"I can't fix it if you break your neck." Bones told her before he gave her a quick kiss and watched her leave the apartment.

Jamie met Uhura, Gaila and Gary at the shuttle bay, they were going to the site of the Starfleet Academy Desert Survival Course. It wasn't a real class, there weren't any grades or tests and the only person that mattered in the end, was the one that finished first. The cadet who won gained the respect of the upperclassmen and bragging rights as the 'King of the Plebes'. Since Jamie was technically a first year cadet, she decided to go for it. Bones refused, "Dammit, Jim. I don't need their respect or adoration and I'm not playing in the desert. I'm a doctor, not a survival expert. That's your specialty." She smiled at him, she knew he just didn't want to go out there, no matter how right his statement was. Pike warned her that the course was booby-trapped and told her to have fun with it.

Standing with the other cadets, Jamie could feel the eyes on her back, she should just wear a flashing neon sign on her back that said 'Hey, I'm Jamie Kirk.' She really hated this part of being in the academy.

She looked at Gaila, "Is there something on me?"

The Orion shook her head, "You mean besides the target they're painting on you?"

Uhura jumped in, "Your father is a legend and your GPA is impressive, they'll be gunning for you."

Gaila nodded, "Too bad your hot doctor decided to stay home, you might need him." Jamie smiled.

As promised, she told the girls about her date with Bones. That was two weeks ago, they'd been on another date since then; Jamie quite liked the art museum. They had another date planned for tomorrow, Jamie planned this one and she knew he'd like it. When she told Gaila and Uhura about the date, it led to hours of girl talk, something that she's never done before. When she said as much, Uhura looked at her, "Even I've had girl talk and I'm a workaholic." The only answer she gave them was that her childhood wasn't as easy as people thought, she knew that they could both see more behind the words but they didn't force her to elaborate.

"Gary promised us drinks weeks ago, you think you can let him out for a few tonight?" Gaila smiled bright, she and Gary went out a few times, Jamie figured that it would be a one-time thing but the pair really did like each other.

"Maybe you ladies will let me buy the drinks," came the voice of the big Andorian cadet behind them, "I'm Thanas. You ladies should stick with me." Gaila smiled at him while Uhura rolled her eyes and kept stretching.

Jamie looked at him, "We're good, thanks for the offer though." The three women were right on the starting line, while other people milled about, they handed over their communicators, phasers and tricorders without argument and when people pushed, they pushed back.

"Finally," Uhura uttered from next to her as a group of upperclassmen stepped onto a rock that was to the side of the starting line; Gary was among them.

One of the upperclassmen stepped forward, "Alright, plebes. Ahead of you is the Starfleet Desert Survival Course. Your only objective is to be first to finish. There will be no second place and the winner gets no prize, just the knowledge that they are the best in the class. You go on my mark."

At the shot from the phaser, they were off. Idiots were sprinting in an effort to get ahead but even though she couldn't see the end, Jamie knew that this was at least a marathon length course, and it had obstacles. The first was ahead of her, Jamie easily jumped over the pit that some of their classmates were pulling themselves out of. This is where growing up in so many different places came in handy, most of these people had never been on this type of terrain before. The three women kept pace with each other and while there were some people in front of them, they were dropping like flies; either too fast from the line or taken out by the booby-traps. They dodged the stun-mine and the phaser fire.

Gaila spoke from behind her left side, "They aren't kidding, huh?"

Jamie chuckled, "Nope."

Some guy got taken down by a snakebite and she passed more than a few twisted ankles or busted knees. She kinda wished Bones was here, if only to help patch people up. The course led to a cliff face, there were a quite a few cadets who were scared to go, Jamie just smirked and found hand and foot holds. Uhura had an easy time but Gaila fell behind them. A kid rushed down above them and ended up falling, aside from getting the wind knocked out of him, he was okay so they kept going. They had finally made it to the last leg of the course, a flat out run.

The Andorian from before was still ahead of them, the two women glanced at each other and made a silent vow to beat him. They both took off on a sprint, they caught up to him and Jamie dug deep, she edged them both out at the very last second. The group of upperclassmen cheered and Jamie found herself pulled into a hug by Gary.

"How bad is your ankle?" her friend asked.

Jamie chuckled, "Bones is gonna fix it than kill me." She sprained it coming down the cliff but she wasn't about to let it stop her, she knew Bones wouldn't be happy but she also knew that he would patch her up.

"I thought I told you not to hurt yourself," he grumbled at her. Jamie was sitting in an exam room at the Medical College an hour later listening to Bones complain about her lack of self-preservation.

"You told me not to break my neck, and I didn't. I won, Bones." He grumbled some more as he slid the regenerator off her ankle. "Bones," when he didn't look at her, she stood up and stepped into his personal space, "Len." He looked up at her, "I won." She smiled big and Jamie knew that she had him, Bones huffed before he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her.

"Good job, darlin'," he said against her lips.

"How long before you get outta here?" Jamie asked.

Bones glanced at the chronometer, "Two hours, and no, you can't stay. You are very distracting." She pouted before giving him another kiss.

"Am I good to go, Doc?"

He chuckled, "Yes, please stay out of trouble. At least until I get home."

She smiled, "I promise, I will stay out of trouble until you get home but I can't promise anything after that."

Bones shook his head, "Which is why I told you to wait for me. Now, get out of here, I have to patch up some of the other idiots that came in here with you."