"If you're here to tell me it wasn't my fault, don't. It was," Jim said as soon as he stood next to her, she was leaning against the railing looking out at the ocean.

Leonard chuckled, "I wasn't gonna say that, and you know it."

"We're not connected, I have no idea what you're gonna say."

He smiled, "Liar. I have a huge chunk of you in my head; that works both ways. In either case, I was gonna say that it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. We stayed in alignment despite the issues we both have with being in a Jaeger. I don't think it was your fault. It happens, even to the best of us."

"It doesn't happen to me. That's never happened to me," she whispered.

Leonard sighed, "I know but isn't that what life's all about? The things that happen that we don't expect. I mean, look around… Giant monsters from the bottom of the sea are trying to kill us and a dozen people are the only thing in their way. It's crazy."

"Yea, it is. I… I want this to work. I guess I'm just not as ready as I thought," Jim told him.

"You are. You wouldn't be able to admit that if you weren't. We're both just outta practice. You okay?" he asked his new partner.

She nodded, "Yea."

Leonard smiled, "Good. Now, can we go inside before we get sick, it's cold out here?" Jim chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her against his chest.

"Such a southern flower, Bones. This is nothing. Winter in Iowa is cold. Kodiak Island is cold. This is nippy at best."

"So, what's your story?" Leonard was in the infirmary helping out with the minor injuries that the engineers sustained when Hikaru Sulu walked in and asked that question.

The doctor looked at the other pilot, "Nothin' much. Wanted to be doctor, ended up a Ranger, went back to being a doctor, now I'm both."

Hikaru smiled, "You've seen in Jim's head, so you know I'm her best friend. Her other brother, as she calls me. I could just ask her what the deal is with you but I'd prefer to get to know you without Jim as the middle woman."

Leonard saw plenty in Jim's head, her friendship with the oldest Sulu started five years ago after Horizon, Riverside and Eden Assassin took out a Kaiju near Bangkok. Jim and Hikaru struck up a friendship from opposite sides of the Pacific Rim that only got deeper after her brother was hurt. They've been at the Hong Kong Shatterdome for the last year, working side by side to keep the Jaegers operational.

"I don't know what you want me to tell you, Mister Sulu," Leonard told the tall man.

Hikaru chuckled, "I just wanna know the guy who's fighting beside my best friend. That's all." The kid had a point and he was only trying to look after Jim.

Leonard sighed, "What do you wanna know?"

Leonard glanced at the clock, it was only twenty-one hundred. He ran his hand through his hair and considered his options. He could try to sleep, which wasn't easy, or he could find something to do to tire himself out. The southerner pushed himself out of his bed just as someone knocked on the door. He knew it was Jim before he even opened it; she sleeps less than he does.

"Hey," she said as soon as he opened the door.

Leonard smiled, "Hey. Everything okay? Pike's not about to spring another sim run on us?" Pike told them that he wasn't scheduling their next simulator run, it could be anytime just like a Kaiju attack; that was four days and two sim runs ago.

Jim stepped into the room and chuckled, "I have no idea what he's up to. He did say they would be random like a real drop, so I'm not exactly worried about it. I'm bored."

He chuckled as he leaned against the door, "Me too. I'm sure there's some work we could find if we looked hard enough but…"

"Not really in a working mood. Wanna watch a movie with me?" Jim asked.

"Any movie in particular?"

She shrugged, "Any movie you want, we got a bunch of 'em in the system. I just can't stare at my ceiling in silence anymore and… I uh…"

Leonard smiled, "You didn't want to be alone." Jim nodded.

He chuckled, "I guess our connection's getting stronger."

"A few more runs and we won't even need to talk… not that talking's bad or anything," Jim said.

Leonard smiled, "No, it's not. Go ahead and pick a movie." She chuckled and moved to the holographic interface that all the rangers had in their rooms. Jim picked The Matrix before she sat on his bed with her long legs crossed at the ankles and her back against the wall.

Leonard sat next to her as the movie started. It's been awhile since he's watched the old action movie, hell, it's been awhile since he's watched any movie and she knew it. They watched as Neo met his new friends and tried to avoid the agents that were trying to kill them. Neo and Trinity were getting ready to rescue Morpheus when Leonard felt a weight on his shoulder. Jim fell asleep. Leonard chuckled and watched the rest of the movie, eventually drifting off to sleep too.

"Enterprise Rising, report to the simulator. Rangers Kirk and McCoy, report to simulator," the computer jolted Leonard out of the best sleep he's had in years. He looked down at the woman in his arms as she shifted. He doesn't know how they ended up tangled together on his bed but it wasn't unpleasant. Jim's body fit in his arms perfectly. She was warm and she smelled like heaven; vanilla and something else he couldn't place. Letting her fall asleep in his bed might not have the best idea. It's been awhile since Leonard let anyone get that close.

"I'm gonna kill him," Jim groaned. She looked at Leonard with her bright blue eyes, "Sorry I dozed off on you."

He smiled, "Don't be. Come on, we've been summoned."

They stopped by her room so she could grab her sneakers before they ran to the Drivesuit room. This was their fourth run together and everything was more relaxed. He didn't worry about stripping down to get into the tight circuitry suit. Or seeing Jim do the same. Not that she doesn't look good, because she does but he wasn't worried about it.

"You alright over there, Bones?" He chuckled, "You're gonna see inside my head soon enough. Don't kill me."

Jim smiled, "Only if you don't kill me."

Leonard raised an eyebrow, "Why would I do something like that, darlin'?"

She shrugged, "You'll see."

It was sometime after zero four hundred when they finally made it back to their rooms. He should've gone to bed but he knocked on Jim's door before he could think better of it. She opened it and looked at him, "What?"

He took a breath, "I'm sorry." She got a good bit about his ex-wife during their last Drift and, as much as she wanted to deny it, she was hurt at the comparisons he unconsciously made.

Jim stepped aside to let him in, "Why are you sorry? I'm the one who should be sorry. I invaded your space and I made you…"

"Stop. You didn't invade anything, Jim… at least, not in a bad way. After my father died, I shut everyone out. For a month, I hid in a crappy apartment and drank myself stupid. One of the nurses from the LA Shatterdome, Christine, found me, cleaned me up and told me to stop wasting my life. So, I focused on being a doctor. I worked a lot and I didn't let anyone get close. A fling here or there but nothing where I could get hurt. In the last five years, you're the only person to ever get that close. I don't know if that's because you've seen inside my head or if it's just us. What I do know is that I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else."

"Not even your father?" she asked in a small voice.

Leonard smiled, "Not even him. My dad was a smart man and he'd be dumb if he didn't see the connection we have. The colonel would like you. You're smart and sassy, my dad loved smart and sassy women."

"We're really okay?"she asked.

He sighed, "Well, you could tone down the hotness."

She shook her head, "I don't know what you're looking at. I'm… just me; a grease monkey who can fight."

"You're beautiful. Your head, your heart… that's what I see," he told her.

Jim's eyes twinkled, "And I have a nice ass."

Leonard chuckled, "You have a nice everything and you know it. Look, my ex… she made me choose between her and my father. I didn't pick her for a reason."

She nodded, "You got married because that's what everyone expected to do but you doubt that she ever loved you. I saw that much."

"I loved her, just not how I should've. It was like your love for Hikaru, except not as deep. He's family, his sisters too and you would die for them… I doubt she would bat an eyelash for me. It just took me a while to figure it out. My father gave me a good reason to leave but my marriage was over before it started. You do remind me of her, not because you're similar, it's because you're so different. Okay?"

"Okay," she sighed.

Leonard tucked her hair behind her ear and pressed a soft kiss against her cheek, "Bedtime, Miss Kirk. We gotta get up in two hours."

Jim smiled, "Roger that, doc. Goodnight."

He smiled, "Good morning." He walked across the hall to his room. Once inside, he plopped down on his bed. "Impeccable fuckin' timing there, Len," he muttered to himself. The next time she's in his head he was so screwed. Jim was a spitfire. All that toughness and brilliance and compassion was like a beacon that called out to him. He wanted to be where she was. Leonard was sure that the Drift had nothing to do with his growing affection for the bright-eyed blonde. Just his luck.

"Hey, McCoy, come sit with us," one of the twins called out. Leonard still hadn't figured out who was who. Yuki and Aiko were identical twins; they made it harder by wearing the same clothes, the same hairstyle and having the same mannerisms. From Jim's memories, he learned that the girls would often switch identities on people for a laugh but if you know them well enough, you could figure it out.

"Heard you had a talk with Hiki. He's overprotective. We used to think it was just us but he does it with Jim and Ny too. I think they get a kick out of it," one twin said.

The other twin smiled, "Sam thinks it silly. He's Jim's brother and it's still his job to protect her… even if he is a cyborg now."

Leonard looked at the eighteen year old, "Really?"

"It's not a big deal, doc, she stole that one from me," Sam said as he walked over with an arm around Jim's shoulder. She was next to her brother, tray in hand.

"Hey, Bonesy," she said with a smile.

He smiled back, "Hey, Jimmy."

She raised an eyebrow, "'Jimmy'?"

"You call me 'Bones', so I think I'm gonna call you 'Jimmy'. I'm trying it on for size," he told her.

She chuckled, "When'd you decide that?"

Leonard shrugged, "Last night. Now, come sit down and eat before I hook you up to a feeding tube." Sam snickered but didn't say anything.

Jim glared, "You wouldn't dare."

He smiled, "You know I would. You don't eat enough for a normal person and you're a Jaeger pilot."

"You're worse than Sam," she muttered.

Her brother shook his head, "Don't bring me into this. He's your partner and he knows how bad you are at taking care of yourself. Someone has to make sure you eat and sleep because you sure as hell won't do either on your own."

Jim rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "It's called work. Overbearing men."

"But you love us," Hikaru said to her.

"Heaven knows why 'cause I sure as hell don't," Jim told her friend.

Sam pouted, "That hurts my feelings, sis." She shrugged and stole a strip of bacon off Sam's tray. "That's mean, Jim. You can't take a man's bacon," Sam said. Jim rolled her eyes but didn't say anything as she continued to eat her breakfast.

"Where are you from?" one of the twins asked Leonard.

He smiled, "Ellijay, Georgia. It's a town right outside Atlanta. My family's still there."

The girl smiled, "What's it like?"

He took a breath, "Warm, most of the year. Everyone in town knows everyone else. My mom owns an apple orchard, she inherited it. You could stand on our porch and smell them. Hopefully, I'll get back there." The twins nodded but a new voice captured their attention. "

It is illogical to…" Spock Grayson started.

Jim cut him off, "Logic, logic, logic. Logic is that dumb wall that the UN is building but doesn't work. We prefer to be illogical and alive. It's good to have a goal for when this is over."

"What's your goal?" Nyota asked as she sat down. Jim's ears turned a tiny bit pink.

She smiled, "I want to hang out Misses McCoy. If Bones' memories are any indication of how good a cook she is, she might get stuck with me for a while."

Leonard smiled, "My mama wouldn't mind, you're more than welcome to go for it. Hell, ya'll can all come visit if you want. Just be warned, she'd feed you until you're outta room like any good southern mama would. Then, she'll try to keep you. That's how we ended up with my brother-in-law."

"He married your sister, isn't that how you ended up with him?" Gary asked from the other end of the table.

Leonard shook his head, "No, I've known Fred since we were kids. His mama worked her ass off but his papa drank away all the money. My mama saw him at the school in ratty clothes and about fifteen pounds underweight. So every day after that she'd send me and Donna to school with extra food for him. She also made me take him some clothes… nothing fancy, just some good shoes and some shirts. When his papa's drinking got real bad, he'd throw Fred out and my mama would take him in. Fred was always family, now it's just legal."

"Aww, that's so sweet," the twins said in unison.

Hikaru chuckled, "You might get the twins too."

Jim looked at the tall Ranger, "You're not gonna go to casa de McCoy, Hik?"

Hikaru shook his head, "If you three are with McCoy's mom, I'm gonna make a break for it."

Sam nodded, "I'm down for that, man. These girls…"

Jim chuckled, "Oh please. You couldn't live without us and we know it." Jim and the twins all tapped their temples.

Having seen Jim's thoughts, and some of Sam's, Leonard knew that the three women had a point. When Tentalus tried to kill them, Sam just wanted Jim to be safe, he didn't care what happened to him and he passed out with that thought in his head. It's a thought that fuels Jim's nightmares because the only thing she wants is for Sam to be safe.

"All Rangers and Ops Kirk, report to the K-Science Lab. I repeat, all Rangers and Ops Kirk, report to the K-Science Lab," the intercom alerted them. Everyone got their last bites in before they all hopped up and left the room, some of the techs at the table next to them offering to clean up their trays and told them to go.

Sam looked at Hikaru as they walked out of the room, "What's your boyfriend up to, man?"

The pilot shook his head, "Don't blame Pasha. Scotty's the crazy one."

Jim chuckled, "Truth."

Her brother nudged her, "You're just as crazy."

She rolled her eyes, "Am not."

Leonard sighed, "Kinda are."

Jim looked at him with a pout, "You're supposed to be on my side, Bones."

"Don't fall for the pouty face, McCoy," Lee said from behind him.

Leonard took a breath, "Not gonna work on me, Jim."

Her bottom lip quivered, "But, Bones." That was not fair; he just wanted to hug her when she had that look on her face.

Gary shook his head, "Don't do it, dude."

"I'm on your side, Jim, but you're still crazy. Not Scotty-crazy but still crazy," he told her.

"I think the good doctor has a point," her brother teased.

She crossed her arms, "I think that doc's only placating you boys. I'm the one he has to share headspace with. I know what he really thinks." Jim gave him a wink. So she did pick up on his thoughts about her. At least she wasn't mad at him for it.

"You did what?" Leonard asked, giving voice to the question they all had while he checked the idiot over. Scotty looked slightly guilty as all the Rangers looked at him.

"Are you daft? You could've killed yourself, there's a reason it takes two pilots to drift," Carol growled. For once, they all agreed with the arrogant Australian woman.

Jim looked at her friend, "Did you get anything good, Scotty?"

The Scot sighed, "Depends on what ye call good, lass. I dinnae feel like they're just following some sort of animalistic urge, ye know, just hunting and gathering. I think they're attacking us under orders."

Pavel glared, "That's impossible."

"Is that impossible, lad? Giant monsters popping up outta the ocean was bloody impossible until thirteen years ago." Scotty had a point.

"Pasha, he's right," Hikaru said, running his hand through the young scientist's curls.

Jim must've thought so too, "Monty, what did you see, be specific."

The scientist nodded, "They're bloody colonists, lass. They overtake worlds then they just... they just consume them and move on to the next. They've been here before, as sort of a trial run. It was the dinosaurs, but the atmosphere wasn't conducive, right? So, they waited it out and they waited it out. And now, ye know, with the ozone, the pollution, the carbon monoxide, polluted waters... well we bloody terra-formed it for them. Now they're coming back and it's perfect. See the first wave, categories one through four, it was nothing! Their sole purpose is to aim for the populated areas and take out the bloody vermin, that's us! The second wave, that is the exterminators, and they will finish the job. And then, the new tenants will take possession."

"Fuck my life," Gary muttered. Leonard nodded his agreement. This was way worse than any of them thought.

Spock looked at Scotty, "Is there an explanation for the matching DNA we located?"

Scotty nodded, "The identical DNA in two separate Kaiju is because they're cloned."

Pike sighed, "Montgomery, I need you to do it again. I need more information."

"I cannae...I cannae do it again. I mean, not unless ye have fresh Kaiju brain lying around," Scotty told their commanding officer. Jim, Sam, Alex and Pike shared a look that everyone in the room caught.

Scotty looked at them, "Do ye?"

Sam chuckled, "We… might know somebody who could help with that." Leonard knew from Jim's memories that they were acquainted with this shady character named Khan who could get his hands on anything. The man owed Pike a favor or two. If Kaiju brain is what they needed, Khan would be the person to get it.