A/N:

This is the sequel to 'On Borrowed Time', but can also be read as a stand-alone.

However, if you contemplate reading the whole series and don't like spoilers, I recommend starting with 'On Borrowed Time'. (Spoilers will be found in the very first chapter of 'Another Life' already!)

With real life being pretty busy at the moment, I won't be able to update on an almost daily basis anymore, but I promise to be as quick as possible. So please bear with me.

As always, reviews are very welcome! I thrive on feedback.

Dr. Leonard McCoy stepped out of the shower, a silly grin on his face. In fact, he hadn't been able to wipe that grin off his face all day, and had happily endured Kirk's gentle teasing and even Spock's cryptic remarks. Nothing could spoil his good mood today, he thought, because tonight, Dr. Jennifer Hope, Jenny to him, was beaming back aboard the Enterprise.

He felt like a teenager getting ready for prom night. There were a million butterflies fluttering around in his stomach at the thought of seeing Hope again in only a few minutes. He was whistling cheerfully as he pulled on his uniform trousers and boots, and slipped on a fresh blue medic tunic. Then he looked affectionately at the face of the lovely young woman smiling at him from his computer screen, as she proudly showed off the new stripes on the sleeves of her red Starfleet uniform.

The young woman was exceptionally pretty. Beautiful even, if anyone cared to ask McCoy. She had dark brown, slightly wavy hair that looked a bit unruly, even though she wore it fastened in a knot behind her neck, and big brown eyes, twinkling with youthful vigour, a little mischievousness mixed in among the warmth she emanated.

It was a freeze frame from Hope's latest message, telling him that she now held the rank of lieutenant and was returning to serve on the Enterprise on Captain Kirk's special request.

Bless him, McCoy thought fondly.

He was immensely grateful to his friend for bringing Hope back aboard the Enterprise. Although he knew, of course, that Jim hadn't requested her transfer just to do him a favour, but because he genuinely wanted her on his ship, having great expectations for this young officer.

It had become McCoy's habit to keep a freeze frame from her most recent message on his screen, so that he would wake up to her lovely, happy face every morning. That was his little secret not even Jim knew about. He gently traced a finger around her beautiful lips and tenderly touched a hand to the screen as if to cup her face like he had a thousand times before. And tonight, at long last, he'd be able to touch her again for real. He just couldn't wait.

Hope had first come aboard the Enterprise about a year and a half ago, as both a credentialed doctor of linguistics and a recruit straight from Starfleet Academy, and McCoy had fallen head over heels in love with her. Just like about every other man aboard, and probably quite a lot of women, too. Hope had this way about her, you just could not but adore her.

Of course, his love for her had been purely platonic in the beginning, his feelings for her nothing but paternal and protective, or so he'd told himself and everybody else, including Hope. And it hadn't been a total lie, either. With her slight frame and endearing need for touch, her youthful enthusiasm and determination to hide her shy and almost timid young soul behind a convincingly professional and cheerful face, as well as her admirable courage that sometimes bordered on nearly Kirk-like recklessness, she'd triggered every protective instinct in him.

Despite having been top of her class at the Academy, she hadn't been cleared for starship assignment due to being slightly underweight with some minor health issues. Therefore, Starfleet Command had sent her on a training flight aboard the Enterprise, for Captain Kirk to help with the final decision whether or not she was fit for starship duty.

Smiling to himself, McCoy remembered that Kirk had not been impressed at all by those orders. In fact, he'd been furious at the time. Until he'd met Hope in person, of course, and had been swept off his feet by her, just like everybody else. She was brilliant as well as beautiful, but most of all, she had the loveliest, warmest personality imaginable.

McCoy had first met her while having dinner with Jim in the mess, embarrassing himself by rudely grousing about Starfleet HQ sending linguists instead of badly needed medical staff, before realising that she was standing right behind him. But Hope had just laughed it off good-naturedly, seeing right through his grumpy façade from the very start. Then she'd volunteered to work for him in sickbay, wanting to be of use where she was really needed rather than insisting on working in her field of expertise.

After only a couple of weeks, Hope's presence had turned sickbay into a warm and cheerful place that people no longer feared and avoided, but actively sought out. It was as if she'd turned on the sun. She could do that wherever she went. And in his heart, too. To the point where people started to whisper about him being in danger of losing his reputation as grumpiest CMO in the Fleet.

Hope and McCoy had grown close over the following months, caring deeply for each other and enjoying each other's company immensely. In her youthful vigour, she'd filled his life with joy and laughter.

Mind you, with a fair amount of worry, too! he thought wryly.

And the doctor had been her safe haven, offering comfort and the feeling of security that she, having no family, painfully missed. He'd helped her through a difficult time, gaining her trust until she'd confided in him about actually having been born in the 20th century. A secret, Starfleet had made her keep, that had been weighing heavily on her.

The doctor and Hope had been on several assignments together and shared a deep, affectionate friendship. But it had taken them almost a year to finally admit to, and act on, their real feelings for each other towards the end of some joint shore leave.

They had spent an amazing night together, only to find out the next day that she'd been transferred to the Lexington. That meant, of course, that she'd been cleared for starship duty by Starfleet, and was actually joyful news. But it had certainly broken their hearts to have to part again so soon. Just remembering that last evening together still brought tears to his eyes. How they'd both done their very best to stay strong for each other, not quite able to find appropriate words of comfort, then having to watch her fade in the transporter beam, brave smiles plastered on both their faces until the very last moment.

Their one heavenly night of passion, so incredibly tender and fulfilling, had without doubt been the most wonderful night of his life. And it had changed him forever. They'd spent the next day in the afterglow of their first night together. Their love for each other had been unquestioned, but, not knowing how little time they'd have, they hadn't talked about future plans any further than their next meal. They'd been in no hurry to discuss how to handle their new relationship, let alone exclusivity. There'd been no need to. Or so they'd thought.

When she was gone, it was as if all the joy and light had been taken out of his life. He'd realised that he was becoming much more irritable than ever before, but he just couldn't help it. In the year he'd known her, Hope had completely changed his life. Long before she'd declared her love for him. He'd been perfectly happy on the Enterprise before. He'd had his friends, his work. But after having known life with Hope aboard, it just wasn't the same without her. She'd shown him a kind of happiness and contentment he'd never known before.

Jim had been the only one who knew, whom he'd confided in. Or rather, who'd forced it out of him. McCoy was aware that he must have been insufferable in those first few weeks, maybe months. Heartbroken and eaten up by worry about Hope, he'd snapped at everyone who came too close, biting the head off anyone who'd so much as ask him a question. The rest of the crew surely suspected, but Jim was the only one who actually knew for sure. Who knew about the night before she'd had to leave. And he'd been an incredible friend these past few months. The only thing between the doctor and self-destruction.

McCoy had been worrying about Hope incessantly, his mind refusing to listen to reason, coming up with ever new and more horrible scenarios regarding the dangers she might find herself in instead. The nights had been worst, his worries and fears even haunting him in his dreams.

First thing every morning, he'd log onto his computer, hoping to find a message from her. And sure enough, there'd been one at least once a week, reassuring him somewhat. She'd unfailingly sent him a message every week, bless her. Sometimes even more often, fully aware of how he tended to worry about her, especially when he knew her to be on one of her more dangerous missions. But his peace of mind had never lasted very long, and sooner rather than later he'd started fretting yet again.

Their communications had been very affectionate and personal, but not too intimate. They'd never mentioned their night together. Hope would tell lots of stories about her new assignment and crewmates, and he could tell that she was having a good time, which was a great relief to him. He wanted nothing more than for her to be happy. And safe.

Sometimes, she would also confide little troubles or worries, probably to let him know that he was still her confidant, but since most of the communications were recorded messages rather than real time conversations where he could give immediate advice, she'd mostly stick to funny stories, not wanting to disquiet him.

Her messages would always end with her telling him something along the lines of "miss you" or "wish you were here", and he'd often thought that he could actually feel her longing for him. But the doctor was insecure enough not to be sure about that. She didn't seem too upset, and the L-word was never said. McCoy and Hope were both people who felt very deeply, but maybe what they'd had that night had only been a shore leave romance for her after all.

Then again, she might just have put on a brave face for him. That would be just like her. Or 'missing him' might have become a phrase she used from force of habit. He couldn't know. And he certainly hadn't dared to ask. He'd neither wanted to compromise her, nor had he really wanted to know if she'd actually moved on.

But whatever her feelings towards him now, at least she would be around again. That alone was more than enough. He'd be able to bask in her delightful presence once more. And he'd always know where she was, and how she was. If she was safe. And happy. He'd not have to worry about her being in some kind of danger without him even being aware of it anymore. And, worst of all, having to rely on some other physician to keep her alive and well.

When he'd first found out about her returning to the Enterprise, McCoy had entertained romantic fantasies of welcoming Hope with a bouquet of a dozen red roses, sweeping her into his arms right off the transporter platform. But at the same time, he'd been afraid of making a fool of himself.

His feelings for her certainly hadn't changed. If anything, they had only grown stronger. But even though he was pretty sure he'd felt her love for him, though unspoken, in every one of her messages, he just couldn't know if she'd want them to pick up right where they'd left off. He'd never asked her to stay faithful, and neither had she. Maybe it went without saying. He certainly couldn't imagine loving anybody else. But the last thing he'd want to do was to force her into a commitment she wasn't ready to make.

So it was just as well that Uhura and Chapel had organised a surprise 'party' for Hope, banning everybody but one good-looking young ensign from welcoming her in the transporter room, thus sparing the doctor the decision. With one last bounce on his toes, and trying to readjust his features into an expression that didn't broadcast crazy in love, he stepped out of his quarters and went to join the others already waiting to welcome her back.

Disclaimer:
Nothing of or associated with Star Trek is mine – it all belongs to Paramount / ViacomCBS (or whoever else is currently holding the rights). This is a work of fanfiction, no infringement intended.