I'm back! Sorry for such a long wait.

I really liked writing this. In this one-shot, we get a little more background about how Kirk and Bones became friends after first meeting on the shuttle.

All of this takes place before their relationship except for the very end.

Enjoy and please review!

Their friendship develops quickly, easily. As if it were meant to happen from the very beginning.

Amelia first notices the dark-haired McCoy on the same day of their first meeting, as she's hurriedly exiting her dorm building while simultaneously pulling her long blonde waves into a ponytail. He's walking out of a door as well, away from the building next to hers, already outfitted in his red Starfleet cadet uniform. She flags him down after a brief jog, asking where in the world he could've gotten his uniform since she didn't even have one in her own room. It quickly dawns on her that her unexpected enrollment into the Academy might be the cause of her lack of uniform. That, and her lack of roommate and abundance of issues with her slightly dingy looking room that could've very possibly been the last one available.

He offers to help her with finding some sort of personnel who could assist her with her uniform woes, much to Amelia's satisfaction. She doesn't even realize the slight Southern tint to his voice until McCoy is ending his sentence with a "sure I'll help you, darlin" and leading her off towards some sort of Academy headquarters or something of the such.

Their search is short and very successful until Lea sets sight on the red dress being handed to her and she's shoving the garment right back at the helpful secretary, who suddenly has a frown appearing on her previously pleasant face. It takes about ten minutes of arguing back and forth, with McCoy standing silently in the background watching the scene unfold, until Amelia convinces the Starfleet employee to hand over the smallest male uniform for her to wear.

She leaves with a grin and the woman stays with her glare that only McCoy seems to notice. Amelia briefly explains to the doctor how she detests dresses and would rather trot around in men's clothing than have to deal with crossing her legs every time she sits in a chair. She bids him a quick goodbye paired with a wave, thanking him for his assistance before hurrying off towards her dorm. It isn't until she's back in her room, noting how well the men's uniform happens to fit, when she realizes that her doctor acquaintance had shaved off his scruffiness, making him appear a whole lot more like an Academy student than a small town Iowa doctor.

Amelia sees him again the next day, seated in a low row of her xenolinguistics class, pen and paper set neatly upon the desk before him. Although she's usually opposed to sitting anywhere near the front, she heads in his direction, expertly ignoring all the stares that come her way as people notice her lack of a mini-dress. McCoy turns to look at her as she plops down into the chair beside his with a goofy grin and bright blue eyes.

The first words out of her mouth have something to do with why he's going to handwrite his notes instead of recording or typing them out on a PADD, to which he responds with a simple "I guess I'm old-fashioned." Lea's fully prepared to further her inquiries until McCoy is wondering something of his own, questioning the girl about her lack of any class materials whatsoever. There's an easy shrug and maybe even a smirk as she says, "I guess I'll just listen" before turning to face the front of the lecture hall where an alien looking professor has just appeared. She doesn't notice McCoy's lingering look as he further attempts to figure out the young woman beside him.

He's still looking when she turns again, complimenting him on his cleanly shaven face.

She first calls him 'Bones' after about a week and a half into their developing friendship.

It comes after a "thanks" as Amelia accepts a band-aid from McCoy's handy miniature first aid kit that he always carries around with him. She slips the nickname in seamlessly without hesitation, while he's caught with a furrowed brow and a quizzical look on his face. Lea plays it off with an innocent expression as the doctor asks why she called him that.

She provides a brief explanation which mentions their first meeting on the shuttle and his comment about having nothing left but his bones. Amelia admits that it stuck in her mind and he smiles at that, chuckling as she explains that his being a doctor further establishes her new title for him.

The confirmation of their friendship comes 24 days after their original introductions.

It's nine in the morning and Bones is knocking on her door because they have developed a habit of meeting beside a certain tree before making their way towards xenolinguistics class. The pounding of a fist against metal is what jars her from sleep, sending her flying up into a sitting position with suddenly alert eyes. There are open books littered across her mattress and even a sheet of paper stuck to the side of her face. The time on the clock is staring her straight in the face as she horrifyingly realizes that she never got around to finishing her paper on Klingon language before alluring sleep overtook her.

McCoy's knocking is incessant and doesn't halt until Amelia is opening the door and he's taking in her lack of uniform and generally frazzled appearance. He hasn't seen anything other than the cool, collected, and confident Kirk, and doesn't get the chance to as she turns to sprint back towards her mess of books.

Bones sighs and enters the mess of a dorm, attempting to console his friend as she tries to develop the last half of her thesis within the ten minutes they have before class begins. He doesn't break through to her until he clasps both hands around her forearms, causing her to stand in a single spot and look at him. She wants to yell when his only words have to do with asking for a piece of paper.

She gives him one and curiously watches as he scrawls down a few lines of text, not actually bothering to decipher the words created by his messy handwriting. Bones holds up the note once he's done, pointing an index finger in her direction. "You're sick today" he says matter-of-factly before turning to make his way out of the door.

She asks how that messy note is going to prove that when Bones explains that it's a doctor's note, which he's allowed to write considering he's a doctor. He leaves her with a simple "you owe me one" before leaving Amelia alone in her room with slightly parted lips that soon morph into a smile as she sits on the foot of her bed and thinks about how lucky she is to have a doctor as her new best friend.

Amelia coaxes Bones into sneaking off campus one night after they both receive glowing praise on their linguistics papers from their impressed professor. They come across a small bar not far off from the Academy where they decide to celebrate their academic successes. It's a little smelly and chilly and basically deserted, but they serve beer and that basically fits the requirements of the two Starfleet cadets. They sit side by side on two creaky bar stools, leaning against the splintering wood counter and just talking between sips of their beverages.

The night doesn't last long, but it is a memorable one filled with stories and laughs and little details that both Amelia and McCoy like hearing about the other. Bones doesn't even ask about her dad, which is a treat for Amelia all on its own after having so many others bring up her well known last name.

They part in front of Amelia's dorm room, because McCoy's southern side includes insisting on walking a young woman to her door step, though there isn't any sort of step involved in this case. There are only a few very quiet words exchanged since neither of them want to get in trouble for sneaking around past curfew. Amelia gives him a wink and a wave of her hand before disappearing into her room and silently closing the door. Bones lingers for a few seconds longer, staring at the door and thinking about the girl currently residing on the other side of it. His thoughts only last for a moment before he gently shakes his head and moves away, heading towards his own dorm to get some sleep.

Amelia has lived a few more years and been resurrected once before she's resting on a bed beside McCoy, and he's talking to her about their first year at Starfleet Academy. About that one night at that one little bar where they talked for an hour or two and he listened to her stories and he watched her head throw back with laughter and he realized that he could never, ever succeed in simply being the best friend to Amelia Kirk.

Well that was cute and fluffy.

Hopefully you guys liked this, and sorry for such a long wait!

PLEASE review with suggestions for future one-shots!

xo, liz