6.

Julie and Liza worked steadily through the week although Julie barely spoke to Liza.

When a patient was in the chair Liza noted her assistant still continued working professionally but the usual chattiness between the two was missing. Liza wanted to apologize but she wasn't sure how to approach her about it.

Finally, Friday afternoon rolled around and they were finishing up with their last patient.

"So Commander Spock, I found one carious lesion in the upper left quadrant that will need to be restored. Can you come in at zero-seven- hundred on Monday?" Liza asked, turning to him for confirmation.

Spock raised both eyebrows and shifted uncomfortably in the chair at the news. It was as much of a look of surprise as any Vulcan would ever show.

"I have a cavity." It sounded more like a statement than a question.

"I believe that's what I just said Commander. Is Monday okay?"

"Yes Doctor, Monday is…..agreeable."

Liza walked Mr. Spock to the door and watched him leave. She turned to Julie who was clearing away the dirty instrument kit. "TGIF!"

"Yup, TGIF," she agreed but her back was still to Liza.

Liza worked up her nerve and then blurted out, "Listen Julie, I'm really sorry about the other day. I was being mean."

"It's okay, you had no idea. It was entertaining watching you stick your foot in your mouth though."

"Yeah, but I really hate it when we don't talk."

Julie turned from her work at the sterilizer and leaned on the counter. "I was just looking out for you, ya know. You're like the kid sister I never wanted."

"I know, and I appreciate it most of the time." She finished digitally signing her treatment notes in Mr. Spock's record, talking as she typed. "Hey, tomorrow night I'm not doing anything. If you want we could go check out the bowling alley. I hear it's pretty nice."

"Oh, I can't. I have plans already," Julie answered a little awkwardly.

"Really? With whom?" Liza was curious now and wanted to keep Julie talking. If it was possible to miss a friend who is always present, Liza had certainly missed her. She began shutting down the equipment for Julie. She knew the fastest way to make amends was to give her assistant a hand for a change.

"With Scotty," she replied, intent on her task. "We're going to that movie thing they're having."

"Wow! So it's a date?"

"Yeah I… guess it is a date," she said, blushing.

Liza laughed and said reassuringly, "Don't worry Julie, you'll be fine. Just be yourself."

"Yeah, you too. Speaking of which, you better get going. You wouldn't want to stand up the good doctor."

"Oh, thanks Julie. Have a good night."

"Goodnight, Doc."

After stopping at her quarters to change clothes and freshen up, Liza met with Dr. McCoy in the officers lounge where a person could get just about anything one might want to eat. The lounge was almost deserted and they took a table by a view port.

McCoy sat across from her and asked, "I'm starving. Are you ready to eat?"

Liza nodded, but truth be told she was feeling anxious and wasn't sure she could eat anything.

"You can have anything you like," he offered.

"Fries and a chocolate shake?"

"Is that all?"

She smiled. "Yep!"

His dark eyebrows arched as he got up from the table and said dryly, "I can see I'm going to have order some iron supplements for you."

McCoy brought their food back to the table and watched in horror as she dipped a fry in her shake and ate it.

"What? It's good!" she exclaimed, dipping another fry and offered it to him.

"I'll have to take your word for it," he said shaking his head.

They made small talk as they ate and Liza discovered the more she got to know McCoy, the more she liked him. His legendary persona of being a curmudgeon was just that, a persona, an act. She found out the H was for Horatio, that he was a doctor's son, and that he knew all the juiciest gossip on board The Enterprise.

When dinner was finished they made their way up to the conservatory where their talk turned to more serious subjects.

As Liza walked into the conservatory she was enveloped with the scent of roses. But many other exotic blooms also cast their fragrance through the climate controlled air. Various types of artificial lighting beamed down softly from the ceiling, illuminating the rows and rows of domestic and alien plants.

"I have to admit I was a bit nervous about seeing you tonight." She ran her hand over a grouping of rose blooms, and then bent down to smell their sweet fragrance. "My assistant tells me I should just be myself with you".

"I think you're doing a fine job of it now," he said, staying close behind her. "Unless you have some deep dark secret you're not telling me."

"No deep dark secrets. Maybe just a little jaded."

"Me too," was his succinct reply

"I'm recently divorced," she added.

"Me too," he chuckled

She one-upped him. "Twice."

"Me too." They were both laughing now. "And I have a daughter from my first marriage," he admitted.

"Really?"

"Really."

"I'm a pain in the ass," she confessed.

"So am I," he shot back.

"I have trust issues"

"Don't we all?"

The corners of his mouth lifted into a relaxed smile. "So tell me, why do I make you nervous."

He stood very close beside her now, but did not touch her. Liza turned to him, expecting him to back away. Instead he took her hand and held it.

"Leonard," she began, making the mistake of looking up at his astonishingly blue eyes. "I'm not sure what I want. And I'm even less sure of what to expect. Not just from you but from myself as well."

To her amazement, he seemed to understand exactly what she was saying.

"Don't expect anything," he said softly. "Then you'll always be surprised."

He pulled her closer and inclined his head to kiss her. He found her mouth easily. The coaxing pressure of his lips made Liza sway, and he slid his arms around her, holding her more firmly against his chest.

His mouth was warm and patient and there was something wickedly erotic about his lack of urgency. He teased gently, the tip of his tongue barely touching hers before it withdrew.

McCoy lifted his head breaking the kiss. She stared up at him in a daze.

"My God woman," he finally said. "You are trouble."