Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek in any way, shape or form. In fact, even the plot for this story was borrowed from the show, though I only mean to finish what they started (see A/N).

A/N: I read just the other day about a Star Trek TOS episode that was going to be made about Joanna McCoy. In it, Joanna and Kirk become interested in each other, which proves to be quite a strain (which is understandable) on the girl's father. However, the episode was never made.

So, I am writing one myself.

(P.S. If you want to read about this unmade episode, it was called "Joanna", and it will come up on the Star Trek Wikia if you google it.)


McCoy waited anxiously in the transporter room. The Enterprise was acting as a passenger ship for a short time, transferring thirty Starfleet cadets from one starbase to another. It was just a week's journey, but it was a week Dr. McCoy had been looking forward to for over a month.

"Group D ready to beam up," a voice said through the intercom.

"Acknowledged," Scotty replied.

The transporter pad shimmered, and seven figures started to materialize. It made McCoy's stomach turn watching it. He'd had to deal with several transporter accidents in his time as a Starfleet doctor, and it wasn't pretty.

And he especially didn't want it to happen to his baby girl.

"Be careful," McCoy warned Scotty, just as he had with the first three groups.

The Scotchman glanced at his friend wearily, but all he said was, "Aye, doctor, I will."

Even though the process only took several seconds, the doctor felt like it was taking an eternity. He crossed his arms and shifted from one foot to the other. At last, seven cadets stood before him at attention, their uniforms smartly pressed. How young they looked! McCoy couldn't help but grin at them.

The cadets stepped off the transporter pad.

"Welcome aboard the Enterprise," Spock greeted, offering a Vulcan salute. "I am First Officer Commander Spock."

"I am Cadet Emerson, first class. Thank you for having us aboard, Commander." The young man who spoke was tall, good looking, and was obviously an authority figure among the group.

Spock lifted his head in response, and then indicated the man at his right. "Ensign Lakes will show you to your quarters."

The seven cadets nodded, and followed the ensign out the door.

McCoy watched them go, frowning. His daughter wasn't among them.

"Final two cadets ready to beam up," the voice again said through the intercom.

"Acknowledged."

McCoy watched as the final said cadets were beamed up. There was a young man and woman. McCoy stared at the woman dumbstruck. She was beautiful! And so grown up...he barely recognized her until she stepped off the pad and flashed him her brilliant, all-too-familiar smile. "Hello, Dad."

"Joanna," McCoy breathed.

She wrapped her arms around him warmly, and pressed her forehead into his shoulder, just as she used to do when she was little. It made McCoy's eyes burn.

Joanna pulled away. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too, sweat heart," McCoy choked. "You've grown."

"A little," Joanna admitted, shrugging dismissively. "It's what we young people are known for."

"Why don't you come to my quarters and you can tell me what you've been up to these last four years," McCoy suggested.

Joanna grinned. "I'd love to."

As they left the transporter room, Joanna slipped her hand into her father's.

Spock and Scotty watched them go.

"Well, she is a pretty lass," Scotty observed, smiling.

Raising an eyebrow, Spock didn't reply...though he did agree that by human standards, Joanna McCoy was definitely classed as a beauty.


McCoy was called to sickbay right before dinner, much to his disappointment. He'd hoped to introduce Joanna to Jim. However, duty claimed precedence.

"I'll see you later, sweet heart," he said, pressing his lips briefly against the top of her head.

"Okay, Dad." Joanna watched him leave before she stood up and wandered about his room. He had a lot of books...most of the medical related, of course; however, he also had artifacts he'd collected over the course of the Enterprise's mission. She picked up a particularly pretty rock and turned it over in her hands, admiring it.

The door buzzed and swished open. Assuming it was her father having come back for something, she didn't turn around. "What is this rock called?" she asked.

"I believe it is an ore from the planet Kioz," an unfamiliar voice replied.

Joanna startled and whirled about. The man that stood in her father's room was wearing a golden uniform, and she saw immediately that he was marked as a captain. "Captain Kirk," she greeted once she'd gathered her wits.

"I didn't mean to startle you," Kirk said apologetically.

"I just thought that you were my father coming back for something or other," Joanna explained sheepishly. She grinned awkwardly and turned to put the rock back on its shelf.

"You must be Joanna. Your father has told me a lot about you."

"I hope he hasn't bragged me up too much," Joanna replied. She laughed. "He has a tendancy to exagerate..."

Kirk smiled. "But that's one of the benefits of being a parent, isn't it?"

"Maybe." Joanna hesitated, unsure what to say. "If you're looking for my father, he was called to sickbay."

"Ah. I heard he had a guest, and thought that I'd walk the two of you to the mess hall." Kirk paused meaningfully. "Seeing as you've lost your escort, perhaps I could be his inferior replacement?"

"That would be very kind of you, captain." Joanna's face burned. She knew that her father and Kirk were old friends, but she was still a cadet, and this man was still a captain.

"Shall we go?" Kirk asked, waving his hand chivalrously at the door.

Joanna smiled shyly and followed his lead.


"I'm sorry I couldn't have dinner with you," McCoy said upon finding his daughter in the recreation room with a trio of her fellow cadets. He'd managed to pull her away from the group and they were now sitting down at one of the small tables in the corner of the room.

Joanna smiled. "It's okay, Dad, I understand that you have duties to attend to. Besides, I had someone to keep me company."

"Who?"

"Captain Kirk." Joanna smiled thoughtfully.

In spite of himself, McCoy felt himself go rigid. "Did you have a good time?"

"Uh, huh. He was really nice. We talked about the academy, and he told me some stories of when he was a cadet."

"Good, good." McCoy inwardly sighed with relief, though he didn't completely understand why.

Joanna stared at him queerly. "Is something wrong, Dad?"

McCoy ducked his head, realizing he was giving himself away. "Oh, no. I'm just tired, I guess."

Regarding him a couple moments more, Joanna resumed the subject of Captain Kirk. "He seems a little young to be a captain," she commented loosely.

"I suppose he is," McCoy agreed.

Joanna laced her fingers together and stared at them. "How old is he?"

"Thirty-five, according to his records."

"So only sixteen years older than me..." Joanna said thoughtfully, still staring at her hands.

"Only?!" McCoy cried.

Joanna's head shot up. "What? I mean, it is a little bit of a gap, but-"

"A little bit of a gap!" McCoy's heart was pounding. "Sixteen years means that the captain was sixteen-years-old when you were born!"

"Yes, well," Joanna flustered. She stopped, and began again. "I don't know what you're upset about, Dad, because I was just making an observation. I didn't mean anything by it."

McCoy had to force himself to take a breath and try to think past his fatherly panic. Of course, he'd observed many young females become infatuated with his captain. But this young female was different. This young female was his daughter! And if that Kirk dared break his little girl's heart...

"Dad!"

McCoy realized Joanna had been trying to get his attention for the past few moments.

"What?" he snapped.

Joanna was glaring at him. "You're getting all red in the face. What is wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong." McCoy sighed. He was blowing this way out of proportion. So what if his daughter had a great admiration for the captain? She was only here for a week, and she would forget about him in another week. It was just a girlish crush. That's it. Just a crush.

But if Kirk did anything to...

"Dad, go to bed. You don't look very good." Concern now softened her voice and Joanna touched his arm. "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

McCoy nodded, and stood up. "Alright, sweet heart. I'll see you in the morning." He leaned down and kissed her head. "Goodnight."

Joanna smiled up at him. "G'night, Dad."


"Good morning, Bones," Kirk said, coming into the doctor's office and smiling warmly at his friend.

McCoy barely looked up from his PADD. "Good morning, Jim."

"I met your daughter last night," Kirk commented, sitting on the edge of McCoy's desk. "She's grown up to be quite a young lady."

"She's only nineteen," McCoy replied stiffly.

Kirk frowned at McCoy's tone. "She acts older."

"But she's not."

"Is something wrong, Bones?" Kirk asked after staring at his CMO for several moments.

McCoy glanced up. "No. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know," Kirk shrugged, "You just seem a little...uptight."

"I'm not being uptight," McCoy growled, "Since when is trying to multitask being uptight?"

Kirk raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, Bones, I didn't know you were busy. I'll go."

He got up to leave, and McCoy sighed guiltily.

"No, wait." McCoy pushed aside his PADD. "I'm sorry. I guess I am feeling a little uptight, if I must admit it. I should really thank you for keeping Joanna company last night at dinner."

"It was nothing, Bones. We talked about the academy, and I told her a few stories. It was fun." Kirk smiled, sitting back against the desk. "Joanna's a smart girl. She said she's the head of her class."

"She said that?" McCoy asked doubtfully, knowing Joanna was not one to talk herself up.

Kirk shrugged. "Not in so many words, but I connected the dots between what you've said and what she said."

McCoy started to relax. Obviously, Kirk thought only of Joanna as the young kid she was. In fact, McCoy felt foolish for ever thinking otherwise.

McCoy laughed to himself. He was just being a paranoid dad...just like every other dad in the history of the universe.

TBC