A/N: new chappie! enjoy!

Chapter 25: Congratulations

"I can't believe Jim did this," McCoy muttered as he and Kristine sat in a corner of the Rec Room as the crew members danced, her hand in his. "I hate parties."

"No you don't," Kristine smiled sweetly as she lifted her left hand to gaze at her ring, then looked up at him and asked, "Wanna dance?"

McCoy glanced at her and sneered but shrugged and she grinned as she stood and pulled him up by the hand into the dancing crowd, slipping his arms around her waist and stepping close to him.

"Come on, Leo," she urged. "Smile."

"Why?" he grumbled, still looking displeased, even though his hands were starting to snake down to her hips and she quickly moved them back to where they were. "I don't wanna be here. I'd rather be in my quarters…" He gave a devious smirk before continuing, "…with you, in private."

"Maybe we can head out a little early," Kristine assured him, and his smile grew, making her giggle as they swayed to the music, her hands slipping around his chest to hug him closer for a moment.

"Hey, Kris," he murmured and she gave a frown as she looked up at him at hearing his tone of question. "You…like your ring, right?"

"I love it, Leo," she grinned, meeting his gaze. "Why do you ask?"

"Something you said after Tatiana said you'd wanted that ring for a long time," he began. "Forever, she said."

"Yeah…" Kristine nodded slowly when he didn't finish. "Is there another question in there?"

"You denied it being 'forever'," he replied and she only smiled, sweetly. "What'd you mean by it, Kris?"

"I didn't start fantasizing about what I wanted my wedding ring to look like until after our first date," she murmured, slipping her arms around his neck and pulling herself closer to him. "I hadn't met Tatiana then, so according to her it's been forever. You inspired it, though, Leo."

"Well, that's a relief," he smiled as Kristine giggled, stepping onto her tip toes to kiss his lips tenderly. He was just about to pull her closer for a passionate kiss when a tap on his shoulder caught his attention and made him turn with an irritated frown and nearly barked, "What?"

Chekov stared at the man with wide eyes as he jumped back in fright and Kristine slapped McCoy's chest with an open palm, an irritated frown of her own.

"Be nice to your future brother in law!" she scolded when he looked at her with wide eyes and she stepped between the two men. "Yes, Pavel?"

He smiled sweetly and held a hand out to her, saying, "Tanets?" (Dance?)

"S udovol'stviem," (I'd love to) Kristine smiled, taking his hand with one while the other slowly stroked McCoy's arm as Chekov led her deeper onto the dance floor and he watched her the entire way as she looked back at him with a sweet smile. "I'll be back, babe."

"Hey, Doc!" Scotty suddenly called, catching McCoy's attention as the chief engineer waved him toward the bar he was sitting at with a drink. "Come have a drink with the bachelors one last time, eh?"

McCoy headed toward Scotty, Kirk and Sulu, glancing back at Kristine one last time as Chekov framed her in a dancing position, both grinning, and Kristine glowing with happiness.

"I'm happy for you, sestra," Chekov smiled as they shuffled to the music.

"Thank you, mladshiĭ brat," Kristine grinned. "I'm happy for you and Tatiana, too. I hope you guys are happy as Leo and I am."

"Ve are," he nodded, blushing only slightly around the cheeks. "Tatiana is my belokuraya boginya. She alvays will be."

"Wait a while before you decide to marry her, won't you?" Kristine grinned, and Chekov's face turned beet red before he nodded and Kristine giggled, leaning forward to kiss his cheek and hug him.

"May I cut in?"

Kristine frowned and spun around to see a grinning Tatiana rocking on her feet, her hands behind her back.

"But of course," Kristine smiled back, stepping away from Chekov and presenting him to her. "Have at your boyfriend, mladshaya sestra."

"Spasibo, sestra," Tatiana nodded, stepping past Kristine to stand next to Chekov.

"Well, I see the Russian lessons are going well," Kristine smirked as Tatiana only threw herself into Chekov's arms and he caught her with a grin. "Let me guess, Pavel only taught you the basics and the – we'll call them romantic words, right?"

Tatiana giggled as Chekov's face turned another shade of red and he buried his face into the cadet's blonde hair, making her giggle even more.

"Miss Deveraux."

Kristine jumped and whirled around to see Spock standing behind her, making her smile widen as she turned fully to him and said, "Yes, Mr. Spock?"

"I have yet to congratulate you on your upcoming nuptials," he replied, turning to head toward a table as she stepped next to him.

"Thank you, Commander," Kristine smiled, walking with him.

"After our adventure on New Vulcan, I believe it is logical and appropriate that I do so," he nodded, lifting a hand toward the table to entreat her to sit, which she did, Spock sitting in front of her.

"How thoughtful of you," she smiled, genuinely as he sat. "Again, thank you."

"Would you like something to drink?" he offered.

"No…" she trailed off, glancing around to the bar to see McCoy having a drink with Kirk, Scotty and Sulu before turning back to Spock. "I think my fiancé is gonna be drinking enough for the both of us tonight."

"Indeed," Spock nodded, glancing over his shoulder at the group. "I've been meaning to speak to you about Cadet York."

Kristine gave a small frown and wondered, "What specifically did you want to speak about?"

"I believe it would be logical that she and I develop more than a working relationship," he replied, and Kristine's eyes shot wide, but she said nothing as he continued, "Fear not, Kristine. I do not wish any sort of romantic relationship, as I've said before. I merely meant that as someone who is in a similar position of being, as she would put it, a hybrid, that we might discuss our difficulties dealing with our conditions."

"Oh, you wanna be her half-breed buddy, huh?" Kristine smiled, her shock subsiding and making Spock raise a Vulcan eye brow at her, causing her to giggle. "And you wanted to assure me of your intentions?"

"Precisely," Spock nodded. "I did not want you to think I had changed my standing on my opinion of her."

"Of course," she nodded. "A misconception would have been very distressing."

Spock's eye brow arched again at her as he said, "You are attempting to mock my speech, are you not, Kristine?"

"Not at all," she smiled, honestly as she shook her head slightly. "I admire your way of speaking. I always have. I try to use the proper speech at all times the way you do, but when working with Leo, it's a little difficult."

"I see," Spock nodded. "Well, I accept the compliment, Kristine, and express my gratitude."

"And I accept it," Kristine smiled with a small nod before she jumped when a body suddenly sat next to her. She whipped her gaze to her right to see a grinning McCoy now sitting next to her, a drink in his hand and giggled at him, "You've been drinking like your old self, huh?"

"Maybe," McCoy still grinned, slurring only slightly. "Wanna sober me up?"

"Not here," Kristine retorted as he slung an arm around her shoulders and she faced Spock again to say, "I'm glad you came to me and explained your intentions to me before any misunderstandings occurred between yourself and Pavel. That would have been very unfortunate."

"Indeed," Spock nodded. "I'm glad we've cleared things up. Congratulations, to the two of you, again."

"Thanks, Commander," McCoy grinned as Kristine only nodded her thanks and Spock stood to head out, parties not being his cup of tea of course. McCoy turned back to Kristine and leaned into her ear to nip at her earlobe before whispering, "Can we ditch this party, now?"

"Not if you think you're gonna get anything from me," Kristine retorted. "I'm not sleeping with you while you're drunk."

"But it's better that way, isn't it?" he smirked but she scrunched her nose at the smell of his breath and gently pushed him away.

"No it's not, trust me," she retorted. He opened his mouth to reply but a hand tapping his shoulder cut him off before he began. They both gave a frown as they looked up behind McCoy in wonder. "Yes, Captain?"

"Something's come up," Kirk replied, seriously. "We need to get to our posts so I can address the crew."

"After you got him drunk?" Kristine retorted as McCoy turned away and buried his face in her hair.

"Well, sober him up with your doctoring expertise," the captain smirked as he watched Kristine shove her fiancé away enough to breathe. "Hop to, Miss Deveraux."

Kristine sneered at the captain and attempted to help McCoy to stand and walk to Sick Bay.

Half an Hour Later...

"Promise you'll look after yourself down there?" McCoy insisted, now sober thanks to a special hypo Kristine had prepared earlier as they both stepped into the transporter room.

"I promise," Kristine smiled, taking her hand in his hand in hers as she noticed Kirk and Scotty step onto the pad. "You promise not to get into too much trouble on the ship, ok?"

"I'll probably end up bandaging a few scrapes and bruises, that's all," McCoy muttered. "Scotty's the only one Jim needs over there for the repairs, I don't see why I have to go."

"Because he asked you to," Kristine smirked, gently pushing toward the pad. "Off you go. Earn your keep."

"Very funny," he snapped and quickly gripped her wrist to pull her close, murmuring, "Where's my kiss good bye?"

Kristine rolled her eyes but stepped closer to press a quick, tender kiss to his lips then said, "Jim's getting impatient. Go."

"Like I give a damn about his impatience," McCoy muttered as he stepped toward the pad and took his position. Kristine giggled as Kirk gave McCoy a knowing smirk, making McCoy sneer as he turned to be transported to the ship they were assigned to assist.

"You guys be careful on the planet," Kirk ordered Kristine, Chekov and Spock from the platform, and the three nodded before he said, "Energize."

Kirk, Scotty and McCoy were dowsed in light and soon disappeared before the other three stepped toward the platform.

"Think Sulu and Tatiana can handle themselves on the bridge?" Kristine smiled at Chekov as they took their positions.

"Better than she and I would," he admitted in a mutter and Kristine giggled as they turned to face forward.

They were soon dowsed in light as well and appeared on the planet's surface. Yellow sky and rocky terrain surrounded them…but so did about eight people with phasers pointed at them.

"Don't move!" one of the men shouted, making Kristine and Chekov glance around in panic as Spock gave a subtle frown. "Hands up!"

Kristine and Chekov hesitantly lifted their hands as Spock lifted a brow before doing so as well.

"Oh, great," Kristine muttered, hoping Kirk, Scotty and McCoy were doing better than they were at the moment.

Aboard the ship...

"Don't move!"

"Well, this is just great," Kirk muttered as he, McCoy and Scotty stood on the transporter pad with their hands raised as an outnumbering bunch of crew members stood in front of them, phasers pointed at the three.

"Step down from the platform, slowly," one of the men ordered, stepping back slightly, but still pointing his phaser at the three as they came forward as slowly as they could, their hands still up.

"You faked the distress call," Kirk guessed, a predatory gaze at the one whom he assumed was the captain by the difference in his uniform.

"No, I didn't," he replied defensively, not lowering the weapon. "Our ship is dead."

"Then let us help you," Kirk insisted. "What's with the hostile welcome committee?"

The man only shook his head and replied, "This ship is constantly dying on us, but we're not special enough for a new ship. So we'll just have to get our own new ship. We'll be taking yours, Captain Kirk."

A/N: oh snap! lol! one last adventure before i wrap this up. wudya say? reviews?