AN: This chapter has very liberal referencing to Confessions of a Teenage Starfleet Cadet/A Tale of Two Ensigns/Diary of a Lieutenant To Be, as well as Phobia. There is really no need to read these to understand what is happening, but this does give a little more background and a little more information about some events in these stories.

Montgomery Scott raised his glass of scotch in a toast.

'To the Enterprise, the finest Silver Lady in the 'Fleet, and dare I say it, the universe!'

Today is the day.

It's been exactly ten years since they first served aboard this ship, ten years since the destruction of Vulcan and ten years since the Enterprise set out on its maiden voyage.

The day had been about commemoration.

Now, tonight was for celebration.

The Mess Hall had been decked out, as had many of the Rec Rooms.

Scotty was currently in Rec Room One, proposing a toast that was broadcast all over the ship; thanks to a system he and Chekov had rigged up a couple of days prior.

Many voices echoed his.

'To the Enterprise!'

Claps and cheers break out, as the Crew gets the party going.

Even Dr McCoy, Dr 'Space-is-dangerous' McCoy, is smiling!

Although how much of that is due to the fact that it's their tenth anniversary on the Enterprise, Scotty doesn't know.

The good doctor's second daughter was born just five days ago, and Leonard and Christine McCoy couldn't be happier.

The birth was hardly auspicious, but it was typically Enterprise.

Several crewmembers had become stranded on a planet, which seemed to happen every other month, after a long chain of incidents all relating to bizarre accidents and coincidences.

They were supposed to be in negotiations to obtain some materials they needed to fix the Enterprise after a Klingon ambush.

As fate would have it, for some bizarre reason, the doctor's heavily pregnant wife had been on that Away Team.

According to the Captain, he'd bought the expectant parents along because they were just supposed to be having dinner to celebrate the success of the negotiations, and he thought it would be good if they brought people who didn't seem threatening...

Mr Spock did say that it was logically acceptable at the time, because no one foresaw the events. After all, they were supposed to be beaming down to a large city on a post-warp technology Federation planet.

Well, it was a very long story, and the long and the short of it was the new McCoy was born one and a half months premature in a cave on an alien planet.

Scotty grins at the memory.

How ironic!

He looks around.

Perhaps he could have a wee test of manhood, a drinking contest, with Chekov.

He always enjoys beating the Navigator.

He spots the Russian at a small table in the corner.

'Hello, lad. Fancy a drink?'

Chekov shakes his head ruefully.

'Sorry, Scotty. Not tonight.'

'Why not, lad?'

'Because I refuse to look after three beings, Scotty.'

He turns around, and spots the Russian's wife, Ellen, carrying their daughter, son in tow.

He grins.

'Fair enough, lass. You look like you've got your work cut out for you!'

Both young parents nod.

'Tell me about it, Scotty! Oksana's not sleeping through the night yet.'

Ellen passes their six-month-old daughter to her husband.

'And I zought zat Wictor cried loudly. His sister ees ewen vorse. Wictor, say hello to Uncle Scotty.'

'Hi, Uncle Scotty! Mom, can I go and get my Math to show Uncle Scotty? So that we can make that robot he promised we'd make? Please!'

Ellen glances at the clock on the wall.

'Perhaps another day, Victor. It's getting late. You have to go to bed, and so does Oksana. Excuse us, please, Scotty.'

'Aww...but Mom!'

He leaves them to it.

Children are so much work...

Taking another swig of his scotch, the Engineer watches his younger crewmates, dancing to some awful noise, whatever the kids are listening to nowadays.

I'm getting too old for this.

Leaving his empty glass, he slips unnoticed from the room.

He enters the nearest Turbolift.

Seconds later, he emerges on the Bridge.

Whatever poor souls rostered on duty would probably want some company.

Hikaru Sulu grins at him from the Helm.

'Enjoying the party, Scotty? Or are you a little too long in the teeth for things like that now?'

'Shut up, lad. I'm not that old! Just wanted someplace a wee bit quieter, that's all. The stuff you young ones listen to, it's awful! They don't make music like they used to.'

Lieutenant Hannity smiles.

'I think that's a matter of opinion, Mr Scott. I like it just fine.'

He shakes his head.

As he does, he notices a fourth person on the Bridge.

It's Ensign Tyler from Engineering. Bright young lad, out of the Academy three years.

He's just sitting there, staring at his console.

Sulu leans towards him.

'He's been like that all shift, Scotty. Don't know why.'

'Best find out. I'm not having one of my best moping, today being the day it is.'

He addresses Ensign Tyler.

'Come down to Engineering with me, lad.'

'Yes, sir.'

They head for the Turbolift.

'Dinnae call me that, lad. We're off duty. Scotty, please.'

'Of course, Scotty.'

He remains morose.

They are silent all the way down to Engineering.

Scotty leads the youngster into his office, and they both take a seat.

'What's eating you, lad? You're not celebrating like the rest of us.'

'I haven't been here all ten years, Scotty.'

'So? A party's a party. Alcohol and parties are always welcome.'

'That's what Clare would say-'

He almost chokes, stopping himself. The tears start to form.

'-she loved celebrations, really, she did. She would have loved today...'

Scotty searches his mind for the name.

Do I know a Clare? Where have I heard the name before- ahh, yes. Of course.

Ensign Clare Beaufort, Science department.

Fatally injured five days ago in an alien monster attack in the middle of the jungle on a supposedly safe planet.

She'd been brought back to the ship, but despite the best efforts of the Medical staff, had passed away several hours after her return.

'I'm sorry, lad. My condolences. Never got to know her, I'm afraid.'

Tyler wipes the tears from his nose.

'Not many did, I'm afraid. She spent all her time holed up in Stellar Cartography. I only met her because-, no, I won't bother you with the story.'

Scotty reaches under his desk for a bottle of scotch, opens it, and pours out two generous glasses, pressing one into the Ensign's hands.

'Drink. And tell me the story. You'll feel better for it. Remember the good times, lad, not the bad.'

'My first April Fool's Day on the Enterprise, and I was sent up to Stellar Cartography to fix up the replicator, because it was going crazy, they said. So I go up there, and open up the replicator, and all of this green jell-o, at least, that's what I thought it was, flies out! And Clare was just standing there, laughing at me, and well, you know what happened after that...'

'She sounds like a wonderful lass.'

He nods.

'She was. I loved her more than anything, and I miss her so much. I didn't say goodbye the day she left...'

'No one did, lad. We all thought they'd be back, that they'd be safe. It was a freak accident.'

'I should be used to them now, working on this ship. We get them every other day. Clare had the most peculiar theory about that...'

They pass the bottle of scotch back and forth, sharing stories, laughing, crying, remembering.

Unconventional, but it seems to help Ensign Tyler.

Finally, when the bottle of scotch is near-empty, Scotty stands and pats the Ensign on the back.

'I'm sorry for your loss, lad. She was a great lass. Mourn, but don't dwell on it. She wouldn't have wanted you to. Sometimes, if you love someone, you've got to let them go.'

The younger man drains his scotch.

'Thank you, Scotty, for everything.'

'It's alright, lad, it's alright.'

He pours out the last of the scotch, and raises his glass.

'To Clare.'

'To Clare.'

Clink.

AN: I consider Scotty the crazy uncle of the Enterprise. That probably explains the beginning of this story.

Also, Happy April Fools' Day!