Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek characters nor do I make any money off of this writing.

Summary: Pavel Chekov and Hikaru Sulu are a couple now and McCoy knows all about it.

I had already done Spock and Kirk confessing their love for one another with Bones hearing it and it seemed like a good idea for Pavel and Hikaru. My muse is once again on a sugar high I believe.

Chulu Via Bones

Having to deal with life and death situations daily seemed to make the command crew of the Enterprise very aware that every moment they are given is a gift and should be lived to the fullest. However, none of this seemed to change Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy. He was still a crabby, hypo-loving doctor who had a soft spot for romance. Bones knew that Jim and Spock were in a relationship and he was extremely happy for them. Everyone needed someone that could comfort them and share whatever time they may have left. Love was important to human beings, hell to most sentient beings. Bones felt that everyone on the command crew should have someone to love. However, he'd be damned if he'd ever write that as a prescription.

Shore leave was a time when ship physicians are supposed to get a break. They too should be able to enjoy having a week's vacation without getting emergency pages from their charge nurse who was still back on the ship. But of course, that was yet another Star Fleet standard that didn't apply to Bones McCoy. Bones had ordered to be beamed up immediately after he had read Chapel's message. Hikaru Sulu has been injured, multiple stab wounds, excessive bleeding. Please advise. Bones had jumped off the transporter pad as soon as all his molecules were back in place running towards Med Bay. She wanted to be advised? His advice was to pray and hold Pavel Chekov back while he worked.

Bones flew through the doors to find a very pale Asian in the arms of a scared to death teenager. "What the hell happened down there?" Chapel was helping him out of his civilian coat and shirt. He tugged down the blue tunic and gently supported Sulu while Chekov pulled away.

"Zere were men who were being mean to me. Hikaru was only trying to keep me zafe." Tears filled the Russian's large eyes.

Bones took pity on the younger man. "Nurse Vaughn, get Pavel some water and help him sit down. Chapel we've got to repair this damage." Vaughn was gently pulling the young blonde towards Bones' office as they hurried Sulu into the operating room.

Sulu was in worse shape than he looked and that was saying something. The lacerations were deep; several of his internal organs had been damaged. His spleen would have to be removed as one of the lacerations had sliced completely thru the organ. His appendix had ruptured from what appeared to be a blunt force trauma to his abdomen which Bones suspected was a kick. He had several broken bones: left clavicle, left ulna, right tibia and fibula and seven ribs. Sulu also had a concussion and a cracked skull. He had lost several units of blood which Chapel was infusing back as quickly as possible. There were several cuts across his face that were superficial but would have hurt like a son of a bitch. He also had quite a few defensive wounds. Bones was proud to see that all his knuckles were scrapped. Sulu had tried to give it as well as he got it. The boy was a fighter, but these guys had nearly beaten him to death. Bones could only imagine how many men had participated in the attack.

It took most of the night for him and Chapel to repair all the damage and restore his body back to near-normal. He was going to have to take it easy for quite some time. As soon as they had exited the surgical suite moving Sulu into a private bay, Chekov had come running to be at his side. The boy looked like he had spent the entire time they had been in surgery crying his eyes out. After they got Sulu situated, Bones felt like he needed to get the full story from Chekov. "Chekov… Pavel, I want you to tell me what happened down there. It looks to me like there at least three or four men involved in this occurrence." Bones sat down on the stool watching Chekov sweeping Sulu's jet black hair off his forehead.

Chekov took a steadying breath before he could reply. "Zere vas eight men. Zey vas ze men in ze bar vho thought I vas cute. Zey vere zaying zings to me, trying to get me to go back to ze hotel vith zem. Hikaru asked zem to stop. He ewen asked nicely." Chekov's story was interrupted by a sob. "Zey began to taunt him telling him zat I would enjoy so many men zat I didn't want him. He got mad and tried to get uz out of ze bar but zey followed and drug him into the ze alley. Zey started beating him." Another strangled sob. "Oh Hikaru, I am zo zorry. I knew I couldn't zop it zo I ran to get help. By ze time I got back he vas zo broken. I shouldn't hawe left him. I got uz beamed back on board az zoon az I could." Pavel gently held Hikaru's hand still stroking his forehead.

Bones could feel his own heart breaking for Pavel. "Pavel, I don't think that Hikaru would have wanted you to stay. He was trying to keep you safe and he did a very good job of that." Bones walked to where Pavel was barely standing up right. He wrapped the young man in a hug. "Pavel, Hikaru would not want you to blame yourself. He will be awake in the morning and he will tell you that himself. Ok?" Bones could feel Pavel nod into his chest. "You need to get some sleep, son." Bones whispered into the blonde curls.

Chekov straightened up to full height and did his best to look like the Star Fleet Officer he was. "I vill stay here next to Hikaru in case he needs me." He was dead set on staying right where he was.

Bones was too tired to argue, or at least that is what he would claim. He understood the need to be next to the one you loved when they were hurt so he let it slide. "Ok, I'll be on my couch if you need anything." Pavel nodded in agreement, taking his place at Hikaru's side holding his hand. Bones took his weary body to his couch to catch a little shut eye. He needed to stay close in case Sulu began bleeding again.

Several hours later, just before what would be dawn on Earth, Bones awoke from his short respite on the couch. His mind slowly began to focus on the reason for him sleeping in Med Bay during shore leave. He jumped up off the couch when he remembered working on Sulu for half the night. It had been one of the worse cases, beside Jim, that he had attended to. His concern for Sulu quickened his pace towards his bed. Bones noticed that the door to the bay was open. He could hear voices from inside, one was Chekov's thick Russian accent and the other was Sulu's drowsy answer, so he stood just outside the door to hear what was said between the two young officers.

"I vas zo afraid for you Hikaru." Bones could hear the tears in Pavel's voice.

"I was afraid for you too, Pavel. I couldn't let those men do something to you." Bones could tell from Hikaru's voice that he was fighting to stay awake. "I had to protect you, you are my Pasha."

"Hikaru, you are so good to me. But please don't risk your life for me again, it's not worth it."

"Don't you say that, Pavel. If there were no you I would have no reason to live." Hikaru cleared his throat. There was a pause that Bones suspected Pavel was helping him get a drink of water. "Pav, you aren't just my best friend, you are the love of my life. Please, Pasha, let me be the love of yours?" Bones was pretty sure the pain medicine had given Hikaru the boost he needed to confess to Pavel.

"Oh, Hikaru, you are ze lowe of my life!" From the grunts Bones heard and apologizes that followed, Pavel must have tried to hug Hikaru.

Bones pushed himself off the wall and headed back to his office. Sulu would not be needing the physician's services just yet today. Bones might actually get to sleep past 0700, but he kinda doubted that. As he laid back down on the comfortable couch, Bones thought to himself that he really needed to stop listening in on conversations in the Med Bay. He quickly dismissed that thought, hearing the love between his friends was a light in his darkness. He would not add to the rumor mill, so their secrets were always safe with him.

A/N: Thanks for reading.

I kept switching between using last names and first names when Bones was trying to be professional and when he was being a friend. Pavel's accent is still so hard to write, please forgive my attempt.

Please hit the review button and tell me what you think, that makes my day!