There are big ships and small ships. But the best ship of all is friendship. - Author Unknown

Disclaimer: Still not mine..

Notes: Heh.. the chapters just keep getting longer and longer... and the trend doesn't stop here ;) Also, I will be continuously using 24-hr time, so if you are unfamiliar with it, I would suggest you look it up. Finally, this chapter does feature a Starfleet Academy Military Ball. The ROTC chapter at my VoTech had one, and while Starfleet Academy is a college, I figured they would have one too. Don't flame me and tell me it's cheesy or dumb... I'll just ignore you. Anyhoo, on with the story!

Chapter Three: Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Ball?

"Bones!"

The doctor rolled his eyes and turned to face Jim. He almost smiled. Jim Kirk was attempting to look serious by scowling, but it looked closer to a pout than a scowl. Bones chose not to say anything, instead raising his eyebrow, which Jim knew meant 'speak'.

"Why'd you do it?"

"What? Do what?"

"You know!"

"Dammit, Jim! I'm a doctor, not a mind reader! Spit it out!"

"You asked Minnie to the Military Ball! And she said yes!" Jim sputtered.

Bones took a split second's pause before he burst out laughing. Jim silently fumed at him until his laughter died down.

"It's not funny, Bones!" he hollered as the doctor wiped his eyes, "I wanna know why!"

"Jim, stop acting like a child. Why does it matter if I'm taking her to the Ball?"

The younger man now looked as though he was trying to imitate a goldfish, his mouth rapidly opening and closing while he thought up a way to tell Bones off. Finally, he managed to stammer, "You-! It's-! You're… you're robbing the cradle, Bones!"

Bones snorted, "'Robbing the cradle'? Jim-"

"She's eighteen! You're thirty!"

"I'm not asking her to be my steady! I asked her to a dance! Calm down! What, are you jealous or something?"

Jim's mouth snapped shut, and his cheeks turned pink. Of course, this caused Bones to laugh again.

"You are! You are jealous! You think I like her!"

Jim's face turned bright red. Bones laughter petered out.

"Why are you jealous? I thought you were gonna ask that blue girl you were goin' on about."

"She… uh… she invited her boyfriend."

Bones raised his eyebrows but said nothing. The comm on the wall chimed.

"Cadets Kirk and McCoy, Cadet Black is here to see you. Shall I send her up?"

"Affirmative," they answered.

The comm clicked off. Bones flopped down on his bed, watching Jim pace. When Minnie knocked on the door, the younger man opened it so fast that she was startled.

"Hey, Jim. Didn't think you'd be so eager to see me," she said, edging past him.

"How come you're going to the ball with Bones?!"

She sighed, obviously exasperated, replying, "I already explained it to you once. Don't take offense, Bones, but I'm going with the good doctor because he asked me first. I figured you two would be the only ones to ask me anyways, and I was right. Jim, if you had gotten to me first, I would've said yes to you. However, Bones got here first."

Jim still looked severely put out. Bones decided to break the silence with, "What brings you here, Minnie?"

"Ugh… my roommate's being a bitch. All she does is complain and accuse me of stuff. I simply cannot stand being there anymore than I have to be. Plus, I love you guys! So, you'll never believe it…"

It was there remained until dinner, and where they went when dinner was over. Friday nights were often like that. They sat up and chatted about everything and nothing until-

"Oh my God! It's two AM! Maria's gonna bitch me out! Damn light sleeper…"

"Stay here," Jim offered, "Me and Bones can share a bed for one night."

"Oh, no, I couldn't impose like that."

"Don't worry about it," Bones replied, "We don't mind."

They argued over it for some time until Jim physically picked up Minnie and deposited her on his bed, telling her that it really wasn't a problem and to simply accept that she lost. She cracked a rather dirty joke about cleanliness of Jim's bed that had Bones nearly howling once more before she fully acquiesced. She did have a problem, though.

"Um… guys, I don't have any pajamas, and I can't sleep in my uniform. People'll talk."

The two men looked at each other. Then, Bones rose and stated that he had all the young lady would need. He produced a pristine T-shirt, a pair of boxers fresh from the packaging, and an emergency toothbrush still in the plastic. She beamed at the doctor and disappeared into the bathroom, reemerging ten minutes later. The clothes were ridiculously large on her small frame, but at least they were clothes. Bones was the last to go into the bathroom, and when he came out, Minnie was already out. Jim was calmly watching her, perched on the edge of his friend's bed.

"Bones," he asked as the man sat down beside him, "do you like Minnie?"

The doctor hid his shock at the younger man's rare insecurity, softly replying, "No, Jim. Not like that. Why? Do you?"

"Nope."

"Then why were you so upset earlier?"

Jim fidgeted a moment before saying, "I just don't wanna be a third wheel. It's happened… I just really hate it, okay?"

Bones simply nodded. Jim moved over to the other side of the bed, crawled under the covers, and curled up, muttering "Lights," to achieve darkness. The doctor remained awake a while longer, wondering why the ever-confident James Tiberius Kirk feared being a third wheel. He also woke before his two companions: 9:30 AM. Minnie lay sprawled across the bed, one arm flung over her head, her mouth hanging slack and open; she snored softly. Jim was curled in a ball facing Bones. A muscle in his jaw was twitching, and, every so often, his eyebrows would contract, knitting his brow. Suddenly, the younger man reached out and took Bones' arm. Bones allowed himself a small smile as Jim's face went completely calm and peaceful.

Well, he thought, maybe I could sleep a little more…

He lay back down, allowing himself a few more hours of sleep as Jim hugged his arm. In the following weeks, Jim was considerably happier and completely determined to go to the ball, even if he had to go by himself. Minnie was absolutely silent on the details of her dress, save for the color: navy blue.

"That dark blue will just look wonderful next to Bones' cadet uniform," she explained when prompted in the mess, "It's why I chose it. It's a gorgeous gown. Trust me."

At that point, a small group of girls called her and beckoned for her to join them. Similar groups of girls sat all over the mess, chatting and giggling about their expectations for the following evening. She returned after a brief conversation, flushed from excitement and smiling.

"Oh, I won't be hanging out with you guys tonight. That was Benazir Milani, my friend from physics. I room next to her. She helps me escape Maria's insane bitchiness. We're helping each other get ready for the ball. Y'know, nails, hair, make-up."

She then proceeded to scarf down the rest of her food faster than they'd ever seen before rising and leaving with a quick good-bye. They watched her leave with the other girls in something nearing astonishment. Jim turned to Bones.

"Well, then… that was interesting."

"Yup."

"I suggest we go drink."

Bones looked at Jim incredulously, on eyebrow raised. Jim merely shrugged, as if it were a normal suggestion. The doctor shook his head, then realized that the last event he could even relate to this one in levels of formality and dancing was his own wedding reception. At this epiphany, he turned to Jim and said, "I have whiskey," which received a large grin. The pair began their drinking shortly after dinner. When Bones woke the next morning (afternoon), he vaguely recalled a few things from the night before. He told Jim about the revelation of his reception being the last formal event he'd attended, who then drunkenly consoled him by saying that this ball was far less important than his wedding. He was quite sure Jim got Bones to dance with him at some point. He then realized he was in Jim's bed… with Jim… without his pants or boots on. (Mercifully, he was still wearing boxers.) He cast a look at Jim. He was snoring beside him, shirtless but wearing his pants, socks, and boots. He was confused. Jim snorted into life, cursing the light, glaring muzzily about the room. Finally, he looked at Bones.

"Why are you in my bed?" he asked after a pause, "And where are your pants?"

"Dunno… where's your shirt?"

"Dunno… what time 's it?"

Once the doctor had checked a nearby clock and announced the time (1426 hrs), they both maneuvered to the edge of the bed, just sitting there. Bones spied his trousers in a heap over on his own bed and Jim's shirts in a crumpled pile on the floor. He could only assume that they had begun to prepare for bed but hadn't managed to make it out of the other half of their uniforms. Why Bones had taken his pants off first, he had no idea. He struggled out of his shirt, grumbling, "I need a shower… bad."

Jim, who had flopped backwards on the bed, mumbled something incomprehensible. The older man rose (several joints popped in protest of his odd sleeping position) and headed into the bathroom. He reveled in the feeling of the hot water pounding on the tight muscles of his shoulders and back. He threw his head back to let it pour over his head. He felt a twinge in his stomach at the thought of what Jim had said a few weeks ago: robbing the cradle. He knew the younger man had only said it out of a misplaced fear, but the more he thought about it, the more twelve years was becoming a huge difference. While Minnie didn't seem to mind, it was really beginning to bother Bones. He sighed and washed up.

"You okay?" Jim asked once Bones was out of the bathroom.

"Do you think it's right for me to take Minnie to this ball? Twelve years is a pretty substantial age gap."

"Calm down. It's not like the two of you are dating or doing anything… umm… untoward. I know I said some things that weren't very nice or smart, but you know why I did. Stop worrying and go do your hair so I can get in the shower. Minnie promised me a dance or two."

Bones felt a little more confident when he and Jim left at 1700 hrs to go pick up Minnie at her dorm. Several groups of young women milled about in the lobby, and they all turned to look at the newcomers. Bones felt his cheeks flush ever so slightly at the attention. A pretty Middle Eastern girl in a hot pink gown got a look of dawning realization and moved to get the attention of a young lady in deep blue with curly hair. She seemed to be telling a story in a very animated fashion and was very involved in it, for it took the darker girl nearly thirty seconds to actually get her to stop talking to everyone. Dark Blue turned to Hot Pink, who whispered something in her ear, then looked to Jim and Bones. Her face brightened up with a glowing smile. She quickly pushed her way through the crowd, gathering up her skirt and running. She launched herself at Bones, squealing out his name, then did the same to Jim. Minnie looked absolutely gorgeous, like she stepped out of the 1930s glamour scene. Her hair was tightly curled against her head and pinned up. Silver and diamonds dangled elegantly from her ears and gracefully adorned her throat. They even encircled her wrist. The dress, however, was what made it all come together. It was made of a shimmering, satiny material. The skirt was pleated, and the bodice (shopping with Jocelyn had taught him a lot) was strapless and tastefully embroidered and beaded with silver. To add to the 1930s look, she placed a white flower with a large center rhinestone and feather trim in her hair and wore white, patent, T-strap heels. (She showed them off and explained them as such.) She was grinning like mad the whole time.

"And look at the two of you!" she exclaimed, "You guys cleaned up well. What are you hiding, Jim?"

Jim put on a genuine smile and said, "Seeing as how neither of you thought of them, I took it upon myself to purchase a corsage for Minnie and boutonnières for us gentlemen. It was the least I could do for you guys. Besides, it's not like I had anyone else to buy anything for."

"Oh, Jim, it's beautiful! How did you know what kind of flowers to get?"

"Easy. I asked Benazir. I told her my plan, and she dished. Don't get mad at her."

Minnie just grinned. Several young ladies looked very jealous that Minnie was getting such attention from Bones and especially Jim. Benazir came over, looking just as lovely as Minnie… almost.

"Minnie, you aren't angry that I told Jim a little about your outfit, are you?" she asked in a lightly accented voice, "He wanted to surprise you. I thought it was sweet."

"Of course not! Don't worry! Is your boyfriend here yet?"

"No, he's not, but he soon will be! I'm very excited for you to meet him."

Benazir and Bones introduced themselves, and the four of them struck up a conversation that lasted several minutes until Benazir's boyfriend, Altair Zakaria, arrived.

"Altair! Eshtaqto elaika katheeran! Kaifa holoka?"

"Ana bekhair. Wa anti?"

"Ana bekhair. Altair, these are my friends: Minerva Black, Jim Kirk, and Dr. Leonard McCoy. This is Altair Zakaria, my boyfriend."

He was a very nice person, kind and affable. Minnie stated that they would be sitting together for dinner at the hotel before the dancing began. The two ladies continued to gossip and chatter, often in praise or criticism of someone else's gown/hair/jewelry. Bones and Jim spoke with Altair. Bones was quite intrigued to hear that he was currently in medical school studying infectious diseases. He felt rather bad for Jim, who likely got lost in all the jargon of the shuttle conversation. Altair, as it turns out, had previously enlisted in Starfleet to get some money together, then went to med school with Starfleet's assistance.

"Wish I'd had help to pay for med school," Bones said, "I probably still owe 'em money."

"Bones! Look at it!" Minnie exclaimed, "It's just so… grand."

He had to agree. Starfleet was not one to skimp on the style for its events, and the Military Ball was certainly no exception. It was held at the Omni San Francisco ballroom. The exterior was all shiny metal and glass, very modern. The interior, however, was completely furnished in marble and exotic wood, with elegant chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. Minnie was grinning widely, and Jim made a comment about the place being too fancy for them that caused Bones to snort. Each gentleman had linked an arm with Minnie, which caused her to say that she was 'big pimpin'; Bones snorted again. Of course, the food was delicious, heaven compared to the Academy mess. He wasn't surprised when Minnie ate two plates of food plus a slice of cake for dessert. However, he consumed the same amount of food, so he couldn't really say anything. Jim had managed to shovel down an extra plate, as well as flirt with two servers. Benazir, once everyone was done eating, pointed out a mutual friend to Minnie, and they rushed off with hurried apologies.

"Still feeling uncomfortable, Bones?" Jim asked.

"A little," he admitted, "Still don't know what I was thinking."

"It's not weird, Bones. Don't worry. No one thinks you're a perv or anything. Trust me."

The doctor merely swallowed. When the ladies returned, Altair rose and led Benazir to the dance floor. Bones watched them with a smile. He was surprised when Minnie shoved her hand in his face, giggling, "Dance with me," and smiling like she'd never been happier. Jim gave him a quick push and his trademark grin. Bones stood gracefully, and, in true genteel Southern fashion, took her hand; it felt very small in his own. The usually gruff and reserved doctor quickly discovered that he was having an enormous amount of fun. Fun. Despite it all, he found himself dreading a slow dance, not because he had any feelings for Minnie but because he feared others would think he did. Therefore, as soon as one came on, he complained that he was hot and suggested that she dance with Jim. She pouted but took up his idea. It was a terribly sappy love song from the very early 21st century. He wondered if the young woman singing realized that Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy. He chuckled to himself as Jim picked up Minnie and spun her around. After a moment of indecision that lasted until the end of the song, Bones rose and met them on the dance floor. Jim seemed pleased to see him there. Several songs later, they were out on the balcony to cool off.

"Having fun?" Minnie asked him with a smirk.

After an appropriate pause, he replied, "I suppose I am."

At that point, a photographer came over with an ancient Polaroid camera and asked to take their picture. Minnie agreed for them and positioned herself between them, gracing each of their waists with one her arms. The photograph was handed to Minnie, and Jim and Bones crowded her to get a look at it. It was a very nice picture. Everyone was smiling and just looked happy. Then, acting on impulse, Bones grabbed Minnie's hand, and they ran inside, leaving Jim alone with the photograph, grinning. It was another song from the early 21st century, this time an upbeat rock song. Ironic, because the lyrics obviously denoted a break-up. It didn't really matter, though. They just started dancing with everyone else

Yes… Bones was definitely having fun.

And the night shall be filled with music,

And the cares that infest the day


Shall fold their tents like the Arabs


And as silently steal away. 


~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Day Is Done

The two songs are supposed to "Love Story" by Taylor Swift and "Love Drunk" by Boys Like Girls. It was originally something different, but the song started playing while I was typing, so I changed it. Now then, I don't know if I'll be able update during the week, but keep your eyes peeled an inboxes open! Peace peace!

P.S. Remember, reviews make me happy! Happier than a bird with a french fry...