Downtown San Francisco

Kirk and McCoy get into a sticky spot. An Academy one shot.

A/N: This is just a little scene I did to try and shake the writer's block. Hope you enjoy :)

The sound of their pounding feet on the concrete echoed across the alleyway as they careered down the side of the building.

"It's not a problem if you don't get caught!"

"We're literally being chased right now, how can you even say that?"

"Yeah I know. Hang in there Bones, this night's about to get way better."

"Jim, NO!" McCoy flattened himself to the side of the building as Jim turned to throw something in the direction of their pursuers. McCoy poked a finger down the alley. "What in the hell is that?!"

"Well I borrowed it from the academy—"

"Kid, if we get out of this alive, me and you are gonna be settin' some ground rules. If you—"

"Bones, I really hate to interrupt, but you need to duck."

"What?"

Kirk threw himself over McCoy, sending them flying to the ground as a thundering crash filled the alley, bright light flashed across the brickwork behind them.

Shoving Kirk off him Leonard had to use all his strength not to hit the kid, who smirked lying on the ground next to him.

"You really need to work on your reaction times."

"Why you little—" Kirk pulled McCoy up and they were once again running down the grimy back streets of San Francisco.

"If you hadn't made all this trouble over a girl we wouldn't even be here."

"No, you'd just be holed up in your dorm. This is way better."

The doctor was practically spitting as they rounded another corner and nearly ran headlong into a tall fence. "Oh that's just great, I suppose we're just going to hop over the fence now too."

Kirk smirked again. "Nope. We're going under. Doctors first."

"No. No way. You couldn't just apologise could ya? Gotta turn everything into a goddamn—"

"Bones, I hate to crash your party, but we're a little pressed for time."

The doctor grunted, but complied with Kirk's direction, pressing himself to the floor as he shimmied his way under the gate. Jim was quick to follow, once again leading the way down the back alleys. The sounds of their pursuers further away now, but still too close for comfort.

Jim led them round twists and turns all the way through downtown San Francisco. Their tails following them as they passed by empty warehouses and dodgy alleyway joints. They were heaving for breath by the time they rounded a final corner and entered onto a wider street. Slowing to a walk, they waited for their pursuers to appear, but the further they went the longer the thugs didn't show.

"Well, it seems you managed to get us out. Congratulations." McCoy growled as they tracked down the deserted street quickly, catching their breath.

"Cheer up, Bones." He flashed Leonard a bloody smile. "That was fun."

"Fun? Are you outta your mind? Me and you are gonna have a chat about what constitutes fun. That—" he shoved a thumb over his shoulder, "—that was not fun. That was dangerous."

Kirk shrugged, still grinning. "Potayto, potahto."

A vein popped on McCoy's temple as he seethed in barely restrained anger, recalling in fine detail how Jim had managed to send them running through back alleys in the dead of night.

Leonard plonked the glasses on the small table sheltered from the rest of the room, the buzz of chatter quieter here. He slid into the booth across from Jim, whose sullen face he knew was only a glimpse of the turmoil inside.

"Drink up."

Jim responded by holding the glass to his lips, content to wallow in silence. Despite the noise, this was one of the quietest bars in the area. The hoards of people that had congregated to mark the day now flowed into bars across the city to raise a glass to those no longer with them.

McCoy watched Jim over the rim of his glass, granting him his silence. Not only was his birthday a permanent reminder of the destruction of the Kelvin but now each year the kid had to sit through another of Starfleet's Memorials for the incident, surrounded by rows upon rows of cadets, instructors, admiralty, and civilians as he listened to the stories and the bravery and dedication of the father who he'd never met.

Leonard wouldn't wish it on anybody, but the brooding kid sat opposite him? He'd already suffered enough.

Jim's eyes roved across the bar as he drained the last of his drink, bringing the glass to the table with a healthy thud. His eyes skimmed once more across the room and McCoy followed his gaze.

Kirk dropped him a sleazy grin, only his dilated pupils deceived his inebriated state as he stood to walk across the room.

McCoy put his own glass down. "Jim..."

"Relax Bones, I'll be back."

"That's not what I'm worried about," he grumbled into his glass as Kirk launched himself towards a woman at the bar. He knocked back the rest of the bourbon as he watched Kirk slither into the bar stool beside the woman. McCoy eye rolled from his seat as he continued to watch.

That was until a rather large man came to stand protectively by the woman's side. McCoy could see only too easily that the situation was about to go south. He slowly made his way across the room, just in time to hear Kirk goading the man built like a brick shit house.

"Why don't we ask the lady what she wants?"

"'Cos the lady already told you no."

Kirk opened his mouth to talk, but got a punch in the face for his trouble.

Leonard watched, waiting, ready to drag his friend from the ensuing fight. He left them a while, knowing that Jim had been itching for a fight all day and that, by intervening, he was more than likely to take a hit to his own jaw. And McCoy didn't know who it was more likely to come from.

The pair had wasted little time getting stuck in, throwing punches at every open opportunity. Kirk danced around the larger man, his lean form ducking and lurching out of harms way before jabbing at the other man's torso. Despite the intoxication, Kirk seemed to firmly have the upper hand, weaving and sowing punches, his fist connecting solidly with his opponent as he managed to deflect most of the other's blows.

Leonard still hovered on the edge, becoming concerned at the damage Jim would do to the other man if he aimed his fists any higher, when the kid received a spectacular blow to the face sending him careering into a nearby table.

Staggering, Kirk lunged for the taller man, who stepped backwards to become flanked by two others.

"You've got to be kidding me," McCoy muttered. Seeing the look on Kirk's face, Bones knew he wasn't going to be giving up any time soon. He hauled himself from leaning against the bar and pushed through the crowd now gathering to watch.

"Jim!"

"Little busy, Bones." Kirk had one of the men in a headlock while brandishing a bottle at another.

"Oh really? I hadn't noticed. C'mon let's go."

The instigator leered at Leonard. "Oh no. He ain't going anywhere."

"Is that so?" McCoy stood with his arms folded, an eyebrow cocked at his wayward friend.

"Yeah, yeah it is."

McCoy sighed deeply, this had been the furthest from his intentions when he brought Kirk here. "Okay then. Jim put the bottle down."

"Sorry Bones, I can't right now."

"For the love of—" he looked to the sky. In his lapse of attention the larger man threw himself at the doctor. Although surprised, Leonard was prepared, using his weight against him, McCoy flipped the brutish man over, locking his arm behind his back. He leaned down speaking in a very low voice, "Would you like to see just how fast I can put you in a hospital?"

The other man sneered from his position on the floor, "And how do you expect to manage that?"

Tired of being consistently underestimated, he pushed just a little harder on the man's arm. "I could dislocate it, if you so wish."

The whites of the man's eyes became substantially more visible at the uncomfortable pressure. Over his shoulder, McCoy could see Kirk was still engaged with the two others. The Doctor whistled getting their attention, the two cronies paused mid-punch to see their leader lying on the ground, and made straight for Leonard.

Kirk spat blood in his brief respite, looking up in confusion for the others.

Grumbling to himself Leonard launched himself clear of the group and grabbed Kirk by the scruff of his shirt, pulling the younger man out of the bar and into the street.

Leonard was viciously pulled from his thoughts as an outstretched hand collided with his chest. Having just run what felt was the entire length of San Francisco, he was in no mood to put up with Jim's fancies. He rounded on Kirk, "For the love of god will you stop—"

McCoy was lost for words at the bemused look on his friend's face, he followed Kirk's quick glance to see that, only a very short distance away was the steep drop of hillside to the water below. It didn't take McCoy long to get his bearing from there.

Conceding to the hand, McCoy waved Jim off as they wove their way along the overgrown path to a quiet dark patch of hillside overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. Settling themselves on the edge, they remained silent, watching the dancing lights in the water below.

"Why'd you do it, Jim?"

"C'mon Bones, we don't have to do this now."

"Oh yeah? Will it ever be 'now'?"

Kirk made no move to lie, "Probably not."

McCoy sighed. "You've got a funny talent for starting fights, Kid. You're not gonna get away with it forever."

"I'm a Starfleet Cadet I don't start fights, I end them." Kirk let loose the witty come-back with a grin.

Leonard merely nodded. "Uhuh. Tell that to Pike tomorrow when he sees your face."

Kirk's grin was wiped with a grimace. "He doesn't have to know though...so..."

There was a panicky glint in his eye. McCoy couldn't help but almost feel sorry for the troublemaker. "He won't find out from me." He paused to watch Jim relax, "That doesn't mean he won't find out though."

"Maybe not." The sly smile was sat back on his lips.

McCoy shook his head as they gazed back over the glassy surface of the water. Kirk shuffled onto his back, staring upwards. The all-encompassing velvety sky was dotted with ribbons of stars. He sighed loudly, causing Leonard to flick his eyes in irritation.

"You know I don't even need to see you to know you're doing that?"

"Good for you." McCoy said, repeating the gesture for good measure.

Kirk leant on one elbow to look at him. "Don't you ever wonder what its like out there?"

Leonard looked Jim dead in the eye. "Don't need too, remember?"

It was Kirk's turn to roll his eyes. "Yeah, but I mean out there, not just some training mission just outside the solar system."

"Nope. It's disease and danger—"

"—wrapped in darkness and silence. Yeah, yeah, I know. Still, it's beautiful."

Leonard raised an eyebrow slightly before agreeing. "Yeah. It's somethin' alright."

They lay looking at the stars a while longer before Leonard broke the quiet hush of the waves and the whisper of the wind in the grass.

"I didn't do the flight training to stay planetside forever."

Disbelief flooded Kirk's features as he stared up at the sky squashing every semblance of hope. "What d'you mean Bones? You've got your pick of the bunch you can go wherever you want."

"Maybe. But someone's gotta stop you from killing yourself out there."

"You—you're coming with me?"

"Gotta be outta my god damn mind," he muttered turning to Kirk, "Yes kid, I'm coming with you on a blazing tin can."

Kirk was quiet for a minute as he looked out over the water, a shiver crossing him. The silence stretched before he spoke again, "Bones...you don't have to do it...not for me."

McCoy rolled his eyes to the sky, "Well if I'd known that I never would have submitted for my posting."

Kirk balked. "You submitted that form already?!"

McCoy was more surprised. "You haven't?" At the shake of his head McCoy wanted to take his friend in hand and shake him. "Why the hell not? It's due in three days. You've known what you wanted from the minute you got here, Jim. What's the hold up?"

"I don't know, Bones. I just." He was hesitating. "I guess I just don't know if it's right."

McCoy watched his best friend, he looked dejected and a frown covered his usually animated features. He sought for what to say to him. "Jim, you said you were gonna do it in three years and you're nearly there. By some kinda miracle—and I don't know how in the hell you did—you managed it. So I'm gonna ask you again. What's the real reason?"

And the next time Jim looked up, he'd taken down his wall and McCoy could see the anxiety and the doubt. The rare vulnerability. "Bones. What if I'm not supposed to do it? What if I screw up and I kill people? He died out there after only minutes..."

His response tailed off and then Leonard knew what the problem really was. The hurt from the day brewing and prying open Jim's feelings anew.

"Kid, things happen that are out of our control. Things aren't always easy and they certainly ain't always good, but, I know you can do this."

Kirk looked up, hope burning in his eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah." He slapped him on the shoulder. "Besides if I'm going up there, I sure as hell ain't doing it without you." McCoy stood, shaking himself out. "Well come on. As wonderful as it is out here, it's colder than an Eskimo's toe, and the last thing I need is you bothering me with a cold, or worse pneumonia. Especially if I'm gonna have to set that nose."