Leonard McCoy
The morning starts with Amelia's alarm going off at zero six hundred hours. She's an earlier riser than Leonard is, but usually he can roll over and go back to sleep for the remaining hour until his own alarm goes off. Usually. Not this morning, though. He's still groggy enough that he lies there as she climbs out of bed and, heading towards his bathroom, sheds her pajamas for the shower. It only takes her a few minutes, and then she returns, hair damp and clad only in a towel, to pull on her uniform. Or at least she would if he didn't catch her wrist as she passes. She stops and turns towards him. It's still dark, so he can't make out her expression, but he can hear the smile in her voice as she tells him,
"I thought you were still asleep."
"Doesn't look that way. Is there any chance I can convince you to forget the morning run and come back to bed?"
"You could if it was a run. This morning it's yoga, and they can't do it without the instructor."
"Surely they can manage just the once."
"Leonard…"
"I know. It was worth a shot." He lets go of her wrist and he thinks that's going to be the end of it, but then he feels damp hair against his shoulder as she leans down to kiss him. She tastes of toothpaste and he tries very hard not to think of what he must taste like. He attempts to deepen it, provoking a quiet noise from her, but she pulls away.
"If we start that, I'll never get to the training room."
"And that would be a bad thing."
"Yes. It would." Straightening, she pulls a uniform from the drawer where she keeps the handful of things left in his quarters for mornings like this. He closes his eyes, listening to the familiar sounds of her getting ready for the day. Finally, he hears the doors slide open. "I love you."
"I love you too, Amelia." And now that she's gone, what does he do with himself? Well, he can start by getting dressed. That takes all of two minutes. Shaving and brushing his teeth takes another five, but he's still got around thirty before he'd normally head up to mess. He supposes he could try to contact Joanna. He has no idea what time it is where she is, but if nothing else, he'll be able to leave a message.
"Computer on." He settles in the seat in front of the screen. "Send video transmission. Recipient, Joanna McCoy." A few seconds pass, and then Joanna's room (and more importantly, Joanna) comes into view.
"Hey, Dad."
"Hello, Joanna. What time is it where you are?"
"Eight o'clock in the morning. What about you?"
"Around six thirty." She winces.
"Did Amelia kick you out of bed?"
"She kicked herself out, actually."
"Are you that bad of company?"
"I can guarantee that I'm worse, but she doesn't seem to mind. She had a yoga class to instruct."
"Nice. I dated a yoga instructor once. You know, for someone so big on flexibility, he was surprisingly rigid."
"Rigid how?"
"He didn't like me going out with friends and was always checking my PADD and computer." He frowns.
"Joanna, that's not the type of person you want to get involved with."
"I know, Dad. That's why it's 'dated' and not 'dating'."
"Just checking."
"Well, now that you've gotten that out of your system, I actually have some news." He's still in the process of remaking Joanna's acquaintance, but the past few months have taught him that this could be anything from her changing her breakfast cereal to getting a large tattoo.
"Alright." She grins at him through the screen.
"I got my posting."
"That's great!" He knew it was coming. She graduated a month ago, after all. "Where?"
"Deep Space Station Six."
"Huh."
"'Huh' what?"
"That's just a coincidence. Amelia was posted there a few years back."
"Really?" He nods. "Then maybe she can give me some tips about which merchants have the best prices and which vendors have the best food. That is, if I ever get to meet her."
"You will." He's had every intention of introducing them to each other, but something always seems to come up. Plus, from what he's read on the subject, introducing the person you're dating to your child is a big step for all parties involved and his guess would be that they'd both appreciate a head's up first.
They chat for a few minutes more, and then Joanna tells him, "I've got to go. I'm supposed to meet Mom for coffee."
"Alright, I won't keep you. If I don't hear from you before then, let me know when you're settled."
"I'll do that. Goodbye, Dad."
"Goodbye." The screen goes dark, and he glances at Amelia's forgotten PADD. Zero seven hundred. Late enough to go up to mess. Picking up the device, he heads towards the door.
The mess hall is crowded, but he's still the first of his usual party to arrive. A few people offer waves or even stop to say hello on their way to the replicators, but his concentration is elsewhere. In fact, he barely looks up when Jim slides into the spot next to him, Spock sitting across from them. They're engaged in a heated debate (something about Starfleet regulations on phaser use during exploration of worlds that don't yet have warp capabilities) when he catches sight of brilliant red hair.
Unsurprisingly, Amelia is with Chapel and Uhura. Chapel goes to snag a table while Amelia and Uhura approach the replicators. Uhura makes a sweeping gesture and Amelia nods, telling her… something.
"Don't you think so, Bones?"
"What?" He turns back towards the captain whose expression is somewhere between frustration and amusement.
"Where did we lose you?"
"Presumably whenever Counselor Fairchild walked into the mess hall, Captain." Spock offers.
"I see. And what has the good counselor done today to take up such a large fraction of your thoughts?"
"Actually, it's Joanna." Jim chuckles.
"I should've known. If it's not one of your girls, it's the other." His girls… he supposes it's accurate. They're the two most important people in his life. "What's going on with young Miss McCoy?"
"I sent her a video transmission this morning and we talked. She wants to meet Amelia." Come to think of it, neither of his friends has met his daughter either. Jim lets out a low whistle.
"Introducing your kids to your girlfriend. It's a big step."
"It's 'kid', singular, and 'partner', but yes."
"How long has it been now, Bones? Since this… thing between you started?" He opens his mouth to reply, but before he can-
"Three hundred sixty-eight days, Captain." Spock's out of line, but he's right.
"And do you see it as a permanent situation?"
"I do." And so does she. They've established that, although where they go from here is still up in the air. He thinks he knows, but the question is, does she?
"Then the next logical step would be the introduction of offspring."
"Done this before, have you Spock?"
"Negative, Doctor. I've simply studied texts on human relationships when one party already has children and drawn my conclusion."
"I'm with Spock, actually." Jim tells him. "You should do it. That is, unless you foresee any problems between them."
"I don't." Amelia's been invaluable in the process of trying to regain Joanna's trust, and as for Joanna, she's been accepting of the fact that he's in a relationship.
"Then what's holding you back?"
"Nothing." Amelia stands from her table and starts towards the receptacle with her tray. If he's going to catch her before she goes to work, it has to be now. Giving some excuse to Jim and Spock, he starts towards the door. He reaches it at the same time she does, flanked by Uhura and Chapel. Upon seeing him, she looks up and offers him a soft smile.
"I take it you have something for me?"
"That's right." He holds out the PADD and she reaches out to take it, fingertips brushing his.
"And, uh, where exactly did you leave that, Amelia?" Uhura asks, her face straight but her eyes dancing with mischief.
"Does it matter?"
"I'd be interested to know the answer to that too." Chapel prods.
"I left it by the bed, I think."
"Your bed, or-"
"No."
"So, Dr. McCoy's bed. Now, what could you possibly have been doing there?" Amelia shoots him an uncomfortable look. She doesn't lie, so she's going to have to go with the truth. That is, unless someone spares her.
"Does she have to draw you a picture, Lieutenant?" Chapel ducks her head, but Uhura just snickers.
"No, Doctor. I can use my imagination." Murmuring her thanks, Amelia walks out the door, the other two women following. Female friendships will always be a mystery to him. Not that Jim and Spock are much better.
Amelia Fairchild
Over the year and seven months that Amelia has been aboard the Enterprise, being called to the briefing room has grown slightly less intimidating, but only slightly. Especially since they're not orbiting a planet and she knows this isn't about an away party. It could be about her work, but when that's the case, the captain usually comes to her. As she waits outside the doors, she tries to come up with an explanation other than a reprimand. She hasn't done anything to deserve one, but that's where her mind usually turns.
"Enter." Folding her hands behind her back, she steps into the room. Captain Kirk is sitting at the table, the computer turned on, and viewing… something very familiar, actually. "Counselor. Have a seat." She does as she's told but doesn't say a word. Why is he viewing videos of Deep Space Six? "You're probably wondering what this is all about."
"I am."
"You were stationed at Deep Space Six, correct?"
"Yes sir. For around eighteen months."
"Would you say you know the space station well?"
"I would."
"What can you tell me about the facilities there?"
"Well, there are the crew quarters and the dispensary-"
"I'm more interested in what's available for visitors." She searches her brain for any memories of that aspect. She didn't utilize those parts of the space station often.
"If I'm remembering correctly, there are quite a few rooms available since they often host starships. There's the cantina, with various places to eat and types of food, as well as a bar. Typical recreation rooms, of course. And when I left, they were working on a room that uses some sort of computer hologram to provide an immersive experience, like stepping into a book or film."
"It sounds like an ideal shore leave location, which is why I've decided to dock there and allow the crew to take some time off. After the incident in engineering three months ago, I'd say we could all use it. Would you agree with that statement?"
"I would."
"Excellent. I'll make the announcement sometime this afternoon. Thank you for your input. Dismissed." She stands and makes her way out the doors.
True to the captain's word, the announcement comes over the ship's comms at fifteen hundred hours. She's with Straus and Abrams at the time (the couple are discussing what they want for the future of their relationship), and their excitement is so palpable that she ends the session early. It's for the best. She has some recommendations for medication management to go over with Leonard and there isn't another opening in her schedule today so, collecting her PADD, she heads towards sickbay.
Christine and Perez are chatting animatedly when she steps in, and neither woman looks up. Her first stop is the ICU, and when that turns up nothing, his office. The doors are open, so she doesn't have to use that infernal buzzer. He's at his desk, studying something on the computer monitor.
"Am I here at a bad time?" The screen goes dark as he looks up.
"Not at all. I was just looking up some information on Deep Space Six." She chuckles and takes the seat opposite him.
"That seems to be going around."
"Joanna's stationed there you know. Arrived last week."
"You've mentioned it." She sets the PADD on the desk in front of her. "Now, in lieu of the progress we've made in the support groups, I have several people whom I believe can be weened off of their anxiety and sleep medications."
"I thought as much myself. Which ones?"
"Chatham, Davis, Andres-"
"She'll be glad to hear that."
"I'm sure she will."
"Who else?"
"Scott, Lee, and Chen." He nods.
"I'll schedule appointments with them before we go on shore leave."
"It'll be tight. The captain's announcement said that we'll be arriving in two days."
"I think we can manage it, if we squeeze."
"Do you want to be the one to tell them, or-"
"I can handle it, but I'm guessing you'll want to see them?"
"As soon as they return from shore leave, yes."
"Speaking of which, I think there's something we need to discuss. That is if you have a minute."
"Do you need to discuss it with Dr. Fairchild or with Amelia?"
"Amelia."
"Then I have five." He chuckles.
"I'm flattered."
"You should be." She powers down the PADD and leans towards him. "What is it?"
"I've been meaning to do it for a while, and now with the visit to Deep Space Six happening, it's really unavoidable." She thinks she knows where this is headed. "I want you to meet Joanna." Yes. She was right.
"Are you certain about that?" Leonard nods.
"You're the two most important individuals in my life. It's high time you met each other, and an in-person meeting is ideal." He's right. It's rare that people on starships get to introduce their significant others to their families for the first time in person, but it's preferable to a screen. Still, it adds pressure to the situation. In person, you can't run away if things go badly. You have to suck it up and make conversation until it's socially acceptable to leave. She doesn't anticipate any difficulties with meeting Joanna, but what if she's wrong? What if Leonard's daughter doesn't like her? Pasting a smile on her face, she tells him,
"Alright. I'll plan on it."
"Good. I'll let her know so that she can meet us when we disembark."
"That soon?"
"Did you want to wait?"
"No." It's better to get it over with. Rip the bandage off, so to speak. With that in mind, she stands. "I have to be getting back now."
"Then I'll see you tonight?"
"I'll see you then."
Leonard McCoy
Despite reading up on the place, Leonard isn't expecting Deep Space Six to be so huge. When he beams down, it's in the middle of the station. Hundreds of people are milling around, not sparing a look in the direction of the newest arrivals. Well, all except one, who takes off at a run in their direction.
"Dad!"
"Hello, Joanna." It's been years since he's seen her through something other than a computer screen and even longer since he's hugged her, but she wraps her arms around him, and he returns the embrace. She's almost as tall as he is, and she carries herself with a confidence that he definitely didn't see throughout the awkward teenage years.
"You look good, old man."
"So do you. When did you get so tall?"
"Around the end of senior year. High school, not college." She lets go of him, turning to- "Let me see. Red hair, medical uniform, and hanging around my dad. You must be Amelia." The woman in question raises her hand in a slight wave.
"Hello." Joanna turns to her and then she's pulling his partner into a hug too, which Amelia returns tentatively.
"He said you were beautiful, but he didn't say you were this beautiful. Nice job, by the way, Dad."
"Thanks for that." Apparently, Joanna's decided that Amelia's had enough, because, releasing her, she motions for them to follow.
"Come on. I'll show you where I work. Unless you want to go to your rooms and take a nap."
"I'm old, but I'm not that old." Shooting him a mischievous grin, Joanna starts out across the transporter bay.
They don't say much as they walk, Amelia's hand in his, both of them weaving between people to keep up with Joanna. Finally, they reach a brightly lit room with at least a dozen biobeds, all situated below monitors so state-of-the-art that he's only read about them.
"This is the dispensary. Pretty cool, right?" She approaches one of the biobeds and runs her hand across the surface of it. The monitor chirps, picking up her vitals.
"It's far more sensitive than what we have on the Enterprise."
"It can get annoying if someone runs into them, but it's easier for smaller patients. But I guess you don't get many kids there, do you?"
"Not often." There are a few crewmen with families, but it's mostly adults.
"I'd take you into the ICU, but we have patients in there, and I'm not supposed to bring outsiders in."
"McCoy, do you have the reports I was-" A young man in a medical uniform steps out, stopping short when he sees them. "Oh."
"Jackson, this is my dad."
"You're Leonard McCoy, aren't you?" He nods.
"I am."
"The one who came up with the method for grafting neural tissue to the cerebral cortex-"
"That's me, yeah." Jackson grins and… huh… grasps his hand, shaking it.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. McCoy, why didn't you tell me that your father is a genius?"
"Don't wet yourself, Jackson. He's just my dad." That seems to snap the doctor out of it.
"Right." He clears his throat. "McCoy, your shift starts in five minutes, so I'd suggest you send your guests on their way. That is, unless your father would like to assist? We've got a Vulcan with a bad case of Rigelian smallpox." He's never seen that condition up close and personal since it's not as virulent as Earth smallpox was. And on a Vulcan...
"I would, but I'm actually here on shore leave-"
"Go on, Leonard." Amelia gives their joined hands a squeeze. "I know you're dying to."
"Come on, Dad. We've never worked a case together before. It could be fun." He glances down at his partner, who's wearing a knowing smile.
"Are you sure, Darling?"
"Somehow, I think I'll be fine on my own for a few hours. I used to live here, you know."
"Two hours." Well… "Maybe four." She chuckles.
"Four hours."
"That's when my break is." Joanna informs them. "We can meet up for a late dinner."
"That sounds good. Anyplace in particular?"
"Runnu's." Amelia and Joanna say it at the same time.
"So, you know it?" Joanna asks.
"Of course. It's a staple of life on Six, especially if you keep odd hours."
"Then, say, twenty-one hundred hours?"
"If the two of you will be done by then."
"I'll drag him away." The knowing smile is back.
"Alright." Once he's content that Amelia's safely out of the dispensary, he turns towards Joanna.
"Where do I scrub in?"
The next four hours are busy, stretching his knowledge of both exobiology and of infectious diseases, but by the time they're done, he's satisfied that the patient is well on her way to recovery. That, and he now knows what he suspected: his daughter is good at her job. She presents just enough sympathy to her patients while still maintaining a professional distance. She's thorough and asks thought-provoking questions. And she already has an enviable comradery with her fellow nurses and doctors.
Amelia's waiting for them when they arrive, her uniform replaced with civilian clothes. That's the first thing he notices. The second is that she's not alone. Jim is with her. The captain looks up as they approach, and his eyes lock on Joanna.
"Bones, you're supposed to be resting. Counselor Fairchild tells me you found a way into sickbay even here."
"Here they call it a dispensary, but yes." He slides into the booth next to Amelia, and Joanna takes the place next to Jim. "Jim, this is my daughter, Joanna. Joanna, this is-"
"Jim Kirk." His daughter smiles at his friend and offers him her hand. "My dad talks about you all the time."
"It's a pleasure, Joanna." Is it just him, or is that handshake lingering a little too long? "Bones, why didn't you tell me your daughter is so…"
"So… what?" Still not looking away, Jim tells him,
"Never mind. It's nothing a father would notice." He starts to say something along the lines of 'eyes forward, both of you', but before he can, a waiter approaches, and they're too busy ordering for him to scold.
"So, you're a starship Captain. I didn't expect you to be so young."
"He's thirty-five." His comment is ignored.
"And you're a nurse."
"Dad mentioned it?"
"No, I guessed as much by the uniform."
"These things don't do anyone any favors."
"Maybe not most people, but it suits you." Again, he wants to say something, but that's when Amelia leans closer and asks,
"How's the Vulcan?"
"She'll make a full recovery. You know, it's fascinating, Amelia. Usually, Vulcans are immune to Rigelian smallpox, but she's anemic, so she couldn't fight it off. No one could figure out what caused the anemia. It's just an underlying condition-" Her lips quirk up into a smirk. "-I'm going on, aren't I?"
"You are, but it's acceptable."
"We have a Vulcan crewman aboard the Enterprise, Joanna." His daughter smiles in Jim's direction.
"I've always found their physiology fascinating."
"I prefer human physiology."
"Jim, what do you know about physiology?" His comment is met with a slight frown and then… great… the captain is turning back to his daughter.
"Enough to get by. More than enough, some would say."
"I'm somewhat of an expert myself, Captain."
"Call me Jim."
"Jim." Does she have to look at him like that? "And does physiology come up much as a captain?"
"You would be surprised at how often it does." Their food arrives, and for the next few minutes, there's no opportunity for Jim to flirt with his daughter. Well, except for those long, lingering glances. Come to think of it… are their hands brushing under the table? He can't very well duck down and look. Instead, he turns towards Amelia.
"What did you get up to this afternoon?"
"Nothing as exciting as treating Rigelian smallpox. I just looked up some old friends."
"Anyone you want to see while you're here?"
"No. Everyone has transferred away at this point."
"So, with three days of shore leave, what are you going to do?" Jim asks.
"We haven't really discussed it-" Amelia starts.
"We'll probably just head back to our quarters for the night."
"You can't do that." Joanna tells them. "The night is young."
"Not for me."
"Or me. I had enough of Six nightlife when I was in my twenties."
"And what about you, Jim? Are you turning in as well?" The captain shakes his head.
"No, I think I'll take a look at that nightlife myself."
"Then you'll need a tour guide. It can get crazy out there."
"Are you volunteering?"
"As a matter of fact." He's certain of it. Jim's wearing the smile that he believes melts women into puddles of goo at his feet. Surely Joanna's too smart for that.
"When would you like to leave?"
"I'm ready whenever you are. That is, if Dad and Amelia can find their way back alright."
"We'll be fine, but-"
"Then let's go."
"Joanna-"
"I'll see you tomorrow, Dad." As they leave, he sees Jim resting a hand on the small of his daughter's back. Turning to Amelia, he asks,
"Any ideas of what I should do about that?"
"None. Technically, she's an adult-"
"She's not. She's a baby who happens to be as tall as me."
"She's twenty-one years old, Leonard. If she wants to make a mistake, then you can't stop her." He sighs.
"And here I thought a nine-year age gap was suspect."
"Come on." She takes his hand and, leaning so close that her chest brushes his arm, tells him, "I can try to take your mind off it."
"What did you have in mind?"
Amelia Fairchild
When Amelia wakes up, she realizes two things. One, she's not on board the Enterprise. No, her memory kicks in, she's on Deep Space Six. The other thing that she can't quite place, however? She's alone, and she definitely didn't go to bed that way. She rolls over and powers up her PADD, only to find the documents application open. She wasn't working on anything last night, and only one person knows her passcode. Sure enough, it's a note.
'Darling,
I've gone to the dispensary to check on the Vulcan and I probably won't be back until after you wake up. Go on to breakfast without me and I'll meet up with you sometime this morning. I love you.
Leonard.'
With a chuckle, she climbs out of bed and starts pulling on her clothes. Really, she should've expected it. A tiger doesn't change its stripes, and you might take the doctor out of sickbay, but you can't take sickbay out of the doctor. His devotion to his job is one of the things she loves about him, although it sometimes leaves her feeling like the mistress to medicine's role as wife.
A melodic chime sounds from outside her door (why can't the Enterprise have that instead of the buzzing?) and she bids the person,
"Enter." The door slides open, and she takes in the young woman standing there.
"Let me guess. Dad is at the dispensary."
"It looks that way."
"Did he at least leave a note?"
"He did."
"Well, if you can't get the father, will the daughter suffice?"
"What did you have in mind?"
"Breakfast, or more specifically, coffee."
"Alright." She follows Joanna out the door and towards the little hole in the wall coffee shop she frequented often on early mornings during her days at Six. They order and then, Joanna indicating the booth nearest the door, slide into place.
"I'm actually glad that Dad's gone this morning."
"You are?" She nods.
"It gives me a chance to talk to you." Forcing her expression to remain neutral, she asks,
"What did you want to talk about?"
"Oh, just the classic, 'Don't hurt my dad' speech."
"That's the last thing I want to do, Joanna."
"I know that. I can tell by the way you look at him. Like he's the most important person in your life." That's because he is, but she keeps that to herself. "He obviously loves you too. It's a little gross, actually."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Just do me a favor and don't kiss him in front of me."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Dad's a bit of a workaholic, but I guess you know that by now."
"It's come to my attention, yes."
"He loves his job, but it doesn't mean he loves you less. I used to think that, and then I fell in love with medicine too. It's addicting."
"I have a job that I'm in love with too."
"So, you get it." Amelia nods. "Good. I love my mom, but it's not something she understands, and I think to be with him, you have to." They sit there in silence for a few minutes, sipping their beverages (ginseng tea for her and a triple redeye for Joanna) and finally the young woman speaks up again. "You know how things ended with him and mom, right?"
"I do."
"It's taken him a long time to trust someone, and I can tell he trusts you. So do me a favor. Stick around. If you've got a problem, work it out. Because if things end with you, I don't think he's coming back from it."
"Nor would I."
"Good. I wish I had someone…" She trails off.
"Someone what?"
"It sounds really bad now that I think about it, but what I was going to say is someone that it would completely destroy if I walked away." She's never thought about it in those terms, but Joanna is right. It would completely destroy her if Leonard left. She'd still have her job and she might find some sort of equilibrium eventually, but it would be a very hollow existence. No one has had that power over her before. Not even the man she spent five years beside.
"Joanna-" Luckily, she's saved from having to say anything by a hand on her shoulder. She looks up and meets familiar blue eyes.
"It looks like I'm interrupting an intense conversation."
"Yes, so if you could go away…" Joanna teases before pointing to the spot next to Amelia. "I was just giving her the speech."
"Joanna, I'm forty-three years old."
"Which means your mind is probably starting to go and you need someone to look out for you." She stands and, disposing of her coffee cup, tells them, "Actually do something fun today. Besides going back to your quarters, that is." She can feel heat creeping up her neck at that, but luckily Joanna chooses that moment to walk away. Turning to her, Leonard asks,
"So, what do you want to do today?"
"I need to pick up a few art supplies-"
"I thought you were running low on charcoal."
"Yes, and all of my tempera has dried out. Other than that-" She shrugs. "-we can just see where the day takes us."
"Sounds like a decent plan."
Leonard McCoy
Three days seems like a long time for shore leave, especially when you haven't taken it in years, but in reality, the time passes quickly. Or at least it does for Leonard. On the morning of the third day, they're to report to the transporter bay to be beamed back aboard. Because there's so many of them, they have to go in shifts. Unfortunately for him, Amelia is called up earlier than he is. The good news is his beam-up time is during Joanna's break, so he gets to see her one more time before leaving. She's waiting outside of his door when he emerges and greets him with a smile.
"Did Amelia get off okay?"
"Off and back to work. I got a message from her saying she had patients waiting for her."
"Already?" He nods. "Damn. She wasn't kidding when she said she loves her job."
"She does. It was one of the first things I admired about her." Speaking of… "You're very good at yours."
"You're not so bad yourself. Do you remember the time when I was little that I fell through a window-"
"And you broke three ribs and got a concussion? I should. It was one of the scariest experiences of my life."
"But you fixed me up. That's when I knew I had to be a nurse."
"I had the same experience-"
"With Grandpa. You've told me. Which reminds me, does Grandma know about Amelia?"
"She does, but you know your grandmother. Technology isn't her friend, so they've just exchanged written transmissions."
"Why did you wait so long to introduce me, then?" He sighs.
"Because I wanted to make sure it was permanent first."
"Well, I like her. Although it's a little weird to have a stepmother who's only thirteen years older than me."
"It's weird for me to have an adult daughter…" Wait, did she say- "And Amelia's not your stepmother. We're not married."
"You might want to get on that, then. You're not getting any younger. Plus, it's cringey to think that my dad has a girlfriend."
"We use the term 'partner', actually."
"Still cringey."
"How do you think I feel knowing my daughter's boyfriend is my captain?"
"Come on, Dad. You know that's not what's going on. He was just a one-night stand." He grimaces.
"You're not making it better."
"Hey, if we can't talk about it, then we shouldn't be doing it, right?"
"I knew teaching you that one was going to come back to bite me."
"Last call for Enterprise party nineteen!" The call comes from behind him.
"That's me." Reaching out, Joanna wraps her arms around him.
"I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, Joanna. It won't be four years this time."
"So, you're going to fly out to Deep Space Six?"
"I will. Plus, my posting's up in another seven months."
"Last call-"
"You'd better go." Nodding, he bids her one final goodbye and climbs onto the transporter pad.
There's not much to do once he arrives back at the ship other than return his things to his quarters and head to sickbay. He's not scheduled to work for another few hours, but after shore leave, there's always someone in need of treatment for whatever ailment they picked up from exposure to so many new people. Sure enough, he has a steady stream until eighteen hundred hours when he leaves in favor of letting M'Benga take over. Just in time too. Amelia emerges from her office, and as she steps into the hallway, he takes her hand.
"Anything interesting in sickbay?"
"Believe it or not, a case of Rigelian smallpox." She chuckles. "What about in the counselor's office?"
"Normally I wouldn't say anything, but they gave me permission…"
"Who did?"
"Straus and Abrams. They got engaged."
"Really?" She nods, a smirk in place. "When?"
"During shore leave in one of the recreation rooms."
"Do you think they're going to make it?"
"I think they have as good a chance as anyone. If they keep working at it."
"So, there's going to be a wedding on board the Enterprise."
"Looks like it." As they enter the turbolift, his conversation with Joanna comes back to him. The situation with Amelia is permanent, and he thinks he knows where they go from here. Having another person say the same thing just confirms it. It's been a year. This is an important decision, but he's had ample time to make it. Honestly, he realized it the moment she told him that when she thinks about the future, he's in it. He thinks… no, scratch that… he knows that he wants to marry Amelia Fairchild. The question is: are they on the same page?