Letters 5/5 + Epilogue
Title: Letters
Beta: the ever-awesome hyde_the_body
Fandom: STxi
Rating: T
Genre: Romance, family, suspense, h/c, fluff, mildly angsty
Summary: from this prompt on ST XI kink meme: All the crew get fanmail, because of their cuteness and famousness. Jim loves it, Chekov gets more than anybody, Spock thinks it's illogical, Scotty gets sent lots of sandwiches in stasis units. McCoy doesn't get much, and when he does he blushes like a schoolgirl and gets teased mercilessly by the others.
But what happens when McCoy starts getting weird stalkery ones? Ones that are sent from places the Enterprise has docked recently?
A/n: For elfsausage . :) I have to thank Hyde. Absolutely indispensable and helped me out big time (ie, the fight scene is 95% her).
Cross posted at mccoy_and_kirk
Downloadable complete copy
Masterlist
Part Four: ( There were more emails from Jesse to both Leonard and Jim. )
Oleander sent them a clip of the feed that had been running everywhere for the last few days: Riverside, Iowa police seeking murder suspect Jesse Hatcher. Suspect is armed and dangerous. Do not approach the suspect and call your local law enforcement. Jim didn't think it was enough, but was too busy to really do anything. And the taunting emails they were still getting from Jesse made him so tired he could barely see straight.
"I'm just going to make a filter," he told Bones two weeks after Matt's murder, sitting at his desk and staring at the screen. "It'll forward all his shit directly to Oleander because I don't want to see it anymore."
Bones paused. "I don't know if that's a good idea. Matt's not your only family back in Iowa, right? You need to know who else to warn." He leaned against Jim's desk and sighed. "I can't express how sorry I am about all of this."
Jim looked up at him and wound a finger through his belt loop. "Not your fault."
Covering Jim's hand with his own, Bones said, "Doesn't mean it doesn't feel like it."
Jim stood up and sighed. "Maybe if I keep telling you, you'll get it," he said with something resembling a smile.
An email arrived at Leonard's account a while later.
I'm afraid I'm going to be distracted for a while, and I just wanted to let you know that I won't be forgetting you anytime soon. I still have to avenge Jesse, after all.
Jake
There was silence after that. It made Jim, Leonard, and Oleander uneasy, and they waited for weeks - months - for Jesse to make himself known again.
"They can wait for years," Oleander said to Clay on a group comm while the Enterprise circled New Vulcan on a supply drop, eight months after Matt's murder. "And then pop up again when you least expect it."
"Is this your way of telling me we can't go home?" Clay asked, sharp-eyed and irritated. "Because it sounds like you're saying we can't."
Oleander looked at him coolly. "Our assistance has always been mostly optional. That is, for you, Mr. Treadwell. You're welcome to go back to Georgia; just know that we won't be following you there and your safety thereafter is your affair."
Clay shifted, his mouth pressed into a thin line. "So we can't go home?"
The Commander's expression didn't change. "Not at this time. If there hasn't been any word from Hatcher in six more months, you can return. If there's been nothing for a year after that, I'll pull the security detail."
Letting out a long sigh, Clay nodded. "Eighteen more months and then we're home free."
Something in Oleander's eyes said he didn't think so. "I expect a strike within the next twelve - he's shown us he's patient, but I don't think he can last a year and a half without making himself known. So don't count your blessings yet."
"What are you going to do if Jesse reappears after you pull the security detail?" Jim asked.
"This all over again," Oleander replied. "Except we've got a name and a face this time, so hopefully we can catch him."
Time rolled on. Jesse was still on the loose, but it had been about three years since there had been hide or hair of him: no messages, ominous flowers, or sightings. Joanna, Jocelyn, and Clay had long since returned to Georgia, and Joanna was talking hopefully about getting another dog.
As Jim and Leonard's first tour drew to a close, though, Jesse reappeared in their lives.
Dear Dr. McCoy and Captain Kirk,
My, my, how time does fly! It's been so long since we talked last, and I felt I owed you the courtesy of contacting you two again before I came back. I've been following your exploits in the news and I have to say I'm impressed. Clever, resourceful, and immensely successful, the both of you. Jesse would have been so proud, Dr. McCoy! He loved you so much and would have been so happy with your accomplishments. It's such a shame you killed him and such a shame I'm going to have to dispose of you both, and your family, too.
I have to ask - did you call off Starfleet? They've been ineffective, if you haven't, because it's not like I've been hiding. I don't even use an alias! Risa's not the top destination for fugitives you know, and I've been living there openly since I had to kill Beaulieu and that security officer. I wasn't terribly worried anyway because they're not really the right actor to find me because the Federation is so big, but I might have expected to have had to move at least once in the last several years. I don't think it had anything to do with Risan authorities neglecting to pass word to Starfleet, either; it really is that they're just that ineffective. It shouldn't be that way. For the safety of the citizens of the Federation, Starfleet should be able to find anyone, anytime.
But anyway, Joanna's grown up so much since I last saw her. She's really a credit to you and Jezebel, Dr. McCoy. Well, you, mostly. She can't help that her mother's a whore, I suppose. Did you ever pass along my compliments to her? I really do think she could have gone pro at a ball game of some sort. It's unfortunate that I'll be taking away a future star from the world of sports.
Jesse liked baseball a lot. He would have loved to see his step daughter make it to the major league.
And Captain? Have you proposed to the Doctor yet? I hope not.
Anyway, see you soon!
Jake
Oleander was infuriated by Jesse's taunts.
His eyes flat, he said, "Ordinarily, we wouldn't even be involved with this." He looked at Leonard. "The only reason we are is because of you, Doctor. If it weren't for that, we'd have left it to local authorities."
Flushing a little, Leonard remained silent.
The Commander sighed briefly. "At least we can narrow him down now. Sounds like he's in and around your hometown again, cold comfort though that is." He looked at Leonard. "I've gotten in touch with Sheriff Taylor and he's on it. There's a detail around the Treadwell home as we speak, and my people will be augmenting that and preparing to move them if it becomes necessary."
Leonard nodded. "Thank you, Commander. I appreciate your efforts."
Oleander said, "You're welcome.'
Jim asked, "Do you think he's got the house bugged again?"
Shaking his head, Oleander replied, "First thing I did when I got your message was send someone down there to search the house, and she didn't find anything. The house is clean and I don't think Hatcher's gotten past the detail."
"He did before," Leonard growled. "Almost killed my daughter, too."
"Taylor's had time to set up a solid detail this time, instead of less than an hour," Oleander said. "I don't think he wants to fail you again, Doctor."
Leonard sighed and Jim cut in, "Are you going to talk to Risa?"
"About not letting us know? Definitely," Oleander replied, scowling. "I specifically asked them to keep me posted and gave them the man's name and description. Their failure is unacceptable."
Jim nodded. "Is there anything else we need to know?"
"Not at this time," the commander replied. "Oleander out."
Three weeks passed and they docked at Earth for upgrades before going back out into the black, and not long after that they went to see Joanna. It was going to be a brief visit for safety's sake, but they both felt they needed to see her before going back out into the black. Oleander did the best he could to increase protection as subtly as he could, but Clay was less than thrilled about the visit.
"I still think this is a bad idea," he grumbled, letting them in.
Leonard glowered at him. "It's been five years since I've seen my child and it's only for a couple hours, so you can shut up."
Clay rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted.
"Daddy!" Joanna called as soon as she heard his voice. Grinning, she thumped out to into the living room to greet him, letting him pick her up and hold her close, eleven-almost-twelve or not. Wiggling after she had had enough, Joanna insisted, "Put me down! I'm gettin' too big for this!"
Leonard gave her a smile. "Don't I know it," he said, hiding a sigh. He smiled at her again and leaned in to pull her into another tight hug. He rested his head on hers for a moment. "I missed you."
"Missed you, too," she said, her voice muffled against his shirt and hugging him back. Pulling away, she looked up at him with earnest green eyes. "Did Jim come with you?"
Leonard nodded. "He's talkin’ to Luke, but he'll be in here in a minute."
"Ok," she replied and grinned. "Didja bring me anything?"
He marveled at her ability to find happiness, even surrounded by danger. "Sure did," he said with a smile, and reached into a pocket. He pulled out a box and handed it to her. "Be real careful with it."
She opened the box. "Wow!" Joanna breathed and lifted her present out of the tissue paper.
When they had had shore leave on Betazed, Leonard and Jim had spent time at the bazaar there, trying to pick something out for her. Eventually, he found what he thought was the perfect thing. It was a tiny, delicate clockwork dancer, her clothing made of copper and her hair of brass. There was a key in her back to wind her up, and Leonard help Joanna turn the key and they set her on the table. Bells on her wrists tinkled softly and her dress shifted with each movement.
Joanna gasped in delight. "Thank you, Dad!" She hugged him, and he laughed.
"You're welcome," he replied, turning her gently to pay attention to the dancer, and she plucked the toy off the table when she neared the edge.
Jim appeared at Leonard's shoulder and Joanna grinned hugely. "Jim!" she greeted him, hugging him, too.
"Hey, Jo," he said in reply and chuckled. "You got so big!"
She rolled her eyes. "I'm told that's what happens to kids as they get older."
"You're your father's daughter, sarcasm and all," Jim said with a laugh.
She nodded solemnly and then quirked an eyebrow at Jim and her father. "How long are you here for?"
"Just today," Leonard said apologetically and sighed. "Wish it were longer."
Joanna looked sad. "How come?"
Leonard and Jocelyn looked at each other.
"Remember the guy who broke the window?" Jocelyn asked.
"Yeah," Joanna replied and her eyes widened. "Is he back?"
Leonard nodded. "We'd stay, or take you to San Fransisco while we're here, but leaving the house is out of the question and we don't want to draw his attention." He decided she didn't need to know that Jesse was almost certainly aware of where they were at the moment.
She nodded and clung to her father briefly. "Is it always going to be like this?"
"No," Leonard told her, hoping it was true. "Next time we're here, we'll go someplace together, ok?"
Clay had been lurking behind his wife and heaved a frustrated sigh before stomping through the backdoor to stand on screened-off porch. Leonard looked at Jocelyn and raised an eyebrow. She shrugged.
"He hates this," she said, absently watching Jim and Joanna chatter before looking up at him. "It's how he responds."
Leonard nodded, suspecting Clay also blamed him for this years-long mess. He refrained from sighing, just barely. "We won't be here long," he reminded her.
"I know," she replied. "To be honest, that'll probably help his mood."
"Figured," Leonard told her.
"Daaaad," Joanna said, tugging on his shirt. "Jim's bein' stubborn. He won't tell me if he got me anything or not!"
Leonard raised an eyebrow at Jim, who was grinning at him over his shoulder. "Well? You gonna give her what you picked up on Betazed?"
"Of course," Jim replied. "Just gotta fish it out of my bag." He began to rummage around in the knapsack he had brought and pulled out a tiny box. He racked his brain for days before he remembered that at her age, his female cousins had been obsessed with glass figurines, and had searched and searched until he found what he hoped was an acceptable present.
It was a delicately wrought version of a Muktok flower, small but brilliantly colored and surrounded by a thin glass sphere, resting on a polished steel base. As she shifted it, the flower chimed gently and she grinned. Carefully setting it on the nearby coffee table, she hugged him again. "It's beautiful," she told him happily. "I love it!"
"Good," Jim replied with a smile. "I'm happy you like it."
She opened her mouth to reply but a chorus of yelling voices and a howl of agony echoed through the house from the back yard interrupted her. Jim glanced at Leonard and Jocelyn, and when they nodded, he got up to check the situation. Clay was crumpled on the doorstep, and Jesse, grinning like the maniac he was, stood over him with a Starfeet phaser in hand.
"Hello, Captain. I see I caught you at a good time," he greeted, training his phaser on Jim's face and ignoring the yelling Starfleet team and sheriffs as they closed in. His eyes flickered from Jim’s face to the open door behind him. "Everyone's here I tr--"
As he wrenched Jesse’s wrist aside, Jim was immensely grateful that he either had no martial arts training or was too stunned to act on it. Jesse’s hand tightened reflexively around the trigger, letting off a single shot of phaserfire harmlessly at the ground.
Jim yanked Jesse’s gun arm towards himself, unbalancing the man and making him stagger forward. Jim slid his feet out and bent down, elbow out and ready for the stalker’s gut.
Jesse dropped the phaser in order to grab onto Jim’s wrist, effectively buying himself enough purchase to twist around and get the elbow in the ribs instead. He retaliated with a punch aimed at Jim’s head.
The captain ducked lower, snaking his arm from Jesse’s grip and snagging his punching arm as it fully extended, using his attacker’s momentum to tug him forward against his hip and off the ground....
...causing the bastard to fall flat on his back, wind rushing out of him with a whoosh. Jim grabbed and arm and rolled him over on his stomach, chicken-winging him, and pinning him to the ground with a knee between the shoulder blades.
“Jesse Hatcher, you’re under arrest” Luke said, taking over for Jim. He pulled out a pair of handcuffs and snapped them over Jesse’s wrists, proceeding to read the man his rights between gritted teeth.
Bones was still treating Clay, worrying his lower lip as he knelt to run the tricorder over the prone man, Jocelyn hovering behind him. Jim suspected he was concerned because Clay was still knocked out.
Eventually, Leonard sat back on his heels, still looking concerned. “We should get him to a hospital.”
Jocelyn’s eyes widened. “Is he going to be ok?” she asked.
Bones nodded. “Yeah, he’s just got a concussion. It’s worrying that he’s still unconscious, and I’d like to get him better treatment than a field kit can provide.”
Clay shifted and sat up, groaning softly. He promptly leaned over and threw up violently before looking blearily at his wife over Bone’s shoulder. “Joss, what happened?”
“Yep,” Bones said, “We’re gonna get you to the hospital.” He looked at a very worried Jocelyn. “Comm for an ambulence. And Jim,” he added, “would you go sit with Jo for a bit?”
Starfleet Stalker Trial Concludes: Hatcher Guilty, Sentenced to Life
Jesse Hatcher, the man who stalked Dr. Leonard McCoy of the USS Enterprise for five years and murdered two people has been sentenced to life in prison for murder.
Dr. McCoy, who smuggled the future Captain Kirk aboard the Enterprise, first came to the attention of Hatcher in the aftermath of the Narada Battles, when the doctor was lauded as a hero. The succeeding year found Hatcher constantly sending Dr. McCoy love letters, but when he was rejected, Hatcher sought vengance for years, stalking Dr. McCoy’s family, sending threatening letters, attempting to kill his young daughter...
The case was considerably more publicized than anybody involved wanted, but it concluded happily enough. Jesse Hatcher was to be locked away, far from anyone he could hurt, and they could get on with their lives. Jim and Leonard went back to being intrepid explorers, and Jocelyn, Clay, and Joanna went back to Georgia...after stopping by Matt’s old farm (still being run by his sister) to get a dog. Joanna selected a blue-eyed and very fluffy puppy, whom she named Bear, after the growly noises he frequently made. She bombarded Jim and Bones with pictures of Bear, who was in her opinion the best and smartest dog ever.
Even if he did poop on the floor every now and then.
Leonard had absolutely no reason to believe he would be rejected. He had done this before and had been successful, and he and Jim had been together a hell of a lot longer and through a lot more shit than he had with Jocelyn. Yet, he found himself nervously wiping his palms off on his jeans and he was sure that if he threw up, it would be all butterflies. Leonard hoped he was doing this right.
Jim strolled into their quarters, looking like he had had a good day and smiling faintly as he kicked off his boots. He raised an interested eyebrow when he saw Leonard, artfully draped over their couch in the pair of jeans Jim liked best on him and Jim’s old Academy shirt.
“Stealing my clothes again, I see,” he said, stripping off his own shirt and tossing it near the laundry chute.
“Would you rather I didn’t?” Leonard asked, picking up the PADD he had left on the coffee table.
“I didn’t say that,” Jim said, stepping out of his pants and rummaging in their drawers for fresh clothing.
Leonard watched Jim’s ass interestedly. “Does this give me licence to steal your shirts whenever I want?”
Jim turned around and gave him a considering look. “Sure, as long as you realize that that gives me licence to jump you whenever I want.”
“You do that anyway,” Leonard said, idly running his thumb over his denim covered knee.
Tilting his head a little, Jim studied him and then gave him a sly smile. “I get the feeling you have a surprise.”
“I dunno about surprise per se, but, yeah, there’s somethin’.”
“Well,” Jim said, “spit it out.”
Swallowing, Leonard screwed up his courage. “Remember what my cousin Michelle asked Joanna about all those years ago?”
“Was she the one who asked when I was gonna marry you?” Jim asked.
Nodding, Leonard said, “Want to make it happen?”
“What, ask you, or just--?”
“Say yes?” Leonard interjected quickly.
“Yeah, that.” Jim was grinning and his eyes twinkled. “So, yes.”
Leonard found himself smiling back as his gut relaxed and his pulse slowed. “When did you want to?”
“When we get back to Earth? It’s only a few more months, and what’s a couple months in the face of, god, eleven years, isn’t it?” Jim said, looking surprised.
Leonard nodded. “Yep. Eleven years with the prettiest, most obnoxious daredevil of a captain I know.”
Jim turned up his nose. “You mean the handsomest, most swashbuckling captain you know,” he corrected before beaming. “So we’re really gonna get married?”
“We really are,” Leonard said and grinned himself when a helplessly smiling Jim climbed into his lap.
“Love you,” Jim murmured before kissing him.
Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy Tie the Knot!
The famous Captain Kirk and his CMO Dr. Leonard McCoy were married before a Justice of the Peace, their family and friends in attendance. Five years ago, the two were stalked by murderer Jesse Hatcher...
“Why are you readin’ that old gossip rag?” Leonard asked idly, running his hand through Jim’s hair, Jim’s head pillowed on his shoulder.
“I want to know what everybody else is saying so I can correct them.”
“No,” Leonard disagreed. “You just wanna see them call you a catch, you vain bastard.”
Jim pouted and looked up at Leonard the most their positions allowed for it. “Am not.”
“Are, too,” Leonard said. “I love you anyway.”
Jim smiled again and turned on his side, wrapping an arm around him tight. “Love you, too,” he murmured, carelessly dropping the magazine over the back of the couch to curl up against Leonard instead.
Beta: the ever-awesome hyde_the_body
Fandom: STxi
Rating: T
Genre: Romance, family, suspense, h/c, fluff, mildly angsty
Summary: from this prompt on ST XI kink meme: All the crew get fanmail, because of their cuteness and famousness. Jim loves it, Chekov gets more than anybody, Spock thinks it's illogical, Scotty gets sent lots of sandwiches in stasis units. McCoy doesn't get much, and when he does he blushes like a schoolgirl and gets teased mercilessly by the others.
But what happens when McCoy starts getting weird stalkery ones? Ones that are sent from places the Enterprise has docked recently?
A/n: For elfsausage . :) I have to thank Hyde. Absolutely indispensable and helped me out big time (ie, the fight scene is 95% her).
Cross posted at mccoy_and_kirk
Downloadable complete copy
Masterlist
Part Four: ( There were more emails from Jesse to both Leonard and Jim. )
Oleander sent them a clip of the feed that had been running everywhere for the last few days: Riverside, Iowa police seeking murder suspect Jesse Hatcher. Suspect is armed and dangerous. Do not approach the suspect and call your local law enforcement. Jim didn't think it was enough, but was too busy to really do anything. And the taunting emails they were still getting from Jesse made him so tired he could barely see straight.
"I'm just going to make a filter," he told Bones two weeks after Matt's murder, sitting at his desk and staring at the screen. "It'll forward all his shit directly to Oleander because I don't want to see it anymore."
Bones paused. "I don't know if that's a good idea. Matt's not your only family back in Iowa, right? You need to know who else to warn." He leaned against Jim's desk and sighed. "I can't express how sorry I am about all of this."
Jim looked up at him and wound a finger through his belt loop. "Not your fault."
Covering Jim's hand with his own, Bones said, "Doesn't mean it doesn't feel like it."
Jim stood up and sighed. "Maybe if I keep telling you, you'll get it," he said with something resembling a smile.
An email arrived at Leonard's account a while later.
I'm afraid I'm going to be distracted for a while, and I just wanted to let you know that I won't be forgetting you anytime soon. I still have to avenge Jesse, after all.
Jake
There was silence after that. It made Jim, Leonard, and Oleander uneasy, and they waited for weeks - months - for Jesse to make himself known again.
"They can wait for years," Oleander said to Clay on a group comm while the Enterprise circled New Vulcan on a supply drop, eight months after Matt's murder. "And then pop up again when you least expect it."
"Is this your way of telling me we can't go home?" Clay asked, sharp-eyed and irritated. "Because it sounds like you're saying we can't."
Oleander looked at him coolly. "Our assistance has always been mostly optional. That is, for you, Mr. Treadwell. You're welcome to go back to Georgia; just know that we won't be following you there and your safety thereafter is your affair."
Clay shifted, his mouth pressed into a thin line. "So we can't go home?"
The Commander's expression didn't change. "Not at this time. If there hasn't been any word from Hatcher in six more months, you can return. If there's been nothing for a year after that, I'll pull the security detail."
Letting out a long sigh, Clay nodded. "Eighteen more months and then we're home free."
Something in Oleander's eyes said he didn't think so. "I expect a strike within the next twelve - he's shown us he's patient, but I don't think he can last a year and a half without making himself known. So don't count your blessings yet."
"What are you going to do if Jesse reappears after you pull the security detail?" Jim asked.
"This all over again," Oleander replied. "Except we've got a name and a face this time, so hopefully we can catch him."
Time rolled on. Jesse was still on the loose, but it had been about three years since there had been hide or hair of him: no messages, ominous flowers, or sightings. Joanna, Jocelyn, and Clay had long since returned to Georgia, and Joanna was talking hopefully about getting another dog.
As Jim and Leonard's first tour drew to a close, though, Jesse reappeared in their lives.
Dear Dr. McCoy and Captain Kirk,
My, my, how time does fly! It's been so long since we talked last, and I felt I owed you the courtesy of contacting you two again before I came back. I've been following your exploits in the news and I have to say I'm impressed. Clever, resourceful, and immensely successful, the both of you. Jesse would have been so proud, Dr. McCoy! He loved you so much and would have been so happy with your accomplishments. It's such a shame you killed him and such a shame I'm going to have to dispose of you both, and your family, too.
I have to ask - did you call off Starfleet? They've been ineffective, if you haven't, because it's not like I've been hiding. I don't even use an alias! Risa's not the top destination for fugitives you know, and I've been living there openly since I had to kill Beaulieu and that security officer. I wasn't terribly worried anyway because they're not really the right actor to find me because the Federation is so big, but I might have expected to have had to move at least once in the last several years. I don't think it had anything to do with Risan authorities neglecting to pass word to Starfleet, either; it really is that they're just that ineffective. It shouldn't be that way. For the safety of the citizens of the Federation, Starfleet should be able to find anyone, anytime.
But anyway, Joanna's grown up so much since I last saw her. She's really a credit to you and Jezebel, Dr. McCoy. Well, you, mostly. She can't help that her mother's a whore, I suppose. Did you ever pass along my compliments to her? I really do think she could have gone pro at a ball game of some sort. It's unfortunate that I'll be taking away a future star from the world of sports.
Jesse liked baseball a lot. He would have loved to see his step daughter make it to the major league.
And Captain? Have you proposed to the Doctor yet? I hope not.
Anyway, see you soon!
Jake
Oleander was infuriated by Jesse's taunts.
His eyes flat, he said, "Ordinarily, we wouldn't even be involved with this." He looked at Leonard. "The only reason we are is because of you, Doctor. If it weren't for that, we'd have left it to local authorities."
Flushing a little, Leonard remained silent.
The Commander sighed briefly. "At least we can narrow him down now. Sounds like he's in and around your hometown again, cold comfort though that is." He looked at Leonard. "I've gotten in touch with Sheriff Taylor and he's on it. There's a detail around the Treadwell home as we speak, and my people will be augmenting that and preparing to move them if it becomes necessary."
Leonard nodded. "Thank you, Commander. I appreciate your efforts."
Oleander said, "You're welcome.'
Jim asked, "Do you think he's got the house bugged again?"
Shaking his head, Oleander replied, "First thing I did when I got your message was send someone down there to search the house, and she didn't find anything. The house is clean and I don't think Hatcher's gotten past the detail."
"He did before," Leonard growled. "Almost killed my daughter, too."
"Taylor's had time to set up a solid detail this time, instead of less than an hour," Oleander said. "I don't think he wants to fail you again, Doctor."
Leonard sighed and Jim cut in, "Are you going to talk to Risa?"
"About not letting us know? Definitely," Oleander replied, scowling. "I specifically asked them to keep me posted and gave them the man's name and description. Their failure is unacceptable."
Jim nodded. "Is there anything else we need to know?"
"Not at this time," the commander replied. "Oleander out."
Three weeks passed and they docked at Earth for upgrades before going back out into the black, and not long after that they went to see Joanna. It was going to be a brief visit for safety's sake, but they both felt they needed to see her before going back out into the black. Oleander did the best he could to increase protection as subtly as he could, but Clay was less than thrilled about the visit.
"I still think this is a bad idea," he grumbled, letting them in.
Leonard glowered at him. "It's been five years since I've seen my child and it's only for a couple hours, so you can shut up."
Clay rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted.
"Daddy!" Joanna called as soon as she heard his voice. Grinning, she thumped out to into the living room to greet him, letting him pick her up and hold her close, eleven-almost-twelve or not. Wiggling after she had had enough, Joanna insisted, "Put me down! I'm gettin' too big for this!"
Leonard gave her a smile. "Don't I know it," he said, hiding a sigh. He smiled at her again and leaned in to pull her into another tight hug. He rested his head on hers for a moment. "I missed you."
"Missed you, too," she said, her voice muffled against his shirt and hugging him back. Pulling away, she looked up at him with earnest green eyes. "Did Jim come with you?"
Leonard nodded. "He's talkin’ to Luke, but he'll be in here in a minute."
"Ok," she replied and grinned. "Didja bring me anything?"
He marveled at her ability to find happiness, even surrounded by danger. "Sure did," he said with a smile, and reached into a pocket. He pulled out a box and handed it to her. "Be real careful with it."
She opened the box. "Wow!" Joanna breathed and lifted her present out of the tissue paper.
When they had had shore leave on Betazed, Leonard and Jim had spent time at the bazaar there, trying to pick something out for her. Eventually, he found what he thought was the perfect thing. It was a tiny, delicate clockwork dancer, her clothing made of copper and her hair of brass. There was a key in her back to wind her up, and Leonard help Joanna turn the key and they set her on the table. Bells on her wrists tinkled softly and her dress shifted with each movement.
Joanna gasped in delight. "Thank you, Dad!" She hugged him, and he laughed.
"You're welcome," he replied, turning her gently to pay attention to the dancer, and she plucked the toy off the table when she neared the edge.
Jim appeared at Leonard's shoulder and Joanna grinned hugely. "Jim!" she greeted him, hugging him, too.
"Hey, Jo," he said in reply and chuckled. "You got so big!"
She rolled her eyes. "I'm told that's what happens to kids as they get older."
"You're your father's daughter, sarcasm and all," Jim said with a laugh.
She nodded solemnly and then quirked an eyebrow at Jim and her father. "How long are you here for?"
"Just today," Leonard said apologetically and sighed. "Wish it were longer."
Joanna looked sad. "How come?"
Leonard and Jocelyn looked at each other.
"Remember the guy who broke the window?" Jocelyn asked.
"Yeah," Joanna replied and her eyes widened. "Is he back?"
Leonard nodded. "We'd stay, or take you to San Fransisco while we're here, but leaving the house is out of the question and we don't want to draw his attention." He decided she didn't need to know that Jesse was almost certainly aware of where they were at the moment.
She nodded and clung to her father briefly. "Is it always going to be like this?"
"No," Leonard told her, hoping it was true. "Next time we're here, we'll go someplace together, ok?"
Clay had been lurking behind his wife and heaved a frustrated sigh before stomping through the backdoor to stand on screened-off porch. Leonard looked at Jocelyn and raised an eyebrow. She shrugged.
"He hates this," she said, absently watching Jim and Joanna chatter before looking up at him. "It's how he responds."
Leonard nodded, suspecting Clay also blamed him for this years-long mess. He refrained from sighing, just barely. "We won't be here long," he reminded her.
"I know," she replied. "To be honest, that'll probably help his mood."
"Figured," Leonard told her.
"Daaaad," Joanna said, tugging on his shirt. "Jim's bein' stubborn. He won't tell me if he got me anything or not!"
Leonard raised an eyebrow at Jim, who was grinning at him over his shoulder. "Well? You gonna give her what you picked up on Betazed?"
"Of course," Jim replied. "Just gotta fish it out of my bag." He began to rummage around in the knapsack he had brought and pulled out a tiny box. He racked his brain for days before he remembered that at her age, his female cousins had been obsessed with glass figurines, and had searched and searched until he found what he hoped was an acceptable present.
It was a delicately wrought version of a Muktok flower, small but brilliantly colored and surrounded by a thin glass sphere, resting on a polished steel base. As she shifted it, the flower chimed gently and she grinned. Carefully setting it on the nearby coffee table, she hugged him again. "It's beautiful," she told him happily. "I love it!"
"Good," Jim replied with a smile. "I'm happy you like it."
She opened her mouth to reply but a chorus of yelling voices and a howl of agony echoed through the house from the back yard interrupted her. Jim glanced at Leonard and Jocelyn, and when they nodded, he got up to check the situation. Clay was crumpled on the doorstep, and Jesse, grinning like the maniac he was, stood over him with a Starfeet phaser in hand.
"Hello, Captain. I see I caught you at a good time," he greeted, training his phaser on Jim's face and ignoring the yelling Starfleet team and sheriffs as they closed in. His eyes flickered from Jim’s face to the open door behind him. "Everyone's here I tr--"
As he wrenched Jesse’s wrist aside, Jim was immensely grateful that he either had no martial arts training or was too stunned to act on it. Jesse’s hand tightened reflexively around the trigger, letting off a single shot of phaserfire harmlessly at the ground.
Jim yanked Jesse’s gun arm towards himself, unbalancing the man and making him stagger forward. Jim slid his feet out and bent down, elbow out and ready for the stalker’s gut.
Jesse dropped the phaser in order to grab onto Jim’s wrist, effectively buying himself enough purchase to twist around and get the elbow in the ribs instead. He retaliated with a punch aimed at Jim’s head.
The captain ducked lower, snaking his arm from Jesse’s grip and snagging his punching arm as it fully extended, using his attacker’s momentum to tug him forward against his hip and off the ground....
...causing the bastard to fall flat on his back, wind rushing out of him with a whoosh. Jim grabbed and arm and rolled him over on his stomach, chicken-winging him, and pinning him to the ground with a knee between the shoulder blades.
“Jesse Hatcher, you’re under arrest” Luke said, taking over for Jim. He pulled out a pair of handcuffs and snapped them over Jesse’s wrists, proceeding to read the man his rights between gritted teeth.
Bones was still treating Clay, worrying his lower lip as he knelt to run the tricorder over the prone man, Jocelyn hovering behind him. Jim suspected he was concerned because Clay was still knocked out.
Eventually, Leonard sat back on his heels, still looking concerned. “We should get him to a hospital.”
Jocelyn’s eyes widened. “Is he going to be ok?” she asked.
Bones nodded. “Yeah, he’s just got a concussion. It’s worrying that he’s still unconscious, and I’d like to get him better treatment than a field kit can provide.”
Clay shifted and sat up, groaning softly. He promptly leaned over and threw up violently before looking blearily at his wife over Bone’s shoulder. “Joss, what happened?”
“Yep,” Bones said, “We’re gonna get you to the hospital.” He looked at a very worried Jocelyn. “Comm for an ambulence. And Jim,” he added, “would you go sit with Jo for a bit?”
Starfleet Stalker Trial Concludes: Hatcher Guilty, Sentenced to Life
Jesse Hatcher, the man who stalked Dr. Leonard McCoy of the USS Enterprise for five years and murdered two people has been sentenced to life in prison for murder.
Dr. McCoy, who smuggled the future Captain Kirk aboard the Enterprise, first came to the attention of Hatcher in the aftermath of the Narada Battles, when the doctor was lauded as a hero. The succeeding year found Hatcher constantly sending Dr. McCoy love letters, but when he was rejected, Hatcher sought vengance for years, stalking Dr. McCoy’s family, sending threatening letters, attempting to kill his young daughter...
The case was considerably more publicized than anybody involved wanted, but it concluded happily enough. Jesse Hatcher was to be locked away, far from anyone he could hurt, and they could get on with their lives. Jim and Leonard went back to being intrepid explorers, and Jocelyn, Clay, and Joanna went back to Georgia...after stopping by Matt’s old farm (still being run by his sister) to get a dog. Joanna selected a blue-eyed and very fluffy puppy, whom she named Bear, after the growly noises he frequently made. She bombarded Jim and Bones with pictures of Bear, who was in her opinion the best and smartest dog ever.
Even if he did poop on the floor every now and then.
Leonard had absolutely no reason to believe he would be rejected. He had done this before and had been successful, and he and Jim had been together a hell of a lot longer and through a lot more shit than he had with Jocelyn. Yet, he found himself nervously wiping his palms off on his jeans and he was sure that if he threw up, it would be all butterflies. Leonard hoped he was doing this right.
Jim strolled into their quarters, looking like he had had a good day and smiling faintly as he kicked off his boots. He raised an interested eyebrow when he saw Leonard, artfully draped over their couch in the pair of jeans Jim liked best on him and Jim’s old Academy shirt.
“Stealing my clothes again, I see,” he said, stripping off his own shirt and tossing it near the laundry chute.
“Would you rather I didn’t?” Leonard asked, picking up the PADD he had left on the coffee table.
“I didn’t say that,” Jim said, stepping out of his pants and rummaging in their drawers for fresh clothing.
Leonard watched Jim’s ass interestedly. “Does this give me licence to steal your shirts whenever I want?”
Jim turned around and gave him a considering look. “Sure, as long as you realize that that gives me licence to jump you whenever I want.”
“You do that anyway,” Leonard said, idly running his thumb over his denim covered knee.
Tilting his head a little, Jim studied him and then gave him a sly smile. “I get the feeling you have a surprise.”
“I dunno about surprise per se, but, yeah, there’s somethin’.”
“Well,” Jim said, “spit it out.”
Swallowing, Leonard screwed up his courage. “Remember what my cousin Michelle asked Joanna about all those years ago?”
“Was she the one who asked when I was gonna marry you?” Jim asked.
Nodding, Leonard said, “Want to make it happen?”
“What, ask you, or just--?”
“Say yes?” Leonard interjected quickly.
“Yeah, that.” Jim was grinning and his eyes twinkled. “So, yes.”
Leonard found himself smiling back as his gut relaxed and his pulse slowed. “When did you want to?”
“When we get back to Earth? It’s only a few more months, and what’s a couple months in the face of, god, eleven years, isn’t it?” Jim said, looking surprised.
Leonard nodded. “Yep. Eleven years with the prettiest, most obnoxious daredevil of a captain I know.”
Jim turned up his nose. “You mean the handsomest, most swashbuckling captain you know,” he corrected before beaming. “So we’re really gonna get married?”
“We really are,” Leonard said and grinned himself when a helplessly smiling Jim climbed into his lap.
“Love you,” Jim murmured before kissing him.
Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy Tie the Knot!
The famous Captain Kirk and his CMO Dr. Leonard McCoy were married before a Justice of the Peace, their family and friends in attendance. Five years ago, the two were stalked by murderer Jesse Hatcher...
“Why are you readin’ that old gossip rag?” Leonard asked idly, running his hand through Jim’s hair, Jim’s head pillowed on his shoulder.
“I want to know what everybody else is saying so I can correct them.”
“No,” Leonard disagreed. “You just wanna see them call you a catch, you vain bastard.”
Jim pouted and looked up at Leonard the most their positions allowed for it. “Am not.”
“Are, too,” Leonard said. “I love you anyway.”
Jim smiled again and turned on his side, wrapping an arm around him tight. “Love you, too,” he murmured, carelessly dropping the magazine over the back of the couch to curl up against Leonard instead.