I didn't want to leave everyone hanging for too long! Enjoy the chapter (I definitely enjoyed writing it). Thank you for the lovely reviews, as always xx

Forty One

Leonard ignored his fourth comm ring in ten minutes and continued to sip his coffee, eyes glued to the screen in front of him. Dimitri Nikols' handwriting was indecipherable at best, and he had finally managed to find a page of his notes that didn't make his head ache with the effort to read them. His comm had been ringing constantly, but he knew it was Jim, so he was ignoring it. As he moved onto the next page, he hoped that Jim would take the hint that he was busy and not show up at his door.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, an all-too-familiar chirp suddenly sounded in the room, alerting him that there was someone outside. Shaking his head, Leonard stood up from his desk and stalked to the door, intent on asking Jim what his problem was and getting rid of him as soon as possible so he could get back to work.

When the door slid open, however, he realised his unwelcome guest wasn't Jim; it was Victoria.

"Hey," Leonard said. He wracked his brain quickly, trying to figure out why she was here. "Er, sorry, did we have an appointment?"

Victoria shook her head. "I need to talk to you," she said quietly. Avoiding his eyes, she kept her gaze fixed on the floor and shoved her hands into the pockets of her lab-coat.

Leonard frowned. "You alright?" he asked. When she didn't immediately answer, he reached out a hand to touch her arm. "Is something wr-"

Victoria jerked her shoulder away, evading his touch before he could even finish his sentence. "Leonard, just let me in."

Confused and more than a little concerned, he stepped aside and Victoria strode in purposefully, reaching the middle of the room and halting. Her eyes lingered on his screen where, he realised, Dimitri's notes were still open. Hoping she couldn't read them, he followed her and stood in front of his desk, his back to the computer. "Sorry about the mess," he said, casually running his hand across the screen and shutting it off. He gestured to the PADDs lying around, and the medical textbooks piled on the coffee table. "I'm workin' on something."

"Oh, really?" Victoria turned to look at him, and he was immediately on edge. Her eyes were narrowed, and she looked angry, even though her tone sounded flippant. "What are you working on?"

"Nothing important," he lied. "You said you wanted to talk?"

"I do, but it's not important," she waved a hand, and her dismissive action made him even more guarded. "At least, not as important as alien transplants. Or a cure for subspace radiation. Or the GX."

Leonard froze, and Victoria folded her arms across her chest. He avoided her eye and turned to the PADDs on his desk, beginning to organise them blindly. "Nothing's as important as those things," he said, forcing himself to stay calm. "You wanna have a seat?"

"I think I'll stand. And don't lie to me," she snapped. "I just talked to Jim. After my father called me and nearly gave me a heart attack, I might add. We're lucky he didn't come up with some elaborate plan and haul my ass back to Earth as contingency."

Leonard snorted. "You're a grown woman, you don't need your daddy haulin' you off anywhere."

"That's not the point. Look at me!" she demanded, and he turned around reluctantly. "What's going on, Leonard? You asked for Dimitri's files and you didn't think you should tell me? Why would you do that? You knew how I'd react if I found out someone was looking into this!"

"It wasn't about you," he lied immediately. He couldn't tell her the truth; not yet. "The man's a research legend, and his work was public access. I just needed Jim's signature for his latest stuff, and that just happens to be a lot about your… situation. I didn't do it for you."

Victoria stared at him, the disbelief obvious on her face. "Is that your excuse? 'The man's a research legend'?"

"It ain't an excuse, it's the truth," he said stubbornly.

"Do you even hear yourself right now?"

"I can hear myself tellin' the truth just fine."

Victoria gritted her teeth in frustration. "Let's pretend for a second that I believe you. Did you think about what would happen if they traced the files on my situation back to you? My father did it in less than a month! Who's to say somebody else couldn't?"

"If they did, what're they going to do, chase us through unchartered space until they find us?" Leonard rolled his eyes. "You're overreactin'. It was no big deal. Still isn't."

"Stop lying to me, Leonard. Dimitri had two partners on his alien transplants research, and at least an entire lab at Starfleet Academy on the radiation cure. Both those teams are working even after his death, so you didn't need to go through Section 31. The only thing that was solely his was his research about me, so don't act like that's not what you're doing. What I want to know is why you're doing it!" Victoria narrowed her eyes. "And why the hell you didn't think you should tell me about it."

Leonard finished reorganising his PADDs and finally looked up at her properly. Victoria was seething, and he was a little surprised that she hadn't started yelling at him yet. Not that he blamed her for being angry. He hadn't wanted her to find out this way, he realised. It wasn't fair for her to worry that her location was compromised, only to find out that a man who seemingly had nothing to do with her was researching her situation for no apparent reason. But she had found out, and he did have a reason. He just had no idea how to explain it to her. "Let's pretend for a second that you're right," he said slowly. "If I am doin' all this to help you, it's obvious why I wasn't gonna tell you about it already, darlin'. It could be months before I figure out how far Nikols got in his research, let alone how to take his work further and get the damn thing out of you, like you want. What the hell is the point of tellin' you, and givin' you false hope, only to come to you a year from now and say I can't help you?"

"The point is that you don't get to make these decisions for me!" yelled Victoria finally, and Leonard winced at how loud her voice was. "I didn't ask you for help! I didn't want you or anyone else involved, because I can't be held responsible for anyone else getting in trouble because of me! And you knew that, Leonard!" Her voice broke at his name, and she turned away to hide what he suspected were tears in her eyes. "You shouldn't have lied to me. You shouldn't even be doing this. You have no reason to, and you had no right to keep this a secret."

Despite the lump in his throat that had appeared when he realised she was crying, Leonard felt a twinge of annoyance at her words. "For someone so damn smart, you can be really stupid sometimes," he snapped. Victoria scoffed but didn't turn around, and his irritation grew. "If you really believe I have no reason to help you, Victoria, at least look at me when you say it."

Victoria's shoulders shook slightly as she took in a deep breath and turned around. Her eyes were bloodshot from repressing tears, and Leonard tried to push away the urge to touch her and comfort her. "I don't need someone to save me, Leonard," she said quietly. "Not you, not Jim, and not even my father. I only asked for their help because I had no choice. I did not ask for yours."

Leonard snorted. "Of course you didn't," he said dryly. "You think I don't see how much it kills you to ask them for help? But if you were bein' smart about this, you could see that I can help you."

"That isn't my question. I want to know why."

"Why what?"

"Why are you so insistent on helping me?"

Leonard's hands clenched into fists. "You know why."

Victoria blinked, and finally, finally, he saw understanding dawn in her eyes. But it was closely followed by confusion. "I thought we both agreed that didn't matter," she said slowly. "We talked about this, Leonard. You and I… it would be too complicated, and it couldn't last. I can't think of any way it would, and believe me, I've tried. I hate that it has to be like this, but I've accepted it. I really thought you had too."

"Well, I didn't." Giving up all pretences, he folded his arms across his chest. "I'm not just doin' this for you. I'm doing it for me. Because I don't want you to leave, and maybe I can find a way to help you stay. I'm sayin' maybe, which is why I didn't want to tell you until it could be a definitely. But you're too damn stubborn, so here we are. You happy now?"

His question was met with silence. Victoria had been staring at him, her eyes wide and mouth slightly agape, while he'd been speaking. Now, she closed her mouth and swallowed thickly. "Let me see if I understand this," she said hoarsely. "You're doing this to help me?" Leonard nodded silently. "You're doing this because you… you have feelings for me, and you want to find a way for me to stay. With you." Again, he nodded, not trusting himself to speak. "And you didn't tell me because you didn't want to get my hopes up?" Another nod. "You're spending all your free time looking at Dimitri's notes and doing your regular job and dealing with everything else… for me? So I can stay with you?"

"Yes," he said shortly. The fact that it had taken her so long to realise why he was trying to help her exasperated him to no end. For the first time, probably since he'd met her, he just wanted her to leave. Avoiding her eyes, he turned around and faced his desk, turning the screen back on. "Now if you're done, I gotta get back to work."

She didn't take the hint. Ignoring her, Leonard focused on the screen in front of him. He had read about halfway down the page without understanding anything when Victoria's footsteps broke the silence, and he felt her hand on his arm. Every cell in his body was all too aware that she was standing next to him close enough to touch, but he couldn't touch her, and his hands became fists again. Groaning, he closed his eyes. "Stop it," he muttered. "I can't do this again, Victoria."

"I know," she said quietly. "Just look at me. Please?"

Reluctantly, he opened his eyes and turned to face her. She was standing too close, and he tried desperately not to remember the last time it had been just the two of them together with so little distance between them, but it was hard not to think about it. He couldn't even tell if that was what she was thinking about, until she raised a hand slowly and brushed the back of her fingers against his cheek.

"You're doing all of this for me," she said softly. "And you didn't even tell me about it."

"No, I didn't," he sighed. Catching the hand that was resting against his cheek, he linked their fingers together. "I wanted to be sure."

"And you're not sure yet?" Slowly, he shook his head. To his surprise, Victoria smiled. "That's okay," she shrugged. "One last question, I promise."

"Anything."

"Can I kiss you?"

He froze. Victoria's smile didn't waver, even as it took several seconds for his brain to restart, and digest what it exactly it was that she was asking, and what that meant. He felt his mouth go dry. "Thought you said asking for permission wasn't romantic."

Victoria giggled. "I'm afraid I'm not the romantic one, Dr. McCoy," she said, slipping her hand out of his to wrap her arms around his neck. "Fortunately, that's all you."

Leonard didn't bother answering her, or even questioning her motives. Victoria was still smiling when she kissed him, and there was no trace of the hesitation that had been present between them the last time. The kiss was breath-taking, and electric; it was also the most alive he'd felt in over a decade. His hands moved to her waist, gripping her tightly and as close as he possibly could. Without breaking the kiss, he gently pushed her back two steps until she was pressed against the wall, and she willingly tilted her head so he had greater access to her mouth. As he deepened the kiss, he felt the familiar rush he'd felt the last time he'd kissed her, and the dizzying need for more. Almost as if she felt it too, Victoria's hands slipped down from his neck, past his shoulders until he felt the tips of her fingers slide under his shirt, and his skin burned where she touched him. A voice in the back of his mind warned him to slow down, but he ignored it. It wasn't until his hand brushed against her neck and Victoria let out a soft gasp – not of surprise, but rather a clear indication that she was enjoying his touch – that he felt himself freeze. Abruptly, he broke the kiss, but couldn't bring himself to pull away completely from her. Not yet. Not if this was all he'd have.

Oblivious to his inner monologue, Victoria rested her forehead against his, her eyes still closed. "Sorry," she whispered, clearly out of breath. "I just need a second."

Leonard brushed away a strand of her hair that was tickling her cheek, and her lips twitched at the gesture. He couldn't bring himself to smile back. "I'm sorry too," he said quietly. "I didn't – this isn't what I meant."

Victoria's eyes opened slowly. "Meant what?"

He took a deep breath. "Darlin', if you're doin' this because you feel grateful –"

"Stop it," said Victoria immediately. When he looked like he wouldn't listen, she added harshly, "I mean it. You don't know what you're talking about."

Leonard shook his head stubbornly. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to feel you had to do… anything. With me."

"You think I kissed you because I feel grateful that you're trying to help me?" Victoria raised her eyebrows. "You hear how ridiculous that sounds, right?"

"Either way, it's what I'm saying," he said firmly. Without breaking eye contact, he gently removed her arms from around his neck and took a deliberate step back, away from her. "I won't go any further," he said softly. "Not if you're gonna walk out this room after this and act like nothin' happened. Because I can't do that, darlin'. I could kiss you and watch you walk away when you thought you had no other choice but to walk away, but you know better now."

Victoria closed the distance between them again, ignoring the way his shoulders tensed when she rested her hands on them. "I'm not walking away from you," she said softly. Even though her voice was quiet, there was no trace of uncertainty in it. "I don't want to, and frankly, I don't think I can anymore. But beyond that…" she trailed off, and bit her lip.

Leonard sighed. "I'm not askin' for a ten year plan, Victoria."

"I know," she said. "I'm just saying I don't know what happens beyond the next few months, or even days. We don't know what your research is going to show. The people who are after me are dangerous. I don't want to put you in danger. And I really don't want to hurt you."

"You're not puttin' me in danger, darlin'. And I'm choosing to try and help you."

"This could all be for nothing."

"It could be. I don't care."

"Well I do care. But…" she hesitated again, and he prepared himself for a fight. "But also, I don't really care. Is that okay?"

His lips twitched. "Sounds good to me."

"Okay," she said slowly. "So… now what?"

"Now?" he tried not to grin. "I'm going to kiss you again now."

Victoria's eyes twinkled as she leaned in closer. "Good," she murmured. "You're not going to freak out if I say your bed is probably more comfortable than the wall, right?"

His heart thudded loudly in his chest, even as his feet moved automatically and led her towards the bedroom. "I'll try not to."