Five
As she finally began to settle down on the ship, Emily found herself humming quietly in McCoy's quarters with music playing in the background. The rich aroma of food wafted in the air as she swayed back and forth along the makeshift stove. McCoy was lucky enough to house a small eat-in kitchen. She had to smuggle her replicator onto the ship, and that in itself had been a tedious task. Once she was given full clearance to use McCoy's quarters whenever she felt, she took full advantage of it.
They were almost finished with the four-month mission. Emily realized with a start that she managed to survive four months on the Enterprise without killing herself or anyone else in the process. She and McCoy had gotten into epic shouting matches throughout those four months, but at the end of the day, they always managed to make up.
Surprisingly Kirk had become her greatest supporter when it came to those shouting matches. He usually saw the reason behind her sudden fury, and he managed to reason with McCoy before things got out of hand, or before they said something hurtful to one another… which seemed to happen more often than Emily wanted to admit.
Since they were almost finished with the four-month mission, Emily decided to use that time as a way of cooking. It also marked the anniversary when she and McCoy had officially gotten back together. She'd kept that day marked because it meant the beginning of a new life for the both of them. Though they still held on to memories of their old relationship, this one had established new, happier memories.
Some of their time spent together had been miserable on her part, mostly because McCoy hadn't been able to grasp why she did some of things they did, but eventually they managed to work things out. Uhura had pointed out that that was part of being involved in a relationship. Compromises were made all the time, and their shouting matches was just another way of compromising.
She almost smirked as she recalled the last time she actually cooked something. McCoy's mother was the one who taught her so many recipes. She could still remember the many times she'd spent in the kitchen trying to perfect something Hannah taught her. The older woman was always impressed with the way she pushed herself into learning something new.
It was simply a challenge for her to overcome, and today was no different. She knew what McCoy's favorite dish was from memory… he loved chicken cobbler and pecan pie. His mother would often make it on special occasions, such as birthdays or holidays. And since it was their anniversary, Emily wanted to make dinner extra special.
It wasn't until hearing the sound of boots shuffling through the door that Emily glanced up from her work. She nearly rolled her eyes when she spotted McCoy out of the corner of her eye. His own eyes widened when he realized that she had been cooking in his quarters. She had little doubt that the neighbors had been making comments on the aromas wafting through the filters. Emily almost snorted at the thought of them filing complaints over the fact that someone was getting a better meal than they were. She wouldn't be surprised if they weren't above making such complaints, especially since not every room had a kitchen or a replicator.
"Is that chicken cobbler?" he asked in surprise. Emily smirked in amusement when he reached her after kicking off his work boots. The feeling of hands wrapping around her waist was something she would never get tired of. McCoy kissed her tenderly on the lips, and she relished the way he felt around her. "What's the occasion?"
"Well, I figured since it's been almost four months and it's almost the anniversary of when we officially got back together, I'd make something special," she explained with a shrug. "I know how much you love chicken cobbler, and since your mother was the one who taught me how to make it-"
McCoy cut her off with another firm kiss. Emily rose an eyebrow in surprise when he held her close.
"Darlin', the neighbors were making comments on how good it smelled in the hallway," he remarked with a knowing smirk. Emily merely smirked at that and tilted her head to one side. "Can't exactly blame 'em for being jealous over the fact that I have a multi-talented girlfriend."
"I wouldn't go that far," she rolled her eyes in amusement. She had to admit, it was flattering to hear someone claim her as their girlfriend. It sounded so surreal compared to the couple of years they were apart. Even when they had been dating prior to that mess, it felt strange to call themselves girlfriend and boyfriend. "If it wasn't for your mother I'm pretty sure the fire alarms would've gone off already. Plus it's her recipe."
"We'll be the judge of that," McCoy reassured her without missing a beat.
Emily didn't bother adding to the fact that most of the ingredients had to be replicated. Like him, she preferred fresh meat over replicated meat any day. The replicators were designed to program whatever nutrients were needed for the intended user. It was top of the line when it came to medical usage, but as far as Emily was concerned, there was nothing better than something that came fresh from the farm.
Neither of them said a word as they worked together. McCoy quickly set up the table as Emily finished the last of her preparations. From there, she was able to see that everything was finished and ready to be served. She almost smirked when McCoy's face lit up at a plate full of food he hadn't seen in years.
Ever since the bitter fallout between himself and Pamela, he hadn't been seeing his mother as often as he should have. Emily knew from the calls she would receive along with the messages that were also sent to her that Hannah desperately missed her son. But of course, McCoy was almost as stubborn as she could be… if not more. He was worried about how Hannah would react to seeing him again, especially since their last encounter had ended in a miserable argument.
Once dinner was served, Emily dug into her meal without hesitation. An explosion of flavors filled her taste buds, and her heart soared with joy at the way McCoy's face seemed to light up. Memories of the many times when they sat together at his family's kitchen came rushing back. She couldn't hide the smile that followed as she recalled the many times his father would join them after returning from a long shift at the hospital.
His family had always been sticklers for tradition, and it was something that she had begun appreciating after growing up on a Starship for four years. This was nothing different, and if she was being honest with herself, she wanted to start new traditions herself.
"Have to admit, this tastes almost as good as Ma's," he admitted after taking a few eager bites. Emily smirked in amusement when he finished the last of his bourbon and looked at her thoughtfully. "Don't tell her I said that."
"I don't think I'll ever be able to hold a flame to your mother's cooking," she reassured him. She remembered fondly when Hannah taught her how to bake things like peach cobbler pies and the secrets behind the best chicken roast dinners. At the time she hadn't realized Hannah was using it as a distraction and a way to help her cope with life on Earth. She was all the more grateful for that distraction and those lessons. "But I was taught by the best… I miss the days when we used to spend so much time in the kitchen… she was always happy to have me over."
"Yeah, she was," McCoy chuckled in agreement as he recalled the many times she'd spent the night at his place.
Those had been some of her happier memories of their time together. At least before they started dating. Their lives had changed for an entirely different reason when they started dating. Emily realized with a start that she really was so much happier when they were together. McCoy had filled a void in her life that was left when her parents abandoned her. His family had also helped fill that void, but there was something about him that had always been different.
"Have you ever thought of reaching out to her again?" she suddenly asked with a thoughtful look. When McCoy didn't answer, she knew he hadn't been able to look past the guilt and shame he'd caused throughout his time with Pamela. She let out a quiet sigh and suddenly took hold of his hand, giving it a light squeeze. "Leonard, your mother misses you… probably now more than ever. It's been a good three years since you last spoke to her."
"I know," McCoy let out a sigh of his own as he looked at her warily. She could feel how anxious he was over the idea of talking to Hannah. After everything they had been through together, she wanted to go back. She wanted to see his family again and confront the ones who hadn't been fond of her, especially his uncle Ian. From what she gathered he ran the business down the gutter. It was only thanks to Jacob that the company hadn't gone into debt, but even he eventually left. "You know she never approved of when I was with Pamela… said she moved in too quickly after everything that happened between us. I should've listened to her then and there."
Her heart sank upon hearing those words. She knew she was just as much to blame for what happened between them. If she had been more vocal over what was happening at the ICU, maybe McCoy would have been more willing to listen. Yet the more she thought about it, the more she began to understand that dwelling on the past wouldn't get them anywhere.
"I think it's safe to say we've both made mistakes we're not proud of," she replied with a shrug. McCoy snorted at that, knowing full-well most of their failed relationship in the past and present had been his fault. "No, it wasn't entirely your fault, Leonard. You and I both know it takes two to tango, and I should have done more to salvage what we had."
Her eyes flickered towards his, and McCoy found himself swimming within those dark brown orbs. The fact that she was willing to put some of the blame on her shoulders didn't make him feel any better. Though, it wasn't supposed to. It was supposed to prove that he hadn't been alone in failing at being a better partner. The sooner he realized that, the better off everyone would be.
"Some couple we turned out to be," he finally scoffed.
Emily smirked in amusement and closed the distance between them. Desert could wait. She realized with a start that a small part of her wanted him now more than ever… and not just the physical side. The moment she climbed onto his lap was when McCoy found himself gazing within those eyes. It suddenly felt as though their very souls were connected.
"Well, they do say that the best couples are the ones who argue all the time and make up," she pointed out. Her fingers brushed along his neck tenderly as she kissed him without hesitation. "And if I was being honest with myself, I'd say that's partly true. We compromise all the time, and not just for our own sanity."
"A lot of good that does the rest of the crew when we're at each other's throats," McCoy snorted in amusement.
Though even he had to agree that some of their best arguments had occurred outside of medbay. Most of his staff had been terrified of checking to make sure they hadn't killed each other. The only ones who really checked in on them was Christine and Geoff, and that was because those two knew how to handle him.
"What are we going to do with ourselves if Jim decides to sign up for a five-year mission?" she suddenly asked when she reluctantly climbed off and cleaned the table.
McCoy wasted no time in helping, though his nose wrinkled at the thought of being stuck in space for five years. Four months had been difficult enough. Between finding out that she was some long-lost princess to a group of aliens that were wiped from the face of the universe to everything else, she wasn't sure what had been worse. The worst part of it was, they would still have the press to deal with when they got back.
"First thing I'd do is throttle him for signing us up in the first place," McCoy grumbled. "Even four months was pushing it, but humans aren't meant to travel in space for more than a couple of months at a time. Space travel ain't healthy for the human body."
"This isn't just fear talking, is it?" she questioned after glancing at him in surprise. "Because I know you better than you think, Leonard."
"Look, I'm not the first to think this mission could've gone better," he admitted with a roll of his eyes. Emily rose an eyebrow in surprise as she sat down with him on the bed. She knew this wasn't just fear talking. He had clearly been thinking it through and trying to process everything that happened recently. "Kirk had to go and second-guess everything, from what happened on Narla to what happened between us. And Lord knows the kid's gonna keep doing that."
Emily let out a sigh and leaned against him when she realized what he meant by that. Of course Kirk had been second-guessing everything. He was still young, and new at his job. She could remember a time when McCoy had been in a similar position himself. Though he learned quickly on the job, and that was a part of working out on the field.
She knew that kind of experience was only earned through working out on the field. That was half of the reason she had to constantly argue with Coulson over letting her go out on missions. He was letting his fear of the unknown control her ability to go out on missions, and eventually she had enough of that control. Luckily he moved on from that fear after realizing his mistake, though that didn't stop her from feeling slightly resentful towards his actions.
"Leonard, you of all people should know that everyone who starts their career needs to learn from their mistakes," she reminded him with a pointed look. "Jim has honestly done a good job of holding himself together throughout this mission, and he hasn't once lost a crew member."
"Yeah, I guess you're right about that," McCoy muttered under his breath. "Doesn't make the fact that we'll be stuck in space any better… hell, I haven't even had the chance to propose to you."
She stiffened in surprise at that. She'd known that McCoy had been meaning to drop the question since their crazy mission started. They had been through hell and back together during the worst of their relationship and the best. She knew in the back of her mind that they were so much more than a regular couple. What surprised her more than anything was that she looked forward to the moment that happened. She was willing to wait as long as it took for them to reach that point.
"Leonard, I've waited this long for you to finally propose," she pointed out. McCoy's brows furrowed together when she took hold of his hand and squeezed it lightly. "I know it's a terrifying prospect, especially after everything that's happened between you and Pamela. I don't want you to rush into anything you aren't comfortable with."
She knew that was part of the reason his relationship with Pamela had spiraled out of control so quickly. Neither of them were ready for that step, try as he might to deny it. McCoy had chosen to propose to her because his father was dying. He'd wanted his father to be there for his wedding, and that only left him feeling guiltier. Because it was a wedding that neither of them had been prepared for. More importantly, his father had been disappointed when he realized the woman McCoy chose to marry wasn't Emily.
"Look, I've been an idiot for not proposing sooner," he retorted. Emily's heart nearly skipped a beat when he suddenly wrapped his hands around hers. She could feel the warmth and energy emanating from his hands. "You shouldn't have had to wait for as long as you have either… hell, I should've done something sooner rather than sit around living in fear."
She wasn't sure what to say. A small part of her desperately wanted to comfort him and reassure him that not all of it was his fault. But she knew that wasn't realistic. Another part of her desperately wanted to throttle Pamela for causing the rift between them in the first place. None of this would have happened if Pamela hadn't wedged her way into McCoy's heart before ripping it apart.
"Like I said before, I've waited this long," she whispered before kissing him. She couldn't hide the broad smile that followed when another thought crossed her mind. "So, are you really willing to marry a princess?"
McCoy rose an eyebrow at her question. That was a subject that had been eating away at her since Spock released those reports. She knew it was something she would have to contend with later down the road. For now though, she tried joking around about it in the hopes of making light of something that secretly terrified her.
"Hell no," McCoy finally scoffed. It was her turn to raise an eyebrow in surprise. "I'd be marrying my best friend and partner… and more importantly, I'd be marrying my Imzadi."
Her heart soared upon hearing that word. She wasn't sure why it was so important to her, but she knew that it meant he was her Soulmate. That would never change. The more she thought about it, the more she began to understand that McCoy was so much more than just another partner she had been pining after.
'If I was being honest with myself, I'm grateful that I chose to carry on with Starfleet,' she said through their mental link. 'We've had our ups and downs during this mission, but I feel as though our bond is even stronger as a result.'
He kissed her without missing a beat, and Emily couldn't hide the sheepish smile that followed when his hand brushed along her cheek gently. She was every bit of the woman he'd fallen in love with from the moment they met. Nothing about her had changed, other than age. McCoy realized with a start that she was everything to him. And that wasn't going to change.
'You're probably right about that,' he remarked with a thoughtful look. 'Jim's gonna have an ulcer when he realizes that.'
Emily smirked in amusement and kissed him back. She knew Kirk would get over the fact that she was officially McCoy's. Hell, the kid had already given up on the idea that she was available. And he'd been the first to approve of them getting back together, despite how annoyed he was with the fact that she worked for SHIELD. She knew this was better than anything she could have asked for. And she wouldn't want it any different.