I am so sorry for the long delay. Life has been quite unkind to me these past months, and there are a lot of things going on that have put this on the backburner for now. I finally did manage to edit this, though if you find errors, please let me know. Thank you so much for sticking with me while I try to sort things out. I won't lie: it may be awhile before you see another update out of me. However, know that I haven't abandoned this fic. Nova's story is very dear to me, and I aim to see it through. We are definitely approaching the end. I would hazard a guess at maybe six more chapters at most, if I keep writing them at the length that I am. Again, thank you for your patience.

As always, ~~~~denotes POV change/passage of time

Nova kept her eyes on Damon. The ensign still looked rather pale as he lay on the biobed in sickbay. Nova was sitting on the biobed across from Damon, waiting to be examined. She had insisted that Damon be examined first, as he was the one with actual injuries. But Nova could feel Christine's watchful eye on her. In truth, her head was spinning, and her limbs were trembling. She had exerted too much energy, and she knew it. It was taking most of her disciplines to keep her emotions from overwhelming her. McCoy glanced at her, attempting to pass strength through the bond between them. She accepted it with a grateful smile. McCoy turned his attention back to Damon.

"Your shoulder seems to have taken the worst of the damage," McCoy said, studying what remained of the wound, "But I'd say an hour or so under the flesh-reknitter and you'll be good as new. I doubt there'll even be any scarring."

"I have Nova to thank for that," said Damon, offering her a wan smile. She returned it warmly, "You should have seen her, Doctor McCoy. There was this bright light; it radiated prisms like a crystal. It was amazing!"

"I'm sure it was. And I'm anxious to hear about it," said McCoy, looking to Nova. She saw the curiosity in his eyes, and felt his concern washing over her across the bond. The fatigue and weakness she felt was trickling across the bond, and Nova knew that McCoy was aware of it, despite her efforts to keep the worst of it from him, "Now, you sit there and hold still. Let the reknitter do its job."

Damon nodded, and turned weakly to Nova, "Thank you, again, for saving my life."

Nova smiled, "You are welcome, Luke."

She got to her feet, and walked over to the ensign. McCoy took a step toward her, his hand reaching out for her, but she held up a hand, shaking her head. She placed her hand against Damon's forehead, "Sleep now. You have been fighting against losing consciousness since we left Engineering."

Damon let his eyes close, but managed to say, "Get yourself examined" before passing out. She withdrew her hand, and swayed. McCoy gripped her shoulders, steadying her.

"Ensign Damon is right. You're gonna get yourself examined," McCoy said.

"She will," said a voice, "But she'll receive one from me."

Diane Galen stood in the doorway, a grin on her face. McCoy looked at her, eyebrow raised.

"Is that so, Diane?" he drawled, "I think I can manage to give her the once over."

"And I'm sure you can, too. But you still have a patient to take care of. Set Damon up on the flesh reknitter and I'll see to Nova. Christine can assist me."

"But-" McCoy started to protest, but Nova spoke.

"It is alright, Leonard. You should care for Luke. I am sure Diane is more than capable."

"Besides, McCoy, I was supposed to relieve you from duty a while ago. Getting attacked by Romulans has a way of keeping us from adhering to a schedule. Once you finish with Damon, I'll be done with Nova, and you can give her the third degree and ask her if she's alright about a hundred times," Diane gave him a lopsided grin, "Does that sound about right, Christine?"

"I think it does. Nova?" Christine gave Nova a playful smile.

Nova looked from one to the other, "I believe asking once is sufficient, Christine. I do not believe Leonard has ever asked me about my health one hundred times."

Diane chuckled and Nova noted McCoy's face grow pink. She tilted her head sideways at Christine, who merely shook her head, grinning. Nova shrugged, and turned to McCoy. McCoy, still pink in the face, looked reluctant, but nodded. Nova felt his eyes on her as she followed Diane and Christine out of the recovery room. The two women led her into McCoy's office, and she stood in the middle of the room, the door sliding shut behind her. Diane pointed to the chair in front of the desk.

"Sit," she said without preamble. Nova obeyed. Diane took out a small pen light, and shined it in Nova's eyes, studying them, "Any dizziness, Nova?"

"Slightly," Nova nodded, "It is beginning to fade."

Diane nodded, "Pupils are a little sluggish. Any shortness of breath?"

Nova pursed her lips, "A little. I feel mostly weakened. As if I could sleep for days."

"That doesn't surprise me," Christine said, "You healed a very serious injury, Nova."

"Is that all your feel?" asked Diane.

Nova nodded, "I can only describe it as severe fatigue. I feel as though it is harder to…" Nova paused, unsure of how to continue, "There is a weight inside of me. As if I am carrying more than I was before. I cannot explain it."

Diane raised an eyebrow, "Interesting. Christine, can you pull out a medical scanner, and run it over her for possible internal damages?"

"You got it," said Christine as she pulled out a medical scanner and ran it over Nova. As the readings played across the screen, Christine bit her lip, looking grim, "Diane, look at these readings."

Diane leaned over, and there was a crease in her brow as she frowned at the scanner, "But that can't be right. Pull up her previous scans on McCoy's computer. I want to compare these readings."

Nova watched as Christine complied. As Christine read through the information on the computer, her brow furrowed, "Damn it. What the hell is going on?"

Diane left Nova's side and walked over to the computer, and Nova watched as Diane's face became more and more dour.

"What is wrong?" asked Nova.

"It's your heart. And your vital organs. It's as if… as if you have aged fifty years. I can't explain it," Diane said, "Your last scan read similar to that of a perfectly healthy thirty year old humanoid. But these readings are similar to a humanoid in their eighties. And it looks at though you are developing heart disease."

Nova sat there, her mind racing. With the manifestation of new abilities, Nova knew that her physical form would likely suffer. She understood that her compact form was beginning to falter. Existing in solid form was finally beginning to destroy her.

"What kind of heart disease?" she asked, softly.

"Congenital Heart Disease. Which makes no sense. That is an old birth defect, completely correctable in our day an age. If you had this disease, it should have manifested upon your creation, and our scanners would have caught it. But you were in sickbay just yesterday, and there was no sign of this," Diane glared at the scanner, "I just can't understand it. There's no way we missed anything; McCoy's extremely thorough, especially concerning you."

Christine nodded, "There's no way Len missed this; this must have just developed."

"It is because of what I am. It is not your fault, nor the fault of anyone on board this ship," Nova looked at the two women, an ironic smile on her face, "Before I had physical form, I was pure energy, the energy of a few thousand years. Having all that energy be contained in such a small form is creating a strain. My kind cannot exist like this."

"Nova, are you saying that you'll die?" asked Christine, setting down the PADD and kneeling beside her.

"It does appear to be that way," Nova confirmed softly.

Diane cursed, "You're not exactly wrong about that. It's not just your heart. Your entire body is exhibiting similar symptoms. At this rate, your organs will begin to shut down within a month. McCoy knew about this?"

Nova swallowed, "To some extent. He knew of the potential for my demise, yet he is unaware that it has progressed this far. I, myself, am shocked at the little time I have."

Christine's eyes widened. Nova looked from one to the other. She felt her own heart sinking at this confirmation. She had wanted to believe McCoy, she had wanted to believe that he could save her. That she would at least have more time. Now, there was only one thing left to do: spare McCoy any unnecessary pain. At that thought, she felt McCoy's presence brush against the tendrils of their new bond. For a moment, warmth and comfort spread through her entire body, and she exhaled softly. She sent reassurance back through the bond.

"I'll confer with McCoy," Diane said, still scanning over his notes, "Him and I should be able to work out a way to prevent your body from failing, Nova."

"You will not," Nova stated simply.

Christine stood up, staring at Nova in disbelief, "Nova, Diane and McCoy could come up with a solution-"

"Christine, if Leonard finds out that my physical form is deteriorating, he will work non-stop to find a solution. And while I find that admirable," her eyes glowed softly, "I cannot allow that to happen. He will be dismayed if he is unsuccessful."

"But he will be devastated if he finds out that he didn't even get the chance to try," Christine countered, "You've got to give him that chance, Nova. That way, if…" Christine put her hand on Nova's shoulder, and Nova could feel Christine's pain, "If the worst does happen, he can say that he did everything he could."

Nova was quiet for a moment, then she spoke, "Even if he could say that, do you really believe that that thought will console him?"

Christine opened her mouth, then closed it. Nova thought of McCoy's father, how McCoy had worked to keep him alive for as long as he could, then decided that the humane thing to do would be to let him go, only to find out that a cure would be discovered days later. She closed her eyes, feeling his life force in her mind, brighter than the sun. He had to keep burning, keep going, even if she could not.

"Leonard cannot just focus on trying to find an impossible solution. He has a duty to this ship and this crew first. He is responsible for over four hundred lives. One should not take precedence over four hundred. I am sorry, but I will have to invoke the right of doctor-patient confidentiality," said Nova quietly, "You are not to tell Leonard what has been discovered. He will find out when I feel it is appropriate."

"Now wait a minute," said Diane, crossing her arms, "You can't do that!"

"I cannot keep it from him long; we share a bond," Nova stated. Christine's eyes widened. Nova continued, "But I want him to have a few more moments peace before he finds out the truth. The Leader's possession of me on my planet's surface no doubt sped the process of my deterioration. And I did seriously consider not returning to the Enterprise, but Leonard convinced me otherwise. It was a great ordeal, what happened on the surface. Leonard has been through a lot in these past few days. I do not wish to add more strain. He must adjust. My decision to return was selfishly motivated. I returned to continue to live as I had been doing, knowing that it may cause pain. And I found myself unable to face the idea of never seeing Leonard again."

Diane unfolded her arms slowly. Christine put a hand on Nova's shoulder, "What do you mean, a bond?"

Nova bit her lip, "I am unsure whether Leonard wants that information divulged. I cannot say more on the matter. But all I ask for is time. Time to prepare him. Please."

Christine stared at Nova, her mouth open. Diane looked at Christine, and sighed in frustration, "Fine. We'll do it your way. But you need to tell him soon. For now, I'll treat you and set you up on a regimen. Okay?"

Nova smiled gratefully, "Thank you, Diane. I cannot tell you how much this means to me."

Diane still looked uneasy. Christine placed a hand on Nova's shoulder. Nova gripped it appreciatively, her own heart racing. Death was closing in faster than she anticipated. And she found that she was not ready to go.

McCoy watched the door to his office slide shut. He turned his attention back to Damon, who was unconscious. Having finished setting Damon up with the flesh re-knitter, McCoy turned to the comm and pressed a button, "McCoy to Kirk."

"Kirk here."

"Jim, what the hell was that about? Why are the Romulans attacking us?"

"It was meant as a warning. Uhura reported someone trapped in Engineering. Did you get to them in time, Bones?"

McCoy could hear the strain in Kirk's voice. Even though every captain had to deal with the potential loss of a crewman, Kirk always took it to heart.

"You can rest easy, Jim. Ensign Damon was trapped under a sheet of steel, but he made it out okay. Hell, better'n that."

"You're a miracle worker, Bones," Kirk praised.

McCoy shook his head, "Not me you need to thank, Jim. It's Nova. Without her, Damon would not be here now."

"Nova?" Kirk's voice took a serious tone, "What happened, Bones?"

"I still haven't gotten the whole story myself," McCoy said, glancing at his office door, "Galen is looking over her now."

"Galen? I thought for sure you'd want to-"

"Damon needed attention, more so than Nova did. Believe me, I was gonna examine her myself. Hell, I still might. Thought you would want to be down here to ask her what happened. I'm not exaggerating when I say if Nova hadn't been on the Enterprise, Damon would have died."

"Alright, I'm heading down with Spock. Kirk out."

McCoy sighed, and began to pace sickbay. Tentatively, he reached for Nova through the bond. It took a moment, but he felt her respond with reassurance. He could feel how drained she was, and could feel her anxiety rise and fall. She continued to reassure him despite his persistence, and he withdrew. There was still a bright glow within him that he had come to associate with her presence. He wondered for a moment how he had existed without it before.

His mind was racing as he strode up and down sickbay. How was this new development going to affect Nova? He should have insisted on examining her. After all, he did have experience with her existence, more so than Galen did. Nova had been through a lot in the past twenty four hours: the possession on the planet, the new mental link between them, and the development of something new. Anxiety was laced through his chest, and he found himself glancing at the office door every few seconds. Luckily, he was distracted by the sickbay doors opening. Kirk and Spock strode toward him.

"Damon?" Kirk asked.

Bones motioned through the archway toward the biobeds, "Resting comfortably. I'm removing him from active duty for three days. He can return to light duty then."

Kirk strode over to the bed, leaving McCoy and Spock alone.

"Doctor, you mentioned to the Captain that Nova had assisted in Ensign Damon's recovery," Spock said.

"She didn't assist, Spock, she damn near fixed him up from what I understand. She-"

The doors to the office slid open, and the three women stepped out into sickbay. McCoy noted Galen's unease and Christine's concern. But his eyes fell on Nova, and she smiled brightly at him, "We did not mean to keep you waiting, Leonard."

Nova saw the look of relief that flooded through McCoy's eyes. He hurried toward her, stopping directly in front of her. She saw his hands twitch, as if to reach out for her, but instead he brought his hands behind his back, bouncing on the balls of his feet. She smiled softly at the endearing habit.

"How do you feel, darlin'?" McCoy said softly, bright blue eyes scanning over every inch of her face.

"I am as well as can be expected," she answered, "But I shall recover. I would like to rest soon, if that is all right."

"Nova!" Kirk had come back into the room, "Are you alright?"

"I am well, Captain," Nova said.

"Nova, what happened?" Kirk pressed, "McCoy said that Ensign Damon would be dead if it weren't for you. What went on in Engineering?"

Nova took a breath, and recounted the events that unfolded during the ship's attack. She described the glow that had come from her as she attempted to heal the ensign. As she described it, she indicated that she had had a nightmare that indicated the development of new powers. She did not describe McCoy's injuries, nor did she describe anything but her abilities in the nightmare. Nova could feel herself growing fatigued, and she tried to lean against the wall nonchalantly. McCoy did not miss the movement, and placed himself beside her. Unconsciously, she leaned into his support, feeling the warmth of his body. She shivered; she had not realized how cold she had become. Once she had finished speaking, she sighed tiredly.

"You dreamt about being able to heal?" asked Kirk.

Nova nodded.

"Have you had any other dreams like that?" Kirk persisted.

"Nightmares, Captain," Nova corrected, "I would not call them dreams."

"You appear to be having premonitions about your own development. Fascinating," said Spock, "You are meditating daily, correct?"

Nova nodded again, but stopped quickly. Her head was swimming. She swayed slightly. McCoy gripped her forearm and held her steady, trying to feed her strength through the bond. She smiled wearily. McCoy meant well, but he was no telepath. It was much easier for her to send support and protection through their bond than it was for him. Still, the effort was appreciated.

"Jim, I think that's enough. If you want more details of the incident, there are dozens of crewman who were in Engineering at the time. But she's exhausted," McCoy said firmly, "She needs to rest. She may have helped Damon, but it took a lot outta her. Give her some time."

Kirk nodded, "Of course, Bones. I've basically gotten all the information I needed. I'll be on the Bridge if you need me," he turned to Nova, "Rest up, okay? Take care of yourself."

Nova smiled at Kirk, "Of course. Thank you, Jim."

Spock's eyes were on Nova, "I do recommend attempting to meditate before any sort of sleep. An exhausted mind, undisciplined as yours is, can be a dangerous thing. If your abilities are, indeed, growing, you must take precautions."

"Spock, you can't think that she-" McCoy started to get riled up, but Nova placed a hand on his and shook her head.

"Mr. Spock is correct, Leonard. I cannot rest until I have meditated. You know that is true," she spoke softly, and Leonard was surprised at the flash of memory that played across his mind: one of Nova floating in her quarters, screaming as if her flesh were fire. He swallowed, and gazed at her. She nodded at him, squeezing his hand before addressing Spock, "Should I need assistance due to my weariness, am I correct in assuming that I may call upon you, Mr. Spock?"

Spock inclined his head, "Obviously."

She smiled warmly at the Vulcan, and inclined her head as well. Together, Kirk and Spock strode out of sickbay. Immediately, McCoy rounded on Nova.

"Alright, get into a biobed. You look dead on your feet," he barked at her.

"Leonard, is it necessary for me to remain in sickbay? Could I rest in my quarters instead?" asked Nova.

"I still haven't looked you over," McCoy reminded her, "I wanna examine you myself before clearing you for anything."

"I see no reason why she can't rest in her quarters, McCoy," Diane said.

Nova threw Diane a grateful look, but Diane was fixing her with a hard stare. When McCoy turned to look at her, Diane's features softened.

"I don't know, Diane. I think I'd feel better if I-"

"For the love of pete, Len," Christine said exasperatedly, "Don't you trust us? Nova is well enough to leave sickbay. There is nothing we can give her here that she cannot get in her quarters. We wouldn't discharge her if something was really wrong."

Nova could still feel McCoy's apprehension. She also could feel the worry emanating from Christine, and the anger ebbing from Diane. Her head spun again. She couldn't block people's emotions. Mediation was absolutely necessary for her to get her bearings. For that, she needed quiet and near solitude, two things she could not get in sickbay. McCoy felt a fraction of what she thought, and glanced at her, eyes scanning her face before conceding.

"Alright," McCoy said, "I'll take you to your quarters. I don't want you passing out on the way."

Shouldering a med kit, McCoy held out his arm to Nova. She took it thankfully, leaning against him heavily.

"You may as well stay gone, McCoy. Like I said, your shift ended. I'll take over from here," Diane said breezily.

"You're a jewel, Diane," McCoy grinned, "Thanks. I'll see ya later."

Nova was only mildly aware of the exchange between Diane and McCoy. Her vision had started to blur and her legs were beginning to tremble. McCoy's eyes snapped to her and she knew that her fatigue was emanating strongly over the bond. McCoy released her arm, and gripped her more firmly around the waist. Nova automatically weaved her arm behind his neck, leaning against him. He steered her out of sickbay and down the corridor. Once they were in the turbo lift, McCoy peered at Nova.

"You still with me, darlin'?" he asked quietly.

Nova closed her eyes, and nodded fractionally. She heard the doors of the turbo lift opening, and McCoy took a tentative step forward. Nova's knees gave way with a gasp, and McCoy tightened his grip on her, his other arm instinctively coming up to catch her. She inhaled a shakey breath, hands trembling.

"And Diane says you're alright?" McCoy muttered in disbelief. Nova couldn't talk; she opened her eyes and found McCoy's face inches from hers, the edges of his features blurred slightly, the light shining behind him giving him a heavenly glow. She grit her teeth and pulled herself up, planting her feet as firmly as she could. Her head was throbbing and her muscles ached. All she wanted to do was lie down. It was impossible for her to reassure McCoy in her condition. She attempted to offer him a smile, but it came out as a grimace. Her eyes closed again, she focused on trying to make the world stop spinning.

"To hell with it," McCoy said firmly, and swept Nova off her feet, carrying her bridal-style in his arms. There was no protest from Nova. The weight of her physical body seemed to be heavier than before. Nova leaned into his chest, hearing his heart beat beneath his tunic, feeling the warmth of his body so close to her shivering frame. She smiled, eyes still closed.

McCoy noted how willingly Nova had been swept off her feet. It worried him greatly. If someone as independent as her was accepting this sort of assistance, she must be in worse shape than he thought. McCoy considered taking her back to sickbay. But her head lolled against his chest, and he saw her delicate lips curve upward in a soft smile. No; this was the first time she had seemed relaxed since encountering her in engineering. Her walls weren't up, and her life force was flowing gently into his own, and then receding like waves on a beach. As he carried her to her quarters, he watched as her skin began to take on that same glow her eyes held. He noted that her body temperature was not normal; she felt colder.

"Nova," he called gently, "You can't go to sleep yet."

"Mmm," Nova replied.

They had reached her quarters. McCoy crossed the threshold, and set her down gently. He watched her shiver at the loss of his body heat.

"Darlin', you gotta meditate," he said, brushing her hair out of her face.

She opened her eyes, and tried to sit up, but collapsed back down almost at once. McCoy knew instantly that she was in no condition to meditate. Walking over to the computer, McCoy switched it on, and said, "McCoy to Spock."

Spock's face appeared on the screen, "Spock here."

"Spock, I need to you come down to Nova's quarters. There is no way she can meditate on her own- she can't even sit up," McCoy reported, "Normally, I'd say to hell with logic and let her sleep. But I've seen firsthand what lack of meditation does to her, and it isn't pleasant."

"Understood. Keep her conscious until I arrive. I shall report to you at once. Spock out."

McCoy turned back to the bed to find Nova had closed her eyes. He strode quickly over to her and shook her gently, "Nova, darlin', you gotta wake up. Ah know you're ti-ahed, but you need to wake up for me."

Opening her eyes seemed to take a great deal of effort. McCoy watched the glow in her skin fade as her eyes opened, finding itself back behind her eyes. She looked up at McCoy, and groaned softly.

"Talk to me," McCoy said softly, "Talk to me about anything. Anything that'll keep you awake."

"Leonard…" Nova mumbled, "I do not like this…feeling…"

"Ah know," Leonard helped her to sit up, though every doctor instinct was screaming at him to leave her be, "Spock is heading down. He is gonna help you, and then you can sleep, ah promise."

She nodded, rubbing her eyes, "Will Luke be alright?"

McCoy reached for his medical scanner, "'Course he will be. He'll be back on duty before you know it."

He made to scan her, but Nova's eyes glowed bright, and she grabbed his wrist, holding him back. McCoy raised an eyebrow.

"I do not need…to be scanned again…" Nova said thickly.

He looked at her quizzically.

Nova was struggling to stay conscious. But the minute she saw the medical scanner, she had reacted on instinct. McCoy's concern washed through her like a physical caress. She shook her head, and directed his scanner away from her. He began to protest, and she leaned in close to his face. Faintly, she registered the quickening of his pulse in his wrist. Dropping his wrist, she let her face hit the nape of his neck, the warmth from his skin comforting her. She found herself focusing her attention on McCoy's heartbeat. Instead of the steady and strong beats she normally heard, there was rapid chaos: badump-badump-badumpbadumpbadumpbadump! Emotions were running wild through McCoy's consciousness, but she didn't have enough energy to grasp them. But there was one that she recognized immediately: concern. She reassured him weakly, letting herself live in the link between them. There was another voice, another presence inside the room with them. But Nova paid no attention. Even when she was pulled away from McCoy, she could still hear the beat of his heart, now slowing down to its normal pace. She giggled. What a funny thing hearts were. Vaguely, she registered fingertips touching her face. And Spock's presence filled her mind. She did not bother to converse with him. It was as if he was cleaning up her muddled mind, organizing her emotions and thoughts, sealing them up with a tight lid. Her mind was peaceful, and the only things she was aware of was the beating heart of Leonard McCoy, and the light that was his life force filling her up. She sighed and drifted into complete unconsciousness.

McCoy let out the breath he had been holding as the Vulcan withdrew his hand. Nova began to fall backward, and McCoy made to catch her. To the doctor's surprise, Spock caught Nova, and lowered her gently to the bed, one hand on her back, the other behind her neck to support her head. Nova was unconscious before Spock could lay her down, a soft smile on her lips. Her skin had once again adopted that soft glow. McCoy had worked with Spock long enough to see that the Vulcan hovered a fraction of a second longer than was necessary, his critical eyes scanning Nova over for damage. McCoy smirked slightly; so Nova had left an impression on even the pointed eared science officer.

"She will sleep for a day, at least," Spock informed McCoy, drawing away from Nova, "I have contained her emotions to the best of my abilities. I do not wish to impose myself more than necessary. I am not a Vulcan healer."

"She'll be alright?" McCoy asked.

Spock nodded, "She shall recover."

"Thanks, Spock," McCoy said gratefully. He sat on Nova's bed, and tried to casually brush against her hand. Her body temperature was returning to normal. He felt his jaw tighten, and he swallowed, cursing himself silently. Spock had said she would be alright. Why was he getting angry?

'Because you couldn't help her at all. And had Spock not been here, she probably would have had restless sleep,' he thought to himself. Damnit.

"Doctor."

McCoy looked up at Spock, who had just risen from Nova's bedside, "Her mind was muddled but your presence was clear. It is illogical to feel inadequate in these matters. It is not unexpected, considering the lack of expertise in both of you. Nova is aware of how much you are willing to do to protect a patient. You are almost completely psi-null. She sees no fault in you or your abilities."

McCoy looked back at Nova, her breathing deep and even, and said, "Why, Mr. Spock, if I didn't know any better, I would say that you're trying to make me feel better. Sympathy, if I'm not mistaken."

"Once again, Doctor, you let your emotions cloud your observations," Spock clasped his hands behind his back, "I am merely speaking logically. It is not logical for a doctor of your standards to question your own abilities simply because you do not know how to treat a telepathic alien being you have no knowledge of."

"Thanks, Spock."

"One does not thank logic, Doctor McCoy. Nevertheless, I believe 'You're welcome' is the correct response."

McCoy rolled his eyes with a snort, but gave Spock a poignant look. Spock raised an eyebrow.

"Should Nova fall into distress, do not hesitate to contact me," Spock said, "I shall be on the bridge."

He left, leaving McCoy alone with Nova. McCoy chuckled softly to himself, and directed his attention back to the unconscious woman. Her skin glowed softly. McCoy found himself reaching out to brush her hair out of her face, then trailed his hand slowly across her cheek. Nova hummed contentedly, and leaned into the touch. McCoy felt his own heart skip a beat. God, she was beautiful. McCoy thought back to just moments before when Nova had leaned into him and he could have sworn that she was going to…

He shook his head. No. It wasn't like that. Nova was a friend. True, he had grown remarkably close to her in such a short span of time. But she didn't understand human culture. There is no way she could feel…and, yet, despite knowing that, McCoy found himself holding his breath whenever they touched. A word, a look, a smile; all of these things could make McCoy feel as if he was walking on air.

'Hell, McCoy,' he thought, 'You may as well admit it to yourself. You really are falling for her.'

But how could he not? She mesmerized him. He wanted to know everything about her. McCoy was falling for her, and he was falling hard. It was easy to lie to himself before the bond between them. Easy to scoff at his staff, and roll his eyes at any implications of feelings. Then, the bond introduced something new. A completely new way of existing. He didn't know how he survived before without her presence. That scared the living hell out of him. But their bond had felt so right, so natural. He was wondering how he existed before her presence in his mind. He was wondering how he existed before she ignited his very soul.

McCoy bent his head over her, gazing at Nova. He cupped her face gently with one hand, and leaned down toward her. He registered a pleasing scent that seem to come from Nova's skin; immediately he thought back to his boyhood days in Georgia where the scent of the Cherokee Rose would fill the air, tingeing the air with a clove-like aroma that McCoy found intoxicating to this day. Nova's lips parted slightly in a soft sigh that made McCoy freeze. He shook his head. What was he thinking? He inhaled deeply, and pressed his forehead to hers, just as she had done to him down on the planet's surface.

He couldn't afford to get mixed up in his own emotions. If her growth in power was any indication, he knew that he was running out of time. Letting her die was not an option. McCoy would find a way to save her. Her life had just begun, and he would not see it snuffed out so easily. In his life, he seemed to always be just too late. Not this time. This time, he would succeed. Nova wouldn't just slip away from him. He'd die before he let it happen.

He pulled back from her, letting his hand slide off her face. Leaving her to rest was the best thing he could do for her. And, while she was resting, he would be researching ways to save Nova. McCoy left Nova alone.

And Nova slept on, dreaming of nothing but that which brought her comfort. McCoy: his warm skin, his soft drawl, his subtle smile, and his beating heart.