Ugh, I'm so bad at keeping promises. I'm so sorry it took me forever to get this posted. I knew exactly how I wanted this to go and yet I couldn't figure out how I wanted to write it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this! I wrote most of it tonight. I wouldn't allow myself to stop until I finished. That might explain why I feel kinda dizzy and the back of my head hurts. Ah, well. At least I'm rather happy with this chapter! I tried to make it longer since I felt so bad about not posting anything as soon as I wanted to.

DISCLAIMER: I own none of the characters even though I wish I did.

oh, hehe and I was about to make an allusion (okay, I know that's not the exact word I'm looking for but it'll work for now) to Vulcans but I stopped myself. It felt too forced. But I do think I wrote 'fascinating' somewhere in here!


McCoy walked through the front door of his house and shut it carefully behind him, hoping not to alert the other occupants of his house to his presence but, of course, nothing escaped the curious four year old girl. Joanna came running to McCoy screaming "Daddy's home!" and clung to his legs until McCoy was able to pick up the little girl and lift her high over his head.

"And how are you today, my little Joey?" McCoy asked with a smile as he kissed her cheek and carried her into the kitchen.

"Good," the child grinned and reached for a picture on the kitchen counter. McCoy lowered Joanna just enough for her little hands to grab the paper. "I drew a picture in school today!" McCoy smiled as his daughter handed him the picture. "This is the daddy kangaroo, the mommy kangaroo and the baby kangaroo," Joanna told him as she pointed to each of the figures respectively.

"It's very good," McCoy commented and kissed his daughter's forehead. "Do you want to put it on the refrigerator?" Joanna nodded aggressively, causing McCoy to chuckle a little. McCoy walked over to the refrigerator and repositioned Joanna slightly so he could hold her with one arm and grab a magnet with his free hand. Joanna took the magnet from him and placed it and the picture of the kangaroo family on the refrigerator.

"Now you can see it every morning," Joanna said as she clapper her hands together in glee.

"Yep," McCoy agreed. "And do you know what a baby kangaroo is called?"

"Joey!" Joanna laughed. "Like me!"

"They bounce around about as much as you too," Joceyln teased as she appeared from behind McCoy, her sudden presence causing McCoy to jump slightly.

"You startled me!" he laughed and set Joanna down on the counter, "make some noise next time," he told her as he kissed her lightly.

"Well, that's a nice way to say hello," Jocelyn said, trying to pout but a smile seeped through her mask. She poured juice into a small cup and handed it to Joanna who sipped it happily.

"I'm sorry, darling," McCoy grinned and took his wife's hands. "How was your day?"

"Eh, nothing to complain about," Jocelyn shrugged, "but it's getting much better now that you're here," she added with smirk.

"I'm glad to help," McCoy grinned and bent his head down to give his wife a quick kiss. Their kiss earned them a squeal of disgust from Joanna who covered her eyes with her cup.

"Icky, icky!!" cried Joanna. Jocelyn laughed and picked her daughter up so that both she and McCoy could kiss the young girl's cheeks at the same time. Joanna laughed and squirmed, trying to escape from the affection of her parents. The two adults watched as Joanna ran to hide behind the couch and turn on the television.

Things calmed down for the time being. Jocelyn got out ingredients for dinner and McCoy sat down to sort the junk mail from the bills from the letters and occasionally watched his daughter as she laughed at the television, a new smile forming over his face at each shriek of happiness.

"Mommy, what's for dinner?" Joanna called over the sound of her children's show.

"Chicken, noodles, red sauce and a side of lettuce and baby carrots," Jocelyn replied. McCoy stifled a laugh and Jocelyn flashed him a smile. Joanna was still at the point in her childhood where she would not eat anything that had a 'funny name' such as chicken parmesan and salad.

Their dinner was filled with the sound of Joanna's retelling of how the mean Billy stole her markers and her best friend, Mary-Ann, shared half of her cookie with Joanna at lunch-time.

Jocelyn didn't have much to say about her day at work, which McCoy thought was slightly odd. Usually she had something to complain about. The only thing she felt important enough to mention was that a man named Clay Treadway started his first day at work in Jocelyn's building. McCoy started to frown at the mention of Treadway but Jocelyn promised him she was doing her best to stay away from her ex-boyfriend and that she hoped she wouldn't have to deal with him much if at all.

"And how was your day, dear?" she asked, quickly changing the subject. "Anything new at the hospital?"

"Did you save any lives today, daddy?" Joanna piped up excitedly. Joanna found the fact that her father dealt with sick people (and even some times blood and guts!) absolutely fascinating.

"Not today, Joey," McCoy replied with a soft smile. "But a new girl registered into extended care today."

"Really? What's the matter with her?"

"Not sure," McCoy replied, his earlier smile starting to fade. "It's something even the doctors at Starfleet Academy can't figure out and I haven't gotten all the reports back from my tests yet."

"Starfleet doctors don't know?" Jocelyn sounded surprised and not without reason. Doctors who had previously worked in space should, in theory, know more than McCoy since they had been exposed to more sicknesses and should have a better idea as to what was wrong.

"Not a clue. And her medical history doesn't show anything wrong but there does seem to be an inconsistency in some of the records and I can't figure out why." Jocelyn was silent for a moment as if to allow her husband to create a theory before speaking again.

"Well, whatever it is, I hope you're able to figure it out."

-

"I wish you would stop looking at me like that," snapped Jocelyn as she glared at McCoy.

"What am I doing?" McCoy asked back, feeling rather shocked. He and Jocelyn hadn't said much to each other after dinner so he really didn't understand what he had done wrong this time.

"You're looking at me like I've done something wrong, like I'm not telling you something! I'm not going to run off with Clay if that's what you're thinking!" Jocelyn growled.

"I don't know what you're talking about," McCoy promised, an irritated tone seeping into his voice. "And I wish you would stop assuming that I'm always thinking the worst. I'm not worried about you running off with that man because I know how hurt you were the last time he was around and I know you're smart enough not to put yourself through that again!"

"Well, you've still got that worried, upset look on your face so just stop it," Jocelyn ordered.

"What look? I wasn't even looking at you so calm down!" McCoy turned back to face the television just in time to see Joanna run past him and up the stairs. McCoy felt a pang in his stomach, ashamed that he had scared his daughter with his and Jocelyn's shouting. It was their second major fight and the last time they fought, McCoy promised Joanna he and mommy wouldn't yell at each other anymore, another reason why he felt ashamed with himself.

"I'll get her," McCoy said softly as Jocelyn sighed and turned back to washing the dishes by hand since their dishwasher was temporarily broken.

McCoy didn't have any trouble finding his daughter. Last time, she had run up to the attic and hid among the storage and McCoy didn't have any doubts that she would pick that place again.

McCoy climbed the narrow stairs to get up to the attic and immediately found Joanna huddled in a corner. She looked up at him with sad eyes and McCoy took it as an invitation to sit next to her.

"You said you wouldn't yell anymore," Joanna murmured after a few minutes. McCoy didn't have a reply so he was silent.

"Sometimes, people just have bottled up emotions and then they can't hold them anymore," McCoy said after he felt he had been quiet long enough. "Like a balloon with too much air."

"Can't you tie the balloon before it blows it all back out?" Joanna's innocent face caused McCoy to chuckle.

"I suppose sometimes that works but most times, the balloon would just explode with too much pressure. Joanna was silent and pensive for a moment. McCoy almost expected his daughter to say something that even professors of philosophy would be shocked and amazed at but Joanna had something less philosophical to say.

"When the weekend comes, can we get a bunch of balloons and fill our house with them?" McCoy couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, I suppose we could."

"That way we can practice tying the balloons," Joanna grinned.

After a few more moments of silence, they heard footsteps and soon the door opened to reveal Jocelyn with a tray of cookies and milk.

They all ate cookies and talked about simple things until Joanna fell asleep on McCoy's lap. Jocelyn smiled and rested her hear on McCoy's shoulder and McCoy placed his head on hers.

"I'm sorry," Jocelyn sighed. "I shouldn't have shouted. I'm just… stressed. I just don't want Clay here."

"Don't worry about him," McCoy muttered and placed his arm around her shoulders. "I'll always be here if you need to talk." They were silent again until McCoy yawned and Jocelyn laughed.

"You should take Joey to bed and then go to bed yourself," Jocelyn said. "You look like you need it." McCoy did so without fuss. He did indeed need sleep after the day he survived.


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