13.) Star*
"Daddy, can I have a star for my birthday?"
Shocked by the question, Leonard had agreed before he could really think about what his daughter had asked for. Her sheer happiness at the thought of her gift made it impossible to tell her that he couldn't give her a star.
Of course, he had told Jim everything that night during their weekly drink, including how Jocelyn had torn into him after Joanna had gone to bed. Disappointing his daughter was bad enough, giving his ex-wife something else to use against him made it even worse.
A week later, just an hour before he would wish his baby girl a happy birthday, Leonard still didn't know how he would tell his little girl he hadn't been able to give her a star. He was seriously contemplating getting drunk when Jim waltzed into his office and dangled a necklace in front of his face.
Hanging from the black leather was a flat silver star, a star that had coordinates engraved on one side and 'Bones' on the other.
"You owe Uhura a massage and Spock wants your help in an experiment. Sulu wants ten 'no-questions-asked' fix ups, and Chekov wants a favor he can call in when he wants. Scotty didn't ask for anything really, but I think he deserves a bottle of the finest scotch you can find."
"Jim, what?" After the shuttle-craft in their first year at the Academy, Bones shouldn't have been surprised that Jim managed to help him keep his word again, but he was.
"By the time you talk to Joanna, a package will have arrived for her. When she opens it, she will find a gold star on a pink ribbon with coordinates engraved on the back and her name engraved on the front. The coordinates are for the star, Princess Joanna McCoy, the twin to the star called Bones. Jocelyn should receive paperwork at the same time Joanna's necklace arrives. You and your daughter are 'co-owners' of twin stars."
Bones was still in shock when Uhura patched him through to his daughter, but watching his little girl open her necklace, he never felt more grateful to have Jim as his friend, even if he did name a star Bones.
Written: 7-5-2011
Word Count: 374