"I thought you said you had to study." Leonard McCoy trudged after Kirk, who led on like an exuberant puppy. The sidewalk was clogged, with Starfleet emptied out into the city for a night of drinking and dancing. McCoy just wished he was back at the apartment he shared with Kirk, allowed to sit quietly with a glass of whiskey. But Kirk had come racing home, thrown together a drink, and demanded that McCoy get dressed for the bar.
"Change of plans, Bones. I've been trying to get Fi to come out for three years. I need a witness, I doubt it'll ever happen again." He tried to downplay it, but McCoy could tell Kirk was excited. Over the years McCoy had heard a lot about "Fi", the cadet Kirk had met at the workout center. He'd never seen the girl, but Kirk thought a lot of her.
"Any girl that rejects you is okay in my book, I like her already," McCoy said, narrowly dodging a young cadet sprinting toward a trash can to throw up.
Kirk laughed, giving his friend a glance over his shoulder. "It's not like that, I've told you before. She just works way too hard, and I'm going to make sure she has a good time."
McCoy shook his head, barely able to bite back the response that sprang to his tongue. Poor kid, probably even believes that. I've never seen Jim walk past a girl he didn't try to get into bed. Hope this one knows what she's in for.
They were heading for one of the smaller haunts downtown. It was popular with the higher ups because of the relaxed bar area, but still drew in the cadets with a packed dance floor one level down. McCoy hoped that he would be able to have one drink and discreetly disappear, and thankfully the place seemed packed. Someone had dimmed the lights and turned up the music, making it almost impossible to see. Jim scanned the crowd, eyes stopping near the line for the bar.
"Fi!" Kirk called out, using a stranger's shoulders to get leverage as he waved an arm. A girl looked up, barely able to turn her head before Jim collided with her, picking her up off her feet in a hug.
"Down please!" she screamed over the din of voices, laughing as Kirk set her back in place. By then McCoy was close enough to see her features, and it felt like his throat closed up. Golden brown hair, hastily pinned up out of her face, dark eyes and full lips... ten years and 3000 miles from the start, he would know that face anywhere.
"Sophie-Anne." McCoy's whisper was lost in the noise of laughter and clattering glasses.
"I thought you had a date tonight... oh wait, I mean a "study session"," she said with a smirk, accepting the drink the bartender handed her. Without asking McCoy knew exactly what the glass contained, a whiskey sour with a twist of lime.
"There's no way I'd miss this, we should declare a national holiday: The Day Fi Put Down Her Book," Kirk said, holding up two fingers to the bartender to get two more of what she was having. He downed one as soon as it was in his hand and then gave her a once over with his eyes. "I have to say, I'm surprised. You clean up okay after all; it's nice to see you in something besides your uniform."
"Unlike some people, I have an actual work ethic. We can't all get by on charm and blue eyes," Sophie-Anne said as she sipped her drink and peered over Kirk's shoulder. "Who's your friend?"
"I couldn't believe you actually agreed to come out, so I had to bring a witness. Bones, this is the infamous Sophie-Anne." It took McCoy a moment to realize Sophie-Anne was holding her hand out.
"It's nice to meet you," she said, voice barely cutting through the din. Not knowing what else to do McCoy took her hand and shook it, searching her face for some clue as to whether or not she really didn't recognize him. She just smiled at him amicably, then held her drink above her head to keep Kirk from spilling it. "JT, watch the elbows!"
"Bottoms up," he demanded, waiting until she'd drained the glass and then pulling her up onto his back. "We're dancing, Bones, let's go!"
They were off down the stairs then, Sophie-Anne's laughter filtering back up to assault his ears. Together Kirk and Sophie-Anne waded into the sea of people, a loud techno song pounding in the soles of his shoes. McCoy watched as Kirk grabbed her up around the waist, spinning her around recklessly. Her head was thrown back, hair escaping from the clip and spilling into waves on her shoulders, and McCoy felt his teeth grind together.
Jim was dancing with Sophie-Anne. Sophie-Anne was enrolled in Starfleet. Kirk was going to sleep with her. Fingernails dug into McCoy's palms as his fists bunched tighter, unable to look away as the music rose, sending the dancers into frenzy. Kirk and Sophie-Anne jumped in the center, and it wasn't until McCoy saw him lean in and whisper in her ear that he forced himself to turn, leaving his drink on the counter and escaping out the side door.
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In the center of the dance floor, Sophie-Anne Caldwell was barely keeping it together. Kirk grabbed her up around the waist, which was good because she wasn't sure she was going to be able to keep standing on her own. Sweat was beginning to pool in the small of her back, and when she looked up Kirk had that hopeful look on his face.
"What did you say?" She had to scream over the music, electronic sound pushing the people in around them.
"Do you want to get some air?" He took her wrist and stepped back, creating a small pocket for her to breathe in. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Sophie-Anne tried not to laugh, because Jim had just described exactly how she felt. Kirk's friend "Bones" was Leonard McCoy. Sophie-Anne hadn't seen him in ten years, not since convincing him to marry someone else, and the look on his face was worse than a knife to the stomach. She'd tried to play it off, pretend like she didn't know him, but within five seconds of seeing his face she felt sixteen all over again.
"I'm fine, just tired I guess."
The look Kirk gave her was valid disbelief. "Fi, you can run further than anyone I've ever met, and you're winded after two minutes of dancing? Tell the truth, you're just a lightweight, aren't you?" He smirked, and in that moment Sophie-Anne saw McCoy turn, slipping out the side door, and her lungs emptied. Maybe she wouldn't see him again. He was Kirk's friend, after all, no reason she'd have to bump into him again.
"Please, I'll drink your scrawny butt under the table," Sophie-Anne declared, smiling more brightly than was necessary, then grabbed his hand to lead him toward the lower bar.
"There's nothing wrong with my butt…" he grumbled, ordering for the both of them when the bartender finally turned their way. The moment he stopped talking a green skinned cadet Sophie-Anne knew was named Gaila jumped onto Kirk's back with a happy scream, lighthearted accusations streaming from her lips.
"You said you had a family emergency, Jim!" she cried with a pout, casting a disapproving look at Sophie-Anne. Instead of being offended Sophie-Anne smiled at the girl, reaching out to give Kirk's cheek a squeeze.
"Well, JT's pretty much like a brother to me, so I can see how he'd get confused. I'm Sophie-Anne," she said, holding out her hand, and the budding jealousy in Gaila's eyes died as she held out her own.
"I didn't mean to interrupt you guys, I'm here with a couple of friends. My roommate's in the long range sensor lab, she should be gone all night, so I thought I'd come out for a drink and then head home and enjoy the peace and quiet…" Gaila's invitation was obvious, but Kirk seemed to be still stuck back at the word "brother". Sophie-Anne knew she'd have to take charge, so she shot him a stern look.
"You heard the girl! Be a gentleman, buy her a drink! I'm going to head home anyway; this crowd is a little rowdy for my tastes." Sophie-Anne finished off her drink and smiled at Gaila. "It was nice to meet you, make sure he gets home in one piece, okay?"
She only got two steps away before he caught up with her, a disappointed look on his face. "Don't go, Fi. I've wanted to take you out for a long time, but it's impossible to get you away from the library…"
Sophie-Anne smiled, shaking her head. "JT, that Orion girl is in straight up love with you. You should show her a good time," she said, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. "Don't stay out too late, you've got the test in the morning. You sure are a glutton for punishment."
With that she was off, leaving him alone in the crowd. He had to laugh, because she was right in more ways than one. When Gaila found him again he did just as his friend had commanded, ordering drinks for them both and then dragging her out onto the dance floor.
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When the door buzzed at 1am, Spock nearly ignored it. He was still up preparing coursework for the next day, and unannounced visitors that late at night tended to be drunk cadets who had been dared to ring the bell and run away. With a few swipes of the monitor mounted on the wall he activated the camera, revealing a tired looking girl leaning against the wall. Sophie-Anne.
He didn't hesitate then, opening the door and moving to the side to allow her to slide past. She smelled like whiskey and night air, alcohol only barely able to dull the agitation he could feel pouring off of her. "Sophie-Anne, it is late," he said, watching as she shrugged her coat off onto the floor. He had to resist the urge to pick it up and place it on the rack, instead focusing on how uncharacteristically quiet she was.
"You're still up. Working on lesson plans?" she finally asked, tapping a finger against the PADD he'd dropped onto the sofa.
"I will be overseeing the Koboyashi Maru in the morning, which leaves me little time to prepare the first year Klingon history course for the afternoon," he explained, even though he could see she wasn't listening. "Is something the matter? You appear... anxious."
She sat down the couch, laying the discarded PADD down on the end table and drawing her knees up to her chin. He took a cautious seat by her side.
"Have you seen Uhura tonight?" she asked. He didn't like the way his heart jumped at that question, as if Sophie-Anne had any other reason for asking about their mutual friend. Shoving away the uncomfortable thought he shook his head.
"It is my understanding she will be in the long range sensor lab for the remainder of the evening."
Sophie-Anne sighed. "Figures." She lay down, picking up a hard throw pillow and stuffing it under her head. "Do you mind if I stay here tonight? I don't really want to be alone."
The concept didn't register with the Vulcan. "Surely you would be more comfortable in your bed, I do not comprehend-"
"I know you don't," she interrupted. "Just trust me, okay?
After a moment's consideration, Spock went to retrieve a blanket.
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AN: Hey guys! Writing an OC for Star Trek is just... like a rite of passage! It's going to be cheesy, romantic, and fun... I will get facts wrong, but let's have a blast anyway! I haven't forgotten about A Different Kind of Ghost, just been moving around a lot and haven't had a chance to update. Did post a new trailer for that on the youtubes (cherrypinupgirl), can't wait to do one for this story :) Definitely going to use Jenna Coleman (love her!)