FACE CHARACTER: I've updated the cover image for this story so you can get an image on who I am using for Natasha. Dr. Ivankov's looks are based off of Holland Roden if Holland Roden was a bit on the heavier side.


THREE YEARS LATER

(Starfleet Academy Grounds; 8PM)

She sat in the first row of seats in the small conference room, right in the center. On her left sat Pavel, and on her right, was Jim. The lights were dimmed and everyone was silent, the only noise in the room being the sound of Leonard's voice through the speakers as he finished his seminar on aviophobia. The turnout had been surprisingly well; 35 out of the 50 seats the room held were taken, and Natasha couldn't have been prouder of her friend.


"This shit's almost over, right?" Jim whispered as he nudged Natasha with his elbow.

Natasha responded by slapping his knee lightly and scrunching her nose up in disapproval.

"Stop it," she whispered back with a glare, "that is your best friend up there. At least pretend to enjoy it—for his sake."

With an eyeroll Jim slumped in his seat and shook his head. This was completely pointless. A seminar about the fear of flight in an organization that operated in space—completely pointless. However, Natasha made a valid point, that was his best friend, and he had to support his best friend however much he could… even if he thought this whole thing was completely stupid. But hey, they were all going out to dinner afterwards to celebrate Leonard's little side-project, so he had some food and drinks to look forward too at the end of the night. And maybe, if Natasha didn't hover and act like a mother hen (her usual self whenever they all went out) he might be able to catch a girl at the bar and bring her back around to his dorm.

Maybe...


With a few final comments, some of which were information on where to get the counseling and support one would need if they were having a hard time dealing with their aviophobia, Leonard made his way off the stage with the sound of polite applause behind him... excluding the obnoxious screams that one redhead sitting in the front row was letting out, and the unsurprising, "That's my Bones!," from his best friend Jim.

He felt good about his seminar, it was the first one ever in Starfleet history concerning the fear of flight, and it made him feel good to help others deal with their phobia in a way that he would have liked to be helped when he first discovered his fear.

He was a doctor for a reason after all, helping people was just something that he was inclined to do from the start.

With a slight spring in his step, he got off the stage and stood off to the side; people started to approach him then. Some gave him pats on the back and congratulated him on his seminar, and others asked for more information on where and how to get help in overcoming their fear. He made small talk with everyone that approached him, a small, fake smile plastered on his lips as he discreetly inched his way towards the exit.

Leonard McCoy was a walking contradiction. He loved his job and loved helping people… and he hated his job and hated people in general. He had no patience what's so ever, however he was one of Starfleet's best medical officers, even if he was also Starfleet's grouchiest.

"Bones!" was suddenly shouted a few feet away from him, and then Leonard felt an arm snake around his shoulders.

He rolled his eyes.

"Dammit Jim," he grumbled lowly, "stop calling me that."

Jim just laughed as he brought his friend into a quick hug.

"It's been three years, man," Jim smirked, "that's your nickname for life."

Leonard rolled his eyes and then shrugged off Jim's arm from his shoulders. Subtly he looked around his friend, noticing the absence of a redheaded Russian and her baby cousin who was practically fused to her hip.

"Where's Tasha and the kid?" he finally asked as they both made their way out of the conference room and out of the building all together.

"They got a head start," said Jim with a shrug as he and his friend walked across the Starfleet grounds and towards the awaiting shuttle bus that would take them to the restaurant they'd all agreed on.

"Head start?" asked Leonard, genuinely confused.

"Yeah," Jim said with a smile, "Your girlfriend has some stuff she needs to fix up at the restaurant before you get there—I'm supposed to stall you."

"She ain't my girlfriend," was all Leonard acknowledged with a scowl, "quit it."

"Yet," said Jim with a large grin, "I don't know why you haven't made a move yet—hell, if you're not interested let me know because I wouldn't mind having a piece of that—OW!"

Leonard had punched him, in the arm, hard.

"And you swear you're not in love with her," exclaimed Jim with a flail of his arms.

"Shut up!" Leonard hissed, "I ain't in love with her."

"But you like her, right?" Jim pressed on with a suggestive smirk.

Leonard sighed.

Jim had gotten him drunk one night. It had been a typical guys' night at the bar, and after the 5th shot Leonard couldn't think straight, nor could he filter his comments when his friend had mentioned trying to go at their female friend. He didn't remember much of what was said that night, but the next morning Jim sported a black eye.

According to Jim, ever the drama queen that he was, his fair-haired friend said that Leonard had nearly murdered him when he had mentioned the thought of asking Natasha out on a date.

Well, Leonard couldn't really avoid the obvious answer anymore, not with how persistent Jim could be when he was on a mission.

"Yeah, I do," he said, trying to sound indifferent. "She's a looker, who wouldn't like her?"

Jim let out an overdramatic "YES" and then lowly added, "Chekov owes me 100 credits."

"100 credits?" exclaimed Leonard, glaring at his friend, "you bet with boy-genius?"

Nodding, Jim grinned as he said, "He bet me 100 federation credits that I wouldn't get you to admit that you like his cousin… even though literally all of Starfleet know you two have a thing for each other!"

"Now listen here Jim, you better—wait," Leonard paused, his mind going blank for a second as he realized what Jim had just told him. "She's got a thing for me?"

Jim nodded, smiling as they reached the shuttle bus. "Chekov spilled the beans—Natasha has, and I quote in my best Russian accent: thee biggest croosh on Doctor McCoy."

"Is that so?" was all Leonard could bring himself to say as he held back on smiling like an idiot.

Natasha was an unconventional beauty, at least in the eyes of Leonard. She was short, pale skinned, and was on the heavier side. She had a smattering of freckles on the bridge of her nose that extended to the apple of her cheeks, and large curly red hair that was almost always pulled back into two French braids. She almost never wore makeup, and when she wasn't in her white doctor's uniform or cadet reds', she was almost 95% of the time in a baggy t-shirt and a pair of leggings with her sandals. Her looks were plain, save for her sea-foam green eyes, however as gorgeous as those green eyes were, her looks weren't what had caught Leonard's attention in the first place.

Natasha was kind, compassionate, and adorably awkward when it came to certain things. She had a dark sense of humor that rivaled his own, and she was incredibly smart. She made him laugh and she just understood him and his way of being. If Leonard was having a bad day, a single conversation with Natasha could bring him out of whatever mood he was in. She was a blessing in his life—she had helped him so much without even realizing it.

His ex-wife had completely ruined him; she had taken everything in the divorce. He had joked with Jim that all his ex-wife had left him with were "his bones," and hence the nickname "Bones" was born.

It had been a messy separation, but messy was what happened when you really loved someone, or at least thought you loved someone. She had taken everything away from him, and so Leonard had no other option than to enlist in Starfleet because he didn't know what else to do with himself. He didn't regret it though, Starfleet gave him a purpose, and he had also met Natasha along the way.

"You gonna finally make a move tonight?" Jim asked his silent friend. "It's the perfect opportunity. Dinner, drinks—me and Chekov will disappear halfway through, you just gotta say the word."

Before Leonard could utter a response, Jim's PADD made a noise; a text message had been received.

Natasha wanted them at the restaurant. Now.


Author's Note: Please don't forget to leave a review! Thanks.

Reviews are motivation, and with no reviews there is no motivation... which means I won't post anything, or I might not post as fast enough. *shrugs*

And also please let me know how I'm doing, if there is anything I need to change about my portrayal of the movie or whatever else.