Wild West AU

The dessert heat was no problem to Leonard McCoy, who was also formally known as "Bones." He had practically been raised by his father to live off the land of ole' Geogia. Make sure to carry enough water when passing from town to town. Don't ever run, you'll waster your energy. Find shade and take short cat naps whenever possible. And the most important rule: Don't ever trust anyone you haven't known for a solid second. They may say that they're willing to help, but when you're a wanted outlaw in fifteen states, including your hometown, you don't take chances.

The harsh, bright sun shone down on Leonard "Bones" McCoy while he sat a top a stolen stallion that some fool of a farmhand had left for easy takes in a stable in Missouri. From then on, the ride had been easy and quick. He was able to rob two Pony Express stations and shoot a man down, stealing his valuables, along with a medical kit that Bones thought might come in handy.

Sweat slowly dripped down the small of his back, while a bandana around his mouth kept the heat from his face. He had been traveling for miles. Through Arkansas, Oklahoma, eventually ending up in Texas. Back in his second home state. Where he could wander 5 yards and get noticed. He didn't know how many times he had nearly been caught, but he chose not to count. Travel was rough for him and his mental state was deteriorating fast.

Bones leaned forward, squinting his eyes, covering the top of them with his hand to see the road ahead. It was nothing but dust and the occasional tumbleweed, mocking his existence and singularity in this god forsaken place. The light haze seemed to cast the illusion of a lake not far off, but Bones knew that it wasn't true. There was no water.

"Damn. Not another town for miles I'm guessing." He spoke harshly to himself. He knew that rushing too quickly would get him lost, but when he entered that small town in Missouri, all he saw were wanted posters with his name and face plastered on them. Then a kid saw him and had to be a hero and alert the damn sheriff. That's when he ran on foot and hid in the stables, stealing a horse. The getaway was clumsy, but he made it out. Not his best.

With nothing but a passionate drive to arrive to the next town alive, he clicked his heels against the horse, jolting it forward and they started on their continuing journey.

Many miles and bellyaches ahead, Leonard McCoy stopped as he saw the first sign of civilization.

It was a Well. Not the best built well, but a well that hopefully still worked. So in hoping that he could refresh and wash his face momentarily, Bones jumped off his horse, stripping himself of the bandana, laying it on the saddle.

He walked over, legs nearly numb from riding so long, and sank to his knees and the small well. Sticking a long and well trained, muscular arm down the well, his fingertips met cool water. With relief, Bones smiled only slightly and leaned over the well, diving both his hands into the water, cupping it and bringing it up to his face.

A shock went through his body when the cold water hit his hot face. He lost his breath for a moment and his whole body tingled as the small droplets ran down his shirt and back.

"God DAMN, that feels good!" He exclaimed to himself. He hadn't felt this fresh since a month ago when he last took a bath in a saloon inn. That place was dirtier than a donkey's ass, but boy, they had some good ale. The ladies not so much…but the ale..

With excitement, Bones scooped up more water, throwing it onto his head, wetting his brown, tangled, short hair. He had got it cut sloppily at the same saloon. They had combed his hair and made him look proper…which made him feel uncomfortable. So when he left, he just shook it all up again.

While playing like a child in the well, his stolen horse whinnied loudly, frightening Bones. He turned quickly around to see what was the matter. And he saw alright.

It was a group of men on horseback, leisurely making their way towards the well and Bones. From what Bones could see, there was a big, strong buff man who was no doubt, bigger than Bones himself. The two other men were scrawny and could be taken out with a single punch. Wary, Bones stood up and made his way back to his horse, taking the bandana and wrapping it around his face again. He mounted the horse and began to trot forwards, not wanting to cause trouble…yet. The men did look like they had money on them…and valuables, but Bones was not sure whether to strike or not. He was surely outnumbered.

A sharp whistle came from the group and Bones stopped the horse. His nerves began to tense up and he sensed something was awry. He turned his horse around to face the group.

"Is there a problem…men?" He asked in an unassuming voice. He could now get a good look at the men. The bigger one was only a year to two younger than Bones himself. Sharp blue eyes with a smirk set upon his lips. His hair was windblown and matched the color of the sand. The two others were strange in appearance. One of them had pale skin, untarnished and unblemished. Deep brown eyes that seemed to bear into Bones' soul. The other one seemed to be foreign with black hair and smaller eyes.

"I don't know…is there?" The bigger one asked, observing Bones with a keen eye. "What's your name son?"

Bones looked at the group… Never trust anyone you haven't known for a solid second…

"Speak up. Where are you from? Who are you?" The bigger one started pelting Bones with questions. Feeling rather intimidated, he reached stealthily into his back holster, gripping the handle of his Revolver. The big one cracked a sly smile. "OH I see how it is. Okay…nervous one aren't we. Fine then…I'm Jim Kirk, this is Spock and Hikaru Sulu. We're a sort of border control for our small Texas town: Enterprise." The man named Jim explained.

"Oh. Well you sure surprised me. I was sure that there wasn't a town for miles." Bones decided to speak up. Lay low. They didn't seem to notice him. Maybe the town was so small that no one knew who he was.

"Well Enterprise is a small…small town. A few shops. The jail cell, A large town hall, couple houses and rooms on top of each other." Jim Kirk shrugged.

"Have you heard of any…outlaws lately?" Bones gulped, still keeping his grip tight on the handle of his Revolver. Jim Kirk, Spock and Hikaru Sulu looked at each other.

"No sir, we haven't is there any trouble?" Jim asked. Bones relaxed and let go of the gun.

"I heard things from down the river…I dunno. Rumors maybe. Say…have you got room for a man and his horse in your small small town?" Bones asked. Jim Kirk looked at Spock.

"I am sure we can accommodate you and your steed in our abode." The strange fellow responded. Bones cocked his head towards him, confused.

"Yes. We do. Just follow us." Jim Kirk clicked his tongue and the horse he was one started forward. The two men followed in line after their leader. Bones followed last.

While he rode on his way to the town Enterprise, he wondered if they had a large bank…with a decent sum of money inside. If the town was small enough, he could shoot everyone dead in a day and get away with the money without anyone realizing what happened before it was too late.

Bones trotted up to Jim Kirk as peered at him. The man's eyes were set straight ahead, glancing from side to side. His posture was perfect. No hunched back, just straight and alert, ready for anything. This was a man of war. He had seen men like him before. Strong in the physical sense, strong in the heart, but their brain…it was slower after the war. Bones wouldn't blame him. Before becoming a self righteous outlaw, he had fought in war. Seeing that much blood and death…it had stunned the younger him. But now, he could hang a man and slit his throat and Bones would not flinch at the sight of his work.

"Do you need something? Jim Kirk asked.

"Tell me, you gotta bank in that itty bitty town of yours?" He asked. Jim looked at him for only a moment before turning his attention back on the road ahead.

"Yes. Why?" He responded. Bones straightened himself up, looking around.

"I need to make a few withdrawls…My wife divorced me…took everything I had." The guilt trip was the first and best way to approach this type of situation. It had helped him in the past, it would help him now.

"Well, I can arrange for a little something for you. Meanwhile, we'll have you talk to Sheriff Pike." Jim told Bones. Bones, not sure if that was good or bad, slipped silently to the back again, thinking about his plan. Did he have enough bullets? Did he have enough guns? Would he shoot the children, or let them live? Women? He went through this thought process everytime he was ready to start a heist. It was straining and stressful, but the result were always rewarding to him.

They finally arrive to the small town. It wasn't much. It was much less than Bones had expected. The ground was dirt…just rocks and dirt. The houses and shops were made of creaky old wood that looked like could be set on fire with just one spark. Some of the buildings were crooked. The stables, from what Bones could see was overgrown with dry weeds. It didn't look like the happiest place around.

Children came running out of their homes to take a look at the new comer. They ran around the horse's feet, screaming and cheering, which frightened the horse.

"Dammit, would you kids hush! Your scaring my ride!" Bones snapped at the children harshly. He never did like the little brats. The children stopped and stepped back, standing on porches and beams, silent now, watching the cruel man ride into their town.

"I take it that you do not like kids." Jim asked, as he rode stiffly into the main square of the town.

"Not particularly." Bones spat.

"Then you're not going to like the Sheriff's kid. Let me tell ya, looks thirteen, acts like he's thirty." Jim laughed.

"Hopefully I won't be here long enough to know the Sheriff's kid." Bones prayed. He just wanted the money and then get out.

"Hey now, don't piss on our little town. That'll get your ass kicked for sure." Jim warned seriously. Bones rolled his eyes when the team of three was out of his sight. He decided that he was going to shoot Jim Kirk first.

Pavel Chekov sat at his wooden writer's desk, hand in his head, about ready to pull his hair out.

"Vhy can't I do anyzing!?" He yelled out loud. His thick Russian accent is what kept him apart from the town and his father. While his dad was American, his mother was pure 100% Russian. Pavel was born and raised in Russia, brought to America when he was 15. Now he was 17 and was growing up in hell.

"Son, would you keep it down!" His father, Christopher Pike, yelled from the front of the house. Pavel whimpered as he stared down at the blank piece of paper in front of him. He had been staring at the same piece of paper for the last half hour. He was supposed to come up with a letter to send to his mother in Russia, but he couldn't think of a single thing to say. And his penmanship was horrid.

"I can't do anyzing…I can't do anyzing…" He chanted to himself. Then, from outside, there was a loud commotion, something that didn't happen on a regular basis. So that usual meant someone's ass was getting handed to them, or…there was a newcomer. Either would be good.

Pavel jumped to his feet and rushed to the window, pressing his face against the dirty glass. At first all he saw was Mr. Kirk and his friends. But then came the real reason everyone was getting worked up.

A large, built man sat a top a black horse. His brown messy hair was lazily pushed to the side, covering only a corner of his eye, which was a light, wet dirt color that Pavel loved. When the man stripped off his bandana, Pavel saw what was underneath. The man's facial structure had a slight boxiness to it. His jaw came down at a perfect angle to form his chin. There was a couple day's growth on his face, dark, dirty stubble place around his jaw, chin and upper lip. He held him self up slightly, with a small hunch. He wore a loose, dirty shirt, the color unrecognizable, and a brown vest on top.

"Who ees zat?" Pavel asked his father, hoping that he could hear him, because Pavel was not moving from this spot.

"Who is who?" His father barked angrily. "Son of a bitch, are you seeing things again, son?"

"No! Look outside! Zere ees a man…" Pavel stared in wonder at the new comer. As he caught a final glimpse of him, Pavel sense something of mystery and danger to the man. Pavel loved exciting adventure and danger. And this man was brining it to their town.

Bones and the group stopped at the main square, dismounting the horses and tying them up to a post. Bones was careful to keep the stolen goods on his horse and out of sight. He took a look around. Now this part of the small town had some color to it. Shiny brass plates on the head of certain stores, such as the gun shop and the Bank, which he spotted early on. Dry flowerbed were now filled with food and water for the horses. Homes were spotted next to the shops in certain patterns. There was no spacing between buildings. Everything was packed tight.

"Nice town." Bones muttered. Jim Kirk beamed proudly, puffing his chest out.

"Thank you. It's our pride and joy." Now Jim Kirk was a litter enthusiastic about the town, but it was better to be optimistic then pessimistic. That's why Bones had decided to shoot him first. That man was too damn happy and proud.

While the men stood around, Bones waiting for something to happen, there came a loud swing of a door, second later followed by a hollow slam of a wooden screen door. Bones tightened his muscles up, readying himself for fleeing. His eyes darted around the small town square. There was a hangman's noose and platform… two exits and one large ass barrel to jump over if he wanted to escape. He could forget the money for today and come back in the night and burn the town to the ground.

"What is the meaning of this? Who is this and why wasn't I informed?" A tall, thin man with greying, full hair, and gleaming blue eyes came out of a larger house than the rest. Two stories high and about as wide as a saloon.

"Sheriff Pike, we found him wandering around. He asked if we had room for him. Do we?" Jim Kirk stepped forward and formally addressed the Sheriff of the town.

"Hold on, you found him wandering around the town's borders? How do we know he's clean?" The old man took a step forward towards Bones and looked at him up and down.

"Yes sir." Jim Kirk nodded.

"What's your name…kid." The man hissed at Bones. He flinched ever so slightly at the old guy. Hus breath reeked of cigars and peaches. Sweet, but smokey and smothering all at the same time.

"Leonard McCoy. My friends call me Bones." He drawled out in a Georgian accent.

"Alright…Leonard. McCoy. Tell me, how did you find our town?" The Sheriff asked.

Bones answered truthfully. "I got lost. I stumbled upon it."

"Uh-huh…you expect me to believe that?" The sheriff blew his hot, nasty smoked peach breath onto Bones, making him gag slightly.

"I would hope so…" Bones spoke lazily.

"Do you have a criminal record, boy?" The Sheriff just kept on asking. He would not give up. Bones mentally decided to take this old man down second, after Jim Kirk.

"Now why would I tell you that?" Bones laughed. "That's like telling the victim when and where I'm going to murder them. They'll take that advantage…" Bones smirked. He had taken a risk, but it was a risk worth taking.

"Alright boy. Enough of that smart ass attitude. I'll find something on you." The Sheriff glowered at Bones. Bones stood proud and mighty.

"Go ahead and try." He responded

Sheriff Pike got real close to Bones and whispered menacingly to him, "We've got a room. It's called a jail cell and if I find anything on you, I'll be sure you visit that room. Then, next stop is that pretty noose right over there." The old man backed off of Bones and brushed his chest off and huffed. He turned to Spock, " There's a room down a little ways. Next to the saloon. Take him there." Spock nodded and looked to Bones, who was still holding himself high. Spock ignored him and walked down a ways with Bones behind him, to the only room they had left.

It was near the saloon like the Sheriff had said. Wooden like the rest of the buildings, but surely smaller than the rest as well. Cramped between a larger house and the wide saloon, Bones feared that we wouldn't even fit.

"Hey," Bones ran up to side with Spock. "IS that old man always so goddamn grumpy?" Spock turned his head slightly and looked at Bones.

"It is not his fault. There have been events in his life that have happened to compromise his happiness." Spock told Bones. That rendered Bones quiet. Was it war? War had always changed a man one way or another. "This is where you will be boarding for you stay here." They stopped at the door, which was messed up beyond belief. The screen was almost torn out. Cobwebs hung in the corner of the net, making nests. The door seemed to be bent so that it did not close correctly. Bones groaned to himself.

"Thank you." He thanked the strange man. Spock nodded and walked away. Bones watched Spock leave, making sure to watch his back. For all he knew this could be an elaborate plan to capture him and retain him for the reward money.

Once he felt safe, Bones grabbed the handle of the door and pushed. The rusted, copper handle nearly crumbled in his hand, letting the more solid pieces slice open his rough flesh.

"GOD DAMMIT!" He yelled, retracting his hand quickly against his chest, using his large shoulder to barge into the front door.

He entered the house in a fit of anger and pain. The blood from his hand was seeping through his fingers quite heavily and Bones expected the cut to now be infected with tetanus. "Shit. SHIT!" Bones yelled out in agitation. He ran through a quite narrow wood paneled hall and burst into what looked like a run down, shabby kitchen. His eyes darted everywhere, trying to find something to cover the blood with.

He ran to the counters, which was covered with a heavy layer of dirt and dust. Bones tried the sink, pulling up the rusted handle, only to hear it squeak and get stuck. No water came out. In a fit of rage, he swung his free hand over the counter, knocking off old knives, spoons, forks, silverware crashed and shattered onto the ground.

"Doesn't this goddamn town and have anything!?" He yelled, kicking a chair that had been sitting in the middle of the floor, next to a table. "AARHH!"

While being angered and quite loud, he was able to hear a knock at the front of the small house. At the moment, he didn't really care who it was. All he wanted was to fix up his bleeding hand.

"Come in!" Bones yelled, hoping that the other person would hear it. There was a click of boots across the wooden floor, long and striding, almost timid. "Can you go a little faster?!" Bones' harsh voice rattled. The footsteps picked up until Bones saw who had walked into his house.

It was a young boy. Shorter than himself, and definitely younger. The boy had honey blonde hair the curled up around the top of his head. His eyes were like…light sapphires that Bones had once stolen from a quarry down in Mexico. His skin was pale, almost tan with a smooth complexion. His lips were a young, dull pink which were pulled in a straight line. The kid wore clothes that were obviously too big for him, but they seemed to fit his certain body type.

"Who are you?" Bones asked warily after giving the boy a good look over once or twice.

"Pavel Chekov sir." The boy addressed himself formally.

"What are you doing in here?" Bones asked. He kept finding himself caught in the boys bright eyes.

"I heard somezing." He shrugged. So the kid had a Russian accent…different, but somehow alluring to Bones and his psyche.

"Well you were damn right kid. Cut my fucking hand on that so-called handle. Probably got a god damn disease now." He muttered, cursing every chance he got to alleviate the pain some. Pavel looked the chiseled man, who was truly bleeding out onto the floor right now. His masculinity was overwhelming, but it made Pavel tingle in a sort of…pleasurable way, which he didn't mind.

"I—I can heelp you…eef you want." Pavel suggested, taking a step towards him. Bones took a step back to counteract the kid. He looked at him, eyeing the kid's smooth, pale hands.

"Just patch up my cut. I don't want nothing else. You got that? You leave…" Bones warned. Pavel's heart lightened.

"Yes sir!" Pavel announced excitedly. He was excited that he got to speak to this new, attractive older man…he hoped to himself that all would go well in his favor.