In which Esmeralda gets sense talked into her, Jarred Tyson gets his ass handed to him, and things get set to rights. And we discover why Spock was in Savannah.
Chapter 7
Esmeralda was surprised when Spock suddenly showed up in Maternity, and asked for a minute of her time.
"Spock! What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you. Do you have a moment?"
"Of course!" She smiled and finished signing off on a chart, handing it to the nurse, "What can I do for you?"
"Is there somewhere we can speak in private, there is something I feel I must share with you."
"Oh, sure. Come on." She wondered what was so important he needed privacy. An empty exam-room served the purpose, she locked it behind them and looked at Spock, "I thought you were in San Francisco."
"I have stayed here in Savannah, watching you. Esmeralda, what are you doing?"
"I'm doing my job. Why?"
"Sit down, and do not argue with me." He waved to the bed and she shrugged, sitting on it.
"You're in a bad mood. Seven year itch?"
"Sadness and disappointment."
"Trouble in San Francisco?"
"Trouble in Savannah. Be quiet and watch. Listen." Now, Vulcans couldn't lie, they didn't like evading, but Esmeralda didn't know what she was supposed to make of what she saw when Spock mind-melded with her. It only took a few flashes to realize these weren't his memories.
Who is this, Spock? she was stunned by the sheer volume of sadness, self-loathing, and pain.
This is Doctor McCoy. Spock's voice was calm in her ear as she saw memories of long nights spent drinking away the hours, sitting alone on the floating-dock, staring out across the water with only a bottle of Jack Daniel's for company. The pain of hearing the neighborhood parties and staying away because he wasn't welcome. Watching from the other side of the hedgerow and wishing he had the guts to go over and say he was sorry, to win her back once and for all. The pain of coming to work every day and seeing her, and knowing he couldn't have her anymore. Arguments with his father, loud, nasty arguments. David McCoy telling his son to grow up, move on. Leonard refusing to let her go because he thought if there was any chance left with her, it would disappear if she was allowed to leave Savannah Central Hospital. Letters and songs written just for her but never presented or mailed. Having seen enough, Esmeralda broke away and looked at Spock.
"I did that to him?"
"All he wants is a second chance. He acknowledges that his ex-wife damaged him, but he doesn't want to lose you when he has so very little left."
"Oh my god. Why did he freak out like that?"
"You have not spoken for a month, and he overheard you say you wanted nothing to do with him, you would rather fly into a black-hole than go back to him."
"But I never said that about him!" Esmeralda was stunned. She had never said anything like that about Leonard, ever!
"The question is, who did you say those things about if not Leonard McCoy?"
"When did I say that?" She tried to remember those precise words. Only one incident came to mind and she was glad to be sitting down, "Oh my god! Spock! Look into my memories! You have to understand, I never said that about Leonard, that was for my ex-boyfriend in Chicago!" Spock, willing to hear both sides of the story, did as she asked. She remembered the incident leading up to those words, which had led to the breakdown, which had led her to this locked exam-room with Spock. Jarred had come to town and taken her out to dinner as a surprise. She had been sufficiently surprised and incapable of refusing him. The evening had been lovely, until Jarred had tried to force himself upon her. Word had gotten out that her ex was in town, and oiling under her hand for a second chance at glory, and she had been informing Erica and a handful of nurses that there was no way in the seven hells of Romulus or Vulcan's Forge she would ever take Jarred back, no matter how much pretty begging he did. Spock was stunned at Jarred's gall to come after her, and pleased that she had rejected him so violently. He looked at her, eyes intent.
"Go to him, Esmeralda, he needs you now."
"He wants nothing to do with me, Spock!" She put her head in both hands, "How can I win him back?"
"You don't have to do anything except say you're sorry, everything else will fall into place." Spock kissed her on the forehead, "I detest melding with someone against their will or when they cannot consent, but it was necessary in this case."
"Thank you, Spock." Esmeralda slipped from the bed and hugged him. Spock let her out of the room and showed her where to find Leonard. That room was empty, so she asked Mariah if she had seen Leonard. He was on Pediatrics with a hang-over headache and a sore neck. That was about it, though.
"Are you okay?"
"I think so. How close did I come to royally screwing everything up?"
"Pretty damned close. You do know why Chief didn't take your resignation, don't you?"
"Yeah, I know. Thanks for not hating my guts, Mariah." Esmeralda rubbed her face with both hands, "I hate myself."
"We're all Human, nobody's perfect, and he started it. If it's any consolation, Len hates himself." Mariah hugged her and she went in search of Leonard. He looked awful when she found him leaning over a nursing-station desk, and she knew why. He hadn't slept in a month, working himself to the bone and drinking away the rest. It was a low-scale repeat of the post-Jocelyn fiasco. Esmeralda snuck up behind him as he rubbed the back of his neck, probably where Spock had nailed him a quick nerve pinch to take him down easy and quiet. Unable to help herself, Esmeralda indulged in a touch she half expected him to reject. He stiffened and she buried her face in the back of her neck.
"Please, please don't push me away." She whispered, "I'm so sorry."
Leonard McCoy, sporting a bizarre hang-over headache and a sore neck, tried to focus on work but his thoughts kept turning to Esmeralda Shirin and varied harebrained plans to win her back. He had the feeling that if he did it just right, she was his for taking. And since he didn't see her making any first moves real soon, it would have to be his first move. Careful planning and deliberate care would be taken, he couldn't afford to lose her because he fucked up a second chance he didn't deserve. Something had knocked him out real good for about fifteen minutes, he wondered if somebody'd hit him with some sedative in a stronger dose than strictly necessary. Trying to focus, failing at that, and planning his next move on Esmeralda were all cut short when somebody came up behind him. Maybe his sense of smell was failing him, but he caught a whiff of Esmeralda's perfume. It was light and barely-there, the scent of lavender and myrrh. He'd found an old tee-shirt of Esmeralda's the other day cleaning his bedroom, and spent hours sobbing into the soft material that smelled like her. She had spent so much time at his place before the fight that it had taken weeks of repeated washing to get the smell of her out of the sheets, out of his clothes. It was pathetic that he didn't just burn the whole lot of it. Whoever was behind him touched, and he almost jumped out of his own skin.
"Please, please don't push me away." She begged, "I'm so sorry!" Push her away? Hell, the only reason he'd push her away was to make room for him to turn around! He could do that without pushing her away. It was just his luck there weren't any patients around. Esmeralda wasn't letting go, almost as if afraid letting go would cause him to vanish in a puff of dust. After a month of avoiding each other and ignoring each other, they'd come to this? Begging like dogs? Something tightened in his chest, making it hard to catch his breath, in response Esmeralda's arms tightened. Leonard grabbed her by the hand and turned around to face her. She looked awful, which made two of them, and when she raised her head, she was crying.
"That wasn't you, Lon! I swear it wasn't you!"
"What wasn't me?"
"You heard me talking to Erica, I wasn't talking about you!" she was begging him to understand something, he remembered overhearing that too well. But before he freaked out again and did something he'd never forgive himself for, he knew they had to talk about this. He pushed her back until she had to let go of him, put both hands on her shoulders, and looked her in the eye.
"Esmeralda, we need to talk about this. About us. We can't get anything done in the hospital. Meet me back at your place, we'll talk there."
"Is there an us, Lon?"
"I sure hope there is. Let's go home." He put one arm around her and they left the hospital without a word to anyone else. Splitting up to drive home, Leonard watched her go off first and took a minute to get his head on straight.
"Doctor McCoy?" the sound of his name made him jump.
"Huh?" He turned sharply and froze when he saw the man behind him in Starfleet blue. Science and Medical division, two stripes marking him a commander. He was Vulcan. Leonard knew who this was, having never seen or met the man before in his life, and clenched his jaw, "Boy do you have a lot of nerve hanging around here! What are you still doing here?"
"Watching. I should have intervened sooner, I should have known better than to think Esmeralda would come to her senses on her own." The Vulcan shook his head sadly, "I apologize for being the cause of so much trouble between you and Doctor Shirin. At one point in our lives, she was everything important to me. Letting her go was very difficult for me, but she had no desire to stay in Starfleet and I could not convince her to stay for my own sake."
"Did you say something to her just now? Why the hell is she suddenly begging for a second chance?"
"Yes, I have spoken to Doctor Shirin. I also apologize if you still have a headache."
"What did you have to do with that?" Yes he had a headache, if that was anyone's business, "It's like I've got a hangover and my hangover's hangover got a headache. What'd you do to me?"
"I saved your career, Doctor McCoy. I've seen officers dishonorably discharged for far less than the scene you caused earlier. Had you caused violence or further distress, you would have lost your license, at the very least they would have committed you for madness."
"Did I really freak out that badly?" He didn't quite remember the initial freak-out, he was surprised they hadn't kicked him out the minute he showed himself.
"Yes, Doctor, you did…"freak out" that badly."
"I'm surprised they let me stay as long as they did."
"Go home, Doctor Shirin needs you to reassure her that there is still a chance to be happy with you. I will return to San Francisco promptly, and you will never see me again. I ask only one thing."
"You're asking me a favor?" Gutsy Vulcan.
"If you have any sincere feelings for Doctor Shirin, and I know you do, please do not hesitate to act upon them. When her heart was broken by Doctor Tyson in Chicago, I feared for her health. The transfer to your hospital was the best possible thing that could have happened to her, and I was happy for her because she was finally happy. When I found her that night, she was devastated."
"Why didn't you just take her back to San Francisco?"
"Because it was not the right thing to do. I had to keep her here to give you both a chance to learn what I knew already."
"Which would be…what?"
"Do you love her?"
"Enough to get down on my knees and beg if I have to."
"And she loves you enough to take you back if you just ask her."
"I was kinda hoping that was the case." Leonard unlocked his car and opened the door, "Hey, Commander?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks."
"You are welcome. Oh, Doctor McCoy?"
"Hmm?"
"Those words were about Doctor Tyson."
"Jarred?" that got his attention. Spock nodded, his eyes dark.
"He was in town just lately and tried to entice Doctor Shirin to come back to him, but she refused him. The man she spoke of when you overheard her saying she would rather fly into a black hole, it was Doctor Tyson, not yourself."
"Wait a minute, Jarred Tyson came down here to Savannah…trying to win back Esmeralda? You have got to be kidding me!" He was furious, but not with Esmeralda, or even with Spock.
"You may find that to be quite useful, Doctor McCoy." Spock just held something out to him, "Normally I avoid violence and interfering with the personal affairs of others, but as this particular affair closely involves Doctor Shirin, and she is quite dear to me, I think I can be forgiven." Leonard looked at the card, on it was an address for a hotel in town. Room number and everything. He narrowed his eyes.
"This is where Jarred's staying?"
"I am there as well, that is how I know his lodgings." Spock shrugged, but Leonard had an idea.
"Hang on a minute there, Commander." He dug out his personal comm and called Esmeralda. She was surprised to hear from him, he should have been home by now. He looked at Spock, "I will be, sweetheart. I just have some…unfinished business before I come home. I won't be long, I promise. Just something to do before I settle down for the day."
"Don't do anything you'll regret, Lon."
"I promise I won't, darlin'. You just sit tight, I'll be home in an hour." He hung up and looked at Spock, "You have as much reason to hate Doctor Tyson, you feel like coming along?"
"As I said, I abhor violence, but Doctor Tyson deserves nothing from me but contempt."
"Get in." He got into the car and unlocked the passenger's side door. Spock got in and buckled his seatbelt, and they drove from the hospital to the Savannah Marriott Towers. Jarred Tyson was in the hotel bar, a rather ritzy place, chatting up an attractive blonde who had the gall to laugh at Jarred's awful pick-ups and lewd jokes.
"There he is."
"Yeah, I see him." He clenched one hand into a fist, "Come on, let's get this done, there's one more stop I've gotta make before I head home to Esmeralda." Spock trailed along as he closed in on Jarred. He grabbed the man by the shoulder and when Jarred turned to tell him off, he just did the one thing he'd wanted to do for a really long time, ever since Esmeralda showed up in town with her heart broken. Jarred reeled and crashed to the floor of the bar, stunned. Leonard stood over him, rightfully furious, "You come anywhere near my fianceé again, Tyson, and next time I'll break more than just your nose."
"Jesus Christ, McCoy! Have you lost your fucking mind?" Jarred yelled, staggering to his feet, one hand bloodied from holding his broken nose. Leonard just hit him again.
"No, you jackass. I'm wondering if you've lost yours, and thanking my lucky stars Esmeralda Shirin had the good sense to kick you to the curb when you tried to win her back. Do that again and you're a dead man." He looked at the blonde and jerked his head, "Get your boyfriend cleaned up and then get out of town. If you're not gone by sundown, you'll be sorry."
"You can't force me to leave!"
"Oh really? My neighbor's chief of police, you ass, you tell me if I can't force you to leave." He turned his back on Jarred, "You have until sundown." As he walked away, Leonard was startled by a yell and spun around. Jarred had lost it and lunged for him, something in his right hand, but Leonard jumped backwards. Spock got between the two of them and Jarred's yell turned from one of fury to one of agonizing pain. Leonard clearly heard something snap and winced. They waited five minutes for Thomas to show up, someone had called the police, and Thomas promised to take Jarred straight back to Central to get patched up. Erica and the girls would take good care of him. Leonard snickered, "Tell Erica I send my love."
"Where are you off to, then?" Thomas asked as they carted Jarred out of the bar.
"I've got one more stop to make before I go home. Esmeralda's waitin', probably thinks I've done something stupid."
"Like get into a fight with her ex? Well," Thomas looked over Leonard's shoulder at Spock, "one of them anyway. Who's this?"
"Captain Stengler, this is Commander Spock. He's an associate of Esmeralda's."
"The Starfleet boyfriend. I heard you were around town, Commander. It's a pleasure to meet you." Thomas didn't offer to shake hands, but he made it clear he approved of this ex-boyfriend at least. Spock reassured them he wouldn't be around much longer, he had obligations in San Francisco that had been ignored far too long as it was. His transport left in an hour, Thomas offered him a ride to the hub and so Leonard shook hands and parted ways with the only ex-boyfriend he didn't mind. Before heading off, Leonard called his parents' house. His mom picked up on the second ring, she knew it was him.
"Len, what's going on?"
"Dad called you, didn't he?"
"I didn't want to believe him!"
"I talked to Esmeralda, things are okay now." He smiled and looked over his shoulder, "It turns out it wasn't even me she was bitching about."
"Who, then?"
"Remember Jarred Tyson?"
"Not one bit fondly." He heard the long pause, "Len?"
"Yeah, Moma?"
"Did Jarred come back for Esmeralda?"
"She told him she wasn't interested. I made sure he knew he wasn't welcome in town. I need a favor."
"Besides deporting him to Rura Penthe?"
"Yes, besides that." Leonard chuckled, then sobered, "Moma, do you still have the rings Daddy gave you?" The ones she didn't wear anymore because she wanted them to go to the perfect girl for her little boy. His parents had two sets of rings, the ones they'd worn on their wedding day and the rings they'd bought for renewing their vows a few years back. He knew his mom's rings would fit Esmeralda, they'd tried them on a few months ago for fun, and to see what size she wore for future reference. This time the silence was even longer.
"Len, honey, you come right home! You come right home, you hear?" his mom was sobbing. Oh great. Leonard promised to come home for the rings and set off in that direction. His mom met him at the door, she was pretty much hysterical. He had to reassure her that he meant it this time, that he really was going to ask Esmeralda and make things right with her. She gave him the rings and he went home. He went to Esmeralda's house first, letting himself in with the spare key he'd kept even when things got rough.
"Esmeralda?" he called as he closed the door behind him, "You home, babe?" He checked all the rooms, and went out back. Full of kids, per usual, no sign of Esmeralda.
"Hey, Doctor McCoy!" Jim called from poolside. He shared a lounger with Rory Spencer, the two of them cuddled like the silly, love-struck kids they were. It made Leonard smile to see the two of them like that.
"You kids seen Esmeralda around here?"
"Yeah, she went to your place about fifteen minutes ago." Jim pointed to the hedgerow, "Somethin' happen at work?"
"I've got somethin' needs sayin', kid." He sighed and ducked through the hedgerow into his own backyard. What he saw there made him stop dead in his tracks. Esmeralda stood under a lilac tree, he'd never seen her like this before except maybe in daring dreams. She wore a tea-length dress of white lace with a light pink satin sash, no shoes, her hair up in a messy half-formal up-do. Oh she was good. Esmeralda was waiting for him to come home, alright. So much for talking it over, she already knew what she wanted. Leonard looked over his shoulder as he stepped from the hedgerow onto his lawn. The chances Jim had any idea this was waiting on his side of the fence were small, Esmeralda wouldn't have said anything when she came over. Leonard crossed from the break to the tree, momentarily forgetting the rings in his pocket as he tried to convince himself this was for real.
"Would it help if I said I was sorry?" she whispered when he hugged her.
"I think we're both sorry." He just held her and hoped this was for real.
"I'm sorry and grateful."
"For what?"
"I'm sorry for being so horrible to you, and grateful that you made peace with Spock." She leaned back and smiled, it was the bright, wonderful smile he had missed while they weren't on speaking terms, "And, uh, thanks for showing Jarred he wasn't welcome."
"Who tattled?"
"Erica called me to say Thomas had dragged Jarred in looking like somebody'd hit him with a two-by-four."
"I am not sorry about that, I've waited a long damn time to do that to Tyson." Leonard couldn't help smiling, "It felt real good."
"I suppose I should be grateful you were the only one who took a swing at him. If Spock had done anything, it would have been a lot worse."
"He doesn't strike me as a physically violent person, except where you're concerned." Leonard smirked and leaned in to steal a kiss, "He seems willing to share." Remembering the rings in his pocket, he had an idea. He sent Esmeralda inside for a minute and called the hospital. As soon as he got hold of David, he looked to make sure she wasn't eavesdropping, "David."
"You'd better be at home, brother."
"Oh, I'm home. We won't be here long, though. I need you to do me a favor."
"Sure. How's Esmeralda?"
"She's…smiling. I missed that, man."
"We all did. So, what can I do for you?"
"Can you get Mariah and meet me at the Courthouse in fifteen minutes?"
"Sure! Want me to round up your dad, too?"
"Yeah, I have to call Moma and tell her."
"Not a problem, we'll meet you there!"
"Thanks, David, you're a saint." He hung up and went to the hedgerow, "Hey, Jim!"
"What's up?" Jim trotted over, hoping things were okay now.
"Get Rory, we're going to the Courthouse." He just smiled. Jim's eyes widened and he ran to get Rory while Leonard went back to the house. Esmeralda waited inside, she lay on the couch, just resting after an entirely crazy day.
"Esmeralda?"
"Where are we going?" she knew something was up. Leonard smiled and held out one hand to her.
"I want to do this right, I'm taking you to the Courthouse today. Moma gave me her old rings and everything."
"We're getting married?"
"If that's what you want."
"Yes, Lon! Yes, that's what I want!" she erupted from the couch and almost knocked him backwards with a hug. They called his mom and picked up Jim and Rory before heading for the Courthouse, where they met David, Mariah, and his dad. They paid the ten-credit fee, and for the second time in his life, Leonard gave his heart away to someone else. This time, he knew it would work. His mom, of course was hysterical, not that anyone was really too surprised by that. She adored Esmeralda, the break-up had been hard on her, but things were okay now and things would be okay for a long time.
Did that satisfy, my loyal reader? To answer a few questions posed in earlier reviews: Jim came to town for an obligatory visit with his step-family, not his first idea of fun. A scuffle with a "cousin" resulting from a slight to the good Kirk name landed him in the hospital, where he met up with Bones and Esmeralda. Spock, unbeknownst to anyone, came to town looking for Esmeralda to make sure she was settling in alright in her new home. That's why he was in the hospital with Bones freaked out, that's why he was essentially the one to pick up those pieces and nudge our reluctant lovers in the right direction. And since Bones and Esmeralda pretty much just tied the knot, call it marital bliss for the happy couple. And I think it's safe to say they are a very happy couple indeed. Cheers!
