Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story!
A/N: The song is "My Little Girl" by Tim McGraw. I have no idea if NYU exists (I mean I know it does in real life but you get what I mean) so please don't hurt me ::cowers:: R&R please
Today, Leonard "Bones" McCoy and James "Jim" Kirk were helping Joanna McCoy move into her dorm at NYU where she would major in photography. It was a somber day for McCoy. His little girl was in college now and he had missed most of her growing up. Partially wasn't his fault. Jocelyn had demanded full custody to spite him and made it incredibly difficult for him to talk to his own daughter so he ran off to Starfleet.
For awhile, it was only video comms and visits during her school breaks that Bones was able to have a relationship with his daughter, it wasn't much but it was better than nothing. Which brings them to here and now, unpacking boxes in Joanne's dorm and putting stuff away.
Gotta hold on easy as I let you go.
Gonna tell you how much I love you,
Though you think you already know.
I remember I thought you looked like an angel wrapped in pink so soft and warm.
You've had me wrapped around your finger since the day you were born.
One box was full of pictures, Bones pulled out a picture of him holding Joanna when she was six months old. She was wrapped in a pink blanket, sleeping while he looked down at her with nothing but absolute love in his eyes. The happiest day of his life was the day she was born.
You're beautiful baby from the outside in.
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again.
Go on, take on this whole world.
But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl.
Bones continued to look through the pictures and felt tears come to his eyes. He had missed so much of her life and she still called him her hero.
He smiled when he found the picture of her and Jim making funny faces behind Spock's back. Joanna was 10 when that picture was taken. No matter how many times he looked at Joanna's senior school pictures, it was always stunned him how much she had grown.
But again, he wasn't there to witness it. And every time it stabbed him in heart with guilt when he thought about it.
When you were in trouble that crooked little smile could melt my heart of stone.
Now look at you, I've turned around and you've almost grown.
Sometimes you're asleep I whisper "I Love You!" in the moonlight at your door.
As I walk away, I hear you say, "Daddy Love You More!".
It had been two days after Christmas when Joanna was six and she came on the enterprise to have Christmas with her dad, Jim had fallen asleep in his chair and Joanna took one of her markers and drew a mustache on him and then one on herself. Bones found himself unable to punish her when she smiled but he did almost pee his pants laughing at Jim. That same night, Bones had worked late and came back to his quarters to find Joanne asleep, clutching her Captain Snuggles (a teddy bear his father had given her at birth). He covered her with a blanket and kissed her forehead.
"I love you kiddo." He had whispered,
as he walked away, he heard in a little voice reply
"I love you more Daddy."
Someday, some boy will come and ask me for your hand.
But I won't say "yes" to him unless I know, he's the half
that makes you whole, he has a poet's soul, and the heart of a man's man.
I know he'll say that he's in love.
But between you and me. He won't be good enough!
As Joanna walked her father and Jim to their beaming point, Bones had swallow down his urges to rip eyes out. Quite a few guys had taken notice at Joanna. Obviously Kirk felt the same because he nodded to Bones. Bones was happy that Jim had taken such a strong liking to his daughter. Joanna even called him "Uncle Jim" still.
When they reached the beaming point, Joanna hugged Jim and made him promise that he would take care of her dad.
Now came the sad goodbye. Joanna hugged her Dad while Bones tried his best to hide his tears as her head was tucked under his chin. She was a college girl now, an adult practically. They hugged each other tightly for a while and pulled away from each other.
"I love you kiddo." He whispered and kissed her forehead.
And with that said, Jim and Bones beamed back onto the ship.
Nobody said anything to Bones, they knew he needed to be alone for a while before he returned to his usual ornery self.
As he walked to his quarters, felt something in his back pocket.
Slowly he pulled it out, it was a disk. He was confused it hadn't been there a little while ago. He had his way quickly to his quarters.
As soon as he got there, he sat down at his computer and put the disk in.
On the screen he saw
Under her note, was a picture of him and Joanna sitting on the porch of his mom's house in Georgia when was Joanna was 12,
Under the picture there was a note.
I love you more Daddy.
You'll always be my hero.
Joanna
THE END