AN: Alrighty, first sort of fight. Also, as anyone who has kids knows...teething sucks! I swear that I thought my son was possessed and I was waiting for him to start speaking in Latin or backwards because then I could get an exorcism! Does anyone want anything special to happen? Any special ideas or wants? Criticism and reviews help make me a better and happier writer! Just, if they're serious flames, please PM me.

Tishbing

Chapter Twelve

McCoy was loading another viral sample slide and sending through the machine to see it's reaction on andorian tissue when he felt a set of eyes on him. He looked up and saw a young brown-haired cadet smiling at him. Her brown hair twisted up into a bun and vivid green eyes made him feel a little nervous as she walked over. He'd seen her around the labs before but they had never made an effort to talk to each other. She was cute in the sense that her small spattering of freckles across her nose and the way she moved reminded him of when things had been good with Jocelyn.

"Hi. I'm Nancy Smith."

McCoy stuttered before remembering that she was talking to him.

"Uh...McCoy, Leonard McCoy." He pulled his hand out of the glove connecting to the containment area and carefully shook her hand. She beamed with the contact and took the stool next to him.

"I've seen you working here a lot lately. Have a fight with your girlfriend?"

McCoy frowned and thought about how to answer. The truth of the matter was that his 'relationship' with Jim had been becoming a bit of a standstill. Since their trip to Georgia, she'd been more evasive and withdrawn. He didn't get it and he wasn't about to push the issue but she seemed to be struggling the last couple of times he'd seen her in passing. She'd talked about Christmas and to be truthful, he hadn't celebrated the holiday since before Jo had died.

His reaction had been to close himself off and focus on his work. His failsafe that he had used in the past and it helped ease the pain. Last week would have been Jo's third birthday and he'd spent the weekend holed up in his quarters missing out on his time with Ella. When Jim had seen him the next day in the mess hall sporting an impressive hangover, she'd walked right past him to her customary seat with M'Ress, Gaila and a few of her classmates. He just turned around and left.

The following week was packed with exams and so he didn't have a chance to talk to her at all. She'd started to look a little more worn and weary but the few times that he talked to her she'd responded in monosyllabic answers and seemed to be running on autopilot.

"I don't have a girlfriend." He finally answered.

He typed in his orders and set the experiment to run. He was about to leave when he found his path blocked by the brunette.

"Since you don't have a girlfriend, I was wondering if you'd like to come out with me." She smiled nervously. "You know, for a drink?"

He frowned at her, almost feeling bad.

"I'm not really looking for that kind of relationship right now."

Her smile faltered for only a second but she just shrugged.

"It's just a drink, not a marriage proposal. Besides, I need help on finding the right medium for my samples. I can't seem to get the ph balance right for the bacteria to grow."

He thought about it for a minute. Tonight was normally when he'd pick Ella up from daycare but Jim had been so distant lately. He'd see them tomorrow.

"Fine. Just because I don't want you messing up your experiment and blaming it on me." He grumbled.

Jim was exhausted but finally free of her round of exams. She'd picked next semester's classes and was excited to finally get weapons training and shipboard tactics among them. They were still beginner classes but she knew far more than what was standard. She was also excited to be getting basic engineering for shuttlecrafts. Next semester she'd get to be trying it out. To be able to go out into the black was an exciting prospect for her. She knew McCoy's opinion on the matter and she was determined to help him when he would be learning those skills next year but until then...

"Kirk!"

Jim froze in her tracks before slowly turning around. She saw his blond head and icy blue eyes watching her with a frightening leer.

"Finnegan." She greeted with her teeth clenched.

He walked up next to her and reached behind them grabbing at her but she efficiently sidestepped the contact.

"Oh come on, James. I heard about you and Chris."

She frowned but kept walking. He leaned closer and whispered.

"I can tell you like it rough. Maybe that's why Chris struck out. He wasn't man enough for you, Kirk."

She whirled around, teeth bared and barked out a laugh.

"And you are? Stay away from me Finnegan before I rip your balls off and shove them down your throat." She looked him over with a feral smile. "That's if I can find them."

"Oooh, Kinky!" He laughed.

She spun on her heel and stormed away. She could still hear his laughter as she turned the corner but she ignored it as best as she could. Even when she picked up a screaming Ella from daycare, her mind was still fuming on Finnegan's taunts.

Ella was in the midst of teething. Her incisors were coming in and as a result this past week had been hell! Trying to study with a wailing child all night and then attempting her exams on less than an hour or two of sleep a night really sucked. Also, she'd noticed that since the Thanksgiving trip with Bones, he'd been pretty much absent. Only visiting once a week or so, even with Christmas fast approaching. In a way she was grateful for the lack of drama. On the other hand...she was really tired and wanted a break. Even when Ella finally passed out at night from her bouts of crying with her teething, Jim was so wound up, she couldn't sleep. She'd jump at every small noise waiting for Ella to start crying again. However, it did provide ample decorating time for her quarters.

With Christmas the day after tomorrow her home was garishly decorated with lights everywhere and a small tree in the corner. She'd had fun finding the most unusual ornaments. Gaila had helped decorate and being orion, she had found the experience entertaining. Uhura had tried to make things a little more tasteful but had given up when Jim had taken down the sparkling silver garland and added popcorn and cranberries on a string around the tree.

Jim did have one special ornament that was hidden deep in the back of the tree. It was a hand-made ornament with a still picture of her and her brother, a small wreath of tinsel surrounding the image. It was one of very few images that she had of Sam. Her mother had destroyed pretty much all of them upon her return from Tarsus minus her brother. Her reason being that it was too painful. Jim had rescued a few and kept them hidden from Winona's purge.

Jim was prepping dinner for her and Ella when her door chimed. She looked over to see a red-eyed Ella sniffling near the gate that separated the tree from her grabby hands and quickly walked to the door.

"Yeah." She answered.

Gaila shuffled in along with Uhura. Both women were looking at her with an expression akin to pity and Jim didn't feel like dealing with whatever it was that had instigated this meeting.

"What?" She snapped.

She knew she must look a mess. Her normally smooth hair had become frizzy and was fighting it's way out of it's ponytail. Her eyes were red-rimmed from lack of sleep and she was grateful that she was brighter than average otherwise she'd have failed her exams.

"Kirk, I just want to say that..." Uhura bit her lip and looked around the room for a moment before shifting her gaze back to her.

"You look like crap. Are you ok?" She asked. Her tone reminded Jim of one that was typically used for someone on their deathbed not one of a friend. She raised an eyebrow and leaned back, crossing her arms.

"Thanks, Uhura. At least I can always count on you to not sugarcoat it. I'm fine, though. Why wouldn't I be?" She asked warily. She could feel a headache brewing.

Gaila tugged on her arm and pulled her to the couch where both women sat on either side of her. Gaila pulling her to her and stroking her hair and Uhura started rubbing her arm. Ok. That is just weird.

"We saw Leonard out on a date last night with some girl who's on the science track. A Nancy or something. She was all over him. I know how you like him and that has to hurt." Uhura explained.

Jim shot up. She felt her face grow hot and her hands balled into fists. He'd seen Ella maybe once in the past two weeks and the one night he is supposed to pick her up and spend time with her he flaked! Citing something to do with helping a lab partner! He'd been weird about the whole Christmas thing and had pretty much disappeared. Jim got that. But to blow off your daughter for a date?

She shook her head in disbelief. Her heart was pounding and Ella's pitiful whimpers were making her anger build. She knew that he was free to date whomever he wanted but it still hurt especially when it interfered with her hard work at letting him build a relationship with Ella.

"I don't care who he dates."

Gaila put her hands on Jim's shaking shoulders. When had she started shaking?

"Why didn't you tell us, Kirk? That must be why you've been acting like a zombie this past week. Why don't you get the Paris family next door to watch Ella and come out with us? It'll take your mind off of it?" Uhura suggested.

Jim shook her head, her mind elsewhere like ripping Bones in half.

"Huh, what?" She asked in a daze.

The two women exchanged curious glances and turned back to Jim. Gaila moving into Jim's line of vision.

"You did know about McCoy going out with Nancy, didn't you?"

Jim shook her head.

"No. That's not why I've been struggling this past week. Ella's teething and that combined with exams was a bit much. I actually haven't seen Bones for more than a minute these past two weeks."

Both Uhura and Gaila's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"I thought he was coming around regularly to see his daughter especially now that Christmas is only two days away." Uhura said quietly.

That statement hurt Jim just a little more.

"No. He's been closed off since I mentioned the holidays." She shrugged tiredly.

"I guess I got used to him being around and as a result when he wasn't there, it suddenly got a lot harder." She finished with a whisper. She could feel the burning prick of tears wanting to fall but she pushed them back violently and took a deep breath. The effort didn't go unnoticed. Gaila pulled Jim to her and ran a hand through her hair and for a moment she felt relaxed and then her door chimed a second time.

Jim quickly pushed away and wiped her face to hide any sign of distress. Gaila reluctantly released her and Uhura pursed her lips at Jim's effort to shield her feelings but didn't say anything.

She slowly got up and answered the door. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Leonard on the other side. She waved a hand to let him in. He looked and saw two sets of eyes watching him with matching glares and he wondered what he'd done to piss them off.

"Looks like an elf threw up in here." He commented as he looked around.

She snorted as Gaila's jaw dropped at his description. Both women stood and looked to Jim to see if she was alright. She nodded that it was ok and they slowly left but before they stepped through the door Uhura turned around and smiled deviously at McCoy but addressed her.

"Oh and Kirk? We'll see you tomorrow night for end of exams slash Christmas party. M'Ress has a really cute Caitian that wants to meet you. He's never dated a human before."

Jim actually did a double-take and almost laughed as Uhura sauntered off. She wondered if Uhura was serious. Jim was most definitely not into fur and tails. She waited until they were gone before walking to the replicator and ordering two servings of macaroni and cheese.

"What Bones? I'm a little busy tonight." She wasn't feeling particularly friendly at the moment, maybe because of Finnegan's latest harassment or her severe lack of sleep or the fact that Bones has been off doing his own thing (with a certain Nancy, if rumors were to be believed).

She picked up Ella and put her in her highchair, placing the bowl in front of her and started feeding her. She could feel McCoy's eyes on her but she frowned and kept ignoring him.

"You look like hell, Jim."

She aimed a tired glare at him and continued to feed a very cranky Ella who proceeded to spit out the food into her face. She closed her eyes and counted to ten before wiping the mess off and trying again only to have her start wailing. The pitch sent her close to tears. She took away the bowl and picked up the screaming child in an attempt to comfort her but it wasn't having much affect. She started her usual pacing and jiggling but the screams just escalated. She'd tried teething rings, cold cloths, numbing ointment, basic pain meds. The only consolation was that eventually she'd have to stop. She felt a hand on her shoulder and jerked to a stop.

"Here...let me try."

She scowled and continued pacing pulling away from his touch.

"I'm fine. Just leave, Bones." She snapped.

Ella's screams became louder and Jim could feel her blood pressure rising with it but she'd be damned if she was going to accept his help now. He'd been pretty much absent these past two weeks and she'd been an idiot to have gotten used to his help.

"Dammit Jim! You're being an idiot. You look like your dead on your feet and I don't have clinic tonight."

She rolled her eyes and continued pacing, Ella's sobs starting to turn to muffled sniffles as she was falling asleep on her shoulder. On her return walk she saw that he was standing with his arms crossed across his chest and frowning at her. She drew a hand viciously across her throat to make sure he understood to shut up because she didn't want another screaming episode from the baby.

Once she was sure Ella was asleep, Jim carefully laid her down in her crib and went into the front room to see McCoy sitting on her couch with a severe expression lining his face.

"What?" She hissed.

He just deepened his frown and she waved it off and went to dispose of the food that went unbeaten and wipe up the table. She finished quickly and flopped onto the couch, pulling out her PADD to look at the new text materials for next semester. She felt the air next to her stir before she saw that he had moved closer, his dark brown eyes scrutinizing and assessing her and it was driving her up the wall.

"Bones...back off. Go out on a date with that Nancy girl you've been hanging around with, go watch a movie, go back to your labs. I really don't care right now. You've been avoiding us for the past two weeks. What's different about tonight?"

Jim jumped and stilled as she heard movement from Ella's room. She hardly breathed as she waited and when no further noise was heard she returned to her PADD to look at the mechanics of a phaser rifle. The words on the screen were leaving her with a tension headache and the fact that Bones was still there was making it worse. She squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose willing him to go away.

A whirring sound next to her caused her head to snap up and she practically snarled at McCoy who was hovering his tricorder over her.

"Jim. Nancy is just a lab partner and you're being an idiot. Your readings are all over the place. Your cortisol and epinephrine metabolite levels are through the roof, heart rate is showing signs of temporary cardiac arrhythmia from the adrenaline overload and your melatonin levels are through the floor. These symptoms are signs of stress that are alright in small bursts but when they're continuous it can cause damage."

She waved him away and went back to her schematic but his movements next to her were really distracting her and caused her to grit her teeth in annoyance.

"Bones, back off. I don't need a damn lecture. I have enough on my plate."

She heard him rustling in his bag and she decided he wasn't going to be leaving any time soon so she decided to leave.

"Jim! Where are you going?"

Jesus! Did he ever let up? Just as he shouted for her to stop, Ella started her own screaming tirade. Jim threw him a filthy look and strode back to Ella's room. She picked up the crying baby and focused all of her stress and efforts to the back of her mind, drowning out McCoy's insistent hovering while she worked on calming the baby down.

Her headache was pounding in tandem with her heart by the time she laid Ella back down for the night. McCoy was scowling at the table with his arms crossed by the time Jim sat down.

"What?" She asked as she pulled out her PADD again to start reading again.

McCoy shook his head sadly and looked at her like she was crazy. In actuality she was still pretty mad at him. Since Jim had even mentioned Christmas, McCoy had clammed up and pretty much avoided her and Ella. She understood that it might be a sore subject because of his past but she has stupidly hoped that he would have been there for them. Instead, she had heard that he'd been going out.

"Put down the PADD, Jim."

McCoy pinched the bridge of his nose when he heard the clatter of the plastic hitting the table. He knew Jim was a masochist in the worst sense but seeing it like this...well, it was clear she was torturing herself. He felt partly responsible but also it was her fault for not saying something.

"Jim, what's wrong? You clearly haven't been sleeping."

Jim frowned at him and thought for a minute. She wanted to berate him and shout and generally be a bitch but at the moment she was just too damn tired.

"Ella's teething and exams and...I just don't seem to be able to stop. Even when I lie down I can't shut it off." She let out a deep breath and put her head in her hands.

She never realized how much she relied on Cathy's help before. She felt like she was literally on her own. It hurt that Cathy was going to Florida for the holidays to visit her son but at the time, she had expected McCoy to be there. It was stupid to expect him to be asexual or even interested in her but the simple fact was that she was a bit jealous of this Nancy being with Bones. McCoy was now a permanent fixture in her life because of Ella. He seemed to be picking up the pieces when she fell but wasn't there to stop them falling in the first place.

She felt a large hand rub in between her shoulder blades and she sighed and closed her eyes. It was a warm and comforting feeling. She was still mad but right now she was tired. She needed some comic relief to help her feel better and where better to get it?

"Hey, Bones?" Her muffled voice sounded so pathetic that she felt him tense up, probably in concern.

"Yeah?"

Jim smiled into her hands.

"Is it possible for a human female and a Caitian male to have intercourse?"

She looked up from her hands to see a thunderstruck expression on McCoy's face. It was a cherry red and his mouth was open in shock.

"What?"

Jim smiled and shrugged. "Just curious."

"Dammit, Jim! I'm a doctor not a sex therapist! Do you know what they have on the ends of their..."

Jim laughed and listened as he detailed every con of it in excruciatingly funny detail. By the end of it, Jim was in hysterics. When she could finally catch her breath she was able to talk.

"So...not a good idea?" She asked innocently. He just growled in response.

"Take a damn anatomy course. This way I'm not having to explain the birds and the bees or whatever they have on other planets to you."

She held up her PADD showing her next semester's course load which included alien anatomy and physiology. She figured it'd be useful in determining physical weaknesses and possibly in helping with first aid if needed.

"Got it covered, Bones." She smiled and pressed a hand to her temple as she started reading. She heard Bones rustle in his own bag and pull out his own work.

"Jim...we good?" He asked.

She looked up and tried to smile but it faltered with her headache that was still present.

"Yes, Bones. We're good but please stop hiding out from us like a hermit. I expect you, at the minimum, to be here on Christmas morning."

He frowned.

"On one condition."

Jim frowned back.

"What?"

He pulled her PADD away and walked over to the replicator, typing in something that must have been detailed because it was a while before he returned with a steaming mug that he put in front of her.

"You have to be there, too. Whole and rested. Drink this and go to bed, Jim. I've got Ella tonight. You should have said something. I just got wrapped up in my own shit and neglected what's important."

She held the mug and wrinkled her nose at it.

"Warm milk?" He shrugged and pulled out two small red pills, pushing them towards her. She sipped at the drink but scowled at the pills.

"I'm fine, Bones."

He shrugged but narrowed his eyes at her.

"Jim. I know you think you're invincible but I know what I'm talking about. I wouldn't give you something you don't need."

Jim stilled, like a frightened deer caught in the headlights as she heard Ella shift in her crib. She waited, stiff in her chair until the sounds stopped. When she met Bones' eyes he had an eyebrow raised up high and his arms crossed.

"Fine." She tossed back the pills. "You know if you keep making that face it's gonna freeze like that."

He threw up his hands and looked skyward. "Unbelievable!"

McCoy finally shuffled Jim into her quarters when Ella started her fussing. He sighed and was thankful that Jim was out cold. There was no way she would have been up for another night of this. He hadn't noticed how bad it had gotten and berated himself again for not paying closer attention.

It was a rough night for them and he fell asleep on the couch with Ella on his chest. He woke up to her twitching and noticed that it was morning. He put her in her playpen to let her rest a little longer while he put on some coffee. He yawned and went to scan Jim, pleased that her readings had normalized with some sleep. At this point she was now in a natural sleep and he wasn't going to wake her. Stubborn woman wouldn't ask for help even if it was dancing right in front of her.

He finally left by the afternoon when Jim dropped Ella off at her neighbors for the night. Jim was still planning on going to the holiday party and McCoy was out of excuses to dissuade her from going. His last argument had been that she needed another night of rest and observation. Jim had snapped back at him, hair up in some bizarre contraption to make it curly and a towel around her waist that if he was that worried then he could 'observe' her at the party.

The holiday party was being held in a reserved room at some club in the mission district. He felt out of his element in the loud, flashing room. The thumping music and outdated decorations just added to his discomfort. He held his ridiculous Christmas-themed drink in his hand and stood with his back to the wall. The writhing mass of young cadets made him feel old and he kept his eyes open, yet to see Jim when he felt a hand on his back. He turned and saw Nancy smiling and holding a sprig of mistletoe over him. She quickly pressed a kiss to him before he could protest. He pulled back.

"Looking for me?" She purred. She wrapped an arm around him possessively and he tried to extract himself from her grip when he saw Jim enter.

A dark-haired man had his arm wrapped around her waist and she was smiling nervously. Her hair was falling in waves down past her shoulders and she was wearing an off the shoulder red sweater with jeans that were tight in all the right places. A piece of holly was on her shoulder and she looked excited to be out. It was the same look that she had had when she would take him out on her excursions in Seattle so long ago. He saw the dark haired man lean over her and whisper something in her ear and her grin widened. He tried to move towards her but Nancy was attached to him like an octopus.

The night wore on his nerves and no matter how much he tried to dislodge Nancy from him, he wasn't successful. She was literally hanging off of him at this point after multiple drinks. He was about to give up on his efforts when Jim appeared next to him, face flushed and looking at him with smug amusement.

"This Nancy?"

The brunette attached giggled and McCoy scowled.

"Who's your date, Jim?" He grit out.

She shrugged. "He's in my command class. Gary Mitchell. He had to leave. Early shuttle in the morning to go to see his family for the holidays."

McCoy felt a little more relaxed that he'd left but a wandering hand from the human octopus attached to him made him jump.

"Having fun, Bones?" She asked with a leer at his now red face. He felt drunken, sloppy kisses now on his neck and he kept trying to pry her off much to Jim's amusement.

"I'll just leave you two lovebirds alone, shall I?" She grinned evilly and started to walk away when he desperately shouted out.

"Don't you dare leave me like this?"

She just waved behind her and walked off. He felt his ire rising when a moment later he saw Jim walking up with Gaila in tow. Between the two women, they managed to pull a very drunken Nancy off of him.

"You got her?" Jim asked.

Gaila giggled as Nancy now attached herself to the orion girl.

"Yeah Jim. I'll get her home."

McCoy felt a surge of relief and Jim was watching him with a satisfied smirk.

"Come on, Bones. You owe me and it's time to pick up Ella. The Paris's will be going to bed soon and I need to put out the gifts."

She linked her arm in his and dragged him out into the cold night air. A quick taxi ride later and they were back on the campus. They had Ella quickly tucked into bed and Jim was arranging a small set of gifts under the tree. He recognized the neat scrawl of his mother on several and was surprised. His mom hadn't said anything about sending something. Jim stood up and smiled at him. The sight of her under the twinkling lights was beautiful. The colors danced on her skin making her look more ethereal. Her hair was slightly covering her eyes and he moved closer to her, feeling the crackle of electricity. Maybe it was the fact that both of them had had a few drinks that made him feel a little more confident. Maybe that was what was causing the pink flush on her cheeks as she looked up at him.

He moved a hand and gently brushed the hair behind her ear so he could see both of her bright blue eyes. Her arm came up and he followed the movement and saw a small bundle of mistletoe held in her fingertips. She hesitated before slowly leaning in and he moved forward, his heart pounding in his throat until he felt the kiss on his cheek instead of his lips.

"Merry Christmas, Bones."