’t see the pain in his eyes, as he said the words that needed to be said with the remaining ambassadors breathing down his neck.

“We’ll be back as soon as we can, Bones, I promise. But the safety of all the ambassadors still has to be our primary concern on this mission. Failing to ensure that, we could start an interstellar war.”

McCoy was beside himself. Right now, he didn’t give a damn about risking an interstellar war.

“My God, Jim!” he exploded, almost insane with fear and desperation, and getting more frantic with every word. “This is Jenny we’re talking about! And she needs help. Not later, but now. She’s all alone and injured, in a place crawling with dinosaurs and who knows what else. I’m not going to lose her over some Federation business.”

“You don’t even know if...” Spock spoke up, but was silenced mid-sentence by a sharp look from Kirk.

“Let’s get going, Doctor,” the captain ordered brusquely. “The sooner everybody gets back to the Enterprise, the sooner we can return for Hope. You’re a Starfleet officer, and so is she. We all knew what we signed up for when we joined the Fleet.”

When McCoy saw that Kirk was serious, he changed tactics.

“I’ll go alone then. Let me stay. Don’t make me commit insubordination, Jim,” he pleaded. “I can’t just leave her. If for no other reason than my having taken an oath. The ambassadors are all right, I fixed everyone else, you don’t need me. You fulfil your duty, please let me fulfil mine.”

Kirk turned around and McCoy finally saw the pain and frustration in his eyes, clearly reflecting his own fear and concern for Hope.

“All right,” the captain nodded slowly. “You’re on your own, Bones. Good luck and take care!”

“Thank you, Jim,” the doctor whispered, as he turned around and raced off to find a path down the newly formed precipice.

-x-x-x-x-x-

As he was making his way down the steep, slippery slope, shouting out Hope’s name in between listening for dinosaurs, McCoy tried not to imagine the worst. How often had she told him that you got what you expected? He didn’t really believe in her universe-vibrations-voodoo, but he definitely didn’t want to take a risk, either. She’d make it. She had to. Losing her was not an option. All he needed to do was find her in time. She was young and strong, she was a fighter and a survivor. And she was loved like no one had ever been loved before.

“Jenny!” he shouted again at the top of his lungs, when he reached the bottom, then went back to straining his ears for a reply.

“Over here, Leonard!” came a small voice, not too far away.

McCoy broke into a run, the widest grin spreading across his face, as tears of joy started to run down his cheeks. She was alive. She was coherent. She’d be fine. Probably passed out and just woken up, judging from her weak voice. She must have slid down the precipice rather than fallen. His medical mind went into overdrive, as he raced towards where the voice had come from.

“Keep talking to me, love!” he called out. “Anything. Just to let me know where you are!”

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” Hope laughed, and the sound made his heart leap with joy. “Uh, and you might want to know that I don’t think I’m seriously injured.”

His heart made another leap, albeit a cautious one. With her endless faith in his medical skills, Hope would still say that if one of her limbs was just barely hanging on by a thread, wouldn’t she?

Through the thicket ahead, he could already glimpse a speck of Starfleet red, lying on the ground, poking out from underneath a giant fallen tree, and his legs picked up speed of their own accord. Moments later, he was by Hope’s side, dropping to his knees, trembling and panting. Instantly going into doctor-mode, he checked her for any visible injuries, then started running his tricorder meticulously over her entire body before even saying hello.

“Have you been unconscious?” he asked in lieu of a greeting.

“I was,” she confirmed. “Obviously bumped my head on the way down.”

“Any idea for how long?”

“Not really. Well, how long’s it been since I fell anyway?”

“Not too long, twenty minutes, maybe? Tops.”

“So, you broke a sprinting record for me,” Hope grinned at him still catching his breath from the run, then softly added, “I knew you’d come, Leonard. I knew you’d always keep me safe.”

McCoy’s breath hitched in his chest, as he finally set his tricorder aside, satisfied with the readings, and leaned down to kiss her.

“It’s a miracle,” he whispered, choking back fresh tears. “You’re a miracle. Not a single scratch on you.”

Hope chuckled, gingerly touching a hand to her forehead and holding out a blood-smeared finger to him.

“Well, maybe one or two,” the doctor amended smilingly, gently dabbing her forehead with an antiseptic wipe from his medikit while tenderly caressing her face, “but nothing that can’t be cured with a tissue.”

“How fortunate, then, that you’re the best doctor in the galaxy,” Hope teased, pulling him down for another kiss, before adding more seriously, “There’s still the small matter of being trapped under a tree, though.”

“There is,” McCoy sighed, getting up and inspecting the giant conifer that had fallen on top of her, pinning her to the ground with its many, enormous branches.

How Hope had managed not to get herself crushed was beyond him, but he was certainly not going to question her luck. His luck. He gave one branch a tentative tug, but soon realised there was no way he’d be able to move it.

Dammit!

“We’ll have to find a way of wrestling you out of under there,” he stated the obvious, while silently adding, Before the next quake sets in. “Any chance you can wriggle out?”

“I’ve already tried, Leonard, believe me,” she groaned, “but there’s no room to move my legs or hips at all. Can’t you just use your phaser to cut me loose?”

“I’ll have to think of another way of cutting that damn tree into pieces, love” the doctor grumbled. “I don’t dare to use my phaser this close to your body.”

“Maybe I can help,” a deep voice suddenly sounded beside him.

“Spock!” McCoy cried, incredible relief washing over him. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I’m delighted to see you, too, Doctor,” Spock replied dryly. “And you, of course, Lieutenant. Fortunately, I could convince the captain that I was dispensable, too, and that, however convenient your medical skills might prove in this situation, you’re certainly ill-equipped to carry out a rescue mission all by yourself.”

McCoy bit back a retort. He could hardly argue with that, could he?

“Well, I’ve certainly never been happier to see those pointed ears of yours, Mr. Spock,” he said instead, feeling, in fact, rather touched that the Vulcan had come after him, even though he’d never say that out loud.

Without further ado, Spock let his hands glide along the thickest branch pinning Hope down, until he was satisfied with his grip, then looked questioningly at the Lieutenant.

“Are you prepared to move quickly, if I manage to lift this branch for approximately five seconds?”

“Approximately?” McCoy couldn’t resist remarking, still giddy with relief. “No decimals today, Spock?”

The first officer barely spared him a glance.

“I don’t see the point, since Lt. Hope wouldn’t find it helpful in any way.”

“I’m ready, Mr. Spock,” Hope spoke up, understandably eager to get out of her predicament.

McCoy watched in awe, as Spock clenched his teeth and, with a very un-Vulcan groan, actually managed to lift the branch in question long enough for Hope to slip out.

“Oh my God, thank you Mr. Spock!” she exclaimed as she scrambled to her feet, shaking out and checking her legs, and for a moment McCoy thought she was going to hug the Vulcan.

She ended up brushing off and straightening out her uniform, however, and giving the doctor a delighted hug instead. McCoy briefly hugged her back, trying hard not to crush her in his relief, before slinging his medikit back over his shoulder and quickly pulling her along after Spock.

“Beam-up to the Enterprise should be possible from a location 274.816 metres from here,” the first officer informed them, as he strode ahead, giving them the number down to three decimals and, at least to McCoy’s ears, sounding incredibly smug about it.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Only a few hours later, after another thorough check-up in sickbay, confirming that she’d come out of this adventure without so much as a bruise or a sprain, Jenny found herself back in the bed and the arms of the man she loved more than life itself.

Cuddling up to McCoy, she knew she’d been incredibly lucky, and couldn’t be more grateful. To fate, and to Leonard. And from the way he was holding her closer than usual, it was obvious that he still couldn’t quite believe she was unharmed, either.

“Thank you for saving my life,” she murmured softly, but the doctor shushed her with a gentle finger to her lips.

“Let me just hold you,” he whispered, as she felt his tears starting to trickle through her hair.

Jenny felt awful, knowing that she was, once again, the source of his distress, when all she ever wanted was to make him happy. How was she ever going to make this up to him?

“I know that I often make you feel like I don’t appreciate you being so protective of me,” Jenny began again after a while, “but the truth is, I do. More than I care to admit.”

“You know, there’s no shame in accepting help, or letting someone else take care of you once in a while,” McCoy said softly, releasing her from his embrace, so that she could turn around and look at him, his eyes still moist and a little red-rimmed. “Even if you’re a woman and, sometimes, the one helping you out happens to be a man.”

Jenny smiled sheepishly at him. Of course, he’d long discovered the reason why she always felt the need to prove herself. It really shouldn’t surprise her.

“Even when the one, who happens to be a man, has a tendency towards being overprotective?” she couldn’t help teasing him.

“Especially then,” he grinned, kissing her on the nose, and Jenny was happy to see him cheering up again.

“Right. Even if I sound like I’m in a therapy session, thank you once again for rescuing me today,” Jenny smiled. “And generally, for protecting me the way you do. I know I don’t always make it easy for you.”

That earned her a snort from McCoy. And another gentle kiss, before he pulled her close again, tenderly cradling her head to his chest. Safe and warm in his arms, exactly what she craved. But, surely, he knew that, too.

“Seriously, Leonard. Thank you for always trying to keep me safe. For being my protector.”

“Some protector I am,” he chuckled self-deprecatingly. “I couldn’t have done it without Spock’s help today.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Jenny lifted her head, and lovingly looked into his eyes. “I think you probably would have.”

McCoy just gazed at her, tenderly brushing some stray curls out of her face.

“But making me feel safe and protected has little to do with your physical strength, anyway,” she went on. “It’s about the strength of your love just as much as about your incredible abilities as a healer. And, of course, about knowing that you’d do anything for me, just like I’d do anything for you. You came back for me today, all by yourself. That alone is enough to make me feel safe. I trust that wherever I’ll be, you’ll never stop looking for me. And that whatever happens to me, you can fix it. Or if you can’t, at least you’ll never stop trying.”

Seeing the emotion in his eyes, Jenny kissed him tenderly on the lips. It felt good to open up and talk about this.

“I wasn’t afraid today, not even while I was falling,” she said, hearing the wonder in her own voice at the memory, as she nestled back into his arms. “You were there, and I somehow knew that it was going to be fine. And even if you might not be able to save me one day, you can be sure that I’ll feel hopeful to the end, because I just know that you’d never give up on me.”

-x-x-x-x-x-

Continue to: Chapters 26-30 Chapters 31-35 Chapters 36-40 Chapters 41-45 Chapters 46-50 Chapters 51-55 Chapters 56-60 Chapters 61-65 Chapters 66-70 Chapter 71

Go back to: Chapters 1-5 Chapters 6-10 Chapters 11-15 Chapters 16-20

Or read it on AO3: Another Life

************ Disclaimer: Nothing of or associated with Star Trek is mine – it all belongs to Paramount / ViacomCBS (or whoever else is currently holding the rights). This is a work of fanfiction, no infringement intended.

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